In the US TV series Spider-Man (1977), television audiences were introduced to the first live-action Spider-Man — a young university student, Peter Parker (played by Nicholas Hammond), who transforms into a crime-fighting hero after a radioactive spider bite. When a mind-controlling cult threatens New York, forcing citizens into chaos unless ransom demands are met, Peter must learn to balance his newfound spider-sense, wall-crawling abilities, and his job as a Daily Bugle photographer to save the city.