Day of the Chameleon is a masterclass in tension. It’s espionage, identity theft, and political sabotage wrapped in superhero stakes. The Chameleon doesn’t want chaos. He wants control. And his ability to become anyone — Peter, Robbie, Fury — makes him the most insidious threat yet.

The episode thrives on ensemble interplay. Peter and Jonah, abducted mid-ride. MJ, unknowingly embracing a villain. Fury, revealed to be alive and orchestrating a counterstrike. And Lieutenant Terri Lee, once again proving she’s one of the few who sees through the noise. Every character is tested — not by brute force, but by deception.

The Chameleon’s infiltration of the peace treaty signing is chilling. He doesn’t just impersonate Peter — he weaponises him. And when Spider-Man leaps in to take the blast meant for world leaders, it’s not just heroism. It’s reclamation. Of identity. Of trust. Of truth.

The episode ends with emotional whiplash. Fury thanks Spider-Man. The Chameleon is captured. But MJ, hurt and confused, confronts Peter. And his attempt to explain — to bridge the gap between mask and man — reminds us that the greatest danger isn’t being replaced. It’s being misunderstood.

At New York airport, SHIELD agents target a civilian who opens fire, shapeshifts into a helicopter pilot, and escapes — briefly. Agent X shoots the chopper down. Spider-Man saves the pilot and some window cleaners, but the man vanishes. He’s revealed to be the Chameleon.

At the Bugle, Peter asks Jameson to photograph a peace treaty signing. Chameleon impersonates Jameson and tricks Peter into a car — which transforms into a jet. They’re flown to the SHIELD Helicarrier. Peter escapes isolation and overhears a briefing: Nick Fury, alive and in charge, warns Jameson that Chameleon plans to infiltrate the party. Jameson is given a signal pin. Peter sneaks back aboard the jet.

Back at the Bugle, Chameleon impersonates Robbie and steals the party’s security plans. Peter suits up and nearly catches him, but gets gassed. As Chameleon — now posing as Peter — he runs into MJ – kisses her! – and escapes again. At the party, Chameleon slips in, posing as a maintenance worker, then Fury. Spider-Man spots the flipped eye patch and attacks. Chameleon flees in a helicopter. Agent X shoots it down.

The next day, Peter photographs the treaty signing. Chameleon, posing as Peter, attempts an assassination. Spider-Man intervenes, damages his shape-changing device, and defeats him. Fury thanks Peter. Later, MJ confronts him for missing her play. Peter runs after her, trying to explain — but the mask always gets in the way.

ROGUE’S GALLERY

THE CHAMELEON

He was the first. Before the tentacles, the gliders, the symbiotes — there was Chameleon. In The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (1963), he slipped into Peter’s world not with brute force, but with mimicry. A master of disguise, a faceless infiltrator. He didn’t need to fight Spider-Man. He just needed to become someone else. And in a city built on secrets, that made him lethal.

Chameleon isn’t driven by rage or ideology. He’s driven by opportunity. He doesn’t want to be seen — he wants to be believed. In animation, especially the 1994 series, he’s a ghost in the machine: impersonating allies, sowing mistrust, vanishing before the truth catches up. His power isn’t in his fists — it’s in his timing. He strikes when Peter’s guard is down, when the mask is off, when the people closest to him are most vulnerable.

And that’s what makes him dangerous. Chameleon isn’t a villain you fight — he’s a villain you doubt. A reminder that identity is fragile, that trust can be weaponised, and that even heroes can be fooled. He doesn’t need to break bones. He just needs to break certainty. And in a world of masks, that’s more than enough.

Philip Abbott voices Nick Fury in this episode – and will voice him throughout the Marvel Animated Universe of the 1990s.

Glory Grant, another of Jonah’s long-suffering PAs, makes her first appearance in this episode. She first appeared on panel in Amazing Spider-Man #140. She replaces Betty Brant in this series.

The Chameleon never speaks throughout his appearances on the series. He only speaks while disguised as someone else.

Thwip Quip: “This guys gonna ruin my lungs faster then tailgating a Manhattan taxi.”

Jonah’s Jibes: “The Chameleon here, right next to me! I need a long vacation.”

The Hobgoblin (Part 2) | The Insidious Six