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Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus
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Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus as depicted on the cover of Superior Octopus #1 (October 2019).
Art by Sujin Jo.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAs Doctor Octopus:
The Amazing Spider-Man #3 (July 1963)[1][2]
As Superior Spider-Man:
The Amazing Spider-Man #698 (November 2012)
As Superior Octopus:
The Amazing Spider-Man #25 (May 2017)
Created byStan Lee (writer)
Steve Ditko (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoDr. Otto Gunther Octavius[3]
SpeciesHuman mutate/cyborg
Team affiliationsAs Doctor Octopus:
Sinister Six
Masters of Evil
Thunderbolts
Legion Accursed
As Superior Spider-Man:
Avengers
Mighty Avengers
Parker Industries
Horizon Labs
Spiderlings
Superior Six
Spider-Army/Web-Warriors
As Superior Octopus:
Hydra
Hydra's Avengers
Notable aliasesThe Master Planner
the Master Programmer
The Superior Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
the Superior Venom
the Superior Octopus
Dr. Elliot Tolliver
AbilitiesAs Doctor Octopus/Superior Octopus:
  • Genius-level intellect
  • Proficient scientist and engineer
  • Master tactician and strategist
  • Wears super-strong and durable mechanical appendages
  • Telepathic control over his mechanical arms

As Superior Spider-Man/Superior Octopus:

  • Possesses Spider-Man's powers, abilities, memories and equipment
  • Carbonadium plating over his neck and skull
  • Talons on his hands and feet

Doctor Octopus (Dr. Otto Octavius), also known as Doc Ock for short, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #3 (July 1963). He is a highly intelligent, myopic, and stocky mad scientist who sports four strong and durable appendages resembling an octopus's tentacles, which extend from his body and can be used for various purposes. After his mechanical harness became permanently fused to his body during a laboratory accident, he turned to a life of crime, and came into conflict with the superhero Spider-Man. He has endured as one of Spider-Man's most prominent villains, and is regarded as one of his three archenemies, alongside the Green Goblin and Venom. He is the founder and leader of the Sinister Six, the first supervillain team to oppose Spider-Man.

While usually portrayed as a supervillain, Doctor Octopus has also been occasionally depicted as a conflicted antihero and ally of Spider-Man. Following Spider-Man's death in the 2012 storyline "Dying Wish", which saw a dying Octavius swapping bodies with the hero and letting him die in his original body, Octavius was motivated to prove he could be a better Spider-Man. As such, he adopted the Superior Spider-Man alias, introduced in Avenging Spider-Man #15.1 following a cameo in Daredevil vol. 3 #21 (both December 2012), as the fourth predominant main continuity Spider-Man. The Superior Spider-Man possesses all of the original Spider-Man's abilities, memories, and equipment, along with additional gadgets created by Octavius, though he often struggles to live up to his predecessor's legacy and seeks to turn his life around after being a villain for years.

In 2013, Marvel launched a 33-issue The Superior Spider-Man comic book series focusing on the character's redemption and superhero career. The original Spider-Man has since been resurrected after the death of Otto Octavius. Following Spider-Verse, a copy of his consciousness became a villain, though a second volume of The Superior Spider-Man launched in 2018 saw the duplicate taking on the mantle and the new name Dr. Elliot Tolliver before returning to the Doctor Octopus mantle as an antihero, having his soul restored and memories of redemption erased by Mephisto, before returning to the role of Superior Spider-Man in 2023 in a new series by Dan Slott, and Spider-Man: Octo-Girl by Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court.

Comics journalist and historian Mike Conroy writes of the character: "Created by Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, Doc Ock, as he became known, has become one of the web-slinger's most persistent, enduring, and dangerous foes."[4] A fan-favorite character and well-known figure in popular culture, Doctor Octopus has been featured in various media adaptations of Spider-Man over the years, including feature films, television series, and video games. In live-action, Alfred Molina portrayed the character in the films Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Kathryn Hahn voiced a female version of Doctor Octopus named Olivia Octavius in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018).

In 2009, IGN ranked Doctor Octopus 28th in the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time,[5] and in 2014 rated him Spider-Man's greatest enemy.[6]

Publication history

[edit]

Doctor Octopus first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #3 (July 1963), created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko.[7][8][9][10] Lee recounted: "Usually in creating a villain the first thing I would think of was a name, and then I would try to think of, 'Well, now that I've got the name, who's the character going to be and what will he do?' For some reason, I thought of an octopus. I thought, 'I want to call somebody Octopus. And I want him to have a couple of extra arms just for fun'. But I had to figure out how to do that".[11] The character reappeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #11–12, then again in #31–33.

Doctor Octopus is regarded as one of Spider-Man's most infamous enemies. He has been cited as the man Peter might have become if he had not been raised with a sense of responsibility.[9][12][13] He is infamous for defeating Spider-Man the first time in battle and for almost marrying Peter's Aunt May. He is also the founder and core leader of the Sinister Six, and has referred himself as the "Master Planner". ("If This Be My Destiny...!")[12][14] Later depictions revealed him in Peter Parker's body where he was the titular character from 2013 to 2014.[13] In 2018, he returned as the Superior Spider-Man in a series written by Christos Gage and illustrated by Mike Hawthorne,[15] and again in 2023 in a new series by Dan Slott, and Spider-Man: Octopus Girl by Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court.

Fictional character biography

[edit]

Born in Schenectady, Otto Octavius was the only child of Torbert Octavius, a construction worker, and Mary Lavinia Octavius, a homemaker. While Mary loved and supported Otto right from the beginning, Torbert was a violent alcoholic who regularly beat Otto and his mother. The young Octavius's shyness and good work in school got him labeled as a "teacher's pet" and targeted as a subject for bullying. Torbert hated having a bullied son and, believing that a man's worth was determined by his dominant attitude and physical strength, roared at him to use violence in dealing with the bullies. Mary Octavius would always defend her son from Torbert's tirades, saying he was a gifted thinker who would use his brain to solve problems, not his fists. Due to his mother's insistence and her disgust towards men who worked in common manual labor, Octavius was determined not to become like his father and threw all his efforts into his education, regularly scoring top marks. Octavius' devotion to study paid off with him being awarded a university scholarship at M.I.T.. During Octavius's freshman year of college, he was undecided in his studies until they were briefly interrupted by Torbert's death in a construction accident. Otto attended the funeral for his mother's sake, although he himself did not mourn his father's death and later privately expressed his desire to have seen him suffer more. When Mary remarked that "an early death is a manual laborer's" and she expected better from her son, this seemed to spur an obsession in Octavius about the hard sciences, and he declared his major to be physical science. His obsession, however, did not manifest immediately, and he was regarded by his school friends as a devoted student who was genuinely interested in the studies. He graduated near the top of his class, and was considered a catch to many scientific firms. Octavius was soon hired by an engineering firm.[16]

Octavius became a brilliant and respected nuclear physicist, atomic research consultant, inventor and lecturer. He designed a set of highly advanced mechanical arms controlled via a brain–computer interface to assist him with his research into atomic physics. The tentacle-like arms were resistant to radiation and were capable of great strength and highly precise movement, attached to a harness that fit around his body.[10] Later in his criminal career, he claimed the inspiration for the device came from the Vitruvian Man, a pencil sketch made by Leonardo da Vinci, one of his idols.[17]

Though his relationship with co-workers was typically hostile, he was social enough to give a demonstration of his harness to a small group. He showed how the metal tentacles allowed him to work safely with chemicals that would normally be too dangerous for a human being to touch or be in close vicinity to. One such person impressed by this was a scientist named Mary Alice Anders, and the two soon dated. In due time, Otto proposed marriage to Mary Alice. However, when Otto joyously announced his future marriage to his mother, her feelings were not reciprocated. Believing that no woman was good enough for her son, she made him feel guilty that she was going to be pushed aside for his bride-to-be. Shocked that he hurt his mother, and to please her, Otto broke off the engagement with Mary Alice. Later, when Otto discovered that his mother had hypocritically begun dating a librarian, he finally snapped and lashed out at her, causing her to have a fatal heart attack. With the death of his mother and Mary Alice Anders out of his life, Octavius' disposition towards nearly everyone became mean-spirited, and he had become more distracted from paying attention to detail and safety precautions in his work.[18] His co-workers often called him "Doctor Octopus" behind his back, a pun on his actual name inspired by the four-armed apparatus; he was aware of this insult, but he barely cared.[10]

Criminal career begins

[edit]

During an accidental radiation leak that ended in an explosion, the apparatus became fused to Octavius' body. It was later revealed that the radiation, or possibly his own latent mutation, had mutated his brain so that he could control the movement of the arms using his thoughts alone. The tentacles have since been surgically removed from his body, although Octavius retains the power to control them telepathically from great distances. The accident also seemingly damaged his brain (although it was later suggested that what was interpreted as brain damage was, in fact, his mind rewiring itself to accommodate four extra limbs[19]), and the scientist turned to a life of crime, first taking the hospital hostage and calling himself "Doctor Octopus" from the derogatory name that his co-workers had given him.[10] Though Doctor Octopus himself is portly, in poor physical shape, and is near-sighted, with his harness attached he is physically more than a match for Spider-Man. The accident also made his eyes very sensitive to light, requiring him to wear glasses with shaded lenses.[20]

In their first encounter, Doctor Octopus defeated Spider-Man, tossing him out of a window. Following this defeat, Spider-Man considered giving up his heroic career, but was inspired to continue by the Human Torch, and ultimately defeated Doctor Octopus.[10]

Over the years, Doctor Octopus has become one of the most identifiable members of Spider-Man's rogues gallery. Doctor Octopus formed the original Sinister Six to fight Spider-Man after taking Betty Brant and May Parker hostage.[21] He has led subsequent Sinister Six groups and usually takes offense when someone else leads the team. Disguised as the Master Planner, he organized theft of atomic equipment. After he stole a formula that Spider-Man needed to cure his Aunt May, Spider-Man tracked Doctor Octopus' gang to their base. In the ensuing fight, Spider-Man became trapped underneath a collapsed building. Seemingly doomed, Spider-Man was ultimately able to draw upon the sheer force of his will to summon the strength to escape.[22] It is later revealed he used a scuba tank to escape.[volume & issue needed]

Doctor Octopus later attempts to steal the Defense Department's Nullifier device, and sets a trap for Spider-Man.[23] He became May Parker's tenant,[24] then got close enough to use the Nullifier on Spider-Man; although he had hoped that it would merely nullify Spider-Man's web-shooters, the radiation in Spider-Man's blood resulted in the Nullifier's interaction with Spider-Man's unique biology rendering him amnesiac,[25] Doctor Octopus subsequently tricking Spider-Man into helping him before Spider-Man's own better nature resulted in him turning against his 'partner' despite his memory loss long enough for John Jameson to use the Nullifier to shut down his tentacles.[26]

