| This article is written from the Real World perspective |  |
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| Series | Spider-Man: The New Animated Series | ||||||||
| Release Date | August 22, 2003 | ||||||||
| Episode Number | 8 (Overall) | ||||||||
| Writer | Morgan Gendel Brian Michael Bendis Marsha Griffin | ||||||||
| Director | Audu Paden | ||||||||
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Peter Parker's friend Max Dillion tries to join a fraternity and becomes the target of a group of bullies. A prank designed to embarrass leads Max to become the vengeful and extremely deadly Electro. He will push his friendship with Peter Parker to their limits when he goes on a murderous rampage.
Story
High over New York City, Spider-Man is swinging through the busy streets. He swings down next to a taxi, does a flip, and swings back up.
The hero swings around a building and heads off towards the sounds of sirens. He goes past a Maximum Shock energy drink billboard.
He swings back towards the street past a black limousine.
Inside the limo, Max Dillon sits in the back with a helmet and blindfold taped to his head with two jocks sitting on either side. He asks why they are doing this to him. He is trying to look around terrified.
One of the jocks knocks on the helmet then asks the driver, Doug Reisman, if he is sure that Max cannot hear them. Doug explains that is what the helmet is for.
Doug then speaks up to all the Sigma Alpha Chi "wannabes" saying that is a one way trip to the Gamma Gamma Gamma sorority nude beer bash. When Max simply responds that he does not like this the three laugh.
Later, the three have stopped. Doug is on the sidewalk putting ketchup on his hot dog. He tells his friend that they're going to dump Max somewhere in the Bronx. His friend replies that they need to teach these kind of fools that they are not worthy of Sigma Chi.
The third friend, Gary, pops up near the limo claiming to be getting "loseritis." Doug apologizes saying that he is on "geek duty." He reminds Gary that it is a rented limo and he doesn't want Max wetting the seat.
Gary rolls his eyes then checks on Max, who is feeling around with his tied hands. He says that his kidnappers should not have done this. Gary pushes his head to the side and smiles. He watches as Max falls forward onto the floor.
He stands and complains that Max is squirming around. He does not notice Max reaching the driver seat and starting the vehicle. Doug claims that he's not going anywhere.
Inside, Max shifts the car into gear. The three watch as it squeals away. Gary stands in the street pointing out that Doug is wrong.
Max, now sitting in the driver's seat, tries to steer with his hands tied and helmet still on.
While going under the elevated train line, he accidentally steers towards a couple. They scream and jump out of the way as he races by them.
He knocks over a trash can then pops a wheelie while going up on the curb. He races through a busy intersection then slams against the side of a taxi.
Inside, the crash makes Max slam his head on the steering wheel. He falls to the seat as he passes out. His foot presses down on the gas and the limo races down the wrong side of the street.
On a nearby roof, the unmasked Spider-Man has one shoe off and is taking the other one off as well. His backpack lays nearby. His Spider-Sense goes off and he looks towards the sound of the limo and sighs.
The limo continues racing through the traffic, weaving in between cars, and slams against a center divider. Spider-Man swings behind it and lands commenting that in New York nothing beats the subway.
He looks in the windshield and sees Max unconscious. He punches the window and cracks it, but hurts his hand.
Just then he hears a scream and looks up. The limo drives onto the sidewalk narrowly missing pedestrians. It hits the building and Spider-Man is thrown off the car.
He swings back on after grabbing the hood then kicks in the window. Glass sprays over Max. He grabs the wheel and tries to drive while backwards. He swerves through an intersection and apologizes.
Just then the car starts hitting traffic cones. He turns and sees they are driving into a construction zone. The car hits the edge and falls over into a large pit being filled with wet concrete.
Spider-Man leaps onto the trunk before it lands. He looks through the rear window and tells Max not to worry. Max wakes and finds himself covered in concrete.
Spider-Man opens the trunk and crawls in. Max manages to get the helmet off then sees that he is covered in concrete. Spider-Man breaks through to the cab area. Wet concrete covers the rear window.
Outside, Doug and his friends run up to the edge. An officer keeps bystanders back. They watch as the limo slowly sinks. The two friends look at each other while Doug scowls at the ruined rental.
Out of the trunk, Spider-Man reaches up and shoots a webline to a crane above.
Meanwhile, the officer keeps Doug back. Spider-Man pulls himself and Max out of the car as it sinks below. Sirens begin to approach.
