Spider-Man vs Batman: Who Has the Better Rogues Gallery?

This is the debate that never dies.

You’ve had it with your friends. You’ve seen it in YouTube comment sections. You’ve watched it derail entire group chats. And if you’re reading this, you probably already have a side.

Spider-Man vs Batman. Who has the better rogues gallery?

Not who would win in a fight. Not who’s the better hero. But who has the villains that matter more. The ones that stick with you. The ones that define what a great rogues gallery even means.

Here’s the thing: both heroes have iconic villains. Both have rogues galleries that shaped the entire superhero genre. And both have antagonists who work just as well outside their hero’s orbit as they do within it.

So how do you even compare them?

You start by breaking down what makes a rogues gallery great in the first place. Then you look at the villains themselves, the worlds they inhabit, and how they’ve been adapted across comics, animation, film, and games. You compare themes. You compare cultural impact. You compare staying power.

And then you let the people decide.

 

What Makes a Great Rogues Gallery?

Before we pit these two against each other, let’s set the criteria.

A great rogues gallery isn’t just a list of memorable bad guys. It’s a collection of antagonists who do a few specific things really well:

Variety of themes and powers

You need different types of villains. Street-level threats and cosmic horrors. Geniuses and brutes. Sympathetic and irredeemable.

Personal connection to the hero

The best villains aren’t just obstacles. They reflect the hero’s fears, failures, and moral boundaries. They test who the hero is.

 

Adaptability across media

A villain who only works in one medium is limited. The greats work in comics, animation, live action, and games without losing what makes them compelling.

Standalone appeal

Can the villain carry a story without the hero? Do they have their own mythos, their own fans, their own reason to exist beyond “Spider-Man’s enemy” or “Batman’s nemesis”?

Cultural impact

Did they change the genre? Did they influence villains that came after them? Do non-comic readers know who they are?

Longevity

Have they stayed relevant across decades, or did they peak once and fade?

With those benchmarks in mind, let’s get into it.

The Rogues Gallery Draft Board

Here’s the starting lineup for both sides. Eight villains each. First appearance, core concept, and key defining stories or adaptations.

SPIDER-MAN

Green Goblin (Norman Osborn)
First appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964)
Core concept: Industrialist driven insane by experimental formula becomes Spider-Man’s most personal and sadistic enemy.
Key stories/adaptations: “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” (Amazing Spider-Man #121-122, 1973), Spider-Man (2002 film), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius)
First appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #3 (July 1963)
Core concept: Brilliant scientist fused to mechanical tentacles becomes both a physical and intellectual threat.
Key stories/adaptations: Superior Spider-Man (2013-2014), Spider-Man 2 (2004 film), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Venom (Eddie Brock)
First appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988)
Core concept: Alien symbiote rejected by Spider-Man bonds with a vengeful journalist to become a dark mirror of the hero.
Key stories/adaptations: Venom: Lethal Protector (1993), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Venom (2018), solo film franchise

Sandman (Flint Marko)
First appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #4 (September 1963)
Core concept: Petty criminal transformed into living sand struggles between villainy and redemption.
Key stories/adaptations: Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994-1998), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Electro (Max Dillon)
First appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #9 (February 1964)
Core concept: Electrical lineman gains power over electricity and becomes a volatile, visually iconic threat.
Key stories/adaptations: The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008-2009), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Mysterio (Quentin Beck)
First appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #13 (June 1964)
Core concept: Special effects artist and master illusionist who weaponizes deception and spectacle.
Key stories/adaptations: Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994-1998), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Kravinoff)
First appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #15 (August 1964)
Core concept: Big game hunter obsessed with proving himself the ultimate predator by defeating Spider-Man.
Key stories/adaptations: “Kraven’s Last Hunt” (Web of Spider-Man #31-32, The Amazing Spider-Man #293-294, The Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132, 1987)

Carnage (Cletus Kasady)
First appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #361 (April 1992)
Core concept: Serial killer bonded with symbiote offspring becomes a chaotic, nihilistic horror threat.
Key stories/adaptations: “Maximum Carnage” (1993 crossover), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

BATMAN

Joker
First appearance: Batman #1 (Spring 1940)
Core concept: Homicidal clown and agent of chaos who exists as Batman’s philosophical opposite and greatest tormentor.
Key stories/adaptations: The Killing Joke (1988), The Dark Knight (2008), Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995), Joker (2019)

Two-Face (Harvey Dent)
First appearance: Detective Comics #66 (August 1942)
Core concept: Gotham’s noble district attorney scarred and broken into a split personality driven by chance and duality.
Key stories/adaptations: The Long Halloween (1996-1997), The Dark Knight (2008), Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)

