Look Out! Here Comes Vintage 70s Japanese Spider-Man

Whether you’re seething or psyched about the upcoming Spider-Man movie reboot, this compilation of clips from the 1970s Japanese Spider-Man TV show should temporarily satisfy your need for web-slinging action. Below are nine whole minutes of over-the-top Supaidaman glaring, grappling and totally appropriate crouching.

In the Japanese version of the superhero series, Spider-Man was a lot like the Power Rangers, fighting giant monsters from inside his insane mecha. Unlike the American version in which a teenager is bitten by a radioactive spider, the Japanese version sees young motorcycle racer Takuya Yamashiro stumble upon a crashed alien ship. He finds a bracelet that gives him spider powers and lets him control the alien ship as his own personal mecha.

This trailer for Japanese Spider-Man (all 41 episodes of which are available to watch for free on Marvel’s website) gives just a taste of how different that version is from the one America grew up with. Maybe the biggest, most puzzling difference is the fact that our young hero doesn’t zip around the city on strings of spider silk; he instead rides around in his car. The delicious cheesiness of this 70s spectacle is the perfect way to waste approximately 17 hours.

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See more in Vintage Videos or under Vintage & Retro. February, 2011.