Cry Vulture is the first episode of Spider‑Man Unlimited that genuinely pulls the rug out from under you. Up until now, the series has been content to play with its setting — the dystopian skyline, the Bestial hierarchy, the Resistance — but here it finally leans into its greatest strength: subverting your expectations simply because Counter‑Earth allows it to.

At first glance, the episode sets you up for something familiar. A winged villain swoops in, snarling and posturing, looking every inch the Vulture we know from home. He’s abrasive, arrogant, and dismissive of Spider‑Man — and we, like Peter, are quick to write him off as the antagonist of the week.

But then the episode pivots.

The Vulture isn’t a monster. He’s a victim. A man twisted into a creature by Sir Ram’s experiments, carrying the weight of his own sins and the scars of someone else’s cruelty. His transformation isn’t a gimmick — it’s trauma. And when he finally reveals the truth, the episode shifts from a simple misunderstanding to something far more compelling: a reluctant alliance built on shared suffering.

And just when you think you’ve found your footing, the story twists again.

The human captives aren’t being harvested, enslaved, or eaten. They’re being used as cosmetic test subjects. It’s grotesque, absurd, and disturbingly clever — a moment that forces you to confront the cruelty of the Bestials while quietly pointing a finger back at our own world. It’s a moral lesson wrapped in sci‑fi pulp, and it lands harder than you expect.

Yes, the fire‑breathing dragon Bestial is a touch over the top, but by that point the episode has earned the right to go big. The emotional beats are strong, the themes are sharper than they have any right to be, and the final team‑up feels genuinely satisfying.

Cry Vulture isn’t just the best episode so far — it’s the moment the series proves it has teeth.

John Jameson and Spider‑Man are at loggerheads. Jameson wants to stay on Counter‑Earth and fight for the Human Resistance, but Spidey is homesick, reminding him that the Solaris is still out there somewhere. Jameson refuses to budge.

Across town, Naoko gives her homeless friend Phil some food and offers him the couch, but he won’t impose. Later, he’s accosted by two Bestials in nursing uniforms — and only Spider‑Man’s timely arrival saves him. But when the wall‑crawler is overwhelmed, Phil is taken captive. The Vulture, a costumed mutant, interferes mid‑fight, making things worse. When Spidey tries to tag the ambulance, the Vulture realises they’re on the same side — but he refuses to work with “amateurs” and flies off.

Returning home, Peter collapses in the hallway, having taken a blaster shot at close range. Naoko tends to him until he recovers, but Spidey knows time is running out for Phil. Naoko, shaken by her friend’s disappearance, is determined to help.

Meanwhile, Phil and other captured humans are taken to a factory filled with cages. They’re to be used as test subjects for a Bestial cosmetics company — Sir Ram’s latest scheme.

Spider‑Man finds his discarded tracer but manages to track the hideout anyway by following a delivery truck. The Vulture reappears, revealing he too was a victim of Sir Ram. Spidey calls for a team‑up, but they’re attacked by Firedrake, a dragon‑like Bestial who breathes fire. Using teamwork — and a blast of liquid nitrogen — they cool Firedrake and Sir Ram down, shutting the factory and the “beauty industry” operation for good.

Sir Ram is nearly left to the mercy of his victims, but Spider‑Man stops them from sinking to his level. He warns Ram that next time, he won’t be so lucky.

Meanwhile, back at Naoko’s home, a creature with white fur and sharp teeth howls in pain…

John Jameson’s sickness first occurred during Deadly Choices as was his treatment by Naoko. In the following episode, Steel Cold Heart, he mentioned experimentation being done on him by Sir Ram. The final scene hints at where this is going…

The Vulture’s costume also looks like his counterpart’s on the original Earth. He also claims to be a creation of Sir Ram, but he may have had a mutated gene. He has talons on his hands, feed and heels and the wings are possibly not just part of his costume. His hair is also green. He doesn’t appear again.

Spider-Man not only mentions Mary Jane while reminiscing of home, but he also accidentally calls Naoko ‘MJ’.

Spidey insults Sir Ram with the term ‘Ram-Man’, which could be based on the Masters of the Universe character of the same name. By complete coincidence, Vulture voice-actor Scott McNeil voiced the character in the 2002 animated series. He also was the voice of Wolverine in X-Men: Evolution.

Firedrake bears a resemblance to another advanced dinosaur, the villain Stegron, who he may have been based on.