The Absurdity of Spider-Man Unlimited

Summary

The video script delves into 'Spider-Man Unlimited,' an unconventional adaptation that diverges from the original comics. Set on a parallel world, it features a unique storyline, characters, and lore. Despite initial production challenges and a shift from digital ink to cell animation, the series offers charm and intriguing characters. It explores Peter Parker's moral compass and his relationships on Counter Earth, ending on a cliffhanger. The show's legacy is set to appear in the upcoming 'Across the Spider-Verse' film, keeping its spirit alive.

Takeaways

• 🕷 Spider-Man Unlimited is considered a unique adaptation, diverging significantly from the original comics and other animated series.
• 🔄 The show's pre-production was tumultuous, with multiple concept changes before settling on the 'Counter-Earth' narrative.
• 🚀 The series features a parallel world called 'Counter-Earth,' where Peter Parker confronts different versions of familiar characters, including a heroic Green Goblin.
• 🎨 The animation style is distinct, utilizing cell animation and black shading to create a unique visual experience.
• 📈 The show initially struggled with ratings, leading to a relaunch and eventual cancellation on a cliffhanger.
• 🏙 The setting of Counter-Earth is a blend of futuristic elements and anthropomorphic characters, creating an unusual environment for Spider-Man.
• 🧩 The series introduces new characters and lore, with only a few familiar faces from the Spider-Man universe, such as Venom and Carnage.
• 🤝 Spider-Man forms alliances with a group of rebels on Counter-Earth, including John Jameson and others with compelling backstories.
• 💡 The show explores themes of responsibility and identity, with Spider-Man facing moral dilemmas in an unfamiliar world.
• 🎭 The voice acting, including Reno Romano as Peter Parker, adds depth to the characters and contributes to the show's charm.
• 🌌 The series' legacy will continue in the upcoming 'Across the Spider-Verse' film, where this version of Spider-Man will make a cameo.

Q & A

What was the initial concept for Spider-Man Unlimited before it underwent changes?

The initial concept for Spider-Man Unlimited was to be a low budget adaptation of the first 26 issues of the original run of The Amazing Spider-Man comic books.

Why couldn't the series adapt the original Spider-Man comic stories or use the original Spidey suit?

Sony and Marvel's production of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film barred them from adapting the original comic stories and using the original Spidey suit due to the film's development.

What was the alternate idea considered for Spider-Man Unlimited before settling on the final narrative?

An alternate idea was to create a Spider-Man 2099 adaptation starring Miguel O'Hara, but this was eventually discarded in favor of a new narrative set on a parallel world called Counter Earth.

How did the premise of Counter Earth in Spider-Man Unlimited differ from the original comics?

The Counter Earth premise was a new narrative far away from the original comic book run, where Uncle Ben had never died, and Earth's Peter Parker became Venom due to the lack of moral fortitude.

Why did Marvel decide against having multiple Peter Parkers in the series?

Marvel panicked due to the poor reception of the clone saga in the comic books and forbid them from doing a series with multiple Peter Parkers.

What was the animation style shift in Spider-Man Unlimited compared to the 90s animated series?

While the 90s animated series used a combination of digital ink and cell animation, Spider-Man Unlimited switched entirely to cell animation, resulting in a notably different style.

Why did the series premiere in October 1999 and then relaunch in late 2000?

The series premiered in October 1999 but due to struggling ratings compared to rival shows, it was shelved and relaunched about a year later in late 2000, airing all 13 episodes.

What was the main reason for the city of New York turning against Spider-Man in the series?

The city turned against Spider-Man after he failed to stop Venom and Carnage from boarding a ship, leading to a 10 million dollar reward being put out by Jonah Jameson to identify or capture him.

How does the character of Green Goblin in Counter Earth differ from the traditional version?

The Counter Earth version of Green Goblin is not a villain but a fellow vigilante with a unique design and a fun personality, including the use of wings instead of a glider.

What was the significance of the character X51 in the series?

X51 was a Sentry robot with a higher level of sentience, and Peter's recognition of X51's personhood and his actions to protect X51 showcased Spider-Man's commitment to doing what's right.

How did the series handle the character of Eddie Brock and his relationship with the Venom symbiote?

The series explored Eddie's deep bond with the symbiote, where he nearly dies without it and has to make the difficult choice to become Venom again to save others, showcasing his own sense of great responsibility.

Outlines

00:00

🕷️ The Unique World of Spider-Man Unlimited

Spider-Man Unlimited is a distinctive adaptation of the Spider-Man franchise, diverging significantly from the traditional narratives. Initially conceived as a low-budget adaptation of 'The Amazing Spider-Man' comics, the series underwent several transformations before settling on a unique storyline set on a parallel world called Counter-Earth. The show's pre-production was tumultuous, with ideas ranging from adapting early comic issues to considering a 'Spider-Man 2099' series. The final narrative focuses on an alternate Peter Parker who encounters a version of himself turned into Venom, offering a fresh perspective on the Spider-Man mythos. Despite its charm and interesting characters, the series struggled with ratings and underwent changes in animation style and storytelling approach, ultimately airing in 1999 and then again in 2000 with a revised format.

