The 20 greatest (and 10 worst) Spider-Man villains of all time
By Mike McNulty
19th Best Villain: Mister Negative
In 2008, when Marvel released Amazing Spider-Man three times a month under the banner of “Brand New Day,” it’s rotating “brain trust” of writers and artists mutually decided on giving the classic villains a break and set about creating their own original villains. Of the new enemies which came out of this period, only Dan Slott and Phil Jimenez’s Mister Negative has endured.
For starters, him literally resembling a black-and-white photographic negative makes for a strong, unforgettable visual design, an essential for any comic book character. He also neatly combines two classic villain archetypes: the master criminal, and the “Jekyll and Hyde.” As Martin Li, he’s a dedicated humanitarian and advocate for the homeless, while as Mister Negative, he runs a vast criminal organization called The Inner Demons. The twist (at least initially) is Li isn’t aware of his alter ego.
His origin also ties directly with long-time Spider-Man allies, Cloak and Dagger, as he was also injected with the same drug which gave them their “lightforce” and “darkforce” powers. This not only enhanced Li’s strength as Mr. Negative, it also allows him to either heal or mentally corrupt a person into his bidding just by touching them. Moreover, he can also use his darkforce energy to empower other objects like swords or knives, making them stronger, sharper, and more durable.
Mr. Negative has corrupted Spider-Man, of course, and even Peter’s Aunt May. In addition, he cured Eddie Brock of his cancer, which also changed him into Anti-Venom during Dan Slott’s “New Ways to Die.” And come sometime next year, he’ll be a major adversary in the upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive Spider-Man video game.