Spider-Man (1994 TV series) Season 4

Partners in Danger is the name given to the story arc that composed the entire 4th season of the 1994 Spider-Man animated television series. The 11-episode season, which lasted from February to August 1997, picked up after the disappearance of Mary Jane Watson and covered the beginnings of Felicia Hardy's career as Black Cat and her relationship with Spider-Man, as well as the returns of Morbius, Blade, the Lizard, Vulture, Scorpion, Mysterio, and Kraven the Hunter.

Episodes

Guilty

"Guilty" is the first episode from the fourth season of the animated series Spider-Man, also marking the forty-second episode. It originally aired on February 1, 1997.

Plot

Spider-Man is still in grief over the loss of Mary Jane. Meanwhile, Tombstone, whilst incarcerated in Rooker's Island, plots revenge on Robbie Robertson as Robbie previously caused his arrest. In exchange for assisting cell-mate Richard Fisk in a few brawls in prison, Richard requests that his father, The Kingpin, frame Robbie as a criminal mastermind. Once Robbie is convicted, Kingpin is able to reassign Robbie to Rooker's, having originally intended to serve at the New York State Penitentiary. Spider-Man realises that Robbie has been framed, and J. Jonah Jameson, also intent on clearing Robbie's name, reluctantly teams with the wall-crawler in order to do so. Having enough evidence gathered by Spider-Man and Jonah that Robbie is innocent, Robbie is released.

Reception

Many considered it a wise choice to show Spider-Man grieving over the loss of Mary Jane, as if the episode simply showed the hero fighting another super-villain following the Green Goblin's defeat, it may have been confusing. The fact that the episode indicated that Mary Jane's loss was torturing Peter inside has been speculated to have been well handled. As of this episode, the characters of Robbie Robertson and J. Jonah Jameson were described to have been satisfactorily designed, and well chosen voice actors. The fact that the episode showed a different side to Jonah's personality, rather than him simply being viewed as Peter Parker's boss, has been described as a popular inspiration. The episode has notably received good ratings for the fact that it focused mainly on the characters.^[1]

Cast

The Cat and The Black Cat

"The Cat" is the second episode from the fourth season of the animated series Spider-Man. It also marks the show's forty-fourth episode, originally airing on February 8, 1997. The episode began a plotline that would continue on the following episode, "The Black Cat", which aired later on February 15, marking the forty-fifth episode. Together they introduce the Black Cat to the series.^[2][3]

Plot

The Cat

Doctor Octopus attempts to blackmail Anastasia Hardy into paying him ransom money in order to fund his dangerous experiments, by threatening to reveal that Felicia's father was the crook known as "The Cat". Spider-Man, having eluded Doc Ock from the Hardy's, gathers information which tells him Felicia's father is actually John Hardesky, and that he was incarcerated in S.H.I.E.L.D. for memorizing a secret formula. The Kingpin manages to break the Cat out of prison by using  the Chameleon, Hardesky's cell-mate, in an effort to retrieve the formula which has the ability to enhance human abilities. Herbert Landon is able to recreate the formula after the crime lord uses Felicia to provoke Hardesky to reveal the formula.

The Black Cat

The Kingpin blackmails John Hardesky into revealing a secret super-soldier formula by making threats against Felicia. After Hardesky reveals his secrets, Landon is able to recreate and improve the formula for the crime lord. Kingpin uses the serum to transform Felicia into a "black cat", and forces her to carry out his crimes until he can create more serum. Spider-Man, unaware of her identity, teams with the Black Cat to rescue her father. Hardesky, whilst held captive by the Kingpin, breaks into Landon's lab and deletes the formula. After the two superheroes are able to rescue Felicia's father, he decides to allow himself to be re-incarcerated in S.H.I.E.L.D., as of his knowledge of the formula.

Reception

Character appearances

In at least one viewers eye, it has been believed that the Kingpin's role in the episodes is much more necessary than his previous appearances. This is partly because many of the crime lord's ideas in previous episodes are considered poor, notably his ambition to create an army of mutants. However, Doctor Octopus's appearance has been said to have been wasted. Viewers were pleased to see the Black Cat finally introduced, having only seen the character as Felicia Hardy in previous episodes. Her introduction as a superhero has been described as being done well, thus making the episode one of the character's best appearances. Her first scene with Spider-Man was very popular among fans, as was her use of the spider-tracer the wall-crawler gave her mother. The character has been described as being slightly arrogant. The fact that neither hero knew who the other was seemed questionable, partly because Felicia and Peter once dated, and partly because Felicia hadn't always treated Peter with much respect.^[2][3]

Production

The episodes were considered to be rare occasions that events fell into place, with details of the plotline being resolved by the end of the second part. The animation has notably been highly praised in comparison to that of the first season.^[2][3] John Semper mentioned in an interview with The Marvel Animation Age that he is somewhat proud of the fact that he linked the Black Cat to the origin of Captain America, alike to that of the viewers points of view, who considered the plotline to have handled Black Cat's introduction well. John Semper invented this plot rather than using the character's development in the comics in which he considered ridiculous. John also revealed that he is very fond of John Phillip Law, who plays the voice role of John Hardesky in the episode.^[2][4]

Cast

The Awakening

"The Awakening" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the animated series Spider-Man, which originally aired on May 10, 1997 on Fox Kids in the United States.^[5]

Plot

Debra Whitman and Clay Marks locate Morbius, the Vampire, in a state of hibernation and bring him to ESU to work on a cure. Felicia Hardy hears of the news just before she heads out of town and decides to stays behind as Black Cat. At the same time, Herbert Landon and the Shocker also seek to capture Morbius for the Kingpin in an effort to unlock the secret to immortality. Landon and Shocker abduct Morbius, but Black Cat teams up with Whistler and Spider-Man to track down their whereabouts and to neutralize Morbius. However, Morbius is transformed from his bat form back into the living vampire state that he was before and then flies away.

Cultural reference

• The sign on the theatre read 'Jacques Tourneur' Film Festival. A sign reading 'Ed Wood Film Festival' appeared in the episode "Attack of the Octobot". Both men were film directors whose movies included vampires and other occult story lines.

Cast

References