Doctor Octopus later exhibited the ability to activate his mechanical arms remotely, and used them to free himself from prison.[27] His resulting battle with Spider-Man resulted in Captain George Stacy's death.[28] Doctor Octopus later waged a gang war with Hammerhead.[29] He attempted to wed May Parker to acquire an island with an atomic plant which she had recently (and unknowingly) inherited.[30] Doctor Octopus escaped death when the island was destroyed in a thermonuclear explosion and began a life as a homeless person.[31] He next battled the "ghost" of Hammerhead, unwittingly returned him to his corporeal form using a particle accelerator and defeated him after forming a temporary alliance with Spider-Man.[32]

Doctor Octopus later attempted to hijack an atomic submarine.[33] He also attempted to poison New York City with printers' ink, and battled the Punisher and Spider-Man.[34] He next battled the Owl and his gang.[35] He successfully deactivated a nuclear reactor in a laboratory before meltdown.[36] He later displayed symptoms which Mister Fantastic diagnosed as multiple personality disorder.[37]

During the "Secret Wars" storyline, Doctor Octopus was taken to the Beyonder's Battleworld, where he fought a horde of heroes and plotted against Doctor Doom for the leadership of the group of villains. He was able to defeat the X-Men, until Magneto came to the mutants' aid.[38]

His crowning achievement of evil was the near-fatal beating of the Black Cat (Spider-Man's then-partner) which led to Spider-Man beating Doctor Octopus to within an inch of his life. The trauma of the beating he received from Spider-Man left Otto Octavius afraid of Spider-Man and spiders in general for years, and he needed to be treated for his acute arachnophobia.[39] Spider-Man was forced to let his nemesis beat him in combat so as to allow Octavius to break free of his fears and recruit him to save New York City from an exploding nuclear reactor; Octavius had been planning to detonate the reactor to kill Spider-Man indirectly, but after his out-of-control arms beat Spider-Man seemingly senseless, Spider-Man persuaded him to shut down the reactor to ensure that there were witnesses to his 'great triumph'. Octavius decided to let Spider-Man live on the grounds that he would now have to cope with the same humiliation he had endured.[40]

During the "Secret Wars II" storyline, Doctor Octopus was brainwashed by Mephisto's minion Bitterhorn into joining the Legion Accursed. They were sent to come in contact with Beyonder and fought Thing.[41]

Doctor Octopus later formed his incarnation of the Masters of Evil which also consisted of Absorbing Man, Gargantua, Jackhammer, Oddball, Powderkeg, Puff Adder, Shocker, Titania, and Yellowjacket. He led the Masters of Evil in a plot to steal the technology of the Avengers. They ended up fighting the Guardians of the Galaxy who came from an alternate future timeline. Doctor Octopus got away when Gargantua, Puff Adder, and Shocker started to sympathize with the Guardians of the Galaxy.[42]

"Death" and resurrection

[edit]

During the "Clone Saga", Doctor Octopus saved Spider-Man from certain death from a poison injected by the Vulture, although this was only because he desired to be the one to kill Spider-Man.[43] During the healing process, he discovered Spider-Man's identity and then allowed himself to be taken in by police, expecting to be saved by his accomplice/lover Stunner. However, Stunner was knocked out and Doctor Octopus was murdered by the insane Spider-Man clone Kaine Parker.[44]

Carolyn Trainer took over as "Doctor Octopus" until her teacher was resurrected by a branch of the mystical ninja cult known as the Hand.[45] Upon his resurrection, it was revealed that he now had no knowledge of Spider-Man's identity, as the memories he gained came from a computer chip provided by Carolyn Trainer and the memory of Spider-Man's identity had not been recorded at the time of his death.[46]

Subsequent schemes

[edit]

In later years, Octavius attempted to create his own personal assassin in the form of a villainous mutated entity he dubbed "Spider-Woman". He has also had to deal with another usurper, in the form of arrogant young businessman and con artist Luke Carlyle, who pretended to employ Octavius at his company.[47] Tiring of his life of crime and wishing to return to an engineering career, Octavius accepted the offer. This proved to be a ruse, and Carlyle subdued Doctor Octopus and stole his technology, using it to create his own version of Octavius' harness and tentacles.[48] During a prolonged battle with Octavius and Spider-Man, Carlyle was defeated when Doctor Octopus ripped open his suit, allowing Spider-Man to fill Carlyle's suit with webbing, although Doctor Octopus informed his enemy that he only did this to hurt Carlyle rather than to help Spider-Man.[49]

Then, Doctor Octopus took the ambassador of the newly formed Free Palestinian State hostage, demanding that in exchange for the ambassador's freedom, Spider-Man would meet him in Times Square and unmask himself in front of the world. When Spider-Man went to Times Square, he pulled off his mask to reveal another mask, angering Octavius enough to distract him from the release of the ambassador by agents of the Israeli Secret Service.[50]

Doctor Octopus was taken to Ryker's Island and was drugged and brainwashed to kill the Green Goblin. He interrupted a battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin on the Brooklyn Bridge, and the two villains were struck by lightning and fell into the river below. Octopus was dragged out days later with no memory of the event and missing two months of his life.[51]

While hiding in a plant that was owned by the villain Fusion, Octavius was apparently forced to work for Fusion in helping him recover the 'John Hancock' satellite, once used to find nuclear weapons but now capable of finding potentially radioactive superhumans such as the Hulk or Spider-Man.[52] Although Fusion had apparently forced Octavius into submission, Octavius eventually revealed that he had merely been faking his submission so that Fusion could do all the hard work of finding the satellite for Octavius to sell off,[53] subsequently beating Fusion half to death and attempting to sell the satellite himself before he was caught and defeated by Spider-Man.[54]

Civil War

[edit]

Octavius unsuccessfully tried to form and lead another version of the Sinister Six, because Captain America's Secret Avengers managed to defeat the villainous group, although Doctor Octopus himself eluded authorities. In Sensational Spider-Man #28, Doctor Octopus is seen viewing a telecast of Peter Parker revealing himself to be Spider-Man. Doctor Octopus then goes rampaging throughout the city, in utter disbelief that not only was he beaten numerous times by a teenager, but of the lost opportunity he had when he unmasked Parker in their second encounter (at the time, Octavius assumed he was an impostor).[55] He is again defeated by Spider-Man, who confronts Doctor Octopus unmasked, after two of Peter's students distract Octavius.[volume & issue needed] He is then sent to Baron Zemo's supervillain detention facility (as seen in Thunderbolts #104 and Iron Man (vol. 4) #14). In "One More Day", Spider-Man contacts Octavius to see if he can help with Aunt May's condition.[56]

During the "Dark Reign" storyline, Quasimodo researched Doctor Octopus for Norman Osborn. While noting that Doctor Octopus prefers to give orders and not take them, Quasimodo gives Osborn the choice to either lock him up or find a way to make their goals even with each other.[57]

Dying

[edit]

When Doctor Octopus learns that he is dying due to the years of punishment his body took in his villainous career, facing superhuman foes when he is fundamentally human once getting past the tentacles, he becomes increasingly despondent and brazen in his final plans. Intending to leave a lasting legacy, he attempts to exert control over New York City by using his newly minted Octobots, but while he consciously intends to help, his subconscious drives him to turn the city's resources against Spider-Man, and he also targets May Parker aggressively (deeming her guilty of being due to marry J. Jonah Jameson's father J. Jonah Jameson, Sr.), subtly disrupting the planned marriage. Spider-Man is eventually able to take control of Octavius's planned network, forcing Octavius to flee while vowing revenge.[58]

During the "Heroic Age" storyline, Steve Rogers researched Doctor Octopus and notes that he will be dead soon.[59]

In his desperate attempts to prolong his life, Octavius reforms the Sinister Six, wishing to acquire Menace's unborn son, hoping to synthesize a pure strain of the Goblin Serum,[60] only to be thwarted again by the efforts of Spider-Man and the guilty conscience of the Lizard,[61] reigniting his bitterness towards his foe, but gaining a grudging acknowledgment of his abilities.[62] Octavius and Spider-Man keep crossing their ways during the following months, with the Avengers fighting a new iteration of the Sinister Six,[62] Doctor Octopus sending a remote Octobot in John Jameson's shuttle,[63] and Octavius contacting Iron Man to force him to find a cure for his degenerative condition.[64] However, when Iron Man genuinely offers to have the brightest minds in the Marvel Universe find a viable cure,[65] Octavius smugly refuses, in favor of witnessing Stark admit that he cannot do it and beg for mercy to disarm a device that Octavius had claimed was a bomb, basking in this "proof" of his (supposedly) superior intellect.[66]

His attempts to prolong his life, however, do not hinder a more vast and sinister plan, in which he has the Sinister Six fighting the Avengers Academy for a piece of Hank Pym's technology,[67] the Future Foundation for a piece of Reed Richard's technology,[68] and the Intelligencia for the Zero Cannon, a powerful antigravity weapon,[69] later revealing to have gained something useful from his early foray in John Jameson's shuttle.[70] All this careful preparation came to fruition during the "Ends of the Earth" storyline,[71] where the apparently mismatched pieces of technology stolen are used to build a satellite net, the Octavian Lens, able to alter the world's climate by enhancing or smothering solar rays.

