Night of the Lizard (episode of Spider-Man: The Series)

Night of the Lizard is the first episode of the first season of Spider-Man: The Series.

Story
The episode opens up around Christmastime 2002. A group of jewel thieves are about to get away with a large amount of money. However, as they prepare to lose the cops by making a sharp turn, they are met by what appears to be a gigantic spider-web stretching across the intersection. As the car gets stuck in the web, so do the thieves. As the officers arrive, one of them notices a note attached to the web, reading "Courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." The officer then looks up towards the rooftops and notices a silhouetted man swinging across the rooftops on what appears to be a long rope

The scene then switches to the same man standing on a rooftop wearing a red and blue costume with large, chrome eyes and silver lines going across the red parts, and two different spider-like logos; one on the front and one on the back. The man identifies himself as Peter Parker, but identifies his costumed persona as Spider-Man. Spider-Man then begins going over his past, from the day he got his powers, to the night his Uncle Ben was killed, to his encounters with New York City's first modern super villain; the Green Goblin. He comments on how he wishes it was as peaceful down there as it looks from up there. He then extends his hands and shoots out a web and swings through the skyscrapers rounding a building.

Down below, people bustle through the streets while cars blare their horns. The man watches over them as they pass. Below the city streets, the underground workings of the city go one. Electricity is heard while a light blinks red before turning green. Just then, a flashlight shines on the light box. A sewer worker climbs the ladder telling his partner that he will love it down there as it is cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and with no office politics. The partner says it sounds better than his last job, the television business. The first man climbs down saying his set has double images. The other man interrupts saying that he was an executive. Understanding, the first man says he is better off down there. Suddenly a shadow passes over them. The two men turn to see an enormous, scaly monster rising above them. It stares at them with yellow eyes and growls. The two men quickly climb the ladder and exit the manhole.

They rush into the van. As the experienced worker gets in, the grate lifts and a scaly hand grabs him. He cries out for help and the new worker grabs him. Unfortunately, he slips out of his glove and is pulled underground. The new worker squeals the tires pulling away. The other man's hardhat spins in the street. As he speeds away, the man hallucinates the creature's eyes are chasing after him. He swerves around through traffic. He cuts off a taxi and drifts over the center line causing a car to swerve out of the way before sideswiping another. He screeches around a corner narrowly missing another cab but slams into more cars. He continues swerving through traffic. Above the streets, Spider-Man notices the car, joking that he is actually a cab driver. He spins a web and swings after him. He lands on the van and peers over the side. He orders the worker to hit the brakes before noticing an oncoming car and telling him to turn. He then grabs the wheel and does it for the man. The van tears around a corner hitting more cars. Eventually it goes right through a lamppost, through a divider, and into the air. The worker screams as the hero rides on top.

The van crashes into the river and settles upside down on the bottom. Several fish swim by it. Above, people look over the side of the dock. Spider-Man hangs from a webline holding the worker. He asks the terrified man what happened. The worker responds by mumbling about the eyes. He asks if the eyes were on a pink elephant. Spider-Man responds that he is telling the truth. The hero then swings the two of them up and people back away to let them land. He just asks not to let the cops blame this on him. He sets the worker down among the people there, still babbling about the eyes. He swings away commenting that New York City is never dull but it goes with the job.

The following morning, at The Daily Bugle, Robbie Robertson, assistant editor, is going through past photos of Spider-Man in previous articles. Peter Parker, being a freelance photographer working for the Bugle, then walks in and is kindly greeted by Robbie. He notes that Peter always gets good pictures of Spider-Man, and wonders if he can get one of the Lizard. Peter wonders who that is. A gruff voice belonging to J. Jonah Jameson, editor-in-chief of the Bugle, chimes in to tell Peter that if he ever showed up on time he'd know what's going on. Robbie explains that there are reports of a giant, reptilian monster in the subways. Peter jokes that in this town no one would notice. Another man, Ned Leeds, the current staff reporter for the Bugle, then tells Peter that the Lizard was indeed real and that he had seen him. Jameson tells Peter that this is no wild goose chase. He holds up a photograph of the experienced worker holding a bowling trophy explaining that the sewer worker went missing. His friend said the Lizard got him. Ned then pipes up, stating that he's got the contacts with all of the reptile experts in the city. He says the closest one is at Empire State and is named Connors. Peter asks if he means Dr. Curt Connors. The first man asks if he knows him. He says Connors is his professor and an expert in cross-species genetics, as well as a genius. Jameson then states Peter tells Jameson that he still thinks this whole Lizard thing is a hoax. Jameson tells Peter that the first one to get a picture of the Lizard will get a thousand dollar bonus. Peter holds up a camera asking if he wants color or black and white then snaps a picture.

