Recap / Spider Man The Animated Series S 05 E 12 Spider Wars Part 1

After defeating all the villains in Battleworld and sending his teammates home with no memory of any of this the Beyonder brings Spider-Man to a destroyed New York as Spider-Man looks around horrified he realizes that Brooklyn Queens and his Aunt May are all gone when the Beyonder reappears he demands to know whose responsible for all this destruction the Beyonder tells him he is while Spider-Man is struggling to believe that the Beyonder is messing with him the Hobgoblin and the Green Goblin appear working together destroying whats left of the city. At the Daily Bugle J Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson are trying to make contact with anyone whose survived the siege that Spider-Man has caused when the two Goblins manage to halt the broadcast saying their was no one left in the city left to listen they demand that Jameson give them access to the satellite dish atop the Daily Bugle building. When Robbie tells Jonah not to give it them Hobgoblin threatens to kill Robbie forcing Jameson to acquiesce them yet Hobgoblin still tries to kill Robbie anyway saying they don't need him anymore. A Robbie falls to his death Spider-Man catches him but to his shock and horror Robbie tries to hit him asking what his problem is Robbie says hatefully that he'd do a lot more if he could and that Jonah was right about him all along Spider-Man says he doesn't know what he's talking Robbie angrily says that he's talking about the destruction of New York and the Goblins that Spider-Man himself has sent to attack Jameson and Robbie. Angry and confused Spider-Man confronts the Goblins who are shocked that he's fighting them saying that he himself wanted them to destroy New York while Spider-Man insists he never told him to anything like that Hobgoblin then tells Green Goblin that this must be the other Spider-Man the boss warned them about the Green Goblin says he's right and that good Goblin never falls for the same trick twice using a pumpkin bomb to distract him the two Goblins use Jameson to get the satellite then try to throw him off the building Spider-Man saves him but Jameson venomously says that he was right about him all along but even he never dreamed he'd go this far Spider-Man says he'd love to hear Jameson's usual tirade against him not right now as Spider-Man webs Jameson back on the ground he tries to go after the Goblins only to be stopped by someone who looks like Carnage but has his costume and voice.

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This episode provides examples of:

• Achilles' Heel: Like other symbiotes, Spider-Carnage is vulnerable to sonics. Six Armed Spider-Man almost manages to take him down with sonic grenades.
• All-Loving Hero: Our Spider-Man won his Secret Wars test, but it was really because of this that Madame Webb and the Beyonder selected him to lead the other Spider-Men. He showed compassion for the Lizard, concern for the rebels, and reminded Doctor Doom of the importance of being responsible with great power.
• All Up to You: The Beyonder tells the assembled Spider-Men that the fate of all reality is in their hands.
• Alternate Universe Reed Richards Is Awesome: For all their differences, most of the Spider-Men are more or less on the same playing field. Iron Spider-Man, however, is not only a super-powered genius like them, but he's also a multi-billioniare that owns a successful company and has assorted hi-tech gear (including a giant robot back home). The next part goes into further detail about how much better off he is.
• Apocalypse How: Class Z by way of a combination of Ohn's modified portal technology and a matter-disintegrator bomb. Spider-Carnage's Earth will be destroyed in the initial explosion, but the resulting wave will move across his universe and spread throughout the multiverse, wiping out everything.
• Armor-Piercing Response: After Spider-Man sees a ravaged New York and learns that Aunt May is dead here.
  Spider-Man: Who's responsible for this devastation?! Who?!
  The Beyonder: You are, Spider-Man.
• Big Damn Heroes: The Beyonder teleports Spider-Man to safety before Spider-Carnage can squeeze him to death on the roof.
• Big "NO!":
  • Spider-Carnage, after Spider-Man is teleported away.
  • Spider-Man when shown by the Beyonder what Spider-Carnage's device will do.
  • Green Goblin, as Scarlet Spider and Six Armed Spider-Man are webbing him up.
• Big "SHUT UP!": Madame Web's response to Iron Spider protesting that he should be leader.
• Biting-the-Hand Humor: After the clone backstory is explained to him, Spider-Man refers to the whole thing as someone's bad comic book plot.
• Born Lucky: Iron Spider-Man charges into battle on the grounds that things always work out for him. He ends up paying for such risk-taking, though.
• The Cameo: Dr. Ohn is briefly seen during Scarlet Spider's flashback.
• Clone Angst: Neither this world's Peter nor Ben Reilly are sure who is the real one and who's the clone. It causes Ben some angst, but Peter was driven into murderous rage even before encountering the Carnage symbiote.
• Clones Are People, Too: Scarlet Spider admits he could very well be the clone, but he still sees himself as a person and tries to forge ahead with his own civilian and heroic personas. The Peter of this world most assuredly does not feel the same way, seeing Scarlet Spider as a constant threat to his identity and wanting to eliminate that by any means necessary.
• Combat Tentacles: Spider-Carnage's debut sees him use these on Spider-Man, swining him around and nearly crushing him to death.