Spider-Man sets Max on a metal beam and asks if he is okay and if he knows who did this to him. Max yells out that he does not then breaks the tape holding his hands. He slams his hands onto the vertical beam scaring some pigeons away.
Later at Empire State University, Professor Williams is standing before her class wishing to discuss alkoxymercuration, which she claims her class should know about if they read the chapters.
Somewhere on campus, Spider-Man leaps over a gap between two buildings. The students below do not notice him.
In the classroom, one of the students gets so bored he falls asleep. His head drops and he is quickly woken up. Williams continues saying that alkoxymercuration involves the addition of mercury.
On a blazing hot roof, Spider-Man struggles to take off his shoes while trying to run along. Willaims continues with the lecture while Peter climbs over the side of a building into an open window, unnoticed by two women.
The students in the class sit bored. She continues talking about a bond with alcohol. Peter runs through the halls as fast as he can. He then peaks in on the class.
Williams asks what the result of her lecture is and turns around. Peter, sitting in the front row, raises his hand and answers that it is ether.
She walks over to his table and leans against it saying that while he is correct she does not accept tardiness. Peter apologizes and claims that he overslept.
Williams wonders how he overslept for a three o'clock class, causing chuckles from the students. Peter goes on to claim that he needs a new alarm clock.
She rolls her eyes then dismisses them telling the students to study their Periodic Tables. She warns them to prepare for a discussion on oxidation. Students in the back begin to leave.
She asks Peter if he will join them. He claims he will but she scowls and walks away. Peter looks down depressed.
Later, Peter and Harry Osborn are walking down the halls together. Peter is complaining because he begged The Daily Bugle to give him an actual job rather than a freelance position. When Harry asks how they responded, Peter claims he was told that McDonald's is hiring all shifts. Harry is happy at the idea of all the fries they could eat.
Mary Jane Watson runs between and takes each by the arm. She is amazed that Harry is out of bed before six in the evening.
She then asks Harry if he wants to come to the Sigma party that night. Peter, walking just behind them, wonders what party they are referring to. Ignoring him, Harry says he is going and asks if she is. She says she is.
They stop at the stairs and Peter once again asks about the party. She says that it makes little difference to him since he's always unavailable anytime anyone asks him to do anything.
Peter says that is not always true. Harry pipes up saying there is a party at the Sigmas and asks if he can come. Peter sighs and says he has to study, then walks down the stairs. He says he will try to make it late.
Harry claims he won't come. Peter retorts that he said he would, but even Mary Jane claims he won't. Peter walks away asking if he is suddenly invisible.
Out in the quad, Peter is getting coffee from a stand. A television shows the news, with the reporter saying that the police are investigating Spider-Man's involvement in the runaway vehicle. Peter says he wants a break, even a little one.
Max walks up behind him claiming that Spider-Man needs a publicist. Peter agrees, then asks if he is okay after noticing the big bruise on his forehead. Max says it depends on the definition of okay.
Peter asks what happened and Max points to the news report showing Spider-Man pulling Max out of the limo. Peter turns and fakes being surprised that Max was there. Max points out he was in the car.
They walk away and Max slams his coffee cup into the trash. Peter asks who would do that. Max says he does not know because of the duct tape and helmet. He claims he was nabbed in an alley on campus near the quad.
Max feels it was some "a-wipe" on campus, claiming it is full of them. Max points out that sometimes college feels like high school all over again. He just wants to not be a pinata for once. Peter repeats some phrase that college is high school with ashtrays.
Just then, Max notices Doug and his friends approaching claiming that Doug knows how to be cool. Doug smiles and continues towards Max while the other two walk away.
Max fixes his hair and approaches Doug. Peter tries to stop him but Max leaves anyways. Max stops Doug to say hello. Doug wonders what he wants.
Max puts out his hand for a shake, that Doug ignores, and claims that he is pledging with them then corrects that he is hoping to pledge. Peter rolls his eyes then approaches Max. Max continues saying that it is Rush Week on campus.
Peter puts his hand on Max's shoulder but is brushed off. He tries tapping Max but is again brushed off. Doug checks his nails claiming that Sigma is a great house that Max should definitely shoot for.
Peter taps again but Max continues brushing him off. He awkwardly continues that he is just there to say hi to Doug. Getting the hint, Peter then turns to leave.
Doug then asks what the guy's name is getting Max flustered. Doug moved around Max towards his approaching friends to tell him about the party tonight. He suggests Max come by, getting his friends surprised. He suggest Max bring some food like a casserole or something.
