The Spectacular Spider-Man

Livin' on the edge, fightin' crime, spinning webs!
 Swinging from the highest ledge! He can leap above our heads!

The short-lived animated take on Marvel Comics' web-slinging superhero, headed by Greg Weisman of Gargoyles fame. The series follows 16-year-old Peter Parker through his Junior year of high school, after getting his powers at the end of the previous year and spending all summer as Spider-Man.

The series' biggest influences come from the early comic stories by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko, although it also draws heavily from the film series, Ultimate Spider-Man, more recent comics, and even Spider-Man: The Animated Series. Combined with fluid animation thanks to the simple art style of artist Sean "Cheeks" Galloway, sharp dialogue, interwoven character origins and a pleasing lack of its predecessor's crippling censorship, it seemed set to become the greatest Animated Adaptation of the character to date...

...until Sony lost the rights for TV adaptations of Spider-Man and couldn't continue, leaving Marvel to start a new series about Ultimate Spider-Man.

Now has a recap page in progress!

Tropes used in The Spectacular Spider-Man include:
  • Abnormal Ammo - Bazookas and machine guns that fire metal slugs which sprout tiny spikes, and giant staple guns complete with giant staples make the best of the show's prohibition on actual bullets.
  • Aborted Arc - Due to the shows sudden cancellation, many questions will be left unanswered. The season Two finale had Norman Osborn surviving his fight with Spider-Man and escaping the country, as well as having Gwen be forced to stay with Harry out of pity leaving more romantic tension to be resolved later. There was also the Miles Warren angle, likely setting up an adaptation of the Clone Saga.
  • Absurdly Spacious Sewer - The New York sewer system is marvelously cavernous, used by Spidey and his Rogues Gallery for fights and flights.
  • Abusive Parents - Norman Osborn barely conceals contempt for his son Harry, from snide criticisms to blatant displays of favoritism towards Harry's best friend Peter. Harry's mother barely acknowledges him.
    • Osborn takes this to a whole new level after revealing that he was the Green Goblin, and showing that he not only blamed his son, but faked a limp and then injured his own son's leg to make sure Spider-man would believe it. The creepiest part is that, after all this, Norman claims it was all out of love for Harry, claiming that "he never would have learnt to become a man" without it. Wow...what a psycho.
      • It gets much worse when you realize, due to Harry's angst at the end of that episode, that...it's working.
  • Academy of Adventure - Midtown High, more so in Season 2 than in Season 1. Also, Empire State University, though the fact that it's a school in addition to a research lab is barely brought up.
  • Achilles' Heel - The superstrong Rhino's costume is tough, but fused to his skin, so he only perspires from his exposed face. Spider-Man traps him in a sewer steam-tunnel, which causes Rhino to overheat and collapse.
    • The remote that controls Molten Man's power probably counts too.
    • Doctor Octopus's arms are powered by a large battery system on the front of his suit.
  • Acquired Situational Narcissism - Harry Osborn snubs his old friends once he's In with the In Crowd. He gets better after his temporary absence, though.
    • Pete in the first episode suffers from this, riding high on his new-found confidence as Spider-Man. He doesn't snub his friends or anything, but he does try to ask Sally Avril out. This goes very badly.
  • Actor Allusion - In the episode "First Steps," the Sandman is obsessed with getting his "big score." The same actor voiced Bender in Futurama, including the movie "Bender's Big Score".
  • Adaptation Distillation - The series is already well-thought-of by comic fans.
  • Adaptation Dye Job - Sally Avril goes from a brunette in the comic books to a blonde here. Also, Liz Allan, who was originally blonde, becomes a brunette (though this change is not restricted to hair color, in her case).
  • Adaptation Expansion: A single date between Mary Jane and Mark Raxton in the Ultimate comics became a subplot in Season 2 between Mary Jane and "Mark Allen."
  • Adaptational Villainy: Silver Sable in the comics is a mercenary and an Anti-Hero. Here she was Silvermane's daughter and a straight up bad guy. Inverted with Foswell, who in the comics was the villain Big Man, but here that name went to Tombstone, leaving Foswell as regular reporter.
  • Adapted Out: It was Walter Hardy, Black Cat's Dad, who killed Uncle Ben. In most Spidey adaptations, Uncle Ben's murderer was just a generic burger.
  • Air Vent Passageway - Black Cat uses it as an entrance.
  • All Cheering, All the Time - One episode has the supporting cast quoting Shakespeare passages in auditioning for the school play. Sally Avril turns hers into a cheer - needless to say, she doesn't get a part.
  • All Guys Want Cheerleaders - Peter asks the Alpha Bitch Sally Avril out, and later dates Liz Allan. Ultimately averted, as his true feelings are for Gwen.
  • All of the Other Reindeer
  • All Just a Dream - The fight with Venom at the start of "Blueprints".
  • Almost Kiss - Peter and Gwen in "Identity Crisis"
    • and... * sigh* again, as of "Final Curtain." They stop just in time to not betray their current significant others till they break-up with other.
  • Alpha Bitch - Sally Avril, who acts as though her entire life revolves around maintaining the high school popularity hierarchy. It's to the point where she gets upset whenever her boyfriend doesn't act like a Jerk Jock. Gradually, she becomes just a little nicer.
    • She was angry at Peter because she blames him for Flash and Liz breaking up. She's not happy with Flash dating someone else and Liz dating Peter. She blames Peter for messing up the school hierarchy. She was pleased that Liz "breaks up" with Peter.
  • Altum Videtur - Mysterio.
  • Amusement Park - Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus duke it out in the middle of Coney Island, causing chaos amongst the fairgoers.
  • And This Is For - Spider-Man delivers a particularly violent kick to Green Goblin for "making [him] protect Tombstone."
    • In a later episode, while Flash is in the hospital with a football injury, he gives Kraven a particularly powerful blow with "That's for Flash!" (Beat) "I can't believe I just thought that."
  • Anger Born of Worry - Gwen to Peter.
  • Animated Adaptation
  • Animorphism - Curt Connors transforms into the Lizard.
    • Also, Kraven the Hunter's mutation into a more feline-looking form.
  • Annoying Arrows - Tombstone takes three of Green Goblin's pumpkin blades in the back and just looks... well, annoyed. Although this is mostly due to his power set, as Spider-Man can't afford a single hit.
    • Spider-Man's web bullets to most of his enemies.
  • Applied Phlebotinum
  • Appropriated Appellation - Many.
  • Artificial Limbs - Curt Connors' elaborate prosthetic arm, Doctor Octopus' robotic arms
  • Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking:

Spider-Man: Hey, Max, don't tell me you're scared of a second-rate schemer with a funny voice!
Electro: First: I ain't scared of nothing! Second: the Master Planner ain't "second-rate" nothing! And third: don't call me "Max"... OR I'LL FRY YOU INTO NOTHING!!!

