Hang loose, Brock.
That webbing will melt in a couple of hours.
You can't do this.
I already have.
Spider-Man-- The Animated Series left an indelible impression
on kids throughout the '90s.
Introducing them to Peter Parker and his varied cast of friends
and foes, the show covered just about every aspect
of the wall crawler's mythos.
But when choosing the perfect episode,
it's hard to top the series finale "Farewell Spider-Man,"
an episode that manages to add new elements
to the Spider-Man lore and perfectly summarize why
he's such a beloved character.
Why did you do that?
Let's see.
You level Manhattan, destroy Queens.
Why would I be mad at you?
Before we keep going, if you want more Spider-Man content,
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2022 marks the 60th anniversary of Amazing Fantasy Number 15.
And with the character's unwavering popularity,
it's clear that Spider-Man could very well be around
for at least another 60 years.
But what is it about Spider-Man that makes him
such a beloved character?
And in turn, how does the finale of Spider-Man--
The Animated Series capture those elements?
First and foremost, what makes Peter Parker so relatable
is his internal emotional conflicts.
Right from his first appearance, Peter Parker
is shown to be a tormented victim of bullies
but also an angry and spiteful young man.
"Someday, I'll show them," Peter says about his bullies
in his first appearance.
"Someday, they'll be sorry they laughed at me."
He's not a morally flawless person like Superman or Captain
America.
He often struggles to make the hard choices.
But thanks in part to the people around him and the lessons
he's learned, he always does the right thing.
"Farewell Spider-Man" is part two
of a two-part episode which follows Spider-Man teaming up
with a group of multiverse counterparts
at the behest of Madame Web.
Their mission is to stop a version of Peter
that bonded with the carnage symbiote known
as spider carnage.
If all this sounds familiar, it's
because "Farewell Spider-Man" is ostensibly our first foray
into the Spider-Verse, the multidimensional concept that
is focused entirely on the Spider-Man corner of Marvel
comics.
Dan Slott, the writer of the original Spider-Verse
miniseries, says the inspiration for the Spider-Verse comic came
from his work on the script of the 2010 video game
Spider-Man--
Shattered Dimensions.
However, "Farewell Spider-Man" was the proof of concept
that a multi-dimensional Spider-Man team up could work.
Spider-Man is a famously malleable character
who can be dropped into all sorts of scenarios,
from grounded street battles with gangsters
to cosmic adventures on other planets.
But the multiverse is a vast frontier
that Spider-Man has never crossed.
If "Farewell Spider-Man" had been a disaster,
it might have scared creatives away from ever making
a Spider-Verse project again.
One of the main reasons for this success
is the way the episode uses its characterization
of each variant to explore the core aspects of Peter Parker's
character.
The two variants who receive the most spotlight in this episode
are Armor Spider-Man, heretofore referred to as Spider-Armor--
I should be in charge of this group.
I'm the real Spider-Man.
--and Spider-Carnage.
How I despise you.
And for that reason, you must be obliterated.
These two characters sit on opposite ends
of the emotional spectrum with the prime Peter Parker
right in the middle.
Spider-Armor comes from a world that at first glance
seems like Peter Parker's dream world.
It's a world where Spider-Man is beloved by all,
including J. Jonah Jameson.
The city builds science centers in his name.
And Peter is a wealthy inventor.
It's even, as revealed by the end of the episode, a world
where Uncle Ben is still alive.
For all intents and purposes, this
should be Peter Parker's ideal life.
However, this is a version of Peter Parker who has not
been forged into altruistic heroism
by the fires of his many defeats.
Spider-Armor is often brash, impulsive,
and careless in battle.
The episode's writer John Semper, Jr.,
provides a nuanced approach to the character of Spider-Man
that you rarely see.
It would be easy to assume that with Uncle Ben still alive,
Peter's life would be perfect.
But instead, this episode gives us
a version of Peter who is still a good hero but not
a truly great one.
Without the martyrdom of Uncle Ben and the lessons learned
from that tragedy, Peter cannot become the best version
of himself.
