Garfield Spider-Man (All of Them)

Spider-Man, by his very nature, is the perennial underdog. Time after time, the character has defied the odds to defeat seemingly more powerful opponents – and the movies are no exception in that sense.

In the Amazing Spider-Man movies, Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man (two movies, 2012-2014) came up against three opponents who really should have defeated him, based on their superior physical attributes.

Lizard – played by Rhys Ifans – essentially had all of Spider-Man’s powers (apart from the web-shooters), but amplified twofold. He was, in particular, considerably stronger than Spidey, and his regeneration ability made him so much harder to hurt. Electro – played by Jamie Foxx – on the other hand, was a being of pure electricity, and Spidey couldn’t even touch him without being electrocuted. Even Dane DeHaan’s Green Goblin – who only appeared briefly – had the advantage of flight and ranged attacks over Spidey. Yet Marvel’s flagship hero managed to defeat them both (with help in both cases, however).

Andrew Garfield isn’t the only on-screen Spider-Man to fight tough opponents, of course.

Maguire Spider-Man (All of Them)

Like Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire’s version of the Webbed Wonder before him (three movies, 2002-2007) took on a series of opponents who – on paper at least – should have defeated him handily. In Maguire’s case, the number of such villains was higher, however.

In three movies, Maguire’s Spidey faced no less than four opponents, who should have been able to readily beat him, by virtue of their vastly superior physical attributes.

Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, for instance, had the advantage of flight and ranged attacks over Spidey – as well as being equal in terms of strength and durability. Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus wielded titanium tentacles that could manhandle Spidey like he was a rag doll. Thomas Haden Church played Sandman – a being who was impossible to hurt, because he was made of sand. He could also grow to gigantic proportions and possessed massive super-strength. And then there was Topher Grace’s Venom, who was essentially Spider-Man multiplied by at least two.  Spider-Man prevailed against them all – occasionally with a little assistance.

And now on to our first team entry.

The Guardians of the Galaxy (Ronan)

The first – and only – team we’re including on this list is the Guardians of the Galaxy, who appeared in a brilliant eponymous 2014 movie as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.

The collective might of Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot was fairly impressive – they proved that on numerous occasions throughout the movie – but it was nothing compared to that of the movie’s major villain, as they could barely scratch him between the five of them.

Ronan – played by Lee Pace – was stronger, more durable, and more ruthless than all of the Guardians combined. And when he got his hands on the Orb Infinity Stone, he simply dwarfed them in terms of his power. It was only when the Guardians were able to steal the Orb from Ronan that they were able to defeat him, once and for all.

And now for our final entry, which involves a very popular hero and a hugely unpopular villain.

Wolverine (Deadpool)

Hugh Jackman has played Wolverine in the X-Men movie franchise since 2000. He’s proven to be incredibly popular as the ferocious mutant, and has come up against some powerful opponents – but none more so than the most unpopular character in the entire franchise.

In 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, he faced Deadpool – or at least a character who was supposed to be Deadpool. Played by both Ryan Reynolds and Scott Adkins throughout the course of the movie, this version of Deadpool was awful. A mish-mash of mutant powers, he was designed to be a mutant killer, controlled by William Stryker.

But Deadpool was undeniably powerful. He possessed every power that Wolverine had, and more. Healing, adamantium weaponry, optic blasts and teleportation meant that Wolverine had to take an assist from his evil, estranged brother Sabertooth to pull off the victory in the movie’s final scenes.

And that’s that!

What do you think? Were all of these heroes outmatched on paper? Which other movie superheroes were overpowered by their villains? Have your say below!