Episode #26 - Shriek of the Vulture
Original Airdate February 17, 1996

While CEO Adrian Toomes is absorbed in regaining his youth, Norman Osborn is engineering a hostile takeover of Toomes Aeronautical. Toomes vows revenge and takes to the air as the Vulture, armed with youth-absorbing talons that temporarily make him young. Later, as Toomes' talons grip Spider-Man's shoulders, Spidey's strength and vitality fade while the Vulture revels in newfound youth and super strength.

Credits
Story By: John Semper, Gilles Wheeler and Evelyn A-R Garbai
Written By: Evelyn A-R Garbai
Music Composed By: Shuki Levy and Kussa Mahchi
Animation Services By: Toyko Movie Shinsha (TMS)
Guest Starring: Christopher Daniel Barnes as Spider-Man/Peter Parker, Liz Georges as Debra Whitman, Joseph Campanella as Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard, Patrick Labyorteaux as Flash Thompson, Neil Ross as Norman Osborn, Eddie Albert as Adrian Toomes/ Old Vulture, and Alan Johnson as Arthur Avis/ Young Vulture

Review: This is the penultimate episode to The Neogenic Nightmare and it’s quite a memorable one. It introduced The Vulture, which was pretty weird to me, as it’s not quite The Vulture I was expecting, I remember an old man who robbed jewellery stores, not a man who sucked the youth out of people. This show did have a tendenancy to mix the old stories with the newer ones, but the old stuff usually won out, thankfully, as most of the villains in the 90's sucked. Given how most of the writing staff seemed to lean towards the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko/John Romita Sr villains, seeing the revamp Vulture was a shock, but no less entertaining.

As most villains in this cartoon did, The Vulture went after someone Spidey knew, Norman Osborn. Osborn, who is shown here as a ruthless businessman trying to buy The Vultures Company, believes that he is too old and feeble to run it. I loved seeing pre-Goblin Norman. He really was an asswipe before he became evil.

I especially liked seeing Flash again. Some of Spidey's supporting cast was give or take in this show, but Flash was always pretty cool. I loved thier little confrontation in Toomes' building.

FLASH: C'mon Spidey, we make a heck of a team! Remember when we fought the Spider Slayers!
SPIDEY: Flash I remember... go home.

It was an enjoyable episode, which had a great finale. After Spider-Man figured out what was going on he was saved by Flash Thompson and had his youth sucked out of him. The finale shot was Spidey mask less, as an old man. It left me really looking forward to the next episode, which is the text book example of a good cliffhanger. Even better, the follow up didn't suck either!