When Max asks if he is serious, Doug says he is not. Peter then approaches as Max confirms he will be there. Peter tells him they should go, but Max would rather spend his time with Doug.
Doug asks Peter if there is a problem. Peter claims that the problem was about to go away. Suddenly, Max backs off as the three Sigma members surround Peter.
Doug approaches Peter and sneers down at him then turns. Just then Peter's Spider-Sense goes off and Doug turns to punch him. Peter looks around and sees all three coming in with closed fists.
Peter easily leaps over the three of them as they punch each other. He turns and sees the three staring at him. He comments that he was looking too good for the supposedly meek Peter Parker.
He puts his fists up readying for combat as the three approach. Doug approaches and throws another punch. His Spider-Sense goes off but instead Peter lowers his hands and lets the attack land.
Later, Peter is on the ground and the three are gone. Max approaches and Peter asks for them to go as the three were not worth their time. Max believes he is jealous that they wanted him and not Peter.
He throws Peter's book at him ordering him to stay out of it then leaves.
That night in their apartment, Harry drops an olive into his martini. At their library, Peter comments that Harry is living 007's life.
Harry descends the stairs while Peter comments that he is a Sigma just like Doug. Harry claim it is a "time-honored Osborn family tradition" to join an obnoxious fraternity in order to gain the people skills to take over a corporation so he can drink martinis before dinner.
Harry stops saying that he does not know how that story is supposed to end since Spider-Man killed his father. He claims he just spend the process up then walks to the door.
Harry then invites him once again to the party at Sigma Alpha Chi. Peter says he would like to except he made such a big mistake with Professor Williams' class that day.
He leaves Peter to their home, and notes that he and Mary Jane have a bet on whether Peter will show up or not. Harry says he has twenty-five dollars on Peter not showing up and wonders why Mary Jane believes in him.
At the Sigma house, the lights cover everyone in blue and red lights while the music pounds. Gary welcomes someone into the house. Everywhere people are dancing, talking, and drinking. One girl pushes a guy away from her.
Gary and his friend carry Doug through the house. They pass Max standing next to a pillar who says hello but is ignored.
Nearby, Harry asks who the lonely guy is. Mary Jane explains his name is Max and went to high school with them. Harry claims he must not have made much of an impression, and Mary Jane retorts that Max is harmless.
Some people dance near Max who is bouncing his head with the music. He stops when he notices the beautiful Sally Johnson looking at him. She looks down and smiles at him.
Max starts to approach but a hand grabs him. The man in the robe, Gary and Doug's friend, tells him he has been selected to enter the inner sanctum of the Sigma's council. He walks away ordering Max to follow.
Max turns back to Sally who smiles. He smiles back and gives her a thumbs up. As he turns he walks into the pillar then follows.
In the basement, a group of men stand around Doug all wearing robes and holding candles. Max walks into the group and they surround him. Doug explains that this is the inner circle of the Sigma council.
The group kneel before Doug. Max hunches over to bow. Doug goes on to say that they all swore an oath to protect their brotherhood and asks if Max understands. He smiles and says he does.
Doug asks if Max is ready to receive their judgement and Max says he is. He then asks his brothers what they think of Max.
The group holds out their hand with thumbs extended, which they all point down. Max looks around shocked. Doug orders them to commence with the rejection ritual.
The group stands and turn their back to Max then blow out their candles.
Someone flips a light switch and Max finds himself backed against a wall. In front of him is the group all holding paintball guns. Doug claims that it sucks to be Max.
At once the fraternity brothers begin firing. Max is pelted in the face with the small balls of paint. He turns but they shoot his back. They continue shooting him in the face, hands, and back.
Outside, lightning strikes nearby as a storm gathers.
Inside, Max bursts through the basement door. He walks out and approaches Sally and Mary Jane. Mary Jane asks what is wrong. However, the house bursts into laughter and applause at Max.
Overhead, thunder roars as more lightning strikes the city.
Max curses the group and runs out. Mary Jane calls out to him but turns to see the crowd.
In a nearby alley, Max bursts through the door into the rain. He berates himself for being stupid and walks out into the street. A car beeps their horn as it passes him.
Max pauses on the other side of the street crying. He looks up and sees a neon sign that says "MAX".
He climbs up a ladder and sees the glowing billboard for Maximum Shock as the rain stops. He picks up a piece of trash and throws it at the sign. It cracks and sprays neon gas all over him.
