You Won’t Believe the Banned Spider-Man Episode

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Over the many years that Spider-Man has graced our cinema screens, viewers have grown familiar not only with the hero but also his rogues’ gallery. Characters like Green Goblin, Lizard, Sandman, Electro, and Rhino have taken flesh in live-action films, while others such as Prowler, The Spot, and Spider-Man 2099 have made their mark in Sony’s animated Spider-Verse. It’s clear that Disney has no issue with these names. However, during Season 3, Episode 10 of the Spider-Man series on ABC, there was an issue with one lesser-known Spider-Man villain. The character itself was a powerful sorcerer who controlled insects, a concept borrowed from another animated show. The real issue lay in the impact this character had on the young minds and eyes of the audience.

The fifth season of “Spider-Man,” titled “Revolt in the Fifth Dimension,” introduced the villain Infinata, whose fascination with death, hypnotic powers reminiscent of psychedelics, and eerie homeland raised eyebrows at the American Broadcasting Company. To be fair, this lesser-known show had some rather outlandish plots. There were instances where Spider-Man battled colossal beetles or prevented the Green Goblin from conjuring demons up from the cemetery. These and many other unusual concepts were brought to life by director and executive producer Ralph Bakshi of Krantz Animation, Inc., who oversaw seasons two and three of the show.

Did you know that Infinata, the formidable bug wizard, was originally a character from one of the company’s other shows called Rocket Robin Hood? This colossal, one-eyed praying mantis, who had a penchant for destroying galaxies on a whim, almost tarnished Spider-Man’s reputation within the network as well.

Spider-Man Goes Psychedelic Horror

At the start of “Revolt in the Fifth Dimension,” you’ll find that Spider-Man isn’t around much for the first 10 minutes. Instead, you see two tiny extraterrestrial beings frantically attempting to flee Infinata’s anger. One is left behind and perishes, while the other takes off in a rocket, carrying the entire knowledge of the planet within a microscopic orb.

As the spaceship plummets onto New York City, the second extraterrestrial meets its end, sharing with me the gravity of the knowledge it carried (which explains ABC’s peculiar behavior). Unable to deliver this artifact to the appropriate authorities beforehand, Infinata transports me into an alternate dimension, Dementia Five. If you believed that events couldn’t become any more bizarre, you would be underestimating the universe’s capacity for surprise. The skies transform into chilling shades of red and blue, causing me to spin through disorienting vortexes. At one point, I even find myself transformed into a mere skeleton, clad in pure white! It’s a truly unsettling experience.

In this episode of Spider-Man, the psychedelic vibes from the ’60s and ’70s are vividly portrayed, with a more animated style distancing it from the campy live-action shows popular during that era like Batman. Rather than conversing with a sidekick character as Batman does with Robin, Spider-Man engages directly with the audience, discussing his experiences and the mind-blowing situations unfolding around him.

In the movie Dementia Five, there’s an unexpected moment where the main character spins around in circles, climbs spiraling staircases, and is pulled into doorways by a huge, menacing yellow hand. Unlike portraying this scene with a hopeful or humorous twist (to lighten the mood), Spider-Man expresses genuine fear in this situation.

You Do Not Want To Miss This ‘Spider-Man’ Episode

Back then, as a kid, the eerie and mysterious sequences in this show left quite a mark on me – let’s face it, they were downright terrifying! But hey, all’s well that ends well. Just when our main character was about to be swallowed by the ominous black waters, his head momentarily surfaced, giving us a glimpse of hope. And then, in a twist that made the hairs on my neck stand up, I found out that everything in Dementia Five was just an illusion.

If he briefly shuts his eyes, he finds himself back in New York City. Alone with Infinata and his laser-eyed frog soldiers, Spider-Man manages to escape, ready for more adventures. The question of why he intended to hand over an alien civilization’s total knowledge to the proper authorities remains unanswered because that’s how the story concludes.

Although “Revolt in the Fifth Dimension” can currently be viewed on Dailymotion and The Internet Archive in 4K, this particular episode was initially replaced with “Sting of the Scorpion/Trick or Treachery” from the first season because of its themes revolving around death and psychedelic visuals. ABC might argue that their typical antagonists, who possess the ability to fly, can never surpass a colossal insect cloaked in darkness governing a realm of trance. If you take a look at this 1967 episode of “Spider-Man,” as well as the subsequent second and third seasons, it’s clear that the current Marvel Cinematic Universe still has some ground to cover.

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2025-04-06 20:04