This week we’re covering season 3, episode 2 of Spider-Man: The Animated Series – ‘Make A Wish’.
Doc Ock is back on the scene after getting screwed over by the Disney Corp- uh I mean the Hardy Foundation once again, and it’s up to our hero to stop him.
Unfortunately, Spidey is down in the dumps after blowing up one too many buildings and needs a pep talk from his biggest fan, while the good doctor tries to let Kingpin down easy so he can play catch with the new love of his life: octobot junior.
One wholesome kidnapping later, and things take a turn for the worse.
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Further podcast notes
Here are some stills from the episode (dumb ones at the bottom)!
Here’s the scientist Doc Ock collaborated with to make the Argon Matrix Laser: Michael Pingree. His only episode, and I’m pretty sure he never turns up in the comics. A weird move for this show.
I wonder if it’s a thrill or an awkward bummer to have to keep saving the life of the girl who left you for your best friend.
Actually a huge fan of this rooftop tussle between Doc Ock and Spidey.
Yeah, it doesn’t exactly end well for him…
Jonah stays true to himself by blaming everything on Spider-Man. This time, however, he’s pretty much 100% right.
Great action shot. This season seems to have way more money, which means less recycling explosion shots.
Weirdly enough, this is the exact same cop (voiced by director Bob Richardson) that told Peter that his uncle had been killed.
r/TIFU, basically.
In what I think will be a repeated trope of this season, Madame Web uses her confusing purple smoke to kidnap Spider-Man at an inopportune moment.
She’s a jerk in this show, and I kind of love it.
This episode is way more introspective than the show has been for a while, leading to the introduction of Tiana…
He tells her about his origins, when he was a nerdy dude who would pop out of corners to surprise flirt with girls way out of his league.
He also, as Henry says in the episode, isn’t that far off Rivers Cuomo.
Okay so this is where things get weird – including a fantasy segment where he turns into a giant spider, fit with a Peter Parker head on top. I guess things really could have turned out worse, eh?
Doc Ock’s new son/robot destroys a bust of Julius Caesar that was hanging around Crime Central. It never really went with the decor anyway.
A nice in-depth look at what the web-shooters look like and how they work. I like the mix of the bulky design (reminiscent of Ben Reilly’s over-costume ones) with the classic Ditko-era look.
Another flashback to his showbiz origins, with the candle trick taken straight from the pages of Amazing Fantasy #15.
Typical Peter Parker, can be surrounded by Spider-Man memorabilia in the bedroom of his biggest fan and still feel down on himself.
Octopus tentacles are incredible useful for driving stick, apparently.
Spidey takes Tiana out on an ill-advised web-slinging session, which promptly puts her from a little bit of danger to a lot of it.
It’s pretty sweet though.
Doc Ock, the proud dad that he is, teaches his new son how the Octavius family do it.
By promptly taking down Spider-Man, as efficiently as the master planner should.
The ego trip makes him fumble, but now the gas surprise comes in useful. I’m wondering if this would ever come back because it seems extremely useful.
And here are some dumb ones!
Is there a better way to show Ock’s weird superiority complex than with him literally throwing bystanders up into the air so he can get by?
It might just be me, but I’m always tickled by stills where movement shifts Spider-Man into some weird shitpost proportions.
Ouch.
This, I believe, is called a ‘hissy fit’.
Note this one down for future meme use.
Peter isn’t too happy with the Madame Web kidnapping, especially when she’s just messing with his sense of reality for no reason (and dropping in that she knows he’s Spider-Man).
Just to add insult to injury.
Ol’ Weezer Warker.
Is there a better still to sum up Peter’s (lack of a) social life?
Here is what we have decided to call ‘Big Fiskus’, after the Big Chungus meme. Still laughing to this day.
Yeah. This is both hilarious and terrifying. I don’t know what to make of it.
Aunt May’s true colours come out in this bizarre nightmare sequence.
Oh god, kill it with fire.
Jeez, Spidey. Try to look more depressed, huh?
That’s all for this week, folks! Make sure you check out our Patreon for more bonus episodes!
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