The Spot is one of Spider-Man's biggest heavy hitter villains. Marvel just hasn't realized it yet.
That's right. Spot not only isn't Z-list, he shouldn't be D- C- or even B-list. He is a perfect confluence of personal qualities, backstory, and power to be a top Spidey rogue.
I have said something controversial, but allow me to back it up. Here are 10 reasons Spot should be the next big centerpiece villain for an arc of his own:
His power is a hard counter to Spider-Sense. This means that he can land almost every single attack without intervention. He was only ineffective early on because he insisted on physical attacks despite a sedentary life as a wimpy scientist
As of Return of the Spot in 2009, Spot is now a killer. And that makes all the difference, as he can slaughter hordes of hardened gangsters without effort. This flipped the light switch
Because of #1 and #2 the moment Fred Van Lente wrote that oneshot and gave us an unhinged, homicidal, and above all competent Spot ... Spider-Man canonically is only alive because the Spot allows it. It sounds ridiculous. But it's true. Spot could just jab Spidey in each kidney with a pair of k-bar knives, and maybe his liver too just to make sure. The end. Spidey's dead. So ... I guess he just figures Spider-Man doesnt deserve to die, and that's the thread keeping him alive.
He's a genius level scientist, specificaly in the arena of physics. Somehow this well is completely untapped. If he combines his powera with his knowledge as a physicist and some technology, he becomes a Dr. Doom level heavy hitter.
An underrated trait ... unlike many Spidey villains, the Spot was always a piece of shit, even before his inevitable Science Accident. Hell, HE caused his own Science Accident on purpose to quench his lust for power! With his knowledge of fringe science, Ohmm was a phone i terview away from a set for life gig at F4 tower or Stark Industries or whatever. He CHOSE to work for the Kingpin.
Following from #5, Spot loves being a villain for its own sake. Early in his supervillain career he was so pumped to try to kill Spider-Man that he defeated Spidey for free without even asking Fisk for a bonus before eagerly showing up to round two. He was desperate for power, achieved it, and went straight into supervillain life like a WWE heel. The idea of doing good things never even flickered in his head and he got drunk on power instantaneously. This motherfucker was Walter White before Walter White was a thing.
Spot has little to no moral compass. He's so notoriously untrustworthy and prone to backstabbing that the fucking Mandarin sealed him in the Darkforce dimension to make absolutely sure he never got the chance to screw him over. Once he started killing we see a semblance of a conscience because he won't kill Spider-Man (mostly because Spidey needs the plot armor) and cares about his son ... but that's about it. I dont think even threatening his ex-wife would work on him. Both his innate character and his power make him the definition of unpredictable.
He's IMMORTAL. He has been killed multiple times and always comes back stronger than last time. He literally cant be killed.
His power has grown. He doesnt seem to need to remove portals from his body anymore, which was his one physical weakness. Also, when The Mastermind and Coyote stole/cloned his power in Daredevil vol.3 Spot went through a whole bpdy horror tranaformation. Now he can create multiple instances of himself existing simultaneously, which means his portal powers now enable him to travel through time, not just space.
This thread was sadly dropped, but Spot is good friends with Mr. Negative and singlehandedly ended a gang war in Negs's favor, which means Negs is in his debt. Two Darkforce villains > any lineup of the Sinister Six. Seriously, why was this story dropped?
Spot is a fucking powder keg of villain potential and Marvel is just sitting on it with their thumbs up their asses