• Crapsack World: The opening shots show a completely ravaged New York. By all accounts, Jonah and Robbie are the only civilians left in the entire city. No superheroes appear to exist, as only the National Guard is expected to ride to the rescue.
• Dark and Troubled Past: The Peter Parker of this world had a much harder life than his counterparts. He then got hit with both the loss of Aunt May and the possibility of being a clone.
• Demoted to Dragon: In our Spider-Man's world, both the Green Goblin and Hobgoblin are major villains that gave him a lot of trouble. Here, their counterparts take Spider-Carnage's orders without question.
• Dramatic Irony: Scarlet Spider and Spider-Carnage's world is very rooted in The Clone Saga, but Mechanical Armed Spider-Man is also based on a concept from that overarching storyline. In the Funeral for an Octopus mini-series, Spider-Man had gotten into the harness for Doc Ock's arms.
• Dramatic Unmask: The other Spider-Men do this to demonstrate to our guy that they are also Peter Parker. Our Spidey's the most stunned to see Scarlet Spider unmask, due to the different hair.
• End-of-Series Awareness: In this first part of the Grand Finale, Hobgoblin quips that Jonah's show has been cancelled.
• Exact Words:
  • The Beyonder says Spider-Man is responsible for the destruction plaguing New York. It just depends on which Spider-Man you're talking about.
  • Madame Web says Spider-Man can only help himself right before introducing him to his counterparts.
• Five-Second Foreshadowing: As Spider-Man confronts the goblins at the Bugle, he is told about "the other one" calling the shots. He finds out who that is immediately afterwards, during the rooftop fight.
• Flashback:
  • Ben goes into detail about the very hard life that this world's Peter had before becoming Spider-Carnage. When Ben first talks about Miles Warren, our Spider-Man also remembers his encounter with him and what became of Mary Jane.
  • To highlight why our Spider-Man should be leader, Madame Web shows clips of the "Secret Wars" three-parter demonstrating Spidey's All-Loving Hero qualities.
• Flat "What": Spider-Man's reaction to the Beyonder saying he is responsible for the destruction seen across the city.
• Foreshadowing: When talking about how this crisis interrupted their own lives, Six Armed Spider-Man highlights his mutation problem. By the end of the episode, it flares up at absolutely the worst time.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: The Peter that would become Spider-Carnage was like many of his counterparts, just with even worse luck. Assorted hardships, the possibility his identity was a lie, and bonding to the Carnage symbiote turn him into someone that nearly wipes out all reality.
• Giggling Villain: Spider-Carnage has a frequent high-pitched nervous laugh, be it when putting the squeeze on Spider-Man or when talking to his colleagues about getting what they deserve. Even Kingpin finds it disturbing.
• Grand Finale: Part 1 of the story, as Spider-Man teams up with parallel universe counterparts to save all of reality.
• Hero of Another Story:
  • With the exception of the powerless one, each Spider-Man was a full-fledged hero of their own universe when Madame Web began training them.
  • Spider-Carnage already succeeded in destroying all of reality. When the wave hit his home dimension, Beyonder used the full extent of his powers to rewind time and save countless lives.
• Hope Spot:
  • Spider-Man is about to stop the goblins from escaping with the dish, but then a tentacle suddenly wraps around him.
    Spider-Carnage: Now, I see what's been taking those idiot goblins so long!
  • Six Armed Spider-Man is this close to taking out Spider-Carnage with some sonic grenades, only for his mutation disease to flare up.
• Irony: Iron Spider-Man mentions having his own spider-robot back home. Our Spider-Man (who has made his personal distaste for robots quite clear throughout this series) sounds quite stunned to hear it.
• It Only Works Once: When Spider-Carnage originally activated the bomb, the Beyonder was able to roll back time by using the full extent of his powers. It bought everyone months of prep time, but it was so draining that he can't do it again.
• Late to the Realization: Spider-Man initially thought he was on his own world, even after meeting various counterparts. It's not until Scarlet Spider tells his story that he truly realizes where he really is.
• Little "No":
  • Spider-Man when he sees Aunt May's neighborhood ravaged.
  • Six Armed Spider-Man when his mutation disease flares up at the worst time.
• The Multiverse: Spider-Man is stunned to learn that different dimensions means different versions of himself sharing his name and leading their own lives.
  Madame Web: Reality is like a river that splits off into many parallel tributaries. These Spider-Men are from parallel realities, each as legitimate as yours. They're all you, with some slight differences.
• Musical Spoiler: Downplayed. On the roof, Carnage's Leitmotif starts playing when Spider-Man is ensnared by a tendril, but the Carnage symbiote is only half of the reveal.
• My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Averted. As with past symbiote encounters, Spider-Man gets ambushed on the roof by Spider-Carnage.
• Near-Villain Victory: Spider-Carnage already unleashed his multiverse-destroying bomb, wiping out countless lives. It took the full extent of the Beyonder's power to roll back time and provide a way to find a permanent solution.
• Never Say "Die":
  • The Beyonder informs Spider-Man that May "exists no longer in this world" early on. During Ben's explanation, he outright mentions May passed away.
