SPIDER-MAN versus THE LIZARD
Law of the Jungle (Marvel comics)
Where: Spider-man Ep. 3 When: July 2003
Why: Greg Johnson & Audu Paden How: Neil Patrick Harris & Rob Zombie

The story so far...
Having lost his arm in an accident working for Oscorp; Dr. Curt Conners turns his scientific brilliance toward developing a means for cell regeneration through a hybrid genetic therapy using reptilian DNA.

With success imminent, the good doctor sends his lab aid, Peter Parker, home early so he can inject himself in private with the serum developed.

The doctor's arm quickly regenerates, but as time eventually reveals, there are other, more sinister side effects awaiting the doctor. Symptoms like scales, a prehensile tail, and erratic, instinctive animal-like behaviour. Good thing Peter is hip to the change, at least, it is for Harry Osborn, who's clearing his father's office out at Oscorp...

Previous Form:
Spider-man (#1): Has victories on film over arch-nemesis; Kraven and Green Goblin.
The Lizard (#300): Defeated by the X-Men and the Avengers on seperate occasions.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: The Lizard 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: The Lizard 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Spider-man 2 (Projectiles)


Y'know, the 'previous form' mini-section there tends to go completely under the radar, but it's an interesting statistic to note here. Yes, we've reached the three hundred mark, but more telling to this battle is the two hundred and ninety-eight characters that seperate Spidey and the Lizard.

The Lizard isn't any kind of schmuck! He's been an esteemed member of Spidey's rogues gallery since the beginning, but by his very nature he has a knack for being defeated. Which really goes to his core as a tragic villain.

The man inside the monster - Dr. Curt Conners - is not only a good, wholesome family man, but he's also one of Spider-man and Peter Parker's greatest allies. The nature of his transformations and the quality of the man within mean the people around him are always highly motivated to put an end to his turmoil, and ultimately makes him a soft target off-the-page.

We've seen Spider-man shoot to the top with an unprecedented number of wins (and features) in 2007, and it really just goes to highlight that, for all his "human foibles", Spider-man remains the archetypal hero when it hits print.

The Lizard has all the tools to challenge Spider-man. He's got strength, cunning, guile, speed, agility, and has even been known to match-up with a bit of wall crawling. Typically, he's one of those characters that brings Spider-man back down on his sliding scale of strength, and that might be justified by the psychological and emotional connection between Spidey and Conners.

Still, at the end of the day, Spidey's record against the character is likely insurmountable, and though he may periodically lapse, the Lizard will return to life as Dr. Conners. It is inherently as inevitable as his changing into the Lizard.

The Math: Spider-man (Meta Class)
The Pick: Spider-man

What went down...
Working late to clear out his deceased father's office [Spider-man: The Movie], an unsuspecting Harry Osborn finds himself under the attack of the lethal Lizard! Though succumbing to a primal state, somewhere inside, the Lizard calls upon his grim fate at the hands of Oscorp's negligance, and seeks revenge!

While Spider-man races to the scene, Harry maneuvers his way through the labyrinth of corridors in the Oscorp office complex, snagging a fire axe while evading the leaping lizard that claws and hops his way through the narrow halls.

Harry manages to slice away the Lizard's fingers as he slowly stalks around a corner, but they quickly regenerate thanks to the mysterious serum flowing in his veins. Unphased, the Lizard is now even more motivated as he corners the axe-wielding Osborn in a conference room.

Knocking Harry down with a slash to his arm, the Lizard prepares to move in for the kill, but as he does, a comedic voice descends from above -- Spider-man!
A self-launching Spider-man knocks the Lizard down, propelling himself from the bottom of a walking platform.

The Lizard recovers, taking several swipes and bites at the Spider-man, but his agility proves superior. A red fist swings up with a devestating uppercut, again flooring the Lizard as he goes head-over-heels, backward.

Grabbing a fire extinguisher with thoughts of acting out on his vendetta against Spider-man, Harry thinks better, agreeing to take Spider-man's provided escape opportunity.

