(Spider-Man: Episode 15) - Joshua approached the laboratory with the press inside, but Dr. Norton told him like so many times before to stay out of the lab. While leaving Joshua mumbled that soon everyone would see who the really genius was.
Joshua appeared after Norton's demonstration of the diminishing ray to the press (including Peter Parker, J. Jonah Jameson and Betty Brant of the Daily Bugle). Dressed up as the Gadgeteer Norton immediately recognized him, but Joshua didn't care and continued to steal the diminishing ray. Before anyone could stop him, the Gadgeteer used a wind gun to blow everyone out of the room. Norton fired Joshua for the theft.
Peter returned to the lab as Spider-Man to stop the Gadgeteer, who used the diminishing ray to shrink Spider-Man down to two inches and then fly away.
Once again posing as the innocent janitor Joshua, the Gadgeteer easily walked by the police to enter the International Inventors Convention before it opened. Inside he shrunk himself with the diminishing ray to steal a futuristic micro-chip from a computer. Spider-Man, who had learned about the computer from a story in the Bugle, found Gadgeteer inside the computer, but Gadgeteer escaped him once again when he used his laser to start a fire inside the computer. After Spider-Man escaped the trap he realized that he continued to shrink. Meanwhile Gadgeteer stole a glider with lasers from the convention to kill Spider-Man. Spider-Man hid among Spider-Man action figures and was able to use the toys to shoot down the glider with webs. Gadgeteer ran away and got ready to bring himself back to normal size, but before the ray could hit him Spider-Man jumped in front of it to return to his true size instead of Gadgeteer. The small Gadgeteer couldn't escape from the giant Spider-Man anymore and was easily picked up.
Spider-Man returned the ray and Joshua (inside the box that had previously held the diminishing ray) to Dr. Norton, who wanted to know why Joshua did it. Joshua explained to Norton that he did it because Norton was never listening to him, but Norton couldn't understand him because Joshua's voice wasn't loud enough.
Comments: Created by various people (see here).
The images could be better, but I'm working off YouTube here.
Gadgeteer was so popular (don't ask me who liked him) that he even made it into the show's intro. Appearing there long before he first appeared in an episode. I'm sure fans (including me) couldn't wait to find out who this new villain was. (I'm also sure most were equally disappointed as I was when he finally appeared.).
Despite his rather unathlethic look Joshua could easily do flips and move faster than Spider-Man. This had obviously something to do with the anti-grav tech inside his belt.
Dr. Norton had a hard time remembering the name he gave his diminishing ray and called it at the end of the episode miniaturizing ray.
The Gadgeteer never appeared in a comic. He was created for the 1981 Spider-Man cartoon.
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Gadgeteer has no known connection to:
- Gadget, agent of Diamondback and Bushmaster @ Hero for Hire#2
- Gadget (Lucy Cervantes), Initiative, crushed by Graviton @ Iron Man IV#21
- Gadgets, creations of Machinesmith @ Captain America I#248
- any other character with a similar name
Dr. Norton
Dr. Norton invited the press (including Peter Parker, Betty Brant and J. Jonah Jameson) to show them his newest invention--the diminishing ray. Norton made his assistant release a lion and used the ray to shrink the lion down to only a few inches. Jameson congratulated Norton and told Parker to make a few more pictures. Norton told everyone that he would restore the lion to its full size that afternoon at the International Inventors Convention. Suddenly the Gadgeteer jumped into the scene. Though Norton recognized him as Joshua, the Gadgeteer continued with his plan and stole the diminishing ray. Norton fired him for the theft while Gadgeteer's wind gun blew him out of the room.
Norton returned to his lab with Jameson and Brant only to see that the Gadgeteer was gone. Norton decided to call the police.
Spider-Man returned the ray and the shrunken Joshua to Dr. Norton, who just wanted to know why Joshua did it. Unfortunately Norton couldn't understand Joshua because his voice wasn't loud enough.
--Spider-Man: Episode 15
images: (without ads)
Spider-Man Intro (main image)
Spider-Man: Episode 15 (head shot & Dr. Norton)
Appearances:
Spider-Man (Episode 15: The Incredible Shrinking Spider-Man) (1981)
First Posted: 05/08/2009
Last updated: 06/17/2017
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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