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Spider-Man (1994 TV series)

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Spider-Man
Also known asSpider-Man: The Animated Series
GenreSuperhero
Based on
Spider-Man
by
Written byJohn Semper
Voices of
Theme music composer
Composers
  • Shuki Levy
  • Kussa Mahchi
  • Udi Harpaz
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes65 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersAvi Arad
Stan Lee
ProducersJohn Semper
Bob Richardson
Running time21 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFox Kids Network
ReleaseNovember 19, 1994 (1994-11-19) –
January 31, 1998 (1998-01-31)
Related
X-Men: The Animated Series

Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series (Spider-Man TAS for short), is an American superhero animated television series based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name.[2] The series aired on the Fox Kids Network from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998, for a total of five seasons comprising sixty-five episodes, and ran reruns on Toon Disney's Jetix block and on Disney XD. The series was produced by Marvel Films Animation[3] and animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha.[4]

Synopsis

The series follows Peter Parker, a college student at Empire State University who struggles to balance his responsibilities as the costumed hero Spider-Man with the problems of his personal life. In addition to fighting crime, Peter must navigate his romantic affections for love interests Felicia Hardy and Mary Jane Watson; maintain his friendship with Harry Osborn; focus on his academic performance as Dr. Curt Connors' student; and help to support his Aunt May after the death of his Uncle Ben by working as a freelance photographer for the Daily Bugle. The Bugle is owned by loudmouth publisher J. Jonah Jameson, who often uses Peter's pictures of his alter-ego to discredit and carry out a smear campaign against Spider-Man. Peter's peers at ESU include football star Flash Thompson, popular barista Liz Allan, scientific genius Debra Whitman, and research rival Michael Morbius.

As Spider-Man, Peter faces various supervillains that threaten New York City, including criminal masterminds such as the Kingpin and the Hobgoblin, scientific mishaps like Doctor Octopus and the Green Goblin, and the extraterrestrial symbiotes Venom and Carnage. Spider-Man is occasionally aided in his fight against crime by other superheroes, including the X-Men, the Punisher, Blade, Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Iron Man, Captain America, and the Fantastic Four.

Adaptations

A large number of storylines and events from the comics are loosely adapted in the series, such as:

Season 1

  • The first episode, "Night of the Lizard", is loosely based on the comic story "Face-to-Face with... the Lizard!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #6 (November 1963).
  • The episode "The Spider Slayer" is loosely based on the comic story "Captured by J. Jonah Jameson!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #25 (June 1965), with the subplot of Flash Thompson dressing up as Spider-Man to scare Peter Parker being taken from "Marked for Destruction by Dr. Doom!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #5 (October 1963).
  • The episode "Return of the Spider Slayer" borrows elements from the comic books including the way Alistair Smythe treated Spider-Man and Jameson in a very similar way to how his father Spencer Smythe treated them in the comic story "24 Hours till Doomsday!" in The Amazing Spider-Man #192 (May 1979), the three spider slayers are from "Invasion of the Spider Slayers Part 5: Arachnophobia Too!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #372 (January 1993) and Mary Jane uses her famous line from her first comic appearance: "Face it, Tiger. You just hit the jackpot", in the comic story "The Birth of a Super-Hero!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #42 (November 1966).
  • The episode "Doctor Octopus: Armed and Dangerous" is loosely based on the comic story "Spider-Man Versus Doctor Octopus" from The Amazing Spider-Man #3 (July 1963).
  • The episode "The Menace of Mysterio" is loosely based on the comic story "The Menace of... Mysterio!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #13 (June 1964).
  • The episode "The Sting of the Scorpion" is based on the comic story "Spidey Strikes Back!" / "The Coming of the Scorpion! OR: Spidey Battles Scorpey!" in The Amazing Spider-Man #19-20 (December 1964-January 1965).
  • The episode "Kraven the Hunter" is loosely adapted from the comic story of the same name from The Amazing Spider-Man #15.
  • The dream sequence from the episode "The Alien Costume, Part One" where the symbiote and the Spider-Man costume fight over Peter Parker is adapted from the comic story "The Sinister Secret of Spider-Man's New Costume!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #258 (November 1984).
  • The end of the episode "The Alien Costume, Part Two" where Spider-Man uses the bell to get free from the symbiote is adapted from the comic story "'Til Death Do Us Part!" from Web of Spider-Man #1 (April 1985).
  • The beginning of the episode "The Alien Costume, Part Three" where Eddie Brock has a wall covered with newspaper clippings of Spider-Man and turns into Venom swearing vengeance on Spider-Man is adapted from the comic story "Chance Encounter" from The Amazing Spider-Man #298 (March 1988), while the scene where Eddie menaces Peter at Aunt May's home is adapted from the story "The Sand and the Fury" from The Amazing Spider-Man #317 (July 1989).
  • "The Hobgoblin" two-parter is loosely adapted from the comic stories "Secrets!" / "Confessions!" / "Endings!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #249-251 (February–April 1984).
  • The episode "Day of the Chameleon" is loosely adapted from the comic story "Spider-Man Vs. the Chameleon!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963).