  • Ascended Meme - "Identity Crisis" has Spidey do the "How Do I Shot Web?" pose briefly.
  • Aside Glance - After Spider-Man repeats Tombstone's dialogue verbatim, Green Goblin turns to the camera and quips, "Anyone else getting deja vu? Oh well, let's run with it!" and then repeats his response.
  • The Atoner - The Cat Burglar/Walter Hardy (aka Black Cat's father). It's revealed that he was the one who killed Uncle Ben, due to deciding to carry a gun because he was getting older and slower (before then he'd never harmed anyone) and has regretted it ever since. It's implied that he is aware that Peter is Spider-Man and chooses to stay in the prison, whilst trapping the other escaped inmates in the gas chamber with him.
  • Auction of Evil "Accomplices"
  • Badass - Venom and Kraven.
    • And Tombstone, who may or may not be a Badass Normal.
    • Shocker/Montana too.
  • Badass Bookworm - Doctor Octopus
    • Spider-Man himself counts as well.
  • Badass Bystander - When the Lizard is about to bite Spidey's head off in a subway train, some old lady hits him (the Lizard) on the head with her purse.
    • For emphasis: the Lizard is seven or so feet tall, built like a truck, and has many, many, MANY sharp pointy teeth that he has shown no compunction about using. This old woman saved Spider-Man's life with a HANDBAG.
  • Badass Grandpa - The Vulture, sort of-he's dangerous because of his outfit, not any inherent ability.
    • And Silvermane, who has a cybernetic suit. He can also can deck pretty hard without it.
  • Badass in a Nice Suit - Hammerhead, Tombstone.
  • Badass Longcoat - Doctor Octopus.
  • Badass Normal - Black Cat presumably, and George Stacy. Season 2 gives us Sergei Kravinov (Kraven before his transformation) and Silver Sable.
    • Hammerhead's limo driver is pretty determined and tough.
    • Hammerhead himself counts as well. The metal plate in his head gives him a nasty headbutt, but other than that he's an average joe.
    • Shocker also fits the bill. Other than his gauntlets, he's a normal guy.
  • Bad Guy Bar - Montana's Big Sky Billard Room
  • Bait and Switch - Kingsley in "Accomplices". He even uses the phrase.
    • The Green Goblin's identity is also handled in such a manner.
  • Barrier Warrior - This is a secondary function of Shocker's costume, that enables him to survive a building's collapse.
  • Bat Signal - Inverted. As in the Silver Age, Spider-Man uses the Spider-Signal to announce his arrival.
  • Batman Cold Open - Frequently.
  • Battle Butler - Hammerhead's Driver.
  • Be Careful What You Wish For - In Group Therapy, just before going to sleep, Peter remarks, "I wish I could just wake up tomorrow, with Doc and his merry morons back in jail." Oh, he gets his wish alright. But at the cost of losing himself to the symbiote, waking up exhausted, and being out of the loop for a whole day that his aunt has had a heart attack.
  • Berserk Button - Calling Electro his real name, "Max"
  • Benevolent Boss - Tombstone goes out of his way to save Hammerhead.
  • Beware the Nice Ones - Otto Octavius.
  • BFG - Silver Sable uses one.
  • Big Applesauce
  • Big Bad - Tombstone, Green Goblin, Venom/the Symbiote, or Dr. Octopus, depending on the Story Arc. See Big Bad Ensemble.
    • Venom and Tombstone in Season One. Venom possibly more so, because Eddie's increasing hatred towards Peter was one of the main plot points of the season and Symbiote's influence on Peter made him a worse person and turned Eddie Brock into Venom. Also Venom's actions made Peter realize that he loves Gwen adn sets a lot of events in season 2 in motion. Tombstone was Demoted to Extra after Goblin's arc and returned to this status in season 2.
    • Season 2 has Master Planer/ Doctor Octopus, Venom(he was main focus of first half of season and became Big Bad in episode 5-7), then Doc Ock and Tombstone with Silvermane and Green Goblin.
  • Big Eater - Kenny Kong
  • Big No - Spider-Man, several times: getting trussed up and threatened by Venom; when it looks like he's accidentally dropped Gwen to her death... and again in the Season 2 premiere when Venom tosses Spider-Man off a ledge in his dream (seems like Venom loves this trope).
    • The Sandman has one upon seeing his new form. Bit of a subversion though, as it doesn't take long before he decides that he doesn't mind the change too much after all.
    • Venom does love it. He does a Big No of his own after being force-fed gene-cleanser and seeing the symbiote slowly separate from him.
  • Bilingual Bonus - Speaking Latin allows you to know that some of Mysterio's ominous intonations are actually hilarious non sequiturs. See here: http://www.tv.com/the-spectacular-spider-man/mysterio-latin-translations/topic/84600-1263028/msgs.html
  • Bittersweet Ending - Season 2's ending took the universe's directive to screw Peter over at every turn and ran with it so fast it mocked the Flash. Congrats, Spidey, you finally defeated the biggest baddie of them all. Only a) you had to traumatize your best friend to do it and pretty much black spot Spider-Man forever for him as a result (Which will likely drive him into becoming the new Green Goblin), b) You don't have a girlfriend to show for it (and on top of that, Gwen is going to be utterly miserable as a result of feeling sorry for the manipulative Harry..), and c) You didn't really defeat the Goblin because Norman Osborn still lives.
  • Black Best Friend - Rand Robertson to Flash Thompson
    • Robbie to J Jonah Jameson.
  • Blackmail - Green Goblin unsuccessfully attempts this twice with L. Thompson Lincoln, threatening to out him as Tombstone if he won't step down as The Big Man, or won't come to the Goblin's Death Course.
    • More succesfully, he forces Liz's brother to try and kill Spider-man or he'll off Liz.
  • Blasting It Out of Their Hands - The Green Goblin's Mooks shoot a laser rifle out of Heroic Bystander - John Jameson's hands.
  • Blessed with Suck - Electro is Power Incontinent, when angry, which is often. He has to wear an insulation suit at all times.
  • The Blob - The Sandman
  • Boobs of Steel - Black Cat and Silver Sable are both pretty well-endowed and both kick butt.
  • Book Ends - In the first episode "Tell me there's something better. Go ahead, try."
    • Season 2's usage of "Don't apologize. I never do."
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: In "Probable Cause", Ox hums the tune of the show's theme song, prompting glares from Shocker and Ricochet.

Ox: "What? It's catchy!"

    • Green Goblin also sometimes makes a comment in a way that may or may not be directed at the audience.

Green Goblin: *Looks at camera* "Anyone else getting deja vu?"

Venom: "You want the wall-crawler? Then here's a scoop - Peter Parker is Spider-Man!"

    • And of course there's the infamous 'Norman Osborn is alive' series ending.
  • Clingy Costume: Due to a Freak Lab Accident, Max Dillon/Electro was turned into an energy being with Power Incontinence, and needs to wear a suit with restraints in order to touch anything/not fry any electrical equipment in the near vicinity. Even with the suit, he cannot eat and is deprived of most normal human interaction, so it's no wonder he became Ax Crazy pretty quickly.
  • Clip Show - "Intervention" contains a lot of archival footage
  • Closer to Earth - Of the series' Three Amigos, it is Gwen who is most observant and concerned for Harry.
  • Clothing Damage - Spidey's suit receives more rips and tears per episode than in any other adaptation. Despite the strong continuity of the series, it's always good as new by the next battle. Although Pete has noted that garbage stink and smoke smell are hard to remove.
  • The Collector of the Strange - Norman Osborn collects masks and other such antiquities. Spidey even briefly considers that his strange collection might be evidence of Norman being the Green Goblin.
  • Color Character - Green Goblin, Black Cat, Silver Sable and Silvermane
  • Combat Tentacles - Doctor Octopus' four super strong arms are used for battering and throwing, and the claws can rotate like miniature sawblades.
  • Come Alone - Green Goblin's warning when baiting Tombstone into a Death Course
  • Comes Great Insanity - Electro, Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin. Also a heroic example: John Jameson/"Colonel Jupiter"
  • Comes Great Responsibility - Spider-Man. The phrase itself is uttered multiple times throughout the series, which is expected since it's near synonymous with the franchise.
    • Sometimes, it's even subverted:

Sandman: [Talking with Spider-Man in the middle of a fight] Gee, you really think I can do some good?
Spider-Man: Well, yeah, I mean with great power comes great--
Sandman: Gullibility!! [sucker punches Spidey]

  • Compassionate Critic - Norman Osborn towards his son
  • Compilation Movie - The first DVD release "Attack of the Lizard", contains the first three episodes but is advertised as a movie. The other arcs were originally supposed to follow suit, but this idea was eventually scrapped.
  • Composite Character - Montana of the Enforcers and the Shocker (originally Herman Schultz in the comics) are now a single character.
    • Tombstone is taking the role of the Kingpin from the comics. Quite possibly because the Kingpin couldn't be used on the show.
      • For that matter, People call him the Big Man on the show while Big Man was a completely different character in the comics.
    • Hammerhead combines aspects of the original comics' Hammerhead and Hammer Harrison of the Enforcers, the latter of which mostly comes through from the punching-based fighting style and distinctive knuckledusters.
    • Mark Allen is Mark Raxton and Bennett Brant, according to Weisman.
    • Sable Manfredi is a combination of Silver Sable (appearances and fighting skills) and Alisha Silver from the 90s Spider-Man cartoon (being the daughter of Silvermane).
    • The Burlgar on this show is a combination of Uncle Ben's killer and Black Cat's father.
  • Conspicuous CG - The 3-D black helicopters tend to stick out against the bright, flat backgrounds and characters.
    • The camera that goes down the stairs in "Group Therapy", kinda looks like something out of Doom
    • And then there's the falling Christmas tree...
    • And the helicopter Harry Osborn is impressively adept at piloting...
  • Conspicuous Trenchcoat - Green Goblin in "Subtext"
  • Continuity Nod - "Tell me I didn't fall for a gag I used on Shocker..."
    • In "Gangland", we see the nerdy guy Spidey webbed up with a hot girl during a car chase in season 1 proposing to said girl.
    • When Mysterio is revealed to be another duplicate in Opening Night, Spidey grimaces "I KNEW he was a bot" after making sure the one he put in jail wasn't, well, a bot. That's Irony.
    • "I can't believe someone is posing as me, framing me, AGAIN! Please be Chameleon, please be Chameleon"
      • And in that same episode, Captain Stacy reminds Jonah what happened last time he jumped the gun when someone impersonated Spidey.
  • Contest Winner Cameo - There was an advertised contest for a given school to appear in a future episode. Appeared in "Gangland".
  • Corrupt Corporate Executive - Norman Osborn, respected Oscorp CEO, very much exemplifies this trope, working both sides of the fence with impunity. And in his own way, L. Thompson Lincoln/Tombstone.
  • Costume Copycat - Chameleon disguises himself as Spider-Man to perform a series of robberies.
  • Could Have Been Messy
  • Creator Thumbprint - Anyone who's seen Gargoyles knows that Weisman loves his Shakespeare; and it's worked its way into Spidey's season 2 as well. Especially "Growing Pains" and "Opening Night", which use the play's auditions and performance, respectively, to throw in appropriate quotes whenever possible:

Sha Shan: (shown right after Venom appeared) Why strewest thou sugar on that bottled spider, whose deadly web ensnareth thee about? Fool, fool! The day will come to curse this venomous bunchback toad!

