Sinister Syndicate
The Sinister Syndicate is a group of supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe, who serve as a collection of lesser-known Spider-Man villains. It was the focus of the 1991 "Deadly Foes of Spider-Man" mini-series.
Publication history
The Sinister Syndicate first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #280 and was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz.
Fictional team history
Patterned after the conglomeration of Spider-Man's deadliest foes who call themselves the Sinister Six, the Sinister Syndicate originally was formed by the super-villain Abner Jenkins, aka "The Beetle". The original roster of the group consisted of Beetle, Hydro-Man, Rhino, Boomerang, and Speed Demon, who collectively gathered together under the Beetle's leadership. Unlike the Sinister Six, which was formed mainly to destroy Spider-Man, the Syndicate was formed to act as a mercenary group that worked for the highest bidder.
The Syndicate's first appearance was in The Amazing Spider-Man #280, where the group successfully prevented Spider-Man and Silver Sable from capturing famed assassin Jason Macendale, then known as Jack O'Lantern.