Framed is the sixth episode of season three. When Peter Parker is framed for treason by the Kingpin's son, Richard Fisk, he gets unexpected help from his blind lawyer Matt Murdock and his alter ego, Daredevil.
Plot[]
Inside a court room Peter Parker is accused of treason against the United States. With his friends, family, and even J. Jonah Jameson watching the trial Peter's lawyer pleads for his freedom so he can prove his innocence. However, the judge tells Peter's lawyer that that decision is for a jury to decide and orders that Peter be held in prison without bail. As Peter is taken out of the court room in handcuffs, he is placed in a police van. As the van drives off it is attacked by a helicopter that drops a bomb from the sky. As the van stops "Spider-Man" opens the door he releases knockout gas into the van which knocks Peter out. The Spider-Man imposter then shoots a web line to a flying helicopter and pulls himself and an unconscious Peter Parker inside. The helicopter then flies away.
On the helicopter Peter remembers how got into this mess. He remembers that several weeks ago Wilson Fisk called Peter and offered him a job. As Peter arrived at his mansion he was greeted by Wilson's son, Richard Fisk. When Peter finally met Wilson Fisk, he realized that he was the man he had saved from the Hobgoblin. Wilson told Peter that he had found the perfect way to thank him. Fisk then said that Richard had just come home from Europe to be the chairman of his new company, Fisktronics, and that he wanted to offer Peter a job. Peter accepted and was excited for the opportunity.
Peter's job at Fisktronics was a diagnostic analyst. His job was to take home and review a computer disc that would point out possible errors in the Fisktronic's computer system. Peter even made enough money to quit working at the Daily Bugle. When Peter told J. Jonah Jameson, he became furious and called him ungrateful. The next day Peter went to work at Fisktronics. As the day ended Peter took the diagnostic disc out of the computer and walked home. Peter stopped at a hotdog vendor. However, the woman working there held Peter at gunpoint. Peter managed to escape but was followed by other men with guns. Peter managed to change into his Spider-Man costume and web swing away. However, the men shot at Spider-Man as well believing that he could be Peter's "accomplice". Spider-Man managed to lose them and made his way home.
As Peter got home he went to see if Aunt May was alright. At that moment the men that were following Peter burst in and held Peter at gunpoint. May started to call the police. However, Detective Terri Lee walked in and said they were the police. Terri then introduced them to a U.S. federal agent named Susan Choi. Agent Choi wanted the computer disc that Peter got from Fisktronics. Peter gave her the disc but said that it only had diagnostic data on it. However, Susan Choi placed the disc in a small computer and saw that it contained classified defense planes. Susan Choi then accused Peter of selling classified government secrets and called him a traitor of the United States of America. Peter was then placed under arrest.
While in prison Peter was introduced to his lawyer. When Peter first met his lawyer, he was surprised to find out that he was blind. The lawyer then introduced himself as Matt Murdock. Peter recognized the name and realized he was a famous criminal defense attorney. Peter was worried that he would not be able to afford Matt Murdock. However, Matt revealed that someone sent him a big cash retainer and that until it ran out, he would be his lawyer. Matt Murdock then began to talk to Peter to try and get answers about what happened.
The helicopter then arrives at an abandoned warehouse. As Peter was taken into a room, he saw Richard Fisk. Richard then revealed that he was the one that was selling classified information and that he was the one that framed Peter for his crimes. Richard also revealed that he also arranged Peter's escape so that there would be no doubt in anyone's mind that he was guilty. At that moment the false Spider-Man revealed himself to be the Chameleon. Richard then put Peter into a cell with no ventilation and told him that he only had a few minutes of air left. Peter attempted to break free, but the chamber was so strong that not even his spider strength could free him. The air supply in the chamber then started to deplete and Peter passed out. At that moment Richard and Chameleon get into a helicopter and fly away.
Only seconds later a man wearing a devil costume arrives and takes out the guard on the roof. The man then makes his way inside the warehouse where more men are waiting for him. However, the man in red is easily able to take out some of the guards. The man in red then throws his billy club at a nearby fuse box and destroys it which causes the lights to go out. The man is then able to subdue the guards. At that moment Peter passes out due to lack of oxygen. However, the man in red is able to get Peter out just in time. The man in red tells Peter that Matt Murdock sent him to rescue him. Peter then asks who he is and the man answers that his name is Daredevil.
Peter and Daredevil then head to the roof. Daredevil stops Peter and tells him that there are two men on the other side of the roof and that one of them is exhausted and breathing herd. Daredevil then runs to the guards and takes them down. Peter is impressed that Daredevil could he knew guards were behind a billboard and that one was breathing hard. Peter even said that Daredevil could give his spider sense a run for its money. Daredevil then uses his billy club to swing to a nearby penthouse. Daredevil then tells Peter that Matt Murdock thinks he has been framed and that he will be safe there until his innocence can be proven. Daredevil then leaps off the building. Peter then enters the apartment and sees Matt Murdock.
