In the evening of the same day, Peter and MJ visit doctor Connors at his lab in order to ask him — as the closest person Parker has to father — to give the bride away at the wedding. However, their meeting is interrupted by sudden arrival of a trio of lizardmen, with clear intent of abducting Connors, whom they call "father". Despite Spider-Man's best efforts, both Curt and Mary Jane are captured and brought underground into the sewers. Fortunately, Peter manages to locate them via tracking device he gave to MJ earlier.
It turns out that during one of Connors' experiments, he accidentally let the serum based on his DNA into the sewers when he disposed of it into the sink. The serum was later drank by lizards dwelling there and caused them to mutate into humanoid, intelligent reptiles. As he and Mary Jane are led through the sewers, the stress from the situation causes Connors to partially transform into Lizard and attack their captors, allowing MJ to escape. Spider-Man arrives on the scene shortly thereafter and gets Mary Jane out of the sewers, but is unable to save Connors, who — after he and Parker are both ambushed by more lizardmen — transforms into Lizard fully. Overwhelmed, Peter is taken captive along with Gila, female lizard who tried to defend him from her kin.
Meanwhile, Mary Jane visits Martha Connors, who plays back a recorded message from her husband, informing her that in case of Lizard's eventual return, Curt created a device he called genetic neutron bomb, which would destroy the Lizard permanently, killing his human self in the process. Unwilling to let her husband die, Martha seeks help from Debra Whitman, who manages to modify the bomb so that it would revert the mutation process.
Back in the sewers, Spider-Man and Gila are forced to fight against lizardmen gladiators on a makeshift arena. Peter defeats his adversaries easily, but once Lizard himself joins the battle, things get more difficult. At the same time, Mary Jane, Martha and Debra intervene, having brought the modified genetic neutron bomb with them. After short struggle, the device is ultimately activated by Gila, reverting her and other lizardmen into regular lizards and Connors back to his human form.
Peter acknowledges that despite his super powers, he was helpless and it took three normal woman to save the day. He thus accepts that in the future, he should not lock MJ out of the loop and trust in her ability to handle things on her own.
This episode provides examples of:
- Absurdly Spacious Sewer: The series was already notorious for that trope, but this episode takes it up to eleven. It appears that sewers under Manhattan are so spacious that they can accomodate entire society of fictional, non-human race, including a makeshift gladiator arena.
- Alas, Poor Villain: Subverted in that she is no longer a villain by that point, but you've got to feel sorry for Gila when she is reverted back into ordinary lizard along with the others. She was the only lizard folk to show compassion and kindness, so she certainly deserved better.
- Badass Normal: Spider-Man laments that for all of his powers it took three normal (non-powered) women (MJ Watson, Martha Connors and Debra Whitman) to solve the problem with the humanoid lizards.
- Blood Knight: Monitor's most notable character trait is his aggressiveness and propensity for violence.Gecko: I can smell blood.Monitor: [excited] And soon it will stain the ground!
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Spider-Man is pitted against three lizardmen gladiators on the aforementioned arena. What follows is pretty much one-sided battle. It even gets lampshaded by the Lizard.Lizard: You were lucky, Spider-Man! That opponent was unworthy!Spider-Man: You noticed that too, huh?
- Dragon-in-Chief: Monitor effectively takes this role upon Connors' transformation. Although he outwardly acts like Lizard's right hand man, in fact he is the one giving orders while Lizard just concurs with him, never once questioning his ideas or coming up with any of his own.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Monitor finds the concept of showing respect and compassion to all living beings an amusing idea. Other lizardmen (sans Gila) apparently share his sentiment.
- Forgotten Fallen Friend: A "friend" might be a stretch, but still — Gila sides with Spider-Man, gets imprisoned for it and ultimately, she is the one who activates genetic neutron bomb, essentially committing suicide. Afterwards, she is promptly forgotten about and none of the heroes spares a moment to mention her or her role in resolving the whole crisis. Made even more jarring when Peter specifically states that it took three normal women to save the world — but the fact that those three normal women were all captured in the end and their plan would be effectively foiled if not for a certain female lizard who picked up the MacGuffin and turned it on completely slips his mind.
- Heroic BSoD: Gila is devastated when Spider-Man tells her that she and other lizardmen were created accidentally and there is no great destiny that Connors had planned for them. As she and Peter are being dragged away by the guards, she is left in utter shock and can only repeat "an accident? We're nothing but an accident?".
- Heroic Sacrifice: Gila activates genetic neutron bomb, knowing (somehow...) that it's going to turn her back into an ordinary lizard as well and effectively make her cease to exist.
- Infinite Supplies: Downplayed. It appears that everything the lizardmen possess was merely scavenged from the above world, hence they're wearing some sort of rags instead of normal clothes. You've got to wonder, though, how did they come into possession of some tools they use, like that flail wielded by one of the gladiators.
- Innocently Insensitive: When Parker and Gila are both held captive, he tells her that the entire reason she and other lizardmen were created is that Connors accidentally leaked a serum containing his DNA into the sewers. To his credit, Gila's heartbroken reaction makes him regret saying that a moment later.