Later at night, it is pouring down rain. Lightning streaks across the sky. Another bolt strikes near the Brooklyn Bridge as a bus drives across. Peter thinks about the thousand dollar bonus. He considers using it as a down payment for a motorcycle or car. He can't wait to tell his Aunt May.

At her home, May looks at a bill that is past due. Peter then comes into his old home and gives her a hug. When Peter asks why she seems so worried, she lies and says that she simply can't decide what to make for dinner. Peter kisses her on the cheek and she goes into the kitchen. Peter wonders to himself why she keeps things from him. He lifts the book to see the bills. He chastises himself for thinking of selfish things to buy. He notes how May has been like a mother to him and he needs to start paying her back as either Peter or Spider-Man.

Elsewhere, Spider-Man lifts a manhole cover and crawls into the sewer. He complains that he never gets assignments to sunny suburb. He complains since the Lizard thing is probably just an urban myth. He turns on a light on his belt and looks around. He stops and pulls out his camera. Noting that he was wrong, he takes a picture of an enormous lizard footprint.

The next day, Peter is looking at the printed photo while walking through the rain. Suddenly, a woman calls out to him. He turns and sees Debra Whitman running to him, thinking that she is the sister he never had or wanted. She catches up to him wondering when he got a night class. As they approach the ESU Science Hall, she teases that he has no class at all. Peter brushes off the insult and explains he has something to show Dr. Connors and waves the photo. She asks what and he responds that it is none of her business. However, she snatches the photo out of his hands. They ascend the stairs of the hall. Debra looks at it finding it interesting. She notes that it is from the squamata order but is curious about the heel. They enter the building and Peter wonders what is special about the heel. Peter and Debra put on lab coats. She explains that the footprint is very deep. He jokes that it was a fat lizard. As they walk down the hall, she theorizes that it walked on two legs. Peter jokes that he knew that but Debra retorts he did not.

However, as they approach Connors' office, Peter notices something peculiar; the lights are off, and it's around noon. Peter then tells Debra that there's something wrong. They slowly approach the office and Peter carefully opens the door. He looks inside then tries one of the light switches. It doesn't work. The only light in the room right now is the light illuminating from the window. Peter and Debra then begin looking around, only to see that the room is in shambles; books are strewn on the floor, beakers are broken, 3 desks are flipped upside down, and there are claw marks on the wall. Whilst investigating, Peter notices a scale on the floor. He picks it up and begins to look at it.

At his apartment, Peter is analyzing the lizard scale underneath a microscope. He notes that it features similar traits to that of an alligator and a komodo dragon. He then begins to piece everything together. Peter thinks back to a time when he took blood out of a lizard with a syringe. He then mixes the DNA with another liquid in a beaker. Peter then tells Dr. Connors that he way ready to start. Connors, missing his right arm, then takes the beaker with the liquid and injects it into a mouse. The two then watch in awe as the mouse, having only two limbs, regrows it's extra four.

Back in the present, Spider-Man crouches on a ledge, starting to wonder if Connors was the Lizard. He then spins a web from his hand and swings off into the night city.