Doctor Octopus at first claims to have a benevolent intent, wishing to halt the greenhouse effect in exchange for gratitude and recognition,[72] but he is soon exposed by Spider-Man (having enhanced himself with new technology created by Horizon Labs),[73] the Black Widow and Silver Sable, who provoke him into revealing his real plan: immolate a great part of the entire population to prevent anyone from surviving his impending death, having the survivors remember him in perpetual fear and awe.[74] Playing over his ego, Spider-Man manages to stall him, by reminding him that, even if anyone managed to survive a drastic heating of the entire Earth, the survivors would likely be brain-damaged, and as such unable to remember his actions.[75] Spider-Man then roughly defeats him, in retaliation for Silver Sable's death, openly mocking and berating his efforts by claiming that, because of the Octavian Lens' destruction and his declining health, he is now going to die alone, forgotten and without a legacy.[76]

"Death" and rebirth

[edit]

Even captivity and incarceration were unable to stop Octavius. Since Spider-Man was forced to access the Octobots' hive mind several times in previous months,[73][77] he unwittingly gave Octavius unrestricted access to his mind, allowing him to program a lone Octobot to swap their consciousnesses. Octavius is now in Peter Parker's body and able to access his foe's memories, but with none of his restraints content of living his civilian life and planning for his future, while his foe is now trapped in Octavius' failing body.[78]

Peter is able to recruit the Scorpion, Hydro-Man and the Trapster with the task of keeping him alive and capturing "Spider-Man" in an attempt to reverse the mind swap. However, the Trapster's portable life support can give Peter only 700 minutes to live.[79] As such, Peter openly antagonizes "Spider-Man". While Peter's attempt to reclaim his body fails, he is able to imbue his nemesis with his very memories and values before apparently dying in Octavius' crippled body. Distraught, Octavius (in a sudden surge of empathy for his sworn nemesis) vows to steer himself away from villainy and accepts Peter's dying wish of having a Spider-Man protect New York. Octavius claims that, since he now holds the physical might and the good values embodied by Spider-Man but also the boundless ambition and the scientific mindframe of Doctor Octopus, he will surpass the "Amazing Spider-Man", becoming a "Superior Spider-Man".[80]

The Superior Spider-Man

[edit]

Within Spider-Man's body, Octavius starts his new career as a hero by redesigning his gear and putting his past as a villain behind himself.[81] However, he soon finds himself the target of several villains, such as an Octavius-tech enhanced Stilt-Man,[82] Boomerang, Overdrive, Shocker, Speed Demon, the new Beetle (Janice Lincoln), and the Living Brain,[83] all of them trying to take over the place left by the seemingly-dead Doctor Octopus and his Sinister Six. While they are still no match for the new, more ruthless Spider-Man, his violence and new mannerisms start to tip off several of his close friends and allies, such as the whole staff of Horizon Labs, Daredevil,[82] Wolverine (explicitly forbidden to have Spider-Man's mind telepathically scanned under the threat of legal action in court),[84] Mary Jane Watson,[83] and Carlie Cooper.[85]

Despite his accomplishments, Octavius is revealed to be still haunted by Peter Parker's lingering spirit, unable to reassert control over Spider-Man's shared body, but actively hampering his efforts to stray from Peter's values, and trying to reclaim his body.[85] Despite Peter's lingering influence, Octavius's refusal of Peter's values and perceived screw-ups prompts him to "rectify" some mistakes: "Peter" enrolls back to college, pursuing actively the PhD Peter denied himself in the past,[86] and breaks the self-imposed "no-kill rule" by taking a proactive stance against evildoers and criminals, shooting the villain Massacre even after Massacre appeared to show signs of recovering from the brain damage that motivated his crimes,[87] and violently assaulting the Jester and Screwball for a relatively minor insult.[88] These actions prompted the Avengers to confront "Spider-Man" about his recent activities, recognizing that their friend would never act in such a manner.[89] When their subsequent analysis confirms that he is still biologically Peter Parker, Octavius explains that he is merely dealing with stress over recent events.[90]

Attempting a mind-wipe of all of Peter's memories to destroy the living consciousness completely, Octavius manages to delete the Daily Bugle memory. Realizing Peter would not surrender, Octavius directly engages his foe in Spider-Man's mind. After beating Peter to a pulp by breaking his spirit with the knowledge Peter was willing let a girl named Amy come close to death when Octavius was performing surgery on her with a scanner that would have detected him, Octavius declares his final victory while calling Peter unworthy to be called Spider-Man and believes that he deleted all of Spider-Man's memories. Returning to the real world, Octavius rejoices from his belief that he is free and has achieved victory over Spider-Man.[91] But this erasure has also deprived him of Spider-Man's memories, leaving it more difficult for him to pose as Spider-Man, with some of Peter's friends (such as Carlie, Mary Jane, and J. Jonah Jameson, Sr.) questioning Spider-Man's more brutal approach.[92] While Octavius has developed more detailed resources than Peter possessed as Spider-Man, such as creating a small army of Spider-bots and Spiderling allies to assist him, as well as helping Cyclops trap the body-hopping mutant Malice in a specially designed containment unit,[93] he continues to resort to more questionable methods, such as killing Alistair Smythe,[94] and blackmailing Jameson into giving him free rein in New York by threatening to expose the fact that Jameson asked him to do this. During a series of confrontations with his former allies in the Sinister Six, he also attempted to brainwash them into becoming his new 'team', resulting in him being forced to join forces with new hero Sun Girl when the Six snapped out of his control and tried to kill him.[95]

Octavius's focus on the larger scale also resulted in him missing the Green Goblin's efforts to establish a new criminal empire, with the Green Goblin rescuing criminals who have escaped Spider-Man and recruiting them into his new gang, as Octavius simply focused on the leaders whereas Peter would have tried to capture the whole gang. His fixation in proving himself Spider-Man's superior reached a particular climax when Spider-Man 2099 came to the past to deal with a temporal anomaly,[96] with Octavius becoming so fixated with solving the problem and keeping his identity secret that he actually attacked the future Spider-Man rather than ask for his help,[97] his actions resulting in the destruction of Horizon Labs because he could not solve the vibranium-related equations that Peter was able to resolve. Unknown to Octavius, Peter's memories managed to survive the deletion. When Octavius attempts to access Spider-Man's memories (because Octavius can only view memories that were looked at before the delete), Peter is shown lifting the 'rocks' off himself from the mental battle.[98]

When Carlie had found evidence that Doctor Octopus' mind is in Spider-Man's body, she mourns Peter in Doctor Octopus' grave. The grave then collapses and Carlie falls in where she discovers that Doctor Octopus' body is not there. After Carlie has been captured by Menace, the Goblin King receives Carlie's journal from Menace, where the Goblin King discovers evidence in it that states that Doctor Octopus' mind is in Spider-Man's body.[99]

Following him being possessed by the Venom symbiote, Octavius receives unexpected help from Peter Parker's consciousness, though Octavius is still unaware that Peter survived their mental duel. Peter decides to maintain a low profile until Octavius does something that will cause him to spring into action.[100] Peter finds that Octavius's delete has left him with very few memories of his own, but after realizing those he still has are the ones that define him, vows not to give up, and that he will regain control of his body.[101] The Superior Spider-Man finds himself facing the full force of the Goblin Underground since the possession of the Venom symbiote 31 days ago. When the Superior Spider-Man finally confronts the Goblin King, he mentions that he knows about Doctor Octopus' mind-swap with Spider-Man. The Goblin King then makes his next move by having missiles targeted at Spider-Island II.[102]

Octavius survived the bombardment and escaped with the Living Brain. He then tries to find the Goblin King; however, before he can do so, Menace takes Anna Maria Marconi hostage.[103] Meanwhile, the Goblin destroys all the buildings that mean something to Octavius, to punish him for robbing the Goblin of his dream: Killing Spider-Man. Octavius is lured to Empire State University, where he finds Don Lamaze. During the ensuing fight, Lamaze takes a blade meant for Octavius and dies in the Superior Spider-Man's arms. Heading to Alchemax, he is confronted by Spider-Man 2099, who takes control of the Spider-Slayers and demands answers. However, before he gets them, the Goblin King reactivates the Slayers to kill the Spiders, stating Norman Osborn now rules New York.[104] Although he manages to escape, Octavius is forced to realize that he has failed in his goal to be a 'Superior' Spider-Man when the restored Peter Parker takes over to save a child from a runaway train where Octavius hesitated, reflecting that he is aware of his fundamental inferiority, as he overcompensates while Peter holds himself back, but acts when he has to. Octavius then willingly deletes his own consciousness so that Peter can regain control of his body. As Octavius's last memories fade, it is shown he had really fallen in love with Anna Maria, much to Peter's surprise. Octavius tells Peter he is willing to give up his love to keep her safe - something only Peter can do as the true Superior Spider-Man - and urges the hero to save New York in his place.[105]

Spider-Verse

[edit]

In the run-up to Spider-Verse, Octavius was sent to the year 2099 by accident while dealing with the temporal anomalies caused by Horizon's time portal.[98] Trapped in the future, he attempted to return home by creating a dimensional portal, but found himself travelling to various alternate universes – including one where Spider-Man joined the Fantastic Four and a variation of the House of M – where all the Spider-Men were dead. Realizing that something was hunting Spider-Men across other dimensions, Octavius began to gather some of the more ruthless Spider-Men into a team that could oppose whatever was killing them, including Spider-Man Noir, a multi-armed Spider-Man, Pavitr Prabhakar, and a Peter Parker working in black ops with Wolverine.[106] As the crisis unfolds, Octavius takes command of a group of alternate Spider-Men, considering himself particularly qualified to lead them due to his unique nature and willingness to kill,[volume & issue needed] but when his team is confronted by another group led by the Peter Parker of Earth-616 – who Octavius presumes is a past Peter as he cannot contemplate the possibility that he will fail- he is forced to concede to Peter's leadership when Peter defeats him in a fight, Peter stating that killing Morlun and the Inheritors is not the answer, as they will just come back, and they need a new plan.[107] Although he realizes that Peter comes from his future when Peter recognizes Anna Maria's name, Otto is forced to acknowledge his own failures when he learns that another Earth where Ben Parker was the Spider-Totem was reduced to a nuclear wasteland due to the actions of his own local counterpart.[108]

To stop the Inheritors from traveling around the multiverse, hunting all animal totems as fast as possible, Octavius identified the Master Weaver as the source of their abilities to traverse the multiverse, and killed him. However, Morlun feared the consequences of this action,[109] resulting in Karn, the surviving defected Inheritor, taking the Weaver's place (although it was noted that the Weaver was actually Karn's future self, creating a complex temporal paradox). Having learned that he was 'destined' to be replaced by Peter Parker, Octavius attempted to attack the multiversal web to 'save' himself from his destiny, claiming that he was giving the spiders the 'gift' of free will, but the Earth-616 spiders were able to defeat him as their surviving allies returned to their home dimensions. Before he departed, Octavius issued a time-delayed message to the Anna Maria program, intended to activate 100 days after he returned to his home time, but upon his return to his time, his memory of his time with the Spider-Army is erased, allowing history to unfold as it should.[110]

All-New, All-Different Marvel

[edit]

As part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel event, Otto Octavius is still dead but a copy of his consciousness is shown to be inside the Living Brain where he is still in love with Anna Maria Marconi.[111] Following the events of Spider-Verse, Otto Octavius had backed up his consciousness in one of his gauntlets (the Superior Spider-Man's web-shooters) that slept for 100 days using the technology he acquired from 2099.[112][113] The gauntlet housed a copy of Octavius's consciousness up to the point of Spider-Verse (without the memories of learning about power and responsibility for his act of self-sacrifice in Goblin Nation, as this copy would remain asleep during this time). After transforming the gauntlet into a version of an Octobot, he backed himself up in the Living Brain while waiting for the next opportunity to take over Parker's body again, planning to act at a time when Parker's spider-sense would be taxed so that he would miss the relevant signals.[112]

