Meanwhile, Air Force Colonel John Jameson attempts to land his badly damaged space craft back on Earth.

Hopps researched all the available comic books he had that featured Green Goblin in order to prepare his penning of the episode's teleplay.

The episode received a generally positive critical response from television critics—reviewers singled out elements such as the Halloween motif and Mary Jane's vampire costume.

The Goblin tries to convince him to join his ranks, but Hammerhead refuses as his loyalty lies solely with the "Big Man", Tombstone.

Later, Goblin confronts Tombstone and steals a jump drive he is carrying, declaring that he can take it back from him later that night before he sails off on his glider.

A short while later, Peter Parker calls Harry and invites him to a Bleecker Street Halloween carnival with Gwen, Mary Jane and Liz Allan.

It is revealed that Harry, in an effort to impress his father, has been drinking a prototype performance enhancer dubbed "Globulin Green".

Meanwhile, while orbiting the Earth during a routine space mission with his crew, John Jameson and his ship are hit by a meteor shower.

An infuriated Jameson decides to meet with the public's demand by publishing a new cover story questioning if Spider-Man is a hero or a menace.

[4][5] The episode's title, "The Uncertainty Principle", expands the series theme "The Education of Peter Parker" chosen by developer Greg Weisman.

[6] Hopps, who had previously written for animated series such as Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Justice League, and Darkwing Duck, researched for the episode by re-reading every comic book that featured Green Goblin.

While penning the fight sequence between Goblin and Spider-Man, Hopps paid close attention to brawls detailed in "Catalysts" in order to better grasp "how we could make it different and really up the stakes".

He enjoyed Mary Jane's "sexy" vampire uniform and the large, three-way battle between Tombstone, Goblin, and Spider-Man, writing that it was "one hell of a fun fight" and "amazing".

Goldman opted that the supposed reveal of Goblin's true identity could possibly be false based on the original comic book story and noted that Jonah's hatred of Spider-Man that was formed in the episode was "perhaps the most understandable and best way it's ever been portrayed before".