World Spider-man TAS cons

[zeptron]

I was rewatching the series for the first time in years and I still think it's pretty good. But by all means no show is 100% good. Despite being a good tv show there were just so many things wrong with it. I'm just curious of what anyone here didn't like about it. Here are mine.


1. Lasers. Everyone seems to have them.

2. Venom being so underused. He's one of Spidey's greatest enemies and he only had three appearences. Not counting the ones where he just appeared as Eddie Brock.

3. Overuse of certain characters, like the annoying Madame Webb who barely ever showed up in the comics yet appeared too much here and way too much Kingpin and Smythe. Too many friggin episodes on Morbius. Why the hell was he treated like a major villain of Spider-Man? He had more appearances than Venom, Carnage, The Osborn Green Goblin, Hobgoblin, Mysterio, Shocker, and the Vulture!

4. The absence of Sandman.

5. Electro not being Max Dillion.

6. The censership was kinda annoying. Spider-man only threw like two punches in the entire series. They weren't even allowed to use the word "kill" in this show in any context whatsoever. Morbius used his hands to suck "plasma" rather than having the characters call it blood, and the Punisher was horribly toned down as well. The Sinister Six wasn't even called that because they thought "sinister" was too frighting for kids, yet in the X-men cartoon, which was owned by Fox also, Mr. Sinister went by this name.

7. Mary Jane should have been found, or the series at least should have continued. The clone thing was stupid. This really pissed me off.

8. Not enough Black Cat.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

For the limitations they had, it's an excellent show. If there was any problems with it, it's that the constant re-using of old animation from the previous episodes. Spidey could be fighting Hydro-Man in the middle of the street and the suddenly he'd be in a dark warehouse--even as an insiped child I was like, "What the f**k?!"

 

[deathshead2]

I
4. The absence of Sandman.

7. Mary Jane should have been found, or the series at least should have continued. The clone thing was stupid. This really pissed me off.

4. They were trying to make a spider-man movie back in the 90s and wanted to use sandman so the show had an embargo. So they could use sandman or electro. But of course we got Electro near the end of the show. Because the movie failed to get made. that and the producers of the show said its would have been really hard to animate sandman.

7. They planned to have Mary Jane be found the next season, but this was during the early 90s and the show was made under Marvels very own animation company. That folded when Marvel filed for bandrubsy. Now if spider-man was made under Saban like all the other Marvel shows maybe we would have got more.

 

[zeptron]

^I knew about the movie that failed to get made back then. It still sucked that he never showed up. He's one of my favorite villains. Hoping he shows up in the new cartoon.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, Batman TAS started right after Batman Returns came out. And yet both Penguin and Catwoman made appearences there.

 

[deathshead2]

^I knew about the movie that failed to get made back then. It still sucked that he never showed up. He's one of my favorite villains. Hoping he shows up in the new cartoon.

His fist is in the promo picture. So most likely.

 

[TheVileOne]

It wasn't the animators fault about Electro and Sandman. They had very much planned on using them, but Avi Arad prohibited it because Electro and Sandman were the ones that were supposed to be the villains when the movie was getting kicked around by Cameron in the 90's.

They eventually did use Electro, but they had to change his origin and his identity because of those reasons.

The lasers? Due to standards and practices, they couldn't show people using regular guns.

I think despite all this it's still a very good show for it's time. It's by far my favorite Spider-man animated show. Definitely better than that CG MTV crap a few years back.

 

[3dman27]

It wasn't the animators fault about Electro and Sandman. They had very much planned on using them, but Avi Arad prohibited it because Electro and Sandman were the ones that were supposed to be the villains when the movie was getting kicked around by Cameron in the 90's.

They eventually did use Electro, but they had to change his origin and his identity because of those reasons.

The lasers? Due to standards and practices, they couldn't show people using regular guns.

I think despite all this it's still a very good show for it's time. It's by far my favorite Spider-man animated show. Definitely better than that CG MTV crap a few years back.

one more con the did'nt /couldn't useIRON FIST i'd've loved to see THAT team-up

 

[TheVileOne]

Eh whatever. They used the Prowler, that was awesome.

The team-up with the X-men was using awesome. X-men and Spidey were both on Fox kids at the time. I thought the X-men showing up with the same VA's was awesome.

Also, Blade who was also cool in the animated series, and very much the basis of what became Blade in the R-rated movies.

