Ultimate Spider-Man Episode Eighty-Four: Double Agent Venom

Double Agent Venom

First Aired: March 20th, 2016

Synopsis: Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider are flying around in Amadeus' jet looking for Doctor Octopus when an energy signature shows up at one of his old labs. They go there only to find Kraven the Hunter there, who captures Scarlet Spider. Although Scarlet is sceptical that Spider-Man will save him, Spider-Man clings to the outside of Amadeus' jet, piloted by Kraven, as it goes into space, to HYDRA Island. At the same time, on HYDRA Island Doctor Octopus is trying to remove the Venom symbiote from Flash, and being berated by Arnim Zola for focusing on Spider-Man over Nick Fury. Spider-Man manages to free Scarlet Spider from Kraven's bonds, and when the atmosphere starts getting breached the two of them activate their space suits and leave the facility. From the outside Spider-Man's able to work out where Flash would most likely be held, and the two heroes return to HYDRA Island, heading directly there. Once inside they do manage to find Flash, but he attacks them as Venom.

Spider-Man manages to get through to Flash and he stops attacking them, but Doctor Octopus arrives with Rhino. Rhino admits that he betrayed the heroes for a cure to his condition, but when pressed to kill them finds that he can't go that far. Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider are able to escape with Flash but not the symbiote, which Doctor Octopus gives to Kraven the Hunter when the latter demands a place on the Sinister Six. A symbiote-possessed Kraven goes after the heroes, and Flash tries appealing to the symbiote, but Scarlet Spider is adamant that it's a waste of time, and that he and Spidey should leave Flash since he'll just drag them down. Flash keeps trying though, and is eventually successful. Kraven is easily defeated without the symbiote and the heroes escape HYDRA Island.. Once back at SHIELD Academy, Scarlet Spider is convinced to socialise, in spite of his trust issues. Back at HYDRA Island, Rhino is berated for helping the heroes to escape.

Miscellaneous Notes:

• Scarlet Spider asks Spider-Man how exactly they're supposed to find Doctor Octopus at the start of this episode, to which Spider-Man says they should look for "energy signatures...cephalopod-based crimes..." I understand why the former might be a thing, but in what world has Doctor Octopus ever done the latter? What is he, a Batman villain?

Review: Although this episode is ostensibly about Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider traversing enemy lines to rescue their teammate, what it's really about is Scarlet Spider learning to deal with his trust issues. That's a fine idea in concept, but in execution what it amounts to is Scarlet demanding that he and Spider-Man ditch Flash in-between bemoaning that Spider-Man would never come to rescue him, or help him, or care about him in any way...a touch more subtlety would go a long way, is what I'm getting at here.

I'm also not very impressed by Kraven the Hunter in this episode. Admittedly, it's mostly because of one point, and that one point is him demanding of Doctor Octopus that he be given a place on the Sinister Six, to which I can only ask...why? What does working with Doctor Octopus and some other villains get him? I can imagine some advantages, yes, but none so strong that would have him being so keen on getting into the group. Whatever happened to the Kraven of his first appearance, who only cared about White Tiger and wanted magical amulets? I want that guy back; this one doesn't have a lot that makes him interesting.

Aside from the above point with Kraven, there's nothing that's egregiously bad here, but it's all fairly boring. I have no idea why this show wants to keep bringing back Arnim Zola, but he's here again, so good news for Zola fans I guess? As usual the fights are pretty bland and there's a weird flow to the plot - Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider heading outside HYDRA Island, into space, so that they can work out where Flash is isn't the worst example of logic on the show, but it does have me raising an eyebrow quizzically. I'm glad for Scarlet Spider that he's a bit more trusting now, but I wish the episode in which this character development takes place had been a bit better than it was.