At the time when the Living Brain was at Parker Industries' London branch, Doctor Octopus' consciousness expresses anger over being forced to act like their lackey. After Sajani Jaffrey is fired by Peter Parker for conspiring against him, Doctor Octopus' consciousness smirks as Anna is made the head of Parker Industries' London branch.[114]

"Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy"

[edit]

During the "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy" storyline, Peter decides to have Parker Industries get familiar with New U Enterprises' "New U" system, which is a program where replacement organs are cloned for those suffering from serious injuries. Upon hearing about it from within the Living Brain, Doctor Octopus' consciousness expresses an interest in the procedure.[115] When Peter Parker scanned the Living Brain to find out why it was acting unusually, Doctor Octopus' consciousness asked why it was erased. Realizing the truth, Peter Parker shut down the Living Brain, only for Doctor Octopus' consciousness to reactivate it and cause it to self-destruct while escaping in the Octobot. Arriving at New U Enterprises, the Doctor Octopus-possessed Octobot plans to get his biological body back, convinced that the consciousness in Parker's body was "infected" by its time in Spider-Man to believe that Peter was superior rather than himself.[112] Upon heading to Potter's Field, the Doctor Octopus-possessed Octobot finds that Doctor Octopus' body was grave-robbed, alongside those of Alistair Alphonso Smythe and other villains. It traces the grave robbery to New U Technologies. Finding Doctor Octopus' body, the Doctor Octopus-possessed Octobot allowed it to be cloned and perfected. After eliminating the copy of Peter Parker's consciousness, Doctor Octopus gains control of the clone body and emerges from the vat where he resembles his earlier appearance. The Jackal was present where he presents him with his tentacle pack. Now an ally of Jackal, Doctor Octopus receives the special New U Pills to prevent his body from suffering clone degeneration.[116]

When Spider-Man later infiltrates New U Technologies after witnessing video footage of one of its subjects suffering from cellular degeneration, he evades the initial security force, including the Rhino and Electro. When he discovers what appears to be Gwen Stacy, he is distracted long enough to be caught off-guard by the reborn Octavius, once again in his own body with new tentacles.[117] With Spider-Man trapped in his tentacles, Doctor Octopus tells him that he is not a clone or a hologram, but the real Otto Octavius.[116]

After Silk escapes from New U Technologies, Doctor Octopus attacks Spectro, who was unable to phase through the walls with the test subject. Doctor Octopus and Spectro fight until Electro arrives and knocks out Spectro. Doctor Octopus later experiments with Spectro and plans to put him into a cloned body.[118]

While studying the clones of Kaine and Electro to perfect the Proto-Clone, Anna Maria is brought to Otto and she becomes uncomfortable when Doctor Octopus starts appealing towards his love interest. When Jackal enters the laboratory, Anna Maria reveals she knows how to stop the decaying process on the clones and Jackal offers her the "Proto-Clone" body in exchange for the formula. Octavius takes offense to Jackal's comments on Maria's dwarfism and attacks his boss. Then he pulls a switch which activates the Carrion virus in all of the clones and causes them to start rapidly decaying.[119]

Doctor Octopus fights Jackal to allow Peter and Anna Maria the time to transmit the frequency, Spider-Man correctly anticipating that Octavius would act to protect Anna regardless of their own history. The frequency has a huge effect on Doctor Octopus and Jackal. After checking New U Technologies' Haven following the broadcast, Spider-Man and Anna Maria find that Ben Reilly, Doctor Octopus, and Gwen Stacy have been seemingly reduced to dust.[120] It was later revealed that Doctor Octopus rendered Ben unconscious and escaped by transmitting his mind into the Proto-Clone (a perfect clone of Peter Parker) before Ben could.[121]

Becoming the Superior Octopus

[edit]

With his new body, Otto Octavius returns to one of his old bases only to find it is being occupied by Hydra. He defeats the Hydra soldiers, but is then recruited into Hydra by Arnim Zola. Zola grants him the leadership of some Hydra soldiers to work for him in arranging the destruction of Parker Industries. With Hydra's help, he creates a new uniform for himself, becoming the Superior Octopus, intending to wait for Peter's actions to trigger the collapse of Parker Industries so that he can retake his position and prove himself superior once again.[122]

"Secret Empire"

[edit]

During the 2017 "Secret Empire" storyline, the Superior Octopus appears as a leader of Hydra's Avengers.[123] Outside of his work with Hydra's Avengers, the Superior Octopus approached Spider-Man, where he wants him to transfer ownership of Parker Industries back to him. When Peter Parker declined this offer, the Superior Octopus had the Hydra agents in Parker Industries' London branch blow up the building.[124] As Peter flees to the Shanghai branch of Parker Industries, Octavius attempts to implement various security protocols he had added to all Parker Industries tech that allows him to retake control of anything developed by the company,[125] but Peter turns the tables on Octavius by ordering his employees to literally destroy the company to hurt Hydra, thwarting Octavius' attempt to shut down his new high-tech suit with an EMP by reverting to his traditional costume and turning the EMP trick against Octavius so that his own tentacles attack him. Octavius is forced to flee the battle.[126]

Go Down Swinging and redemption

[edit]

During the Go Down Swinging story arc where the Red Goblin (Norman Osborn who has powered himself up with the Carnage symbiote) attacks Spider-Man and all his friends and family, the Superior Octopus and J. Jonah Jameson help defend Aunt May as the Superior Octopus still retains some of Peter's memories and sense of responsibility. This concludes with Peter forgiving the Superior Octopus and giving him a "clean slate". In the aftermath of Osborn's defeat, the Superior Octopus reveals his new identity as Dr. Elliot Tolliver, a person who has just started working at Horizon University. He was seen applying for a job under Max Modell as Anna Maria starts acting suspicious towards Tolliver.[127]

"Spider-Geddon"

[edit]

During the "Spider-Geddon" storyline, the Superior Octopus is seen fighting the Night Shift. The Superior Octopus agrees to spare them more pain in exchange for the Night Shift becoming his agents, where he will compensate them from his own funds. They agree to the terms and are ordered to return the stolen items. The Superior Octopus leaves, advising them never to cross him or they will not live long enough to regret it. After a day at Horizon University and saving some people on the Bay Bridge, the Superior Octopus fights Arnim Zola, a bio-duplicate of Gorgon, and some Hydra agents who seek to repossess his services to rebuild Hydra. The Superior Octopus states that he is done with his end of the bargain and attacks them. When the Gorgon bio-duplicate turns the Superior Octopus to stone and shatters him, another Superior Octopus body emerges, where it destroys the Gorgon bio-duplicate and defeats Arnim Zola, while informing him to spread the word to Hydra to never come for him again. The Superior Octopus' inner monologue states that he had perfected Miles Warren's cloning technology where each clone had to be made from the deceased to maintain their memories as a way to conquer death.[128] However, after Octavius forces Count Nefaria into retreating from Los Angeles, he is confronted in his cloning workshop by the Spider-Army. They reveal that his cloning process has been 'hacked' by the Inheritors, who fed his computers hours-old data until they were ready to manifest, with these new Inheritors swiftly killing Spider-Man Noir and Spider-UK. Octavius then quotes "What have I done ..."[129] After initiating his base's self-destruct sequence to slow down the Inheritors, the Superior Octopus states that they still should have killed the Inheritors while they had the chance. Upon heading to his lab at Horizon High to change into his Superior Spider-Man appearance, he goes to recruit Kaine and states that they should leave Ben Reilly out of the fight, since Jennix is targeting the cloning technology from the now-defunct New U Technologies. As the Superior Spider-Man and Kaine enter the portal, they are unaware that Ben Reilly has followed them.[130] The Superior Spider-Man heads to Earth-1048 to recruit that world's Spider-Man, where he helps to defeat the Tarantula and learned about his counterpart.[131] After Spider-Norman and Spiders-Man sundered Earth-616's connection to the Web of Life and Destiny, Octavius seemingly betrayed Ben, giving him to the Inheritors in exchange for the other Spiders being left alone.[132] When Spider-Man of Earth-1048, who had been secretly following both Octavius and Ben from behind, believed Octavius made the same mistake as his counterpart in betraying their own, Octavius revealed to him that he and Ben purposely planned this to trick the Inheritors into consuming the clone that will drove them insane, starting from when he was forced to relive the memories of Ben's 29 deaths and resurrections. With the help from surviving Spider-Men who are trapped in Earth-616, including those who were trapped in another universe (including Kaine and 616's Peter), Octavius manages to resurrect Ben in his 30th resurrection. With the Inheritors turned into babies to be raised by Spider-Ma'am (Aunt May) for their redemption; the same goes for Morlun, who is currently in 616's high-security prison. Octavius resumes being the Superior Spider-Man.[133]

The Superior Spider-Man (vol. 2)

[edit]

After the events of "Spider-Geddon", Octavius resumes his career as the Superior Spider-Man, protecting San Francisco with the hired assistance of the Night Shift. His identity as Dr. Elliot Tolliver is uncovered by Anna Maria, who confronts him with the rebuilt Living Brain. This is interrupted by the appearance of Terrax. Using a machine to siphon a fraction of the Power Cosmic, Octavius defeats Terrax and passes out.[134] While helping rebuild San Francisco and rescue survivors, the Octavius learns about humility and begins to connect with the people. Unbeknownst to him, Master Pandemonium emerges from the wreckage, planning to strike.[135] When Master Pandemonium attacks, Octavius is forced to work with Doctor Strange to stop Pandemonium after he possesses his new associate Emma Hernandez.[136]

During "The War of the Realms" storyline, the Superior Spider-Man worked to save the civilians from a Frost Giant invasion. Then he came up with the idea to work with the West Coast Avengers to make use of America Chavez's powers. After rescuing them with his Octavian Lens, the Superior Spider-Man barely convinced them to help fight the Asgardian invasion at the source. They would have to go to New York City, since the Asgardian magic is interfering with America's powers.[137] In the midst of the battle between the Fantastic Four and Malekith the Accursed's forces, the Superior Spider-Man worked with Mister Fantastic to enable America Chavez to duplicate the Bifrost Bridge's energy. After the two of them failed to locate the strike team in Svartalfheim, the Superior Spider-Man and Mister Fantastic located the strike team in Jotunheim. Those in Jotunheim persuaded the Superior Spider-Man to focus on protecting Earth. The Superior Spider-Man returned to New York City to lead the West Coast Avengers in protecting the citizens.[138] Once the War was over, Octavius confides that he feels guilty over being unable to save more people to Spider-Man, who comforts him. Unbeknownst to Octavius, he is being spied upon by one of the spiders that make up Spiders-Man on behalf of Spider-Osborn, who is planning revenge on him.[139]

Following a date with Emma, they notice a news leak that claiming that the Superior Spider-Man is really Doctor Octopus. Thus is denied by Spider-Man, Mister Fantastic, and Doctor Strange, who note his involvement in fighting the Frost Giants. The next day, Octavius admits to Max Modell that he is a clone. However, Modell reveals that he already knew. Upon analyzing the security footage of the leak, Octavius deduces that Spiders-Man was responsible. Spiders-Man then attacks them, but is subdued, and states that Spider-Osborn is safe on his world and that they will never reach him. Octavius, Anna Maria, and the Living Brain attempt to use the cosmic energies left over from the fight with Terrax to travel to Spider-Osborne's world, but it goes wrong and causes an explosion. Spider-Osborn then appears, revealing that he was on Earth-616 all along. He beats Octavius, and reveals that he plans to kill everyone that he cares about as revenge for insulting him.[140] Spider-Osborn starts by capturing James Martin, stating that he will release the boy only if Octavius kills three citizens on camera so that people will see him as a fraud.

