SPIDER-MAN Episode 21 "Spider-Island Pt.3"
Spider-Man swings care free through the city of Manhattan reflecting on recent events when he sees a robber taking an old woman's purse. He of course gives chase but now with everyone having spider powers in the city, keeping up with the hooligan is much more difficult. He loses the bad guy in the crowd of spider citizens and ends up crashing as a web shooter runs dry in mid web swing. You'd think maybe he'd come up with a warning system for those things by now as that seems to happen a lot to him but I digress. Spidey receives a phone call and it's from Gwen Stacy. She made it home but she needs help. Spidey instantly takes off and heads to her house. Once there he encounters a group of fans gathering around outside of the Stacy home. He changes into his regular clothes and Peter Parker walks up the sidewalk to the front door. He knocks but gets no answer. He enters the home and the place is trashed! He quickly realizes its the Spider Monster in the living room thats done it!
Peter battles the large spider creature and lands a solid slo-mo uppercut on it. He leads the monster around the house and eventually tries to trap it in a room by webbing the door closed. But oh no the creature is too strong for that and smashes through it like nothing! Peter manages to fling the spider monster out the window onto the front lawn, near the assembled crowd. Peter looks to the crowd for some help with the monster but shockingly they refuse, saying they're no heroes like Spider-Gwen. One even gets a little dig in on Spidey by calling him a "menace", just like our guy J. Jonah. Turns out Peter doesn't need their help because Anya Corazon arrives to save the day! She punches the monster and webs it up, immobilizing it. She calls it Gwen. She of course is smarter than Peter and notices that the monster is wearing tatters of Gwen's costume and deduces that Gwen must have morphed into the spider creature.
Gwen busts loose and Peter and Anya chase after her by web following her trail of destruction. Eventually they catch her and battle her to slow her down. Anya won't leave her friend, believing that Gwen's consciousness is still in there somewhere. It's actually a nice little moment on an animation show, portraying the value of friendship as something worth fighting for. The duo manage to get the best of spider monster Gwen and web her up again. Just when they think things are going great Kraven the Hunter appears!
Kraven has returned to Manhattan after learning of the population's explosion of spider powers in a bid to test himself and get BIG RATINGS! for his show. Kraven targets Gwen so Peter launches some web balls at him to make his laser rifle shot miss. Gwen tears free from the webbings and takes off again. Peter and Anya give chase but Kraven blocks their path, he wants Gwen all to himself. Peter tells Anya to find Gwen, he'll take Kraven. Kraven films with his drone as he attacks Peter with his electro-knife. Kraven unexpectedly pauses a moment when he recognizes Peter's scent. He doesn't place it as Spider-Man's but Peter uses the break to web Kraven in the face and knock him off the roof into a dumpster. Peter completely webs him inside of the refuse holder and does a funny little imitation of Kraven to the still functioning drone. Kraven explodes out of the waste bin and tries to shoot Peter with his laser rifle. He tosses a round explosive ball at Peter and he barely has time to web up a small web shield when it explodes! Kraven moves in threateningly until WHAM! a minivan driven my Harry Osborn rams into him. Peter webs him up and gets in the van.
Harry has been following the vibrational frequencies of the spider monster as he thinks its his father. He thinks maybe Norman was exposed and was the original spider monster in the stealth suit from before. They track a signal they think is his but no it turns out to be Gwen. Anya gets the better of her and webs her up to a light pole, while she stands on top of it dancing. They all get in the van and race off to the lab so Anya can start synthesizing a cure for the spider transformations. Harry wants to make a quick stop as the spider monster tracker goes off until BOOM!! Kraven attacks again! The van flips on its side and Kraven rips off the door. He thinks he striking fear into the boys but really, they can see up behind him and are frightened by the large spider monster slowly descending behind his head.
The creature attacks but Kraven manages to get his metal arm up just in time to stop the jaws from crunching him. The spider monster flings him away. Kraven loves it! A bigger, badder spider monster for him to hunt, for those BIG RATINGS! The monster webs Kravens foot to the ground immobilizing him and moves in to attack. Kraven escapes using his electro-staff. He bashes the monster with it and ZAPS! him too for good measure. Harry sees this and calls out "DAD!". Kraven hears this and says "this is the great Norman Osborn?". He wants his revenge on Norman and the battle continues with the two duking it out in the street. Harry undoes his seat belt and goes to help his father. Peter stops him, rightly telling him he'd be crushed if he got between the battling heavyweights. Harry comes up with a plan and sends Peter and Anya after Gwen, he'll deal with Kraven.
Kraven quietly stalks the Norman spider monster. The Norman spider monster moves silently behind him. It leaps to attack but Kraven is faster! He turns and blocks the blow, delivering a mighty uppercut in response!
Peter and Anya chase Spider-Monster-Gwen across the cities rooftops. Peter manages to web her in place but she gets the upper hand on him as they battle, frying out his web shooters. Gwen grabs ahold of him and once again Peter is flung high up into the air. He rightfully freaks for a second as he can't web sling away until Harry swoops in and catches him mid-air! He's gotten his armor and glider and has come back to join the fray!
Gwen grabs Anya and tosses her too. Harry lands and gives Peter some armor that matches his own. Anya lands and Peter gives her some of the same armor. Kraven has knocked out the Norman spider and is ruthlessly moving in for the kill. In the nick of time Harry flies in and SMACKS! Kraven away with his glider. Harry circles around to attack Kraven again but this time the hunter uses his electro-knife to slice above his head, cutting the glider into two pieces! Harry crashes!
Peter and Anya land and try to talk to Gwen. Anya gets through to her and the spider monster calms down. Harry bravely yells at Kraven even though he's immobilized within his wreckage. Kraven cruelly walks up with his electro-staff and moves in to ZAP! Harry. Just as he's about to jam him when Peter jumps in front and grabs the business end of the electro-staff. It ZAPS! him instead! Peter takes the full jolt as Harry wriggles to break free. Peter collapses! Harry has gotten out of the wreckage and holds Kravens laser rifle pointed at him. He straight up BLASTS! him with it.
Harry goes to help Peter and Kraven gets back up! Anya and Gwen land and join the fracas. Gwen rolls/wraps up Kraven in full Queen Shelob style immobilizing him completely. Harry moves to communicate with the Norman spider monster but it rebukes him and leaps off and away. Harry goes to follow him using the tracker but suddenly multiple spider signals start to appear. The rest of the city's population is mutating into spider monsters! Uh oh!
This was a fun episode with the bringing of Kraven onto the island to hunt a very natural and exciting way to bring him into the Spider-Island story. I find his fascination with his channel and viewers annoying but of course it reflects the times we are living in. With one more to go we'll see how Marvel and Disney XD are going wrap up the final chapter of Spider-Island.
