The Spectacular Spider-Man was a fantastic animated series that presented some of the best Spidey stories in any cartoon. The series was based on the original Spider-Man era from Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and John Romita Sr., with an animation style unlike any previous Spider-Man series. While the animation made it look a little more childish than previous cartoons, it ended up as a highly entertaining series that was very loyal to the comic book character. At the same time, it reimagined several characters from the comics and, many times, improved on them. This includes the supporting cast and some villains.
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Here is a look at seven Spectacular Spider-Man characters who the cartoon improved upon from the comics.
7) Curt Connors
Interestingly, Curt Connors was a huge part of the Spectacular Spider-Man series, but the Lizard only appeared in one episode. However, Connors himself was an important character in the series and a vast improvement over his comic book counterpart. He was the lead scientist at Empire State University Labs and offered both Peter Parker and Eddie Brock positions working with him.
He was instrumental in several moments, as he was close to Eddie, and it was Peter Parker’s accidental actions that could have affected Connors, which turned Eddie against him. He was also the man who helped figure out the Venom symbiote, rather than Reed Richards. Dr. Connors appeared in 11 episodes and ended up leaving for Florida to get away from the troubles that plagued Empire State University.
6) Shocker
In Marvel Comics, Shocker is mainly a B-tier Spider-Man villain, even if he was one of the first Spider-Man villains. Honestly, in the comics, there isn’t much notable about the villain other than his powers, and even those are lackluster compared to people like Sandman, Doc Ock, and Electro. The Spectacular Spider-Man turned him into something better.
The cartoon combined two characters into one, as it took Jackson “Montana” Brice (one of Spider-Man’s first villains in The Enforcers) and turned him into Shocker. Montana turned into the Shocker to fulfill a contract for the Big Man. He then became a recurring villain, a member of the Sinister Six, and much more interesting than the comic book version of the character.
5) Eddie Brock
The Spectacular Spider-Man completely changed Eddie Brock, and it was all for the better. In the comics, Eddie was a disgraced reporter thanks to Sin-Eater’s suckering him into a fake interview that Peter Parker exposed. Since Peter had also recently rejected the alien symbiote, it bonded with Eddie and became Venom, who wanted nothing more than to kill Spider-Man to avenge Eddie as well as itself. Eddie was much more sympathetic and tragic in Spectacular Spider-Man.
Here, instead of a reporter, he was a fellow student at Empire State University with Peter, and he was a close associate of Dr. Connors. He and Peter were also childhood friends, but Eddie grew distant when he believed Peter wasn’t taking his opportunities with Connors seriously, and he believed Peter was neglecting his friends. Eddie ended up expelled when Black Cat stole the symbiote from the university since he was supposed to guard it, and when it bonded with Eddie, he blamed Peter and became the villainous Venom. It was still about vengeance, but Eddie’s backstory here improved his character tremendously.
4) Liz Allen
The Spectacular Spider-Man brought Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy back together. That said, it wasn’t Gwen who ranked as an improved character, but a different love interest in Liz Allan. Just like in the comics, Liz was part of the popular kids who made fun of Peter, but who held somewhat of an attraction for “Petey.”
Peter’s teacher forced him to act as Liz’s tutor, but she didn’t care at first, and it wasn’t until she got to know Peter better that the attraction built. It was a fresh new romance that would never last, but one that delivered some fun moments. Liz in Spectacular Spider-Man was really better than she ever was in the comics.
3) Sandman
Sandman is one of the most complex characters in any Spider-Man story, whether it is in the comics, cartoons, or movies. In the comics, he was a villain who just wanted to use his powers to steal things. However, he improved dramatically later when he regretted his actions. He was great in Spider-Man 3, where he was a bad guy, but he ended up redeemed in the end.
In Spectacular Spider-Man, Sandman was also complex, and he also got his redemption arc with Spider-Man. He started as a regular bad guy working for Big Man, but when Big Man gave him sand-like powers, he became a major threat. He helped form the Sinister Six, but then he finally got his chance for the “big score” he always dreamed of. When Sandman sacrificed himself to save innocent civilians, it was a shocking and satisfying redemption story for one of the show’s best villains.
2) Tombstone
The biggest improvement came with the Big Man. In the comics, the Big Man was Frederick Foswell, and he never amounted to much of anything over the years. However, Spectacular Spider-Man did something interesting and made the Spider-Man villain Tombstone into the animated series version of the Big Man. That was just the start.
Tombstone has always been one of Spider-Man’s best villains concerning his personal life, whether it is with Robbie Robertson or concerning his daughter. However, Spectacular Spider-Man made him a fantastic Spider-Man villain on his own. He was the man who made Spider-Man’s life hell long before Norman Osborn started to, and he was the best Big Bad in this entire series. The show wanted to use Kingpin, and replacing him with Tombstone was the best decision they made.
1) Electro
In Marvel Comics, Electro was a one-note villain, an electrician who gained his powers after an accident and used them to start a life of crime. However, Spectacular Spider-Man changed that and made Electro one of the most complex and tragic villains in the cartoon. Max Dillon was friends with Dr. Connors and worked at Empire State University. It was there that he was involved in the accident, giving him powers.
Eddie Brock and Dr. Connors saved him and rushed him to the hospital for help. However, Max couldn’t control the electricity surging through his body, and when he left the hospital, just wanting to get coffee, he scared people, and the police attacked him. Spider-Man then attacked him, believing him a villain, and when Electro begged him to stop, Spidey kept fighting, and that was the start of his role as a villain. Electro might have never been a villain if not for Spider-Man, and that makes him miles better than the comics.
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