Believing that he cannot win against Osborn, Octavius summons Mephisto and asks him to restore him to his original form for a day so that he can fight Spider-Osborn. Mephisto rejects this and offers to permanently restore Octavius to his original body, without any of "flaws". Octavius accepts the deal, once again becoming Doctor Octopus. He attacks The Brothers Grimm as they collect their payment, demanding the location of Spider-Osborn.[141] Octavius then defeats Spider-Osborn, throwing him back to his world. After briefly visiting Anna Maria and Emma at the hospital, he reveals that he has lost all memory of Spider-Man's identity. He cuts ties with the Night Shift and leaves, leaving his Superior Spider-Man outfit in the garbage.[142]

Return to Doctor Octopus

[edit]

At the time when Doctor Octopus was finding clues to some of his missing memories and found a casket in a grave empty, Kindred had one of his centipedes go into Doctor Octopus' ear and had him go unconscious.[143]

Kindred later told Doctor Octopus that he can help him with his memories, but he will need to gather five more people.[144] At an unknown beach, Doctor Octopus helped Sandman with his loss of direction and promised to solve Sandman's immortality problem.[145] Upon building a special machine, Doctor Octopus resurrects Electro with his powers intact as Kindred comments on Electro's abilities while stating that Doctor Octopus is getting closer to his true self.[146] Doctor Octopus and Electro find Kraven the Hunter in the Savage Land hunting a dinosaur. When Electro shocks the dinosaur, Doctor Octopus recruits Kraven into the Sinister Six by promising him to hunt down the Lizard.[147]

In the "Sinister War" storyline, Doctor Octopus coerces Dr. Curt Connors into using the Isotope Particle Accelerator on himself which separates the Lizard persona from Connors. While in the Osborn Graveyard, Doctor Octopus demands that Kindred gives him the answers he seeks. Kindred states to Doctor Octopus that he'll get the answers soon as he adds Mysterio to the latest incarnation to the Sinister Six.[148] In truth, Doctor Octopus secretly prepares a sonic transducer to destroy Kindred's centipedes, at cost of knocking the rest of Spider-Man's past foes, while saving them as well from hunting Spider-Man before the centipedes devoured their brains. To do so, Otto took a centipede from an undead Sin-Eater's brain and used it on his transducer to both knock out and save Spider-Man's past foes, barring Spider-Man and himself, while Boomerang was killed by Morlun when trying to save Spider-Man. Before splitting up, Otto urges Peter to make himself scarce and continue to fight Kindred safely before the surviving factions could recover, as most of them would still want to kill him.[149]

During the "Beyond" arc, Aunt May enlists Doctor Octopus to help bring Peter Parker out of a coma that he was placed into during a fight with the U-Foes. They did so by obtaining the samples of X-Ray and Vapor. When Aunt May returned to Peter's hospital room, she found that the hospital received some technology from Doctor Octopus which came in handy in bringing Peter Parker out of a coma. Doctor Octopus later attacks the satellite location of Beyond Corporation's shell corporation Infinite Solutions and finds that they were taking assets from the defunct Parker Industries, their use of Ben Reilly's incarnation of Spider-Man, and the copying of Doctor Octopus' Spider-Man technology. This causes Doctor Octopus to declare vengeance on the Beyond Corporation.[150]

During the "Devil's Reign" storyline, Doctor Octopus joins Mayor Wilson Fisk's Thunderbolts unit. He accompanies the NYPD and Homeland Security to the Baxter Building to do a full investigation on the weapons of mass destruction that may be located there. Susan Storm manages to get a Code X7 out to Human Torch, Ben Grimm, Franklin Richards, and Valeria Richards causing them to evacuate and get to Alicia Masters and the kids with her. Doctor Octopus later contacts Fisk about the inventions that he found in Reed Richards' lab.[151] Doctor Octopus later makes use of Reed Richards' inter-dimensional gate to summon his counterparts from throughout the multiverse, consisting of a version of Hulk from Earth-8816 who has two sets of arms growing from his back, a version of Ghost Rider from Earth-1666 with chain-tentacles coming out of his back, and a version of Wolverine from Earth-9712 with bladed tentacles.[152] Captain America discovers that Iron Man is actually Chameleon in disguise, who Doctor Octopus was going to use to take part in the mayoral election on his behalf.[153] Two weeks later, Doctor Octopus has released thousands of Octobots to enforce Fisk's zero-tolerance policy, effectively wiping out all crime in the city. He and Wolverine of Earth-9712 visit Fisk as Doctor Octopus informs him that Butch Pharris has been arrested for his criminal activities.[154]

Doctor Octopus and his Superior Four make plans to obtain the intellect of Doctor Octopus' counterparts throughout the Multiverse using a synthetic blood-parasite. The Superior Four attack Atlantis on Earth-7214 and are confronted by Supreme Octopus.[155] The multiversal counterparts of Doctor Octopus turn against him and help Supreme Octopus rip off Doctor Octopus' tentacles. Doctor Octopus is then locked up with a skeleton and carnivorous plants in Supreme Octopus' mobile base called the Supreme Sanctorum.[156] After being saved by a Man-Thing variant of himself from Earth-5069, Doctor Octopus defeats Supreme Octopus and returns the Superior Four to Earth-616.[157]

Doctor Octopus was later abducted by an unknown figure who wanted to know more about Spider-Man.[158] When Spider-Man locates Doctor Octopus and his fellow captive villains Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, Sandman, and Vulture, he discovers that the culprit behind the abduction was Ultra Living Brain. After Spider-Man defeated the Sinister Six-type Super-Adaptoid, Ultra Living Brain teleported the villains away.[159]

After his original tentacles had abandoned him, Doctor Octopus made a new set of tentacles and a new version of the Octobots called Ocktoids. He used these tentacles to fight Spider-Man and Norman Osborn's Gold Goblin form.[160]

While at the Bar With No Name, Doctor Octopus was working on another plan. After going into the bathroom, Doctor Octopus plans to find a way to become the Superior Spider-Man again.[161]

In flashbacks to when Doctor Octopus first operated as Superior Spider-Man, he had worked on a miniature star project with help from his hired assistant Estrella Lopez and how her trying to take the project after Superior Spider-Man took credit for solving it led to her being turned into a fiery form that she dubbed Supernova. This caused Superior Spider-Man to trap her in the dodecahedron. In the present, Doctor Octopus came across his dodecahedron while rummaging through his old lair. As he was working on his latest weapon using energy from the dodecahedron, Supernova broke free from his imprisonment. As Doctor Octopus begged for mercy, Supernova stated to Doctor Octopus that he did not imprison her and goes off to find Spider-Man as Doctor Octopus wishes Spider-Man good luck when she finds him.[162]

During the "One World Under Doom" storyline, Doctor Octopus appears as a member of the Masters of Evil who assist the Avengers in battling Doctor Doom.[163] He is among those who draw out Doom and his Tyrannosaurus counterpart.[164]

Powers and abilities

[edit]

Otto Octavius is a genius in the field of atomic physics, and he holds a Ph. D. in nuclear science. A brilliant engineer and inventor, he is also a superb strategist and a charismatic leader. His genius in radiation is so exceptional that he was once called upon by Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four to offer his expertise when the Invisible Woman suffered from complications during her second pregnancy as a result of the cosmic radiation that had given the team their powers.[37]

Due to exposure to atomic radiation, Doctor Octopus has acquired the mental ability of psychokinetic control over the four electrically powered, telescoping, prehensile, titanium-steel artificial tentacle "arms" (a degree of psychokinetic control over them that he can also exercise over vast distances even when they are not connected to him) that are attached to a stainless-steel harness encompassing his lower torso. Each of these four arms is capable of lifting several tons, provided that at least one arm is used to support his body. The reaction time and agility of his mechanical appendages are enhanced far beyond the range attainable for normal human musculature. The arms allow Octavius to move rapidly over any terrain and to scale vertical surfaces and ceilings. He has developed his concentration and control to the point that he can engage a single opponent, like Spider-Man, or multiple opponents with the arms while performing a completely separate, more delicate task, such as stirring coffee or constructing a machine. Due to his weight and age, his opponents are often lured into a false sense of security, only to find he is a formidable combatant. He has managed to force opponents as formidable as Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Captain America to take up a defensive position in a fight.[165]

Doctor Octopus has also employed an armored body suit enabling him to breathe underwater and designed to withstand extreme water pressure.[volume & issue needed]

Doctor Octopus has begun wearing a full-body armor suit due to an illness caused by the amount of punishment he has sustained over the years, made even worse by the fact that his ability to take damage is still at a human norm, even if he can deliver a superhuman level of punishment; he relies completely on his arms to prevent opponents with superhuman strength getting in close enough to damage his relatively unfit physical form even before his illness. To compensate, he has covered his entire body with his new suit, his normal arms are bound to his chest, and four additional tentacles have been added to his harness. He has also developed psychokinetic-telepathic control over an army of "Octobots" (small octopus-like drones).[58]

Harnesses

[edit]

Doctor Octopus has possessed a total of three different harnesses during his career: the original titanium harness, a more powerful adamantium harness, and a carbonadium harness with tentacles bearing an octopus-like motif. The titanium and adamantium harnesses were both destroyed in The Lethal Foes of Spider-Man #1-4.

