Spider-Man cast with most appearances.
A while back I actually did a list of Spider-Man characters with most appearances. Apparently I counted some reprints ([url]https://community.cbr.com/showthread.php?123094-Alternate-Spider-Man%92s-supporting-cast[/url]) and so on. So that list was flawed. Inspired by [URL="https://community.cbr.com/showthread.php?129430-Marvel-superhero-most-appearances"]this thread at Marvel Comics[/URL] and based on marvel database ([url]https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Marvel_Database[/url]) I now have a new updated list.
Caveat: The database distinguishes between appearances (and minor appearances) and discounts reprints. I have chosen only appearances (in any case the addition of minor appearances hardly makes a dent on these rankings).
UPDATED with tweaked rankings to make way for rogues.
The list (as of September 2019) comes like this.
1 - Mary Jane Watson - 1074 Appearances
2 - Jameson - 1046 Appearances
3 - May Parker - 766 Appearances
4 - Robbie Robertson - 611 Appearances
5 - Norman Osborn - 597 Appearances
6 - Flash Thompson - 574 Appearances
7 - Harry Osborn - 477 Appearances
8 - Otto Octavius - 440 Appearances
9 - Betty Brant - 428 Appearances
10 - Eddie Brock - 377 Appearances
11 - Felicia Hardy - 374 Appearances
12 - Miles Morales - 374 Appearances
13 - Scorpion (Mac Gargan) - 318 Appearances
14 - Sandman - 300 Appearances
15- Liz Allan - 273 Appearances
In general Mary Jane and Jameson are #1 most recurring. Sometimes Jameson is ahead, sometimes it's MJ. But those two are at the top. Aunt May being a distant #3 is the big surprise since so many think she's oh-so essential. And Robertson being at #4 ahead of what we think of Peter's classic Ditko era cast is another one. This is 616 Continuity and not just ASM. Jameson and Mary Jane are the Spider-Man characters with the most appearances outside of Spider-Man, with Jameson appearing in Daredevil and other comics, MJ cameoing in FF, Daredevil (with Peter), and in the first three issues of Ms. Marvel and more recently Iron Man.
We also need to consider that some of these characters were dead for a long time. Norman Osborn was dead for 20 real-time years but even then he still managed to become the #1 most recurring villain. Doctor Octopus at the very fitting number 8 caught up recently. Harry Osborn was also dead for nearly 20 years.
Miles Morales is an odd figure. He debuted in Ultimate Marvel before being imported to 616 so it's a bit hard to decide if one should count only his 616 appearances or his 1610 appearances when for all intents and purposes that's one continuity more or less. Still Miles Ultimate Marvel appearances is 70 so most of his appearances are in 616. But I thought it was fair to rank Felicia ahead of him even if they were tied since she's all 616 and everything. Eventually I expect Miles to surpass her.
Note I haven't included all the rogues. In general Osborn, Otto and Venom are top three. But going for the rest needs more finagling. Then you have Kingpin where you need to discount his Spider-Man appearances from his overall list (largely Daredevil). IF you can help me, I will update this list.
Full Rogues Ranking and Comparison with Wider MU
Here's the Rogues ranking in separate. I am wondering if I should include Black Cat and Venom here (but then again Ock is here...so). After a certain point I am also including prominent rogues (i.e cult characters, new villains used by a writer and so on).
1. Green Goblin (597 Appearances)
2. Doctor Octopus (440 Appearances)
3. Venom (377 Appearances)
4. Black Cat (374 Appearances)
5. Scorpion (318 Appearances)
6. The Sandman (300 Appearances)
7. Rhino (246 Appearances)
8. The Lizard (213 Appearances)
9. Vulture (202 Appearances)
10. Electro (197 Appearances)
11. Boomerang (194 Appearances)
12. The Shocker (171 Appearances)
13. Carnage (163 Appearances)
14. Mysterio (160 Appearances)
15. Kraven (158 Appearances)
16. Chameleon 154 Appearances)
17. Tombstone (152 Appearances)
18. Hammerhead (149 Appearances)
19. Jackal Miles Warren (100 Appearances)
20. Kingsley Hobgoblin (88 Appearances)
21. Mr. Negative (73 Appearaces),
22. Morlun (63 Appearances.
23. Janice Beetle (53 Appearances).
The big surprise is Scorpion being so much higher than many would think. I think him piggybacking on Osborn during Dark Reign gave him an edge but I didn't think it was this much. Sandman spent a long time as a member of the Frightful Four and also a stint in the Avengers so he had the advantage of extra-Spidey exposure. Characters like Rhino and Boomerang menaced other characters across the Marvel Universe like Hulk, Captain America, and so on. Tombstone being so high is a huge surprise considering that he's a new character who appeared in the late 80s.
For those who are interested. Here's how non-Spidey Marvel Rogues rank:
1) Doctor Doom - 835 Appearances
2) Magneto - 816 Appearances.
3) Kingpin - 533 Appearances
4) Loki - 493 Appearances
5) Thanos - 411 Appearances
6) Red Skull - 358 Appearances
7) Ultron - 203 Appearances
8) Apocalypse - 193 Appearances
So essentially Goblin is Marvel's third biggest villain, while Octopus is between Loki and Thanos. Venom and Felicia have made more appearances than Red Skull (Marvel's first real super-villain).
And for those who want to know, of Kingpin's 533 Appearances, 118 are in Spider-Man.
[QUOTE=Hybrid;4603058]Not sure Gwen could count, due to Earth-65 being an AU version of her, but not [I]exactly[/I] her.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Frontier;4603029]I guess if we're counting Gwen, I wonder how she might rank in the next few years. Assuming you count the old and new versions together.[/QUOTE]
Well to those who want to know.
-- 616 Gwen made 200 Appearances including posthumous ones. When she was alive she made 81 Appearances.
-- Ghost Spider has made 116 Appearances. So she has exceeded Gwen's number when she was alive.
I think they should be counted as separate characters.
[QUOTE=Frontier;4603029]Should Miles count as "Spider-Man Cast?" I mean, he's part of that world/universe but he's not someone I think of in Peter's cast of characters like I would his supporting cast and villains. [/quote]
The same can be said of Superior Spider-Man at this point and for that matter Venom. I included Miles anyway. Just to round this up, Ben Reilly made 263 Appearances while Kaine has made 172 Appearances.
[QUOTE=Dark Soul # 7;4602910]I do remember May being considered dead for a few years which obviously cut down her numbers noticeably.[/QUOTE]
Mary Jane was also "dead" for a while in that plane crash thing. So that evens out.