The Invisible Hand (The Spectacular Spider-Man)
Encyclopedia
"The Invisible Hand" is the sixth episode of the animated
television series The Spectacular Spider-Man, which is based on the comic book
character Spider-Man
created by Stan Lee
and Steve Ditko
. The episode follows Spider-Man as he faces the Rhino
, who has an indestructible rhino-like suit and super strength. In his personal life, as his alter ego Peter Parker, Spider-Man tries to ask out Daily Bugle
worker Betty Brant
to the upcoming fall formal at his high school.
"The Invisible Hand" was written by Matt Wayne
and directed by Dave Bullock. Wayne had written one other episode for The Spectacular Spider-Man before, and Bullock had directed the direct-to-video
superhero film
Justice League: The New Frontier. Clancy Brown
voiced Rhino for the episode and was cast because the creators felt he could gracefully transition between the character's personalities. It originally aired on April 12, 2008
, on the Kids WB! block for the CW Network and received generally positive reviews from television critics.
's body, modeled after that of a rhinoceros
. Though Octavius is wary about going through with the experiment, Hammerhead
forces him to activate it. O'Hirn's body is surgically attached to the suit and is given immeasurable strength. Meanwhile, Peter Parker is at the Daily Bugle
trying to ask out Betty Brant to his school's fall formal, despite their four-year age difference; she finally agrees to consider it and Peter hurries homeward, exhilarated, until he realizes he will need money for the date. He tells his best friend Harry
about his plans at school the next day. Peter then receives a text message that his Aunt May
is having lunch with Betty at the Bugle and runs off.
O'Hirn dubs himself the "Rhino" and storms through the Bugle main office, where Aunt May and Betty are having lunch, and demands that J. Jonah Jameson
tells him where Peter is, as he knows Peter photographs Spider-Man. Jameson spots Peter hiding after just arriving and lies to Rhino about not knowing where he is. Peter sneaks off and dons his Spider-Man costume, then engages Rhino in a fight. He wonders what the "Big Man
" has been up to with all the supervillains, like Rhino, he has been organizing. Spider-Man has a large scale brawl through the city and soon realizes that Rhino needs to be constantly hydrated in order to fight. He lures him into a steam tunnel and breaks all the pipes, dehydrating Rhino into unconsciousness. As he passes out, Rhino accidentally mentions that "Big Man" is really a man named Mr. Lincoln.
Peter goes back to the Bugle and claims to have been hiding the whole time. Betty pulls him aside and tells him that she is simply too old to date him and is sorry; Peter, still downtrodden, remembers what the Rhino said and asks a reporter if he knows about anyone by that name. The reporter tells him about L. Thompson Lincoln, a philanthropist
who is rumored to be a dangerous crime lord. That night Peter goes to Lincoln's office as Spider-Man to find out if the rumors are true. Lincoln prefers to be called "Tombstone" and wields incredible strength; he pins him down and suggests that he work for him, fighting crime like usual but turning his head when it comes to his crimes. Spider-Man refuses to do so and runs off.
When Peter gets home, he is depressed. Aunt May insists that he gets dressed for the formal and explains that she has arranged for him to go with Mary Jane Watson
. Peter thinks that she will turn out to be a plain girl due to the descriptions Aunt May has given him, but when she arrives he learns that she is an attractive girl and is flabbergasted.
"The Invisible Hand" was written by Matt Wayne
. Wayne had previously written the episode "Natural Selection
" and went on to write "Persona". Dave Bullock, who directed the animated feature film Justice League: The New Frontier, directed the episode. The title of the episode follows the "Education of Peter Parker" scheme Greg Weisman
, a developer and producer for The Spectacular Spider-Man, created. The naming scheme for the second story arc
of season one refers to economics
.
There was a scene cut from the episode after it was written, recorded, and storyboarded. The scene featured Rhino looking in a phone book for individuals named "Peter Parker" in the tri-state area. He storms into a "Peter James Parker" (Kevin Michael Richardson
), a blind, elderly African-American bassoon
player, accusing him of being the Peter Parker he is looking for. The man is outraged and asks him, "Do I look like I'm a photographer?" Rhino himself is furious as there are several Peter Parkers in the tri-state area. Weisman was upset that it was removed and called it "just hilarious".
