Topic: The 1967 Spider-Man Animated Series

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Episode 42: Criminals in the Clouds

The Plot: Roy Robinson, star football player, campus ladies' man, son of a wealthy chemical industrialist, is envied by Peter, who decides to use his spider-power to play football and outperform Robinson. Also, the Skymaster kidnaps Robinson to force his father, an industrialist, to sign over all the secret government contracts to him, or get rid of his son.

My Thoughts: Another episode with a lesson, another episode that's ok by me!  Its a good change in theme for the series in my opinion because most of the time in this time frame of cartoons, its just a plot as simple as "Stop the Bad Guy" or "Solve the Mystery".  Not just an entertaining episode, but a good change of pace.

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Episode 43: Menace from the Bottom of the World

The Plot: Investigating the disappearance of banks (which have been mechanically submerged to deep inside the Earth), Spidey finds a hole that leads to a maze of underground tunnels, through which Spidey undertakes a perilous journey in search of the lost occupants of the submerged banks, and he comes upon a bizarre city populated by group of Molemen led by a maniac intent on conquest of the "surface people", some of whom- the occupants of the banks-the Molemen are holding prisoner.

My Thoughts: Wow, when I saw Molemen, I automatically flashed back to the Fantastic Four. After all, if I'm not mistaken, the Moleman is one of their rogues. Still, for Spider-Man, it was an ok plot, and a pretty cool episode. Little disappointing that the bad guy turned out to be a common bank robber, though. Still good.

[addicted2dvd]

Britt... you doing much better on your marathon then I am... here it is 3:40 on Friday... and I am yet to watch a single movie! Some reason I just can't get motivated this weekend. 

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haha, thanks dad, good to know I'm doing it right! Last review for today.

Episode 44: Diamond Dust

The Plot: A baseball diamond and the spherical, baseball-sized Optimo Diamond at the Cosmopolitan Museum are connected in this episode as Peter, about to be the star pitcher in a collegiate baseball game, is obliged to don his Spidey-suit once to stop a rampaging ape at the New York City Zoo and again to thwart men in ape disguise at the museum from stealing the Optimo.

My Thoughts: I'm not much of a sports fan, but the whole thing at the end with the baseball-diamond was pretty neat. I wonder what would have happened if his team noticed? When I saw the apes talking in the opening, I thought it was insane but men disguising themselves as apes is fine too. But like I said I'm not much of a sports fan, so I really didn't get too much into this one.

[Rogmeister]

Britt, you are right...The Mole Man was indeed a Fantastic Four enemy.  Not only that, but he appeared in their first adventure which I believe was actually the first super-hero adventure of the Marvel Universe.  All other heroes came after, the FF debuting way back in 1961.

[snowcat]

correct Roger! the Fantastic Four were marvels first superhero team.

...Its strange how bad guys crossover in these TV shows... there were a few in the 90's Spider-man and x-men series.

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Episode 45: Spider-Man Battles the Molemen

The Plot: Mugs Riley, evidently escaped from prison, has duped the Molemen into following him again, even though they angrily deposed him in "Menace From the Bottom of the World", and arranges for Spiderman to be attached to a building so that the web-swinger will be brought underground along with the building, to face the revenge of Mugs Riley.

My Thoughts: Um...I'm ok with the episode. Something you'd like to watch, but using a character so soon after its last appearance, and saying he duped the molemen again??  Yeah, that's the only problem I have. But other that that, it's cool.

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Episode 46: Phantom From the Depths of Time

The Plot: Giant, mechanical beetles, formed from mushrooms by sonic impulses transmitted from an organ played by the sinister Dr. Manta (a Rocket Robin Hood villain), are used by Manta to capture and enslave the peace-loving inhabitants of an island to mine a valuable ore.

My Thoughts: At first this was a little hard to follow, but I get it now. The whole "enslaving islanders" angle was only done in a few adventures of any superheroes to my knowledge, so this was a pretty bold step, not to mention fairly original, especially for the early age at that point and time. The episode ran very smoothly.

At the end of the cartoon, there was a commercial for "Next Week", at the "Revolt in the Fifth Dimension", which wasn't aired at all or until later, so I just wonder why they might have included this.