05:01

🌐 Counter-Earth: A Diverse and Complex Setting

The series introduces Counter-Earth, a parallel world with a mix of humans and anthropomorphic beings called beastials. The society is hierarchical, with beastials holding power over humans. Spider-Man, played by Peter, finds himself in the midst of this complex world, interacting with unique characters such as the Knights of Wonder Girl and the high evolutionary. The series explores themes of societal conflict, the search for a utopian society, and the struggle for equality. Peter, with his new nanotechnology suit, navigates this world, forming alliances with rebels against the oppressive beastial regime, led by John Jameson, and uncovering the truth about Counter-Earth's creation and its inhabitants.

10:02

🦇 Unfamiliar Allies and Enemies in Counter-Earth

Spider-Man Unlimited presents a new set of characters, including a vigilante Green Goblin who is an ally rather than a villain, and a range of beastial characters with unique designs and motivations. The series also features familiar foes like Venom and Carnage with new abilities and roles in the story. The narrative delves into the personal lives of the characters, exploring their backstories and the challenges they face in the divided society of Counter-Earth. The show's dynamic of reluctant alliances and the fish-out-of-water aspect of Spider-Man in this new world adds depth to the storytelling and character development.

15:03

🏠 Peter Parker's Life on Counter-Earth

Peter Parker's life on Counter-Earth is explored through his relationships with the characters he encounters, particularly with a family consisting of a mother, Naoko, and her son, Shane. Peter's role as a photographer for the Daily Bugle is mirrored on Counter-Earth, raising questions about his secret identity. The series examines the challenges Peter faces in balancing his personal life with his responsibilities as Spider-Man, including the romantic tension with Naoko and the bond he forms with Shane. The narrative also touches on the complexities of Peter's feelings for MJ back on Earth, adding layers to his emotional journey.

20:04

🦅 The Vulture's Redemption and Other Parallel Villains

The series presents unique takes on classic Spider-Man villains, such as the Hunter, a mercenary with a solid design but less unique spin, and Electro, who has a cool look but a less developed backstory. Vulture, however, has a more fleshed-out narrative, evolving from a rich kid to a hero fighting against the oppression of humans by beastials. The series also delves into the moral dilemmas faced by Spider-Man, challenging his motivations and the core principle of 'with great power comes great responsibility.'

25:06

🔧 The Sentience of X51 and Eddie Brock's Sacrifice

Two standout episodes highlight the themes of sentience and sacrifice. In one, Peter treats a malfunctioning Sentry robot, X51, with respect and humanity, even standing up to his allies to protect it. In another, Eddie Brock's deep bond with the Venom symbiote is explored as he nearly dies without it, leading to a poignant story where he must embrace his monstrous side to survive, sacrificing his humanity to save others. These episodes showcase the depth of the series and its ability to explore complex themes within the Spider-Man universe.

🏁 The Unfinished Journey of Spider-Man Unlimited

Despite its innovative premise and some compelling storytelling, Spider-Man Unlimited faced numerous challenges, including an unfamiliar world, a lack of connection with the main antagonist, and a series of new side characters that failed to engage the audience fully. The show's abrupt ending on a cliffhanger without resolution further contributed to its unfinished feel. The creative team's vision was constrained by various interferences, preventing them from fully realizing their ideas. However, the series' legacy lives on, with a cameo in the 'Across the Spider-Verse' film, offering a nod to this unique chapter in Spider-Man's history.

Keywords

💡Spider-Man Unlimited

Spider-Man Unlimited is the title of the animated series discussed in the video. It is described as a unique and somewhat unusual adaptation of the Spider-Man character, set on a parallel world called Counter Earth. The series is noted for its distinct style and narrative choices that differentiate it from other Spider-Man adaptations, as well as its upcoming inclusion in the 'Across the Spider-Verse' film.

💡Counter Earth

Counter Earth is a parallel world in the Spider-Man Unlimited series where the story unfolds. It is depicted as an exact duplicate of Earth, located on the far side of the sun, and inhabited by both humans and anthropomorphic animal beings called beastials. The concept of Counter Earth is central to the series' plot and setting, creating a unique environment for Spider-Man's adventures.

💡Beastials

Beastials are a species of anthropomorphic animal people living on Counter Earth. They are part of the show's unique world-building and contribute to the differentiating factors of the series from traditional Spider-Man lore. Beastials play various roles in the society of Counter Earth, including some as antagonists and allies to Spider-Man.

💡High Evolutionary

The High Evolutionary is the main antagonist in Spider-Man Unlimited, a character who sought to create a utopian society on Counter Earth by combining humans with animal characteristics to form beastials. His vision and the resulting conflict form a significant part of the series' overarching plot.

💡Venom

Venom is a character and symbiote in the Spider-Man universe, known for bonding with hosts to create a powerful and malevolent entity. In Spider-Man Unlimited, Venom is portrayed with new abilities and is part of the series' exploration of familiar characters in a new context, including an episode where the symbiote nearly kills Eddie Brock, showcasing themes of sacrifice and responsibility.

