Episode:Partners

This was the 47th episode of Spider-Man, the fifth of the fourth season, and aired on May 3, 1997. The episode follows up on the villains Silvermane, Alisha Silvermane, Smythe, Scorpion, and Vulture.

Story
Black Cat is swinging through the city angry at Spider-Man telling her what to do in their last encounter. She notices a van for the Hardy Foundation that does not belong to the Hardy Foundation. Spider-Man spots Cat on the van and decides to follow. The two then find masked men loading boxes into the van. Cat engages the men and at one points loses control of the situation. Spidey comes to her aid and tells her how she should not have attacked all these armed men on her own. The two are attacked by Alistair Smythe who kidnaps Black Cat.

Smythe takes Cat to the hideout, the Big Baby Baby Company, of Alisha Silvermane and her father, turned into a talking infant. Their plan is to capture either Vulture or Scorpion and using data from the Tablet of Time will turn Silvermane back into an adult. Smythe plans to use Cat to blackmail into getting Spider-Man to find one of the two for them. Smythe tracks down the wallcrawler, makes his proposal, and gives him 24 hours to do so or else.

Scorpion is then shown to be living with his girlfriend Sarah and having captured Vulture, who is uncontrollably changing between his young and old form. Scorpion simply wants to live a normal life and thinks Vulture can help him do it, if he can ever legally get enough money for a lab. Peter can find no trace of either Scorpion or Vulture, they seem to have gone underground into hiding. So he goes to Dr. Connors to make a fake announcement in the field of neogenics in order to lure one of the two out into the open.

The plan works and Scorpion begins robbing to quickly gain enough money to use the breakthrough. Spider-Man and Scorpion begin fighting and Scorpion is eventually knocked out. Sarah follows Spidey and her knocked out boyfriend to Silvermane's hideout. Spidey gives Smythe Scorpion but Smythe fails to uphold his end of the bargain and captures Spidey instead of releasing Cat. Silvermane plans to exchange ages with Spider-Man so that he may have the youth he always sought after.

Sarah releases Vulture and asks that he save Scorpion with the promise of acquiring neogenic technology. Smythe begins the age swapping procedure when the Vulture intervenes unhappy at seeing Silvermane using his technology. During the battle Smythe accidentally frees Spider-Man who then frees Scorpion and Black Cat. Vulture then takes the place of Spider-Man in his old form and swaps age with Silverman who is obviously does not welcome being so old again. Being young again Vulture escapes. Being old again Silverman, Alisha, and Smythe leave after the neogenic recombinator becomes set to explode but not before trapping Spider-Man, Black Cat, Scorpion, and Sarah in the complex. With no way out Spidey and Cat trick Scorpion into using his acid to open the door.

Scorpion and Sarah watch the destruction wondering if he will ever be normal again. Sarah says their love will get them through it. Vulture flies off into the night laughing. Elsewhere, Spider-Man and Black Cat contemplate their partnership. Spidey reassures her that she was great back there and that with all these villains running around he will need her help. Cat gives him a quick kiss and heads out.