Crime Cartel

The **Crime Cartel** is a cabal of some of Earth's most powerful crime lords. They operate out of New York City and its key members are Kingpin, Silvermane, Hammerhead, and Owl.

## History

Some of the key members of the Crime Cartel were Kingpin, Silvermane, Hammerhead, and Owl.

During a meeting of the cartel, Kingpin gave a report on how well their operations were going. However, Silverman trapped Kingpin in his chair by binding him to his chair with metal wires. Silverman then told Kingpin that because his opperations were always stopped by Spider-Man the cartel was losing money and that they were losing respect for him. As Kingpin broke out of his restraints he grabbed Silvermane by his jacket and accused Owl and Hammerhead of defying him. Kingpin then assured the cartel that he had put into motion a plan to finally end Spider-Man.

After breaking Doctor Octopus, Shocker, Mysterio, Rhino, Chameleon, and Scorpion out of prison Kingpin organized them into a team he called the Insidious Six.

Kingpin then had the Insidious Six kidnap Silvermane. However, Silvermane was rescued by Spider-Man. Silvermane then rallied the Cartel against Kingpin to put him out of business. However, Kingpin was able to fend them off. After this the Cartel was never heard from again implying that Kingpin was able to put the Cartel out of business making him the sole crime lord in New York City.

## Members

KingpinSilvermaneHammerheadOwl

Additionally there were four unnamed members.

## In the comics

The Crime Cartel in Spider-Man: The Animated Series might have been based off of a villain team from the comic books called the Maggia which Kingpin, Silvermane, and Hammerhead were all a part of.

In the comics, the Maggia is an international crime syndicate, somewhat similar to the Mafia, but the Maggia differs in that it hires supervillains and mad scientists to work for them. The three main leaders in the Maggia are Silvermane, Hammerhead, and Count Nafaria and each one leads their own criminal families that are branches of the Maggia.

The Maggia originated in southern Europe, but later spread throughout non-Communist Europe and America. It's presence in the United States first came to public attention in the 1890's, and the Maggia's widespread bootlegging of illegal liquor during the Prohibition Era ha become legendary. Today, the Maggia controls most of the illegal gambling, loan-sharking, and narcotics trade in the United States, as well as many legal casinos. The Maggia also has great influence within various labor unions, and controls politicians on every level of government.

The Maggia enforces a strict code of secrecy among it's members, and does not hesitate to punish betrayals and failures with death. Often the Maggia marks one of it's members for execution by having a Maggioso grasp the intended victim by the chain in the so-called "Maggia touch."

## Appearances

* The Insidious Six
* Battle of the Insidious Six (Mentioned only)

## Trivia

* Despite apparently being based on the Maggia, the Maggia was revealed to exist in the Marvel Animated Universe in the episode Beauty Knows No Pain from Iron Man: The Animated Series. Beauty Knows No Pain aired about one month after The Insidious Six.