Weisman and casting director Jamie Thomason each easily picked out Clancy Brown for the roll of Rhino. Weisman explains, "We knew Rhino would require a voice with strength and menace, but Rhino also isn't the brightest bulb on the marquee, so we knew whoever we cast would also have to have the acting chops and comic timing to take the character beyond the usual dumb goon." They each had worked with Brown previously and knew he would be able to "nail it", as he is able to give a "tough, low voice" and "turn on a dime between dangerous and comedic characterizations."
Brown sought to reflect the Rhino's simplistic thinking style in his voice. He believes "the quintessential 'thug' was played by William Bendix
in The Glass Key
. The simpler the character, the simpler the thought process. That means Rhino's 'motivation' is never too complicated[...] he's very elemental. He's mad or happy or angry or sad or hungry or whatever. And it never gets beyond his appetites or ego." Brown considers that Bendix's performance perfectly portrayed this type of character.
s The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume I, where it is paired with "Market Forces
" and "Competition
", and The Spectacular Spider-Man Animated Series: The Complete First Season.
The episode received generally positive reviews from television critics. Eric Goldman of IGN
gave the episode an 8.0/10, ("Impressive") writing, "For an episode that began ho-hum, things certainly got interesting in the last half, with two surprise introductions." Goldman praised the fight sequences as well as the unveiling of Tombstone and Mary Jane. Goldman concluded his review by writing, "It's a testament to this show that it has it exactly right that Peter Parker's everyday, unmasked persona is so integral to the story, and that I actually am very curious how this dance goes."
Sean Elliot of iF Magazine gave the episode a "B+" and wrote that it was a "well-thought out premise". Elliot was "pleased" with the portrayal of Rhino as an unintelligent brute; he also enjoyed the change of the "Big Man's" identity from that of the comics - where he was a Bugle reporter named Frederic Foswell - and found it humorous to have Foswell be the reporter to tell Peter who the "Big Man" is rumored to be. Ultimate Disney
reviewer Luke Bonanno did not include the episode among his top five episodes of The Spectacular Spider-Man's first season, but "feel[s] obligated to point out that the uniform excellence of the lot [makes] this a challenging task."
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
television series The Spectacular Spider-Man, which is based on the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
created by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Steve Ditko
Steve Ditko
Stephen J. "Steve" Ditko is an American comic book artist and writer best known as the artist co-creator, with Stan Lee, of the Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange....
. The episode follows Spider-Man as he faces the Rhino
Rhino (comics)
The Rhino is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 The Rhino (Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic...
, who has an indestructible rhino-like suit and super strength. In his personal life, as his alter ego Peter Parker, Spider-Man tries to ask out Daily Bugle
Daily Bugle
The Daily Bugle is a fictional New York City newspaper that is a regular fixture in the Marvel Universe, most prominently in Spider-Man comic titles and their derivative media...
worker Betty Brant
Betty Brant
Elizabeth "Betty" Brant is a supporting character in Marvel Comics’s Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #4 .-Fictional character biography:...
to the upcoming fall formal at his high school.
"The Invisible Hand" was written by Matt Wayne
Matt Wayne
Matt S. Wayne is an American writer of comic books and television. Wayne is probably best known for his work on the animated series Justice League Unlimited and The Super Hero Squad Show, and writing and editing comic books for Milestone Media....
and directed by Dave Bullock. Wayne had written one other episode for The Spectacular Spider-Man before, and Bullock had directed the direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
superhero film
Superhero film
A superhero film, superhero movie, or superhero motion picture is: action, fantasy and science fiction film; that is focused on the actions of one or more superheroes, individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities relative to a normal person and are dedicated to protecting the public...
Justice League: The New Frontier. Clancy Brown
Clancy Brown
Clarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
voiced Rhino for the episode and was cast because the creators felt he could gracefully transition between the character's personalities. It originally aired on April 12, 2008
2008 in television
The following is a list of events affecting American television in 2008. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and new channel launches.-January:-February:-March:-April:-May:-June:-July:-August:...
