As one of the most recognizable superhero characters, Spider-Man is to Marvel what Batman is to DC. He's central to the Marvel universe yet the character stands on his own with having some of the best stories and most memorable arcs in comic history. His time on television and movies has varied in quality. Whether it's the live-action TV show from the 70s or Spider-Man and Ais Amazing Friends, opinion can often be divided with the web crawler's efforts on the small screen.

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However, along with the epic 90s X-Men and The Incredible Hulk series, Spider-Man The Animated Series that ran from 1994 to 1998 on the Fox Kids Network is considered the best. The 65 episode series covered important storylines in Spidey's history, with many only just making it to the big screen. Despite being a children's show the 90s Spider-Man series is still regarded as one of the best adaptations of the titular character that has stood the test of time.

6 The Mature Storytelling

Venom capturing Spider-Man

There were restrictions with censorship back in the 90s after complaints rained in from disgruntled parents that thought the likes of The Power Rangers and Batman: The Animated Series was too violent and dark. Yet despite this, Spider-Man managed to have a great script that didn’t treat its audience like they were children.

As with the comics, Peter Parker has very relatable human problems with an inner monologue that felt realistic and in line with the comics while not becoming excessive in its exposition. It’s not quite as dark as Batman: The Animated Series but it was a huge step up from Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends. Just like the 90s X-Men cartoon series, the 90s Spider-Man show is one of the few cartoon series that parents could watch and enjoy with their kids.

5 A Grown-Up Peter Parker

spider-man animated 90s Peter Parker

In total contrast to most of the Peter Parker portrayals in past and present Spider-Man cartoons, the 1994 version featured a more grown-up Peter Parker. The biggest issue many fans have with his most recent portrayals is that cartoons make him appear naive, irritating, and annoying. This version was already out of school, confident in his abilities but still vulnerable and relatable.

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For many fans, the voice work provided by Christopher Daniel Barnes is the definitive Spider-Man much in the same way that Kevin Conroy is for Batman. Interestingly, Barnes returned to voice Spider-Man Noir in the videogames Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and Spider-Man 2099 in Spider-Man: Edge of Time.

Spider-Man TAS Morbius

Spider-Man has a rogues gallery only rivaled by DC’s Batman. The Spider-Man comics have always been self-contained with strong characters that very rarely felt the need to crossover with other superheroes just to inject a bit of life into the series. Even though the 90s show was no stranger to crossover events it was a series built on great supporting characters and villains.

The Sinister Six which look likely to feature in Spider-Man: No Way Home featured prominently in important story arcs that developed over time, Spider-Man often felt under threat, outmatched, and vulnerable. As well as having well-known villains like Dr. Octopus, The Green Goblin, and Venom it helped introduce its audience to lesser-known characters (to non-comic book readers) like The Chameleon, Tombstone, Dormammu and more. Morbius, a character that features a lot in the animated series, is set to get his movie starring Jared Leto in the title role.

3 A Connected Universe

Spider-Man and Wolverine have a disagreement

Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe started building upon the first Iron Man movie, the 90s Spider-Man show was part of what has become known as the Marvel Animated Universe. The cartoon featured crossover events with the other 90s Marvel cartoons at the time like X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, The Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, and The Avengers: United They Stand.

The “Neogenic Nightmare” season is easily one of the best in the series as Spidey teams up with the X-Men and runs into The Punisher, Blade, and Michael Morbius. The introduction of said heroes and villains always felt organic rather than forced with each storyline being interconnected such as the focus on the Neogenics theme and The Sins of the Father arc for bringing in the Daredevil.

2 Faithful To The Comics

Peter Parker and MJ

The beauty of The Spider-Man series is that it had a lot of great comic book stories to fall back on to make sure the quality was up to par. Many of its stories were based on The Amazing Spider-Man comic books from the mid-eighties.

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It wasn’t just the stories that the series stayed faithful to but the visual style is exactly what one would expect from a comic book show. The characters looked accurate to their comic book counterparts with every character brought to life on the small screen. However, far more important than visual aesthetics, Peter's relationships with his friends, Aunt May, and Mary Jane Watson are portrayed as they are in the comics complete with their ups and downs.

1 Great Supporting Cast

Spider-Man TAS 90s J Jonah Jameson

Without a great supporting cast, Spider-Man may not be anywhere near as interesting or as compelling as he is. The TV show does a great job of fleshing out characters like Mary Jane Watson, J.J.Jonah Jameson, Aunt May, and more.

Even minor characters like Robbie Robertson got their chance to shine with his issues with the former schoolmate, mob hitman, and supervillain Tombstone come to a head. There’s more to Peter Parker’s world than just Spider-Man and the series does a perfect job of keeping the drama interesting without playing out like a bad soap opera.

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