Spider-Man Unlimited (1999–2005)

In 1999, DC and Marvel ended up releasing two futuristic sequels to their much beloved TV shows, Spider-Man and Batman: The Animated Series. DC released the lauded cyberpunk classic Batman Beyond, which is also the third instalment of the DC animated universe. On the other hand, Marvel ended up releasing Spider-Man Unlimited, an implied sequel to the 1994 Spider-Man cartoon (it's never explicitly stated). Unlike Batman Beyond, SMU ended up bombing in ratings and in reception.

Initially, SMU was supposed to be a Spider-Man 2099 adaptation, but that idea was canned in favour of... this which still ended up taking a lot of elements from Spider-Man 2099 (like the costume and futuristic setting). I just want to know what kind of mind-altering drugs that the staff were on when they came up with the very concept: Peter Parker wearing a Spider-Man suit made out of nanotechnology travelling to an alternate dimension ruled by the High Evolutionary and half-human/half-beast creatures populate the Earth all the while Venom and Carnage, two mortal enemies are working side-by-side under the orders of something called "the synoptic."

This could've worked out, if this show didn't have Spider-Man's name tacked onto it. Why not use a different Marvel hero/group like the Guardians of the Galaxy? Better yet, why not create an original superhero for this? Why even bother canning the Spider-Man 2099 idea in the first place? Miguel O'Hara would've made an excellent counter on Marvel's part to DC's Terry McGinnis and considering the fact that barely anyone outside of devout Spidey fans have even heard of SM2099, it would've allowed for more people to discover it and it could've been just as successful, if not more successful than Peter Parker's Spider-Man. Alack, another story of what could've been.