Season 2

  • The episode "The Insidious Six" "and "Battle of the Insidious Six" are both based on the comic story "The Sinister Six!" from The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (October 1964).
  • In "Battle of the Insidious Six" the scene where Peter is unmasked by the Insidious Six, after Aunt May is kidnapped by them (but he manages to convince them that he is a fraud) is from the comic story "Unmasked By Doctor Octopus!" from Amazing Spider-Man #12 (May 1964) but instead of Aunt May, it's Betty Brant who is kidnapped by Doctor Octopus by himself.
  • The episode "Hydro-Man" is based on the comic story "The Coming of Hydroman!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #212 (January 1981).
  • The episodes "The Mutant Agenda" and "Mutants' Revenge" are based on Spider-Man: The Mutant Agenda #1-3 (March–May 1994).
  • The episodes "Morbius" and "Enter the Punisher" are both based on the comic stories "The Spider or the Man?" / "A Monster Called Morbius!" / "Vampire at Large!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #100-102 (September–November 1971). The Man-Spider plot is loosely adapted from "Fast Descent into Hell!" / "To Sacrifice My Soul..." from Marvel Fanfare #1-2 (March 1982 and May 1982).
  • "Enter the Punisher" is also based on the comic story "The Punisher Strikes Twice!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (February 1974).
  • The episode "Tablet of Time" is based on the comic story "The Web Closes!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #73 (June 1969) with Smythe's robot originating from "Invasion of the Spider Slayers Part 4: One Clue Over The Cuckoo's Nest" from The Amazing Spider-Man #371 (December 1992).
  • The episode "Ravages of Time" is based on the comic stories "If This Be Bedlam!" / "Death Without Warning!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #74-75 (July- August 1969) and "Lifetheft Part One: The Wings of Age" / "Lifetheft Part Two: The Thief of Years" / "Lifetheft Part Three: The Sadness of Truth" from The Amazing Spider-Man #386-388 (February–April 1994).
  • The episode "Shriek of the Vulture" is based on the comic stories "Duel to the Death with the Vulture!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #2 (May 1963) and "The Wings of Age!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #386 (February 1994).
  • The episode "The Final Nightmare" is loosely based on "The Thief of Years" from The Amazing Spider-Man #387 (March 1994).

Season 3

  • The episode "Make a Wish" is based on the comic stories "Doc Ock Wins!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #55 (December 1967) and "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #248 (January 1984). A flashback to Spider-Man's origin is shown and is adapted from the comic story "Spider-Man!" from Amazing Fantasy #15.
  • The episode "Attack of the Octobot" is based on the comic stories "Disaster!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #56 (January 1968) and "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #248 (January 1984).
  • The episode "Rocket Racer" is based on the comic stories "The Fiend from the Fire!" from Amazing Spider-Man #172 (September 1977) and "The Rocket Racer's Back in Town!" / "...And Where the Big Wheel Stops, Nobody Knows!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #182-183 (July–August 1978).
  • The episode "The Ultimate Slayer" is loosely based on the comic story "Invasion of the Spider Slayers Part 6: The Bedlam Perspective" from The Amazing Spider-Man #373 (January 1993).
  • The episode "Tombstone" is loosely based on the comic stories "Grave Memory" from The Spectacular Spider-Man #139 and "Will!" from The Spectacular Spider-Man #142.
  • The episode "Venom Returns" is blended from several different comics including "Hearts and Powers" / "Gun From the Heart" from The Amazing Spider-Man #344-345 (February–March 1991) and "Toy Death!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #359 (February 1992).
  • The episode "Carnage" is loosely based on the comic stories "Savage Genesis" / "Savage Alliance" / "Savage Grace!" from "The Amazing Spider-Man" #361-363 (April–June 1992).
  • The episode "The Spot" is based on the comic story "True Confessions!" / "Spider on the Spot!" from Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #98-99 (January–February 1985).
  • The episode "Goblin War!" is based on the comic story "The Goblin War" from The Amazing Spider-Man #312 (February 1989).
  • The episode "Turning Point" is based on the comic stories "How Green Was My Goblin!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #39 (August 1966) and "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" / "The Goblin's Last Stand!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #121-122 (June–July 1973).

