Mysterio

Mysterio is a name used by multiple supervillains in Marvel Comics, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. The character debuted in *The Amazing Spider-Man* #13 in June 1964. A persistent foe of Spider-Man, Mysterio is part of the hero's rogues gallery and a founding member of the Sinister Six. He has also clashed with other heroes, including Daredevil. In the *Wolverine: Old Man Logan* storyline, an alternate Mysterio is the archenemy of an elderly Wolverine, tricking him into killing the X-Men. Another alternate Mysterio appears as the villain in *Spider-Man: Fake Red*, becoming Venom.

The first and most famous Mysterio is Quentin Beck, a former special effects artist, illusionist, and actor who turned to crime. The second, Daniel Berkhart, was a stuntman hired by J. Jonah Jameson to impersonate Mysterio's ghost before taking on the role permanently. The third, Francis Klum, is a mutant with teleportation powers who blames Spider-Man for his lost leg. The fourth, Mysterion, is a black man who buys the identity from Roderick Kingsley and opposes the Superior Spider-Man and Squirrel Girl.

The character has appeared in films, TV shows, and video games. Mary Kate Wiles voiced a composite version named Frances Beck in *Ultimate Spider-Man* in 2016. Jake Gyllenhaal played Mysterio in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film *Spider-Man: Far From Home* in 2019.

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Mysterio, who first appeared in *The Amazing Spider-Man* #13 in June 1964. A later retcon revealed that the aliens in *The Amazing Spider-Man* #2 were actually Mysterio and his men in disguise, hired by the Tinkerer to gather military and industrial secrets. Like the Kingpin, Mysterio has crossed over to become a major Daredevil villain, notably in the "Guardian Devil" storyline, where he nearly drove Daredevil over the edge.

Quentin Beck was a special effects master and stuntman for a Hollywood studio who dreamed of film stardom but saw his career as a dead end. After failing as an actor, he used his illusion skills for crime. In his first battle with Spider-Man, he framed the hero for robbing the Midtown Museum, used gas to block his spider-sense, and dissolved his webbing with a chemical. Spider-Man tricked Mysterio into confessing on tape, leading to his arrest. Beck blamed Spider-Man for ruining his career.

Mysterio later joined the Sinister Six for revenge.