    • "Opening Night" especially, constantly throwing out connections between the play and Spider-Man's current situation. The Green Goblin starts quoting Puck's lines himself eventually.
  • Crying Little Kid - Inverted. The child's mother pushes her out of harm's way, but remains in danger herself until Spider-Man swings to the rescue.
  • Curb Stomp Battle - Tombstone's first encounter with Spidey
  • Curse Cut Short
  • Cut Lex Luthor a Check - Inverted. Norman Osborn and the Big Man turn a profit by antagonizing Spider-Man. One gets research funding, while the other keeps Spidey too distracted by Supervillains to bother with him.
    • Mysterio and Tinker play it straight, though. Those Ridiculously-Human Robots must cost a ton of money, and they would likely make them tons of profit legitimately. Green Goblin's squad of hover-tanks would also revolutionize warfare if he sold them to the government instead of giving them to gang-bangers.
      • Sort of. Given Norman Osborn's history of screwing genius inventors out of their ideas, creating Ridiculously-Human Robots and using them for petty crime might be the only near-viable course of action available.
  • Da Editor - "Jolly" J. Jonah Jameson
  • Damned By Faint Praise - Subverted, when Aunt May sets Peter up with MJ, saying she has a "wonderful personality." Cue shudder from Peter...until he meets her.
  • Dangerously Genre Savvy - Venom actually decides to take advantage of the knowledge that Peter held, rather than just go out and fight him like in most of his other appearances.
    • When Silvermane is trying to crush Peter to death, the latter manages to shoot some webs into his eyes. Instead of dropping him, Silvermane cries out that he's blind, pauses thoughtfully, and notes that he doesn't need to see to keep crushing him. Dang.
  • The Danza - Stan Lee as Stan the Dockworker.
  • Dark Action Girl - Black Cat, Silver Sable
  • Dating Catwoman - Spider-Man and the Black Cat
  • Dating Do-Si-Do: Where to begin! Peter and Liz, Flash and Liz, Flash and Sha Shan, Gwen and Harry, Glory and Harry, Glory and Kenny, MJ and Peter, MJ and Mark, and so on...
    • Wouldn't it be more interesting to start from one of them, then branch off and see how they are all connected? - Such as: MJ and Mark, MJ and Peter, Peter and Liz, Peter and Gwen, Gwen and Harry, Harry and Glory, Glory and Kenny...Somehow fit Flash and Liz in there to keep the connection going.
  • Deadly Dodging - Spider-Man does this to cause Shocker to destroy a building, and again to get the Rhino to rupture sewer pipes. And constantly during the Sinister Six fight.
    • Lampshaded in the first season finale when he tricks Venom into punching a float, causing it to slowly descend:

Spider-man: (to Venom) "Now shouldn't y'all have seen that coming?"

    • Subverted in the second season when RHINO, of all people, manages to make this backfire on him.
  • Deadpan Snarker - Most of the characters have mild instances of this. Like always, Spidey is the king of deadpan snarking. His biology professor also has a few good lines:

Liz: Ooh! Couldn't Flash tutor me instead?
Professor Warren: I'm not sure you understand. We want your grade to go up.

Chameleon Spider-Man - "How 'bout a taste of Spider-PUNCH!"
Spider-Man - "Please tell me I don't sound like that, or at least that I offer a higher-quality quip."

Spider-Man: [being knocked into a vehicle] Ohh! Anyone get the number of that sleigh?
Sandman: [laughs] Ain't he a clever boy! [to Rhino] See, it's Christmas Eve and he said "sleigh". You know, instead of "truck"?

Liz Allan:"You can web me up anytime, Petey."

Black Cat: "Just don't get any of your goo in my hair.".

Black Cat: "If you're fed up enough with the thankless hero thing to match your image to mine, then I have to ask, are we going to bad guys together, partner ... or just plain bad?"

Mysterio: "A bit too soon to gloat, Spider-Man."
Spidey: "Well, you are the expert on premature gloatalation."

Rand: She's in your bio class, man.
Flash: Oh, she's in my bio class, all right.

  • Downer Ending - Thanks to the cancellation of the series, we're stuck with the downer season 2 ending as the last episode of the series.
    • To clarify John Jameson is still driven mad with power. Eddie is driven insane from losing the symbiote. The Connors lost their jobs due to Miles Warren blackmailing them. Warren is now solely in charge of the science lab. The symbiote is still running around somewhere. Black Cat hates Spider-Man. Mark Allen is still stuck as Molten Man. Hammerhead, Mysterio, and Kraven (and Tombstone!) are still loose. The Rhino specs are still on the streets. Peter breaks up with Liz, who now (deservedly?) hates his guts. Worst of all, Peter and Gwen finally admit they love each other, except Harry overhears and ends up tricking Gwen into staying with him after he sees his father's demise. Peter is filled with heartbreak over losing Gwen, despair over the hatred he has spurned for Spider-Man in Harry, and guilt over killing his best friend's dad. And Norman Osborn isn't even dead; in fact, he's taking a nice vacation to the Tropics!
  • Dramatic Irony - Peter sees Jameson is calling him and doesn't pick up his phone, presuming that he's just going to yell about not getting pictures; instead he's calling to let Peter know Aunt May had a heart attack.
  • The Dragon - Hammerhead, right hand man to Tombstone. Until he becomes The Starscream...
    • Silver Sable for her father Silvermane
    • Electro and the Vulture both play this role to Doc Ock at varying times.
  • Drool Hello - A bystander attempts to hide from the Lizard's rampage through a subway station by ducking into an alcove. Cue the drips of saliva falling on her head.
  • Drop What You Are Doing - Gwen Stacy drops her books in shock at finding Harry Osborn passed out cold on the ground.
  • Dynamic Entry - Venom performs this on Spider-Man several times.
    • Not to mention Gobby's window-smashing entry into Tombstone's gala.
  • Early-Bird Cameo - So very many. The first episode alone introduces nearly a dozen pre-villainy supervillains.
    • It seems like every named character is a reference to the comics. Word of God confirms there were no "original" characters in this series.
    • The actor who runs the school play in season 2 was the one who called in May's heart attack in season 1.
    • Black Cat can be seen at the Halloween party in "The Uncertainty Principle," carrying a bag of money. Seems Peter wasn't the only one taking advantage of already having a costume.
  • Eating Lunch Alone - Gwen in "Intervention".
  • Economy Cast - If an episode needs cops bursting into a scene, it's going to be Jean DeWolff and Stan Carter—a bit surprising, considering the show's surprisingly large cast.
  • Elevator Floor Announcement: In "Reinforcements".

Mysterio: "Second Floor - Toys, Housewares, Superhero Defeat."

  • Elite Mooks - Tombstone's bodyguards.
  • Embarrassing Old Photo - Flash earned his nickname when he was four, and it wasn't just because he was fast.
  • Enemy Mine - Spider-Man and Rhino extremely reluctantly team up in "Accomplices".
    • Also, back in season 1, Tombstone and Spidey team up against the Green Goblin, with both saving the other's lives. Things return to normal between them afterwards though.
    • Tombstone also does this when caught out in public with Doctor Octopus and Silvermane in a cybernetic exoskeleton, seeing as he's a Villain with Good Publicity he has to fight alongside Spider-Man until the cameras are no longer pointed at him..
  • Enemy Within - The Symbiote in "Intervention". After it fuses with Eddie Brock at the end of the same episode, they become...
  • Establishing Shot
  • Even Evil Has Standards - Doc Ock politely asks and waits for Aunt May and Anna Watson to excuse themselves from the upcoming brawl between the Sinister Six and Spidey, even halting Rhino as he tries to charge through them.
    • That may be a nod to a brief storyline where Doc Ock tried to marry Aunt May in the comics.
    • Also Tombstone due to the fact he helps stop Green Goblin's first attack on innocent people.
  • Everything Is Online - Played straight, then subverted in the same episode when Doc Ock's telepathic microchip link-up can force traffic lights, cash registers, even coffee makers to go haywire, but then requires the assistance of Captain Stacy to get the Homeland Security codes he needs, as they are on a closed network.
  • Evil Albino - Tombstone
  • Evil Brit: In his faux-sorcerer act, Mysterio has a British accent, although Quentin Beck himself does not.
  • Evil Costume Switch - Doctor Octopus, Spider-Man
  • Evil Duo - Flint Marko and Alex O'Hirn before they became Supervillains; they team up again in "Reinforcements" as the second tier of Sinister Six members.
  • Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: Type 2 with Gobby. He had some pretty sadistic jokes.

Spider-Man: "Now what's so funny?"
Green Goblin: "Oh, just the fire and brimstone pumpkin bomb I left behind as a present for our dear Mr. Lincoln. Any minute now the creme de la creme of New York City is going to paint the town red! Well the ballroom anyway...." *evil laugh*