Season 4

  • The episode "Guilty" is based on "Guilty!" / "Lock-Up" from The Spectacular Spider-Man #150-151 (May–June 1989) and "Crash Out!" from The Spectacular Spider-Man #155 (October 1989).
  • The episode "The Black Cat" is based on "Never Let the Black Cat Cross Your Path!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (July 1979).
  • The episode "The Return of the Green Goblin" is based on "The Green Goblin Lives Again!" / "The Green Goblin Strikes!" from The Amazing Spider-Man #136-137 (September–October 1974).

Season 5

  • The episode "The Wedding" is loosely based on "The Wedding" from The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (September 1987).
  • The "Six Forgotten Warriors" saga is loosely based on "The Parents of Peter Parker!" from The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5 (November 1968) and "The Assassin-Nation Plot" storyline from The Amazing Spider-Man #320-325 (September 1989–November 1989).
  • The "Secret Wars" trilogy adapts the 1984 limited series Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars (May 1984–April 1985).
  • The "Spider Wars" duology adapts the second Clone Saga (October 1994–December 1996). John Semper would later claim that this arc inspired Dan Slott's "Spider-Verse" storyline.[5]

Episodes

Main article: List of Spider-Man (1994 TV series) episodes
SeasonStory arcEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1–13November 19, 1994 (1994-11-19)June 11, 1995 (1995-06-11)
2Neogenic Nightmare14September 9, 1995 (1995-09-09)February 24, 1996 (1996-02-24)
3The Sins of the Fathers14April 27, 1996 (1996-04-27)November 23, 1996 (1996-11-23)
4Partners In Danger11February 1, 1997 (1997-02-01)August 2, 1997 (1997-08-02)
5–131September 12, 1997 (1997-09-12)
Six Forgotten Warriors5September 19, 1997 (1997-09-19)October 17, 1997 (1997-10-17)
The Return of Hydro-Man2October 24, 1997 (1997-10-24)October 31, 1997 (1997-10-31)
Secret Wars3November 7, 1997 (1997-11-07)November 21, 1997 (1997-11-21)
Spider Wars2January 31, 1998 (1998-01-31)

Cast and characters

Main article: List of Spider-Man (1994 TV series) characters

Main voice cast

Production

While Fox Kids' X-Men animated series was being produced by Saban, Spider-Man was produced by the newly formed Marvel Films Animation; it was the only series that in-house studio produced, but was animated by TMS-Kyokuchi Corporation.[4] For many years, the series was the second longest-running Marvel show created, after X-Men, as well as the longest-running series based on Spider-Man (until Ultimate Spider-Man surpassed its record in 2015).

The show was notorious for its censorship. In some episodes, realistic guns were depicted, but only in flashbacks, such as the showing of guns being fired during a flashback about the Punisher's origins where his wife was killed in the crossfire during a crime. Rules for the production of the show included no punching, throwing through glass, putting children in jeopardy or vampires as well as no usage of the word sinister.[6] In November 2014 podcasts, Semper clarified that the show was not censored more than any other show at the time and that every time this has been brought up to him, he feels it has been blown out of proportion;[7] Semper said that Marvel had no creative control on the TV series because Marvel at the time was in a tough time and close to bankruptcy. In addition, Semper stated that Stan Lee had influence on the show in the first thirteen episodes. The series is currently owned and distributed by The Walt Disney Company (Marvel's parent company), which acquired all Fox Kids-related properties from News Corporation and Saban International in 2001.

Writing staff

Producer John Semper was the primary credited writer on the show, receiving some sort of writing credit (usually a story, co-story or co-writing credit) on 60 of the 65 produced episodes. He wrote 8 episodes solo; many of his story credits were actually adaptations of previously published comic book stories.

Mark Hoffmeier was a frequent contributor, receiving credits on 16 episodes, while Stan Berkowitz was credited on 9.

Many of the other series writers had previously worked on Batman: The Animated Series, including Brynne Stephens, Marv Wolfman, Gerry Conway, Marty Isenberg and Robert N. Skir, Len Wein, and Sean Catherine Derek.

Semper watched previous Spider-Man adaptations for inspiration, but he was not impressed by most of them. The only previous adaptation that impressed him was the live-action Japanese Spider-Man (1978), which he thought was a "great" show and "goofy fun". Japanese Spider-Man's giant mecha robot influenced the final multi-part parallel universe arc where Spider-Man's wealthy alter-ego has a robot.[3]

Animation

To reproduce New York City's appearance, background illustrators undertook a large amount of visual research by using photo archives from above New York, particularly rooftops. Maps were consulted for references and buildings were faithfully reproduced.

The animation cels depicting Manhattan's Pan Am Building (recently renamed the MetLife Building) were scrapped after being complete because the California-based art staff learned the Midtown landmark had been given a new sign more than a year earlier.

The animation staff were directed to populate the city with cars and crowds on the street level. Semper believed that was one of the limitations of earlier Spider-Man animated projects.

