‘THE MENACE OF MYSTERIO’ (1967)

Please feel free to comment on my review.

This is a full-on ‘Spider-Man’ episode in the 1960s TV series and not a compilation of two stories in one for a change. There is another episode called ‘The Menace of Mysterio’ in the 1990s TV series that introduced Mysterio. I’m so surprised both shows didn’t have different titles for their episodes.

The episode has Spider-Man being witnessed for committing a robbery at the Midtown Museum. In fact, both the 1960s and the 1990s episodes introducing Mysterio have Spider-Man being framed for something he didn’t do. I wish the movie ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ took that similar approach. 🙁

Anyway, Mysterio gets Jameson interested in agreeing to a deal to defeat and expose Spider-Man in exchange for a large sum of cash. Very soon, Spidey and Mysterio face each other on a bridge where Spidey is unable to defeat him. Thankfully, Spidey manages to track Mysterio down at a TV studio. 🙂

I did think it was rather silly of Peter Parker to go and investigate the museum as Spider-Man instead of himself. Shouldn’t he have known that the police would be waiting for Spider-Man to catch him? Mind you, Spidey comes across as more confident and not cautious as other Spider-Men tend to be.

Like I said, Spidey tracks Mysterio to a TV studio where he gets to record Mysterio’s confession that he robbed the Midtown Museum disguised as Spider-Man. Spidey even fights Mysterio during the shooting of a western TV show. And the film crew seem okay for Spidey and Mysterio to interrupt. 😀

Incidentally, Mysterio happens to be a stuntman called Joe…not a special effects man called Quentin Beck as in the comics. Okay. And he happens to look like Mr. Spock from the original ‘Star Trek’ series with those pointy ears. This is most strange! The 1960s ‘Spider-Man’ TV series is very weird. 😀

Once Mysterio is defeated, Jameson is upset that Spider-Man is innocent and Mysterio is a fraud. Spidey even gets Jameson to redact the bad words he said to him and even webs him up in his office at the Daily Bugle. I don’t think that’s going to work, Spidey! Jameson will still hate you in the series.

The 1960s version of ‘The Menace of Mysterio’ isn’t as good as the 1990s version. But I’m glad it follows the same plotline of Mysterio framing Spider-Man. It’s still weak in teams of why Mysterio wanted to frame Spider-Man; being called Joe instead of Quentin Beck and looking like Mr. Spock. 😐

‘The Menace of Mysterio’ (1967) rating – 7/10