Hello, and welcome back, Spidey fans. If you’re reading this, you’ve no doubt heard by now about the unfortunate passing of writer Gerry Conway. Few writers can say they left an indelible mark on Spider-Man as we know him, but I would say that Gerry Conway is one of those writers. One of the ways Gerry left such a mark on ol’ Web-Head was through the characters he’s introduced into the books he wrote (Gerry wrote “Amazing, and later “Spectacular” and “Web of”). For this month’s Spider-Tracer, we’ll be looking back at the top ten characters Gerry Conway introduced during his time writing Spider-Man. First, let’s take a look at our Honorable Mention…
Honorable Mention: Jonas Harrow
Jonas Harrow, who first appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #114, was a deranged scientist that you can read about in further detail in one of my first Spider-Tracer articles. Without Jonas and his wild experiments, there’d be no Hammerhead, the original Kangaroo might still be alive, and Will O’the Wisp possibly wouldn’t have started out as a villain. Harrow even drove J. Jonah Jameson temporarily mad for a time! Harrow’s currently pushing up daisies, but his influence behind the scenes isn’t so easily forgotten.
Mindworm
First appearing in “The Amazing Spider-Man” # 138, William Turner was a mutant born with mental powers. He’s one of Spider-Man’s most obscure villains, but one that’s always stuck with me, thanks to his unique design and possessing powers that most Spidey villains don’t. Believed dead for years, Mindworm recently randomly turned up alive in Ravencroft. It’s important to note that Mindworm co-creator and artist Ross Andru used to enjoy using real life locations in his stories, and thus, Mindworm’s home was based on an actual home in Far Rockaway, Queens. As a result, fans of the comics were visiting the home in hopes of catching a glimpse of the large-headed villain, at least, that’s according to the accounts of the homeowner. In a later letters page, Marvel apologized and let fans know the story I’ve just relayed to you. They probably issued this very public apology and explanation because the homeowner is said to have threatened to sue.
The Lobo Brothers
You get a 2-for-1 special with this entry thanks to the Lobo Brothers! First appearing in “The Spectacular Spider-Man” #143, the Lobo Brothers are best known for “The Lobo Brothers Gang War” storyline, which spanned by “Spectacular” and “Web of Spider-Man”, as both titles were concurrently written by Conway at the time. Mutants with the ability to turn into werewolves, Carlos and Eduardo went to war with the Kingpin. Eduardo was shot and killed accidentally by his lover, Glory Grant. Eduardo was temporarily brought back as a clone thanks to a corrupted Ben Reilly, though it seems as though that clone perished by the end of the “Clone Conspiracy” storyline.
Grizzly
The Grizzly is one of those obscure, loser villains, but I love the heck out of him. First appearing in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #139, Max Markham was given a strength-amplifying exosuit created by the Jackal. Grizzly carried a grudge against J. Jonah Jameson, and worked as muscle for the Jackal. The Grizzly was soundly defeated by Spider-Man and didn’t reappear for years until Gerry brought him back in “Web of Spider-Man” #58. The Grizzly later went on to have several team-ups with the likes of the Gibbon, the second Kangaroo, and the Spot. Currently, you can find the Grizzly in plastic form thanks to Hasbro, who just gave the big lug the Marvel Legends treatment.
Glory Grant
Glory Grant was J. Jonah Jameson’s secretary for years, and even lived in the same apartment as Peter Parker for a time. She also added some much needed diversity to the supporting cast in Peter Parker’s life. Glory has had relationships both with Randy Robertson, as well as the aforementioned Eduardo Lobo. Miss Grant has gone on to appear in both “Spider-Man: The Animated Series”, and “The Spectacular Spider-Man” cartoon. Glory first appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #140.
Tarantula
While there have been several Tarantulas, none were quite as memorable as the first, Anton Rodriguez. First showing up in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #134, Anton would go on to bedevil Spider-Man several times over the years, until he was turned into a giant tarantula monster by the Brand Corporation, which resulted in his death in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #236, 102 issues after his first appearance. Years later, Anton was resurrected by Ben Reilly, and recently joined the Vulture’s Savage Six.
In “Web of Spider-Man” #35, Gerry Conway himself introduced the second Tarantula, Luis Alvarez. Alvarez was later murdered by the Jury in “Venom: Sinner Takes All” #4.
Hammerhead
Hammerhead, much like his surgeon, Dr. Jonas Harrow, first appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #114. While Spidey has fought many mobsters over the years, Hammy is one of my favorites. With an Al Capone-inspired motif, and an adamantium cranium, Hammerhead will always stand out in Spider-Man’s Rogues’ Gallery thanks to a unique Dick Tracy quality in his visual appearance, which was a visual cue given to him by his late co-creator, John Romita, Sr. Hammerhead’s as tough as they come, and I’ll never not be excited when he shows up to cause some trouble. Conway used the Maggie crime boss in both his original run (where he warred with Doc Ock) and when he returned to the Spidey books in the late 80’s.
Tombstone
While Robbie Robertson had been around in the comics since the 60’s, it wasn’t until Gerry Conway returned to the Spidey books in the late 80’s that Robbie was properly fleshed out thanks to the arrival of the palest of mobsters: Tombstone.Possessing ties to Robbie’s past and first appearing in “Web of Spider-Man” #36, Tombstone has given Spidey and other mobsters trouble for years thanks to his enhanced strength and reflexes. Tombstone will be appearing for the first time in live action this year when “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” hits theaters in July, and I can’t wait to see how he fits into the story!
Jackal
While the Jackal’s alter ego, Miles Warren, first showed up in “The Amazing Spider-Man” # 31, it was Gerry Conway that first introduced his villainous identity in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #129. Every time the Jackal shows up, you know Spider-Man’s life is about to go through the wringer! From siccing a skull-wearing vigilante on our hero, to torturing Spidey by bringing back his deceased girlfriend, to trying to make him doubt his very identity, to giving everyone in Manhattan spider-powers, the Jackal’s sinister schemes always manage to come across as a major event, which isn’t something every Spider-Man villain can claim.
Ben Reilly (Scarlet Spider)
While the Ben Reilly name didn’t come along until later, the Spider-Clone first showed up in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #149. Believed dead by the end of his fight with the original Spider-Man, the clone took on the Ben Reilly name and hit the road for five years, before returning and soon adopting the Scarlet Spider identity. Ben has gone on to gain his own fans over the years, and even replaced Peter as Spider-Man for a time. It’s my hope that Marvel will one day return Ben to his former heroic path, as well as his iconic blue hoodie.
The Punisher
You knew he had to be here. I mean, is there anyone more popular or iconic introduced during Gerry’s time with Spider-Man than Frank Castle, the Punisher? Introduced as a villain in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #129 alongside the Jackal, the Punisher soon took on a life of his own and became one of Marvel’s most popular anti-heroes! By the 1990’s, Frank had no less than three ongoing titles; four, if you count “The Punisher 2099”. The Punisher is still a popular character, having had three movies, a live action show which spanned two seasons, and an upcoming Special Presentation which will premier on Disney+ on May 12th, 2026. Why… that’s today! Funny enough, I didn’t come to this realization until writing this entry on the Punisher, but it’s a welcomed coincidence. On July 31st, 2026, Frank will join Spider-Man in the film “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, and this Spider-Man and Punisher fan couldn’t be more excited!
Did your favorite Gerry Conway character make the list? Either way, let us know your choice(s) in the comments section below!
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