Contrast this with Spider-Carnage,
a version of Peter who gave in to those selfish, petulant
impulses that we glimpsed all the way back
in Amazing Fantasy Number 15.
Spider-Carnage is a Peter Parker who
embraced the carnage symbiote, becoming
a twisted version of himself who has abandoned
the lessons of Uncle Ben.
Additionally, this version of Earth is based on the infamous
Spider-Man comic crossover, The Clone Saga,
a story that introduced a new character--
My name is Ben Reilly.
--who claimed he was the true Peter Parker.
And the one readers had been following
for years was actually a clone.
The difference on this Earth is that the return of Ben Reilly
drives peter into an identity crisis.
So much of Peter's identity is embedded in his relationship
with his Uncle Ben.
His moral code is defined by the lessons
he learned from his uncle as well as the lessons he learned
from the day his uncle died.
The minute he believes he could be a clone, all of that
introspection is called into question.
This lack of understanding of himself
makes him seek out the symbiote to give him a purpose again
and give up on heroism.
Subtextually, Spider-Carnage can be interpreted
as a personification of two of the worst Spider-Man stories--
The Clone Saga and Maximum Carnage.
Both of these stories are the epitome
of '90s comic-book excess.
They were years-long, dragged-out storylines
that didn't seem to have any semblance of an ending
in sight, a creative nadir for the character who
is arguably Marvel comic's greatest creation.
When it's revealed Spider-Carnage
wants to destroy all of reality, it becomes a metacommentary
on the way these bloated stories nearly destroyed
Spider-Man comics.
This makes it all the more appropriate then
that the prime Spider-Man defeats
Spider-Carnage by appealing to the base morality that
still exists within this dark reflection.
Peter sees the same impulses he has
struggled with since the death of Uncle Ben.
And he reaches out to Spider-Carnage
by seeking out the Uncle Ben of Spider-Armor's reality.
This version of Uncle Ben reaches out
to his misguided nephew and manages
to bring back the humanity the symbiote has suppressed.
Do you remember what I taught you about great power?
Yes.
With great power there must come great responsibility.
Here, Uncle Ben is a representation
of all that makes Spider-Man great-- the simple morality
tale of a flawed hero trying to be better.
Spider-Carnage then sacrifices himself to save the multiverse,
restoring his lost humanity.
This sacrifice reaffirms that Spider-Man
is a hero defined by his morality and, most importantly,
his flaws.
This is what makes a spider-verse possible.
Each of the spider-people in this episode and beyond
represent roads not taken for our favorite web head,
creating the fodder for stories that
have sustained for 60 years.
The episode ends with a heartwarming meeting
between prime Spider-Man and none other than Stan Lee.
Spider-Man having met so many alternate versions of himself
tells Lee that despite all of the struggles he's faced--
For once, I like my life.
I like myself.
And for the first time ever, I wouldn't want
to change anything about me.
Peter Parker ends the series with peace of mind
to know that his life, for all of its troubles,
has made him the best version of himself.
One must imagine Spider-Man happy and more
certain than ever that with great power,
there must also come great responsibility.
It has been a long, hard journey.
And I think you are finally entitled to some happiness.
Amen to that, dear lady.
Amen to that.
From his great triumphs to his great tragedies,
everyone can see themselves in Spider-Man.
By introducing the multiverse to Spider-Man,
we not only come to understand Peter Parker better
as a character, but open the door
to so many different spider-people
to be given the spotlight.
The Spider-Verse has grown so much since "Farewell
Spider-Man" aired.
Ultimately, what makes this the perfect episode
is the way it uses the various spider-characters to explore
what makes Peter Parker who he is and why we all love him.
His enduring popularity is rooted in his ability
to inspire every one of us and remind us that no matter
our flaws, we can all be heroes.
But what do you think?
Did this final episode of Spider-Man--
The Animated Series stick the landing?
Let us know your thoughts and remember to like
and subscribe to Nerdstalgic.
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