- LEGO Genetics: Apparently, drinking some unspecified fluid containing human's DNA is all it takes to make a small, ordinary lizards suddenly grow into six feet tall, humanoid reptilians. As if that wasn't ludicrous enough, the whole process is then instantly reversed by exposing the subjects to some kind of radiation.
- Lizard Folk: A serum containing Connors' mutated DNA accidentally had leaked into the sewers and mutated local lizard population into sentient beings. By the time of this episode, they had already created organized society.
- Meaningful Name: Three identified lizard folk got their names after various lizard species.
- Might Makes Right: The lizardmen seem to be ardent believers of that. Monitor outright states that they should be leading humans, since they are stronger than them.
- Mr. Exposition: Gecko's only contribution to the plot is that he provides Connors (and viewers) with explanation how he and other lizardmen came to be.
- Nice Mean And In Between: Of three lizardmen antagonists, Gila is the only one who displays positive character traits, showing respect and compassion for other living beings (nice), Monitor is the most abrasive and aggressive one (mean) while Gecko, though still a bad guy, is nowhere near as violent as Monitor and remains calm and stoic most of the time (in between).
- Non-Mammal Mammaries: It's more subtle than most examples of this trope since Gila has no actual mammaries, but her gender is still distinguishable by her more prominent breast.
- Obnoxious In-Laws: Although technically not in-law yet, Anna Watson is this as usual.
- Plot Hole: When Gila picks up the genetic neutron bomb after it was dropped by Mary Jane, she somehow instantly knows what it is and how it works, with no explanation given. Also, when she activates the device, it reverts her and other lizardmen back into ordinary lizards, makes Connors human again, but has no effect on Spider-Man. This is despite the fact that he was subjected to the same kind of mutation that Curt was subjected to and the same radiation which prevented Connors from turning into Lizard was used by him to stop Parker's mutation into giant spider. Basing on in-universe logic, that genetic neutron bomb should have stripped Spider-Man of his powers. One may assume that it was attuned to lizard DNA, but this is never elaborated upon.
- Punished for Sympathy: When Connors transforms into the Lizard and Spider-Man is taken captive, Gila tries to convince her kin to leave the latter alone and let him go. In response, she is considered a traitor and imprisoned along with him.
- "Reason You Suck" Speech: Gila delivers a scathing one to her kin shortly before activating genetic neutron bomb, calling them out on how they wasted an opportunity given to them by acting like wild animals where they could've been better than that.Gila: An accident gave us a chance to live as humans live! To love! To laugh! But instead, we have chosen stupidity, brutality! We could have been better than that! But instead, we have chosen to act as animals! So we have chosen... so shall we be!
- Reptiles Are Abhorrent: The writers of this episode seem to be acting under impression that reptiles are inherently evil and if given sentience and opportunity to build a society, it would most likely be brutal and oppressive towards those who are weak. Granted, there is at least one good person out there (she is still ridiculed by others because of it, though — and ultimately persecuted), and the crowd's stunned reaction to her final speech implies that some of them were at least sort of ashamed of themselves (well, either that or they were just wondering what she's on about).
- Sarcasm Mode: When the aunts were told about Peter and MJ getting married.May: Isn't it amazing, Anna?
Anna: That's one way of putting it. - Sewer Gator: An odd variation. There is no gator in the sewers, but somehow, there is a lot of lizards down there.
- Somewhere, a Herpetologist Is Crying: The very notion of a wild lizard population in city's sewers is just as ridiculous as some other trope around it. How exactly were they supposed to survive without access to proper nutrients and sunlight is anybody's guess. Also, you've got to wonder, where did they even come from.
- A mild example occurs near the climax when Gila actually starts crying (i.e. shedding tears). Aside from the fact that humans are the only known living beings to do so, the entire biology of reptiles relies on their ability to withhold and spare water. Shedding tears would be extremely wasteful for them and distrupt the entire system.
- Token Heroic Orc: Of all lizardmen portrayed in the episode, Gila is the only one to show sympathy and respect for other living beings. She is ridiculed by her comrades because of it.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Gila again. She is the only member of the lizard folk who tries to kidnap Connors out of genuine belief that he created her and other lizardmen for a purpose and that he will cease various cruelties perpetrated by her kin. To her great disappointment, his Lizard persona turns out to be just as brutal and ruthless as her comrades.Gila: I had hoped our father would come and put an end to the games. But instead... [sobs]
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Of lizardmen trio, Gecko gets the least character development. Literally nothing can be said about him, barring the fact he is a bad guy.
- We Need a Distraction: When Parker, MJ and Connors are attacked by lizardmen trio in the lab, Peter can't put on Spider-Man's costume, since it would mean exposing his secret identity in front of Curt (whose alternate Lizard persona is his enemy) and three unknown assailants. Luckily, Mary Jane sees through it and drops some empty test-tubes on the floor, providing him with distraction he needs.
- Wham Episode: Peter finally reveals to Mary Jane that he is secretly Spider-Man and proposes to her.