Elsewhere, the Lizard climbs up through a manhole cover. He runs down the street and in-between two houses, one saying Connors. He goes into the courtyard in back and kicks a tricycle. He looks in the window of the Connors house. A young boy, Billy, is watching his mother make food in the kitchen. He asks her if his dad is coming home. She says she does not know. Suddenly she screams and grabs him. They see Spider-Man hanging upside down and she orders him to stay away and leave them alone. He tells the woman, Mrs. Connors, to take it easy and that he is just looking for Curt.

She refuses since she doesn't want him hurt. Spider-Man is knowing as to why she would think that, then tries to explain himself. Just then, he hears someone screaming outside. Outside, Ned, having picked up on a lead from the college, backs up and falls to the ground begging his attacker to stop. The Lizard towers over him growling. Ned leaps into the bushes, losing the beast. The Lizard then turns back towards the house. Spider-Man lands on a building surprised to see that the Lizard is real. He pulls out his camera and takes a couple of photos asking "smiley" to stand still. The monster approaches and swipes at him with his tail. Spider-Man leaps over snapping a few more photos but accidentally dropping the camera. It falls into a puddle and he laments the loss of the thousand dollar photo. As he swings, he wonders when he will handle being a photographer and superhero at the same time. He shoots a web down at the Lizard who quickly leaps out of the way. Spider-Man lands noting that the future handbag has good reflexes. The Lizard watches him swing over to another building where the hero tells him to stick around so that he could help him. The Lizard picks up the tricycle and throws it. It would have cut the webline but Spider-Man lets go and leaps onto a building. The tricycle slams into the Connors residence. Inside, Mrs. Connors cries out.

Spider-Man notes he's really mad now and webs the Lizard's tail. The creature grabs the webbing and yanks Spider-Man down. Lizard grabs onto Spider-Man and tosses him into a treehouse. The hero falls to the ground underneath the broken wood. He pushes himself up but the Lizard's shadow crosses over him. His foe snarls, drool flying everywhere. Just then, Billy cries out to "Daddy" to stop. The Lizard turns and sees the mother and son in the door. The Lizard calls out to Billy. A flash of lightning causes the two to shy away. When they look up again, the Lizard is missing.

Spider-Man struggles up and slowly makes his way to them asking if he heard right. Mrs. Connors says it was, the Lizard is her husband was indeeed Curt. She explains that it all started with a formula, called Regenerator, which was supposed to regrow limbs and in species not related to reptiles. She explains that Curt tested Regenerator out on himself, and succeeded in regrowing his arm. However, there were major side effects; Curt's skin began to harden and thicken and become more scaly, a tail erected itself from his backside, his eyes became yellow, his nails became razor sharp, and he grew drastically in size.

Spider-Man asks why they didn't tell anyone like the police. Mrs. Connors didn't want anyone thinking he was a freak, and that the police would probably put him down if they found him. Spider-Man understands and says he will reach the Lizard first. She hugs Billy saying she is scared. Spider-Man promises to keep this quiet as long as they can.

In the bushes, Ned writes this down on a pad of paper and runs out onto the street. He says that once he breaks this he will get a Pulitzer. However, as Spider-Man, who had heard rustling in the bushes, loses Ned, he hears a scream coming from the Connors' household. He lands above the door seeing Billy standing there alone. He asks where his mother went. Billy says that his dad came back and took her. He points to an open sewer grate. He picks up Billy explaining that he's going to drop him off at a neighbor's house. He wipes away a tear saying he'll bring back both of his parents safely. Billy accepts and asks that nothing happen to them.

Down below the cities in the bowels of the sewers, Mrs. Connors orders her mutated husband to let her go. She pounds on his back as he carries her off. Spider-Man lowers himself down in the sewers noting what a slimy mess it is. He sees a ruined teddy bear floating in the muck. He swings over and crawls along the top of the tunnel. He wonders why he couldn't one of those galaxy-hopping superheroes and wonders how he keeps ending up in the sewers. Unfortunately, the grime on the tunnel roof causes him to slip. He falls down into the sewage below. He pushes himself out and coughs. He sits back then stands noting that the Fantastic Four never go into the sewers. He swings back up to the side.