💡Carnage

Carnage, another symbiote in the Spider-Man lore, is depicted in the series with a distinct design and role. It is associated with the overarching symbiote-related plot and is shown to have new abilities, differentiating it from its portrayal in other adaptations.

💡Rebels

The Rebels are a group of characters in Spider-Man Unlimited who oppose the High Evolutionary's regime on Counter Earth. Led by John Jameson, the Rebels include various characters with unique backstories and motivations, contributing to the series' themes of resistance and camaraderie.

💡Great Power, Great Responsibility

The phrase 'great power, great responsibility' is a key theme in the video and a central tenet of Spider-Man's character. It refers to the moral obligation that comes with having abilities or influence, as exemplified by Spider-Man's actions in the series and his internal struggles with his role on Counter Earth.

💡Cliffhanger

A cliffhanger in storytelling is a suspenseful situation that ends an episode or series, leaving the audience in anticipation of the resolution. The video mentions that Spider-Man Unlimited ends on a cliffhanger, with the fate of Counter Earth and its inhabitants left unresolved, adding to the series' intrigue and the viewer's engagement.

💡Symbiote

In the context of the video, the symbiote refers to the alien organisms that bond with hosts to create characters like Venom and Carnage. The script discusses the symbiote's role in the series, its new abilities, and its connection to the plot, highlighting the narrative's focus on the symbiote's impact on the characters and the world of Counter Earth.

Highlights

Spider-Man Unlimited is considered one of the most unusual adaptations of Spider-Man with its unique approach to storytelling.

The series was initially intended to be a low-budget adaptation of the first 26 issues of The Amazing Spider-Man comic books.

Due to the production of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film, the show couldn't adapt certain comic stories or use the original Spidey suit.

The concept of Spider-Man 2099 was considered but ultimately rejected in favor of a new narrative set on a parallel world called Counter Earth.

The series features a unique blend of human and beastial characters, creating a distinct society on Counter Earth.

Spider-Man Unlimited has a different animation style compared to the 90s animated series, using cell animation and unique shading techniques.

The series struggled with ratings and was initially shelved before being relaunched a year later with all 13 episodes.

The show's title sequence emphasizes a cooler and edgier tone with a futuristic theme song and stylish visuals.

Venom and Carnage are portrayed with new abilities, appearing as pure symbiote forms without host bodies.

The series explores the concept of an alternate Peter Parker who becomes Venom on Counter Earth.

Spider-Man Unlimited features a main antagonist, the High Evolutionary, with a vision of a utopian society of animal-human hybrids.

The series includes a unique version of Green Goblin who is a vigilante on Counter Earth, unlike the villainous Goblin from Earth.

Eddie Brock's struggle with the Venom symbiote is a central theme, exploring his humanity and the symbiote's influence.

The series ends on a cliffhanger with the potential destruction of Counter Earth due to symbiotic spores.

Spider-Man Unlimited's legacy will continue in the upcoming 'Across the Spider-Verse' film, indicating its influence.

The creative team faced numerous challenges and restrictions, impacting the show's development and storytelling.

