When it comes to cheesy and hilariously corny cartoons, the ’80s have most decades beat. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing! Cheesy can be good; there’s nothing wrong with lighthearted fun, campy humor, and a relatively low-stakes plot. Enter this spectacular ’80s morning cartoon starring our favorite wallcrawler, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends!
Airing from 1981-1983, the show features Peter Parker, who’s totally not Spider-Man, working and living with his best friends: Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, and Angelica Jones, aka Firestar. The series also boasts a spectacular supporting cast of some of our favorite Marvel heroes and villains, including the Green Goblin, Captain America, Namor, the X-Men, Doctor Doom, and Kingpin. Even freaking Dracula makes an appearance on this show!
The cartoon is by no means perfect. Being from the ’80s, one will find quite a few problematic elements by today’s standards. In other ways, the story was sort of ahead of its time with how much of a spotlight female characters like Firestar were given.
Overall, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends might not have possessed Paul Dini-level storytelling, but it didn’t need to. It was a much-needed lighthearted take on Marvel’s flagship hero and allowed young viewers the chance to see their favorite characters team up on a weekly basis. In short, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends should be remembered as a fun gem from America’s campiest decade. Here’s why!
‘Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends’ introduced the world to Firestar
For a simple ’80s morning children’s cartoon that only lasted a couple of years, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends included many original characters never before seen in Marvel Comics. Some were whacky, like Videoman, the incorporeal entity created by Electro. (I think he’s supposed to be made up of electricity and pure data?) Others were a bit more heartfelt, like Aurora Dante, aka Lightwave, who was introduced as Iceman’s half-sister.
However, the most important character Spider-Man and His Amazing friends brought forth was Firestar. That’s right, prior to the show, Angelica Jones never existed in the illustrious panels of Marvel Comics. Initially, series producers had wanted the Human Torch to serve as the fiery contrast to Bobby Drake’s Iceman (per Animation Magazine).
However, in true Fantastic Four fashion, including Johnny Storm proved too much of a hassle because of the complicated television and movie rights surrounding the character. This is why he couldn’t even be used in the 1978 Fantastic Four cartoon; he was replaced by a robot named H.E.R.B.I.E. — no, seriously (via POV Online).
And so, that’s how Firestar came to be. Voiced by Kathy Garver, the character proved to be a terrific addition to the show. Angelica wasn’t a pushover. She wasn’t a damsel in distress, and didn’t serve as second fiddle to Spidey and Iceman. She had her own storylines, a fun personality, a cool costume, and boasted an incredible powerset. She also had a touching origin story, something every superhero needs!
The Season 2 episode, “A Firestar Is Born,” explores Angelica’s personal background; we learn that she was mercilessly bullied growing up and her latent mutant powers gave her heaps of trouble. However, she eventually finds a place with the X-Men and helps them battle Magneto. This episode is honestly a true delight. (A random tidbit: the writers of this episode may have also been psychic and predicted Hugh Jackman’s eventual casting as Wolverine, because the character has an … interesting Australian accent in the show!)
Even after Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends ended, Firestar would be cemented as a canon character in Marvel Comics, receiving her own limited series in 1986, becoming a founding member of the iconic New Warriors, acting as a prominent ally to Spider-Man in the “Maximum Carnage” storyline in the ’90s, and so much more.
‘Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends’ actually allowed Peter and his friends to be happy
It doesn’t take a Spider-Man scholar to know that Peter Parker is not often given happy endings. Case in point: Spider-Man: No Way Home, where we have to watch the young hero lose his beloved Aunt May and say goodbye to the people he cares about the most. Yeah, almost two years later, and that still freaking stings.
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends offers viewers a less trauma-filled outing of our favorite wallcrawling hero. This makes sense; after all, it’s an ’80s children’s cartoon! However, in terms of a Spider-Man tale, this is a huge breath of fresh air.
The series shows Peter Parker constantly surrounded by friends and family. He’s not alone. He’s always seen bantering with his buddies, cracking jokes with them, and fighting evil-doers alongside them. This is a huge departure from the traditional Spider-Man story. The spirit of Spidey’s character lies in the fact of how much of a burden being Spider-Man actually is. For every heroic deed he commits, it usually means his name gets dragged through the mud by J. Jonah Jameson. Every time Peter is forced to put on that mask, he gets dragged away from any sense of normalcy.
However, in Amazing Friends, he gets to share that burden with his — you guessed it — friends! Iceman and Firestar are always there to help Spidey out. The trio of friends battle some of Marvel’s heaviest hitters together, from Red Skull to the Green Goblin to Doctor Doom. But more importantly, they are also shown to be good friends outside of their superhero endeavors. The very first episode of the series — “Triumph of the Green Goblin” — shows them getting ready for a costume party, with Angelica Jones dressing up as Spider-Woman, Bobby as Captain America, and Peter as Spider-Man (what a dork) but seriously, how wholesome is that? The three super-powered friends even have their own pet dog — the loveable but easily frightened Ms. Lion.
While all of this certainly sounds goofy and maybe even vapid, it’s important to remember just how much of a big change this was from traditional Spider-Man storytelling. Again, it’s uncommon for the character to enjoy any semblance of happiness. Around eight years before Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends came out, in the comics, the titular hero suffered arguably the greatest tragedy ever depicted in the median’s history: the death of Gwen Stacy.
It can be argued that every hero needs to get campy every once and a while. Just like Batman had the incredible and legendary Adam West, Spider-Man had his amazing friends!