Just then, a bolt of lightning strikes the generator powering the sign. Electricity engulfs the sign and it explodes knocking Max back.
As he flies back, a bolt of lightning strikes him. His body begins to glow as it falls. Overhead debris from the sign rains down.
The alley glows with blue light as Max gently floats down and stops mid-air. His body though naked now pulses with electricity while his hair stands on end. He looks up and screams as electricity fills his mouth.
Overhead, lightning streaks across the sky. Max, now Electro, rises up in the alley. He raises his hands and charges them with electricity.
In the party, people continue to dance. One guy sitting on a couch pulls a woman over to kiss her.
Electro floats out of an alley into the courtyard near the Sigma house. He sees the Sigma's sign and scowls, causing his eyes to glow white.
As the party continues, one man on the upper floor throws a football down to someone below. Just then the lights flicker and go out. Harry and Mary Jane look up and he wonders "what the Hell" is going on.
Suddenly lightning streaks across the windows shattering them. Everyone looks at the doors that have become engulfed in electricity. Doug runs out from somewhere and shield his eyes.
In their apartment, Peter is pacing back and forth. He asks himself why he cannot simply go to a party like everyone else. He looks down at the far away floor noting he is not like everyone else. He leaps down feeling the X-Men get to go to parties.
Landing on the floor, he asks if the world would end if Spider-Man took one night off. He hears screaming outside and looks out the window. He feels the point has been made and leaves.
Spider-Man leaps up the tower and out the window. He leaps down and swings over the street.
Back at the party, the doors suddenly burst in. Electro floats down into the doorway. The crowd turns to see and Doug wonders what that is.
Electro floats in saying he is not a what but a who. He turns seeing Doug and scowls. He raises his arm and Doug looks shocked.
Electro fires a flurry of electricity at Doug raising him to the roof. The others can do nothing but look on. Doug cries out in pain.
Sally runs up begging Electro to stop. She grabs his leg but is knocked back by the power. She falls into Mary Jane's arms and collapses.
Electro watches stunned, claiming he did not mean to hurt her. Getting angry, he turns to Doug and strengthens his attack claiming the fraternity leader did this to him. He then tosses Doug over their heads through a window outside.
Doug struggles to get up as Electro floats to him. He looks up shocked to see the powerful villain nearby. Electro claims it sucks to be Doug. Doug can do nothing but stare.
Electro fires again lifting him up. Harry, Mary Jane, Gary, and Doug's other friend look out the door to see the action.
Doug writhes in pain until he falls still. Electro stops his attack and lets the man drop. The others stare in shock.
A man checks on Doug's body but flees when Electro approaches. Electro raises his powered fists claiming that he hates all of them.
Just then, Spider-Man webs his hands saying it's "lights out time." Electro turns and tries to fire but the webs block his attack.
Spider-Man leaps down and swings over to a lamppost. Electro floats over then struggles to burn off the webbing. Spider-Man jokes that he should have been around for the last energy crisis.
Electro fires a blast of electricity but Spider-Man swings off the post before the power causes the light bulb to explode. He lands on the opposite building complaining that Electro isn't civic minded.
Electro fires more blasts and Spider-Man dodges them. He leaps down and Electro orders him to stay out of his way. Spider-Man agrees to but not before punching him.
Electro is knocked back but so is the shocked Spider-Man. Electro scowls at the hero who leaps up swinging off the posts. In nearby buildings, people watch the battle.
The villain attacks and while Spider-Man leaps out of the way the blast knocks him into a nearby window. He apologizes to the girl inside sitting on her bed.
With the hero apparently gone, Electro turns his attention back to the people at the party. They flee from him as he approaches while he charges his hands.
Spider-Man leaps out the window and webs Electro's feet. He lands on a nearby car and pulls Electro to the ground. Electricity pours from Electro and his body begins to shrivel. Spider-Man pulls him closer to the car.
Electro struggles as his body continues to shrivel. He turns and grabs the webbing, electrifying it, and knocking the hero back. Spider-Man slams into a balcony and collapses.
Electro floats over the courtyard then looks up to see power lines. He smiles and floats up to them. Spider-Man struggles to get up.
The villain grabs a power line then rips it apart. Energy courses from the lines into Electro renewing his body. He drops the lines and they falls to the courtyard.
He looks down cursing those remaining for believing that he could not have been one of them. Suddenly he sees the people morph into more versions of Doug. He claims they didn't believe he was good enough for them.