Originally, Marvel Films planned to make the backgrounds completely CGI while Spider-Man swung around New York, yet due to budget constraints were forced to use traditional cel based animation while occasionally using CGI backgrounds by video game developer Kronos Digital Entertainment.

Reuse of animation became more common as the series progressed, which also included reuse of animation involving a character speaking (these scenes were sometimes slowed down in order to better match the actor's voice to the animation).

Music

Marvel outsourced the show's music to distributors Saban Entertainment, who were also responsible for the music in the concurrent X-Men cartoon airing on Fox Kids. The theme for the series was performed by Joe Perry of the hard rock band Aerosmith, although the song was written by Shuki Levy. Levy, Haim Saban and Udi Harpaz are credited as composers of the orchestral background score. The music was conducted with a live orchestra in Israel. It was recorded in Israel due to it being less expensive to do it there than in the U.S.

Cancellation

Producer John Semper Jr. clarified on his Facebook page that the show's cancellation was not due to disagreements between executive producer Avi Arad and network head Margaret Loesch but rather funding issues:

"Fox contracted for 65 episodes and that's exactly what we did. Fox hated Avi almost from day one, so nothing much changed there. It didn't help, but it wasn't the reason we were not picked up for more episodes. New World, who actually produced the show, had gone out of business, so there was nobody to pay for whatever costs Fox wouldn't cover. And most shows rarely even made it to 65 episodes, so the feeling was we were done and that was enough. Spider-Man wasn't 'canceled'. It ran its full course".[8]

Awards

Writer and producer John Semper Jr. was nominated for an Annie Award in 1995 for Best Individual Achievement for Writing in the Field of Animation for the episode "Day of the Chameleon". Spider-Man was also nominated for one 1996 Image Award for Outstanding Animated/Live-Action/Dramatic Youth or Children's Series/Special.[9]

Merchandising

Three comic book series based on the TV series were produced:

  • Spider-Man Adventures (December 1994 to February 1996):[10] the first 13 issues each adapted one episode from the first season, and the last two issues were original stories. Spider-Man Adventures #1–4 was later reprinted in Kellogg's Froot Loops Mini-Comics #1–4.[11]
  • The Adventures of Spider-Man (April 1996 to March 1997): featuring new stories based on the series.[12] Adventures of Spider-Man was later reprinted in Spectacular Spider-Man (UK Magazine) #11–21 from August 1996 to May 1997.[13]
  • Marvel Adventures (April 1997 to September 1998):[14] anthology featuring various animated versions of Marvel characters—Spider-Man only appeared sporadically.

A number of video games based on the series were also produced:

Electronic versions of classic Spider-Man comics were released by Marvel that included narration by Christopher Daniel Barnes and featured animation and theme music from this series. Spider-Man novels inspired by selected episodes were also released. A wide variety of themed merchandise (lunch boxes, cereals, clothing, etc.) was produced. McDonald's produced a themed line of Happy Meal toys for the show. However, this paled in comparison to the extensive official toy line that ran over eight series, and included a staggering amount of play sets and vehicles and actually lasted longer than the television series itself.

Release availability

Despite the fact that the show ended in 1998, the success of the live-action Spider-Man films has sparked more interest in new fans, allowing the series to air in reruns due to its new owners: The Walt Disney Company.

This show had been shown streaming entirety on Disney+ service since November 12, 2019.[15]

This show was temporarily removed from Disney+ on April 26, 2021, but soon came back to service on the 2nd of May that same year. This was due to all episodes being listed in 1 season. When returned episodes were organized into seasons.

Home media

Region 1

During the series' run, some episodes were released on VHS. These were from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

VHS name Episode titles Release date Publisher Stock number Notes
The Hobgoblin "The Hobgoblin" Parts 1 & 2 July 2, 1997[16] 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 4176 Trailers:
FOX Kids Video Promo (1997)
Casper: A Spirited Beginning (1997)
FOX Toons Interactive CD-ROM Promo (1997)

In the late 1990s, another selection of VHS compilations were released by Marvel Films/New World Entertainment (these tapes were distributed in Canada by Telegenic Entertainment). These releases featured episodes edited into 70–80, 90-100 minute movies based on the particular story arc.

VHS name Episode titles Release date Publisher Stock number Notes
The Venom Saga "The Alien Costume" Parts 1 & 2 & 3 November 12, 1996[17] Marvel Films/New World Entertainment 00103 This tape is in SP mode.

Contains 60 minutes of a feature length movie.

Based on the all-new 1994 Spider-Man animated television series.

Revenge of the Goblins "The Hobgoblin" Parts 1 & 2
"Enter the Green Goblin"
"Goblin War!"		 January 28, 1997[18] 00123 This tape is in SP mode.

Contains 80 minutes of a feature length TV series.

