Frederick Foswell was one of Spider-Man's first opponents. A reporter for the Daily Bugle, he led a double life behind a mask as The Big Man, head of New York's crime and the boss of the notorious Enforcers. Although he did not possess any actual superpowers, he was a slippery opponent. However, Spider-Man eventually revealed his identity and brought him in. Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... The Daily Bugle is a fictional New York City newspaper that is a regular fixture in the Marvel Universe. ...

After Foswell was released from prison, J. Jonah Jameson rehired him, an act of trust which immediately earned Foswell's gratitude. When another masked crime lord called the Crime-Master arose, working in collusion with the Green Goblin, Spider-Man suspected Foswell, but it turned out to be someone else. However, Foswell had indeed been wearing a mask - a patch-eyed face that he used as an alter ego, Patch. Acting as a stool-pigeon, he tipped off the police to planned crimes while getting scoops. J. Jonah Jameson is a fictional character featured in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The Green Goblin is a Marvel Comics supervillain who is considered an arch-nemesis of Spider-Man. ...

At one point, Foswell actually discovered Spider-Man's secret identity, but Spider-Man was warned by his spider-sense and managed to trick Foswell that he wasn't Peter Parker. Parker and Foswell occasionally worked together, with Peter tipping off Foswell as Spider-Man before a major bust and then taking pictures to go with Foswell's stories.

Unfortunately, when Spider-Man gave up the costume in Amazing Spider-man No. 50, the Kingpin entered and took over New York's underworld. Foswell, believing that he could take over from the Kingpin, returned to crime, but the Kingpin outwitted him, instead enlisting him as a lieutenant. When the Kingpin kidnapped Jameson because of his editorials on the new crime wave, Spider-man returned and tried to rescue him, but was beaten by the Kingpin. The Kingpin tried to kill both Jameson and Spider-man by drowning them, but Spider-man created an air bubble that kept them both alive. The Kingpin (Wilson Fisk) is a supervillain in Marvel Comics universe who is an enemy of Spiderman, Daredevil, and the Punisher. ...

The attempted murder of Jameson turned Foswell against the Kingpin, who, sensing this, tried to kill him. However, Spider-Man entered and stopped him just in time. Foswell ran into the basement of the Kingpin's building to try and help Jameson. When he finds Jameson, Foswell protects him from the thugs trying to kill him, and takes a bullet meant for Jameson. The Kingpin escapes, and Foswell dies a hero, having repaid his debt to Jameson.

Ultimate

In the alternate, Ultimate Marvel universe, Foswell (aka Mr. Big) was introduced as a mobster and the head of Wilson Fisk's Enforcers. Foswell was scheming to overthrow Fisk, using Spider-man as his secret weapon. The plan backfired and when Fisk learned that Foswell was the one responsible for Spidey's assault on his office, he crushed the mobster's head with his bare hands. The various characters of the Ultimate Marvel Universe, as seen on the cover to Ultimates (v2) #12. ...