Transcripts

Spider-Man Unlimited is arguably the

weirdest Spider-Man adaptation of all

time arguably written is a loose

follow-up to Spider-Man the Animated

Series of the 90s and I do mean loose

this series took an entirely different

approach to telling a spidey story I

would argue that the show nearly feels

like it was written as an entirely

different show with its own characters

and lore and then they decided to just

drop Spidey in a few recognizable

Spider-Man characters into the mix now

there's no evidence that this is what

they did but it does kind of feel like

it and that isn't necessarily A

criticism either because while it is

absolutely an anomaly in the long list

of Spider-Man animated series it has a

ton of charm and some really interesting

characters plus we're about to see this

version of Spidey again in the upcoming

across the spider-verse film wild times

so join me as we dive deep into the

absurdity of Spider-Man Unlimited

Spider-Man Unlimited had a very

tumultuous pre-production one in which

the concept of the series shifted around

multiple times you would think that

after the success of Spider-Man the

Animated Series and with that series

ending on a cliffhanger you do a proper

for follow-up and while this is

technically a follow-up it doesn't

exactly feel like it but even before

they landed on the premise there were

different ideas in play initially it was

meant to be a low budget adaptation of

the first 26 issues of the original run

of The Amazing Spider-Man comic books

however with Sony and Marvel's

production of Sam raimi's Spider-Man

film in the works they were barred from

adapting these stories and couldn't even

use the original Spidey suit for the

duration of the show after this they

even toyed with the idea of doing a

Spider-Man 2099 adaptation starring

Miguel O'Hara which is especially

interesting given Miguel's prominence in

the upcoming across the spider-verse

film and the inclusion of Spider-Man

Unlimited in that movie however they

opted against this story and instead

crafted a new narrative far away from

the original Comics run set on a

parallel world called counter Earth the

initial idea for their counter Earth

story was that on counter Earth Uncle

Ben had never died and therefore that

Earth's Peter Parker did not have the

moral fortitude to resist the symbiote

suit eventually becoming Venom so when R

Peter arrives and tries to meet up with

counterpeter he's actually met with the

antagonist of the entire series and

honestly to me this idea sounds great

potentially exploring Peter through a

parallel version who is faltered years

before spider-verse mind you and even

the idea of Uncle Ben being a supporting

character this just had a ton of

potential if you ask me I really love

the way writer producer will munio

described this Arc for Peter dealing

with the counter Earth Spidey slash

Venom was intended to be the main

subplot and by the end Peter would have

gone home with the knowledge that the

hardships of his origin had made him the

good man he'd become sounds like some

quality Spider-Man to me however the

folks at Marvel panicked because of the

poor reception of the clone saga in the

comic books and forbid them from doing a

series with multiple Peter Parkers which

yes is very stupid especially now given

the success of spider-verse and no way

home so after adjusting and adapting

their ideas to remove the parallel

Parker they landed on the story that we

all know and love or at least the one

that some of us have seen interestingly

while the 90s animated series used a

combination of digital ink and cell

animation this series switched entire

entirely to cell animation the style is

notably different and there's a lot of

charm I particularly love the way it

uses pitch black for the shadows and

shading on characters it gives some of

it almost a black light poster Vibe it's

cool the series premiered in October

1999 and over the next two weeks aired

three total episodes however due to

struggling ratings compared to rival

shows they ended up shelving the series

and relaunching it about a year later in

late 2000. this time airing all 13

episodes the series definitely tries to

be cooler and edgier than the previous

animated series and the title sequence

really highlights this with a synthy

futuristic new theme song and some

pretty stylish visuals the two-part

Premiere titled Worlds Apart opens

revealing John Jameson's plan to use a

warp drive to travel to the newly

discovered counter Earth there Elita

discovered an exact duplicate of our

world the counter Earth it's also

described as being on the far side of

the sun they don't really go into any

further detail explaining why an exact

duplicate of Earth exists within the

solar system or why it requires a warp

drive to reach the other side of the Sun

but that's what they went with we'll get

more into the exact duplicate nature of

counter Earth later because it gets kind

of wild as John Jameson takes off into

shuttle Venom and Cartage stow away on

board and Peter jumps into action to

attempt to stop them this is the single

moment in unlimited where we hear the

previous iconic Spidey theme

what could possibly be

[Music]