Previews:
Spider-Man: "The Venom Saga" (1994)
Dragon Flyz: "Day of the Dragon" (1996)

Spider Slayer "The Spider Slayer"
"Return of the Spider Slayer"
"Kraven the Hunter"
"The Return of Kraven"		 March 18, 1997[19] 00143 This tape is in SP mode.

Contains 80 minutes of a feature length TV series.

Previews:
Spider-Man: "The Venom Saga" (1994)
Dragon Flyz: "Day of the Dragon" (1996)

Special bonus: Kraven the Hunter Meets Spidey

Insidious Six "The Insidious Six"
"Battle of the Insidious Six"
"Hydro-Man"		 June 17, 1997[20] 00163 This tape is in SP mode.

Contains 100 minutes of a feature length TV series.

Previews:
The Incredible Hulk: "Return of the Beast" (1996)
Dragon Flyz: "Day of the Dragon" (1996)

Special bonus: Two episodes of Iron Man: "The Beast Within" and "Cell of Iron"

Mutant Agenda "The Mutant Agenda"
"Mutants' Revenge"
"Morbius"		 September 9, 1997[21] 00183 This tape is in SP mode.

Contains 100 minutes of a feature length TV series.

Previews:
Dragon Flyz: "Day of the Dragon" (1996)
The Incredible Hulk: "Return of the Beast" (1996)

Special bonus: Two episodes of Iron Man: "Iron Man to the Second Power" Parts 1 & 2

Tablet of Time "Enter the Punisher"
"Duel of the Hunters"
"Tablet of Time"
"Ravages of Time"		 November 4, 1997[22] 00203 This tape is in SP mode.

Contains 80 minutes of a feature length TV series.

Previews:
Franklin (1997)
The Incredible Hulk: "Return of the Beast" (1996)

Special bonus: Final episode of Spider-Man: "Mutant Agenda"

Commercials:
Spider-Man: Web Splashers Action Figures Advertisement (1997)
Spider-Man: Spider Wars Playset and Action Figures Advertisement (1996)

Neogenic Nightmare "Blade, the Vampire Hunter"
"The Immortal Vampire"
"Shrieks of the Vulture"
"The Final Nightmare"		 May 19, 1998[23] 00213 This tape is in SP mode.

Contains 80 minutes of a feature length TV series.

Commercials:
Spider-Man: Web Flyers: Sneak Attack Action Figures Advertisement (1998)
Spider-Man: Web Blaster Refills and Web Fluids Advertisement (1997)

Forgotten Warriors "Six Forgotten Warriors, Chapter I"
"Six Forgotten Warriors, Chapter II: Unclaimed Legacy"
"Six Forgotten Warriors, Chapter III: Secrets of the Six"
"Six Forgotten Warriors, Chapter IV: The Six Fight Again"
"Six Forgotten Warriors, Chapter V: The Price of Heroism"		 October 27, 1998[24] 00223 This tape is in SP mode.

Contains 100 minutes of a feature length TV series.

Previews:
Franklin (1997)

Based on the all-new 1994 Spider-Man animated television series.

Commercials:
Spider-Man: Spider Force Web Car Vehicles and Action Figures Advertisement (1997)
Spider-Man: Web Blaster Refills and Web Fluids Advertisement (1997)
Spider-Man: Web Flyers: Sneak Attack Action Figures Advertisement (1998)

The Sins of the Fathers "Framed"
"The Man Without Fear"
"The Ultimate Slayer"
"The Spot"		 May 18, 1999[25] 00233 This tape is in SP mode.

Contains 80 minutes of a feature length TV series.

Commercials:
Spider-Man: Web Copter Vehicle and Web Fluids Advertisement (1998)
Spider-Man: Flip 'n' Trap Playset and Action Figures Advertisement (1998)
Spider-Man: Spider Force Web Car Vehicles and Action Figures Advertisement (1997)
Spider-Man: Web Blaster Refills and Web Fluids Advertisement (1997)

Secret Wars "Secret Wars, Chapter I: Arrival"
"Secret Wars, Chapter II: The Gauntlet of the Red Skull"
"Secret Wars, Chapter III: Doom"
"Spider Wars, Chapter IV: I Really, Really Hate Clones"
"Spider Wars, Chapter V: Farewell, Spider-Man"		 October 19, 1999[26] 00243 This tape is in SP mode.

Contains 100 minutes of a feature length TV series.

To date, the only VHS and DVD releases of the series in the U.S. have been several volume sets from Buena Vista Home Entertainment that feature 4-5 episodes each.

