Theanimatedtelevision seriesThe Spectacular Spider-Man features an extensive cast of characters originally created byStan Lee,Steve Ditko and other comic book creators.[1]Greg Weisman andVictor Cook and the rest of the crew redesigned these classic characters in the series to be more modern but remain faithful to its characters in the comics.[2] Most of these characters are based on the characters in the originalmainstreamuniverse but there have been characters that have been introduced from theUltimate Marvel universe such asKenny Kong and characters fromSam Raimi'sfilm series such as Bernard Houseman as well. The majority of thevillains that have debuted in the show have started out as supporting characters before becoming villains.[3] The character's portrayals in the shows have mainly gained positive reviews from TV critics.
| Character | Voiced by | Seasons | Spider-Verse films | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | Season 2 | Across | Beyond | ||
| 2008 | 2009 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Main characters | |||||
| Peter Parker / Spider-Man | Josh Keaton | Main | Guest | ||
| Gwen Stacy | Lacey Chabert | Main | Does not appear[a] | ||
| Harry Osborn | James Arnold Taylor | Main | Does not appear | ||
| J. Jonah Jameson | Daran Norris | Main | Does not appear[b] | ||
| Mary Jane Watson | Vanessa Marshall | Main | Does not appear[c] | ||
| Flash Thompson | Joshua LeBar | Main | Does not appear | ||
| Liz Allan | Alanna Ubach | Recurring | Main | Does not appear | |
| Captain George Stacy | Clancy Brown | Recurring | Main | Archive[d] | Does not appear |
| Norman Osborn / Green Goblin | Alan Rachins[e] | Recurring | Main | Does not appear[f] | Does not appear |
| Supporting characters | |||||
| Aunt May Parker | Deborah Strang | Recurring | Does not appear[g] | Does not appear | |
| Uncle Ben Parker | Ed Asner | Recurring | Archive | Does not appear | |
| Dr. Curt Connors / Lizard | Dee Bradley Baker | Recurring | Does not appear[h] | Does not appear | |
The mainprotagonist of the series is Peter Parker, a young teenager who attends midtown high school and is an extremely bright honors student. Peter is also secretly asuperhero calledSpider-Man.[4] In school, his two best friends areGwen Stacy andHarry Osborn.[3] Peter is constantly being bullied and taunted by his shallow, more popular peers—particularly football starFlash Thompson (due to the fact that Peter is a shy science nerd who has a scholastic interest toward science) —and, as Spider-Man, engenders the editorial wrath of newspaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson. Ironically enough, much to Peter's dismay, Flash Thompson is also one of Spider-Man's biggest fans.[3] Also at school, Peter's feelings wrestle betweenGwen Stacy andLiz Allan.[5] Peter Parker soon finds himself getting a job at theDaily Bugle as a freelance photographer working with characters such asJ. Jonah Jameson,Robbie Robertson,Betty Brant,Ned Lee andFrederick Foswell. Parker as Spider-Man fights a lot of villains in the series as the majority of hisrogues gallery in the comics are introduced in this series. Season one introduces villains such asVulture,Electro,Lizard,Shocker,Sandman,Rhino,Green Goblin,Doctor Octopus,Venom,Hammerhead, andTombstone.[3] Season two introducesMysterio,Kraven the Hunter,Molten Man, andSilvermane.[3][4][5]
We're retooling and redesigning things for the modern day but we want the characters to still be iconic. We want you to see our updated version of the Vulture and still say "yep, that's the Vulture" and "yeah, that's the Green Goblin." It's a contemporary version but the changes aren't there just for the sake of making changes. It's still true to what Lee, Ditko and Romita did.