interestingly Venom and Carnage are both

shown to have entirely new abilities

appearing to have no host bodies at all

hey hey you two could never morph like

that before it's revealed later that

they are still using Brock and Cassidy's

bodies but the way they turn entirely

into pure symbiote goo definitely had me

confused for a minute so Spidey is

unable to stop the symbioduo they board

the ship and Jon calls for help before

going through the portal and with Spidey

floating back down to earth as you might

expect Jonah Jameson blames the entire

thing on Spider-Man and puts out a 10

million dollar reward to identify or

capture him wild the thing that cracked

me up here is that the entire city

really does turn on Spider-Man dude

couldn't even save a cat from a tree

without getting maced he saves a woman

and her baby from falling to their death

and firefighters immediately turn their

hoses on and he still saves one of their

lives I do think this aspect is a pretty

solid setup for the series it plays off

a lot of the Spidey tropes we've come to

love and expect that being Spider-Man is

an absolutely thankless job for Peter

doing the right thing is not often

rewarded and I like that this idea

immediately reaches a boiling point as a

catalyst for the series premise and the

world actually ends up believing leaving

that Spidey died in the firefighting

incident which gives him the opportunity

to leave counter Earth and try to save

John Jameson from the Symbiote Duo so

Peter makes himself a sick new suit this

year's fully loaded model features

nanotechnology discreetly borrowed from

the lab of Reed Richards a nice read

Richard's name drop plus as it turns out

this started the nanotechnology Trend

that everybody absolutely hates in the

MCU thanks Spidey but man I do love this

suit design maybe one of my favorite

Spider-Man suits ever Spidey hijacks

another shuttle with slight resistance

from a jetpack sporting Nick Fury and he

heads to counter Earth they do a good

job table setting Peter's departure from

Earth for the most part and though the

series is about to fly off the rails

into entirely new territory it's still

rooted and Spidey as a character

remember what Uncle Ben said MJ

great power comes great responsibility

there are some really gorgeous shots of

Peter approaching counter Earth but this

is where it truly starts to feel like

he's thrust into a different series

entirely his ship is tractor beamed down

to counter Earth's New York City and

he's confronted with these guys we are

the Knights of Wonder Girl I am known to

all as Lord tiger I told you it feels

like an entirely separate franchise this

planet is filled with both humans and

beings called beastials these four

Knights being particularly powerful in

the hierarchy there's a bear lady named

Ursula a ram dude named siram and this

woman named lady Vermin who they say is

a rat lady but like where's the rat and

she's super into Spidey too we should

not do battle stranger for you are most

fair to Lady vermin's eyes and you are

most rat like to my nose honestly I love

it when an antagonist is horned up for

Spidey so I'm glad they kept this Trope

even in this unusual setting speaking of

unusual setting I really like the

sequence where Spidey recognizes how

different counter Earth actually is

bouncing off of hover cars in traffic

realizing everyone is an animal person

what is this the Manhattan Island of Dr

Moreau honestly this is one of the best

Spidey quips I have ever heard in my

life incredible stuff eventually Spidey

is captured by the Knights of the Wonder

Gore and man I do not understand how

these dudes live in Manhattan and talk

like this but

human obesity it is certain that he is a

valiant Warrior but then we're

introduced to the real series antagonist

the high evolutionary though not in

person yet but this is the exact stuff

I'm talking about when I say this feels

like a separate franchise that Spidey

was dropped into everything about how

these people speak their goals they're

ridiculously over designed armor it

feels like a different show and maybe

that was intentional Spidey is a fish

out of water after all so maybe they

were trying to convey that to the

audience as blatantly as possible that

being said the entire bestial idea is

the biggest ask as an audience member at

least for me I know that's silly coming

from someone who also talks about BoJack

Horseman regularly but I think it has

more to do with the way it's implemented

into the already existing Spidey world

and lore counter Earth being an exact

duplicate that is simply on the far side

of the sun is already a funny premise

but that same counter Earth being filled

with anthropomorphic animal people is

kind of a hat on a hat right it's a

shame they didn't make this show after

the rise of online furry culture because

it probably would have gotten like six

seasons and unfortunately the entire

best deal idea doesn't have a

particularly satisfying explanation

either the high evolutionary apparently

came to this planet seeking Utopia they

don't say where he came from just that

he came here seeking Utopia and was

disappointed that all he found was the

same war and conflict that he was used

to

my

my parents I would have to build it

myself but apparently the perfect

Society consists of animal human hybrids

of the high evolutionary design he

claims they're stronger and better and

free from the problems created by humans

without really elaborating on why but I

guess they have built this crazy

futuristic city so there's that but the

city is also New York City because exact

duplicate I guess but obviously the

entire conflict in the series is that it

is not a perfect society as the

beastials have relegated humans to the

lowest levels of the city or what they

call the basement and so spidey's main

allies are a team of rebels led by John

Jameson who rescue him from the high

evolutionary there are three main Rebels

other than Jon and the show actually

does eventually give them all pretty

compelling backstories there's Karen

O'Malley the most normal named Rebel

Daniel Bromley who just goes by Bromley

and of course get Hoskins after being

experimented on as a kid git now looks

like a mummy but he has complete control

over his ban bandages almost Mr

Fantastic style a real ragtag group if I

don't say so myself and somehow all led

by John Jameson who came to counter

Earth very recently not sure how he

secured that gig I did like how

skeptical Jameson was that this was

actually Spidey though which leads to

this question and in my opinion a

potentially big problem that they

conveniently rode around who's the punk

photographer that always gets those

great pictures of you for the Daily

Bugle uh

Peter Parker okay the problem here is

that by the end of these first two

episodes Peter is now living on counter

Earth in the basement he ends up having

multiple mutual friends with John

Jameson and living with one of them all

it would have taken is a character

mentioning Peter a single time and

Jameson would have been able to figure

out that he's Spider-Man and honestly

maybe he should have there are a few

