Ill‑Met by Moonlight is an episode built on secrets — the kind a man carries in his bones, the kind a city tries to bury, and the kind Spider‑Man keeps stumbling into whether he wants to or not. It’s a story about duality: the face you show the world and the one you fight to keep hidden. John Jameson’s curse becomes the heart of that struggle, a reminder that even the strongest men can be undone by the parts of themselves they fear most.

There’s also the theme of trust — fragile, shifting, and hard‑won. Spider‑Man has to decide who he can rely on in a world where every ally has claws, circuits, or an agenda. The Resistance is pushing toward something bigger, but even they are splintered by secrets and half‑truths. And in the shadows of the High Evolutionary’s perfect city, the line between man and monster blurs more than ever.

Above all, the episode asks what it means to fight for hope when the night feels endless. Spider‑Man is pulled between loyalty, fear, and the promise of a way home, while Jameson battles a darkness inside him that no amount of sunlight can fully chase away. It’s a tale of hidden battles — the ones fought in the dark, under pressure, when the moon is high and the truth finally claws its way out.

Spider‑Man hasn’t seen John Jameson since their meeting earlier that evening, and after one last sweep of the city — noting that the destroyed cosmetics company has already made headline news — he heads back to Naoko’s. But when he arrives, he finds chaos: an enraged wolf‑creature tearing up the room while Naoko cowers in the corner. Spidey leaps in to subdue it, only for Naoko to stop him and beg him to hold the creature still. To his shock, the Man‑Wolf transforms back into John Jameson.

John explains that when he was first captured by the High Evolutionary, he was personally experimented on to extract a Bestial aspect from him. The procedure was interrupted, and though he escaped, intense stress at night now triggers the transformation. Naoko has been treating him for weeks with a prototype microchip that convinces his brain it’s in sunlight, keeping the wolf at bay — except when it slips. John insists the Human Resistance can never know about the Bestial inside him.

When Machine Men arrive at Naoko’s house searching for Spider‑Man, John and Spidey fight them off, only to be saved by another Machine Man who orders the others to stand down. It’s X‑51, now upgraded and working with the Resistance. At their base, Bromley reveals a map found in X‑51’s memory banks: a link between the Core of Manhattan and a power plant. Destroying it will plunge the city into darkness and force the High Evolutionary to respond. The defences are heavy on the ground and walls — but the ceiling is unguarded, making Spider‑Man their best chance.

The Resistance infiltrates the Core in silence, but Spider‑Man’s spider‑sense warns him something is wrong. It’s an ambush. Machine Men swarm the area and a firefight erupts. Jameson and Karen drag Spider‑Man away, explaining that the battle is only a distraction so the three of them can reach the plant via a hover‑craft link. Inside, Spider‑Man heads for the master switch, fighting off drones before finally shutting down the power. The city goes dark, but the Core burns bright — and a Bestial electric eel attacks him. Spider‑Man names him Electro, and the name fits.

Meanwhile, Jameson and Karen reach the communications lab. While Jameson steals vital data, Karen uploads the Resistance’s demands to the High Evolutionary. He appears on the screen, furious and dismissive, willing to sacrifice everyone for his “perfect experiment.” Jameson collapses as the chip malfunctions, unleashing the Man‑Wolf. Electro attempts to restore the power, but Spider‑Man intervenes, and their battle crashes into the Man‑Wolf’s path. The wolf hurls Electro into a tank of liquid that neutralises him.

Spider‑Man webs up the Man‑Wolf long enough to drag him and Karen to safety as the plant explodes behind them. The Resistance has won its first major victory. Karen is shaken by John’s transformation, but grateful they survived. John apologises for keeping his secret — and hands Spider‑Man the data he stole. On the disc is the information Spidey desperately needs: the location of the missing Solaris, the ship that could take him home.

This episode takes place the same night as the last. The Daily Byte’s morning edition has news of the cosmetics company from Cry Vulture.

We first met X-51 in Steel Cold Heart, in which John offered him a place with the Resistance.

It’s a first for animation: John Jameson transforms into the Man-Wolf, a situation that has plagued him in the comics for quite some time, but never on the television series.

Spidey, once again, notices Karen’s more-than-passing resemblance to Mary Jane.

Spider-Man instinctively calls the eel Bestial Electro – and it’s a complete coincidence that he gets it right!

The High Evolutionary also turned Wolverine into a wolf-like creature in the X-Men episode Family Ties.