In something of a primal rage, the Lizard crawls around on all fours before launching himself at Spidey. With no regard for the safety of himself or his prey, the Lizard sends he and Spider-man hurtling down beside the skyscraper.

Spidey shoots out web-lines to slow his descent, while the Lizard uses his talon-esque fingertips to cling to the side of the building. The Lizard wastes no time scaling the building in pursuit of Spider-man, who heads for the rooftop.

Inside, Harry calls the police, while above, Spider-man does combat with the ferocious Lizard.

Spidey again makes good use of his super-agility, narrowly escaping several close quarters lunging attacks, before springing to a higher vantage point atop a radio tower.

He attempts to connect with the Doctor within, appealing to his human nature to reject the return of his arm for the price it comes with. The Lizard wastes little time contemplating, instead using his own spring to leap after Spidey.

Avoiding the attack, Spider-man lands atop a large spinning fan, shooting web-lines out to the Lizard before feeding them into the spinning blades. The power of the machine yanks the Lizard from his tower perch, into the protective grill.

The Lizard hits with a thud as police helecopters begin circling overhead, casting their search lights at the super-powered struggle below.

With the fan jammed by Spider-man's webbing, the Lizard mangles the grill to free himself from his ensnarement. The police, believing the pair to be accomplices, calls for both of their surrender, while the Lizard launches an unsuspecting attack.

Lizard yanks Spidey off his proverbial soap box, and drags him to the ground below. With the blades of the industrial fan again spinning, the Lizard holds Spider-man menacingly by the throat with his powerful hands.

Preparing a killing stroke, the Lizard pulls his sharp nails back.
The police copter provides Spider-man with the leverage he needs to shoot a web to yank himself to freedom, as the Lizard follows through to plunge his arm into the spinning turbine!

It slices Dr. Conners' arm down in a parallel to his previous injuries. Sufficiently distracted, Spider-man webs him up from the bottom of the helecopter, and the police take-off with both in their 'custody'.

The Lizard continues to struggle, using his remaining arm to slash Spider-man's web. He plummets earthbound, landing in the streets below. Unable to make a getaway, the Lizard lies in the street, and sheds a single tear.

The hammer...
The winner, and still champion -- the amazing Spider-man!

I'm going to completely cop-out, and remind everyone that Mondays remain dedicated to the villains featured in the now classic, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance video game. These entries, which have fuelled the past few months, have been attracting some hits, so hopefully some of you hardcore gamers have gotten something out of them.

In a similar theme, it's nice to get another episode of the extremely underrated MTV Spider-man cartoon up! I think this was the kind of thing that really grew on me the more I've watched it, and I'm sure last time [Spider-man Ep. 13] I mentioned how impressive I thought the writing was, but I must do it again.

When you say 'MTV are doing a Spider-man cartoon', it's a bit of an ugh attractor. The inevitable image of a Spider-man with baseball cap backward and baggy pants comes to mind, but what the people behind this particular toon really did well was write motivated, intelligent done-in-one episodes with impressive success and respect for both the materials, and the requirements of MTV and their 'hip' image.

This is probably one of the few instances where, by luck or design, decisions to go with existing and original characters were made with flawless precision.
Few characters unique to cartoons or films are as enjoyable as some of the characters seen in this show, which, granted, were largely designed off existing characters like Black Cat, Rocket Racer and Kraven. But that shouldn't discount the decision process which ultimately proves 'right'.

Likewise the peppering of characters like Lizard and Kingpin and Silver Sable throughout the series helps sustain a familiarity for interested existing fans like myself -- but does so in a way that allows them to do something fresh and suitable for the surroundings in which these versions of the characters exist.

In many ways, I almost think with rare exception that this series was Ultimate Spider-man done right. Even if that's an incredibly subjective opinion.

For my tastes it's just a much interesting balance of factors like having Parker back in schooling (college, rather than high), elements of the movie, reinvented versions of characters, and classic elements of the Spider-man formula.
It just brings it together in a way - and at a pace and style - that sustains my interest far and above the regularly disappointing Ultimate title, which currently stands as a vague parallel to the existing Spider-man.