  • Evil Is Hammy: True of most of the villains.
    • Notably Mysterio, who does it on purpose.
    • Otto Octavius also deserves a special mention as he was incredibly mild mannered before he turned to villainy, and only loses to Mysterio in hamminess once he does turn.
  • Evil Laugh: A few villains exhibit this behavior; namely Green Goblin (psychotic version), Mysterio (dramatic version), and Venom (really creepy version).
  • Evil Power Vacuum - Season 2's Gang War story. "And nature abhors a vacuum..."
  • Evil Sounds Deep: Tombstone, Mysterio, Hammerhead, Rhino.
  • Evil vs. Evil: In season one, we have the Green Goblin vs. Tombstone and his gang. In season two, we have Dr. Ock and the Sinister Six vs. Silvermane and his gang vs. Tombstone and his gang (with Hammerhead as The Starscream). And then the Goblin came back and outplayed them all.
  • Evolutionary Levels - "Lizard DNA is more primitive than human."
  • Exact Eavesdropping - Season 2 finale - Harry overhears Peter and Gwen finally admitting their true feelings to each other... as well as their realization that they have to break up with their current significant others to be able to actually do anything. Guess who Gwen is dating?
  • Exactly What I Aimed At
  • Executive Meddling - The original plan was to create extra material for each episode, then use it to edit each Story Arc into a movie for the DVD releases. But only the first arc was released like this before Sony switched to just plain episodes on DVD, leaving extra footage we might not ever see.
  • Expository Theme Tune
  • Expressive Mask - Spider-Man's, Green Goblin's and Chameleon's masks, Doctor Octopus' goggles, Flash's donkey's head especially.
  • Eyepatch of Power - Patch
  • The Faceless - The Chameleon's real face is concealed behind a featureless white full-head mask.
    • Mysterio, when he has his crystal ball-shaped helmet on.
  • Face Framed in Shadow - Walter Hardy, in "Opening Night".
  • Failed a Spot Check - "Group Therapy" Peter doesn't know the Sinister Six have escaped despite it being the number one item in the news. Aunt May's absence also eludes him.
    • Also, S02 E07: Identity crisis, in which two thugs see Flash dressed up as Spider-Man wearing a cast and decide to beat the stuffing out of him... In front of about fifty reporters.
  • Faking the Dead - Norman Osborn (Green Goblin) in the season 2 finale. He even changes his appearance and leaves on a plane.
  • Fallen Hero - Peter Parker came VERY close when he gained the symbiote. However Eddie Brock didn't fare so well, though not a superhero he did pull some pretty courageous moves at the start of the season.
    • Also John Jameson when the spores begin to affect his mind. He got better...kinda and sadly will stay that way since there is no season 3.
  • Falling Chandelier of Doom - in "Gangland"
  • Family-Friendly Firearms - While the guns most people carry are supposed to be realistic "shoot bullets" ones, they sound more like lasers or silenced shots. High-tech villains such as the Green Goblin, however, are all about shooting beams. There's also a couple of instances of Abnormal Ammo, although these are rarer.
  • Fantastic Aesop - Green Goblin Harry, Venom, Electro, and Colonel Jupiter teach us the extremely applicable life lesson that With Great Power Comes Great Insanity.
  • Fantastic Drug - Impressively, Harry's Globulin Green addiction manages to evoke steroid, Ritalin and heroin abuse all at once.
  • Fastball Special - Spidey and Rhino's Team Up, Ox and Ricochet
  • Femme Fatale - The Black Cat
  • Fiery Redhead - Mary Jane Watson
  • Five-Bad Band- The Sinister Six
    • The Big Bad - Doctor Octopus, the leader of the bunch and perhaps the most competent.
    • The Dragon - Electro wields more raw power than anyone else on the team, and is also the most loyal to Doc Ock.
    • The Evil Genius - Vulture, a Gadgeteer Genius.
    • The Brute - Sandman and Rhino share the position.
    • The Dark Chick - Shocker. The closest thing to an ordinary guy on the team. While quite formidable, his teammates tend to outstrip him in power and/or smarts.
    • The Sixth Ranger Traitor - Mysterio and Kraven, who join in Season 2.
  • Flash Back - "Intervention"
  • Flaw Exploitation - This is Spider-Man's standard MO for defeating villains. Doctor Octopus attempts to do this with a Hostage for McGuffin.
  • Flight - The Vulture's magnetic air transport system and the Green Goblin's Tech-Flight glider allow them to fly.
  • First Kiss - Peter's first kiss was actually given to him by Black Cat at the end of "Persona"—a classic Spider-Man Upside Down Kiss.
  • Foe Yay - Thankfully not between Spidey and his rogues but between Hammerhead and Silver Sable. I'm sure Hammerhead has a nice personality [quivers] .
    • The entire symbiote arc is foe-yaytastic. Venom—or more accurately, the symbiote itself—acts as a spurned ex/stalker towards Peter Parker. Eddie Brock doesn't seem to have much issue with this either, judging by all of those unsettling leers aimed at the web-head. Of course that could just be the symbiote's influence, but it's certainly there regardless.
    • The symbiote doesn't seem to have any problem going on about how much it just wants to be with Spider-Man. Spidey even refers to himself (albeit somewhat ironically) as it's "first love" at the end of Nature vs Nurture. Venom seems to hate Spider-Man just as much as it wants him back/to itself.
  • Foreshadowing - While virtually every Chekhov's Gunman could quality, Season 2 earns mention when Harry literally casts the Goblin's shadow
  • For Halloween I Am Going as Myself - Peter goes to a Halloween festival as Spider-Man, and gets compliments on how well he fills out his costume. Black Cat evidently likes Halloween too.
  • Former Friend of Alpha Bitch: Gender Flipped; Peter and Flash were best friends when they were younger.
  • Freak Lab Accident - Spider-Man, Electro, The Sandman, Doctor Octopus, The Lizard, and to a lesser extent Molten Man, as the heat was an unexpected side effect of the nanobot infusion.
  • Freak-Out - Electro snaps, unable to cope with his loss of humanity. Doctor Octopus suffers traumatic electrical shock, and goes from meek to megalomaniacal.
  • Freudian Slip - Pete says Gwen's name instead of Liz's in an inner monologue.
    • When Silvermane, Tombstone, and Doc Ock meet, Silvermane refers to it as the St. Valentine's Day Massac-... Summit.
  • Fun Personified - Mary Jane Watson.
  • Gadgeteer Genius - The Vulture invented his Flight-capable Powered Armor, while Mason creates all the Chameleon's Shoe Phone technology.
  • The Gambling Addict - Mark Allan
  • Gender Flip - Mayor Waters is a female version of the male mayor with the same name in the comic "Spider-Man: Reign"
  • Genetic Engineering Is the New Nuke - Spider-Man, Electro, The Lizard, Kraven.
  • Genius Bruiser - Tombstone, Hammerhead, Kraven.
  • Genre Savvy - Goblin says he has a flash drive containing information that would cripple Tombstone's operations that he got from the captured Hammerhead, and tells him to come to a location at a certain time to get it. Tombstone says it's a trap. Spider-Man sees him leaving Tombstone's office, and attacks him. Goblin tells him the same thing he told Tombstone, and Spidey says it's a trap. Both men show up later, and it's a trap. In fact, Hammerhead points out that he never made any "insurance". Goblin points out that everyone knew it was a trap in the first place.
  • Getting Crap Past the Radar

Mary Jane Watson:...but if I can't dance with Pete, I guess I'll dance with...it's Randy, right?
Rand Robertson: Very.

    • and...

"Well, you are the expert on premature gloatalation."

    • and...

Liz Allen "You can web me up anytime, Petey."

    • and... well a good chunk of Black Cat's dialogue but:

"You better not get your goop in my hair."

    • After Peter, Liz, Harry and Gwen decide to go to Flash's birthday party as a double-date:

Harry: "Then it's settled! This Saturday we're a foursome!"

