Marvel just gave Spider-Man‘s coolest villains a major reboot, as the Sinister Six get a new roster that would work perfectly in the MCU. There have been many versions of the Sinister Six in Marvel continuity, seeing various villains unite to kill Spider-Man where they have individually failed, usually under the leadership of Doctor Octopus. Now, Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe continuity is putting a truly unexpected spin on the blueprint.

In solicit information for Ultimate Spider-Man #9, Marvel has revealed the introduction of a new Sinister Six. Assembled by Wilson FIsk’s Kingpin, this new team has some shocking members. And while Marco Checchetto’s art depicts the team standing mysteriously in the shadows, Marvel has revealed the designs for each villain, giving fans an in-depth look at the roster.

The new Sinister Six is made up of Kingpin, Mister Negative, a male version of Black Cat, longtime members Kraven and Mysterio, and in a surprise move, Fantastic Four villain the Mole Man. Luciano Vecchio’s cover shows the team united, below:

Spider-Man’s New Sinister Six Are an Imaginative New Take on the Team

The Villains Own New York, Making Spider-Man a Rebel Hero

The Ultimate Universe is a new continuity launched in 2023’s Ultimate Invasion (Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch), which saw a powerful villain named the Maker take over an entire reality. This world was originally very similar to Marvel’s mainstream reality, but the Maker used time travel to rewrite events in his favor. The Maker created a world where heroes either never got their powers or were quietly killed off, allowing him to take over the world, which he now controls via the Maker’s Council – a cabal of villains including evil versions of the Hulk, Moon Knight and X-Men’s Colossus. In this world, Kingpin isn’t just a gangster but a servant of the Maker’s Council, overseeing their interests in Manhattan. It seems the Sinister Six may be introduced as the rulers of New York’s five boroughs, with Mole Man considering the city’s underground his domain.

In this world, Spider-Man only recently got his powers as a gift from the teenage Tony Stark, who is fighting to reverse the Maker’s evil machinations. This world’s Peter Parker is a married father of two, learning the superhero ropes as an adult rather than a plucky teen. So far, Peter is struggling to reconcile being a vigilante with his civilian life and he’s fought precious few villains, making the Sinister Six an even bigger threat than ever.

The new members of the team are an interesting twist on the iconic first roster, which was made up of Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, Sandman and Vulture. While little is known of the new members’ abilities and origins in the Ultimate Universe, their identities are as follows:

Fans Have Been Waiting for a Big Screen Sinister Six for Years

Marvel Should Pay Attention to Ultimate Spider-Man’s Changes

There have been attempts to make a movie starring the Sinister Six for years. Currently, the most likely way it’ll happen is via Sony, which is planning a Sinister Six movie starring characters from its interconnected movie universe, including Morbius, Madame Web, and Venom. Fans had long speculated that the MCU was building to the Sinister Six with its Spider-Man movies, however when No Way Home constructed a pseudo-version of the team with the villains of prior Spider-Man franchise movies, it began to feel less likely that there would ever be an MCU-specific version.

The Sinister Six symbolize a major escalation in the challenges Spider-Man faces – the most iconic combo of his villains all attacking as a team. Because of that, it’s likely MCU fans will eventually see an official Sinister Six team, and here Marvel introduces a version that wouldn’t need to re-use any of No Way Home‘s characters.

The movies also left Peter at the end of his adolescence, out in the world without any family or friends to fall back on. That suggests that, as in the comics, he’s graduating to being New York’s resident hero (rather than an inexperienced teen vigilante), and the idea of the Sinister Six being the gang leaders oppressing different boroughs of New York would be a great thematic counter to Peter’s new status.

This Is One of Marvel’s Coolest Sinister Six Iterations

These Villains May Seem Random, But They Belong Together

At first glance, it may seem strange to throw this team together, especially with Mole Man now randomly working against Spider-Man. But while only Mysterio and Kraven are founding members, the new villains do have something in common – they’ve all been major crime lords in Marvel’s main reality. Mister Sinister wasn’t just a villain but the leader of the Inner Demons – a crime syndicate who rivaled Kingpin’s at the height of their power. Felicia Hardy’s Black Cat once took a turn as the leader of New York’s underworld, while the Mole Man is the ruler of the underground kingdom of Subterranea. These aren’t just villains but rulers with their own individual armies and resources, making them the perfect proxies to help the Maker’s Council subjugate New York.

Ultimate Spider-Man‘s new status quo sees Peter Parker and an anitheroic version of Harry Osborn’s Green Goblin fighting to bring down the Kingpin, but with the arrival of the Sinister Six, the true scope of the battle just became clear. Marvel has been very upfront about the driving force of the Ultimate Universe’s ongoing titles, with the world’s heroes having only 18 months to defeat the Maker’s Council on various fronts. For Spider-Man, that means toppling the Sinister Six, as this new version of the iconic team shows the MCU exactly how to use a classic blueprint to do something totally unexpected.

Ultimate Spider-Man #9 is coming September 9 from Marvel Comics.