Spider-Man is an American animated television series, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. A replacement for the previous series Ultimate Spider-Man, the first season premiered on August 19, 2017, on Disney XD.[1][2] The show was subtitled Marvel's Spider-Man: Maximum Venom for its third season,[3] which premiered on April 19, 2020.[4]
Gifted teenager Peter Parker is given superpowers when he is bitten by a radioactive spider during a school field trip to Oscorp Industries. After the death of his Uncle Ben by a burglar that he hesitated to stop at a wrestling arena, Peter comes to his own terms of being the superhero Spider-Man. Sometime later, Peter begins learning how to balance his crime-fighting career with his new enrollment at Horizon High, a school for students with genius-level intellect run by headmaster Max Modell. Joining Peter in his ordeals against Norman Osborn, Jackal, and numerous other villains are his classmates Gwen Stacy, Miles Morales (who develops powers similar to Peter's and becomes the Ultimate Spider-Man), and Anya Corazon, as well as his best friend Harry Osborn (who eventually becomes the superhero Hobgoblin).[1]
Besides Norman and Jackal, other villains introduced this season include Doctor Octopus, Vulture, Venom, Rhino, the Smythes (Spencer and Alistair), Hammerhead, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, A.I.M., Curt Connors, Sandgirl (a villainous version of Keemia Alvarado), Scorpion, and Crossbones. Other characters introduced in this season include May Parker, Flash Thompson, Liz Allan, Randy Robertson, Robbie Robertson, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and Sandman.
Taking place a few months after the previous season, Peter navigates through his sophomore year while contending with Doctor Octopus' plot of becoming the Superior Spider-Man by possessing his body. Convinced by Peter's memories of Uncle Ben into seeing the error of his ways, Otto Octavius eventually reverses the body-swap and works to restore Peter's relationships with his peers while reforming himself as an ally to Spider-Man. Towards the end of the season, Spider-Man and company discover the existence of a cult-like organization led by Adrian Toomes (under his new alter-ego the Goblin King) calling themselves the Goblin Nation, armed with the same kind of Goblin technology used by Norman.[5]
During this season, Peter gains a career at the Daily Bugle, Anya becomes Spider-Girl when her Spider Powers from the "Spider-Island" incident resurface, Gwen becomes Ghost-Spider after her Spider Powers are awakened by the Blood Gem relic, and Spider-Man forms a "Spider Team" with his inner circle.
This season introduces more villains, including Chameleon, Electro, Silvermane, Regent, Beetle, Silver Sable, Tinkerer, Monica Rappaccini, MODOK, Slyde, Eddie Brock, and the Wake Riders (a variation of the Vulturions). Other characters introduced in this season include Anna Maria Marconi, Cloak, Dagger, Ms. Marvel, Yuri Watanabe, Prowler, Abraham Brown, Captain America, J. Jonah Jameson, Grady Scraps, Captain Marvel, and an original character called Nocturnal.
Taking place two weeks after the previous season, Spider-Man uncovers two separate plots centered on Venom. The most prominent is helping Max Modell save the Earth from an invasion of Klyntar summoned by Venom. The secondary plot is a conspiracy helmed by Dr. Connors to frame Max for Venom's actions. It is eventually discovered that Norman Osborn has been pulling the strings behind both Connors and Venom's actions following his near-death during the first-season finale. Backed up by Hobgoblin, the Spider Team is able to expose Norman's conspiracy, resulting in Max regaining his job from Connors. Though they are able to permanently vanquish Venom and his fellow Klyntar, the Spider Team's victory comes at the cost of demolishing Horizon High. To keep the spirit of their former school alive, they convince Iron Man to help them fund a tech laboratory called Worldwide Engineering Brigade "W.E.B." at an abandoned warehouse, with Peter believing that a bright future is ahead of them.
During this season, Max admits to being aware of Spider-Man's identity since the downfall of the Goblin Nation, Gwen and Anya become aware of Spider-Man's identity and vice versa thanks to Connors' manipulations, Norman is temporarily resurrected as the Dark Goblin (a hybrid of Venom and Jackal's DNA inspired by the Green Goblin) before being reverted moments later, and Peter befriends Mary Jane Watson.
Besides Dark Goblin, other villains introduced in this season includes Scream, Scorn, Mania, Swarm (who is actually Jefferson Davis), Tarantula and Baron Mordo. Other characters introduced in this season include Ironheart, Totally Awesome Hulk, Doctor Strange, Star-Lord, Groot, Marc Spector, Anti-Venom, and Thor.