He comes across a large chamber where the sewage falls down. He leaps down to the bottom ordering himself to stop gripping. He looks up at the rats along the walls next to a tunnel. Spider-Man crawls in saying what is really bothering him is that he's scared because the Lizard is powerful enough to rip him apart. He notes he cannot hurt the Lizard because inside is his friend. He becomes determined to stop him as it's the only way to save him. As he crawls along a pipe, he is stopped by a grate and complains that it's the "story of his life." He looks around for another way through when he hears Mrs. Connors telling the Lizard to put her down.

She calls out for her husband not to do something. Spider-Man grabs the bars and struggles to pull them off. Eventually they break free and he tosses them aside. He crawls in saying he has to reach her quickly. Suddenly, he falls down the shaft. He becomes worried when he sees another grate at the end.

Spider-Man hits the grate knocking it free. As he falls down the chamber, he shoots a web and catches himself. He swings himself around but the web catches on a pipe and breaks causing Spider-Man to slam into a wall. As the hero notes his predicament, Spider-Man laments to himself that the worst part is he was partially responsible. He begins to blame himself when a hand suddenly grabs his ankle. He looks through a grate and sees the missing technician begging to be saved. He grabs the bars and yanks them free. He pulls the man free noting he is the lost worker. The worker says the Lizard was building some electrical thing and couldn't do it himself. The Lizard needed his help. He says he is weak needing food and sleep. Just then they both hear Mrs. Connors' scream. Spider-Man shoots a web and prepares to leave. The technician asks if he'll be back. Spider-Man reminds him he is a hero and swings off.

The wallcrawler lands on a pipe and looks below. The Lizard is carrying his wife and the package he stole from ESU. He sets her down. Mrs. Connors wants to know why he brought her there. The Lizard leans over saying that they can be together. She explains that he is still her husband and she loves her, but she wants to be with Curt and not in a sewer. The Lizard says he loves her too but explains that he needs her help. He opens the wrapping revealing the a machine called the Recombinator, which was designed to specifically disperse gasses and chemicals throughout a wide area. He explains he needs her hands to operate it for her.Above, Spider-Man pulls the camera off his belt. He webs it to the side of the sewer. The Lizard continues to say that he cannot grasp the device. He explains that the other human got weak and scared. Mrs. Connors demands to know what he is going to do with the device as it begins to glow. He tells his wife, Margaret, that with the device he will transform her so she can heal any wound and replace any limb. He will start with her then transform everyone else.

He explains that he will hook the Recombinator up to the conduits, inject Regenerator, and reach everyone in the city, every man, woman, and child. Above, people walk along the streets going about their business completely unaware of what transpires below. He claims he will transform them all. There will be no more suffering or pain. She points out that once they are transformed they will all be like him. The Lizard claims he is the first of a new species, a better one. Margaret points out that if he was so much better he would not need her help. She claims he is not better then stands to show him his own clawed hand. Spider-Man watches from above. The Lizard yanks it away claiming she is twisting his words. He says he will make people well again. He holds up the Recombinator to say he will not stop for anything. Margaret asks if he will not stop for Billy. She asks if he wants their son to be like him. The Lizard then remembers that he has a son.

Spider-Man swings down and kicks the Lizard, knocking the Recombinator out of his hands. He claims he is doing this for Billy as much as for the doctor. The Lizard hisses and tells Spider-Man to stay out of this before swinging his tail around. The tail smacks Spider-Man knocking him across the floor. He looks up to see the Lizard approaching and hissing. Spider-Man leaps up as the Lizard lands. The reptilian doctor watches him land then swings his tail again. The hero dodges it but it slams into a wall breaking it apart. Spider-Man sees the rubble coming down and leaps away onto a wall. He notes that his mind is all reptile now. The Lizard snarls and lifts a large rock. He roars and throws it. It misses Spider-Man and breaks apart on the wall. Spider-Man ducks away from falling rocks. He calls out to Margaret to get out while she can saying he is dangerous. Instead, she kneels next to the Recombinator and picks it up despite Spider-Man's protest. The Lizard walks over to her and hisses. She stands there stunned.

