10 Best Moments From Spider-Man The Animated Series

The man. The myth. The legend himself: Stan Lee! His inclusion in this series is a wonderful one. This moment rather appropriately comes at the series finale, and what a moment it is.

In some meta-writing at its finest, Peter is brought to a world where he's a character in fiction, leading to a brilliant meeting between creation and creator, with Spidey humorously "looking for some guy named 'Stan Lee?'" (oh writers, you cheeky minxes you). It's wonderfully heartwarming to be able to watch Spider-Man thank the man for who he is, and for this Stan, who gets to see how far the character he created all those years ago has come.

It's a great bit of commentary on who Spidey has become and how he's evolved since the early years. It's all utterly bonkers but is so spectacularly believable (in a universe you battle giant lizards of course) because of the terrific writing and respect for the character on display.

Also, kudos to the animators and artists for the spot-on design of Stan's character, and having Stan voice his character as well was awesome. It truly is a moment for the ages. Bonus points for Stan referring to Madame Webb as an "exotic lady" (voiced by Stan Lee's real-life wife, Joan Lee). It's a fun little Easter egg that's also worth mentioning.

Stan's tragic passing last year (may he rest in peace) does add its share of poignancy to this scene when watching it back, but it is no less a marvelous moment. Excelsior!