This episode represents a fairly familiar take on the Lizard character, but recasts Dr. Conners with the voice of Rob Zombie, which actually works quite well, and gives a suitably gruff edge to this version of the character. The stiffness in Zombie's voice-acting compliments the writing, which takes the friendly scientist and reimagines him as a much shorter and superior character.

The family connection is presumably removed to better relate the character to younger MTV viewers, while also better condensing the character's story and history into a single, relevant, flowing episode. While it's something I like about the redeeming qualities and conundrum of fighting the Lizard, I think the tragic villain is still well captured, even though this version relies on taking the already unlikable and building that up until a brief moment at the very end of the episode.
It's classic, even without mirroring the exact motivations of the original.

Of course, the MTV and Mainframe gang didn't hit every right note.
As much as they have their triumphs, they have their 'movie Dr. Doom' in the reimagining of Electro as a college sophmore who undergoes a drastic transformation. That, however, might be an entry for another day!

The Fight: 6 The Episode: 6
NEXT WEEK: Can even Marvel's mighty mutants stop The Executioner?!

SPIDER-MAN versus KRAVEN THE HUNTER
Mind Games (Part 2) (Marvel comics)
Where: Spider-man Ep. 13 When: August 2003
Why: Steven Kriozere & Audu Paden How: Neil Patrick Harris & Michael Dorn

The story so far...
The Gaines Twins are the product of shocking KGB experimentation which killed their parents, but resulted in granting them fantastic hypnotic and telepathic abilities.

When Spider-man intervenes in their escape, the twins manage to psychically manipulate him through a fantasy into believeing Kraven the Hunter killed his beloved Mary-Jane.

With rage now seething through his veins, Spider-man takes up a vengeful mission to kill Kraven on the behalf of the twins. Revenge for Kraven's involvement in the capture of their parents on the KGB's behalf.

Previous Form:
Spider-man (#2): Spidey has one-on-one victories against Man-Ape and the Tri-Sentinel.
Kraven the Hunter: Kraven has not yet been featured.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Spider-man 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympic Sprinter)
Stamina: Spider-man 4 (Trained Athlete)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Kraven 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Kraven 4 (Arsenal)

Kraven the Hunter! What a fantastic villain!
Generally I don't like to feature a character twice in one month, but lately I've been on a bit of a Spidey kick, and I guess Kraven won the Spidey-villain lottery thanks to MTV and Mainframe.

I guess in many respects this match-up is comparable to Wolverine/Silver Samurai. That is to say, it's the extraordinary hero, against a villain who is the at the very maximum of ordinary.

For the most part Kraven is a human begin who honed his skills as a supreme hunter. A hunter so efficient, he would prefer his own hands over the use of additional weapons. Although, that said, Kraven has been known to have various tool at his disposal.

Like a Captain America, Kraven has enhanced strength, which makes him more than a match for Spider-man, whose own strength tends to fluctuate depending on the scenario and writing staff. We'll at least consider them comparable equals, although, I personally lean toward Spidey having the superior strength.

While Spidey has his spider-senses to give him a preternatural edge in combat, Kraven the Hunter has his own supremely trained senses, which work hand-in-hand with his training and experience to give him a comparable edge.
Likewise, both are extremely agile men, although again Spidey has a definite advantage here.

Sergei Kravinoff took his own life during the Kraven's Last Hunt storyarc, having reached what he felt was the epitomy of his career after not only besting Spider-man, but also replacing him while he was buried alive.
This was one of the harshest defeats handed out to Spider-man, but it did come after decades of the Spider getting the best of the hunter.

Overall: Draw 28
The Pick: Spider-man

What went down...
Waiting on a meeting at the docks, it doesn't take Kraven's keen senses as a hunter to recognise the trademark webbing that holds his goons pinned to smokestacks.
Spidey charges into battle, shunting Kraven across the roof whilst promising to "rip him apart."

Kraven tumbles into the warehouse below, finding his way to walkways dangling high above the floorspace. Spidey follows hard, but Kraven is fast enough to avoid the strike.