, on the Kids WB! block for the CW Network and received generally positive reviews from television critics.
Plot summary
Dr. Otto Octavius is preparing to attach an exoskeleton onto Alex O'HirnRhino (comics)
The Rhino is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 The Rhino (Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic...
's body, modeled after that of a rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
. Though Octavius is wary about going through with the experiment, Hammerhead
Hammerhead (comics)
Hammerhead is a fictional character, a supervillain that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. He is primarily an enemy of Spider-Man and a member of organized crime who exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
forces him to activate it. O'Hirn's body is surgically attached to the suit and is given immeasurable strength. Meanwhile, Peter Parker is at the Daily Bugle
Daily Bugle
The Daily Bugle is a fictional New York City newspaper that is a regular fixture in the Marvel Universe, most prominently in Spider-Man comic titles and their derivative media...
trying to ask out Betty Brant to his school's fall formal, despite their four-year age difference; she finally agrees to consider it and Peter hurries homeward, exhilarated, until he realizes he will need money for the date. He tells his best friend Harry
Harry Osborn
Harry Osborn is a fictional character, a supporting character of Spider-Man in the . In addition to being Peter Parker's best friend, Harry was the second Green Goblin and is the son of Norman Osborn...
about his plans at school the next day. Peter then receives a text message that his Aunt May
Aunt May
May Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
is having lunch with Betty at the Bugle and runs off.
O'Hirn dubs himself the "Rhino" and storms through the Bugle main office, where Aunt May and Betty are having lunch, and demands that J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson Junior is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the .Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City...
tells him where Peter is, as he knows Peter photographs Spider-Man. Jameson spots Peter hiding after just arriving and lies to Rhino about not knowing where he is. Peter sneaks off and dons his Spider-Man costume, then engages Rhino in a fight. He wonders what the "Big Man
Tombstone (comics)
Tombstone is a supervillain in the fictional Marvel universe. The character was created by Gerry Conway and Alex Saviuk and first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #36 .-Fictional character biography:...
" has been up to with all the supervillains, like Rhino, he has been organizing. Spider-Man has a large scale brawl through the city and soon realizes that Rhino needs to be constantly hydrated in order to fight. He lures him into a steam tunnel and breaks all the pipes, dehydrating Rhino into unconsciousness. As he passes out, Rhino accidentally mentions that "Big Man" is really a man named Mr. Lincoln.
Peter goes back to the Bugle and claims to have been hiding the whole time. Betty pulls him aside and tells him that she is simply too old to date him and is sorry; Peter, still downtrodden, remembers what the Rhino said and asks a reporter if he knows about anyone by that name. The reporter tells him about L. Thompson Lincoln, a philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
who is rumored to be a dangerous crime lord. That night Peter goes to Lincoln's office as Spider-Man to find out if the rumors are true. Lincoln prefers to be called "Tombstone" and wields incredible strength; he pins him down and suggests that he work for him, fighting crime like usual but turning his head when it comes to his crimes. Spider-Man refuses to do so and runs off.
When Peter gets home, he is depressed. Aunt May insists that he gets dressed for the formal and explains that she has arranged for him to go with Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
. Peter thinks that she will turn out to be a plain girl due to the descriptions Aunt May has given him, but when she arrives he learns that she is an attractive girl and is flabbergasted.
Production
Matt Wayne
Matt S. Wayne is an American writer of comic books and television. Wayne is probably best known for his work on the animated series Justice League Unlimited and The Super Hero Squad Show, and writing and editing comic books for Milestone Media....
. Wayne had previously written the episode "Natural Selection
Natural Selection (The Spectacular Spider-Man)
"Natural Selection" is the third episode of the animated television series The Spectacular Spider-Man, which is based on the comic book character Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko...
" and went on to write "Persona". Dave Bullock, who directed the animated feature film Justice League: The New Frontier, directed the episode. The title of the episode follows the "Education of Peter Parker" scheme Greg Weisman
Greg Weisman
Greg Weisman is an American comic book and animation writer and producer, best known as the creator of Gargoyles and as the Supervising Producer of The Spectacular Spider-Man. Weisman is currently a producer on the Young Justice animated series...