Peter is curious as to why Matt Murdock is helping him. To explain why Matt begins to tell Peter about his childhood. Matt explains that when he was a child his father, Jack Murdock, was a boxer but his boxing career was almost over. To support his son Jack took a job collecting money for an up-and-coming mobster called the Kingpin. One night Matt witnessed his father robbing a store. Matt was so distraught that he ran into the street without noticing that a truck was driving toward him. The truck swerved and missed Matt. However, canisters that contained radioactive waste were in the back of the truck. As the truck swerved the canisters opened and the radioactive waste hit Matt in the eyes and blinded him. Jack learned that his boss, the Kingpin, was responsible for transporting the radioactive waste through the city. Jack intended to turn Kingpin over to the police. However, Jack was captured, and Kingpin had him killed. Matt then heads into his bedroom and Peter leaves to find evidence to clear himself.
However, Matt did not tell Peter the whole story. Matt remembers that after he was blinded his other senses were enhanced to superhuman levels. However, Matt was very confused about what was going on. Soon afterwards Matt met a mysterious man named Stick. Stick took Matt in and taught him various forms of martial arts and taught him how to control his powers. As Matt, now in his Daredevil costume, is done remembering his past he leaps out his window.
Meanwhile Mary Jane Watson and Anna Watson go over to May's home and make dinner for her. As May walks out of the room Anna bad mouths Peter and believes that he is guilty. However, Mary Jane defends Peter. Anna then goes to check on May and sees that she looks very ill. Anna then has Mary Jane call an ambulance and May is rushed to the hospital. Soon after this happened Peter is able to sneak into his bedroom and retrieve his Spider-Man costume.
Spider-Man then heads to Fisktronics knowing that if there is any evidence that could clear his name it would be there. Spider-Man then finds a computer and begins to download information to a disc. However, Spider-Man is attacked by Daredevil who believed that Spider-Man helped Richard Fisk frame Peter. As they fight several guards rush in and begin to shoot at them. Spider-Man and Daredevil manage to take out several of the guards. However, two guards activate a bomb to destroy any evidence against the Kingpin. As Spider-Man and Daredevil run away the bomb explodes, and large falling debris falls on top of them.
Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Christopher Daniel Barnes | Spider-Man / Peter Parker Chameleon (Disguised as Spider-Man) |
| Edward Albert | Daredevil / Matt Murdock |
| Roscoe Lee Browne | Kingpin / Wilson Fisk |
| Nick Jameson | Richard Fisk |
| Amy Hill | Susan Choi |
| Ed Asner | J. Jonah Jameson |
| Rodney Saulsberry | Joseph Robertson |
| Linda Gary | May Parker |
| Sara Ballantine | Mary Jane Watson |
| Majel Barrett | Anna Watson |
| Dawnn Lewis | Terri Lee |
| Michael Horton | Additional voices |
| Ken Chandler | Additional voices |
Cameos[]
- Felicia Hardy
- Hobgoblin (Mentioned only)
- Richard Parker (Mentioned only)
- Mary Parker (Mentioned only)
- Jack Murdock
- Stick
Locations[]
-
- Manhattan
- Court house
- Fisktronics
- Daily Bugle
- Warehouse
- Matt Murdock's apartment
- Wrestling arena
- Mom & Pop's Deli
- Hospital
- Eastside Recycling
- Stick's dojo
- Queens
- Upstate New York
- Kingpin's mansion
- Prison
Items[]
- Image Inducer
- Web-Shooters
- Decompression Chamber
- Daredevil's Billy Club
- Radioactive waste
Continuity[]
- When Peter Parker first meets Wilson Fisk, he recognizes him as the man he saved from the Hobgoblin. This occurred in the episode, The Hobgoblin, Part I.
Trivia[]
- This episode and The Man Without Fear was intended to be a backdoor pilot for a Daredevil cartoon. The series was put on hold to coincide with the 2003 Daredevil movie. However, the Daredevil series was eventually cancelled.
- Mark Hoffmeier revealed in an interview that Framed and The Man Without Fear are two of his favorite episodes.[1]
- The production staff from Spider-Man: The Animated Series got a note from BS&P asking them to remove the horns from Daredevil’s costume. The staff working on the episode had to explain to BS&P that he was a daredevil, not the real devil.[2]
- At the beginning of the episode when the judge sends Peter Parker to prison without bond Peter says that he feels like he "stepped into a Kafka novel." This is a reference to a Prague novelist and short story writer named Franz Kafka. Franz Kafka's work, which fuses elements of realism and the fantastic, typically feature isolated protagonists faced by bizarre or surrealistic predicaments and incomprehensible social-bureaucratic powers, and has been interpreted as exploring themes of alienation, existential anxiety, guilt, and absurdity. His best-known works include "Die Verwandlung" (The Metamorphosis), "Der Process" (The Trial), and "Das Schloss" (The Castle).
