The Invisible Hand (The Spectacular Spider-Man)

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"The Invisible Hand"
phone book before going to Jameson.
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 6
Directed byDave Bullock
Written byMatt Wayne
Production codeS1E06[1]
Original air dateApril 12, 2008 (2008-04-12)
Episode chronology
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"Catalysts"
List of episodes

"The Invisible Hand" is the sixth episode of the

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

the CW Network
and received generally positive reviews from television critics.

Plot summary

text message that his Aunt May is having lunch with Betty at the Bugle. Flash Thompson
then gives Peter a noogie just before Peter runs off.

O'Hirn dubs himself the "

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 named

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.

Production

A Caucasian male with white hair/stubble rests his fist under his chin. He is wearing a blue suit. Part of another man also wearing a blue suit is sitting next to him.
Clancy Brown portrayed Rhino. Brown based his voice on the character's simplistic thought process.[2]

"The Invisible Hand" was written by Matt Wayne.[3][4] Wayne had previously written the episode "Natural Selection" and went on to write "Persona".[5] Dave Bullock, who directed the animated feature film Justice League: The New Frontier, directed the episode.[3][4][6] 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.[7]

There was a scene cut from the episode after it was written, recorded, and storyboarded. The scene featured Rhino looking in a

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".[8]

Weisman and casting director Jamie Thomason each easily picked out Clancy Brown for the role 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."[2]

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.[2]

Release and reception

"The Invisible Hand" was originally broadcast on April 12, 2008, on the

the CW Network.[3] A two-week hiatus of The Spectacular Spider-Man followed the airing.[9] It is available on the DVDs The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume I, where it is paired with "Market Forces" and "Competition",[10] and The Spectacular Spider-Man Animated Series: The Complete First Season.[11]

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."[9]

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.[12] 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."[11]

References

  1. Marvel.com. Archived from the original
    on April 12, 2009. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c "Clancy Brown voices the Rhino on "Spectacular Spider-Man"". Comic Book Resources. August 10, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c Cochran, Jay (April 8, 2008). "Rhino Revealed in an All-New "The Spectacular Spider-Man"". Entertainment News International. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  4. ^ a b "The Rhino makes his "Spectacular Spider-Man" debut". Comic Book Resources. April 8, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  5. ^ "Spectacular Spider-Man's Matt Wayne Talks Black Cat and Black Costume". Major Spoilers. May 15, 2008. Archived from the original on March 19, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  6. ^ "Rhino charges into 'The Spectacular Spider-Man'". Mania.com. February 5, 2008. Archived from the original on July 7, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  7. ^ Weisman, Greg (August 11, 2008). "Ask Greg". Gargoyles: A Station Eight Fan Web Site. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
  8. ^ Liu, Ed (March 22, 2009). "Marvel Animation Age & Toon Zone Interview Greg Weisman on "Spectacular Spider-Man"". Toon Zone. Archived from the original on February 22, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  9. ^ a b Goldman, Eric (August 14, 2008). ""The Invisible Hand" Review". IGN. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  10. ^ Felix, Justin (March 10, 2009). "The Spectacular Spider-Man, Vol. 2". DVD Talk. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
  11. ^ a b Bonanno, Luke. "The Spectacular Spider-Man Animated Series: The Complete First Season DVD Review". Ultimate Disney. Retrieved October 8, 2009.
  12. ^ Elliot, Sean (April 17, 2008). "Review: The Spectacular Spider-Man - Season 1 - 'The Invisible Hand'". iF Magazine. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved October 24, 2009.

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