episodes where it feels very convenient

that it isn't brought up or revealed to

him Peter is very lucky he didn't run

into him on the street so the other big

players in the season are of course

Venom and Carnage who came to counter

Earth to fulfill their own

symbiote-related master plan they're

temporarily working for the high

evolutionary but really only to further

their own scheme I gotta say while I do

mostly like Venom's design in the show I

kind of hate Carnage he looks so cool in

the comics and in the previous animated

series but in this they make him this

big angular lumbering Skeleton thing

honestly he kind of reminds me those

gigantic Home Depot skeletons not really

a fan but those are most of the major

players in the battle for counter Earth

save for a couple important ones who we

will meet later and they wrap up the

two-part Premiere introducing us to the

important players in Peter's personal

life on counter Earth Peter saves a kid

named Shane from one of the high

evolutionaries Sentry robots and his

mother a doctor named nyoko treats his

injuries Peter ends up staying with them

during his time on counter Earth and

forms a great genuine bond with them

both this gets pretty interesting later

too but we'll get there so as you may

have noticed talking through the very

beginning of the series required a lot

of description and recap usually when we

talk about the Spider-Man series we're

talking about characters scenarios

stories and lore that we're all mostly

familiar with in one way or another it's

usually just about how they adapted

elements we already know but this is one

of the most unusual Spidey shows because

the vast majority of the story is New

Territory new planet new characters new

species new lore everything is

completely unfamiliar which can actually

be really exciting from an audience

perspective but it also means I do have

to do a lot more table setting to talk

about the show compared to other

Spider-Man series in fact the only

characters who show up regularly that

actually come from the Spider-Man

stories we know are Peter himself John

Jameson Venom and Carnage now there will

be a few more familiar villains coming

up but they're all counter Earth Twisted

versions different characters entirely

but now that we've set the table talking

through the rest of the season shouldn't

be quite as laborious and while it was a

lot to convey the two premiere episodes

did do an effective job setting up the

stakes and establishing countless new

characters and Concepts I also really

dig the way the series uses these comic

book panel chirons for Transitions and

establishing locations such a simple

idea that is super effective and helps

convey the comic Booky nature of the

series really well the first time I

watched this show it was shortly after

finishing the 90s Animated Series so it

took me a bit to get used to Reno

Romano's take on Peter Parker but the

more I watch the show the more I really

grew to appreciate his performance I

think he makes a really solid Peter and

Spidey crazy enough Reno would go on to

play Bruce Wayne Batman a few years

later in the animated series The Batman

are there any other voice actors who

have played both Peter Parker and Bruce

Wayne what a resume I did laugh pretty

hard at the opening of the third episode

so in the end of the second episode

nyoko tells Peter he can stay with them

rent free for a couple of weeks while he

gets on his feet and then immediately in

the third episode she is demanding the

rent I guess no matter what version of

Earth Peter is on somebody's angry about

the rent unfortunately their argument

upsets Shane who runs away and when

going after him naoko is pulled into

sewers by this big green symbiote thing

which sets the stage for what I think is

a pretty great third episode enter Green

Goblin but not the one we know counter

Earth has its own Goblin and he isn't a

villain he's a fellow vigilante I

actually really love this version of the

character he's maybe slightly over

designed like some of the other original

characters in the show but I find his

over design much more charming and

giving him Wings rather than a glider

fits in with the whole beastial aspect

of counter Earth really well but he's

got a very fun personality and the sort

of reluctant team up aspect of his

relationship with Spidey really works

for me Spidey is obviously skeptical

because he looks like regular Earth

screen Goblin and this Goblin is

skeptical of Spidey because he looks

like Venom and Carnage right you're not

with Venom and Carnage you're a complete

unrelated super power guy and a spider

there are a few characters who Spidey

has to reluctantly team up with over the

series and it's just a dynamic that

works for me Goblin is probably my

favorite of all of them they have some

really quality back and forth banter

however one of the weirder quirks is

that this Green Goblin just sort of

throws out random pop culture quotes

It's Not Easy Being Green

rumors of Might demise are greatly

exaggerated so to recap those quotes are

Kermit the Frog Ned Flanders and Mark

Twain does this imply that The Muppets

The Simpsons and an alternate version of

Mark Twain all exist on counter Earth or

is this guy just like the weirdest

Wordsmith to ever exist but regardless

Goblin's few appearances are a genuine

highlight of Spider-Man Unlimited it's a

really cool take on the character and I

really dug the action when he and Spidey

team up this early sequence where Spidey

makes a huge web shield and Goblin

launches his explosives from out behind

it is really dope and there's a great

shot towards the end where Goblin flies

Spidey out of the collapsing underground

base I also really liked the very heavy

implication that goblins actually Hector

Jones Shane's father and naoko's

ex-husband though this was never

explicitly realized within the text of

the show it was very obvious that this

was the case Goblin is immediately more

familiar with both naoko and Shane than

you'd expect plus there's this line at

the end of the episode after they save

naoko who says she hopes that she sees

him again I hope dude

my love so yeah if this isn't Hector

he's just creepy there are actually a

couple of Spidey unlimited comics and

one of them contradicts this saying

Shane's father is actually a bestial

version of Wolverine but I don't think

we can consider those Canon because it

is so painfully obvious that the series

was setting up the hector Goblin reveal

and it's a genuine shame they never got

further with that either because I think

the whole Peter naoko Hector triangle

could have been really interesting

Peter's relationship with Shane and

naoko was an aspect of unlimited that

really worked for me for the most part

the way both naoko and Shane slowly

started to respect Peter was really well

done initially naoko didn't trust Peter

would be able to get her the rent and

Shane actually pretty vocally called him

a wuss when they reminisced about how

Spidey saved nyoko from the Symbiotes

yeah you called the police it's okay

Peter you wanted to help and obviously

this is a common Spidey problem Peter

