Hypno-Hustler.
That's right, Hypno-Hustler.
Unless you're familiar with lesser-known Spider-Man comics of the '70s, you're probably wondering who the hell Hypno-Hustler is.
Hypno-Hustler first appeared in 1978's Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #74 by Bill Mantlo and Frank Springer - and he might just be the most '70s character who ever got funky, from the top of his afro to the soles of his platform boots.
Just as his name and appearance apply, Hypno-Hustler is a villainous musician who combines glam and funk to create a very George Clinton-esque rock band called the Mercy Killers, complete with several female backup singers who also serve as his goons.
As for his powers, he's got the exact abilities you'd expect from his name: hypnotic mind control through the power of music. He's also got special boots that shoot poison gas and which have blades hidden in the soles.
So… Yeah. That's Hypno-Hustler.
Probably one of the most curiously compelling characters chosen for Sony's Spider-Man Universe yet, especially in the hands of an entertainer like Donald Glover who will likely bring both his musical experience and the offbeat point of view he showed in his recently concluded TV show Atlanta to the role.
Glover previously played a live-action version of Miles Morales' uncle Aaron Davis in the film Spider-Man: Homecoming and was a fan-favorite choice to take the role of Peter Parker for the film The Amazing Spider-Man before Andrew Garfield was ultimately cast.
Hypno-Hustler is almost as odd as the weirdest Spider-Man variants from around the Spider-Verse.
