8. Villains That Have A Real Connection To The Hero
Sam Raimi really tried with his villains but every connection to Peter Parker/Spider-Man felt a little forced. Despite knowing Harry for years, Peter didn't meet his friend's father and future Green Goblin Norman Osborn until the events of the first film. Despite their shared love of science, our hero never met Doctor Octavius until the sequel and they shared just a single scene with the good scientist mentoring Peter, before he transformed until the villainous Doc Ock. The third film was worse. Flint Marko was retcon'ed into Peter's life as his uncle's killer, undoing the events of the first film. Eddie Brock had no purpose and no build up through the series other than to be Peter's rival and future Venom. Harry Osborn was far better, having two films of plot to build on, but the whole amnesia story line messed that one up. The villains of Marc Webb's films on the other hand have one clever connection; the link back to Osborn Industries. It began with Doc Connor/The Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man and looks set to continue with Harry Osborn and Max Dillon/Electro in the sequel. Mixing the obvious endgame of Norman Osborn and the mystery of Peter's parent's disappearance, the shadow of Osborn Industries hangs over Peter's story, giving him as much a motivation to discover what happened as the villains (past, present and future). That's why The Sinister Six movie should be a success; because these villains will have as much a connection to the Spider-Man and the shadowy Osborn Industries organisation as each other.