Episode:The Origin of the Spider-Friends

Plot

While attending an inventor's convention, where Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) is demonstrating his new computer devised for crime detection, Peter Parker is mesmerized by the beauty of Angelica Jones. However, the Beetle bursts through to try and steal the super-computer. Parker changes into Spider-Man, only to find Iceman and Firestar already on the scene. The Beetle fails and escapes for now, and hopes to get revenge.

While the three talking in the school cafeteria, a fire breaks out in the science lab. Peter changes in the storage room. While Spidey begins to extinguish the fire, coincidentally Iceman and Firestar show up. That night, he learns that Angelica Jones is Firestar because of a photo of her turning into Firestar. This makes him realize that Bobby Drake is Iceman. They decide to form themselves as the Spider-Friends.

Meanwhile, The Beetle is on top of Stark Enterprises, waiting for Stark to leave. As the latter is in a car, The Beetle swoops down on top of it, ripping the car ceiling open, and kidnapping Stark (who is wearing the Power Booster). The Spider-Friends manage to save Stark. Unfortunately, however, The Beetle has stolen the Power Booster. Stark supplies the Spider-Friends with a crime computer and hidden laboratory as a reward for saving his life a second time.

With the new technology they use it to track down The Beetle. Because he is using the Power Booster, he is almost unstoppable. Firestar throws some fireballs at him, but are unaffected due to this. Iceman Jumps onto the scene to give a shot against him. He freezes him with his ice beam. After doing so, he thinks that now they're victorious. But The Beetle breaks out of the ice and blasts Iceman with his Electrobite Blast. Spidey saves Iceman from falling by creating a big spiderweb to break his fall. The Beetle prepares to destroy Stark Enterprises. However, Firestar distracts him long enough for Spider-Man to retrieve the Power Booster using his web shooter. Firestar shoots a fire blast at him, then Iceman freezes him again. The Beetle then breaks out of his suit, with only the boots and underwear remaining. He is then arrested by the authorities. The episode then ends with them proving how great a team they really are.

Trivia

Although this episode is part of the 3rd season, it is chronologically the first episode in the series.

After the climax, it is unknown how The Beetle survived his fall, as they jump-cut the whole thing. However, it is possible that Spider-Man made a web to save him from falling. A similar thing happened in the episode "Along Came Spidey", where Spider-Man made a web to save Shocker from falling. Unlike The Shocker, however, The Beetle broke out of his suit prior to falling. The boots and underwear were all that remained after the suit was destroyed.