- During the episode Matt Murdock says that justice is blind. This saying justice is blind comes from the poem, Hudibras which was written by Samuel Butler in 1663. The actual quote from the poem is "For justice, though she's painted blind, is to the weaker side inclin'd."
- During the episode Richard Fisk alludes to the fact that Peter's parents, Richard and Mary Parker, were also traitors to the U.S. government. This would further be explored in the season five episodes, Six Forgotten Warriors, Chapter I and Six Forgotten Warriors, Chapter II: Unclaimed Legacy.
- Season three had fourteen episodes but only eight of them delt with sins committed by fathers. This episode dealt with the sins committed by Jack Murdock. Jack Murrdock turned to a life of crime which was part of the reason that this son, Matt Murdock lost his sight.
- In the comics Kingpin did not kill Jack Murdock. In the comics Jack Murdock was murdered by a wrestling organizer who fixed fights. His name was Roscoe Sweeney but was also known as the Fixer.
- The version of Stick that appeared in this episode is much younger than he is usually portrayed in the comics.
Episode review[]
A review by Amazing Spidey from Marvel Animation Age
This episode is the first part of a 2-part story-featuring Daredevil, and is the best team up episode the series ever did. Whilst Daredevil didn't look as good here as he did over his Fantastic Four episode, I found this to be the better written of the two, with this Daredevil clearly being one of the post Frank Miller era. If any of you aren't Daredevil fans, I'd highly recommend picking up some of Miller's Daredevil books. It's the best stuff he's ever written, in my opinion. I find Born Again to be his best work ever.
I could go on all day about my own fan boy dream for a Daredevil animated series, but I'll spare you. These episodes are quite clearly the best we'll see for some time, unfortunately. Given that the majority of cartoons are aimed at children and Daredevil isn't one of the kiddies favorites, he'll probably always be demoted to guest star status. A great shame, he's far more interesting than most of Marvel's superheroes. As for this show, they did a pretty good job with him. A great voice and a pretty faithful translation of his origin makes this The Man Without Fear's greatest animated adaptation yet. I couldn't help but be slightly disappointed the likes of Foggy and Karen didn't appear, but this is Spidey's show.
The plot is something different for Spider-Man. As the title of the episode suggests, our hero has been framed for treason! In an unusual twist, both Peter Parker and Spider-Man were framed, thanks to The Chameleon. These episodes had a large cast. No one really seemed too underdeveloped here, and I thought there was some great stuff with Terri Lee here. I found her to be a pretty cool character. As far as I'm aware, she was created for this TV show too.
The best part of this episode was Daredevil himself. He had a very badass design, which again, came as a surprise. Beyond the first season, someone in charge obviously lost the plot when it came to visuals. Most of the new designs weren't too pretty to the eye, the animation was inconsistent throughout each episode, and the coloring made everything look dull and basically, it didn't pop on the screen, especially when compared to the first season's beautiful visuals.
Overall, this episode was one of the best the series had to offer, and started a string of very strong episodes from the third season.
Quotes[]
"Life is like a thunder storm. It's unpredictable, uncontrollable, and sometimes even dangerous. We like to think that we have a handle on life. That we're in charge. Then without warning, we find out how wrong we really are."
- -Peter Parker
"I can't believe this is happening to me. It's as if I stepped into a Kafka novel! I could use my powers to break away, but I'd have to reveal that I'm Spider-Man. That would be too dangerous for Aunt May. As if this hasn't hurt her enough already."
- -Peter Parker
"It sounds like World War Three's going on outside!"
- -Peter Parker
"So Parker, wanna take my picture now? Ha ha ha! How about an interview?"
"I've got questions, alright. Like who is this phony freak?"
- -Chameleon (disguised as Spider-Man) & Peter Parker
"Just place your future in my hands."
"Those hands could have held ten people's futures. Or crushed them all in the blink of an eye."
- -Wilson Fisk & Peter Parker
"Quit? You ungrateful upstart. I took you in when you were just a kid off the street! I sweated blood teaching you the news business! An for all my troubles you do this to me? You can't quit. You wanna know why?"
(Peter and Jameson say it at the same time.)
"Because your fired!"
"J.J., I'll never forget you. No matter how hard I try."
- -J. Jonah Jameson & Peter Parker
(Peter stops at a hot dog vendor.)
