Spider-Man thinks he’s got Electro all tied up – until the villain ups his game with a move straight out of the classic manga One Piece!

Electro in the foreground, Luffy activating Gear Second in the background.

SUMMARY

 Electro’s new technique, borrowed from One Piece, catches Spider-Man off guard in Amazing Spider-Man #46.
 Doctor Octopus sends Electro to break out Sandman, leading to a showdown with Spider-Man and Jackpot.

 Electro’s use of “Gear Second” technique hints at Sinister Six ramping up their powers against Spider-Man.

Warning: Spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #46 ahead!The classic Spider-Man villain Electro just powered up his game with a technique ripped straight from the classic manga, One Piece. Spider-Man has long settled into an easy rhythm with most of his legacy villains, having long grown wise to their tricks and tactics. However, this backfires terribly when Electro’s new move takes Spidey completely by surprise.

Doctor Octopus is impatient to get the Sinister Six back together in Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #46, sending Electro to break the seemingly reformed Sandman out of the Ravencroft Institute. Spider-Man and Jackpot arrive on the scene and are quick to snare Electro with insulated webbing. However, it turns out the villain has a new trick up his sleeve.

 

Spider-Man ties Electro up with insulated webbing, but Electro seems unbothered.

 

Catch the action in Amazing Spider-Man #46, by Zeb Wells, Carmen Carnero, Marcio Menyz, and Joe Caramagna!

“Otto taught me [to use] electricity to overload the motor neurons in my muscles,” Electro smugly boasts, before powering up and effortlessly ripping free from Spider-Man’s webs.

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Electro Borrows Luffy’s ‘Gear Second’ Technique

Luffy holding up two fists ready to fight in one piece with two of luffy's gear second poses in the background on either sideCustom Image by Merlyn De Souza

This kind of “power-up” technique appears to be taken directly from Eiichiro Oda’s classic series, One Piece. In One Piece, series protagonist Monkey D. Luffy can use his stretching powers to manually pump blood more quickly through his system, dramatically increasing his speed and strength. As the first of Luffy’s special “power-up” abilities, this technique is called “Gear Second,” referencing the fact that Luffy has “evolved [his] abilities to the next level.”

Gear Second first appeared in Chapters 387-388 of One Piece .

Electro’s take on “Gear Second” is virtually identical to Luffy’s, differing only in that he uses his powers to enhance his nervous system instead of his circulatory system. With this new technique, Electro is able to rip Spider-Man’s webbing apart with his bare hands, just like Luffy’s Gear Second grants him the speed and strength to overcome foes he could not otherwise overpower. Not only is it a reference to one of One Piece’s most iconic moves, it’s a natural extension of Electro’s powers that helps keep a decades-old villain fresh and interesting.

Spider-Man’s Villains Are Stepping Up Their Game

Powering up with electricity, Electro rips free from Spider-Man's webbing.

Manga fans will immediately recognize the inspiration for Electro’s new moves, but the moment isn’t all fun and games. Just as Luffy uses Gear Second to “evolve his abilities,” Electro’s use of the technique is a warning that the Sinister Six are seriously ramping up their powers in their vendetta against Spider-Man. Spider-Man may be hard-pressed to keep up with Electro and the rest of his villains in the future – unless, perhaps, he takes inspiration from One Piece and starts breaking out some manga techniques of his own.