His current harness is made of a titanium-steel-niobium alloy mixture that is dense, but lightweight in composition. While wearing the harness, the arms are powerful enough to allow him to walk up sheer concrete walls and move about quickly. They are also used to grab items, both small and large, and as literal weapons in terms of being swung at objects and people like clubs. The pincers at the end of each tentacle can also be used to cut and tear into the flesh of his enemies. His sheer power using these appendages was great enough to beat Daredevil, a seasoned combatant with superhuman senses, almost to death.[166]

The adamantium harness was powerful enough to both restrain and pummel the Hulk into submission during a series written by Erik Larsen. The adamantium in his tentacles made besting Iron Man in combat possible, tearing the hero's armor apart with a defeat so harsh that Tony Stark began to doubt his abilities almost enough to allow his persistent problem with alcohol abuse to flare up.[167] The harness is also capable of holding a small jetpack, allowing him to fly to places faster and able to evade Spider-Man more easily. Doctor Octopus is even capable of whirling his tentacles around to deflect small projectiles like bullets.

Powers as the Superior Spider-Man

[edit]

With his mind having taken over Spider-Man's body,[78] Octavius gains possession of all of Spider-Man's memories, powers, abilities, and equipment,[80] although he loses access to Spider-Man's memories after apparently removing his foe from their shared mind.[91] As a way to reaffirm his perceived superior mind, he tinkered with the original Spider-Man costume, adding some carbonadium plating over his neck and skull,[80] talons on his hands and feet, split-toed footwear fashioned as jika-tabi shoes, a slightly different, more imposing spider-motif on his back and enhanced lenses in his costume, with HUD and tracking abilities.[81]

He also retains access to some of his former hideouts from when he was Doctor Octopus, coupling Horizon Tech-derived inventions with his own peculiar brand of technology.[81]

Octobots

[edit]

The Octobots are octopus-themed robots that are created by Doctor Octopus. There are two different kinds of Octobots:

  • The first model of the Octobot seen are little metal balls with eight legs, which are mentally controlled by Doctor Octopus via a remote control. These Octobots can also be used to attack, to perform different tasks, and attach themselves to anyone so that Doctor Octopus can mentally control them.
  • The second model of the Octobot seen is a giant metallic robot, which Doctor Octopus uses to attack huge constructions.

The Octobots have at least two known variations:

  • The Spider-Slayers – These Spider-Slayers that appeared in Spider-Island are actually first generation Octobots that Spider-Man had laden with a special serum, which was used to cure the Spider-Virus that slowly turned everyone into Man-Spiders.
  • The Spider-Bots – The Spider-Bots are small red and blue spiders. While his mind was inside Spider-Man's body, he controlled them remotely and was able to enact constant surveillance over all of New York city, perform different tasks and control technology.
  • The Ocktoids are smaller Octobots that Doctor Octopus created in light of having created a new set of tentacles.

Powers as the Superior Octopus

[edit]

In his Superior Octopus body, Octavius retains access to Peter Parker's powers, while also having a new set of his original tentacles designed to work with this body.[122]

Other characters called Doctor Octopus

[edit]

There have been other characters who had went by the name of Doctor Octopus:

Carolyn Trainor

[edit]

Carolyn Trainor became the second Doctor Octopus following the death of Otto Octavius. When he returned from the dead, Carolyn rebranded herself as Lady Octopus.[45]

Luke Carlyle

[edit]

Luke Carlyle once operated as Doctor Octopus with a makeshift version of Doctor Octopus' tentacles after having once used Doctor Octopus' services.[47]

Olivia

[edit]

During the "One World Under Doom" storyline, Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Doom had Kristoff Vernard use the Time Platform to bring some superheroes from a possible future that was designated as Chrono Signature Anno Doom +128. One of these people is a woman named Olivia who operated as Doctor Octopus and worked on different inventions as a member of the Superior Avengers. Ava Starr later mentioned to Vernard that Olivia is the last of one of a few royal families that weren't killed by Doctor Doom. He also gave her a tentacle pack that was in his trophy room. When the evolved Annihilus of Chrono Signature Anno Doom +128 arrives through Abomination's body, Olivia is eaten by Abomination.[168]

Reception

[edit]
  • In 2022, Screen Rant ranked Superior Spider-Man 5th in their "10 Most Powerful Silk Villains In Marvel Comics" list.[169]

Other versions

[edit]

Age of Ultron

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Doctor Octopus from Earth-61112 appears in Age of Ultron.[170]

Amalgam Comics

[edit]

A composite character based on Doctor Octopus and DC Comics' Marine Marauder called Octo-Marauder from Earth-9602 appears in Amalgam Comics. He is a benevolent Project Cadmus scientist and mentor to Spider-Boy.[171]

House of M

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Otto Octavius from Earth-58163 appears in House of M. This version is a government scientist.[volume & issue needed]

Marvel 1602

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Doctor Octopus from Earth-311 appears in Marvel 1602. This version is Victor Octavius, an Italian nobleman who transformed himself into an octopus-like monster while attempting to cure the bubonic plague.[172] While seeking a cure for his transformation, he is killed by Henri le Pym.[173]

Marvel 2099

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Doctor Octopus from an unidenfitied universe appears in Marvel 2099. This version is an octopus-like Atlantean.[174]

Marvel Noir

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Doctor Octopus from Earth-90214 appears in Spider-Man Noir. This version is a crippled scientist who is entirely dependent on his tentacles.[175][176]

Marvel Zombies

[edit]

A zombified alternate universe variant of Doctor Octopus from Earth-2149 appears in Marvel Zombies.[177][178]

MC2

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Doctor Octopus from Earth-982 appears in MC2.[volume & issue needed]

Secret Wars

[edit]

Several alternate universe variants of Doctor Octopus appear in Secret Wars:

  • The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows incarnation of Doctor Octopus appears as a member of Regent's Sinister Six before being killed by Spider-Man.[179][180]
  • The Otto Octavius of Earth-51920 is a mercenary and minion of Governor Roxxon before being killed by Steve Rogers.[181]
  • In the Battleworld domain of Marville, Doctor Octopus appears as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants.[182]
  • In the Battleworld domain of Killville, the Doctor Octopus of Earth-11131 was killed by MODOK, who claimed his stolen Sentinel CPU unit for himself.[183]
  • In a world where the superhero Civil War never ended and was recreated into the Battleworld domain of the Warzone, Doctor Octopus was killed by the Kingpin, who grafted Doctor Octopus's tentacles onto himself. However, the tentacles' collective AI rendered Fisk virtually brain-dead due to their previous connection to Octavius.[184]

Spider-Gwen

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Doctor Octopus from Earth-65 appears in Spider-Gwen. This version is the head scientist of S.I.L.K. Following his death, his adopted son Orlando inherited his assets, such as his robotic tentacles.[185]

Spider-Man: Chapter One

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Doctor Octopus from Earth-98121 appears in Spider-Man: Chapter One.[186]

Spider-Man: India

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Doctor Octopus from Earth-5010 appears in Spider-Man: India.[187][188]

Spider-Man: Life Story

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Doctor Octopus from Earth-19529 appears in Spider-Man: Life Story. This version is May Parker's wife who later divorces her due to his anger management issues, leading him to a life of crime once more. In 2019, the dying Octavius switches bodies with Miles Morales to preserve his life and become a "superior" hero. He aids Peter Parker in activating the "Doomsday Pulse" to shut down Doctor Doom's technology before Peter convinces Octavius to undo the switch.[189]

Spider-Man: Reign

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Doctor Octopus from Earth-70237 appears in Spider-Man: Reign. This version died some time prior, leaving his tentacle harness in control of his body.[190]

Spider-Verse

[edit]
  • The Doctor Octopus of Earth-803 is a member of the Six Men of Sinestry in Industrial Age New York.[191] In a later confrontation with Lady Spider and Spider-Man 2099, the latter examines Octopus's equipment and notes that it is powered by a radioactive material with improper shielding.[192]
  • In a world where Ben Parker was the Spider-Totem, Doctor Octopus attempted to blackmail the world with a stolen nuclear device. Even though the demands were met, something went wrong and most of Earth was reduced to a nuclear wasteland, with only Ben Parker surviving because he was hidden in Ezekiel's bunker.[108]
  • On Earth-94, a reality where Ben Reilly was never killed and continued to be Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus was unable to transfer his mind into Spider-Man and died.[193]
  • After various variants of Electro form an army to conquer the multiverse, their leader gathers a variety of alternate Doctor Octopuses to become their "think tank".[volume & issue needed] When Gwen Stacy and Ben Parker attempted to free them from the Electros' control, the various villains attacked them, but they found an ally in the form of Octavia Otto, a teenage female Doctor Octopus who was a member of the Young Avengers.

Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man

[edit]

Doctor Octopus appears in the crossover story Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man.[194]

Ultimate Marvel

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Doctor Octopus from Earth-1610 appears in the Ultimate Marvel universe. This version is younger and possesses nanotechnological arms and the ability to control metal.[195][196][197][198]

In the "Death of Spider-Man" storyline, Norman Osborn breaks him and the Ultimate Six out of the Triskelion so they can kill Spider-Man.[199] However, Octavius disagrees, seeking to leave the group to pursue a normal life as a scientist, happy with the knowledge that both he and Osborn created Spider-Man. Outraged, Osborn kills Octavius.[200]

Ultimate Universe

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Otto Octavius from Earth-6160 appears in the Ultimate Universe imprint. This version is an Oscorp employee who helped Harry Osborn create the Green Goblin armor.[201][202][203] Gwen Stacy later fires Octavius at the suggestion of Mysterio.[204]

In other media

[edit]

