WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #70, by Nick Spencer, Federico Vicentini, Alex Sinclair and VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now.
The upcoming "Sinister War" is looking to be the biggest in a recent series of Amazing Spider-Man events, and features a number of villains facing off against each other in an all-out war.
Here is a list of all of the teams confirmed to be participating in this war, including every member involved and what they've done so far.
This team is the closest to the "traditional" Sinister Six out of all the villainous groups involved. The roster includes classic members such as Doctor Octopus, the Sandman, Electro, Kraven the Hunter and Mysterio. Doctor Octopus even recruited the Lizard, who has been physically separated from Curt Connors. The Sinister Six began its reassembly in 2021's Amazing Spider-Man #64, by Nick Spencer and Federico Vicentini, when Kindred first recruited Doctor Octopus.
Each of the villains on the team has been incentivized for their cooperation. Doctor Octopus, for example, is working for Kindred in the hopes of regaining his old life as the Superior Spider-Man. The Sandman has been promised mortality, Electro was brought back from the dead, Kraven was promised the Lizard as his prize, and Mysterio has been deathly afraid of Kindred from the beginning. With all of these incentives in mind, the Sinister Six is in this war for the long haul.
This group is comprised of the Foreigner, Chance, Jack O'Lantern, Slyde, Taskmaster and Black Ant. Foreigner first entered the scene in 2019's Amazing Spider-Man #32, by Spencer and Patrick Gleason. At this time, Foreigner was retrieving the Infinity Formula from the Chameleon, so he could restore an ailing Silver Sable to full health. Later, Foreigner met Chance in 2020's Amazing Spider-Man #38, by Spencer and Iban Coello. Chance started a floating casino called the Palace, where villains gambled on the outcomes of superhero fights.
Foreigner partnered with Chance, and these two, along with Slyde and Jack O'Lantern, played a big part in the recent "Chameleon Conspiracy" story arc. After the Palace was attacked, and the casino fell to Earth, Foreigner and his crew swore revenge on Spider-Man. Joining them were Taskmaster and Black Ant, offering their services at the end of 2021's Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: Chameleon Conspiracy #1, by Spencer, Ed Brisson, Marcelo Ferreira, Carlos Gomez, Ze Carlos and Ig Guara. Taskmaster and Black Ant previously worked for Kraven, starting in 2018's Amazing Spider-Man #2, by Spencer and Ryan Ottley, hunting down animal-themed villains for him. Now, it seems that these two mercenaries have gained new employment on Foreigner's crew.
Boomerang's Sinister Six consists of Boomerang, Overdrive, Shocker, Speed Demon and Hydro-Man. Most of this group first came together in 2013's Superior Spider-Man #1, by Dan Slott and Ryan Stegman, and were later used in the fondly remembered Superior Foes of Spider-Man series, albeit with the Beetle instead of Hydro-Man. The joke remains, just as it did in Superior Foes, that this Sinister Six only contains five members.
Throughout the current Amazing Spider-Man run, Boomerang has tried to go straight, living with Peter Parker and working alongside Spider-Man. The "Boomerang Revenge Squad" was later formed in 2021's Amazing Spider-Man #61, by Spencer and Gleason. Embittered by his turn to good, Shocker, Speed Demon and Hydro-Man formed their own team. However, in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: King's Ransom #1, by Spencer, Roge Antonio, Carlos Gomez and Jose Carlos Silva, Boomerang reverted to his criminal roots, betraying Spider-Man and ambushing him with his own Revenge Squad. Now, it seems that Boomerang is reunited with his old crew.
The Savage Six consists of several animal-themed villains, and includes the Vulture, Scorpion, Tarantula, Stegron, King Cobra and the Rhino. These villains were originally brought together in 2019's Amazing Spider-Man #16, by Spencer and Ottley, as part of the "Hunted" event.
Kraven assembled these six by capturing them and trapping them in Central Park, so they could be hunted by the wealthy. Many other animal-themed heroes and villains were involved, but these six were the prime candidates, presented to Kraven's clients with pride. After surviving the events of "Hunted," the Savage Six stuck together, escaping custody as a new group under the Vulture's leadership.
The Syndicate made their debut in Amazing Spider-Man #25, in a sequence by Spencer and Kev Walker. The Syndicate is made up of the Beetle, Scorpia, Lady Octopus, White Rabbit, Trapster and Francine Fyre's Electro. The Beetle formed this group to support female villains in their careers, and their first real mission was hunting down Boomerang for the Kingpin. However, with Spider-Man on Boomerang's side, and the Kingpin's forces against them as well, the members of the Syndicate weren't very successful in their initial endeavor.
On a more personal note, the Beetle found herself romantically involved with Randy Robertson, Peter Parker's friend and his other roommate. In Amazing Spider-Man #65, by Spencer, Federico Vicentini and Federico Sabbatini, Beetle and Randy were kidnapped by Madame Masque and the Crime Master. Naturally, both Spider-Man and the Syndicate came to the rescue. Considering the Beetle's relationship with Randy, the outcome of "Sinister War" has personal stakes for her.
As Kindred notes, each of these groups has a different investment in the upcoming "Sinister War." Some, like Boomerang, seek redemption, while Foreigner seeks revenge. The Syndicate villains want to make a name for themselves, and the Vulture is just out for blood. Each of these motives are quite clear, considering each group's prominent role throughout the recent Amazing Spider-Man run. As villains clash and plans are exacted, it seems that "Sinister War" will pay off a number of major plot threads.
0 Comments