10 Times Comics Made Terrible Villains Great

Scorpion should have been one of Spider-Man’s biggest foes. With a personal vendetta against both Peter and J. Jonah Jameson, plus powers of superhuman strength and resilience that even Spidey struggled to contend with, it seemed like Mac Gargan was set to reach the same heights as other classic villains of the era like Electro and Sandman.

Unfortunately, Scorpion fell foul to every villain’s kryptonite, diminishing returns. With each subsequent appearance, he was defeated that little bit easier and his character devolved further and further until his defining characteristic was how depressed he was at always being beaten by Spider-Man.

The character got a much-needed boost though in Mark Millar’s Marvel Knights Spider-Man by replacing Eddie Brock as Venom. The symbiote itself had also suffered a huge drop in credibility, to the point where it could be scared off with just a lighter, but Millar’s skilful combination of the two characters sent them right back to the A-list.

This Venom was a brutal monster, replacing Brock’s anti-heroic tendencies with a habit of eating his opponents alive. As one of Norman Osborn’s right hand men, he served on both the Thunderbolts and the Dark Avengers before being finally taken down.