Catwoman (Selina Kyle)
First appearance: Batman #1 (Spring 1940)
Core concept: Master thief who walks the line between villain and antihero, representing temptation and moral ambiguity for Batman.
Key stories/adaptations: Batman Returns (1992), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Catwoman solo series (multiple runs)

Riddler (Edward Nygma)
First appearance: Detective Comics #140 (October 1948)
Core concept: Genius obsessed with proving intellectual superiority through elaborate riddles and deathtraps.
Key stories/adaptations: Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995), Batman Forever (1995), The Batman (2022), Batman: Arkham game series

Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot)
First appearance: Detective Comics #58 (December 1941)
Core concept: Deformed crime lord who uses wealth, cunning, and an obsession with class and status to control Gotham’s underworld.
Key stories/adaptations: Batman Returns (1992), Gotham (2014-2019), The Batman (2022)

Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)
First appearance: World’s Finest Comics #3 (Fall 1941)
Core concept: Psychologist weaponizes fear toxin to study terror and exploit trauma.
Key stories/adaptations: Batman Begins (2005), Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995), Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)

Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley)
First appearance: Batman #181 (June 1966)
Core concept: Botanist turned eco-terrorist with control over plant life and pheromones.
Key stories/adaptations: Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995), Batman & Robin (1997), Harley Quinn animated series (2019-present)

Bane
First appearance: Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (January 1993)
Core concept: Genius tactician and physical powerhouse who broke Batman both literally and psychologically.
Key stories/adaptations: “Knightfall” (1993-1994), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Batman: Arkham Origins (2013)

New York and Consequences: Why Spider-Man’s Villains Hit Different

Spider-Man’s rogues gallery is grounded in one brutal truth: anyone can fall.

Most of Spider-Man’s classic villains are regular people who got powers by accident. A lab experiment gone wrong. A freak accident at a construction site. A desperate grab for scientific glory that backfired.

They’re not born monsters. They’re made. And that mirrors Peter Parker’s entire origin.

Peter got his powers by accident too. A radioactive spider bite. He didn’t ask for it. He didn’t earn it through training or wealth or destiny. It just happened.

And because of that, Spider-Man’s villains feel like cautionary tales. What if Peter had been more selfish? What if he’d let bitterness consume him? What if he’d used his powers for revenge instead of responsibility?

Doctor Octopus is a scientist whose arrogance destroyed him. Sandman is a thief trying to support his daughter who got caught in the wrong place. Electro is a guy who felt invisible until power made him dangerous. The Lizard is a man who wanted to help people and lost himself in the process.

Even the ones who are fully evil, like Green Goblin and Carnage, operate in a world where the stakes are deeply personal. Norman Osborn doesn’t just want to kill Spider-Man. He wants to destroy Peter Parker’s life, his relationships, his sense of self.

And New York itself matters. Spider-Man’s villains are street-level. They rob banks. They terrorize neighborhoods. They operate in a city where consequences are immediate and visible. When Electro causes a blackout, people die. When Sandman robs a jewelry store, innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire.

Spider-Man’s world is about guilt and responsibility. His villains are the people he couldn’t save from themselves. And that makes every fight feel like a failure, not just a battle.

Gotham and Arkham: Batman’s Secret Weapons

Batman’s rogues gallery doesn’t just benefit from great villains. It benefits from Gotham City and Arkham Asylum.

Gotham isn’t just a setting. It’s a character. It’s a city so corrupt, so broken, so soaked in crime and despair that it feels like it creates Batman’s villains. The city’s rot is the breeding ground for their madness.

The Joker couldn’t exist in Metropolis. Two-Face wouldn’t work in Central City. These villains are products of Gotham’s specific brand of decay. A place where the justice system is bought, where hope is a luxury, and where the only response to systemic failure is either becoming Batman or becoming his enemy.

And then there’s Arkham Asylum.

Arkham is more than a prison. It’s a revolving door. It’s a gothic horror institution where the inmates run the asylum as much as the guards do. It’s the place where Batman’s villains don’t just get locked up. They get refined. They get worse.

The concept of Arkham has shaped how Batman’s rogues gallery works across every medium. In comics, it’s where arcs like Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth (1989) turned the asylum into a psychological nightmare. In animation, Batman: The Animated Series made it a recurring stage for tragedy and terror. In games, the Batman: Arkham series (2009-2015) built entire worlds around it, making Arkham the ultimate testing ground for Batman and his enemies.

Arkham reinforces the idea that Batman’s villains aren’t just criminals. They’re patients. They’re broken people trapped in cycles of obsession and madness. And that gives them a tragic dimension that most superhero rogues galleries don’t have.

Gotham and Arkham don’t just support Batman’s villains. They justify them. They make them inevitable.

Across Media: Comics, Animation, Live Action, and Games

Both rogues galleries have been adapted countless times. But how they’ve been adapted, and what those adaptations emphasized, tells you a lot about what makes each gallery work.

