Chameleon (character)

For the DC Comics character Chameleon Boy, see Reep Daggle.
"Exterminators (comics)" redirects here. For other comics topics, see Exterminator (disambiguation).
Dmitri Smerdyakov
The Chameleon
Textless cover to Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: Chameleon Conspiracy #1 (June 2021).
Art by Mark Bagley, Andrew Hennessy, and Brian Reber.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceThe Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963)[1][2][3]
Created by
In-story information
Alter egoDmitri Nikolayevich "Anatoly" Smerdyakov
SpeciesHuman mutate
Team affiliationsSinister Six
Kravinoff Family
Sinister Twelve
Exterminators[4]
HYDRA
KGB
Abilities

The Chameleon (Dmitri Smerdyakov; Russian: Дмитрий Смердяков) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963).[5] The Chameleon is the first ever antagonist of the superhero Peter Parker / Spider-Man.[6][7] He is a master of disguises who is known for his ability to impersonate virtually anybody.[8] The character is also the half-brother of Kraven the Hunter.[9][10] This relationship helped evolve him as a major villain compared to his original depiction of being just a solo villain in the original issue of The Amazing Spider-Man.[11][12] He has also been a member of the Sinister Six and the Sinister Twelve at various points in his history.[13]

Since his original introduction, the character has been featured in various other Marvel-licensed products, including feature films, television series, video games. The character made his live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), portrayed by Numan Acar. Fred Hechinger is set to appear as the character in the upcoming Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) film Kraven the Hunter (2024).

  1. ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Super-Villains. New York: Facts on File. p. 55. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.[1]
  2. ^ Misiroglu, Gina Renée; Eury, Michael (2006). The Supervillain Book: The Evil Side of Comics and Hollywood. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 9780780809772.
  3. ^ Conroy, Mike (2004). 500 Comicbook Villains. Collins & Brown. ISBN 1-84340-205-X.
  4. ^ "Exterminators (Spider-Man foes)". Marvunapp.com. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  5. ^ Liu, Narayan (July 17, 2018). "Is Spider-Man: Far From Home Introducing the Chameleon?". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  6. ^ Manning, Matthew K.; Gilbert, Laura (2012). "1960s". Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. Dorling Kindersley. p. 18. ISBN 978-0756692360. The real draw of the issue was the second story, featuring Spidey's first turbulent meeting with the Fantastic Four and the debut of his earliest foe, a super villain called the Chameleon.
  7. ^ Roth, Dylan (June 7, 2023). "7 best Spider-Man characters who've never been on the big screen". Digital Trends. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  8. ^ Dinh, Christine (February 23, 2022). "Caught in Spidey's Web: Who is Chameleon?". Marvel.com. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  9. ^ Perry, Spencer (21 August 2012). "Spidey Turns 50: 11 Villains Who Could Be in The Amazing Spider-Man 2". Superherohype.com (CraveOnline). Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  10. ^ Harn, Darby (February 28, 2022). "10 Things Only Comic Book Fans Know About The Chameleon". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  11. ^ Brian, Cronin (April 24, 2012). "50 Greatest Friends and Foes of Spider-Man: Villains #6-4". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  12. ^ Kyle, Schmidlin (June 13, 2013). "10 Spider-Man Villains (And Combinations) Deserving Of The Big Screen (3. Chameleon and the Kraven the Hunter)". WhatCulture. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  13. ^ Morrow, Brendan (September 19, 2017). "Spider-Man: Homecoming: Who Are the Members of the Sinister Six?". Heavy. Retrieved October 17, 2023.