Spider-Man again orders her to run as he webs up the Lizard's ankle. The Lizard turns and accidentally hits Margaret with his tail. The Recombinator flies off onto a sewage pipe. The Lizard turns back to his wife to see her on the floor unconscious. He crouches down apologizing. Spider-Man swings over to the Recombinator and activates it. He notes how he needs to work quickly before he's eaten. The Lizard sees the hero and, in anger, leaps at him. Spider-Man turns to see his snarling opponent. The Lizard tackles Spider-Man and the two fall into the sewage. Down below, the two struggle for the Recombinator. Margaret stirs and pushes herself up. She looks at the water crying out for her husband and Spider-Man. In the water, Spider-Man kicks the Lizard away. He flips a switch on the side and the Recombinator begins to flash. He thinks about how a week before his opponent was a scientist who wanted to help.

The Lizard swims back towards Spider-Man tackling him and causing the Recombinator to drop. Spider-Man thinks about how this creature was his teacher and friend. The Recombinator sparks with light. The Lizard grabs him and scratches at him. He takes another swipe but Spider-Man frees himself and pushes back. He thinks about how they both just wanted to help, but are now fighting each other for their lives. Spider-Man swims down followed by the Lizard. He grabs the Recombinator but the Lizard grabs him.

Margaret climbs down towards the water. She crouches down to see it calling out to both men again. The water stirs catching her attention. Spider-Man flips the switch and the two are shocked with energy. Margaret sees the bright light from below. Soon the energies become too much and the water erupts in a geyser with lighting shooting everywhere. Margaret is shocked at the display. Eventually the lights die down and the energy stops. The water crashes back into the pool and waves splash up on the sides. A shape comes up and Spider-Man emerges from the depths gasping for air. He swims to the side and shoots a web to pull himself up. He then drags the very human Curt up, once again missing his arm. Margaret helps him pull her husband up. She asks if he is alive. He tells her that Curt will be alright. She thanks him and hugs her husband. Spider-Man leaps up promising to help them get out but first he needs something. He shoots a line and swings up to his camera. He pulls it off noting it has the thousand dollar photo. He notes that Ned Leeds is just going to get a story no one will believe.

The next day, a police car pulls up outside the Connors' home. It is still raining. Ned, Jameson, and two police officers get out. Ned explains that the Lizard is Curt Connors. He would have gotten Jameson out there sooner but he was webbed by Spider-Man. Jameson scowls noting that Connors is a respected scientist, and that Peter already brought photos of Lizard to him earlier that morning. Ned and Jameson walk up the stoop followed by the cops. Ned promises to show him the Lizard himself and rings the doorbell. Jameson demands that he be right. Ned looks around and sees a newspaper in the mail slot. He claims that if he's wrong, grabbing the paper, he will eat the day's issue of the Bugle.

Just then, the door opens revealing Margaret, Curt, and Billy. Curt asks what brings Jameson by there this morning. Ned is shocked and gulps. Jameson grabs the paper and shakes it at him asking if he wants it cooked or raw. At his home, Aunt May asks Peter where he got all the money as she holds it up. Peter explains he sold an exclusive photo to the Bugle, holding it up and handing it to her.

She unfolds it and sees the headline "LIZARD vs. SPIDER-MAN" by Robbie Robertson. She responds with a sullen "Oh dear." Peter wonders what is wrong. She wonders how he got the photo. Peter tugs on his shirt unsure of how to answer. She tells him not to hesitate and says he followed Spider-Man down into the sewer. Peter thinks about it for a second and agrees. She chastises him because it is cold and damp down there, thinking he must be incubating germs. She stands and drops the paper on the floor. May leads him away saying he needs soup and rest. She says a good boy like him shouldn't be in the sewers and, walking him upstairs, wonders what would have happened if Spider-Man had caught him.

Later in his costume, Spider-Man notes she will never understand, that he's already caught in the web. He shoots out a webline and swings away. He notes that, for better or worse, they are stuck together forever.