http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeriesS01E01NightOfTheLizard
Spider-Man is looking on the view of New York City. While this is happening, two technicians are getting into trouble with some giant lizard figure. As a result, Peter competes with his rival, Eddie Brock, into getting photos.
This episode provides examples of:
- Arbitrary Skepticism: Superhero Spider-Man scoffs at the idea of a giant, bipedal lizard (although the promise of a thousand dollar bonus for a photo causes him to button his lip).
- Armor-Piercing Question: As Margaret tries to make him see what he's doing is wrong:
Lizard: You're twisting things! I can make people well again, and I won't stop for anything!
Margaret: Not even for Billy? You want him to be like you, too?
- Bait-and-Switch:
- After Peter tells her that he got the money taking a photo of the Spider-Man/Lizard fight, May appears quite suspicious. Peter fears she's figured out his secret identity, but she's actually horrified that he went into the sewers and tells him to take a bath immediately.
- Viewers see the Lizard approaching the Connors household and looking through the window. As Margaret talks to Billy, she suddenly screams, and we see she's actually reacting to Spider-Man's arrival.
- Chekhov's Gunman / Destined Bystander: The first adaptation to give Eddie Brock a grudge against Peter and Spider-Man well in advance of him meeting the symbiote. He's already ticked off at them both by the end of this episode, and it's only going to get worse...
- Clothes-Eating Wager: Eddie Brock discovers Dr. Connors is the lizard, and takes J. Jonah Jameson to Connors' house to prove it, claiming he will "Eat today's issue of the Bugle" if he's wrong. However, by this time Connors has already been cured and is human again. When Jameson sees the perfectly normal Dr. Connors, he offers Brock the newspaper with the question if he wants it cooked or raw.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Heading into the sewer, Spider-Man asks himself why he's not a galaxy-hopping superhero that gets prestige.
"You don't see the Fantastic Four and the Avengers wading through the sewer! Or even the Defenders! ...Okay, maybe the Hulk."
- Gone Horribly Wrong: Curt wanted to regrow his missing arm. He succeeded, but almost immediately turned into a psychotic reptile.
- It's All My Fault: Peter blames himself for Curt's condition because he assisted on the original experiments.
- Jerkass: Eddie is quite content to ruin Curt's life in order to benefit his own career.
- Jerkass Realization: Peter muses about the fun stuff he could buy with the thousand dollar bonus that Jonah is offering. Then he learns May is struggling to pay bills and feels ashamed of himself, so he tries to get the money for her.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Spider-Man webs up Brock to keep him from ruining Curt's life. By the time he gets free, Curt is cured, so his claims of him being the Lizard make Brock look like a fool.
- Little "No": The Lizard after Margaret is hit by his tail.
- Mentor Archetype: Peter assisting Curt in his experiments suggests this. Later episodes would expand upon it.
- The Mind Is A Play Thing Of The Body: Discussed. When he brings Margaret to the sewers, Curt/Lizard maintains just enough of his humanity to ask her help to activate his invention to make every human being in NYC a reptile like him. He believes it will be glorious, but Margaret points out: if being a reptile person is so great, why does a brilliant scientist like himself need her hands to activate it? This strong implies that at this point, Curt's gradually lost more and more of his reasoning skills, to the point his reptile mind has rendered him unable to know how to work his invention.
- Morality Pet: The Lizard was going to kill Spider-Man, but Billy's sudden appearance causes him to flee.
- My God, What Have I Done?: The Lizard after accidentally hitting Margaret with his tail.
- Please, Don't Leave Me:
- The technician say this to Spider-Man. His reply, "I'm a hero, remember?"
- Debra to Peter after a close encounter with the Lizard in the lab.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: The Lizard's burning red eyes are a clear warning of its hostility, and are so striking that one of the subway technicians in the opening of the episode was so traumatized by them, he felt like kept seeing them, believing the Lizard's eyes were following him, and driving recklessly after the Lizard got his coworker.
- The Rival: Eddie Brock is also out to get a photo of the Lizard.
- Secret-Keeper: Spider-Man agrees to keep Curt's secret for the sake of him and his family.
- Shadow Archetype: Brock again. Like Peter, he's a photographer and out to claim a reward, but he's far less moral about it.
- Skepticism Failure: "You're for real!"
- Starter Villain: Dr. Connors as The Lizard serves as the first villain from Spider-Man’s Rogues Gallery that he had faced in the series.
- Stealth Insult: Thinking all this Lizard talk is pure fiction and nonsense, Peter quips Eddie is the reporter he'd want on such an assignment.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: The Lizard sincerely believes that people would be healthier and better off as reptiles.
- Wham Line: "No, Daddy, stop!"
- Wild Card: In this version, Curt maintains a fair amount of control over the Lizard, if with his mind clearly clouded. However, in times of stress, he reverts to a savage beast.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Due to one guy already being grabbed in the sewers and it being dark in the lab, Peter initially assumes the Lizard broke in and kidnapped Curt. Then he learns the Lizard is Curt.