  • Glad I Thought of It - J. Jonah Jameson does this with Peter Parker's idea to take pictures of Spider-Man.
  • The Glasses Gotta Go - Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom - Electro and Molten Man, although seeing that their powers are energy-based, it's a given.
  • Grenade Hot Potato - Goblin tosses up a Pumpkin Bomb in the Billiard Room that gets tossed from person to person until it blows up a pool table.
  • The Good Captain - Colonel Jupiter
  • Good Feels Good - Interesting use in Flash's case. After trying and failing to get Sha Shan to go out with him for quite some time, he finally(and unintentionally) gets her attention by doing the right thing and reporting Harry's use of performance enhancers during football games, at the cost of the team's recently-won championship.
  • Goofy Print Underwear - "Okay, the thermals with the hearts were half-price and in no way reflect my very high macho quotient!"
  • Gosh Dang It to Heck - Spider-Man says "Every single blasted fragment of you?!?"
    • Debatable. Given the context, a literal interpretation of "blasted" would be quite appropriate.
  • Grappling Hook Pistol - Spider-Man's webshooters, Black Cat's rope shooter
  • Grandma, What Massive Hotness You Have! - Well, more like Aunt May What Massive Hotness You Have. She does not look her age.
    • Heck, her doctor seemed way too interested in her health, home-visit and everything.
  • Hand Blast: Shocker, Electro, and Green Goblin.
  • Hard Head - Hammerhead.
  • Heart Symbol - Peter and Gwen hide from reporters behind a sculpture with a heart shaped window that frames their faces.
  • Heavy Sleeper - in "Group Therapy", Peter or rather, the symbiote using Peter's body while he's asleep, fights AND defeats the Sinister Six.
  • He Knows Too Much - The motivation behind the Green Goblin's attempted murder of Otto Octavius.
  • He Who Must Not Be Seen - Master Planner
  • Hellish Pupils - The Vulture/Adrian Toomes has comma-shaped pupils, which look particularly odd when he's out of costume.
  • Heroes Want Redheads - Peter is interested in Mary Jane, but is rebuffed.
  • Heroic Bystander - Eddie Brock defends his friends from Electro, and helps Spider-Man fight the Lizard. John Jameson helps Spidey find a timebomb. Flash Thompson subverts this, putting himself in harm's way several times, but other times plays it straight to help Spidey out.
  • Heroic Sacrifice - Sandman, sort of.
    • A variation in Opening Night, as the Cat Burglar decides to unleash the tranquilizer gas on the escaped prisoners, leading to him being knocked out as well, and going back to prison.
  • Hidden Depths: Flash Thompson, particularly in "Probable Cause." After learning that Harry "juiced" during football games, Flash informs the school principal, costing the team their championship title. As Flash reasons, "Title's meaningless if it's not won fair and square."
  • High Altitude Interrogation - In the episode "Shear Strength," Gwen is being held hostage by The Master Planner, and Spidey attempts to get information out of the captured Tinkerer by dangling him off a building. Tinkerer wisely calls his bluff (Spidey doesn't kill after all), and Spidey really does drop him, only to save him with a webline at the last minute so he'll talk.
  • Hit Flash - In a shocker for an action cartoon series, this trope is almost completely averted; the only time it's used is for the first-person perspective punches.
  • Hopeless Suitor - Liz Allan verges on this with Peter in the second season, even when they actually are dating. Despite being completely empathetic and nice to him, Peter is preoccupied with Gwen for most of the time, to the point that when leaving in the middle of a date, he apologizes to Gwen who is double-dating with Harry and ignores Liz.
  • Hostage for McGuffin - Doctor Octopus takes Liz Allan hostage to force Spider-Man to fork over desired Applied Phlebotinum.
    • The Master Planner also takes Gwen hostage so that Captain Stacy can get him Homeland Security Defense Codes. The Doc/ Planner is very fond of this tactic.
  • Hostage Situation - Played straight when Electro holds the genetics lab staff hostage to force them to develop a cure for his condition.
  • How Much More Can He Take? - Arguably one of the show's flaws; after taking five minutes of pounding from a supervillain without slowing down at all, it can get hard to care.
  • How We Got Here - "Catalysts", "First Steps"
  • High School Dance - The fall formal is the subject of much agonizing as Peter tries to find a suitable date.
  • Hollywood Cyborg - Doctor Octopus
  • Hollywood Nerd - Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker
  • Homage Shot - Numerous Comic Book Covers are used in the series including Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #33, #39, #100, and more.
  • Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Kenny and Glory, though she's actually a normal height; it's just that any girl would look tiny compared to him. (In "Gangland" they danced without her feet even touching the ground.)
  • I Just Want to Be Normal - Peter briefly considers taking a Power Nullifier. Electro is in pursuit of a cure for his powers.
  • Idiosyncratic Episode Naming - Episode titles are all derived from scientific terminology, grouped by field:
    • Weisman has referred to the season 1 groups as "Biology 101", "Economics 101", "Chemistry 101", and "Psychology 101".
    • Season 2 has "Engineering 101", "Pediatrics 101", "Criminology 101" and finally, "Theatrics 101".
  • Idiosyncratic Wipes - Spider hordes, symbiote pseudopods, and pumpkin bombs.
  • Ignored Vital News Reports - the Sinister Six's breakout in "Group Therapy"
  • Imagine Spot - When asked to try out for the football team with Harry, Peter has a brief, absurdist fantasy of making touchdowns while in costume and wearing a football helmet.
  • Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: The Vulture clearly attended before he added lasers to his harness.
    • To be fair, it's probably seriously hard to aim with that placement.
    • Also in his defense, he's an old man who lived his entire life as a scientist. Not exactly a field known for marksmanship.
  • Improbable Weapon User - Silver Sable wields a giant staple gun.
  • Incredibly Lame Pun - The Goblin reports to Tombstone that Hammerhead is "tied up at the moment", and chuckles. "You gotta love the classics."
    • In "First Steps" Sandman is hired to steal "The Urn of Morpheus" (Morpheus is the God of Dreams and is also known as "The Sandman")
  • Incoming Ham - Doc Ock's first words after becoming a supervillain: "SILENCE, YOU IMPERIOUS MORON!!!"
  • Indulgent Fantasy Segue - Otto Octavius fantasizes about attacking his domineering boss Norman Osborn mere minutes before his high-voltage Freak-Out, after which he does it for real.
  • In Medias Res - "Subtext"
  • Institutional Apparel - The Vault's inmates are all in the orange jumpsuits.
  • Intrepid Reporter - Daily Bugle reporter Ned Lee is investigating Spider-Man and the Green Goblin.
    • Fredrick Foswell fits this trope as well, if not more so.
  • Is This a Joke?? Am I Being Punked? - Stan Lee, funnily enough, provides same the explanation for the surrounding weirdness that he gave to the citizens of the Marvel U when he was writing back in the Silver Age. Aunt May asks the same thing when questioned if her nephew is Spider-Man.
  • Ironic Echo Cut - "Intervention" Tombstone says "That's the deal." Cut to Martha Connors saying "That's the deal."
  • I Shall Taunt You - Spidey's preferred method of fighting the bad guys is to quip until they get so pissed off that they lose focus. Doesn't work very well against Green Goblin, who matches him taunt for taunt. Spider-Man even compliments him on his banter.
  • It Only Works Once - Doc Ock explicitly mentions that none of the previous methods Spider-Man has used to beat the members of the Sinister Six will work again. He has an alternate power source, Vulture has an armored control unit, Electro can now control his powers in water, and Rhino is no longer dumb enough to enter closed spaces.
  • It's Always Spring - Averted. Time passes realistically, with Season 1 going from September to November and Season 2 from December to March.
  • Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique - Spidey does this with The Tinkerer in "Shear Strength".
  • Jerkass Has a Point - "OK, if Flash Thompson is making sense, something must be seriously wrong."
  • Jerk Jock - Flash Thompson, Kenny "King" Kong. Flash is softening up, though; He's the one who brought Pete back down to earth and clued him in on the way he was acting
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold - J. Jonah Jameson. Phenomenal jerk? You betcha, but he's a phenomenal jerk that would risk death by a giant rhino-man to protect a worker (less dramatically but more consistently, he's also a proud and loving father, putting him in marked contrast to Norman Osborn). Also Flash Thompson by Season 2.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Jerk - Norman Osborn
  • Journey to the Center of the Mind - Spider-Man is forced into one of these by the symbiote.
  • Just Friends - This frustrates Gwen, because she doesn't want to risk their friendship by telling Peter that she wants to be More Than Friends.
  • Just Hit Him
  • Just Think of the Potential - Connors' rationalization for developing his formula
  • Karma Houdini - Black Cat, but thankfully, not her dad, who murdered Uncle Ben, and stays in prison despite Cat's break out attempt.
    • Also, Norman Osborn, Chameleon, Silver Sable, Hammerhead, Vulture, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, Sandman, Tombstone and the Symbiote.
      • To expand on the spoiler above, the last scene of the last episode features Norman Osborn taking his vacation and rubbing his Houdininess directly in the viewer's face. Downer Ending indeed.
  • Kansas City Shuffle - "It's all about misdirection", and boy is it ever...
  • Kick the Morality Pet/ Mistaken for Murderer - Dr. Octopus attacks Spider-Man on the wrong accusation that he tried to kill him because the doc thought Spider-Man figured out he "created" Sandman and Rhino; it was actually Green Goblin behind the accident.

Doc Ock: Do not insult my intelligence, hero! You tracked me down and tried to destroy me! As I knew you would.
Spider-Man: Destroy you? Pal, I don't even know you!

Doctor Octopus: Do you ever shut up?!
Spider-Man: Sorry, no. My fans expect a certain amount of quippage in every battle.

  • Legion of Doom - The Sinister Six
  • Lego Genetics - Spider-Man, the Lizard, Kraven
  • Left Hanging - As of the second season finale, there are a few unresolved plot threads, such as Miles Warren taking control of Connors' old lab and using it to perform illegal experiments to create super soldiers.
  • Leitmotif - Snippets from the 60's and 90's series can be heard in the background music.
  • Lightning Can Do Anything - Electric and bioelectric shocks grant Electro superpowers, which catalyze a gene-altering formula. Electromagnetic shock fuses Doctor Octopus' harness to his spine, causing his Freak-Out.
    • Miles Warren actually lampshades (or justifies, depending on your point of view this by saying that the only way to get the gene-altering formula to work is to catalyze it with a big dose of electricity.
    • Electricity is also the catalyst for the subdermal silicon armor that resulted in the creation of the Sandman.
  • Likes Older Women - Peter very publicly proclaims his interest in twenty-year-old Betty Brant, and plays the Dogged Nice Guy to pressure her to be his date for the High School Dance, only to be thwarted by Aunt May.
    • Similarly, Black Cat is apparently 19 years old in this series as opposed to Peter being 16/17.
      • This is similar to Black Cat in the Ultimate universe (Though in that case the age gap was bigger and threw up when she found up how young he was).
  • Limited Wardrobe
  • Loads and Loads of Characters - It's what happens when you take nearly every major and minor character from Spider-Man's history and put them all in one show.
    • Of course, a lot of them have also been One Scene Wonders so far, but should season three stroll around the corner that could easily change.
    • Find any named character. Any of them. Then look them up on The Other Wiki. They will be there.
  • Lovable Alpha Bitch: Liz.
  • Love Dodecahedron - The dynamics of the Midtown high group are enormously complicated, but succinctly - Gwen and Liz both like Peter, Peter likes Gwen & Liz and also MJ, MJ flirts with Flash but also comes to really like Mark Allen, Liz has lingering feelings for ex-boyfriend Flash, who finds MJ attractive but then focusses on Sha-Shan, Gwen dates Harry, who previously dated Glory, who left him somewhat inexplicably for Kenny, and I'm sure there are others in there.
  • Love Makes You Crazy - Eddie Brock's love for... the Symbiote.
  • Love Triangle - A fairly straightforward one as of the end of season 2 between Harry, Gwen and Peter. complicated by the fact that Harry is aware of Peter and Gwen's mutual attraction, but they are unaware that he knows.
    • Also, Peter, Eddie Brock and the Symbiote. Yeah.
    • Also an unusual Fatherly Love Triangle. Harry is Norman's son and wants Norman to be proud of him. Norman doesn't care about Harry, but is proud of Peter and wants Peter to think of him like a father. Peter is creeped out by Norman and wants nothing to do with him, but doesn't want to (further) alienate his friend Harry.
  • MacGuffin Melee: Spidey, Hammerhead, Silver Sable, and eventually the Rhino, all throwdown over a disk with technology that will allow the wielder to create their own Rhino-like henchman. Spider-Man and Rhino team up since they don't want that (Spidey does not want more Rhino's, and Rhino likes being the only game in town), allowing them to break the stalemate.
  • Master of Disguise - The Chameleon, Fredrick Foswell
  • Master of Illusion - Beck, the Chameleon's special effects wizard, who, in season 2, dons the guise of Mysterio.
  • Mean Boss - Norman Osborn, J. Jonah Jameson
  • Meaningful Name - Patch

Spider-Man - Really? Did your parents have foresight or what?

