It's a rainy night, and Dr. Connors is demonstrating a new potential source of clean energy to his interns Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, and Eddie Brock: genetically modified eels and rays swimming in a liquid that enhances their bioelectric signature. Unfortunately their output is too great for the lab's bioelectrical filters, necessitating an upgrade from electrician Max Dillon. Martha interrupts them, pointing out that it's late, their son Billy needs to get to bed, and Peter and Gwen have school the next day. After everyone leaves, Curt continues testing his mysterious serum. Just then, Max is electrocuted reaching for his drill and crashes into the tank, covering him in the fluid. At the hospital, Max is found to be emitting strong electrical fields and is placed in quarantine.
The next day, Spider-Man races through the air, clearly worried about something that not even his spider-powers can save him from: being late for school. Peter manages to sneak into class unnoticed, only to be startled when Flash Thompson proclaims "Spider-Man in action!" Thinking he's been found out, Peter quickly shouts his denial. Flash reveals he was talking about the Daily Bugle, which is offering money for pictures of Spider-Man. Peter fumes to Gwen and Harry that he gave Jameson that idea, but Harry points out that taking pictures of famous people is nothing new.
At the hospital, Eddie learns from Doctors Connors and Bromwell that Max is alive, but when taken in to see him, Eddie learns that Max's body is generating a constant stream of bioelectricity, requiring him to wear an insulated suit to protect himself and others. Clearly distraught, and well aware that Max isn't happy with his condition, Doctor Connors promises Max he'll find a cure.
After yet another poor test performance from popular Liz Allen, Mr. Warren suggests that she be tutored by Peter. Liz is clearly not thrilled, nor are her friends.
At the hospital, Max becomes restless and agitated, complaining to Eddie that he'd planned on having a normal life. Eddie tries to comfort Max, saying that he needs time to adjust, but that just makes Max angrier. After accidentally loosing a mini electrical storm, Max flees the hospital.
The tutoring session at a café is pretty much a bust. Liz is more interested in texting Flash than what Peter is trying to teach her. Max enters and accidentally short circuits the power of everything using electricity around him after he loses his temper again about not being able to even drink a cup of coffee. Embarrassed, Max flees and Peter, believing him to be dangerous, pursues him as Spider-Man. Peter manages to photograph Max and remove his mask; Max, enraged, attacks while demanding to know why Spider-Man attacked him in the first place, but flees while Peter is distracted by a phone call from Aunt May.
The following day Peter discovers that his photographs have not developed properly. To make matters worse, Gwen informs him of the accident at the lab, and Peter realizes he probably made things worse for Max. Peter also approaches Liz and apologizes for ditching her, and offers to tutor her again. She takes him up on the offer and shows up while Peter is at the lab trying to find a way to contain Max with Connors, Gwen, and Eddie.
Max tries to return home, only to be met by Dr. Bromwell and Officers Stan Carter and Jean DeWollfe. Bromwell tries to reason with Max in order to get him back to the hospital, but Carter's gruffness pushes Max over the edge and he flees, knowing that only one man can help him: Curt Connors.
Connors assures Peter that Liz's presence is fine, as he needs to check some notes in his office. Peter shows Liz the eels, giving a similar spiel to the one Connors did the night before, impressing Liz. Eddie notices that Gwen seems a little down at this. In his office, Curt is about to inject himself with another dose of his mysterious serum, when Martha walks in on him. Curt explains that it's a formula of genetically altered lizard DNA.
The discussion is interrupted by the arrival of Max, who demands that Connors cure him. Connors tells Max that they need time, but Max is impatient, and becomes aggressive. Peter prepares to out himself as Spider-Man to save everyone, but Eddie distracts Max long enough for Peter to lead the girls to safety and return as Spider-Man. Spider-Man attempts to apologize for acting recklessly the previous night, but Max declares himself "Electro," and unleashes a huge surge, unknowingly electrifying a vial of Curt's lizard serum that has been knocked to the floor. Electro and Spider-Man begin to fight. Electro becomes furious when he notices the Connors' and Eddie escaping, and blasts Spider-Man outside.
A kid happens to be out there and tries to capitalize on the opportunity to win the prize money using his cell phone, but attracts Electro's attention. Spider-Man saves him from being electrocuted and tells him that he wants a cut of the profits if his shots come out. Running from Electro and dodging his lightning bolts, Spidey dons a pair of rubber gloves from the lab and slams Electro into a wall. Electro retaliates by zapping Spider-Man into a radio tower, and launches himself after the webhead, running a current through the entire tower. As Spider-Man hangs on with one rubber gloved-hand, he gets another phone call from Aunt May, who is disappointed that he's taking advantage of being able to call to say he'll be late for curfew. Hastily hanging up, Spider-Man sees a piece of debris crash through a glass roof, under which is a swimming pool. Getting an idea, Spider-Man swings around the tower and kicks Electro off and into the pool where he short circuits.
At school the next day Peter talks to Liz in the hall; she is complimenting his tutoring when the popular students approach, making her change her attitude, act rudely, and walk away. Gwen and Harry are there to cheer Peter up though. In the lab, Dr. Connors picks up the vial of lizard serum that Electro had electrified during the fight, and leaves with his wife determined to one day find a cure for Max.
This episode provides examples of:
- Absent-Minded Professor: Invoked by Martha Connors when Curt loses track of how long Peter and Gwen have been at the lab.
- Appropriated Appellation: Max takes his new name from something Spidey called him earlier.Electro/Max Dillon: What was it you called me?Spider-Man: "Lightning butt?"Electro/Max Dillon: No! The other thing...Electro.
- Buffy Speak: "That spider picture thing."
- Deadpan Snarker:
- Mr. Warren gives us this gem:Liz: Couldn't Flash tutor me instead?
Mr. Warren: I'm not sure you understand. We want your grade to go up. - Peter is this as Spider-Man, as per usual.
- Mr. Warren gives us this gem:
- The Dog Bites Back: The popular kids are mostly jerks towards Peter, with Liz being no exception. Peter walking out on his and Liz's tutoring session (mostly so he could investigate Electro) doubles as this. It works out, too, seeing as she starts taking the tutoring more seriously.
- Leave Me Alone!: Max shouts this a lot at first.
- Lovable Alpha Bitch: Liz Allan is revealed to be this, mostly acting mean in front of her friends, though in actuality she can be a very nice girl.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Peter realizes that he made the situation worse when he attacked Max instead of trying to talk to him and see what was going on. If he'd had more support, Max might not have become Electro.
- Never My Fault: Max blames Dr. Connors for him becoming Electro, but he forgets how if he hadn’t been so careless about where he put his drill or tried to get it when it was electrified his accident might not have happened.
- Out of the Inferno: Electro does this rather impressively.
- Power Echoes: Electro's voice has a noticeable echo when his mask first comes off, although it's gone by the next line and in all later appearances.
- Power Incontinence: Electro struggles with this constantly, hence the army green suit.
- Psycho Electro: This particular incarnation used to provide the page picture.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Peter gives Liz a brief one when he leaves their tutoring session. To her credit, she actually listens.
- Say My Name: Liz says "Petey!" out of actual concern when he lifts one of the electric eels out of the tank using a hook.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When Electro appears, Peter uses it as an opportunity to walk out on Liz, telling her off for ignoring his tutoring attempts in favor of texting Flash.Peter: Look, this tutoring thing is something you need, not me. So when you're ready to learn, lemme know.
