Synopsis:

The 1994 Spider-Man animated series three-parter “The Alien Costume” is recut to play as a single feature. Production errors, poor animation and weak writing are also removed. It’s a classic Spidey story, and it’s even better than you remember!

Intentions:

I wanted to present the best possible version of what is easily the definitive telling of Spider-Man's symbiote story.

Change List:

TV-TO-MOVIE CHANGES “The Alien Costume, Part 1” - Replaced Spider-Man: “The Venom Saga” title card with generic Spider-Man title card. - Added new opening credits. - Cut commercial breaks. “The Alien Costume, Part 2” - Inserted new footage to bridge “Part 1” and “Part 2.” - Moved scene of Kingpin meeting buyers to beginning. - Inserted new footage to replace opening credits. - Cut commercial breaks. “The Alien Costume, Part 3” - Cut Brock’s flashbacks to “Part 2” and other episodes. - Inserted new footage to replace opening credits. - Cut commercial breaks. - Added cast credit for Jim Cummings (Shocker). - Added cast credit for Saratoga Ballantine (Mary Jane Watson). - Added original 1994 production logos after end credits. FANFIX CHANGES “The Alien Costume, Part 1” - Replaced season 1 opening with season 3 opening. This version is used for most of the series, and it’s a better, more iconic sequence than the season 1 version. - Cut opening scene on asteroid. This scene contains opening credits that had to go, as well as badly written dialogue. Cutting the scene gets the story (which is more about Spider-Man than the Promethium X) moving faster. - Cut repeated footage during space shuttle sequence. - Cut Peter phoning Aunt May. This moment arrives and ends so quickly that it might as well have been cut. I’ve removed it to make the pacing smoother. - Cut Rhino’s introduction in apartment. It’s unintentionally humorous to see him waiting by the phone. We’re now introduced to Rhino when he appears on the bridge and is talking to Kingpin via headset. - Cut Peter looking crazed while watching TV. Peter is understandably upset here, but he shouldn’t look psychotic (especially pre-symbiote). - Cut line “Yo, Spider-Man’s hiding behind the fire engine” (onlooker). It stretches credibility to have onlookers watch Spider-Man from nearby windows, but not notice him change back to Peter Parker. - Cut line “You’re not authorized to be here” (guard). Spoken by a guard to Rhino as he breaks into a government repository… kind of goes without saying. - Other minor changes as needed. “The Alien Costume, Part 2” - Trimmed Kingpin meeting buyers. Edited to cut down on the unintelligent thugs to whom Kingpin is inexplicably selling the Promethium X. - Cut line “Not while this suit makes me stronger and faster than you” (Spider-Man). This line seems like exposition to catch the viewer up from last episode, and it sounds too arrogant following Spidey’s previous scene. - Cut Brock claiming to hate Spider-Man. Brock’s reason for hating Spider-Man is developed in previous episodes, but I’m trying to make “The Alien Costume” a standalone story, so this had to go. - Cut Spider-Man using spider sense like a psychic power. Not a natural extension of the “spider powers” concept. - Cut line “I can see you’re all tied up, so I’ll be on my way” (Spider-Man). A cliché pun that drains tension from the fight sequence. - Cut Jameson and Spider-Man exiting car together. I cut this because it’s unintentionally humorous to imagine Jameson and Spidey’s awkward car ride. - Cut line “I’m all shook up” (Shocker). Pun. - Trimmed battle in church. To improve pacing and remove poor animation. - Cut repeated footage during battle in church. - Cut line “Can’t pull the wool over me” (Shocker). Barely a pun. - Cut Shocker punching through wooden door. A bizarre moment – badly animated, too. - Trimmed Spider-Man yelling at Shocker. Christopher Daniel Barnes’ delivery makes me laugh, when it’s supposed to sound threatening. - Reversed shot of Peter looking at Uncle Ben’s portrait. Flows better this way. - Cut impact sound when Peter is thrown from symbiote. The sound suggests that the church bell knocks Peter out of the symbiote, but I’m pretty sure the symbiote ejects Peter from itself. - Cut line “No!” (Peter). Unconvincing delivery. - Cut Peter smiling after symbiote leaves. Looks creepy, doesn’t suit the moment. - Cut Venom smashing through church wall. Meant to show Venom’s strength, but it’s too much, too soon. - Other minor changes as needed. “The Alien Costume, Part 3” - Recoloured Spider-Man’s suit so it’s red, not pink. Not sure why the colour is off – it’s off for many episodes in the series. - Cut Venom lecturing Spider-Man on the symbiote’s power. Accompanying CGI clashes with the rest of the show’s look. - Cut line “You know nothing about us, but we know everything about you” (Venom). Venom’s attempt at intimidation doesn’t work, because what he says just isn’t true – Peter knows the symbiote’s weakness, he knows where Brock used to live, he knows Brock was disgraced and fired from the Bugle, etc. - Cut close-up of Venom during hallucination. I used this shot elsewhere, and the hallucination flows better without it. - Cut line “Somewhere, he’s out there – and my spider sense can’t detect him” (Peter). Hammy delivery. This fact is also established earlier. - Cut repeated footage of Spider-Man and Venom swinging. - Cut line “This is my chance to ID that wall-crawling rat bag” (Jameson). Spidey just saved Jameson’s son, so this line felt inappropriate. The show's version of Jameson has some heart, and I think he would cut Spidey some slack, at least temporarily. - Cut Venom mentioning Mary Jane a second time. The show moves from idea to idea at a breakneck pace, so repeating this beat disrupts the rhythm. - Trimmed Jameson trying to focus camera on Peter’s face. Stretches credibility to have him so inept at operating a camera. - Cut repeated footage of Venom swinging. - Cut Spider-Man shooting web when he falls from ledge. The way Venom breaks the web doesn’t seem threatening, especially considering how angry he is. - Cut line “We’re going to turn out your lights, this party is over” (Venom). This sounds like a really neutered “We’re going to kill you.” Not sure why the show’s writers always had characters referring to fights as parties. - Cut Venom driving truck to catch up with train. As much as this amuses me, it is perhaps too silly. - Trimmed Spider-Man webbing Venom in face. Venom looks too passive. - Cut line “Say aloha!” (Venom). I have no clue why it’s “aloha” instead of “goodbye” – is Brock Hawaiian? Does it have something to do with NASA? I don't know. It’s random and sounds stupid, so I cut it. - Other minor changes as needed. TECHNICAL CHANGES “The Alien Costume, Part 1” - Cropped shot of Smythe to remove colouring error. - Removed stray frame from news broadcast. - Removed stray frame from space shuttle careening on bridge. - Recoloured Kingpin’s hand holding Promethium X. - Removed red dot under Peter’s chin when he’s on couch. - Recoloured Spider-Man’s web shooter. - Other minor changes as needed. “The Alien Costume, Part 2” - Removed animation error in Jameson’s office. - Stabilized twitchy shot of Jameson. - Cropped shot of Shocker to remove unfinished animation. - Cropped shot of wall crumbling to remove animation error. - Cropped shot of Spider-Man to remove scene transition error. - Fixed poor animation when Spider-Man exits room. - Removed scene transition error in Peter’s bedroom. - Removed stray frame from battle in church. - Other minor changes as needed. “The Alien Costume, Part 3” - Replaced poorly cropped shot of Brock standing on roof. - Fixed poor editing when Brock meets Mary Jane. - Replaced poorly superimposed shot of Venom during hallucination. - Other minor changes as needed.

Additional Notes:

-

Other Sources:

Daredevil vs. Spider-Man Spider-Man Complete Season 1

Special Thanks:

Thanks to Kal-El for viewing and providing feedback.