10 Best Moments From Spider-Man The Animated Series
5. Peter’s Transformation Into Man-Spider - Episode “Enter The Punisher”, Season 2
What if that spider bite did more to Peter than give him the proportionate strength of a spider and let him stick to walls? What if it did more?
What's fascinating about this sequence is that it is structured like a monster movie. From the Punisher entering the warehouse shrouded in shadow with only a flashlight to the cries of Spidey writhing in pain in the distance, it sets a great amount of tension. For a show that was famously hampered by such strict censorship, this was very impressive and helped create the right atmosphere for the creature they were debuting.
It's also a prime example of less is more; the glowing red eyes, the fangs, and snarls as he leaps at the camera in the closing moments, all partially masked by his sinister silhouette that helps to make this one heck of a cliffhanger, and one hell of scary moment for a kids show.
The scariest part was that Spider-Man, as we knew him, was gone, and we were left with this spider-creature. No Spider-Man to save the day, because Spidey himself was the danger now. It was genius, and created something genuinely frightening with both the character and the scenario.
Granted, once the Man-Spider appears in full in the next episode it reduces the scariness somewhat, but nothing compares to that first horrifying reveal that the episode's ending leaves you with. Spidey senses did indeed tingle!