 

[zeptron]

Blade was cool but it sucked when the Punisher appeared. The voice actor who did his voice sucked. He sounded more like some dumb New York City taxi cab driver. You don't bring a violent character like him into a kids cartoon show. Even before the Punisher went to the Marvel Knights line and then into the MAX line comic book he was still a violent character.

That was not the Punisher one bit. Anybody who’s a Punisher fan would and should know that. The Punisher was reduced to a G.I. Joe cartoon character; shooting laser guns, not killing the bad guys (and that’s what makes the Punisher “THE PUNISHER” for god sakes!!!) They made the him way too hi-tech. Now at one point he did have hi-tech stuff (the 1980’s) but it never went that hi-tech. I mean the stuff they had him using… that would make Batman and even James Bond envy.

Now Tom Jane.... not only did he do a better job as the Punisher in the movie but did a 100,000,000 times better voice acting of the Punisher in the video game. The Punisher needs to have a deep dark voice. Someone who has killed 100’s of 1000’s of criminals and has seen death in nearly every single way and……… John Beck just didn’t have that type of voice at all. But then again that's what you get when they try to put in a character like The Punisher into a kids cartoon show.

When you put a character like him in a kids cartoon like this then you take nearly eveything away from that makes him.... him. You look at the the comic books, the 2004 movie, and the video game and I see a different character altogether.

It’s like taking the character Spawn and putting him in this show. And do you think that Spawn would be the same in the Spider-Man cartoon as he is in comic book or the Spawn animated show? No. You take all of that away and he’s not the Punisher anymore. You then ask… what’s the point to having a character like Punisher if can’t act like how the character is suppose to act? If it’s a kids cartoon show then characters like the Punisher should not be in them.

 

[The Joker]

2. Venom being so underused. He's one of Spidey's greatest enemies and he only had three appearences. Not counting the ones where he just appeared as Eddie Brock.

This was one of the things they got right. They introduced Brock as a character for several episodes before having him become Venom. And they used Venom effectively, and didn't ram him down our throats every second or third episode. They used Venom to his maximum potential.

Too bad the comic books didn't follow this lead.

8. Not enough Black Cat.

I feel the opposite about this. There was too much Black Cat. She was around for nearly all of season 4, and half of season 5. One of the reasons those two seasons sucked.

I find her to be a stupid character. A poor Catwoman rip off.

 

[zeptron]

Black Cat was awesome. Probably one of the most compelling and complex characters in this Spider-Man series. She is far and away the best redeeming factor of Season 4 and carried it on her shoulders for as long as she could. She was such a well developmed, strong, female character.

And I'm not saying I wanted Venom to appear every single episode. I just wished he wasn't so underused. I would have like it if he appeared at least two more times.

We got Morbius shoved down our throats for five episodes in a row. Kingpin and Smythe appeared way too much.

Some other things I forgot to mention. Carange was ridiculous. I know they had to tone him down from the whole serial killer deal, but still, absorbing the life energy of people to revive a mystical demon was silly. He should have been nowhere near this cartoon.


Not only did Fox's censorship bother me, but the fact that they censored the show EVEN MORE after 9/11! (when the show was airing on Fox Family, or whatever channel it aired on next. Toon Disney? whatever). They cut out any and all resemblences to some sort of flying vehicle exploding or hitting a building, and I believe this even managed to make its way into some of the episodes of the pathetic dvd releases. The part in Enter the Green Goblin, where Spider-Man is left riding the GG's "big" glider and it goes through the windows of a building and comes out the other side, was cut out, both on the air and on the dvd. In Day of the Chameleon, a helicopter crashes into a building and explodes when it falls. Also cut. Another one I remember is in Duel of the Hunters where Kraven and the Punisher are talking about the first World Trade Center bombings of the early 90's.

The only one I could understand editing out was the direct reference to the WTC bombings, but this should only be a momentary edit, imo. Do we really need to edit out EVERY damn scene that resembles a flying machine crashing on, around, or in a building? I think that was really ******ed. If they ever do release this series on DVD, I hope they don't release the edited episodes, and instead release the episodes as they originally were.

It's also said that Spider-man wasn't allowed to hurt any pigeons when he landed on a rooftop. Now this is just silly right here.

Considering Batman and other cartoons during the same time period had this with no problem, it makes no sense for Spider-Man to not be able to punch (and for christ's sake..he's a friggen SUPERHERO!) I'd like to meet the moron(s) who thought of the "no punching rule" and smack 'em.

