As Peter questions if he and Mary Jane should marry, a man known as the Prowler comes looking for him.
This episode provides examples of:
- Adaptational Badass: The Prowler in the comics is a Badass Normal Gadgeteer Genius. Prowler in the cartoon was granted all sorts of super abilities from his costume, including Super-Strength, flight, and power blasts, and easily handed Spidey his rear the first time they fought.
- Adaptational Dumbass: The Prowler suit was entirely an invention of Hobie's in the comics. In this series, it was created by Kingpin's scientists and this version of Hobie shows no skill in engineering at all.
- Adaptational Villainy: In the comics, Hobie stole items in his Prowler persona and returned them as Hobie Brown to accept rewards but never did anything excessively evil. The Hobie of this show was a career criminal even before he became the Prowler and had ambitions of becoming a major crime lord. That said, he still pulls a Heel–Face Turn like his comic book counterpart.
- Anti-Climactic Unmasking: Prowler takes his mask off and is disappointed that Peter doesn't recognize him as Hobie Brown. Justified, he and Mary Jane were being robbed and, as Spider-Man, he's put much more memorable criminals in prison.
- Bait-and-Switch: When the Prowler attacks Peter in his new apartment, he tells he knows all about Peter and Spider-Man, making it seem like he figured out Peter's identity. Right after the commercial break, Prowler says he knows... that they're partners and Spidey sets him up to take photos to split the cash.
- Being Evil Sucks: Hobie's boss Iceberg discovers he is stealing from him and tries to have him killed. His life of crime has taken a strain on his relationship with his girlfriend Angela. He makes the unfortunate mistake of mugging Mary Jane Watson which pisses off Spider-Man and gets Hobie sent to prison for violating his parole. He thinks he's caught a break when Kingpin gives him the Prowler suit and he defeats Spider-Man and overthrows Iceberg, only for Kingpin to reveal that the suit needs to be recharged frequently by Kingpin and is rigged to shock Hobie or explode if he doesn't follow Kingpin's orders. Finally, when he turns to Angela for help she reveals that she moved on with another man while he was in jail.
- Big Bad Wannabe: Hobie Brown dreamed of being a big man with power and unwilling to go straight. Instead, he lacks the cunningness he needs, and he's not the one who built his suit as he did in the comics, so he's just a pawn for the Kingpin. This is the wake-up call he needs to end his ambitions.
- Exact Words: Hobie Brown is only willing to accept Kingpin's "gift" for saving his son if he promises no strings attached. Later, Fisk reveals he's made sure the suit will shock him if he doesn't do what he says, along with a self-destruct if Prowler takes too long. Prowler reminds him "no strings", only for Fist to say the best puppeteers don't use strings.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Hobie saved Richard Fisk from one of the Kingpin’s enemies while in jail. The Kingpin does reward him the power to take revenge on Spider-Man and Iceberg but still uses the opportunity to put Hobie under his thumb and reveals he was only using Hobie to get rid of a rival.
- Sure, Let's Go with That: Peter goes along with Prowler's belief that he and Spider-Man scam the Bugle with the photos and split the cash.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Hobie Brown saved Richard Fisk from one of Kingpin's enemies while they were both doing time. At first it seems like Fisk will avert this trope for once when he gives Hobie the Prowler suit so he can take revenge on his former boss Iceberg. However, it turns out that Fisk was taking advantage of Hobie to remove Iceberg as a rival and the suit is actually wired to shock or kill Hobie if he disobeys Fisk.