Television

[edit]
  • Doctor Octopus appears in Spider-Man (1967), voiced by Vernon Chapman.[205]
  • Doctor Octopus appears in the Spider-Man (1981) episode "Bubble, Bubble, Oil and Trouble", voiced by G. Stanley Jones.[205]
  • Doctor Octopus appears in The Incredible Hulk episode "Tomb of the Unknown Hulk", voiced by Michael Bell.[205]
  • Doctor Octopus appears in the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends episode "Spidey Meets the Girl of Tomorrow", voiced again by Michael Bell.[205]
  • Doctor Octopus appears in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, voiced by Efrem Zimbalist Jr.[205] This version sports a German accent and was Peter Parker's teacher at science camp when the latter was a child. Despite having turned to villainy years later, Octavius still refers to himself as Parker's teacher following their reunion. Throughout the series, he battles Spider-Man while serving as a member of the Kingpin's Insidious Six.
  • Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man, voiced by Peter MacNicol.[205] This version is initially a timid, weak-willed scientist and inventor at Oscorp. Following a lab accident caused by the Green Goblin, Octavius is fused with his tentacle harness and becomes more aggressive and violent. After being defeated by Spider-Man, he forms the Sinister Six to seek revenge against him, only to be defeated by the symbiote-possessed Spider-Man. In the second season, Octavius adopts the Master Planner alias as he re-forms the Sinister Six and attempts to take over the world by hacking into the FBI's servers, only to be thwarted by Spider-Man. He later competes with Tombstone and Silvermane for control of New York's criminal underworld until all three are defeated by Spider-Man.
  • Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus appears in Ultimate Spider-Man, voiced by Tom Kenny.[206][205] This version was an Oscorp scientist who was left paralyzed and entirely dependent on four mechanical tentacles built by Norman Osborn following a lab accident. Throughout the first season, Octavius primarily operates from the shadows, employing supervillains to capture Spider-Man for his DNA on Norman's behalf; with one of his experiments with Spider-Man's DNA leading to the Venom symbiote's creation. Octavius eventually betrays Norman by forcibly turning him into the Green Goblin and escapes after his underwater lab is destroyed. In the second season, Octavius forms the Sinister Six in an attempt to eliminate Spider-Man, only to be defeated. After making minor appearances in the third season, Octavius returns in the fourth season, having allied with Hydra to form a new iteration of the Sinister Six and create the synthezoid Scarlet Spider to serve as a spy within Spider-Man's team. While leading an attack on the Triskelion, Octavius discovers Spider-Man's secret identity, but is betrayed by Scarlet Spider, who foils his plan. Octavius later reclaims his nanotech and gives himself a younger body before reforming the Sinister Six once more and taking Spider-Man's allies hostage. However, Spider-Man defeats the Sinister Six and persuades Octavius to surrender.
    • Additionally, two alternate reality versions of Octavius, a medieval variant called the Alchemist and a Wild West outlaw called Doc Ock Holliday, appear in the episodes "The Spider-Verse" and "Return to the Spider-Verse", both also voiced by Kenny.[207]
  • Doctor Octopus appears in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode "The Venom Inside", voiced again by Tom Kenny.[205]
  • Doctor Octopus appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Maximum Overload, voiced again by Tom Kenny.[205]
  • Doctor Octopus appears in Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers, voiced by Dai Matsumoto in the original Japanese version and by Dave Wittenberg in the English dub.[205]
  • Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus appears in Spider-Man (2017), voiced by Scott Menville.[208][205] This version is an arrogant but brilliant 19-year-old prodigy who was picked on by a jock and abused by his father Torbert (voiced by Charlie Adler[209]) while growing up. Introduced in the first season, Octavius works as a professor at Horizon High until his tentacle harness becomes fused to his spine following a lab accident caused by the Crimson Dynamo. Following this, he tries to use his newfound abilities to become a superhero under Spider-Man's guidance until his ego eventually causes him to become a supervillain and form the Sinister Six, though they are defeated by Spider-Man and Harry Osborn / Hobgoblin. In the second season, Octavius is released from prison, claiming that he wants to redeem himself, and returns to being a professor at Horizon High. However, he secretly places a bounty on Spider-Man. After being defeated, Octavius is left in a coma and his consciousness temporarily ends up in the Living Brain before relocating into Spider-Man's body. During this time, Octavius is inspired by the hero's memories to become the Superior Spider-Man and befriends Midtown High chemistry teacher Anna Maria Marconi. Eventually, he is persuaded to allow Spider-Man to reclaim control of his body while he returns to his own comatose body once more. After he recovers, Octavius returns to his Doctor Octopus persona and sacrifices himself to stop the Goblin King, for which he is hailed as a hero.
  • Doctor Octopus appears in Marvel Super Hero Adventures, voiced by Luc Roderique.[205]
  • Doctor Octopus appears in Lego Marvel Spider-Man: Vexed by Venom, voiced by Robbie Daymond.[205]
  • A female incarnation of Doctor Octopus appears in Spidey and His Amazing Friends,[210] voiced by Kelly Ohanian.[211][205]
  • Doctor Octopus appears in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, voiced by Hugh Dancy.[212][213][205]

Film

[edit]
  • In an early script for Cannon's aborted Spider-Man film, written by Ted Newsom and John Brancato, Otto Octavius was rewritten to become a teacher and mentor to a college-aged Peter Parker. The cyclotron accident which "creates" Spider-Man also deforms the scientist into Doctor Octopus and results in his mad pursuit of proof of the Fifth Force. "Doc Ock" reconstructs his cyclotron and causes electromagnetic abnormalities, anti-gravity effects, and bi-location, which threatens to engulf New York City and the world. Additionally, Bob Hoskins and Arnold Schwarzenegger were considered for the role.[214][215][216][217][218][219][220][221]
  • Director Sam Raimi has stated that Doctor Octopus was intended to appear in Spider-Man (2002) and team up with the Green Goblin, but was not included because Raimi thought it "wouldn't do the movie justice to have a third origin in there".[222]
  • Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus appears in the Sony film Spider-Man 2 (2004), portrayed by Alfred Molina.[223] This version is a sympathetic, but misguided individual, and the husband and lab partner of Rosie Octavius (portrayed by Donna Murphy). Initially a well-meaning scientist working with Oscorp to develop a form of self-sustainable energy to benefit mankind, Octavius turns to villainy after his experiment goes wrong, resulting in Rosie's death and Octavius losing control of his tentacle harness' artificial intelligence, which begins to influence his mind and actions and brings him into conflict with Spider-Man. With the web-slinger's help, Octavius eventually sees the error of his ways and sacrifices himself to sink a fusion reactor he built into the East River, where he drowns.
    • Octavius appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Spider-Man: No Way Home, portrayed again by Alfred Molina.[224][225] In April 2021, Molina said it was "wonderful" to play the character again. Additionally, he was digitally de-aged in the film to resemble how he appeared in 2004, despite his concerns about his fighting style not looking realistic due to his age.[226] Prior to his death, Octavius is transported to an alternate universe due to a magic spell gone wrong and receives a cure from an alternate universe version of Spider-Man before being returned to his native universe.
  • A female incarnation of Doctor Octopus named Dr. Olivia "Liv" Octavius appears in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, voiced by Kathryn Hahn.[227] She is the head scientist of Alchemax and the Kingpin's right-hand woman who sports a large beehive hairstyle, glasses with octagonal lenses, and pneumatic tentacles tipped with claws. Under the Kingpin's orders, she builds a super-collider to access parallel universes. In spite of the initial tests nearly destroying New York City and bringing several alternate reality versions of Spider-Man to their universe, the Kingpin orders Liv to continue working on the collider. She later encounters Miles Morales and an alternate reality Peter Parker while they are infiltrating Alchemax, but fails to catch them. After confronting the assembled Spider-People at May Parker's house alongside the Kingpin and his other henchmen and failing to stop them a second time, Liv tries to stop the heroes at the collider, only to be hit by a truck when the machine goes haywire and melds her universe with aspects of others.
  • Otto Octavius as the Superior Spider-Man and a comic book-accurate Doctor Octopus make non-speaking cameo appearances in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse as prisoners of Spider-Man 2099's Spider-Society.[228][229] Additionally, Liv Octavius appears via archival footage while archival recordings of Alfred Molina are used for other Octavius variants, who make minor appearances.[citation needed]

Video games

[edit]

Spider-Man games

[edit]
  • Doctor Octopus appears in Questprobe featuring Spider-Man.[230]
  • Doctor Octopus appears as a boss in The Amazing Spider-Man (1990).[citation needed]
  • Doctor Octopus appears in Spider-Man: The Video Game.[231]
  • Doctor Octopus appears as the final boss of Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six (1992).[232] This version is the leader of the titular team.
  • Doctor Octopus appears as a boss in Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin.[233]
  • Doctor Octopus appears as a boss in Spider-Man (1995).[citation needed]
  • Doctor Octopus appear in Spider-Man: The Sinister Six, voiced by Ken Roberts.[205]
  • Doctor Octopus appears as a boss in Spider-Man: Lethal Foes.[234]
  • Doctor Octopus appears as a boss in Spider-Man (2000), voiced again by Efrem Zimbalist Jr.[205] While pretending to have reformed, he works with Carnage to turn everyone in New York into symbiotes, but they are both defeated by Spider-Man. Following this, the Carnage symbiote bonds with Doctor Octopus, turning him into Monster-Ock (voiced by Marcus Shirock).[205] After Monster-Ock is defeated, Doctor Octopus is returned to normal and promptly arrested.
  • Doctor Octopus appears as the final boss of Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six.[235] This version is a member of the Sinister Six.
  • Doctor Octopus makes a cameo appearance in Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro.[citation needed]
  • Doctor Octopus appears as the final boss of the Spider-Man 2 film tie-in game, voiced by Alfred Molina.[205]
  • Doctor Octopus appears as a boss and playable character in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, voiced by Joe Alaskey.[205] He and several supervillains attack Spider-Man until they are all attacked by P.H.A.N.T.O.M.s under Mysterio's command. Doc Ock is captured along with the other villains, placed under mind control, and sent to Tokyo to retrieve a meteor shard located there. After Spider-Man defeats Doctor Octopus and destroys the mind-control device, the latter joins forces with the former to exact revenge on Mysterio.
  • Otto Octavius appears in Spider-Man: Edge of Time, voiced by Dave B. Mitchell.[205] Alchemax scientist Walker Sloan travels back from the year 2099 to establish his company in the 1970s, saving Octavius from the accident that would have fused his tentacle harness to him and recruiting him in the process. Despite having never turned to crime, Octavius still uses his tentacles as research tools. The pair attempt to use a mind-controlled Anti-Venom to kill Spider-Man, but when Spider-Man 2099 intervenes, Doctor Octopus, Sloan, and Anti-Venom are all accidentally thrown into Sloan's time portal and end up fused into the monstrous Atrocity (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) equipped with Doctor Octopus' tentacles and Anti-Venom's ability to negate the present day Spider-Man's powers. Spider-Man eventually defeats Atrocity, throwing it back into the time portal, before he and Spider-Man 2099 undo Sloan's changes, restoring history.
  • Multiple alternate reality versions of Doctor Octopus appear as bosses in Spider-Man Unlimited, voiced by Kyle Hebert.[205] They are members of a multiversal Sinister Six. Additionally, Octavius as the Superior Spider-Man, Superior Venom, and Superior Octopus appear as playable characters.[236]

Marvel's Spider-Man series

[edit]

Otto Octavius appears in Insomniac Games' Marvel's Spider-Man series, voiced by William Salyers.[237][205] Once a close friend of Norman Osborn and co-founder of Oscorp, this version left the company due to its unethical genetic experiments. Founding his own company, Octavius Industries, he worked to perfect prosthetic limb technology, motivated by a neurological disorder he was developing. Octavius later employed Peter Parker, whom he mentored, as his lab assistant and eventually became aware of his activities as Spider-Man, but chose to hide this from him.