He powers up his hands threatening to have them join his "club" and fires down on them. The blasts cause large explosions down below. Gary, running behind his friend and Sally, is knocked away by one.
Spider-Man pardons himself then punches Electro onto a rooftop. He shakes his web-covered hand noting that it still hurt.
He leaps to the roof and asks "Sparky" what his deal is. Electro gets angry and fires a blast. Spider-Man leaps down and dodges. Electro keeps firing but Spider-Man easily dodges the attacks.
The hero leaps behind the villain and punches him in the head knocking him against a wall. He hears Electro crying and leaps over to him. He turns the villain around and realizes that he is Max.
He asks his friend what happened. Electro just replies that "they" don't know nor understand. Spider-Man backs off telling him that he cannot hurt innocent people. Electro stands claiming that no one is innocent.
Electro fires at Spider-Man knocking him into a wall. The web gloves burn off as he collapses. He floats over to the edge claiming he has the power now and fires at the people down below.
Spider-Man stands and leaps at Electro. The two land on the ground and electricity flies all around them. He tells Electro that he knows what it is like. As his body shrivels once again, Electro claims he does not and blasts Spider-Man with electricity.
Spider-Man rears his head as electricity flows through him showing his skeleton.
He looks down as sees the hatch for the electric transformer with electricity going into it. He looks in and realizes there is a ground wire at the bottom.
Spider-Man punches through the hatch and grabs the wire. Electro raises his hand and burns Spider-Man across the chest causing a large gash. The hero then plugs the ground wire into Electro's neck.
Electro screams out in pain as he becomes absorbed by the wire. Spider-Man watches in shock as his friend and foe slowly disappears. Electro slowly dissolves until he disappears. The last of him is a small spark going through the wire.
He calls out to Max but is interrupted by the nearby crowd cheering him. They are all standing there clapping, except for Harry. He calls them all idiots for not seeing Spider-Man for who he truly is, a murderer. Mary Jane stops him and tells him to follow.
Just then, police surround Spider-Man pointing their guns at him. The lead officer orders his hands in the air, then claims he is a "mutant freak." Spider-Man points out he is a hero who saved them all, but the officer orders him on the ground.
Spider-Man curses then leaps up onto the building. The officers start firing but he jumps over the roof and away.
He leaps across the street onto his apartment building and climbs up to the tower. He lands on a gargoyle then lowers his head. He takes off his mask looking sad and shaken.
On some later day, a reporter explains that the police are looking for Spider-Man to question him about the incident. She goes on to say that witnesses claim that Spider-Man prevented more deaths. A woman watches several television sets through a store window.
Elsewhere at a cemetery, Douglas M. Reisman's headstone is erected. It shows that he was born in 1982 and died in 2003 at the age of twenty-one, and that he was a "Beloved Son." A rose tops the grave marker.
Peter, Mary Jane, and Harry stand around the newly buried grave. Mary Jane wishes never to see anyone die again. She claims that "the creature" had a lot of hate in his eyes. Peter claims he must have just missed it. Harry notes that while Doug angered a lot of people he did not deserve to get electrocuted.
The three walk away. The three stop and Harry and Mary Jane note what Peter said. Peter claims he got there late like he said he would and couldn't find them.
Mary Jane smiles and smacks Harry noting that he owes her for the bet. Harry tries to get out of it saying that all Hell broke loose so it does not count.
Peter doesn't care, just glad that the two made it out alive. Just then the lamps come on. Mary Jane notes that they are closing up and should leave.
When Peter doesn't follow, Mary Jane asks if he is coming. He says he will soon but stares at Doug's grave. The two leave.
Peter stands there alone thinking that sometimes doing the right thing does not always make a hero. He hopes that wherever Max is that he has found some peace. He walks off.
The lamp closest to Doug's grave suddenly turns blue and sparks come out while Electro's laugh is heard.
Quotes
"Why are you doing this to me? Why?"
"I know he can't see us. Are you sure he can't hear?"
"That's what the helmet's for. Attention all Sigma Alpha Chi wannabes, this is your one way trip to the Gamma Gamma Gamma sorority nude beer bash. Anybody interested?"
"I don't know who you are, but I do not like this."
- -Max Dillon, Gary, and Doug Reisman, first lines
"You shouldn't have done this. I am so sick of this sorta thing!"
"Whatever."
- -Max Dillon and Gary
"Doug, he's squirming around back here."
"He's not going anywhere." [Limo drives off]
"Um, wrong."
