Feature length pilot episode. First aired on Wednesday, September 14th 1977.
Plot written by Anthony Lauro
A doctor and lawyer walk out of their respective workplaces after they hear a strange buzzing sound. The pair rob a bank and crash their car into a wall. Two men emerge from the alley, take the money, and remove two pins the doctor and lawyer were wearing.
At the Daily Bugle looking for work, college student Peter Parker sees a report on the news. The mayor's been given an extortion note, from a person taking responsibility for the robbery and threatens to make 10 New Yorkers kill themselves, unless the city pays him $50 million.
While working in a radiation lab with his friend Dave, a spider unseen by them gets into the chamber and becomes radioactive. As Peter is leaving the lab, he is bitten by the radioactive spider.
Back in the city, another man under the mind control, robs a money truck. The man locks the guards in the truck, and takes off in another car. He turns into a lot that Peter has walked out into. Peter hears a buzzing sound in his head. Just as the car is about to run him down, Peter jumps up and starts crawling up the wall as the car crashes into a wall.
The two men from the first robbery appear and take the money from the truck robbery. The police arrive and Peter meets Captain Barbera. He asks Peter if he saw anyone else, once he finds that the money's gone, but Peter lies and says his had his eyes closed. Peter heads home and goes to bed.
After dreaming about the radioactive spider and his previous wall-crawl, Peter wakes up, goes out the window, and starts crawling around the house.
Peter is amazed at his newfound powers and so goes into the city to climb the wall of a parking lot. While climbing Peter witnesses a mugging and calls out to the mugger. The mugger sees Peter on the side of the building and just stops in his tracks, shocked over what he sees. And is then apprehended by a police officer. The mugger asks if the officer saw the guy, which the officer didn't, but several others come forward and confirms what the mugger saw.
Peter tries to sell photos of the car that almost hit him to J. Jonah Jameson at the Daily Bugle. Jameson wants photos of the guy the mugger saw on the wall, now called “ Spider-Man “. Peter says he saw Spider-Man and took a picture of him. Jameson asks Peter what Spider-Man wears, and he replies a special costume. Jameson tells Peter to bring in the photo.
Back home, while missing dinner from Aunt May, Peter fashions himself a red and blue costume with a black spider on the chest and a red one on the back. Peter goes to an alley, and sets up his camera with a timer and takes photos of himself in his new costume.
Peter takes the photos to Mr. Jameson as he gets a phone call about another robbery. He assigns Peter to cover it as a photographer. Captain Barbera is at the crime scene, trying to solve where the money is. Peter arrives and takes photos of the crime scene. The robber is stuck in the car. Peter gets the paramedic to leave for a minute so he can use his powers to remove the steering wheel.
The robber’s daughter, Judy Tyler, arrives at the scene. Peter talks to Judy, and discovers her father, is Professor Tyler from his university.
A man at the scene gets into a car and talks into a walkie talkie. He is talking to a mysterious man in front of a computer.
Peter and Judy go to the hospital to see her father until a nurse makes them leave. The man from the crime scene, now disguised as a doctor, enters Professor Tyler’s room and puts a pin on his jacket. The mysterious man in front of the computer transmits a signal that makes Professor Tyler climb out the window to kill himself.
Peter sees this from the car park and disappears to put on his costume. He saves the Professor as Judy, Captain Barbera, and others look on.
Jameson admonishes Peter for not getting any photos of Spider-Man saving the Professor and throws him out. Peter meets up with Judy who tells him that her father is involved in a group by a man named Byron. They meet Edward Byron, but are soon removed from his seminar. Peter tells Judy not to trust Byron but she relents and does not listen.
In the lab, Peter constructs a web shooter. He tests by swinging around a tree.
Back in his house, Peter hears the the mayor has received a second note from the blackmailer. He takes credit for the robberies and says he’s programming the 10 people to kill themselves. The people in Byron’s group are being hypnotized.
At the lab, Peter picks up a weird signal but is told by a doctor at the university they’re not working on anything that would create the signal. At Byron’s office, his group is programmed and given individual instructions. Peter deduces that the signal is connected to the hypnotized robbers and takes of as Spider-Man.
Spider-Man tracks the signal to its source using a tracking device - but breaks the drvice by dropping it when he sneezes.
Spider-Man arrives at Byron’s office and is attacked by three brainwashed martial artists. After a fight in the office and on the roof, Spider-Man shoots a web and swings to safety.
A member of Byron’s group robs another bank and drives into a wall.
Captain Barbera, investigating the latest robbery, wonders why these people with no prior criminal record, are committing crimes. Peter arrives at his office and gets questioned about Professor Tyler and Spider-Man.
Peter can’t get a hold of Judy and heads to Byron’s office. He tells Byron he wants to be part of his group. Byron is hesitant but relents and puts a membership pin on Peter’s jacket. Byron heads to his computer And starts trying to program Peter. Instructing him to forget, that he was ever there and instructs Peter to keep the pin with him at all time. And that Peter is to be on the top of the Empire State Building and jump, when he hears the buzzing sound.
At home, Peter begins to remember everything Byron told him to forget. Peter heads back to Byron’s office as Spider-Man and is met once again by the three brainwashed martial artists. As tries to swing away, they use flame throwers to burn the web line, making him fall. He grabs a ledge and hurts his arm in the process.
He tries to hail a cab but the driver takes off prompting him to ride in the back of a garbage truck.
Peter figures out how Byron is controlling people and calls Captain Barbera. On his way to meet Barbera, Peter’s pin starts buzzing and he heads to the Empire State Building while the other programmed members of Byron’s group get into position to kill themselves.
Byron sees his two henchman arrested by Captain Barbera, which angers him. He heads to his computer and sends the signal. He starts with Peter it as Peter climbs the bars, his pin is knocked off and he is free from the mind control.
Spider-Man goes to Byron’s building and webs down the antenna that sends the signals preventing the others from being hypnotized and they return to normal. In the office, Spider-Man meets the three martial artists again (who are no linger under Byron's control) who let Spider-Man into the computer room.
Inside Spider-Man finds Byron catatonic, a victim of his own signal and Spider-Man orders him to go to Captain Barbera and turn himself in. Byron arrives at the police station and is fingered by his henchmen as the blackmailer. Barbera admits Spider-Man played a part in solving the crime.
When Peter arrives, Barbera tells him he will arrest him next time for giving false information. Peter gives Mr. Jameson exclusive photos of Spider-Man and walks away with Judy.