, a developer and producer for The Spectacular Spider-Man, created. The naming scheme for the second story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
of season one refers to economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
.
There was a scene cut from the episode after it was written, recorded, and storyboarded. The scene featured Rhino looking in a phone book for individuals named "Peter Parker" in the tri-state area. He storms into a "Peter James Parker" (Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
), a blind, elderly African-American bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
player, accusing him of being the Peter Parker he is looking for. The man is outraged and asks him, "Do I look like I'm a photographer?" Rhino himself is furious as there are several Peter Parkers in the tri-state area. Weisman was upset that it was removed and called it "just hilarious".
Weisman and casting director Jamie Thomason each easily picked out Clancy Brown for the roll of Rhino. Weisman explains, "We knew Rhino would require a voice with strength and menace, but Rhino also isn't the brightest bulb on the marquee, so we knew whoever we cast would also have to have the acting chops and comic timing to take the character beyond the usual dumb goon." They each had worked with Brown previously and knew he would be able to "nail it", as he is able to give a "tough, low voice" and "turn on a dime between dangerous and comedic characterizations."
Brown sought to reflect the Rhino's simplistic thinking style in his voice. He believes "the quintessential 'thug' was played by William Bendix
William Bendix
William Bendix was an American film, radio, and television actor, best remembered in movies for the title role in the movie The Babe Ruth Story and for portraying clumsily earnest aircraft plant worker Chester A. Riley in radio and television's The Life of Riley...
in The Glass Key
The Glass Key (1942 film)
The Glass Key is a 1942 film noir, directed by Stuart Heisler and based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. The story had previously been adapted for film in 1935.-Plot:...
. The simpler the character, the simpler the thought process. That means Rhino's 'motivation' is never too complicated[...] he's very elemental. He's mad or happy or angry or sad or hungry or whatever. And it never gets beyond his appetites or ego." Brown considers that Bendix's performance perfectly portrayed this type of character.
Release and reception
"The Invisible Hand" was originally broadcast on April 12, 2008, on the Kids WB! block for the CW Network. A two week hiatus of The Spectacular Spider-Man followed the airing. It is available on the DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume I, where it is paired with "Market Forces
Market Forces (The Spectacular Spider-Man)
"Market Forces" is the fourth episode of the animated television series The Spectacular Spider-Man, which is based on the comic book character Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In the episode, Spider-Man is hunted by Shocker, whose suit allows him to fire intense sonic blasts."Market...
" and "Competition
Competition (The Spectacular Spider-Man)
"Competition" the fifth episode of the animated television series The Spectacular Spider-Man, which is based on the comic book character Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In it, Spider-Man must face the Sandman, a former petty thug who now can manipulate his sand body at...
", and The Spectacular Spider-Man Animated Series: The Complete First Season.
The episode received generally positive reviews from television critics. Eric Goldman of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode an 8.0/10, ("Impressive") writing, "For an episode that began ho-hum, things certainly got interesting in the last half, with two surprise introductions." Goldman praised the fight sequences as well as the unveiling of Tombstone and Mary Jane. Goldman concluded his review by writing, "It's a testament to this show that it has it exactly right that Peter Parker's everyday, unmasked persona is so integral to the story, and that I actually am very curious how this dance goes."
Sean Elliot of iF Magazine gave the episode a "B+" and wrote that it was a "well-thought out premise". Elliot was "pleased" with the portrayal of Rhino as an unintelligent brute; he also enjoyed the change of the "Big Man's" identity from that of the comics - where he was a Bugle reporter named Frederic Foswell - and found it humorous to have Foswell be the reporter to tell Peter who the "Big Man" is rumored to be. Ultimate Disney
Ultimate Disney
The Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD is a website dedicated to covering Walt Disney home video releases with a focus on Disney DVD and Blu-ray. The site has been online since 2001 and acquired its own domain and online forum in 2003...
reviewer Luke Bonanno did not include the episode among his top five episodes of The Spectacular Spider-Man's first season, but "feel[s] obligated to point out that the uniform excellence of the lot [makes] this a challenging task."
External links
- "The Invisible Hand" at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- "The Invisible Hand" at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- "The Invisible Hand" at Marvel.com