- -Gary and Doug Reisman
"When are people gonna learn? It's New York. Nothing beats the subway."
- -Spider-Man
"What the Hell!? This is concrete!"
- -Max Dillon
"You okay? Any idea who did this to you?"
"No!"
- -Spider-Man and Max Dillon
"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Let's knock our brilliant heads together and discuss alkoxymercuration. Alkoxymercuration. Of course I don't have to tell you any of this because you all read your chapters. But alkoxymercuration involves the addition of mercury. Mercury and an alkoxy group to a double bond proceeds by the formation of sequent mercurinium ion. Usually by a solution of mercurite acetate and an alcohol. The alcohol attacks the more highly substitute carbon. We then follow this sodium boralhydride induction. Does anyone know what the result of..."
"Ether."
"Excuse me?"
"The result is ether, Doctor Williams."
"Yes, Mister Parker. The result is ether. But that doesn't change the fact that I find lateness completely unacceptable."
"I apologize. I...overslept."
"For a three o'clock class?"
"I think I need a new alarm clock...actually."
- -Williams and Peter Parker
"Hot roof. Hot roof. Ow!"
- -Spider-Man
"Wow. Is that Harry Osborn awake before six P.M.?"
"Yeah, what's up with that?"
- -Mary Jane Watson and Harry Osborn
"There's a party?"
"Hello. What's the diff, Pete? Anytime anyone anywhere asks you anything you're like unavailable."
"Not always."
"Ah, okay. Hey, Pete. There's a party tonight at the Sigmas. Wanna come?"
"I gotta study. How about if I come late?"
"Not coming."
"I'm serious."
"He is so not coming."
"Yeah, unless later means [together] Never."
"Hello. I said I'm coming. What am I, invisible?"
- -Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, and Harry Osborn
"Are you okay?"
"Depends on how you define okay."
- -Peter Parker and Max Dillon
"Peter, sometimes this whole college thing feels like high school all over again. For once I'd just like to...I-I don't know. Not be a human pinata."
"Yeah, you know what they say 'College is just high school with ashtrays'."
- -Max Dillon and Peter Parker
"Come on, Max. Let's go."
"I'm talking to people."
- -Peter Parker and Max Dillon
"Let's get outta here, Max. Those guys aren't worth it."
"Why? Because they wanted me instead of you!? Stay out of it, Peter."
- -Peter Parker and Max Dillon
"Hey Harry, Double-O Seven called. He wants his life back."
"Osborn, Harry Osborn."
- -Peter Parker and Harry Osborn
"I can't believe you're in the same fraternity as that loser Doug Reisman."
"It's a time-honored Osborn family tradition. Join an obnoxious fraternity, learn the people skills necessary to take control of a multinational corporation, start having martinis every night before dinner."
[Sarcastically] "That's a great story. Can you tell it again?"
"Course. I don't know what's supposed to happen next on account of Spider-Man murdering my father. So I just accelerated the whole process."
- -Peter Parker and Harry Osborn
"Max Dillon. Surrounding you is the sacred inner circle of the Sigma Grand Council, charged with the solemn responsibility of selecting those who shall become our brothers for life. Each has sworn an oath to protect the ranks of the Sigma brotherhood."
- -Doug Reisman
"Sucks to be you."
- -Dough Reisman
"I hope you all rot and die!"
- -Max Dillon
"I'm so stupid. Oh God. I'm so stupid."
- -Max Dillon, last lines
"This isn't studying. It should be no big. Why not go to a party like everyone else? Just cause I'm not like everyone else. I bet the X-Men get to go to parties. Would the world like come to an end if Spider-Man took one lousy night off? [Hears screaming] Okay, you've made your point."
- -Peter Parker
"What is that?"
"Not what. Who!"
- -Doug Reisman, last line, and Electro, first line
"NO! PLEASE STOP!" [Shocked back]
"No, I didn't mean to. [To Doug] You turned me into this!"
- -Sally Johnson, only line, and Electro
"Sucks to be you."
- -Electro
"I hate you all!"
"It's lights out time, Static-Man."
- -Electro and Spider-Man
"Cute trick. Where were you when we had an energy crisis?"
- -Spider-Man
"Stay out of my way."
"Deal. Right after this." [Punches Electro]
- -Electro and Spider-Man
"You are grounded! In more ways than one."
- -Spider-Man
"You didn't think I could be one of you! Didn't think I was good enough! Let's see how you like joining my club!"
- -Electro
"Excuse me." [Punches Electro] "Seriously, ow!"
