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Excelsior! Recently we published our podcast and our first episode on Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends, the 1981 animated series. I thank those that have listened to our first episode and for the great comments we have received. If you have not checked it out yet, you can find this episode on our website, shakinshaner.com, and on many platforms to include Stitcher, Soodify, and Google Podcast. At the end of this, you can find the episode embedded for ease of access.
It was awesome to be joined on our episode by Mike from the podcast, "Comics in the Golden Age". We discussed several aspects of Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends, so I will not rehash any of that conversation here. We discussed some of our favorite and least favorite episodes, but did not expound on all of our favorites. I am pleased to bring you five of my favorite episodes.
The Triumph of the Green Goblin
This episode opens to a Spider-Man and Iceman capturing two jewel thieves during a tremendous thunderstorm. Over head, a small plane is carrying Norman Osborne from the sanitarium to his home. He believes he has been cured of the Green Goblin, however, due to engine failure he must bail out of the plane. Once he lands with his parachute, his skin turns green and he starts laugh hysterically and cries, "The Green Goblin lives again!"
Our heroes are going to comic book costume party on the ESU Campus and due to the many Green Goblin costumes, they do not realize till its too late that Mona Osborne, Bobby's date, is captured by the real Green Goblin. He needs to get his Green Goblin formula from Mona as he plans on creating more of it and putting it in the NYC water supply.
Unique item: The "Future Finder" device
Unique event: Many Marvel heroes make appearances via the comic book costume party, such as, Thor, Luke Cage, Black Panther, Vision, Iron Man, the Thing, Storm, Namor the Submariner, Dr. Strange, Wasp, Black Widow, the Scarlet Witch, the Phoenix, the Hulk, Shana the She-Devil, Dare Devil, Peter was dressed as Spider-Man, Angelica as Spider-Woman, Bobby as Captain America, and Mona as Medusa.
The police attempt to give Iceman a ticket for building an ice slide in Central Park without a license.
Notable quotes: Firestar calls Iceman, "Mr. Cool" and he calls her, "Sizzlesis".
The Crime of All Centuries
This episode opens up to the movie "Dinosaur Destroyer" and maybe you noticed the "movie promo" from the podcast. The villain is Kraven the Hunter who is planning to take dinosaur eggs from the Savage Land to NYC and have them hatched by his growth energizer. Armed with his superior hunting and tracking skills and his bitter jungle power potion he seeks out the Eye of India Ruby and the most powerful heat source on earth, Firestar.
Kraven sets up a chance meeting with Firestar to give her tickets to the local museum where he will unveil his prehistoric animals. The prehistoric animals break lose in the museum to give Kraven and his assistant Skelton, as chance to steal the Eye of India. Firestar chases after them only to be captured. Spider-Man and Iceman track them down and walk into the trap to save her.
Unique items: The bitter jungle power potion gives Kraven the strength of 10 gorillas and the speed of the swiftest cheetah and then there is the heat sensing boomerang with a freezing spray
Unique event::Dino Destroyer, the Movie
Notable quotes: Firestar saying, "Wild Mastodons couldn't keep me away." After using her heat power to power the growth energizer and hatches a dinosaur, Firstar exclaims, "Hey guys, look what I did."
Spidey Goes Hollywood
The episode opens with the making of the Hollywood movie on Spider-Man. The movie is jinxed with accidents caused by Mysterio. He then blackmails the director, Sam Blockbuster to get the real Spider-Man to appear in the movie so Mysterio can film Spider-Man's demise and get rich by marketing the movie. Sam Blockbuster shows up in NYC to recruit Spider-Man and after Peter realizes Aunt May needs money, he agrees to be in the movie only if Firestar and Iceman accompany him.
The cheap director gets our trio bus tickets to LA. Along the way, they meet up with a homeless stranger, Bruce Banner, who is really the Incredible Hulk. Spider-Man gets Bruce a job on the film set and notices something is wrong. Mysterio tries to kill Spidey in three different scenes and it culminates with the real Hulk saving the day!
Unique item: Gigantic robotic ape hand, a mechanical shark and a robotic Hulk
Unique event: Firestar meets Lance Macho and Iceman meets Honey Dove.
Notable quotes: Spider-Man, "Here comes the Galactic Spider Patrol ."
The Origin of the Spider Friends
This episode is narrated by Stan Lee and explains how Spider-Man, Firestar and Iceman became the Spider Friends as well as how they got their crime fighting equipment. It all starts with the Beetle trying to steal Stark Industries latest computer system from Tony Stark. After he is stopped by the Spider Friends, he tries again and attacks Tony Stark while he is going to Washington DC to show them his latest invention, the Power Booster.
During an accident in the lab at ESU, Spidey figures out the true identities of Firestar and Iceman. Web head convinces them to join him and become borders at Aunt May's. Tony Stark is so grateful for saving them his life that he gives them their own high tech computer system and they use it to stop the Beetle.
Unique item: The Stark Industries Power Booster
Unique event: ESU Inventor's Exhibition
Notable quote: Spider-Man to Tony Stark, "Be glad you are not a super hero Mr. Stark, sometimes it can really ruin your day."
Spidey Meets the Girl from Tomorrow
Again, this episode is narrated by Stan Lee and it opens to a "What's Your Sign" party with Angelica and Bobby and Peter at home studying. Peter is scanning the skies above through a powerful telescope and sees an object crash and leaves to go investigate. It turns out to be Ariel and her brother Bartow from another planet years in the future. When Doctor Octopus discovers their space ship can travel through time, he sets out to steal it.
Spidey, Firestar, Iceman assist Ariel and Bartow to find the chemicals they need to provide fuel for their ship. Spidey falls in love with Ariel while they are searching for cluvin. Doc Ock steals the ship and kidnaps Bartow who becomes very ill. Turns out Ariel and Bartow have no immune system to fight off germs. Spider Friends take on Doc Ock and rescues Bartow. Spidey decides to return to the future with Ariel.
Unique item: Cluvin, the Nebu Crab, the photon beam disintegrator
Unique event: NYC Zoo, outer space and a black hole
Notable quote: Firestar when hitting Doc Ock with heat rays, "Anyone want baked octopus." Also from Firestar, "Peter if you can, phone home."
So there you have it true believers, five of my favorite episodes of Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends. If you are looking for platforms to watch any of these episodes you can find it on Disney Plus (Missing the episode of the Quest of the Red Skull), Amazon, and You Tube. If you have not checked out our episode on Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends, you can find it below.