Title Release Date Stock Number
Spider-Man: The Ultimate Villain Showdown[27] 30 April 2002 25911
25898
Episodes:
  • The Sins of the Fathers Chapter II: Make a Wish
  • The Sins of the Fathers Chapter III: Attack of the Octobot
  • The Sins of the Fathers Chapter IV: Enter the Green Goblin
  • The Sins of the Fathers Chapter V: Rocket Racer

Features[28]

  • 1967 classic episode: "The Origin of Spider-Man"
Spider-Man: The Return of the Green Goblin[29] 29 October 2002 28126
28128
Episodes:
  • The Sins of the Father: Chapter XII: The Spot
  • The Sins of the Father: Chapter XIII: Goblin War!
  • The Sins of the Father: Chapter XIV: The Turning Point
  • Partners in Danger: Chapter I: Guilty

Features[30]

  • Partners in Danger: Chapter VIII: The Return of the Green Goblin (NOTE: This is missing its background music in the VHS version)
  • 1967 classic episode: "The Terrible Triumph of Doctor Octopus/Magic Malice"
Daredevil vs. Spider-Man[31] 11 February 2003 28520
28521
Episodes:
  • The Sins of the Father: Chapter VI: Framed
  • The Sins of the Father: Chapter VII: The Man Without Fear
  • The Sins of the Father: Chapter VIII: The Ultimate Slayer
  • The Sins of the Father: Chapter IX: Tombstone

Features[32]

  • Classic 1966 bonus episode: "King Pinned" - featuring Kingpin
  • Fantastic Four bonus episode: "And a Blind Man Shall Lead Them" - featuring Daredevil (DVD version only)
The Ultimate Spider-Man Collection[33] 2 November 2003
DVD Sets:
  • Spider-Man: The Ultimate Villain Showdown
  • Spider-Man: The Return of the Green Goblin
  • Daredevil vs. Spider-Man
Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock[34] 29 June 2004 34571
34572
Episodes:
  • Doctor Octopus: Armed and Dangerous
  • Partners in Danger: Chapter II: The Cat
  • Partners in Danger: Chapter III: The Black Cat
  • Partners in Danger: Chapter V: Partners

Features[32]

  • A classic 1967 bonus episode: The Power of Dr. Octopus/Sub-Zero for Spidey
Spider-Man: The Venom Saga[35] 7 June 2005 34892
34893
DVD Sets:
  • The Alien Costume, Part One
  • The Alien Costume, Part Two
  • The Alien Costume, Part Three
  • The Sins of the Fathers, Chapter X: Venom Returns
  • The Sins of the Fathers, Chapter XI: Carnage

Region 2

In the UK, Sweden, and Germany, Clear Vision Ltd. has released all five seasons on DVD as of October 19, 2009.

DVD Name Ep # Release Date
Complete Season 1 13 June 22, 2009[36]
Complete Season 2 14 August 3, 2009[37]
Complete Season 3 14 August 17, 2009[38]
Complete Season 4 11 September 14, 2009[39]
Complete Season 5 13 October 19, 2009[40]
The Complete Collection 65 November 11, 2011[41]

Other releases

  • A Canadian DVD containing three episodes from the "Mutant Agenda" episodes. This is a reissue of the 1997 Marvel-New World/Telegenic VHS release (and it was mastered from one of those VHS releases); as a "Bonus" two episodes from the 1990s Iron Man TV series are included, just like on the VHS release. There are no audio/subtitle selections.
  • Canadians also received another DVD release of the first season two-parter "The Hobgoblin". This was a re-release of the 1997 VHS release from Fox Video; the video quality of the episodes on the DVD is that of a VHS transfer. There are no bonus features or audio/subtitle selections on this DVD either.
  • A VCD release by Magnavision Home Video.
  • A boxed set of all the DVDs was released in Poland, simply entitled "Spider-Man: 5 DVD Set". The front of the box features the same graphics as "The Ultimate Villain Showdown". DVDs including random assortments of episodes were also distributed with various magazines, ranging from entire story arcs to two or three episodes per DVD.
  • Several two-episode DVDs were released by Marvel in 2002 prior to the acquisition by Disney.
  • 3 DVDs with 2 episodes each were released regionally for Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia with Serbian, Croatian and Slovenian dubs on them in 2005.
  • The entire first season was available on Xbox Live and iTunes through Disney XD.
  • All five seasons are currently available for digital purchase on Vudu and Amazon.
  • The entire series was available on Disney+ but was taken off for some reason. Later on May 2 it made its return to the service.
  • There were also unlicensed DVDs that had The Adventure Continues on them that contained two episodes from most of the movies that were released by Marvel Films/New World Entertainment. For example, one was Spider-Man - Blade the Vampire Hunter which contained two episodes which were "Blade, the Vampire Hunter" and "The Immortal Vampire", a two-part story episode from the second season, making it like a movie based on the toy line, Spider-Man: Vampire Wars.
  • In France, all episodes were released on DVD from local Editor TF1 video, but only with French tracks voices and no subtitles available.