Comics

In comics, both galleries have been reinvented repeatedly, but with different focuses.

Spider-Man’s rogues gallery thrives on relatability and tragedy. Story arcs like “Kraven’s Last Hunt” (1987) turned a B-list villain into a Shakespearean figure. “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” (Amazing Spider-Man #121-122, 1973) made Green Goblin the definitive personal nemesis. Venom’s introduction in The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (1988) created a villain who became so popular he launched an entire symbiote mythology and solo franchise.

Batman’s rogues gallery thrives on psychological depth and noir reinvention. The Killing Joke (1988) redefined Joker as a tragic, nihilistic philosopher. The Long Halloween (1996-1997) turned Two-Face into a Greek tragedy. Knightfall (1993-1994) made Bane the villain who didn’t just beat Batman physically but dismantled him strategically.

Both galleries benefit from comics’ ability to go dark, weird, and character-focused in ways other media can’t always match.

Animation

Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) is often cited as the definitive animated adaptation of any superhero property. It didn’t just adapt Batman’s villains. It perfected them.

Mr. Freeze went from a gimmick villain to a tragic figure in “Heart of Ice.” Two-Face’s origin became operatic. And Harley Quinn was created specifically for the show, debuting in “Joker’s Favor” (1992) before crossing into comics and becoming one of DC’s biggest characters.

Spider-Man also had strong animated adaptations. Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994-1998) introduced a generation to Venom, Carnage, and the full roster of Spidey villains. The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008-2009) is frequently praised for its character-focused reinventions of classic foes.

But Batman’s animated legacy, particularly through The Animated Series, had a larger cultural footprint and influenced how an entire generation understood these villains.

Live Action

Live-action film has been a battleground for both rogues galleries, with wildly different results depending on the era.

Batman’s live-action villains have had massive highs and embarrassing lows. Jack Nicholson’s Joker in Batman (1989) was a cultural phenomenon. Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight (2008) won a posthumous Academy Award and redefined what a comic book villain could be on screen. Tom Hardy’s Bane in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Paul Dano’s Riddler in The Batman (2022) showed the range of tones Batman villains can inhabit.

But the gallery also produced misfires like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze in Batman & Robin (1997) and Jared Leto’s divisive Joker in Suicide Squad (2016).

Spider-Man’s live-action rogues gallery has been more consistently solid, if less culturally explosive. Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin in Spider-Man (2002) and Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2 (2004) set a high bar. Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) brought a fresh spin.

And Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) brought back Dafoe, Molina, Jamie Foxx’s Electro, Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman, and Rhys Ifans’ Lizard for a multiverse event that became a massive box office success, grossing over $1.9 billion worldwide (source: Box Office Mojo).

Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man films leaned heavily on legacy villains rather than introducing new ones, which shows both the strength of the rogues gallery and the challenge of topping what came before.

Games

This is where Batman has a decisive advantage.

The Batman: Arkham series (2009-2015) didn’t just adapt Batman’s rogues gallery. It turned them into interactive experiences. Arkham Asylum made Scarecrow, Killer Croc, and Joker feel genuinely threatening in ways film couldn’t match. Arkham City expanded the scope to include Two-Face, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, and more, each with distinct gameplay mechanics.

The Arkham games are widely credited with elevating superhero game storytelling and proving that Batman’s rogues gallery could carry a game narrative as well as any comic or film (source: widespread critical acclaim, multiple Game of the Year awards for Arkham Asylum and Arkham City).

Spider-Man’s Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018) on PlayStation 4 was excellent and featured strong takes on Doctor Octopus, Kingpin, and others. But it didn’t have the same cultural dominance or multi-game legacy that Arkham built.

Standalone Impact: Who Works Without the Hero?

A truly great villain doesn’t need their hero to be interesting. They have their own mythology. Their own appeal.

For Batman, the answer is obvious: Joker.

Joker is a global cultural icon. He’s had solo films (Joker, 2019, grossed over $1 billion and won Joaquin Phoenix an Academy Award). He appears in stories where Batman is barely present or absent entirely. He’s referenced in media that has nothing to do with comics. He transcends the superhero genre.

Harley Quinn also fits this category. She originated in Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, crossed into comics, and became a multimedia phenomenon. She’s had solo comic runs, solo films (Birds of Prey, 2020), and an acclaimed animated series (Harley Quinn, 2019-present) where Batman is often a supporting character or punchline, not the focus.

Other Batman villains have had solo stories. Penguin, Catwoman, and Two-Face have carried arcs and miniseries. But their best stories still orbit Gotham and Batman’s world.

For Spider-Man, the strongest standalone case is Venom.