    • Justified - it's a cover identity for Fredrick Foswell.
  • Meganekko - Gwen Stacy.
  • Melee a Trois - The massive battle between Silvermane, Tombstone, Doctor Octopus and Spider-Man in "Gangland".
    • And a couple episodes earlier (in "Accomplices") with everyone's lieutenants: Silver Sable, Hammerhead, Rhino, and Spidey.
  • Mind Hug - Peter's memories of Uncle Ben allowing him to fight off the symbiote, culminating in a very heartwarming pair of montages
  • Mad Scientist - Doctor Octopus
  • Made of Iron - Doctor Octopus's abilities reside solely in his Combat Tentacles, with his being a fairly unathletic middle-aged scientist meaning he doesn't really have any physical abilities of his own to speak of. Despite this, he can somehow takes hits at least as well as any other character in the show.
  • Male Gaze - Black Cat + Tight Air Vent =
  • Marilyn Maneuver - Spidey uses a web slingshot that causes a breeze that causes a nearby woman to experience this in "Reaction".
  • The Masochism Tango - Randy Robertson/Sally Avril; seriously, Rand, why?'
  • Meta Origin: Oscorp and the ESU lab bring together many origin stories that are unconnected in the comics.
  • Meta Twist - The Goblin reveal. Both of them.
    • A more obscure one. In the original comics Foswell was a reporter who used the inside information he gained to make sure his alias "The Big Man" was untouchable. Many people thought we would see Foswell return to that role.
  • The Millstone: Doc Ock should stop having Electro on his team.
  • Mirror Scare - Octavius discovers the Green Goblin in this way. It's also inverted when the viewer sees Harry's face reflected as the Green Goblin.
  • Monster of the Week - Season 1. Tombstone explains that he wants to keep Spider-Man busy fighting super-powered brutes to distract Spidey from combating his rather profitable crime empire.
  • Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate - Doctor Octopus
  • Motif: Speakspeare Quotes, The Opera, A Midsummer Night's Dream
  • Motive Decay:
    • Averted in "Group Therapy", where after the first go at fighting Spider-Man, the Sinister Six nearly break up because most of them view fighting Spider-Man as a distraction from their personal goals.
    • In Venom's second appearance, he can't seem to decide if he wants to ruin Peter's life, or just end it. Peter calls him out on this.
  • Multi-Armed and Dangerous - Doctor Octopus, of course.
  • My Friends and Zoidberg - "Yes, gentlemen... and Rhino."
  • Mythology Gag - Many shots are based on or even directly stolen from the live-action movies
    • Like the one at the beginning of Reaction? Stopping a truck by shooting webs to the sides?
    • Some shots are straight from comic book covers, including the famous Amazing Spider-Man #100 cover.
    • Spidey uses one of The Thing's many Catch Phrase "What a revoltin' development this is"
    • Combining this with possible Foreshadowing, Stan Carter complains that Spider-Man "doesn't go far enough" when dealing with criminals. The comicbook version of Carter was actually the psychotic vigilante Sin-Eater, who went way beyond "far enough" including the murder of Jean DeWolff
    • Doc Ock had two girls on his arms in "Accomplices", and the blond one of them bears a resemblance to Stunner, one of Doc's in-comic girls. Some say the black haired one looks a bit like Mary-Alice, his first fiance.
    • As well as some to the fans for example, lack of banter was a complaint about the movies, so when Doc Ock yells "Do you ever shut up!?" during a fight, Spidey responds with"Sorry, no. My fans expect a certain amount of quippage in every battle."
    • The Season 2 episode "Shear Strength" has Spidey trapped into a situation similar to the comic books, where he had to save the life of a loved one despite being buried under a big fricking machine.
    • The whole Peter/Eddie relationship was taken from the Ultimate Marvel version of Spider Man as well as as how Eddie came to possess Venom.
    • In "Opening Night" Montana resorts to his comic book weapon: a lasso, only in this case one made from sheets.
    • The fact that Frederick Foswell was investigating Tombstone/The Big Man could be a reference to the fact that in the comics, Foswell was himself the Big Man.
    • The story arc leading up to Mary Jane's reveal was done in the same vein as her original debut in the comics, with Peter being unsure of how she looks and assuming the worst before being proven dead wrong, capped off with this classic line:

Mary Jane: Face it, Tiger: you just hit the jackpot.

    • In "Reaction," Spiderman stops a stolen truck using almost exactly the same technique that he did to stop a train in the second Sam Raimi film.
    • The field trip flashback in "Intervention" is an almost line-for-line, shot-for-shot recreation of the scene in the first movie, albeit with Gwen instead of Mary Jane. The rest of the flashback borrows a few more iconic scenes, with a few of the lines changed to avoid a lawsuit.
    • In "Survival of the Fittest," Pete tells himself that "Spider-Man's a wallcrawler, not a wallflower," before asking out Sally Avril. This is a callback to Amazing Fantasy #1 (Spidey's first appearance in comics), in which Peter Parker was referred to as a "professional wallflower." He also tried asking out a girl named Sally, only to be rejected.
  • Name's the Same: A variant; Weisman has admitted that part of the reason Silvermane and Silver Sable are related here is because they both have "Silver" in their names.
  • Names to Run Away From Really Fast - Tombstone, Venom. Peter even lampshades it.

Peter - "The guy calling himself "Venom", Does that name inspire trust?"

  • Nature Versus Nurture: The title of the season one finale. It concerns the different upbringings between Peter Parker and Eddie Brock.

Brock: Our parents may have died together, but you had your precious aunt and uncle. We had no one, we've always been alone... until now.

  • Necro Cam - The camera dives into Peter's bloodstream after the spider bites him in the opening theme.
    • Also when we see Dr. Octopus' harness merge with his spine.
  • Nerd Glasses - Otto Octavius' coke-bottle lenses reduce his eyes to hazy black dots
  • Never My Fault - The people at fault dump blame on poor ol' Peter all the time.
    • Epitomized by Max/Electro. His condition came as a direct result of his own carelessness (placing a power screw driver on top of the server rack he's working on, trying to force the server out of it's casing, and disregarding electrical safety, all while in a lab full of volatile experiments and hyper electric eels) but the way he talks about it, all blame falls on Doc Connors.
  • Never Say "Die" - The occasional "destroy" still gets dropped, but so do actual terms like murder and die.
    • Largely averted with this rather bloodthirsty line in "Group Therapy"...

Doc Ock: "Rhino, you won the coin toss. Will you crush his skull or simply impale his heart on your horn?"

  • New Transfer Student - Mary Jane Watson
  • New York City
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero - Peter wasn't responsible for Electro's descent into darkness, but he sure helped push him over the edge.
  • Nigh Invulnerable - The Rhino can bust through walls and survive a fall from the top floor of a building unscathed. His environs aren't so lucky. Hammerhead can likewise smash walls with his extraordinarily hard skull.
  • No Indoor Voice: Colonel Jupiter when the spores really start affecting him. Also JJJ 80 percent of the time, it runs in the family.
  • Non-Action Guy: Tinkerer, confirmed by Mysterio.
  • No One Could Survive That - Season 2 finale. The Green Goblin, a.k.a. Norman Osborn, atop his trademark flyer sails right into a roof-mounted pumpkin-bomb launcher--which proceeds to go boom with gusto. At the end of the episode, we see a newly blond and facial-hair-sporting Norman Osborn boarding a flight to a tropical island.
  • No OSHA Compliance - The refinery Death Course Green Goblin sets for Spider-Man and Tombstone.
  • Not Now, Kiddo - Shocker dismisses O'Hirn this way when fighting Spider-Man
  • Not So Harmless - Doctor Octopus.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: Surprisingly, Rhino. He not only gets the idea to find Peter Parker to get close to Spider-Man, but also outsmarts Spider-Man in a one on one fight.
  • Obligatory Joke - "He's a little 'tied up' at the moment. Heh, gotta love the classics."
  • Oblivious Guilt Slinging - Invoked, by Harry pretending to be oblivious but really being a Manipulative Bastard.
  • Oblivious Janitor Cut: "Nature Vs. Nuture", Spidey stops a helicopter from crashing into an office building, and the janitor doesn't even turn around.
  • Off-Model - Occurs throughout the series from time to time. According to Word of God, the animation was inconsistent.
  • The One With... - ...insert Super Villain debut here. (Season 1)
  • Open the Iris - In particular, Harry's irises shrink to pinpricks when he's angered under the influence of Globulin Green.
  • Ordinary High School Student - Peter Parker
  • Orphaned Punchline - "...making this the third time the singer's baby was found driving her car."
  • The Other Darrin - After the first episode, Keith David is replaced with Kevin Michael Richardson in the role of Tombstone. In the Enforcers' debut, Clancy Brown did Ox's grunts, but when the Enforcers returned in season 2 and Ox actually, he was voiced by Danny Trejo.
  • Our Goblins Are Wickeder: They're green and they throw exploding pumpkins.
  • Parody Magic Spell: Take the time to translate Mysterio's longer spells from Latin, this is what you get.
  • Pet the Dog - Sandman helps a little girl at the beach. Hammerhead calls him out on it.
    • In the episode "Shear Strength" Norman shows legitimate concern for Peter's safety.
  • Pint-Sized Powerhouse - According to Spidey himself in an early episode, he's only 5'6.
  • Playing Cyrano: Flash Thompson tries to get Peter to help him impress a girl immune to his Jerk Jock charms.
  • Playing with Fire - Mark Allan/Molten Man
  • Plummet Perspective - "Shear Strength" When Spidey has The Tinkerer perched on top a tall building we get to see Tinkerer's glasses fall and shatter on the street below.
  • Post-Kiss Catatonia - Peter after Gwen kisses him in the season 1 finale
    • It's turned into a running gag, what with Black Cat kissing him in "Persona", and then Liz Allan kissing him in "Shear Strength". Same reaction every time (Though he said the kiss from Gwen was a lot more shocking to him than the one from Black Cat)
  • Power Echoes - In Electro's debut, when Spider-Man took off his protective mask, his first words outside the mask echoed eerily.

Electro: "You shouldn't have done that! You really shouldn't have done that..."