disappears because he has to help as

Spidey so people think that Peter is a

coward

such a coward I'm running off like that

he didn't run mom he's just taking

pictures you'll see but as you can see

over the course of the season nayako and

Shane both come around on Peter I told

he wasn't a coward and you were right

Shay I am so glad and Peter has even

shown spending quality one-on-one time

with naoko and Shane giving Shane the

kind of support a father figure would

the longer I'm stuck on this planet the

more Shane and naoko feel like family to

me but if I'm being honest it also feels

like a bit of a missed opportunity

because while they do blatantly say that

Peter sees them as family and is even

attracted to naoko the series also

places MJ back on Earth waiting for

Peter and obviously it's hard to just

write off Peter's longtime love interest

but I sort of wish they had somehow for

this series because one of the majorly

important aspects of any Spidey media is

that they have to show him truly

struggle to balance his personal life

and his superhero life and to me the

highest Stakes instances of this are

always related to Peter's love life how

does Peter fumble the bag because of his

great responsibility and while there

certainly are aspects of this in his

relationship with naoko and Shane I

think if they had been able to fully

Embrace a romantic relationship it would

have increased the stake significantly

instead they sort of have this half in

the bag situation where Peter definitely

have feelings for each other but because

of a character on another planet that

literally only appeared in the pilot

episode they can't fully explore a

romance it actually makes me wish that

unlimited had more blatantly embraced

the end of Spider-Man the Animated

Series where Peter had yet to find Mary

Jane after she was thrown through the

Goblins portal or if you don't want to

be that directly tied to those stories

just have Mary Jane tell Peter she can't

have a long distance relationship across

the solar system with him I mean that's

pretty reasonable and it opens up the

series to the romantic drama that

generally works really well for

Spider-Man though there are a couple

instances where they played the existing

circumstances pretty well

J

MJ sorry my mistake but ironically I

also felt they stayed too true to other

aspects of spidey's Mainstays where they

could have afforded to differentiate

themselves on counter Earth particularly

that they just have Peter continue to

take photos of Spider-Man for a living

even on this entirely different planet I

guess it was just initially a little bit

of a stretch for me that Spidey would

show up and immediately be the most

in-demand photos in counter New York

enough so that Peter can make an entire

living on it and I guess this isn't all

that implausible but straight up

replacing a character as iconic as Jonah

Jameson in the exact same role is not an

easy task 100 bucks a piece final off Mr

Mineo

you mind if I call you JJ they actually

named and designed Peter's new boss

after unlimited's lead producer will

munio which is a funny inside joke but I

cannot pretend the character is even

remotely as memorable as Jonah Jameson

it makes me think more than anything

that maybe they should have found a new

angle for Peter's employment while on

counter Earth especially because this

was just another way Peter should have

been easily figured out by John Jameson

Peter's name is in the paper under every

picture of Spider-Man I mean come on or

if they're committed to the photography

gig just use more direct parallel

characters on counter earth like they

initially planned with counter Peter

just throw an alternate Jonah into the

mix that could have also made for some

interesting drama with John Jameson

though ultimately I do really enjoy the

alternate Spidey villains that are

parallel without being the exact same

characters I already brought up Goblin

but there are also Craven vulture and

Electro parallels that all sort of do

their own thing counter Earth Craven is

simply known as the Hunter and probably

has the least unique spin on any of

these parallel villains but still has a

very solid design he basically works as

a mercenary for anyone who will hire him

including Beast deals and the high

evolutionary and as you'd expect he's

tasked with capturing Spider-Man Electro

is a bit more fun the one example of a

parallel villain who is actually a beast

deal though they don't ever fully

vocalize what he is my initial thought

is that he is a literal electric eel

which would be dope but he's kind of

more lizard-like he doesn't have all

that much going on for him outside of

the cool look though vulture gets a bit

more of a unique counter-earth backstory

that I actually enjoyed and like Goblin

this version is actually more of a hero

than a villain vulture grew up a rich

kid so rich that the other beastial kids

were cool hanging with him but his

actual best friend was a kid named cliff

the son of his family's housekeeper but

while hanging around with the beastials

they would regularly terrorize humans

and one day they ended up lighting

Cliff's house on fire

changed my life

I vowed to do everything I could to stop

humans suffering though I gotta say

Spidey is absolutely in full hypocrite

mode talking to vulture about this crime

fighting here like how did he even get

these words out seriously a lot of folks

feel strongly about something but they

don't take it to the streets really

Spidey you're gonna lecture someone

about taking things to the streets so

much for great responsibility actually

if I'm being honest there are a handful

of moments in the show that rub me the

wrong way in terms of spidey's

motivations he sticks around to help

Jameson and the rebels but if Jameson

didn't want to stay Spidey would 100

have left counter earth look John John

there's nothing I'd like better than to

see the beasties take a nosedive but

this isn't our fight I feel like what

they were going for is the idea that

being so far from home in such an

unfamiliar Place really challenges

Peter's moral fortitude in regard to

with great power comes great

responsibility which is an idea I like

fine on paper I just wish they had shown

more of a complete growth cycle for

Peter to come around and realize that

he's wrong because as is there are just

a series of moments like these where

Spider-Man is acting very

unspiderman-like there's even a perfect

moment where they could have shown

spidey's Epiphany in the ninth episode

of the Season Peter actually gets an

opportunity to take his ship back to

Earth he nearly leaves counter Earth but

unfortunately he can't board the ship in

time and uses his webbing to alter its

course and basically 911 the high

evolutionaries Technodrome looking base

but this feels like a missed opportunity

for Peter to have actually made the

decision to sacrifice his ability to go

home so that he can continue to help

counter Earth as it stands it plays out

like it was his only real option but

this could have been a situation that

brings his crisis of great

responsibility to a close in a very

satisfying way but there are a couple of