The two exchange blows, with Kraven blocking for the most part until Spidey uses his agility to nail a Bruce Lee style sommersault kick.

Kraven lands, and narrowly avoids Spidey's follow up, bringing his bodyweight down from a high leap. Kraven matches Spidey's agility, perching on a walkway handrail, before springing away to avoid another savage punch.

Kraven wipes blood from his mouth, and observes the ruthless shift in Spider-man's tact. Spider-man leaps infront of him, taking a challenging stance.

Spidey goes for the webbing, but Kraven cuts it with a dagger, and then uses the dagger as a projectile weapon.
Spidey ducks out and shoots out webbing, weaving it around Kraven's hands and throat.

With Kraven dangling from the ceiling, Spidey swears vengeance for Mary-Jane, but out the corner of his eye he spies a discrepency in his history. A neon sign that had fallen and injury Harry Osborn, now quite prominent in the skyline.

Connecting the dots, Spider-man quizzes Kraven further to make sense of the timeline. Kraven reveals their last meeting as having been months previous.
When the police arrive, they corroborate Kraven's story, and although he has been the unwitting pawn of the Gaines twins, having lived a fantasy since first encountering them, Spidey does defeat Kraven.

The hammer...
The winner, and late charge for the top spot: Spider-man!

The MTV Spider-man series was a funny kinda situation. I heard a bit about it via a lot of second hand information, and I have to admit to not being terribly excited by what I was hearing.
With names like Rob Zombie being tossed around for the voice of the Lizard, it was sounding a lot like a gratuitous way to cram MTV properties into the blossoming branding of Spider-man: the movie.

The series perhaps gained some credibility with the inclusion of Brian Michael Bendis as a producing influence, although, connections to Ultimate Spider-man only further turned me off of the series. How wrong I was.

I really expected to dislike this series, but an impulse purchase with a mindboggling reasonable price tag turned all of that around. Now I'm a tragic fan of the Mainframe CG animated series, and desperately hope rumors of a second series prevailing over cancellation, are true.

I was a fan of Mainframe's early animation work on Reboot, and Spider-man really succeeds in showing just how far they've come since the mid-nineties.
Certainly a lot of the Mainframe traits are there, and anyone familiar with a series like Reboot will spot familiar quirks, but at the same time, they seem to willingly give themselves over to established iconography and ideals of the Spider-man character.

Of course, this is only half of the puzzle, and a huge part comes from the writing on this series. Much like conventional television, budgetary concerns restrict the bredth of cast and locations, but as Mainframe build a backlog of reusable sprites and scripts, the world populates itself intelligently and densely.
Even with Morgan "VIP" Gendel in a prominent position on the writing staff, the series crafts itself around restrictions, perhaps turning them into advantages. Character interaction is dense and intelligent, as are the scripts on a whole. Storylines pack plenty of characterization, but unlike the Ultimate variety of the comic, does not sacrifice this for fast-paced action, and thrilling adventure.

This show is in many ways everything The Batman isn't.
Like Batman, this series was projecting itself into the shadow of previous successful cartoon shows as well as feature film success. The team handling MTV's show managed to embody elements from all sources including comics and film, whilst still producing it's own energy. This is in direct contrast to The Batman's utter failure to entice existing fans of comics, or perhaps even the Timm/Dini animated series prior.

This series wasn't without it's problems, and certainly it would've been nice to see more of the recognisable rogues like Kraven the Hunter. Villains who are always among the high points of any Spider-man story, but that said, even the original or derived characters unique to the series were highly enjoyable. Something series rarely succeed at creating.

For example; characters Shikata and Talon owe their origins to Kraven and Black Cat respectively, quite obviously. As nice as it would've been to see these characters in those stories, the creative team here still manages to make both characters intriguing and individual.

I could go on and on, and I'm really skimming the surface, but on my Spidey kick I just had to feature an episode of this series. It's fantastic. I hold out hope that the rumors of a character-packed second season might somehow manifest.

Another negative? They say gulag an awful lot in this episode!

The Fight: 4 The Episode: 6