    • Interestingly enough, his voice doesn't echo at all after that.
  • Power Incontinence - Electro
  • Power Nullifier - The "gene cleanser" antidote for Curt Connors' transformation, a tube of which Peter considers taking himself, and later washes down the sink, as an affirmation that Spider-man is "his destiny".
  • Powered Armor - Silvermane and Vulture.
  • The Power of Friendship - How Peter fights against the Symbiote for control of his body.
  • The Power of Love - Pretty much how Spider-Man defeats Venom in "Nature vs. Nurture".
  • Professor Guinea Pig - Curt Connors doses himself with his own formula.
  • Promotion to Opening Titles - Played straight, then Zig Zagged. The theme from the first few episodes showcased our Three Amigos plus J. Jonah Jameson. In episode 10, Mary Jane replaced Harry's spot and since then, Peter, along with the three other characters most important to the episode's story are used in the credits.
  • Psycho Electro - Electro, in his debut episode, provides a perfect example of this trope, essentially running around in a panic and discharging voltage uncontrollably. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't get much better; if anything, he's gotten worse.
    • Hell, he provides the trope's picture.
  • Psycho Serum - Globulin Green, an addictive steroid, causes blackouts and gives its user a Super-Powered Evil Side. It's a handy way to adapt the comic book Harry's famous drug addiction for Saturday morning cartoons.
  • Punch Clock Villain - The reluctant Otto Octavius, before his Freak-Out. Also, the Sandman is generally only in it for a "big score," hates revenge, and is kind to children.
  • Punctuated Pounding: GLIB! DOES NOT! EQUATE! WITH CLEVER!
  • Put on a Bus - Harry Osborn was sent on a trip to rehab for multiple episodes.
  • The Quiet One - Ox of the Enforcers rarely speaks.
    • Also, Emily Osborn. She hasn't said a single word, nor does she seem to pay attention to anything that's going on.
  • Race Lift - Liz Allan is now Latina. Ned Leeds is now Asian, and re-named Ned Lee. Kenny "King Kong" McFarlane is now Kenny "King" Kong, also Asian. Jean De Wolff is Native American, Debra Whitman and Roderick Kingsley are African-American, and the Warren brothers are of Arab descent.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure - Captain Stacy
  • Record Needle Scratch - Accompanies cheerleader Sally Avril's blunt rejection of Peter when he asks her out in the first episode.
  • Redemption Equals Death - Sandman...but not really.
  • Reflective Eyes - "Final Curtain" The Unmasked Goblin is reflected in Harry's Eyes.
  • Rescue Romance - Spidey saves a guy and a girl by webbing them together. For them it's Love At First Sight

Spidey - "You can thank me later, dude."

    • In a Continuity Nod, we see this guy propose to the same girl in "Gangland".
  • Required Secondary Powers: Mentioned with regularity. Notably, the Shocker can take tons of punishment for the same reason that he is unharmed by his own weaponry.
    • On the other hand, the Rhino has the incredible strength that allows him to move around wearing a few tons of plate armor.
  • Rhymes on a Dime - Green Goblin in "Opening Night"
  • Ridiculously-Human Robots - Mysterio has many to disguise himself with, fitting his illusionist persona.
  • Right Hand Versus Left Hand - From a few obscure lines, you'd think that the Sinister Six were going to tear themselves apart through arguments, which is what Spider-Man has invoked in other adaptations. Instead they stayed relatively cool with each other, but their individual attacks would accidently take out other teammates.
  • Road Trip Across the Street - Justified by Harry insisting on driving Peter to his date, and not realizing they lived on the same street.
  • Rogues Gallery
  • Roof Hopping - Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus, Black Cat, Colonel Jupiter
  • Running Gag - Gwen gives her friends "the look" when angry.

"Oh don't tell me you like the Master Planner and his wonderful personality!" *shudder*.

  • Save the Villain: Spidey, to his dismay, saves Electro from Master Planner's Collapsing Lair.
  • Scary Black Man - Tombstone...no, really. Evil Albino, remember? Also, all his Mooks. Except for the albino thing. Oh, and a few of those mooks are Scary Black Women.
  • Scary Shiny Glasses: Actually they're goggles, but Doc Ock wears them.
  • Scenery Censor - Flint Marko is depicted as nude when serving as an experimental subject, but clever blocking conceals anything below waist level.
  • School Play - The production of A Midsummer Night's Dream becomes a major subplot in Season 2.
  • Screw the Money, I Have Rules - Tombstone offers to buy Spider-Man's services in exchange for looking the other way now and then, but he declines. Though he takes the deal when fused with the Symbiote, once it's gone, he rejects the offer again.
  • Secret Identity
  • Secret Identity Change Trick - Used often. At one point, this backfires on Peter, when it looks as though he lied about where he was going in order to take pictures of Spider-Man.
  • Secret Keeper - George Stacy keeps hinting that he knows.
  • Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness - Doctor Octopus
  • Shadow Discretion Shot - The first time the Lizard appears, the horror of the transformation is depicted in shadows and the reactions of Mrs. Connor, Eddie Brock, and Gwen Stacy.
  • She Cleans Up Nicely - Gwen shows up to her date with Harry sans glasses and in a dress and heels
  • She's All Grown Up - Hammerhead says this about Silver Sable
  • Shipper on Deck - Mary Jane isa Peter/Gwen shipper all the way. Liz even calls her out on it.
    • Also, Aunt May is quite supportive of Peter/Mary Jane in early episodes.
  • Ship Tease - Where do we even begin?
  • Short Run in Peru - Canada aired the entire second season before the US even started on it. And then Disney put it on hiatus midway through...
  • Shout-Out - Greg Weisman's Gargoyles, quite a number of comic book cover homages, and musical leitmotifs from the 60's and 90's series are all referenced.
    • The statue of Atlas is a reoccurring feature, likely a shout out to "Atlas Shrugged" in keeping with Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko's objectivism.
    • In "Opening Night" Black Cat uses a fake ID with the name "Selina Drew" "Drew" is probably a reference to Spider-Woman, aka Jessica Drew, while "Selina" may refer to Catwoman.
      • Also in "Opening Night", when Spider-Man is fighting Mysterio, Mysterio sends out some imp creatures to attack him. J. Jonah Jameson, watching from the security room says:

J. Jonah Jameson: I love these guys! Ha! Someone should give them their own show!

    • In "Nature Vs. Nuture" Peter wonders if "Romita's" delivers Turkey Pizza. A reference to artists John Romita
    • There may also be some homage to Batman Beyond Because, at some point during the fight with the Sinister Six (First fight), Spider-Man defeats Shocker the same way Shriek was defeated.
    • The battle damage that Spider-Man suffers in his fight with the Green Goblin in season 2 looks like it came from the movie.
    • Also, Impact Webbing makes an appearance in season 2. Unfortunately, Venom's are much more effective.
    • And then there's.....

Spider-Man (To a Mysterio-bot's disembodied head): What are you gonna do? Bite my kneecaps off?

      • That one was also used in Weisman's other show Gargoyles episode "Future Tense", where Xanatos said the exact same thing.
    • While fighting a giant Sandman, Spider-Man cribs a line from Greg Weisman's time on WITCH regarding the similar villain Sandpit: "How am I supposed to beat up a beach?"
      • That's another one that goes all the way back to Gargoyles; after the heroes defeat a massive amount of sand controlled by the Archmage, he gloats that they accomplished nothing other than beating up a beach.
    • Colonel Jupiter's Shout-Out to The Six Million Dollar Man.
    • Episode "Catalyst" has Peter getting a last dance with Mary Jane.
  • Significant Anagram - Of course a criminal named O'Hirn would be called the Rhino.
  • Skyward Scream - A minor version in the season finale; after Venom ties Spidey up and threatens to destroy everything in his life, the camera pulls out just a little bit as Spidey lets out a fairly low-grade Big No.
  • Slave to PR - To preserve his public image, Tombstone refuses to do or say anything villainous when civilians that could incriminate him are around.
  • Slippery Skid - Spidey uses bowling balls to try and stop The Rhino

Spider-Man: "This always works in the cartoons!" * Rhino smashes them by stepping on them rather than slipping* "Agh! Television so cannot be trusted."

  • Smart Ball - Rhino may be portrayed as fairly unintelligent in this series, but he was the only one to connect Peter Parker to Spider-Man completely on his own. In Season 2, as noted above, he also manages to turn Spider-man's signature Deadly Dodging against him, being one of the few(if not the only) villain in this series to do so.
  • Smug Snake - Miles Warren (who admittedly seems perfectly content as right-hand-man to real Magnificent Bastard Norman Osborn), Hammerhead (in the Gang War arc, when he turns against Tombstone only to become the Goblin's pawn.)
  • SoCalization: In the first episode Peter's question on an internship's pay is treated as a joke because internships don't get paid. Normal in most of the US, but not in New York where interns, by law, must be paid for their work.
  • Socially Awkward Hero
  • Soft Glass
  • Soft Water
  • Something Person - Spider-Man, Sandman, Molten Man
  • Something They Would Never Say - "Norman Osborn never apologizes!"
  • So Proud of You - Osborn, after revealing to be the real Green Goblin, says he's never been so proud of Harry in the second season finale. A shame poor Harry probably didn't hear him...
  • Soundtrack Dissonance - The episode Gangland has a three-way(four after Spidey joins the fray) fight between Tombstone, Silvermane, and Doc Ock set to opera music. Justified in that an opera show was playing at the time.
  • Spared by the Adaptation - Word of God says they wouldn't be killing Gwen during the course of the show. Sally Avril as well.
  • Spider Sense - Of course.
  • Spot of Tea - John Devereaux was having one in the faculty lounge in "Identity Crisis".
  • The Starscream: Pretty much everyone's Dragon in the gang war arc, especially Hammerhead, which is surprising because he seemed to be extremely faithful toward his leader. However, he is understandably fired by said boss shortly after they (or at least the boss) were arrested.
  • Stepping Stones in the Sky - at the beginning of "Shear Strength"
  • Steven Ulysses Perhero - Otto Octavius = Doctor Octopus.
  • Stiff Upper Lip - The Osborns' oh-so-English butler greets Spider-Man with the same blase tone of voice that he does Norman and Harry.
  • Stop Helping Me!: Doc Ock should really think about kicking Electro out of the Sinister Six...
  • Story Arc - There are multiple arcs that overlap one another. They consist of three episodes unless stated otherwise:
    • Season 1: The Lizard, The Big Man, Green Goblin, The Symbiote (4 episodes)
    • Season 2: Master Planner (4 episodes), Venom Strikes Back, Gang War, Return of the Green Goblin
  • Strange Bedfellows - in "Accomplices": Hammerhead and Silver Sable, Spidey and Rhino
  • Strange Minds Think Alike: Both Aunt May and Stan the Dockworker respond to an odd situation by asking if they are being punked; Early in the series (before he met Mary Jane), Aunt May would try to get peter to meet Mary Jane, saying she had a wonderful personality and Peter would shudder (interpreting wonderful personality as a synonym for "ugly"). Late in the series, the Green Goblin comments on the Master Planner's "wonderful personality" and does an identical shudder.
  • Stripperific: Mary Jane's Halloween shows off a lot of skin. Which is odd, considering they're in New York, which gets pretty cold around October/November.
  • Super-Hero Origin - presented in flashback during "Intervention"
  • Superhero Paradox - Lampshaded in "Group Therapy:"

