The Original Spider-Verse
#spidermantheanimatedseries #spiderman #peterparker #benreilly
Hey guys It’s Chris and in today’s video I am talking about Spider-Man: The Animated Series Season Five, Episode Twelve. This episode is titled Spider Wars, Chapter One: I Really Really Hate Clones.
Spider-Man had proven himself in the Secret Wars. The Beyonder and Madame Web makes him the leader of a group of Spider-Men. They explain that another Peter Parker from Ben Reilly’s dimension has merged with the Carnage Symbiote. Now working with Kingpin, he plans to destroy the Multiverse.
Let’s begin with the positives. The action sequences, the story, and the different Spider-Men.
The action sequences are thrilling and inspiring. Spider-Man fighting Hobgoblin and Green Goblin and escaping an exploding building is explosive. Spider-Man and his team of Spideys fighting soldiers and villains is action packed and impressive. This is an action heavy episode and it’s consistent and it never fails to impress you.
Next the story. This episode showcases the captivating Multiverse narrative decades before the MCU. The episode pays homage and parodies the Clone Saga of the 90s, but thankfully it’s not confusing. The story features some creative ideas. My personal favorite is Spider-Carnage. In this dimension, Peter Parker was a clone and this made him unbalanced. After learning he was a clone, he hated Ben Reilly and he fails to believe he is a clone. The Carnage Symbiote drew toward Spider-Man because of his hatred. The Symbiote bonds with Spider-Man and this makes him go insane and become evil.
Lastly, the Spider-Men. This episode features five different Spider-Men: Octo-Spider, Scarlet-Spider, Armored-Spider, Six-Arms Spider, and Actor Spider-Man. Many of these variants stem from the comic books. I personally like how each one feels distinctly different from the others: mechanical arms, impact webs, an armored suit with lasers, six arms, and sonic grenades.
I Really Really Hate Clones is a groundbreaking episode. Its imaginative storytelling is always front and center. Its Multiverse story still feels fresh even decades later. This episode was ahead of its time and is a perfect set-up to the show’s finale.
I’m Spider-ManChris and I will see you in the next one!