Bootleg DVDs of the show have become popular among fans due to a lack of official DVD releases. The bootlegs feature all of the episodes but some of them have low video quality and watermarks. This is likely to change as the entire series becomes available in the UK. The series is currently the 9th most wanted unreleased DVD at TVShowsOnDVD.com.[42]

Legacy

Comics

Similarly to X-Men: The Animated Series, the series inspired a number of comic books. The first one was Spider-Man Adventures, published for 15 issues between December 1994 and February 1996, which loosely adapted the plot from the series' episodes. It was followed by Adventures of Spider-Man, a 12-issues series with original stories, published from April 1996 to March 1997.

Additionally, Marvel published a second series inspired by the animated series titled Spider-Man Magazine, that went on for 19 issues from March 1994 to March 1997. Two special issues were also published in 1995.

Spider-Verse

The last two episodes of Spider-Man: The Animated Series, about multiple Spider-Man characters crossing dimensions to different universes, was the first Spider-Man story involving parallel universes. This inspired the Spider-Verse, which later appeared in various Spider-Man comics, cartoons and films in the early 21st century, with most notably the animated Spider-Verse feature films.[43]

Spiritual successor and possible revival

On November 1, 2014 at the Comikaze Expo, where the show's 20th anniversary was celebrated, John Semper Jr. revealed that much of the cast and crew of Spider-Man, himself included, had agreed to reunite for a new crowdfunded series entitled "War of the Rocket Men".[44][45][46][47] In addition, in late 2014, Semper Jr started a website (cartoonspiderman.com) that features behind-the-scenes content, podcasts about the show, a link to the Facebook page that Semper regularly posts on and more. In April 2016, Semper's YouTube account posted a video in which he revealed that he had written a short story following up on the series, detailing Peter finding Mary Jane with Madame Web's help in a Victorian Age setting, referring to the story as "an autobiographical fan-fiction" in which he reminisced on what it was like writing the last episodes of the series, as well as detailing how Peter and Mary Jane would have been reunited, adding one could think of it as "the lost episode of Spider-Man: The Animated Series". Semper explained that he would be releasing this as a perk on a crowd-funding campaign for "War of the Rocket Men". The video also featured the returning voices of Christopher Daniel Barnes and Sara Ballantine as Spider-Man/Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson respectively in an audio promo prologue entitled "Peter Finds Mary Jane".[citation needed]

After X-Men '97 was announced as a revival of the X-Men TV series by Marvel Studios for the streaming service Disney+, it marked a possibility that Spider-Man could be revived for Disney+ as well. In July 2022, Semper addressed this, stating that he would happily do it if he had the same creative freedom he had on the series:

I think, right now, they're doing an updated Spider-Man. They've done a number of [television] shows since mine and they're doing [Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man] right now, I don't think that the politics of the situation will allow for [Spider-Man: The Animated Series] to be revived. If they did revive it, I don't know if I'd get to be involved. I was in a very good position because I was really able to have a lot of creative control over that show after [season one]. I don't know if I'd ever have that situation again, so it would really make it a different kind of thing. I don't know if I'd get that on a Spider-Man revival given it's now a property that's owned by [Disney and Sony] and there’s a lot of politics involved, but hey, if someone wants to call me and say, 'Hey, we're gonna do more episodes and we're going to leave you alone', I'd be there in a heartbeat.
—John Semper, showrunner of The Animated Series[48]

