The Inner World

The Inner World is the first episode of Spider Riders. It first aired in Canada on March 25, 2006 on Teletoon.

Summary
Hunter Steele has always believed in the stories about the Inner World. He follows his grandfather's journal into a temple where he finds portal leafing into a strange new world.

Plot
Hunter follows the instructions left in his Grandfather's journal in search of a doorway. Searching around a ruin for the place called the Inner World, With the help of his grandfather's journal book. When he enters the ruins, and finds the door his the journal mentioned, he finds a room with a lower area in the middle. some moments later, a mysterious item happens to fall onto his wrist, and a few moments later, enters the Inner World.

He later finds himself in a strange forest, and later encounters an insect-like humanoid and is saved by the arrival of a mysterious girl, but Hunter flees and then encounters a huge spider and runs away from that too. When he escapes the forest and runs to an edge of a cliff, he can't escape because the giant spider is blocking the only safe way out. Just as the spider moves to attack Hunter remembers what his grandfather told him about never giving up, and he stands his ground. At that moment the device on Hunters wrist gives off a bright burst of energy. The giant spider pauses and speaks to Hunter, demanding to know who he is. Hunter is understandably confused at first. The spider introduces himself as a defender of Arachna Kingdom, a country of the Inner World. Hunter realizes that he managed to find entrance to the Inner World after all and is elated. The spider however is not, he tells Hunter that a human from the Outer World entering the Inner World is the sign of a bad omen and also is surprised to see what is on Hunter's wrist.

After the spider, whose name Hunter learns is Shadow, tells Hunter that the item on his wrist is called a Manacle, and tells Hunter that only people called Spider Riders are worthy to wear Manacles, then a group of creatures similar to the one Hunter encountered before appear. Their leader attacks Hunter and Shadow with his "pet" Smashopper, the giant spider begrudgingly protects Hunter by allowing the boy to rid his back. Shadow then attacked the machine, leaving him injured and unable to move. Hunter, not knowing what else to do challenges the Invectid while trying to shield Shadow. Shadow tells Hunter to save himself, but Hunter refuses. Then Hunter's manacle activates, healing Shadow and granting Hunter armor and a weapon to fight with, together Hunter Shadow take down the Invectid. Not long after the girl Hunter meet in the forest catches up with them. She introduces herself as Corona and Hunter begins his adventure in the Inner World.

In the episode

 * Venus has dialogue in this episode, but is not seen.
 * Grasshop, Beerian and Stags all appear in this episode but only Buguese has any spoken lines.
 * This is one of the only episodes where the Spirit Oracle has any spoken lines.

Background

 * In the book series, Hunter Steele goes through several stages before he reaches the Inner World.
 * This episode first aired in the U.S. on June 17, 2006, as part of a one-hour series premiere.

Characters

 * Hunter Steele
 * Corona
 * Princess Sparkle of Arachna
 * Lily
 * Battle Spider Shadow
 * Mantid
 * Buguese
 * Beerain
 * Stags
 * Grasshop
 * Smashopper
 * Spirit Oracle

Quotes

 * "There exists within the planet Earth a fantastic lost world. In this Inner World elite warriors, ride huge spiders and bravely fight against evil. When the wicked rise, the word goes out. Calling All Spider Riders!"
 * —Narrator


 * "SPIDER! Ug, oh boy... Ah! Spider!!"- Hunter and Shadow meet for the first time... and a powerful team of warriors is formed.

"Did you just call me gramps?"
 * "I did it gramps! I found the door, I found the Inner World!"
 * —Hunter is exited upon discovering that he found the Inner World, while Shadow is wondering if he should be insulted or confused.


 * "Hey there webster! Chill out!"- Hunter just can't get Shadow's name straight.


 * "Yeah, this has got to be a dream."- Hunter's conclusion upon officially meeting his first Invectid.

"...What's so funny?"
 * "This place is everything gramps said it would be, Aranchna power! Haha!"
 * —Hunter and Corona both laugh at the strangeness of their situation, but Shadow doesn't get the joke.