- -Spider-Man
"My God! Max? What's happened..."
"They don't know. They don't understand."
"Max, you can't do this to innocent people!"
"No one is innocent! NO ONE! Look who's got power NOW!"
- -Spider-Man and Electro
"Max! It doesn't have to be like this. I know...what it's like."
"NO! YOU! DON'T!"
- -Spider-Man and Electro
"Max..."
- -Spider-Man
"Idiots! They have no idea what he really is. Murderer!"
- -Harry Osborn
"Hands in the air! I mean it, mutant freak!"
"Hello. Good guy. Saved your butts. Me."
"On the ground! Now!"
"Dammit!"
- -Police Officer and Spider-Man
"I hope I never have to see anything like that again. If you could've seen the hate in that...that creature's eyes."
"I must've just missed it."
"Doug sure pissed off a lot of folks, but he didn't deserve to get fried."
- -Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker, and Harry Osborn
"Ever wonder what my life is like? It's like this. Choosing the side of good doesn't necessarily make you a hero. Not with everyone. On the other hand, there are worse fates. I just hope that wherever Max is, he's finally found some peace."
- -Peter Parker inner monologue
Trivia
- Doug bears a slight resemblance to Bruce Campbell, especially with his chin, who appeared in the first three Spider-Man films.
- In reality, there is no Sigma Alpha Chi fraternity but there is an Alpha Chi Sigma that focuses on those interested in chemistry-related careers. The order of the Greek letters in the series does correspond to the reorganized letters of the real organization.
- There is no Gamma Gamma Gamma sorority in real life. Doug may have been making it up or it exists within the series.
- All the formulas in Williams' projections are real, taken from a high school chemistry textbook.
- Doug's mention of casserole is actually a reference to Aunt May's famous casseroles from the comics.
- When Peter compares Harry to James Bond, Harry is stirring his martini. Bond orders his martinis shaken because the alcohol is less potent than stirred when prepared that way. Harry obviously wants the alcoholic effect.
- Francesca, Harry's girlfriend mentioned throughout the series, is the one who pushes the guy away at the party.
- Sally has only one line of dialogue in this episode.
- Spider-Man calls Electro "Static-Man." Static is a DC Comics superhero who can control electricity. Additionally, he had a show called Static Shock going on at the same time Spider-Man: The New Animated Series was being produced and aired.
- Spider-Man flies through a window similar to a shot in the college film Animal House. The girl is actually the one Peter buys coffee from when he meets up with Max.
- The coffee girl has a lava lamp in her room. Sally has the same in hers.
- The end scene is very similar to the one from the first Spider-Man film with the cemetery and Peter having an inner monologue about the difficulties of being a hero.
Goofs
- When Max drives away, there is an SUV parked right behind Gary while the same car drives by.
- When the limo crashes, Max is back in the upright driving position.
- The footage the new report shows is episode footage and could not have been gotten since there was no camera on the limo roof.
- The tremendous thunderstorm appears only when Max runs out and disappears just after he is transformed.
- The dramatic thunderstorm dumped a lot of rain yet nothing ever appears wet afterwards.
- Unless some of the letters in the Maximum Shock billboard were going in and out, he should have seen more than just the first three.
- The car Spider-Man stands on when first grounding Electro was not there in any previous shot nor is there any road or parking shown to get it there.
- The power lines that Electro uses to recharge were not seen before or after.
- When battling on the roof, there are some production numbers in black seen in the lower right corner that tick off.
Continuity
- Max Dillon first appeared in the previous episode "Head Over Heels".
- Only appearance of Doug. Gary and the unnamed black friend are generic character models and often appear as extras. The black friend reappears and again is voiced by Rino Romano in "When Sparks Fly".
- Sally is not named in this episode.
- Only mention of the X-Men and mutants in the series. What Peter is referring to is that since the X-Men are a team they probably have their own parties. Because they are mutants, they would actually not be invited to many non-mutant parties.
- Max is turned into Electro.
- Spider-Man calls Electro "Static Man." In "When Sparks Fly", he calls him "Static-Boy."
- Sally last appeared in "Heroes and Villains" and next appears in the episode "Flash Memory".
- "When Sparks Fly" directly deals with the fallout of this episode featuring Electro's return, his love for Sally, and Max's appreciation for Williams.
- The next time the cemetery would be seen is in "Mind Games, Part One" as part of a fantasy where Mary Jane died.
- The episode, and likely much of the series, takes place in 2003.