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Episode 47: The Evil Sorcerer

The Plot: In ancient Egypt, one of the most aggressive of evil magicians, Kotep, the Scarlet Sorcerer, is defeated in battle with an opponent, and his own demons strike him with a cursing ball of fire that puts him in suspended animation, his mummified remains lasting through the passing centuries and becoming an exhibit at a New York university and the object of a professor's obsession.

My Thoughts: At this point, I'm getting a little tired of Spidey fighting villains so far up above his power level, not that I don't think he could take them, it's just a few episodes are fine, once again I wish they'd just sprinkle it around a little. I really miss guys like Electro now.

The episode itself, well, it was fun, I guess. Magic. It again refers to the Depths of Time. Another lesson to Pete through the Susan's lack of belief of anyone heroic around. Like I said, just getting tired of "All-Powerful" plots.

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Episode 48: Vine

The Plot: A giant plant escapes from storage in a house belonging to Prof. Smithers, a missing scientist. Spidey goes through a portal (located in the scientist's home) to prehistoric times to find some defense against the plant and meets Smithers, who tells to him that two radium gems in an idol in a nearby city, if ingested by the plant in New York, will disintegrate it.

My Thoughts: Time Travel, pretty cool plot. The episode was excellent, easy to follow.

One thing that bugs me though is that according to experiences in the Marvel Universe, when a person travels through time, they splinter off an alternate universe, hence terms such as Earth 616, but I guess I'm just being nerdy/picky.

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Episode 49: Pardo Presents

The Plot: Pardo is a sorcerer with the ability to transform himself into a giant cat with hypnotic eyes. He lures top New York City citizens and officials to a theatre with the promise of a spectacular show, then releases his feline alter-ego's power upon the hapless audience, intending to divest them of their wealth and sap the souls out of their bodies.

My Thoughts: Hmm...yet another story about a sorcerer. I'm a little on the fence about this one. The story was good enough, yet the most original thing about this was the giant cat. Idk, I guess I'm just in a mood because the last handful of shows, which is all I've watched all day, is the "all-powerful" people I told you guys I have a problem with. Still, decent episode. Will watch more after dinner.

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Episode 50: Cloud City of Gold

The Plot: Peter is an exchange student in South America, flying in a charter airplane with a Latin American professor in the Andes mountains. The airplane encounters a violent storm and crashes in a jungle, and Peter changes to Spiderman to assist the professor and the airplane's two pilots in leaving the jungle and returning to civilization.

My Thoughts: Well, even with Johnny Quest running through my mind the whole time I'm watching this, it was still pretty exciting to watch. Not too long ago I was learning about the Aztecs from my Spanish and History teachers, and this cartoon got it down completely, as far as a superhero cartoon would, anyways. Big  .

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Episode 51: Neptune's Nose Cones

The Plot: On Jameson's orders, Peter and Daily Bugle pilot Penny Jones travel by small-engine airplane to the Antarctic Ocean to track a fallen nose cone and crash-land on an island with a superstitious, brutish, native population.

My Thoughts: Well, at this point I'm a little tired of the lost population aspect of a plot, considering the molemen, the golden aztec city, the realm in the depths of time, that time he traveled through time, and so on. Still, I have to admit this one particularly peaked my interests, and kept it there until the end when JJJ received a baby flying snake!!!

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Episode 52: Home

The Plot: At a coffee house, Peter meets Carol, a girl with whom he has much in common; he does not realize to what extent that they are alike until he, as Spiderman, catches Carol in the act of robbing electrical equipment and finds that she has powers identical to his!

My Thoughts: This is my #1 favorite episode of the set!! Haha, I still can't get over some moments, like it taking Peter 2 hours to break free from Carol's webbing! I know I was begining to be tired of the lost owrld concept, and these are aliens in hiding all that time, but the relationship that would have been started here, if not for the fact she was heading home, makes for an awesome cartoon!!  

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Episode 53: Blotto

The Plot: Clive, an unbalanced movie producer, is determined to avenge himself upon critics and audiences who spurned his claim that the darkest human emotions could be filmed and physically released from a theatre screen.

My Thoughts: A living ink blot. Unusual. Still, it was done very nicely, though hard to follow at times. My biggest problem with the episode is how it ended. A lame joke. I suppose back then it was considered funny, but now ---> 

"After this episode,"

"I know, its a blot on his record!"

Wow, but other than that, perfectly fine show.