Vulture

“*You want to know what hurts, bug-boy? What really hurts me? I heard all the stories, never believed the Bugle's tripe, I'd heard about all the amazing things you'd done. You were MY hero as much as everyone else's! Everyone worships you! But you don't help people, do you? No, not when they REALLY need you.*”
―The Vulture while torturing Spider-Man[[Spider-Man 4|src]]

The **Vulture** was an alter ego of Adrian Toomes.

## Biography

### *Spider-Man 4*

Adrian Toomes was a scientist and former adventurer who'd worked closely with the late Norman Osborn at Oscorp, having a hand in developing the aero-tech that

## Relationships

* Black Cat - Stepdaughter
* Spider-Man - Enemy

## Behind the scenes

During production of *Spider-Man 3*, Sam Raimi had wanted Vulture to be the villain of the film alongside Sandman and Harry Osborn as New Goblin, with Ben Kingsley in mind to play him. In his and his brother Ivan's original treatment, Vulture would have been the newest villain threatening the city, beaten by Spider-Man in the first act of the movie before Flint Marko would become Sandman and sometime after Harry Osborn became the New Goblin. Near the end of the movie, Toomes, put in jail by Spidey, would enlist Marko's help in getting revenge on Spider-Man, with Peter and Harry forgiving each other to beat them both. However, Avi Arad and the studio were unimpressed by Vulture's role, with Arad pointing out he had no personal connection to Spidey and thus wouldn't be overly compelling, instead noticing Eddie Brock was to play a supporting role, and tried to convince Raimi to expand on that and instead replace Vulture with Venom as the main antagonist, citing Venom's popularity with kids and comic fans as a prime factor, in addition to bolstering toyline sales. Raimi was reluctant to include Venom, citing a "lack of humanity" in him, but ultimately was convinced from executive decisions.

When *Spider-Man 4* was discussed and greenlit for development, Raimi again wanted to use Vulture, this time with John Malkovich for the role, as Kingsley was preoccupied with other projects. When Gary Ross' initial treatment portrayed Adrian Toomes as Jonah Jameson's successor as editor of *The* *Daily Bugle,* as well as the stepfather of Felicia Hardy. In James Vanderbilt's treatment, Toomes' goals involved acquiring proper funding to reincorporate genetics research, specifically diseases, stating a "personal stake" in the endeavor. He'd contruct his own suit based on the tech the Green Goblin used, but utilizing large anti-grav mechanical wings, with potential use for air strikes. However, General Douglas, the new military liaison, rejects his offer, pointing out the bad taste the suit implies, given how people still remember the Green Goblin's reign of terror. He'd condescendingly say "Maybe it's time to stop putting your head in the clouds, Dr. Toomes. Norman Osborn's dead and buried, maybe it's time you let his dirty legacy follow him to the grave". Toomes would go on, like Goblin before him, to don the suit and become the Vulture to take revenge on Douglas' military sect, but instead would begin robbing banks and socialite gatherings for funds to the research and keeping Oscorp afloat, like Doc Ock, but would find himself thwarted repeatedly by Spider-Man. It's revealed that Toomes' desperation comes from his ailing wife Valeria, who is dying from a neuro-immunity-dificiency sickness, and he's close on a possible cure.