 

[arachnid-guy]

I agree completely with the above statements.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

3. Overuse of certain characters, like the annoying Madame Webb who barely ever showed up in the comics yet appeared too much here and way too much Kingpin and Smythe. Too many friggin episodes on Morbius. Why the hell was he treated like a major villain of Spider-Man? He had more appearances than Venom, Carnage, The Osborn Green Goblin, Hobgoblin, Mysterio, Shocker, and the Vulture!

Show producer John Semper thought it would be cool to bring a few characters to the spotlight who had never been used in animation before, such as Madame Web, Blade, Morbius, and so forth. Especially since characters like Green Goblin, Vulture, Mysterio etc., had already appeared in past animated Spidey shows...Semper wanted to do a solo Venom episode (no Spider-Man), but the shows execs wouldnt allow it. You'd be surprised how many cool things Semper wanted but wasnt allowed to do.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

4. and the producers of the show said its would have been really hard to animate sandman.

Really? I've never heard that. They animated him just fine on the 60's and Amazing Friends cartoons...

 

[3dman27]

Show producer John Semper thought it would be cool to bring a few characters to the spotlight who had never been used in animation before, such as Madame Web, Blade, Morbius, and so forth. Especially since characters like Green Goblin, Vulture, Mysterio etc., had already appeared in past animated Spidey shows...Semper wanted to do a solo Venom episode (no Spider-Man), but the shows execs wouldnt allow it. You'd be surprised how many cool things Semper wanted but wasnt allowed to do.

like what?might i ask?

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

like what?might i ask?

Well, lots of it has already been mentioned;

1) No guns
2) Minimal fighting. (few punches and kicking, just "wrestling")
3) Sandman and Electro on hold
4) No solo venom episode
5) No blood sucking from Morbius

But a few more:

6) Omission of the Stacys. Semper wanted to adapt both the Captain's and Gwen's deaths, but was told "ABSOLUTELY NOT", in regards to portraying deaths on Saturday morning tv

7) Semper wanted Ghost Rider to appear, but was told "No fire". Seriously.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

I loved TAS! I didn't have any problems with it at all. I had no problems with the laser guns either. I really enjoyed Venom in TAS and I also enjoyed Doc Ock, the Lizard, etc. and I have a link to all the episodes of TAS on Divx player so if you want them just PM Me.

Anyway, Gwen Stacey only appeared in one episode I think. Captain Stacy wasn't in any of the Episodes. I still loved the show with all my heart though. I thought that Black Cat had an awesome amount of episodes, same for the KingPin.

 

[zeptron]

I'm wondering what they're gonna do with Gwen in the new cartoon. I mean do they HAVE to do everything that was in the comics. Here are that happened in the comics but not the cartoon.


1. Kraven saves people and helped Spidey get cured from his Man-Spider mutation. He never was a hero.

2. Hobgoblin came way after Green Goblin.

3. Green Goblin had nothing to do with the Kingpin in the comics.

4. The Sinister Six started with only two villains that were part of that group in the comics. One never appeared on the show, one appeared late and wasn't even the right person, one replaced another who died in a earlier episode, and one became a hero in his first appearance.

5. Morbius and Hyrdo-man didn't date Felicia and MJ.

6. Spidey got the alien suit in another dimension.

7. Green Goblin drops Gwen Stacy not MJ off the bridge.

I understand why didn't want to portray the Stacy's death, but that didn't mean they didn't have to show up at all.

 

[Green Goblin 1964]

You guys complain too much this show was awesome....

 

[zeptron]

7) Semper wanted Ghost Rider to appear, but was told "No fire". Seriously.

I really don't understand this one. Many episodes had explosions. Explosions = Fire.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

I really don't understand this one. Many episodes had explosions. Explosions = Fire.

I dont get it either. It may be because his head is aflame (although he actually appeared that way for a few seconds in a brief flashback sequence on X-Men: TAS)...

Or maybe it was the demonic background...

 

[Nathan]

7) Semper wanted Ghost Rider to appear, but was told "No fire". Seriously.

So I wonder what the Human Torch was made off. Light?

 

[deathshead2]

Really? I've never heard that. They animated him just fine on the 60's and Amazing Friends cartoons...

Yeah one of the producers said that. I read it on a interview at toonzone.

 

[deathshead2]

I thought they weren't allowed Ghost rider at the time because someone else had the rights to him to make his own tv show.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

So I wonder what the Human Torch was made off. Light?

That wasnt until the last season. By then, even the Electro ban had been lifted. Plus: the Torch is not demonic.