Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Back in 1981, Saturday morning cartoons were the way of life. This is what every young child looked forward to during the dreaded school weeks. After all, as everyone knew, the best cartoons were shown every Saturday. And one of the more memorable shows was Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Spider-Man was joined regularly with Iceman and Firestar, who all dubbed themselves as the “Spider-Friends”. Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends: The Origin of the Super-Friends re-accounts how these three heroes met and became friends.


No More Solo Act For Spidey

Peter Parker is attending an invention convention where Tony Stark is showcasing his latest crime-detecting contraption. While there, a woman named Angelica Jones, whose beauty captures his attention, fascinates Peter. This is interrupted when the Beetle crashes the party and steals Stark’s invention. As Peter changes into Spider-Man he finds out Iceman and Firestar beat him to the scene of the crime, but the Beetle escapes regardless.

Peter manages to get acquainted with Angelica and her friend Bobby Drake but is yet again interrupted with another disaster. A fire has broken out in the science lab. Peter changes in the storage room and starts putting out the fire as Spider-Man. Lo and behold, Iceman and Firestar also arrive to help. Later that night, Peter notices that his camera took pictures in that storage room and sees something starting… Angelica Jones transforming into Firestar! He then deduces that Bobby must be Iceman.

The three team-up when they learn that the Beetle kidnaps Stark for his latest creation, the Power Booster. This invention will amply the Beetle’s power making him almost unstoppable. The trio of heroes work together to save Stark and combine their powers to take down the Beetle. Stark rewards them with a crime computer and hidden laboratory that is kept in Aunt May’s house. Incidentally, Angelica and Bobby also become Aunt May’s newest borders. And from that point on, the Spider-Friends are born.


Stan Lee Presents…

It’s interesting that the original trio was going to be comprised of Spider-Man, Iceman, and the Human Torch, but because of legal reasons the Torch couldn’t be included. Instead, Firestar was created solely for the show with similar powers as the Human Torch. I think there were a couple of reasons why he wasn’t included.

First, I believe his right were tied up and licensed out for a movie project. And second, I really believe that the producers were still afraid the young kids would try to emulate him. He received his powers through an accident and they feared kids would try something stupid like putting themselves on fire.

So why was Firestar any different? She was mutant, someone who was born with her powers, just like Iceman. I think it was easier to understand that it was impossible for kids to be like her. However, I think the answer was even simpler than that: Firestar is a girl, and what boy wants to be like a girl?

Even though this episode dealt with the formation of the Spider-Friends, this story wasn’t told until the third season. Stan Lee, the co-creator of Spider-Man, also started narrating each episode at the beginning of the second season. It was only fitting that he would be involved with his creation in some capacity.

The downside to the sole episode showcased on this video. 24 minutes of action packed superheroics was shown, and that was it. Usually there would be at least two episodes per video but not in the case of Spidey and his friends. It’s too bad since Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends proved to be more memorable than his solo animated show from the previous season. Everybody remembers Iceman and Firestar. What’s really funny is how much Angelica Jones looks like Mary Jane Watson. I don’t know if that was done on purpose but the resemblance is quite striking.

The animation, to today’s standards, is quite average but it was still exciting to see the action sprawled across the television screen like it did. And the theme song is still catchy and memorable.

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends: The Origin of the Spider-Friends is a fun episode to watch, and it proves how versatile this character really is. Each generation has managed to have their own version of Spider-Man come to life on television, from the 1967 Spider-Man to the solo Spider-Man cartoon in 1981 to Spider-Man: The Animated Series in 1994 and Spider-Man: The New Animated Series in 2003. The most amazing thing is the longevity of the character throughout the years. No matter how many times he has been interpreted, no matter how many incarnations of him are out there, the spirit of the character never changes.

Spidey has caught us in his web, just like he did with his friends.


Related Spider-Man Reviews
Spider-Man: The Ultimate Villain Showdown

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8