Out of all the heroes in the Marvel Universe, no one has a more robust or formidable rogues gallery than Spider-Man. From Doctor Octopus to Venom, everyone’s favorite web-crawler has fought with an overwhelming number of villains both intimidating (Rhino) and otherworldly (Morlun) throughout his 60-year-old superhero career.
Among Spider-Man’s enemies, there is one who is both the oldest and the most overlooked: Chameleon. Over the years, Chameleon has continuously plagued Spider-Man’s life with one villainous plot after another. With a possible appearance in the forthcoming Spider-Man: Far From Home film this December, Chameleon is finally stepping into the spotlight as one of Spider-Man’s most memorable villains.
10 “Spider-Man vs. the Chameleon!” (The Amazing Spider-Man #1)
Before there was Electro or Sandman, there was Chameleon. Dmitri Smerdyakov has bedeviled Peter Parker’s life longer than any other super-villain. A man of a thousand faces, and a thousand more devious plots, Chameleon is the first super villain Spider-Man ever faced in his first solo title, The Amazing Spider-Man.
While his initial appearance is not as memorable as some his villainous contemporaries, it still establishes Chameleon as a foe to be reckoned with and feared. Steeped in Cold War politics and Silver Age super heroics, “Spider-Man vs. the Chameleon!” is a key moment in both Spider-Man and Chameleon’s development as adversaries for the ages.
9 “Deconstructing Peter Parker” (The Amazing Spider-Man #602-604)
What’s it like to be Peter Parker? That question is asked and answered when Chameleon goes undercover to blow up the Shadow Command, New York City’s black ops unit. Disguising himself as a Statue of Liberty impersonator, Chameleon kidnaps Peter and assumes his identity, unknowingly slipping into the superhero tights of his deadliest enemy.
The result is hilarious as Chameleon almost wrecks Peter’s personal life while trying to destroy the city. He manages to steal a kiss from Peter’s then-girlfriend Michele Gonzales and avoid Mary Jane’s suspicions before ultimately sneaking away.
8 “The Deadly Foes of Peter Parker” (The Sensational Spider-Man #29-31)
After the cataclysmic events of Marvel’s first Civil War, which saw Peter Parker reveal his secret identity to the world and wear his Iron Spider costume for the first time, Chameleon makes his move to destroy Spider-Man once and for all. He assembles a super team of villains not called the Sinister Six to bring down his old foe. With the aid of Electro, Swarm, and Molten Man, Chameleon pushes Spider-Man to the brink of defeat.
Yet Chameleon’s downfall isn’t at the hands of his young superhero foe; instead, it comes from Peter’s old and seemingly feeble Aunt May. Chameleon tries to trick Aunt May into believing he’s Peter by professing his love for the oatmeal raisin cookies she just baked. Aunt May calmly explains that Peter’s favorite cookies are ginger snaps; she wasn’t fooled at all by his disguise. As Chameleon passes out from the Ambien May put in the cookies, Peter returns home to find his beloved relative in no need of rescue.
7 “Ends of the Earth” (The Amazing Spider-Man #682-687)
Chameleon finally joins the Sinister Six in “Ends of the Earth,” which depicts the supervillain team trying to accomplish Doctor Octopus’ dying wish to end the world. Spider-Man, with the help of Black Widow, Big Hero 6, Silver Sable, and a handful of Avengers, stops him, of course, but only after enduring another round of Chameleon’s deceitful disguise tricks.
What makes Chameleon’s appearance so memorable this time around is who he is disguised as: former Vice President Al Gore. This is not the only time Chameleon adopts the disguise of a political leader to accomplish his villainous deeds.
6 “Kraven, The Hunter!” (The Amazing Spider-Man #15)
The Chameleon was instrumental in introducing one of Spider-Man’s other greatest foes, Kraven the Hunter. After Spider-Man foils a robbery attempt, Chameleon decides to enlist the help of one of his criminal friends to help slay Spider-Man.
Kraven initially overwhelms Spider-Man with his seemingly superior strength that is revealed to be boosted by secretly poisoning his opponents. After Chameleon fails to confuse Spider-Man by impersonating Kraven, the two villains are both defeated and deported to prison.
5 “Chains” (Web of Spider-Man #52)
In a bid to take down the Kingpin and become New York City’s ultimate crime boss, Chameleon kidnaps one of the most powerful people in the city: J. Jonah Jameson, Peter Parker’s boss and the publisher of the Daily Bugle newspaper. Using the newspaper as a source to find information about Kingpin and his criminal organization, Chameleon successfully impersonates the persnickety publisher, much to his dismay.
The result is a dark midnight of Jameson’s soul as he looks back at a traumatic event in his life that shaped the broken man he is today. Chameleon eventually loses his battle to take over the New York underworld, but he succeeds in changing one of Spider-Man’s key supporting characters forever.
4 “The Show Must Go On” (Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man #10-11)
Chameleon is given his own Joker-style origin story (complete with a clown and a deeply disturbing face painting scene) in “The Show Must Go On,” which traces the history between him and his longtime nemesis Spider-Man. Chameleon kidnaps Mary Jane (or does he?) and forces Spider-Man to meet him on the George Washington Bridge, the site where his other great love, Gwen Stacy, died at the hands of the Green Goblin.
The confrontation between the two never reaches physical blows; instead, Chameleon unexpectedly professes his love for his arachnid archenemy. Both foes dissolve into fits of laughter over the absurdity of the declaration. This momentary comic relief is soon shattered as Chameleon mimics Gwen’s death by plunging into the Hudson River.
3 “The Face of Defeat” (Spectacular Spider-Man #241-245)
Chameleon’s greatest trick he ever pulled on Spider-Man was convincing his foe that he was never Spider-Man in the first place. In Spectacular Spider-Man #241-245, Chameleon escapes from the Ravencroft Institute for the Mentally Insane and drugs Spider-Man, allowing the villain just enough time to place him in the asylum and plant a disguise on his face of a false identity.
Disguised as Dr. Ashley Kafka, Chameleon convinces Spider-Man he is Herbert Smith, a failed writer and father of two children. The ruse works for a while before Spider-Man breaks free of the illusion, escapes the institute, and defeats Chameleon.
2 “Spidey Meets the President!” (The Amazing Spider-Man #583)
Chameleon’s biggest cultural spotlight occurred in 2008 thanks to the election and inauguration of President Barack Obama. In the massively popular comic, Chameleon impersonates President Obama on Inauguration Day to try to secretly become President of the United States and rule the free world. With bipartisan aid from Joe Biden and John McCain, Spider-Man races to the White House to catch Chameleon at a press conference.
Spider-Man manages to defeat Chameleon not by slinging webs or throwing punches; rather, as journalist Peter Parker, he asks the imposter questions only the real Obama would know. With Chameleon exposed and summarily defeated, Spider-Man helps Obama get sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.
1 “Lifetheft” (The Amazing Spider-Man #388)
For years, Peter Parker believed his parents to be dead. Raised lovingly by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, Peter nonetheless always longed for his birth parents and wondered what his life would have been like if they were alive. Peter seemingly gets his wish in The Amazing Spider-Man #365, when both Richard and Mary Parker appear alive and well.
The illusion does not last long as both Richard and Mary are revealed to be “simulacrums” created by Chameleon to find out Spider-Man’s secret identity. Although Mary showed signs of real maternal love by ultimately helping her “son” defeat Richard, she was drained of her lifeforce by the Vulture. Chameleon pulled his greatest illusion of all: convincing Spider-Man he could have had a happy, normal life.
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