  • The Hobgoblin cancels Jonah's show, saying it's getting low ratings throughout the city. He then proceeds to snicker, indicating what he really means.
• Noodle Incident:
  • Mechanical Armed Spider-Man says he took them off of Doctor Octopus following their last fight.
  • Barring the powerless one, the other Spider-Men were tested with the Secret Wars to see how they'd handle themselves as leader.
  • Before confronting Spider-Carnage, Six Armed Spider-Man helps himself to multiple sonic grenades, suggesting he has experience fighting symbiotes.
• Omnicidal Maniac: Spider-Carnage plots to destroy not just his own reality, but all reality. According to the Beyonder, he already succeeded, requiring rewinding time and training assorted Spider-Men to take him on.
• Other Me Annoys Me: Iron Spider-Man's ego quickly grates on our Spider-Man's nerves.
• Outside-Context Problem: Ben can only describe the Carnage symbiote as "it" in disbelief, and he is confused by the concept of bonding. He is also later stunned by the Man-Spider. Evidently, there were no symbiotes or a Neogenic nightmare on this particular world.
• Pet the Dog: Despite his general ego problems, Iron Spider-Man did compliment Scarlet Spider's impact webbing as an impressive creation.
• Pride Before a Fall: Iron Spider-Man is absolutely certain he can do no wrong because literally everything always works out for him. It ultimately results in him being hit with a paralyzer ray, leaving him out of the fight before the group reaches Spider-Carnage.
• Properly Paranoid: Kingpin sees the value in working with someone as powerful as Spider-Carnage, but he doesn't trust him one bit. He wants Smythe to analyze the supposed mind control device and make sure it does what was promised.
• Race Against the Clock: The Beyonder explains that he already had to wind back time to stop Spider-Carnage's plot, meaning that Madame Web only had months to prepare the assorted Spider-Men for this moment. The Spider-Men have to fight their way through Crime Central before Spider-Carnage can activate the bomb, as there will be no reset this time.
• The Reveal: Madame Web has been training Spider-Man since Season 3 in order to prepare him to confront Spider-Carnage and save all of reality.
• Sanity Slippage: Ben says that the loss of Aunt May hit Peter hard, but the possibly being said clone sent him over the edge. Being bonded to the Carnage symbiote makes this substantially worse.
• Secret-Keeper: During the flashback, Scarlet Spider is unmasked in Curt's lab, suggesting either Ben shared his secret or that this version Curt already knew who Spider-Man was.
• Stating the Simple Solution: Mechanical Armed Spider-Man questions why beings that can warp time itself can't handle Spider-Carnage themselves. It's explained that, despite their power, Madame Webb and the Beyonder can't stay in a given reality indefinitely and that any changes will revert once they do leave.
• Tempting Fate: Iron Spider-Man boasts the fight is just too easy right before Green Goblin hits him with the paralyzer.
• This Cannot Be!:
  • Spider-Man's reaction to meeting Spider-Carnage.
    Spider-Man: He looks like Carnage, but he has my costume... my voice!
  • Spider-Man over meeting a slew of other counterparts and them having his face.
• This Is Gonna Suck: Spider-Man over facing Man-Spider.
• Thou Shalt Not Kill: Averted. At the site of the portal technology, this world's Spider-Man was fully prepared to get rid Scarlet Spider. This sheer murderous rage is what drew the attention of the Carnage symbiote.
• Title Drop: Courtesy of Spider-Carnage, as he's swinging our guy around.
  Spider-Carnage: Y'see, I really, really hate clones!
• To Be Continued: Man-Spider grabs onto Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider, allowing Spider-Carnage to get away and prepare the bomb.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Curt ran some tests and determined there was a good chance that Ben was the original and this world's Peter was actually the clone. It led to Peter trying to murder Ben, drawing the attention of the Carnage symbiote and getting the true nightmare rolling.
• Unwitting Pawn: Spider-Carnage buddied up to Kingpin, Smythe, and the two goblins by claiming he could construct a mind control device. He just needed them to gain the means to build and unleash his doomsday device.
• Villain Team-Up: Spider-Carnage teamed up with the Kingpin and Smythe, with Green Goblin and Hobgoblin doing the grunt work.
• Wham Shot: On the rooftop, Spider-Man finds himself ensnared by a nightmarish mishmash of himself and Carnage.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: Due to the clone backstory, the villains think they're dealing with an assortment of clones rather than parallel universe counterparts.
• You Are Not Alone: After the first encounter with Spider-Carnage.
  Spider-Man: Madame Web, tell me what's going on. I need your help.
  Madame Web: You must help yourself, but that does not mean you will be alone. Look.
  [The other Spider-Men step forward]
• "You!" Exclamation: Jonah when Spider-Man sneaks him off the roof.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: The goblins demand Jonah give them access to the broadcaster, with Hobgoblin dangling Robbie out the hole in the wall. Once Jonah agrees to their request, Hobgoblin drops Robbie (though Spider-Man catches him).