Venom has sustained solo comic series for decades, starting with Venom: Lethal Protector (1993) and continuing through multiple ongoing runs. The character has a solo film franchise (Venom, 2018; Venom: Let There Be Carnage, 2021) that collectively grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide without Spider-Man appearing (source: Box Office Mojo).

Venom works because the symbiote mythology, the internal conflict between Eddie Brock and the alien, and the antihero angle give the character its own identity beyond “Spider-Man’s enemy.”

Carnage has also appeared in solo stories and the Venom film sequel, though his standalone appeal is more limited. He works best as an escalation of the symbiote threat rather than a character with independent depth.

Other Spider-Man villains have had solo miniseries or one-shots, but most remain defined primarily by their relationship to Spider-Man. Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Kraven are iconic, but they’re still Spider-Man villains first.

Batman’s rogues gallery has more villains who can stand alone. Spider-Man’s gallery has one massive standalone success in Venom and a roster of villains who are beloved but largely dependent on Spider-Man for context.

The Matchup: Case Studies in Theme and Storytelling

Let’s compare a few head-to-head villain matchups. Not as fights. As thematic mirrors.

Joker vs Green Goblin

Both are the arch-nemesis. Both represent chaos, madness, and personal torment for the hero.

Joker is philosophical. He exists to prove that anyone can be broken, that morality is a joke, that Batman’s mission is futile. He’s an agent of chaos with no origin, no motivation beyond proving a point. His best stories, like The Killing Joke (1988), are about breaking people psychologically.

Green Goblin is personal. Norman Osborn knows Peter Parker is Spider-Man. He weaponizes that knowledge. He kills Gwen Stacy not to prove a point about chaos, but to hurt Peter specifically. He’s a villain rooted in identity, duality (Norman vs the Goblin persona), and the horror of someone you know becoming monstrous.

Joker works as a cosmic horror and a symbol. Green Goblin works as a deeply intimate and tragic antagonist.

Different strengths. Both effective.

Joker vs Carnage

If Joker represents philosophical chaos, Carnage represents pure nihilistic destruction.

Joker has a code, even if that code is just “prove Batman wrong.” He’s theatrical. He plans. He wants reactions.

Carnage doesn’t care about reactions. Cletus Kasady bonded with the symbiote and became a serial killer with superpowers. He kills because he enjoys it. He’s a horror villain in a superhero world.

Joker has been adapted as everything from campy trickster to terrifying psychopath. Carnage has remained consistently a slasher villain.

Joker is more versatile. Carnage is more singular in purpose.

Venom vs Two-Face

Both are defined by duality and identity splits.

Two-Face is Harvey Dent, Gotham’s white knight, scarred physically and mentally. He’s a tragedy. He flips a coin because he can’t reconcile the good man he was with the monster he became. His stories are about the death of hope and the randomness of justice.

Venom is Eddie Brock and the symbiote. He’s a villain who became an antihero. He’s defined by conflict between host and alien, between revenge and protecting innocents. His evolution from villain to Lethal Protector to full antihero shows a character arc Two-Face rarely gets.

Two-Face is static tragedy. Venom is dynamic evolution.

The Verdict (That Isn’t a Verdict)

So who has the better rogues gallery?

Here’s the strongest case for Batman:

Batman’s rogues gallery is the most iconic in all of comics. Joker is a global cultural figure. The villains are psychological mirrors that explore trauma, madness, obsession, and morality in ways no other superhero rogues gallery does. Gotham and Arkham Asylum amplify every villain and make their existence feel inevitable. The gallery has been refined across eight decades and works in every medium. The Animated Series perfected them. The Dark Knight elevated them. The Arkham games made them interactive legends. More Batman villains can stand alone and carry stories without Batman than any other rogues gallery in superhero fiction.

Here’s the strongest case for Spider-Man:

Spider-Man’s rogues gallery is the most relatable and tragic in comics. The villains are everyday people transformed by accidents, desperation, and bad choices, which mirrors Peter Parker’s own origin and makes every fight feel personal. They operate in a grounded, consequence-driven world where guilt and responsibility define every encounter. The gallery has produced genre-defining arcs like “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” and “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” It gave us Venom, one of the only superhero villains to sustain a solo franchise across comics and film. Spider-Man’s villains reflect the hero’s greatest fear: that anyone, including himself, can fall. And when adapted well, they hit harder emotionally than almost any other rogues gallery because the stakes are so deeply human.

Both cases are strong. Both are backed by decades of evidence.

So here’s the question for you:

Who has the better rogues gallery, and why?

Is it Batman, with the most iconic, psychologically complex, and standalone-capable villains in superhero history?

Or is it Spider-Man, with the most tragic, relatable, and emotionally devastating rogues gallery ever created?

Drop your answer in the comments. Tell us your favorite villain. Tell us your favorite adaptation. Tell us why your side wins.

Because this debate isn’t ending anytime soon.