truly great episodes that showcase Peter

embracing great responsibility the first

that I absolutely love is the fifth

episode Steel Cold Heart where Peter

meets one of the high evolutionaries

Sentry robots called X51 who's

malfunctioning after being in service

for over 20 years Peter recognizes that

X51 has a higher level of sentience than

the other robots we peace help me you

might be a glorified toaster pal

Ace one request I can't turn down I love

that Peter treats X51 like a person even

when others won't Jameson wants to trade

him in exchange for Bromley but Peter

even stands up to his own allies to do

what's right hey ground controlled Major

John x-51 is not a thing he's a person

and after X51 helps the rebels and they

rescue Bromley Jameson admits that he

was wrong I owe you an apology

Spider-Man it's not me you should be

apologizing to John it's x-51 this is

what I like to see out of this show

Spidey standing up for what's truly

right in the face of opposition from his

own allies that's true responsibility

through adversity X51 ends up joining

the team too and I like that their

little ragtag group of rebels slowly

grows as the season progresses but the

absolute Crown Jewel of Spider-Man

Unlimited episodes is One is the

Loneliest Number not only an incredible

Spidey story but an incredible Eddie

Brock story when beastials steal the

Venom symbiote from Brock Eddie nearly

dies and Spidey has to help him but

you're not Venom are you you're a human

being but because of how thoroughly

Eddie bonded with the Symbiote he

actually needs it to survive so the

Dilemma Spidey finds himself in is that

in order to do the right thing and save

Brock he has to ensure the survival of

one of his greatest enemies and threats

but I can't sit back and watch a man die

not even you Eddie but the lengths that

Peter goes to maintain that

responsibility and save Eddie are what

make this an even greater story after

securing the Symbiote Peter realizes

that it cannot survive for long without

a human host so in order to get it back

to Eddie before it perishes he dons the

black costume for the first time in

years acting as the symbiote's life

support and Eddie's half of the story is

incredible as well as nyoko and Shane

actually appeal to Eddie's humanity and

though he's dying his sweeter side comes

out through his interactions with naoko

and Shane you know for a minute there I

was starting to like feeling human again

Eddie actually ends up accepting his

impending death happy that he's going to

die a human and not be consumed by the

Symbiote again unfortunately Carnage has

other play plans but Eddie was fully

willing to die even with the Symbiote in

front of him the last chance to save his

life no I want to stay Eddie bro

whatever the price this is just so

heartbreaking and honestly one of my

favorite Venom stories ever and

ultimately Eddie is the other character

in this episode to Showcase great

responsibility in order to save naoko

and Shane he re-emerges with the

Symbiote even though it means giving up

his chance to die with dignity to die as

Eddie Brock we've seen stories where

Eddie gets Redemption as Venom and

sacrifices himself before but the idea

that Eddie has to sacrifice his own

Humanity to help the people he cares

about to give up his own dignity and

become venom again even though it's the

last thing he wants that is an amazing

Venom story Eddie embracing his great

power and his great responsibility this

episode in my mind justifies this entire

series existence one of my favorite

animated episodes of Spidey that I've

ever seen but overall there were a lot

of issues with unlimited that kept it

from truly shining for me the buying in

for the entirely New World the Beast

deals in general a slew of new

unfamiliar Side characters that were

only occasionally interesting and in my

opinion a very lackluster main

antagonist while each of the three major

Rebel characters get Hoskins Daniel

Bromley and Karen O'Malley all got some

decently fleshed out backstories

eventually none of them really felt all

that compelling outside of the episodes

devoted to their histories and git's

backstory was tragic Bromley had a

tumultuous history with his brother and

Karen's ultimate blood connection to the

high evolutionary these are all

interesting but none of them made me

really connect to the characters on a

level that I'd have liked occasionally

the Knights of one degree had some

compelling character traits I

particularly liked Lord tiger who seemed

to think for himself about each

individual situation and never went

along with the other night's plan just

because lady vermin's flirtations with

Spidey were fun too but there's not all

that much more to it and sadly outside

of one great Venom episode the

symbiote's overarching story did not do

much for me either though I expect that

had we eventually seen more in regards

to the synoptic and its plan to further

expand the Symbiote hive mind this maybe

could have been interesting and of

course the saddest of all the series

ends on a brutal Cliffhanger as

symbiotic spores launch out of Counter

Earth threatening to end all life on the

planet and that is literally how the

series ends damn how many of these

Spider-Man cartoons just end on

Cliffhangers can somebody finish a damn

Spider-Man story ultimately I do think

Spider-Man Unlimited was a very cool

experiment that didn't entirely pay off

I'm glad it exists there are some great

stories in here but I can see the

groundwork for better stories laying

beneath some that ended up feeling

lackluster I think that writer will

Munoz quote about his time on the show

sums up exactly why this didn't quite

work I got to work with some great

people and there are some nice action

sequences in some of the episodes but I

wish we could have done the real

Spider-Man as originally planned and

that's the main change I would have

liked just being allowed the honor of

doing a straightforward adaptation of

the books I loved as a kid I think

that's hard to argue with and even after

they were denied this they came up with

a pretty compelling counter-earth

premise with an antagonistic Peter

Parker and even that idea was thrown

away due to Marvel's own misguided

perceptions of what the fans wanted and

even after all of that they ended up

canning the show on a cliffhanger never

allowing the creative team to hit their

stride in the premise that they had to

craft around all of the interference it

seems like the creative team was stifled

at every turn while making the series

while I do think some great stuff came

out of it they were never really given

the opportunity to make something they

believed in and that is a shame because

there was some very creative and

satisfying work done on Spider-Man

Unlimited and while I do think it's

likely going to just be a relatively

small Cameo it's kind of exciting to me

that we're going to see this version of

Spidey in the across the spider-verse

film I don't think we should expect

anything substantial but it's cool to

know that this series Legacy lives on

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