Chameleon (character)

The Chameleon (Dmitri Smerdyakov; Russian: Дмитрий Смердяков) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in the debut issue of The Amazing Spider-Man in March 1963 as the first super-criminal to face Spider-Man. The Chameleon has since endured as one of Spider-Man's recurring enemies, belonging to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery. In the Marvel Universe, the Chameleon is a master of disguise who can impersonate virtually anyone. Throughout his comic book appearances, his abilities have stemmed from the use of lifelike masks, holographic technology, and mutagenic enhancement, while his role in Spider-Man stories has varied from being depicted as a spy, hitman, and criminal mastermind. The Chameleon is also the half-brother of Kraven the Hunter and has operated as a member of the Sinister Six and the Sinister Twelve at various points in his history. The character has been featured in various other Marvel-licensed products, including feature films, television series, and video games. The character made his live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), portrayed by Numan Acar, while Fred Hechinger appeared as the Chameleon in the Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) film Kraven the Hunter (2024).