The Spectacular Spider-Man/YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


These things about The Spectacular Spider-Man are subjective - not everyone will agree with all of them.

  • Accidental Aesop - Every time the show hands us a lesson about responsibility and the right thing in conjunction with Peter's keeping his identity secret, it ends up telling us that secret identities are a stupid idea and nothing good can ever come of them. Which is more or less true, if largely inapplicable to our daily lives.
    • Then again, it never said it was talking about identities specifically when it comes to keeping secrets.
    • Well, at the end of Identity Crisis, George Stacy talks to Peter about how Spider-man's secret identity isn't done to hide anything, but to protect the ones he cares about. Note that the rest of the series shows that George Stacy knows Peter is Spidey.
  • Broken Base - The art style is a point of debate, as is the presence and/or lack of certain characters, and how they're portrayed. Then there's the New show......
    • Some people were divided on the various Race Lift on the show. Though most enjoyed the diverse cast.
  • Complete Monster - Norman Osborn, otherwise known as the Green Goblin. He pits the city's gangs against each other all so he can emerge as the new Big Man of crime, ruins Mark Allan's life just to make him a pawn in eliminating Spider-Man, nearly releases several dangerous criminals both to torment Spidey and For the Evulz, and he turns an entire city block into one huge death trap that endangers countless innocents, all so he can kill Spidey - ONE PERSON. To top it all off, we learn that completely framed his own son for crimes he committed, even twisting Harry's ankle with his bare hands to throw Spider-Man off his track. God... damn
  • Draco in Leather Pants - For perhaps the first time in his life, Doctor Octopus.
    • Electro as well.
  • Ear Worm: Just try and get the Spectacular Spider-Man song out of your head. We will wait.
  • Growing the Beard - The first five episodes are entertaining however episode six abandoned the usual 'two fight' format, going for one big fight with The Rhino instead, and then introduced Tombstone.
  • Ham and Cheese: Mysterio, who milks his sorcerer shtick for all its worth. As Tinkerer mutters, "Actors"
  • Hilarious in Hindsight - This little piece from "Nature vs Nurture" is even funnier now, considering who the current Venom in the Comics is.

Spidey: At least Flash isn't evil. Or at least he isn't possessed by an evil symbiote. Well, as far as I know...

  • HSQ: The final episode.
  • Magnificent Bastard - Tombstone, Dr. Octopus, and Norman Osborn. Their schemes run rings around every other character in the show.
  • Moe: Gwen is so very, very moe.
  • Moral Event Horizon - Norman framing Harry solidifies him as an amoral bastard. But injuring Harry's leg to do it demonstrates a casual cruelty and cowardice that erases any hint of redemption.
  • Narm - Eddie Brock, post-Venom, in his moments without the symbiote.

Eddie - It only loves me for the hate!

  • Nightmare Fuel - Curt Connors' transformation into the Lizard, around the time that the good doctor's head implodes.
    • Or just a few episodes later when Flint Marko's head explodes after turning into the Sandman.
    • Should call it the "Spooktacular Spider-man". Guys like Venom, Tombstone, Otto's tentacles.
    • The ending to the eight episode of the first season. There's an already creepy mask, shifting (as usual) to the classic, red web. Too bad that both the shifting and the web themselves rhyme with Uncanny Valley. See for yourself.
  • Painful Rhyme - Though at least Spidey seems to be aware of it:

Twas the night before Halloween, and all through Manhattan,
Not a creature was stirring, not even Green Gob...lin.

  • Paranoia Fuel - Eddie Brock uses this to make Peter reveal the location of the symbiote, making him Venom once more.
  • Tear Jerker - Eddie Brock's final refusal of friendship from Peter.

Venom: WE'RE NOT BROTHERS!!! Our parents may have died together, but then you had your precious Aunt and Uncle. We've had no one. We've always been alone... until now.

    • When Peter Parker broke up with Liz Allan, she created a huge scene specifically meant to gain the attention of the crowd, making it look like she was doing the dumping instead. As it turns out, this was actually a way of hiding her pain, because immediately after she "storms off", she is seen hiding behind a corner, crying her eyes out. This version of Liz Allan actually had genuine feelings for Peter. It really shows the strength of the writers when they can pull off emotional scenes even with relatively minor characters from the comics.
    • The ending of "The Uncertainty Principal". Harry is revealed (falsely) to be the Green Goblin and has been drinking the addictive and unstable Goboulon Green. Norman is pissed and demands answers. Harry throws him at a wall and tells him that he only wanted to be the son he wanted. He then keeps switching moods due the prolonged addiction. It was both sad and scary.
  • Tethercat Principle: Things ended on a bad note for the characters (except for Flash Thompson and Sha Shan) and there won't be any more episodes for them to get better.
  • Too Good to Last
  • Unnecessary Makeover - Arguably Gwen Stacy.
  • What an Idiot! - Peter Parker, during his relationship with Liz Allan. He doesn't even attempt to hide that he has feelings for Gwen (or doesn't even realize he shouldn't be making it that obvious) even when right in front of Liz.
  • The Woobie - Gwen, Dr. Curt Connors, and Maxwell Dillon (Electro). Otto Octavius was one too, but broke out of it once he became Dr. Octopus.
    • Also Liz Allan at the end of the second season. The poor girl loses her brother AND her boyfriend.
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