Background
This was the first episode written, storyboarded, produced, and in some countries was the first episode aired. The producers call it the "laboratory" episode as it helped them figure out the art direction for the series. The episode pioneered many techniques that the later episodes would simply copy. The animators do admit that nearly every single scene of the episode generated its own problems.
The original model for Max had zits.
The models for Max and Peter are the same from the neck down.
The look of the elevated train tracks is actually inspired by Chicago's E-Train system even though New York does have their own E-Trains.
The limo was originally to sink into the Hudson River. However, animators realized that wet concrete would be much easier to animate.
Visually, ESU is a composite of Columbia University and New York University.
The projections on Professor Williams proved difficult for the animators because she moves so much.
The scene of Spider-Man running across the hot roof comes from Ultimate Spider-Man #22.
The walk down the hall after the science lecture was one of the first scenes built. Hence why the shot has nothing outside the windows.
The scene where Peter confronts Doug and his friends was animated a second time to give the background skyscrappers in order to give a Manhattan feel to it. The New York skyline was not yet completed for the first animation.
The slow motion for the Spider-Sense was in keeping with the live-action film.
The close-up shot of the olive entering the martini started what the producers call the "Martini Shot." In order to make transitions more interesting, they wanted to do this shot and trick audiences into thinking it was meteor that would slowly reveal itself to be an olive. They then decided that every episode should have some kind of interesting transition like that, which usually became the most difficult shot. Most are usually one shape that transforms into something else similar or the background around a character changing. Another example is the transition between when Doug is driving the limo and putting condiments on his hot dog. For the actual martini shot, there were twenty-three layers in order to get the movement of the liquid. A bug forced the glass to be split into two layers, though technology since could allow for a similar shot with a one-layered glass. It only lasts ten seconds. It is one of the most complex shots Mainframe Entertainment ever did up to that point.
The railing in the apartment blends from Spider-Man red to Green Goblin green hinting at the events of the film and Harry's possible future.
The blue and red of the party allowed the animators to easily light so many characters. They could discard the original color model and simply use the silhouette with the blue and red. The animators note that a white shirt in red light would look pink, but changes in computer generated animation allowed them to do it this way.
The paintballs were used in order to mimic the original character's star-shaped mask.
In the first script, Max was going to be hit by a car after he fled the party. In the episode, he is nearly hit by a car.
Electro was going to have a more yellow hue, but the animators felt he looked too much like a zombie.
Electro slashes Spider-Man across the chest causing the same wound that was first caused by Shikata in "The Sword of Shikata". This is because, for ease of animation, Spider-Man always has all the wounds he gets for the entire series and they are covered up. Every cut across his chest is actually the same wound revealed underneath. There are about twenty different injuries built into the model that are otherwise invisible.
Shots from this episode that are included in the opening credits include Spider-Man jumping on the limo, Max being hit with lightning after being thrown off the roof, Electro's first scream, and Spider-Man taking off his mask after the battle with Electro. The main titles were actually the last thing created for the series.
The skyline seen across the water from the cemetery is actually a flat painting and not the New York model. This was because the city model had not been completed yet. Actually, this allowed the animators greater freedom and often used paintings instead of the 3D model for backgrounds.
The Seattle Space Needle can be seen in the skyline at the end.
The episode was first aired in the United States on August 22, 2003 after "Royal Scam" and before "Flash Memory". It aired three weeks after its sequel "When Sparks Fly". The episode is set after "Head Over Heels", Max's introduction, and before "Flash Memory".
Reaction
Stu of Marvel Animation Age felt the episode was one of the series' worst. He claimed the episode used every cliche. He noted the animation, while good, was not up to the quality the show would have in later episodes and the fights were not as dramatic. He felt the lighting was distracting. He claimed that the series normally witty and clever dialogue was lacking here. He enjoyed Harry but not Mary Jane or Peter's dialogue. He did feel the episode picked up with the fight scenes. He claimed the 3D animation made it impossible to not like Spider-Man and the city. He felt the fight scenes and web slinging scenes were fantastic. He loved the moment when Spider-Man punched Electro. He liked that the episode wasn't as open-ended as many superhero cartoons are. He did claim that "When Sparks Fly" was the better of the two Electro related episodes. "Overall, an incredibly cliched plot, tired dialogue and dull characterization for the main trio of characters which is saved by the fight scenes and the featured villain."
The episode has a 6.8 on the Internet Movie Database and 8.5 on TV.com.