As story editor,Greg Weisman approached the character by going and buying the first seven volumes ofThe Essential Spider-Man and reread them. The creatorGreg Weisman originally grew up onStan Lee andJohn Romita Sr., the comic book writers who created the characters and he later went back and read the original Stan Lee andSteve Ditko stories. He then re-read them and took copious notes and tried to get the voice of those early stories, put his own spin on some of the origins and the costume designs and wanted to create something that was coherent, cohesive, contemporary and classic.[2]
Greg Weisman stated:
"Peter's life has a lot of interesting characters and we wanted to bring them in -- the important ones and the most obscure."[2]
Because Sally Avril's character was later developed inUntold Tales of Spider-Man the creators used her. In Season 2, he used Bernard Houseman from the movie. The creators didn't want to wait several seasons to introduceGwen Stacy,Harry Osborn andMary Jane Watson, all of whom met Peter when he was in college in the comics. The creators wanted to stay true to the characters and tried to figure out what they would have been like in high school. "What kind of guy would Harry Osborn have been back in high school?" Greg Weisman stated that. "It doesn't mean taking his college character and just sticking it in high school, it means extrapolating what he may have been like back then. Same thing with Gwen Stacy, and later with Mary Jane. We included those characters because they meant a lot in Peter's life and were iconic."[2]
As for having guest stars in the show, the creators didn't want the show to be guest star of the week. The creators felt that if they started bringing people in too early, viewers would keep asking "well, who's gonna show up next?" and it would be a distraction from their main characters who are so interesting. Greg Weisman stated:
The Marvel Universe was basically built on the fly. Since we're starting this cartoon from scratch, we have the luxury of building a more cohesive universe from day one because we know where we're going to go with these characters and who's going to come later.[2]
The characters that the creators decided to put on the show came from some kind of source and were never intended to be original characters. The characters either came from the mainstream comics, theUltimate Spider-Man comics or in theSpider-Man films.[6]
The main characters featured in the opening credits:
Peter Benjamin Parker / Spider-Man (voiced byJosh Keaton[7][8]) is thetitularprotagonist of the series. Bitten on the hand by a radioactive spider during a field trip to Empire State University, Peter gained superhuman spider-powers including superhuman speed, strength, agility, durability, stamina, reflexes, coordination and balance, as well as the ability to cling to solid surfaces. His most notable ability however is his "spider sense," which allows him to sense danger and react quickly. He would also design his own equipment to supplement his powers, such as his web-shooters, which he can use to shoot artificial webbing at his foes, and swing through the city. One day, Peter donned a spider costume and sought to fight crime after allowing a burglar to escape, only for that same criminal to kill hisUncle Ben in a mugging. He learned that "with great power there must also come great responsibility", a phrase that now drives him to act as Spider-Man. The series focuses on the character's struggles while leading a double life as Parker in Midtown High, maintaining a job at theDaily Bugle, and as the superhero Spider-Man, with his friendships often being damaged by his business. Despite their financial troubles, the 16-year-old and his Aunt May have a great relationship. His best friends in school are mainlyGwen Stacy,Harry Osborn and graduallyMary Jane Watson. Peter is extremely bright, and became an honors student at Midtown High School. Although, Peter's shyness and scholastic interest, especially in science, often make him a social outcast and he is often bullied and called names like "Puny Parker" by his shallow popular peers. Although his powers have given him confidence, he often has to take the taunts to stop anyone suspecting his secret.[4][9] Keaton stated, "I grew up reading comic books and Spider-Man was always one of my favorites. I felt that I always identified with him. Spider-Man is awesome. I definitely was a huge Spider-Man fan growing up and still am."[10] Before he was chosen for Spider-Man, Keaton auditioned for the roles of Harry Osborn and Eddie Brock.[10]
This version of Spider-Man appears inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse as a member of the Spider-Society, with Keaton reprising his role.[11]
Gwen Stacy (voiced byLacey Chabert) is the mainlove interest of Peter Parker in the show. Gwen is the daughter of police captain George Stacy, and is one of Peter Parker's best friends and intellectual equal; they are both recommended by their teacher to work in the lab of Doctor Connors. Although initially strong willed, kind, harboring deep feelings for her best friend Peter and unconcerned with her appearance, she gradually evolves into a more confident and attractive character more closely resembling and truly faithful to her comic book counterpart. She is always supportive of Peter, and also shows well-meaning concern for Harry Osborn. Although she is Peter's best friend, her weakness is that she has a colossal crush on Peter.[12]
Harry Osborn (voiced byJames Arnold Taylor) is portrayed as Peter Parker's best friend and isNorman Osborn's son. While being true to his comic counterpart, he constantly lives in his father's shadow and considers Peter a good friend, though at times also resents him for earning Norman's approval, which Harry has never been able to do. Being ignored and neglected by his father and overprotective of his mother and just like Peter, he is an unpopular kid at school. With his lack of approval, he is prone to do anything to get it.[12]
