The 20 greatest (and 10 worst) Spider-Man villains of all time
By Mike McNulty
4th Worst Villain: Jimmy Natale/The Vulture
Over the years, various Spider-Man writers have had problems with the Vulture. The reason being is they don’t like the idea that a young, healthy Peter Parker would routinely engage in fisticuffs with an elderly, frail man. This has led to various, unsuccessful attempts at revamping the Vulture. This includes having the Vulture’s younger cellmate, Blackie Drago, take up the mantle, and giving the original Vulture a youth-siphoning armored suit.
But the worst attempt at revamping the Vulture must go to Mark Waid and Mike McKone’s brand new Vulture from the “Brand New Day” era of Amazing Spider-Man. Only this winged miscreant wasn’t some senior citizen. Instead, this is a much younger mob hit-man named Jimmy “The Fixer” Natale. And instead of obtain his powers from a suit, Jimmy allowed himself to have his DNA combined with Vulture DNA, which turned him into a hideous, near-amnesiac monster.
Other than having wings, this “Red Vulture” bares no resemblance to his namesake. Aside from looking as if he’s cos-playing Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy VII, his signature power is vomiting acid. The better, of course, to help digest his victims. Oh yes, he’s also a cannibal, too. Because that’s more “hardcore” and “edgy” than a flying old man.
As you might have expected, comic fans didn’t exactly embrace this darker, more disgusting alternative to a classic Spider-Man villain. In just two years, the original Vulture took flight once again, while the new Vulture wound up repeatedly stabbed to death by The Punisher.