The Kingpin Of Crime!

Spider-Man already had a rich rogue's gallery when suddenly lumbering into the picture came The Kingpin of Crime. Massive, bald, and dapper, Wilson Fisk proved to be an unexpected match for the Web-Spinner, having the cunning, the avarice, and the might to make him come to heel.

He is, including the Rhino and the Shocker, the third villain designed by "Jazzy" Johnny Romita during his sales-exciting tenure on the book, and one of the few baddies who broke away from the animal-motif that had defined many earlier enemies. The Kingpin was more in keeping with Steve Ditko's The Crime Master, though there was no hiding behind masks for this guy.

I first encountered the Kingpin during his second outing with Spider-Man and was very impressed with the way he handled himself.

The action was blistering and dynamic as "Dashing" Donnie Heck added his brush to the proceedings and gave Romita's rock-steady storytelling a bit of energy. 

The thing about the Kingpin in all his appearances (and this seemed to continue to build in his early returns) was how physically imposing he was.

Here was a guy with sheer mass and strength to grind on Spider-Man if not with ease, then certainly with confidence.

As the years rolled by we learned more and more about the Kingpin, but to my mind the attempts to humanize him only served to weaken the imposing nature of the character. As when we learn he not only has a wife, but also a son who seeks to undermine his role as the "kingpin".

Wilson Fisk has continued to be a solid badman over all these decades, though he did shift his attention away from the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man after a time.

When he became a constant thorn in Daredevil's side, much of the potency inherent in the character was revived. He became less humanized and more dangerous, truly a villain to be reckoned with.

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