See also

References

  1. ^ Goldman, Michael. "Stan Lee: Comic Guru". Animation World Magazine. Animation World Network. Archived from the original on April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  2. ^ "Top 10 Comic to TV Adaptations". IGN. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  3. ^ a b "John Semper on "Spider-Man": 10th Anniversary Interview". Marvel Animation Age. toonzone.net. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  4. ^ a b Cawley, John. "Marvel Films Animation 1993-1997". Home of John Cawley. John Cawley. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  5. ^ Cronin, B. (2021). Spider-Man: The animated series producer would like credit for creating the Spider-Verse. CBR.
  6. ^ "Why the Final Story Arc of 'Spider-Man: The Animated Series' Was the Template for the Spider-Verse". Collider. 15 April 2022.
  7. ^ "The Making of Spider-Man The Animated Series - Podcasts". cartoonspiderman.com. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  8. ^ Semper Jr., John. "Making Spider-Man: The Animated Series - A Writer/Producer's Memoir". Facebook. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  9. ^ "IMDb: Spider-Man Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
  10. ^ "Spider-Man Adventures". The Big Comic Book Database. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
  11. ^ "Kellogg's Froot Loops (Spider-Man Adventures Reprints)". spiderfan.org. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  12. ^ "The Adventures of Spider-Man". spiderfan.org. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  13. ^ "Spectacular Spider-Man (UK Magazine): #1–25". spiderfan.org. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  14. ^ "Marvel Adventures (Spidey's Appearances)". spiderfan.org. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  15. ^ Trumbore, Dave (12 September 2019). "Disney Plus Shows Include X-Men, Spider-Man, Iron Man Animated Series". Collider. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  16. ^ Spider-Man: The Hobgoblin [VHS]: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Sara Ballantine, Roscoe Lee Browne, Rodney Saulsberry, Jennifer Hale: Movies & TV. ISBN 0793941768.
  17. ^ "Spider-Man: The Venom Saga [VHS]: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Sara Ballantine, Roscoe Lee Browne, Rodney Saulsberry, Jennifer Hale: Movies & TV". Amazon. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  18. ^ "Spider-Man: Revenge of the Goblins [VHS]: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Sara Ballantine, Roscoe Lee Browne, Rodney Saulsberry, Jennifer Hale: Movies & TV". Amazon. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  19. ^ "Spider-Man: Spider Slayer [VHS]: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Sara Ballantine, Roscoe Lee Browne, Rodney Saulsberry, Jennifer Hale: Movies & TV". Amazon. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
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  22. ^ "Spider-Man: Tablet of Time [VHS]: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Sara Ballantine, Roscoe Lee Browne, Rodney Saulsberry, Jennifer Hale: Movies & TV". Amazon. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  23. ^ "Spider-Man: Neogenic Nightmare [VHS]: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Sara Ballantine, Roscoe Lee Browne, Rodney Saulsberry, Jennifer Hale: Movies & TV". Amazon. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  24. ^ "Spider-Man: Forgotten Warriors [VHS]: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Sara Ballantine, Roscoe Lee Browne, Rodney Saulsberry, Jennifer Hale: Movies & TV". Amazon. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  25. ^ "Spider-Man: The Sins of the Fathers [VHS]: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Sara Ballantine, Roscoe Lee Browne, Rodney Saulsberry, Jennifer Hale: Movies & TV". Amazon. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  26. ^ "Spider-Man: Secret Wars [VHS]: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Sara Ballantine, Roscoe Lee Browne, Rodney Saulsberry, Jennifer Hale: Movies & TV". Amazon. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  27. ^ "Ultimate Villain Showdown VHS/DVD". usask.ca. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  28. ^ "The Ultimate Villain Showdown at dvdempire". dvdempire.com. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
  29. ^ "Return of the Green Goblin VHS/DVD". usask.ca. Archived from the original on 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  30. ^ "The Return of the Green Goblin at dvdempire". dvdempire.com. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
  31. ^ "Daredevil vs Spider-Man VHS/DVD". usask.ca. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  32. ^ a b "Daredevil vs Spider-Man at dvdempire". dvdempire.com. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
  33. ^ "Ultimate Spider-Man Collection DVD". dvdempire.com. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
  34. ^ "Spider-Man vs Doc Ock VHS/DVD". usask.ca. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  35. ^ "The Venom Saga VHS/DVD". ultimatedisney.com. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  36. ^ "New Spider-Man 1995 - Season 1, Volumes 1 & 2 DVD: Amazon.co.uk: DVD". Amazon.co.uk. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  37. ^ "New Spider-Man 1995 - Season 2, Volumes 1 & 2 DVD: Amazon.co.uk: DVD". Amazon.co.uk. 3 August 2009. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  38. ^ "New Spider-Man 1995 - Season 3, Volumes 1 & 2 DVD: Amazon.co.uk: DVD". Amazon.co.uk. 24 August 2009. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  39. ^ "New Spider-Man 1995 - Season 4, Volumes 1 & 2 DVD: Amazon.co.uk: DVD". Amazon.co.uk. 14 September 2009. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  40. ^ "New Spider-Man 1995 - Season 5, Volumes 1 & 2 DVD: Amazon.co.uk: DVD". Amazon.co.uk. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  41. ^ "New Spider-Man Complete Boxset DVD: Amazon.co.uk: DVD". Amazon.co.uk. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
  42. ^ "Spider-Man on DVD, Release Info, News at". Tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on 2005-11-10. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  43. ^ Bacon, Thomas (6 April 2020). "Spider-Man: The Animated Series Did Spider-Verse First". Screen Rant. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  44. ^ "'Spider-Man: The Animated Series' Cast Reunites and Reveals New Project". The Hollywood Reporter. November 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-01.
  45. ^ "Spider-Man the Animated Series".
  46. ^ "Facebook Post". Facebook. Retrieved 19 July 2023. [user-generated source]
  47. ^ "John Semper - YouTube". YouTube.
  48. ^ Fink, Richard (July 2, 2022). "Spider-Man: The Animated Series Revival Chances Addressed By Showrunner". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.

Sources

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