Spider-Man Unlimited (TV Series)

Spider-Man Unlimited is the sequel series to Spider-Man and is loosely connected to the Marvel Animated Universe. The series aired thirteen episodes starting October 2nd, 1999 and ending March 31st, 2001.

Story
John Jameson, son of J. Jonah Jameson, leaves on a one-man mission to Counter-Earth. However, both Venom and Carnage board the ship. Contact is lost with Jameson and Spider-Man is blamed by the media and the public. Eventually he is believed to be dead and Peter Parker then travels to Counter-Earth with a whole new suit. Upon arriving Peter finds the High Evolutionary (a human tired of humanity) and Beastials (hybrids of humans and animals) who are the dominant species. Jameson has teamed up with a revolutionary group of humans who are tired of being second class citizens. Jameson refuses to return to Earth until the High Evolutionary is overthrown. Until Jameson's cause is won Peter must try his best to blend into the society along with defeating Beastial versions of Spider-Man's rogue gallery along with Venom and Carnage.

Continuity
Although meant as a sequel to Spider-Man Spider-Man Unlimited changed some continuity. The most obvious example is the origin of Carnage. In Spider-Man Mordo and Dormammu return the Venom symbiote and the Carnage spawn to Earth. When Brock rebonds with the Venom symbiote fellow prisoner Kasady is given the Carnage spawn. In Spider-Man Unlimited Spider-Man didn't separate the symbiote and Brock and Venom was held by S.H.I.E.L.D. along with Kasady, who was later given the Carnage symbiote. There is no mention of Mordo or Dormammu. The symbiotes' powers also seem to be radically changed. They are able to radically alter their body composition, shape, and altering their body's format. Spider-Man notes this in the first episode but there is no explanation. Also of note, in Spider-Man Mary Jane, Venom, and Carnage are all lost in other dimensions yet there is no mention of these events or their resolutions.

Reaction
Fans of Spider-Man and of the Spider-Man comics in general were disappointed. Fans felt that the show tried to be closer to the comic books but became bogged down with being on an alien planet. On a positive note, many noted that the visuals were very appealing.

The show was vastly overshadowed by the anime Pokémon, which began airing at the same time and garnered far higher ratings. Although the season 1 ended on a cliffhanger and several scripts were written for a second, the series was not picked up for further episodes.