J. Jonah Jameson: The whole thing's Spiderman's fault! New York never saw supervillains till the superhero showed up!

  • Supervillain Lair - The Master Planner's Underwater Base, complete with Hacker Cave and Self-Destruct Mechanism that causes it to collapse.
  • Super-Powered Evil Side - The Green Goblin. And naturally, with the addition of the alien symbiote, Spider-Man's getting his very own. At first, it simply made him slightly more ruthless and convinced him to lie to protect it. But apparently, it took over completely during his second confrontation with the Sinister Six, given that he doesn't remember the battle afterwards, he didn't make a single quip during it, and he nearly killed Doc Ock before Captain Stacy told him not to.
  • Swiss Cheese Security - Tombstone's office, lampshaded.
  • Take Over the City: Only one villain tries to take over the entire world. The rest war over New York City.
  • Take That: "Don't get all emo on me, bro."
  • Talking Is a Free Action - Subverted. When Spider-Man takes the time to say "Woah! My Spider Sense is tingli--!" he is caught in a net before he can finish. Afterwards, his sense is never announced again.
  • Talking to Himself - Several instances.
    • Of special note has to go to the symbiote, whoever he bonds with, the character's voice actor does the voice of the symbiote, doing a more twisted and freaky voice as the symbiote.
  • Tempting Fate - at the beginning of "Natural Selection": "Looks like I'm finally making all the right decisions... all the right choices."
    • The very first episode has "Tell me there's something better. Go ahead, try."
  • Terrible Trio: Chameleon, Beck, and Mason start out as one, with the somewhat unusual detail that all three are the Evil Genius type of villain.
    • And of course the Enforcers. They're pretty much a model for this trope.
  • Theme Tune Cameo - In the season 2 episode "Probable Cause" Ox starts humming the show's theme tune while he and the other Enforcers are riding down an elevator. When Shocker and Ricochet look at him incredulously he responds ...

Ox: What? It's catchy.

  • Third Person Person - Mysterio and Kraven. Venom, on the other hand, refers to himself in the first-person plural.
    • Doc Ock and Green Goblin do this sometimes as well.
  • This Is Gonna Suck - Spidey actually says the line (substituting "hurt" for "suck") in "Accomplices"
  • This Is Reality - Spidey trying to use bowling balls to make Rhino trip and failing:

"This always works in the cartoons!"
"Oh, television can so not be trusted!"

"That. Was. Unpleasant."

    • And Doc Ock (extenuating each word by slamming Spidey around):

"Glib! Does not! Equate! With clever! Spider-Man!"

  • Throw the Dog a Bone - Hobie Brown is given the role of Puck in "A Midsummer's Night's Dream" after having previously been interrupted every time he opens his mouth in the show.
  • Title Drop - Spidey is referred to specifically as "The Spectacular Spider-Man" during his introduction as a wrestler in "Intervention".
    • And even earlier in the first scene of the first episode.
    • Played with in The Uncertainty Principle, when Flash, after seeing Peter in a Spider-Man costume on Halloween, points and exclaims, "Look! It's the Spectacular Spider-Geek."
  • Title Sequence Replacement: Disney XD airings boast a trimmed version of the theme song.
  • Title Theme Tune
  • Too Dumb to Live - When Spidey apparently walks right into an ambush and gets pounded, Shocker uses these exact words to describe him. He's wrong though.
  • Took a Level in Badass - Eddie Brock returns in the second season with what seems to be his own mechanical webshooters, and, more importantly, enough ninja skills to reliably track Spidey across the city and mislead him into thinking that Venom is back before actually reuniting with the symbiote.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass - The instant Doc Ock's tentacle harness fuses to him, he goes from a meek, nervous little man into a Dangerously Genre Savvy Evil Genius and Large Ham.
  • Totally Radical - Averted with the usage of common slang, such as "Don't go emo on me, bro."
  • Transformation Trauma - Again, Connors' Lizard transformation. Flint Marko's transformation into the Sandman, a painful process that culminates when he explodes into sand.
  • Traintop Battle - Spider-Man fights the Lizard atop and inside a subway car. Sound familiar?
  • Trap Is the Only Option - The Green Goblin sets an extremely obvious trap for both Tombstone and Spiderman, which fool neither but which he baits too well for them to ignore. When they show up together they both know it's a trap, and Goblin even lampshades it when - surprise surprise - the bait turns out to be completely fake.

Goblin (blowing up explosives all over the building): "Yes, yes, I'm a big fat liar. Like we didn't all know this was a trap."

  • Trickster - Spider-Man, Black Cat
  • Troperiffic - If you've made it this far, you know it is. Don't worry, you're almost to the end.
  • Two Guys and a Girl - Peter, Gwen, and Harry have been best friends for at least 4 years. Harry's dark side seems to be growing.
  • Two Words:

Peter: I'd like a word.
J. Jonah Jameson: How about "scram?" Or two words? "Scram kid!" Or seventeen? "Get out of my office in two-point-three seconds or I'll staple you to a flagpole!"
Peter: How did you count--?

  • Underwater Base - Master Planner's HQ
  • The Unfavorite - Harry Osborn
  • The Unfettered: According to Word of God, the phlebotinium giving powers to Doctor Octopus and the Green Goblin didn't cause a personality split/involuntary insanity as in other versions. Instead, it removed all of the inhibitions of their civilian identities, and their villainy is a conscious choice[1]
  • Unlucky Childhood Friend - Gwen has this problem when trying to get Peter to notice her. Even after she kissed him, Pete is... "easily distracted," as MJ put it, and falls for the much more direct Liz Allen.
  • Unskilled but Strong: Rhino and Sandman, they're both stronger than the villains that contend for the show's Big Bad position, but aren't very smart. Despite that Spiderman still always requires some sort of plot device or trick to beat them, and Spiderman once needed to get rescued from Rhino when he had nothing around he could use to beat him.
  • Uptown Girl: Peter Parker and Liz Allan are played this way.
  • Villainous Breakdown - Dr. Octopus suffers a rather calm breakdown in Shear Strength.
    • Eddie Brock suffers a rather narmful one in Season 2.
    • "Don't know anyone named Max! The name's Electro! ELECTRO, I TELL YOU!"
  • Villain Ball - grabbed very jarringly by Eddie Brock
  • Villain Team-Up - "Group Therapy"
  • Villain with Good Publicity - Norman Osborn, Corrupt Corporate Executive and The Big Man, L. Thompson Lincoln, who is the philanthropic public face of crimelord Tombstone.
    • Note that Tombstone manages to pull this off despite having superstrength and sharpened teeth that make him look Obviously Evil. That is some good publicity.
      • Lampshaded even: "L. Thomson Lincoln? He looks a little strange but is a good man."
  • The Voiceless - A running gag is that Hobie Brown, one of Flash's gang, never says anything onscreen. Doesn't stop him from trying.
  • Wake Up, Go to School, Save the World
  • Wall Crawl - Spider-Man, The Lizard, Venom. Blackcat to an extent.
  • We Can Rule Together - Tombstone again, and later the Green Goblin.
    • During the opera house fight, Doc Ock proposes that he, Tombstone and Silvermane can share control of all of Manhattan... as soon as Spidey's out of the way.
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy - Harry Osborn. When he accomplishes something, he even brushes off his girlfriend congratulating him to call his dad.
  • Wham! Episode - "Identity Crisis."
    • And "Final Curtain."
    • "The Uncertainty Principle" is pretty Whammy.
  • Wham! Line: At the end of "Growing Pains:"

Venom: You want the wallcrawler? Then here's a scoop: PETER PARKER IS SPIDER-MAN!

  • When All You Have Is a Hammer - Sandman gets progressively more creative with the ability to turn into sand. By the second season he's using his sand-shifting with a finesse that would impress Sir Crocodile.
  • Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys? - So far, it hasn't been mentioned where his webbing comes from, or where the web shooters themselves came from, or how he got his hands on a spotlight that fits on his belt and projects an image of his mask.
    • Not to mention, how did he sew that suit without his aunt catching on to what he was doing?
  • Why Are You Not My Son?: Norman Osborn rather viciously approves of Peter far more than his own son.
  • Who Is Driving? - Sandman asks Spidey this question in "Competition."
  • Wolf Man - Spidey refers to mutant Kraven as one of these, even though there's no evidence of wolf DNA in his change.
  • The Worf Barrage - Spidey's webbing very rarely works. Lampshaded in "Gangland":

Spider-man: I've gotta start making that stuff stronger.

  1. ↑ although it is ambiguous whether the original person would have wanted to go as far as they do post-transformation, leaving open the possibility of some Split Personality Takeover
This article is issued from Allthetropes. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.