J. Jonah Jameson (voiced byDaran Norris) is portrayed as a loudmouth, irascible, egotistical, and gruff publisher of theDaily Bugle. Showing excessive pride in his sonJohn Jameson, he is obsessed with exposing fraudulent claims to heroism, and is therefore always demanding pictures of Spider-Man so that he can continue his smear campaign against the vigilante that has, at least temporarily, turned much of the gullible city against the hero. Even though he loves to sell newspapers of Spider-Man and takes delight in anything that might discredit or defame him, he feels that the real heroes are ones that have nothing to hide such as his son and will do anything to get him on the spotlight instead of Spider-Man. He is shown as a foolishly stubborn and pompous skinflint who micromanages his employees and resents Spider-Man out of jealousy.[12] However, he reluctantly will give Spider-Man credit where it is due, and will always print retractions for unfair allegations. Aside from that, he retains his dislike for Spider-Man from the comics, and takes delight in anything that might discredit or defame him and considers Spider-Man a menace and a vigilante.
Mary Jane Watson (voiced byVanessa Marshall[13]) is portrayed as the niece ofAnna Watson. She attends the Fall Formal as Peter Parker's date before ultimately switching schools to be at Midtown. Mary Jane befriends Peter and Gwen Stacy, and is initially determined to stay single, desiring to be a "free agent". Marshall states "I always make sure my choices for Mary Jane are that of an independent thinker, that she's not concerned with what the people around her think, which is an uncommon trait in teenage girls, there's a distinct confidence about her that I try to emulate".[13] She also explained about the character she played "Mary Jane's character is incredibly complex, Her strength plays a major part in Peter's growth and maturation she really keeps him on the straight and narrow. Even though our characters are still only in high school during this cartoon, and you're not going to get a lot of that character development at this point of the series, I know it's going to be there in the future and so that has an effect on how I play her now".[13]
Flash Thompson (voiced byJoshua LeBar[14]) is a high school student, the star quarterback of the Midtown High football team, and a prominentschool bully. While he idolizes Spider-Man, he frequently bullies and harasses the high school bookworm Peter Parker, believing him to be a "stuck-up egghead",[15] despite the fact that they had originally been friends when they were much younger.[16] He nevertheless idolizes the superhero Spider-Man, being one of his biggest and most loyal fans.[17] LeBar said this about the character he played. "I think Flash has a certain brashness, but he also has a likeability, so he's not a complete doof that you hate. He's a dichotomy – he's got a few different sides, and he surprises people. I was both a theatre guy and a football guy in high school, and people tried to stick me into that one-note category, depending on how they knew me – and I didn't like being stereotyped. So when the (Spider-Man) show gives me the opportunity to represent his other sides, like this week when you see Flash's compassion rather than just all that testosterone, I really enjoy showcasing that part of his character because I can relate to his situation".[14]
Liz Allan (voiced byAlanna Ubach[18]) is depicted as a popular girl andcheerleader at Midtown High. Unlike her comic book counterpart version, who isWhite and ablonde, she is depicted as aLatina in this series. She is initiallyFlash Thompson's girlfriend and shows great resentment towards Peter Parker.[19] As the series progresses, her true feelings become apparent as she demonstrates a much more open and accepting side. She commonly refers to Peter as "Petey". Peter and her begin to date for some time until Peter gets honest with himself about who he really wants to be with.[20]
George Stacy (voiced byClancy Brown[21]) is Gwen Stacy's protective father and a police captain. He is open-minded, and truly believes Spider-Man to be a hero, while J. Jonah Jameson accuses Spider-Man of being a menace. Just like in the comics, it seems apparent that he knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man by giving him strong signals and helping him out with rough situations.[22]Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse reveals that George was killed in a battle with the Green Goblin sometime after the series' end.[23][24]
Norman Osborn /Green Goblin (voiced byAlan Rachins andSteve Blum, respectively) is the mainantagonist of the series and the archenemy of Spider-Man, having clandestinely manipulated many of the show's events since its inception. Introduced as Harry Osborn's father and the ruthless head of OsCorp Industries who stubbornly believes he is incapable of failure and never apologizes (even to his son), Norman is hired by Tombstone to create several supervillains to distract Spider-Man from interfering with his criminal operations. To seize control of the criminal underworld from Tombstone, Norman exposes himself to a performance-enhancing formula and uses advanced weapons and equipment to become the Green Goblin. When Spider-Man grows suspicious of him, Norman frames Harry for being the Goblin and temporarily retires his alter ego. Norman later orchestrates a gang war between Tombstone, Doctor Octopus, and Silvermane to eliminate his opposition, allowing him to resurface as the Green Goblin and become New York City's reigning crime lord. Though he is seemingly killed during his final battle with Spider-Man in the series finale, Norman survives and heads to Florida to keep a low profile.
InSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, it is revealed that the Green Goblin eventually returned to face Spider-Man, with one of their battles resulting in the death of George Stacy.
The series sports a very wide supporting cast. Every named character who appears in the series, even very minor characters, is based on a character who appeared in the original comics,Ultimate Spider-Man series (such as Kenny Kong), or film series (such as Bernard Houseman).
The series incorporates numerous villains from different eras of theSpider-Man mythology, almost all of whom are introduced as regular characters before they adopt their established villain identities in later episodes.
Goldman wrote that Electro's redesigned costume retained "some nice visual nods to the Electro many of us grew up with." Liz Allan's characterization, though, he found confusing, with the character's accent and background unclear.[27] Goldman also praised the Lizard's design, calling it "the most visually familiar villain the show had introduced yet".[28] Goldman enjoyed the design of Shocker which he felt stayed true to his original design and was "intrigued" by changing his secret identity.[29] Goldman also praised the unveiling of Tombstone and Mary Jane Watson.[30] Goldman gave a mixed response about Green Goblin — noting that he is "perhaps a bit hyper sensitive on how he's portrayed" — considering the design, while similar to the comics, be more of an exact version of it; Goldman considered the character's personality was "a bit too evocative of theJoker," the iconic villain fromDC'sBatman comics, but believed that his "malice side" worked. Goldman also praised Mary Jane Watson for being "much likeStan Lee created her – a quick witted, fun loving girl." He also applauded the mysterious factors of Green Goblin's true identity.[31] Goldman opted that Jonah's hatred of Spider-Man that was formed in the episode was "perhaps the most understandable and best way it's ever been portrayed before."[32]
Season Elliot, senior editor ofiF Magazine, wrote "The Lizard himself was a nice update of the original Lizard and he was still in his torn pants, shirt, and lab coat." Elliot praised the design for differentiating itself from that used forSpider-Man orSpider-Man: The New Animated Series, and that he "can't wait for the action figure of this guy!"[33] He also stated "Even the Shocker was more interesting on this show, so I continue to have high hopes for future episodes, characters, and villains." When talking about the change of Shocker's secret identity, he quoted that it "saves the writers from having to come up with a completely different origin for a character that pretty much is a second tier villain anyways."[34] Elliot was "pleased" with the portrayal of Rhino as an unintelligent brute; he also enjoyed the change of the "Big Man's" identity from that of the comics - where he was aBugle reporter named Frederic Foswell - and found it humorous to have Foswell be the reporter to tell Peter who the "Big Man" is rumored to be.[35][36] Similar to Goldman,[32] Elliot applauded the mystery of Goblin's true identity, which he described as a "bait and switch."[36]
Rob M. Worley of Mania described Doctor Octopus' introduction as "explosive," while praising Peter MacNicol for balancing such a heavy workload between both the episode and other series.[37]
He's my biggest fan. Which is sad really.
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