Episode #2 - Sting Of The Scorpion
Original Airdate March 11, 1995

Jameson hires a scientist to transform a wimp into a superhero called the scorpion to unmask Spider-Man but when something goes wrong The Scorpion goes on a deadly rampage.

Credits
Story By: John Semper
Written By: Robert N. Skir, Marty Isenberg and John Semper
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, Ed Asner as J. Jonah Jameson, Linda Gary as Aunt May, Rodney Saulsberry as Robbie Robertson, Martin Landau as Mac Gargan/The Scorpion, Micheal Rye as Dr. Stillwell and Jennifer Hale as Felicia Hardy
Based on Amazing Spider-Man # 20

Review: When basing a cartoon on a comic book, there are some things you can't get away with changing. Modifying some of the characters is fine, some stories should stay as close to the comics as possible. Translating comics to cartoons is all about finding a balance, to me. Some things can be left out, some need to stay.

The Scorpion is one of those characters who needs to stay the same. I'm glad they kept his origin intact because it was a great one, especially the J Jonah Jameson angle. I thought Jameson's motivation behind it was great too, far better than his jealously reason in the comics (which I believe has only been said once in the characters 40+ year run).

Jameson is the one character this show nailed. It was everything you expected him to be, and then some. They even made his plight have a greater reason, he feared men in masks as they have no laws to abide by, and at the end of the day they can slip away and become someone else. Jameson's wife was killed by a masked man, and he never found out who shot her. He wanted rid of them all, very good reason.

As well as a great story with strong characters, it had damn nice animation (which was common in the first series of the show). Even in the second episode, the strong sense of continuality is there, when Scorpion attacks the nuclear reactor, it's Oscorp he's attacking. The same device that created both Spider-Man and The Lizard is used to create the Scorpion, only this time, it's no accident.

Martin Landau would later be replaced by Richard Moll, and Moll proved to far better at voicing the character than Landau. This show always did have a very strong cast, and Landua was one of the weaker actors. Overall, this was an outstanding episode which shined in all areas possible. Hell, it even had 2 (count em! 2!) references to The Fantastic Four which always helps. Another episode to add to the strong run in the premiere season.

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