"One please. With lots of mustard. Hey, why is my spider-sense. . ."
(The hot dog vendor pulls a gun on Peter Parker.)
"Don't move!"
"So are you trying to tell me this thing's bad for my cholesterol?"
- -Peter Parker & Susan Choi
"Has the world gone crazy? What's all this about?"
- -Spider-Man
"You're my lawyer!"
"You sound surprised."
"No. I'm sorry. I've just never met a blind lawyer before."
"Well, I've never met an accused traitor before, so we're even. My name's Murdock, Matt Murdock."
"The famous criminal defense lawyer? I can't afford you."
"Well, somebody sent me a big cash retainer. So until it runs out, I'm your man. If you want me."
"Of course."
"Good. They say justice is also blind. So I like to think it gives me a leg up on the competition. Judging from what you've gotten yourself into, we're going to need every bit of help we can get. First of all, I need answers."
- -Peter Parker & Matt Murdock
"Mr. Fisk, what are you doing here?"
"Someone in my organization made an awful mistake. One which might have exposed me to imminent prosecution. I needed to find somebody to take the fall as they say. And you are that unfortunate person."
"You're the one who framed me?"
"Yes, and I engineered your escape, so as to leave no doubt in anyone's mind that you are guilty. You and Spider-Man. Good work, Chameleon."
- -Peter Parker & Richard Fisk
"Fisk was right about this door. Spider-Man can't move it. I'm done for!"
- -Peter Parker
"My father, the Kingpin, will be pleased. We've saved him from federal prosecution. How ironic that Parker should be branded a traitor. Especially after what you've told us about his parents."
- -Richard Fisk
"Murdock sent me to get you out."
"Who are you?"
"I'm called the Daredevil. Let's go!"
(Peter sees several guards lying on the ground.)
"What happened to these guys?"
"Me."
- -Daredevil & Peter Parker
"There's two men at the far end of the roof. Behind the sign. One's out of shape. He's breathing hard. His hearts’ pounding."
"This guy could give my spider-sense a run for its money."
- -Daredevil & Peter Parker
"Daredevil, huh? I like your style!"
- -Peter Parker
"The night is young and there's work to be done."
- -Daredevil
"So how did you like my friend, Daredevil?"
- -Matt Murdock
"Well, there's one thing I'm still curious about."
"Why am I helping you? Maybe it's because I know what it's like when the decks stacked against you. My dad was a fighter. That's what he'd always been. He knew everything about the business except when to get out. Dad's time in the ring was over. He had a kid to support, so he took a job collecting money for an up and coming mobster and sold his soul. I couldn't deal with the shame I'd seen dad doing. It was the last thing I ever saw. The stuff in the truck was radioactive waste. It was against the law to transport it through the city. But someone didn't care about the law, or about broken lives, or about the value of life at all. That someone was a crime boss that calls himself the Kingpin. Dad made a vow that he would pay. He was on his way to the police when. . . my dad was never seen again."
"Do you know who this Kingpin guy is?"
"I have my suspicions. But since I have no evidence, it's better I keep my suspicions to myself."
"But you think Richard Fisk is working for him?"
"Yes, I'm sure of it. The Kingpin's a dangerous man. His influence is far reaching. Someday, he'll meet his match. Someday soon."
- -Peter Parker & Matt Murdock
"I wish I could have told you the whole story, Parker. Told you about how the accident changed me. My blindness seemed to enhance all of my other senses, smell, touch, taste. Now I could see better than before. It was a kind of a natural radar, but it was so new it confused me. Then I met a mysterious man named Stick. I wish the world could know about all the effort, all the long hours where Stick took a lost and lonely blind kid and taught me to see. In ways I never knew existed. That accident had changed me. Was it the radiation or was it matter? Stick was my mentor. He helped me to live up to the nickname kids use to tease me with when they thought I was blind and helpless. The Daredevil. Now I am confident, fearless. And I'm close. So close to confronting my greatest enemy. He'll pay for what he's done to the innocent, to the helpless, to my father."
- -Matt Murdock
"I hate the sewer. Every time I use it, I'm eternally grateful I wasn't bitten by a radioactive rat."
- -Peter Parker
"Gotta stop underestimating him. He seems to have a second sense about everything."
- -Spider-Man
"Listen I don't want to fight you, but if you don't stop swinging and start listening. . ."
(Guards start to shoot at Spider-Man.)
- -Spider-Man
"Now you wouldn't be trying to destroy evidence, would you?"
- -Spider-Man
References[]
- ↑ Spider-Man TAS Writer Mark Hoffmeier at Apple Podcast
- ↑ Spider-Man TAS Writer Mark Hoffmeier at Apple Podcast