| "Back in Black" | |
| Season 1, Episode 8 | |
| Air date | May 13, 2012 |
| Written by | Man of Action |
| Directed by | Phil Pignotti |
| Episode Guide | |
| Previous "Exclusive" |
Next "Field Trip" |
"Back in Black" is the eighth episode of the first season of the Ultimate Spider-Man television series.
Synopsis
Peter Parker has gotten the flu and is busy putting civilian clothes over his Spider-Man outfit when Aunt May returns to check up on him. However, he slams the door shut, proclaiming he does not want to get her sick.
When Dragon Man attacks New York City, a mysterious new hero named Black Spider defeats him. A shocked Peter watches from home, wondering if he got replaced. Black Spider's fame quickly spreads, receiving praise J. Jonah Jameson, who believes him to be a real hero, and Flash Thompson throwing out his Spider-Man shrine.
Nick Fury rounds up White Tiger, Iron Fist, Power Man, and Nova as Spider-Man enters sneezing, which prompts White Tiger to remind him to stay clear. Fury wonders who could Black Spider be and Spider-Man answers that it is Venom, but Nova, Iron Fist, and Power Man dismiss the claim. Spider-Man leaves the room to discover the mystery. Dragon Man returns to wreak havoc, but is once again defeated by Black Spider. Spider-Man confronts him, but Black Spider swings away, prompting the former to give chase. The other hero makes a fool out of Spider-Man before leaving.
Meanwhile, Otto Octavius watches the Black Spider on television and notes to Norman Osborn that he has many similarities with Venom. Norman orders him to uncover the connection and Octavius states he will run more tests with Dragon Man. Later at school, Sam taunts Peter about his battle with Black Spider. Harry then takes Peter into the bathroom, where he reveals he is the Black Spider. Peter realizes that Harry is seeking Norman's approval by donning the symbiote and tries to teach him that with great power comes great responsibility, but Harry reflects on Norman's advice that with great power comes great rewards. Peter tries to convince Harry that Venom is dangerous, but Harry, with a changed attitude, exclaims there is no danger.
Later on, Harry attempts to tell Norman about his identity as Black Spider, but he brushes him off rudely. Spider-Man spies on the Black Spider when Fury contacts him, accusing him of hiding something. The web-swinger lies and pursues Black Spider. However, he runs into Dragon Man, but the Black Spider once again easily defeats him. Spider-Man watches as Black Spider starts attacking innocent bystanders. Spider-Man intervenes, prompting Venom to fully take control.
Venom battles Spider-Man throughout the city, becoming more dangerous and violent. Their battle eventually takes them into Oscorp, where Spider-Man saves Norman from Venom. Eventually, Spider-Man smacks Venom into an electric board, forcing the symboite out to be destroyed. When Harry arrives at the scene, Spider-Man ponders whether to reveal his secret identity, but decides against it. He reports back to Fury, who still questions how much he is revealing. The web-slinger states Venom is gone for good, but a small portion of it slithers into Harry's ear, prompting him to scream in terror. Meanwhile, Octavius sees the battle on his monitor and removes it upon hearing Norman's arrival, who states he wants it and questions Octavius if he knows something. Octavius responds with nothing. The next day, Spider-Man's flu has been cured, but the germs have affected his team, who chase him angrily.
Voice Cast
| Role(s) | Voice Actor/Actress |
|---|---|
| Peter Parker/Spider-Man | Drake Bell |
| Luke Cage/Power Man | Ogie Banks |
| Daniel "Danny" Rand/Iron Fist | Gregory Michael Cipes |
| Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus, Sci-Fi Narrator, Cartoon Narrator | Tom Kenny |
| Eugene "Flash" Thompson, Harold "Harry" Osborn/Black Suit Spider-Man/Venom | Matt Lanter |
| May Parker, Girl #1 | Misty Lee |
| Stan | Stan Lee |
| Ava Ayala/White Tiger | Caitlyn Taylor Love |
| Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury | Chi McBride |
| Samuel "Sam" Alexander/Nova | Logan Miller |
| John Jonah Jameson Jr. | J. K. Simmons |
| Mary Jane Watson, Girl #2, Newscaster | Tara Strong |
| Norman Osborn, Horror Narrator, Cab Driver | Steven Weber |
Trivia
- The episode's title is a reference to the "Spider-Man: Back in Black" storyline, a five-part storyline in the comics that takes place immediately after the "Civil War" storyline. In the storyline, Peter Parker dons the black suit to emphasize his thirst for vengeance and aggression as he seeks revenge against the Kingpin, who hired an assassin to kill Aunt May and Mary Jane Watson, leaving Aunt May in critical condition after being shot.
- Harry's symbiote costume resembles Peter Parker's black suit, which he modeled after the Venom symbiote, in the mainstream comics.
- Spider-Man's imagination about revealing his identity to the public is reminiscent of how his mainstream counterpart revealed his identity during the "Civil War" storyline.