There were many superhero cartoons in the 90’s that are
considered some of the best-animated series ever created. Shows like the X-Men
and the Ironman Animated Series revolutionized superhero cartoons in the Marvel
Universe, but one show was the face of the Marvel franchise and that show was
Spiderman: The Animated Series. It featured many guest heroes and villains from
across the Marvel Universe, along with storylines from famous Spiderman comics.
The show had spectacular animation and season long story arcs, which made it
more enjoyable to watch, with most episodes ending on some sort of cliffhanger.
The series lasted 65 episodes spanning over 5 seasons and within those 5
seasons we watched Peter Parker learn hard lessons and mature into the
superhero he would need to become in order to takedown the world’s deadliest
villains. Out of 65 episodes I have chosen my Top 10 based on the characters,
plot and the best action scenes of each episode, so enjoy.
10. The Mutant Agenda
The first “team-up” of
the series came relatively close to the beginning of the second season when
Spiderman has his first encounter with the Uncanny X-Men. After Spiderman’s
neogenic mutation worsens, he goes to Charles Xavier in hopes to find a cure
for his disease, but when Xavier refuses to help him, it causes a feud. I loved
the entire second season and how its story arc was based around the growth of
Spiderman’s mutation disease, which was expanded upon in this episode.
Eventually, Spiderman is forced to work along side the X-Men to rescue Beat who
has been captured by the Hobgoblin and scientists who want to exterminate the
mutant race. With the X-Men as guest stars, the villainous plan of the
Hobgoblin and the progression of Spidey’s deadly mutation, this episode has
earned its place in the Top 10.
Favorite Moment: Spiderman and Wolverine come face to face in a dark alley,
but after a few punches here and there, the Hobgoblin interrupts their fight
and forces the two to consider forming a temporary alliance to stop him.
9. The Final Nightmare
The “Man-Spider”
mutation has ended, for now, but Spiderman has a new set of problems with the
emergence of the Vulture. The Vulture has always been one of Spiderman’s
greatest and most famous foes with the ability to fly and the advanced weapons
built into his wings, but I do feel that this series didn’t use him as much as
they could have, seeing as he was only in about three episodes. This time
around, the Vulture uses the Tablet Of Time to steal people’s age and
essentially make temporarily young. Peter is forced to adapt to being a 60
year-old man with the powers of a spider when the Vulture uses the Tablet
against him, but with the help of his old friend Curt Connors, Peter is
returned to his proper age and was completely cured of his mutation disease.
The Vulture did return to exact his revenge on Spidey, but that’s not for a
couple seasons.
Favorite Moment: A very old Peter Parker runs into his Aunt May on the
street and she doesn’t even recognize him. He helps her with her groceries and
she says that he’s a “nice man” and that he “reminds him of her nephew”. And to
think Peter had problems before.
8. Enter The Green Goblin
With Superman, comes
Lex Luthor. With Batman, comes the Joker. And with Spiderman, comes the Green
Goblin. There is no one Spiderman dislikes in his rogue gallery more then him.
He has tormented his life, even killed his girlfriend in the comics and he
makes his very first appearance of the series in this episode. The Animated
Series did things a little differently then the comics. They introduced the
Hobgoblin as the first “goblin” villain and in this episode, the muscle
enhancing gas that Norman Osborn created effects Osborn’s mind, turning him
into the Green Goblin. One bizarre part of this episode that I may never
understand is that the gas ends up reaching the Hobgoblins suit, hanging up in
the next room, and it somehow transforms it into the Green Goblin’s costume.
But whatever, less work for Osborn. This episode released further information
about the Osborn family and their connection to the Kingpin and his criminal
objectives and we saw the introduction of the Green Goblin. Throughout the
episode they had hinted that Harry Osborn would be the Goblin, but I’m glad
that they stuck with the character’s original origin, which worked better for
the episode and eventually for future of the series.
Favorite Moment: A Goblin-like figure breaks into the Daily Bugle building
and kidnaps Jameson on his glider. Spiderman hops aboard the hovering machine
only to discover that it wasn’t the Hobgoblin, but (soon to be arch nemesis)
the Green Goblin.
7. Goblin War
The race for the Time
Dilation Accelerator is on (I’ll explain). The “TDE” is a machine that creates
a type of black hole, which can be used to travel from one location to another
or even to enter other dimensions. Anyway, Spiderman, The Kingpin and Hobgoblin
all want the machine for personal reasons; Spiderman to destroy it, and the
criminals want to use it for crime, obviously. Just when things couldn’t get more
complicated for Spidey, the Green Goblin enters the madness and after a stellar
showdown with the Hobgoblin, he takes possession of the machine. When they
introduced the Hobgoblin into the series, I wondered whether there would even
be a Green Goblin at all, but once they introduced Norman Osborn as the second
Goblin in the last episode I talked about, there was nothing I wanted to see
more then a fight between the two Goblins and sure enough, this episode
delivered and we finally got to see who the “true” goblin was.
Favorite Moment: The Hobgoblin has taken control of the Kingpin’s tower,
claiming himself to be the new “Kingpin Of Crime”, but the Green Goblin bursts
into the building to challenge what he believes is the “goblin imposter”. The
two villains battle each other aboard their own gliders, creating a sensational
fight scene.
6. The Wedding
When Mary Jane Watson
fell of a bridge and into one of the machine’s portals, Peter had thought he
had lost her forever, but months later, she returned and not too long after
that, they decided to get married. Peter and MJ’s wedding was surely a day they
would never forget, but not because of the wedding itself, but because of who
crashed it. Alistair Smythe, The Scorpion and The Green Goblin all invaded Peter’s
wedding. Luckily the Black Cat arrived to help Spiderman defeat the large group
of villains. This episode was loosely based on the Annual Spiderman comic,
which was also about their wedding. Mary Jane also knows about Peter’s Spidey
secret, which comes in handy when she has to cover for one of his “disappearing
acts”. Overall, it was a great episode, almost entirely filled with fight
scenes and an enormous number of guest heroes and villains, and it is the only
episode of the last season that isn’t tied into a long story arc, but it was a
great way to start the final season.
Favorite Moment: It seems that no one wants Peter and MJ to get married when
a large number of villains crash their wedding, forcing Peter to change into
Spiderman and work together with the Black Cat to defeat Smythe, the Scorpion
and the Green Goblin.
These were just 10-6
of the Top 10 episodes from Spiderman: The Animated Series. In the near future
I will reveal my Top 5 episodes of the entire series, which are full of
Goblins, Clones, Carnages and more, so you wont want to miss it.
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