  • First appearing as the final boss of Marvel's Spider-Man (2018), Octavius gains support from A.I.M. after Norman exploits his position as mayor to remove Octavius' grant funding in an attempt to persuade him to return to Oscorp. During this time, Octavius befriends Martin Li, a victim of Oscorp's experimentation who has been leading terrorist attacks against the city to destroy Norman, inspiring Octavius to pursue his own vendetta against his former friend. While working on a set of mechanical thought-controlled tentacles with Parker, Octavius loses control of his emotions due to a defect with the neural implant used to connect them directly to his nervous system and causes a mass prison break from Ryker's Island and the Raft. Forming the Sinister Six with Li and several of Spider-Man's foes, Octavius, now going by "Doctor Octopus", organizes a series of attacks on Oscorp-owned properties and releases their Devil's Breath virus on New York in the hopes of exposing Norman's crimes. After capturing and nearly killing Norman, Octavius is confronted by Parker as Spider-Man, who rescues Norman and battles Octavius atop Oscorp tower, during which the latter reveals his knowledge of Parker's double life. Following his defeat, Octavius pleads for help, claiming the tentacles' artificial intelligence was in control of his actions, but a heartbroken Parker leaves him to face justice for his crimes, leading to Octavius' imprisonment at the Raft and Octavius Industries being shut down.
  • Octavius makes a cameo appearance in a flashback depicted in Spider-Man: Miles Morales.[238]
  • Octavius makes a cameo appearance in the mid-credits scene of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (2023).[239] Following the events of the main story, Norman visits his cell at the Raft to inquire about the Spider-Men's secret identities. Octavius taunts him with the belief that he needed to experience loss as he had while making preparations for the "final chapter".[240] Additionally, the Superior Spider-Man's suit appears as an alternate skin for Peter.[241]

Other games

[edit]

Miscellaneous

[edit]
Cover of Spider-Man: Octopus-Girl Vol. 1.

Merchandise

[edit]
  • Doctor Octopus received a figure in Mattel's "Secret Wars" line.
  • Doctor Octopus received several figures in Toy Biz's Spider-Man and Marvel Legends series.
  • Doctor Octopus received a figure in Hasbro's Spider-Man: Origin series.
  • Alfred Molina's incarnation of Doctor Octopus received a figure in Hasbro's Marvel Legends: Spider-Man line.
  • The Spectacular Spider-Man incarnation of Doctor Octopus received a figure from Hasbro.
  • Doctor Octopus received a figure in the Marvel Manga Twist'ems line.
  • Doctor Octopus received several statues and mini-busts from Diamond Select Toys, Art Asylum and Bowen Designs.
  • Doctor Octopus received a figurine in The Classic Marvel Figurine Collection.

Collected editions

[edit]

As Doctor Octopus

[edit]
Title Material Collected Published Date ISBN
Spider-Man vs. Doctor Octopus Amazing Spider-Man (vol.1) #3, 130–131, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #15, Marvel Tales #38–41 April 1, 2000 9780785107422
Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Negative Exposure Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Negative Exposure #1–5 June 1, 2004 978-0785113300
Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Out of Reach Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Out of Reach #1–5 June 1, 2004 978-0785113607
Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One #1–5 February 12, 2019 978-1302915452
Devil's Reign: Superior Four Devil's Reign: Superior Four #1–3 and Devil's Reign: Spider-Man #1 May 31, 2022 978-1302945893
Spider-Man: Octo-Girl Spider-Man: Octopus Girl (vol. 1) #1–6 October 8, 2024 978-1974749911

As Superior Spider-Man

[edit]
Title Material Collected Published Date ISBN
Superior Spider-Man Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy Superior Spider-Man #1–5 June 11, 2013 978-0785167044
Superior Spider-Man Vol. 2: A Troubled Mind Superior Spider-Man #6–10 September 3, 2013 978-0785167051
Superior Spider-Man Vol. 3: No Escape Superior Spider-Man #11–16 December 9, 2013 978-1846535567
Superior Spider-Man Vol. 4: Necessary Evil Superior Spider-Man #17–21 January 15, 2014 978-1846535819
Superior Spider-Man Vol. 5: Superior Venom Superior Spider-Man #22–26 April 16, 2014 978-1846535840
Superior Spider-Man Vol. 6: Goblin Nation Superior Spider-Man #27–31, Superior Spider-Man Annual #2 June 18, 2014 978-1846536021
Superior Spider-Man: The Complete Collection Vol. 1 Amazing Spider-Man #698–700, Superior Spider-Man #1–16 April 25, 2018 978-1302909505
Superior Spider-Man: The Complete Collection Vol. 2 Superior Spider-Man #17–31, Superior Spider-Man Annual #1–2 September 11, 2018 978-1302911836
Superior Spider-Man Omnibus Amazing Spider-Man #698–700, Superior Spider-Man #1–31, Superior Spider-Man Annual #1–2 May 16, 2023 978-1302951078
Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2: Spider-Verse Prelude Superior Spider-Man #32–33, Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #7–8 and material from Free Comic Book Day 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy January 7, 2014 978-0785187981
Superior Spider-Man Team-Up: Superiority Complex Avenging Spider-Man #15.1, 16–19 July 27, 2013 978-0785165361
Superior Spider-Man Team-Up: Friendly Fire Avenging Spider-Man #20–22, Superior Spider-Man Annual #1 and Daredevil (vol. 3) #22. January 21, 2014 978-0785166511
Superior Spider-Man Team-Up: Versus Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #1–4 and Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #20 February 26, 2014 978-0785187912
Superior Spider-Man Team-Up: Superior Six Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #5–12 July 8, 2014 978-0785189794
All-New X-Men/Indestructible Hulk/Superior Spider-Man: The Arms of the Octopus Superior Spiderman Team-up Special #1 and All-New X-Men Special #1, Indestructible Hulk Special #1, Wolverine: In The Flesh #1. January 21, 2014 978-0785184386
Superior Spider-Man Companion Avenging Spider-Man #15.1, 16–22, Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #1–12, Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #20; Inhumanity: Superior Spider-Man #1, Daredevil (vol. 3) #22 January 3, 2019 978-1302915438
Superior Spider-Man Vol. 1: Full Otto Superior Spider-Man (vol. 2) #1–6 July 30, 2019 978-1302914806
Superior Spider-Man Vol. 2: Otto-Matic Superior Spider-Man (vol. 2) #7–12 January 7, 2020 978-1302914813
Spider-Man: Octo-Girl Spider-Man: Octopus Girl (vol. 1) #1–6 October 8, 2024 978-1974749911

As Superior Octopus

[edit]
Title Material Collected Published Date ISBN
Edge of Spider-Geddon Superior Octopus #1 and Edge of Spider-Geddon #1–4 January 15, 2019 978-1302914745
Spider-Man: Octo-Girl Spider-Man: Octopus Girl (vol. 1) #1–6 October 8, 2024 978-1974749911

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Doctor Octopus, also known as Otto Octavius, is a supervillain in , created by writer and artist , who first appeared in #3 (July 1963). A brilliant but egomaniacal nuclear , he became fused to a harness of four mechanical tentacles following a laboratory accident involving , granting him enhanced strength and the ability to control the appendages with his mind, while amplifying his criminal ambitions. Primarily an archenemy of , Doctor Octopus is depicted as a genius inventor and leader of villainous teams, driven by a desire for power and dominance in the . Born in , to a domineering mother and an abusive father, Otto Octavius was a shy and bullied child who found solace in scientific pursuits, eventually earning a in and gaining acclaim for his innovative research. His invention of the "octo-harness"—a set of titanium-steel tentacles designed to manipulate hazardous materials remotely—proved revolutionary, but during an experiment with a radiation-emitting device, the ensuing explosion not only bonded the arms to his spine but also overloaded his brain, inducing insanity and a god-like . This transformation marked his villainous debut, as he immediately sought to seize control of a nuclear facility, only to clash with in his inaugural confrontation. Doctor Octopus's abilities stem from his unparalleled intellect in engineering and nuclear science, combined with the superhuman capabilities of his tentacles, each capable of lifting up to eight tons, extending 24 feet, and moving at speeds of 90 feet per second. He has led notorious groups such as the —the first supervillain team assembled against —and the , showcasing his strategic mind in orchestrating large-scale threats. Over decades of stories, he has employed his tentacles for combat, , and even when detached, while his psychological depth, including mommy issues and a rivalry-fueled obsession with , has made him one of the character's most complex adversaries. One of the most notable arcs in Doctor Octopus's history is his temporary assumption of 's role as the "Superior Spider-Man," achieved by swapping consciousnesses with Peter Parker in Amazing Spider-Man #698-700 (2012). In this storyline, Octavius uses Parker's powers—including (up to 10 tons), wall-crawling, and spider-sense—while attempting to "improve" the hero's life through ruthless efficiency, leading to conflicts with heroes like the Avengers and ultimately his reversion. This event highlights his adaptability and enduring impact on the Spider-Man mythos, reinforcing his status as a multifaceted foe who blurs the lines between villainy and anti-heroism.

Publication history

Creation and early appearances

Doctor Octopus, real name Otto Octavius, was created by writer and artist as a formidable adversary for . Octavius was portrayed as a brilliant yet arrogant nuclear physicist whose intellectual pride set the stage for his tragic downfall. To aid his hazardous experiments with radioactive substances, he invented a harness equipped with four long, mechanical arms designed for precise manipulation of dangerous materials. The character made his debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #3, cover-dated July 1963. In this issue, a catastrophic accident exposed Octavius to intense , which not only fused the mechanical arms directly to his spine and but also induced severe mental instability, transforming the once-respected into a vengeful madman. Dubbed "Doctor Octopus" by his peers due to his octopus-like appendages, he escaped the hospital where he was recovering and immediately turned to crime, marking the beginning of his role as one of Spider-Man's most persistent foes. Octavius's early motivations stemmed from deep-seated resentment toward , ignited by a during their clash at a where Octavius held staff hostage. This defeat fueled his desire for revenge, leading to further criminal activities, including a in . Using his tentacles to smash through vaults and evade capture, Doctor Octopus showcased his newfound capabilities while clashing directly with the web-slinger, establishing their iconic rivalry from the outset. The villain's initial design emphasized the octopus theme through his four mechanical tentacles, controlled neurally via the harness and granting —each arm able to lift up to 8 tons—and remarkable agility for climbing, swinging, and multi-directional attacks. These appendages not only amplified his physical prowess but also symbolized his fractured psyche, blending scientific ingenuity with monstrous deformity in a way that made him a visually striking and psychologically complex antagonist in early tales.

Development across decades

In the 1970s and 1980s, Doctor Octopus's character saw significant expansions through recurring team appearances, particularly with the , originally introduced in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (1964) but further developed in subsequent stories that emphasized group dynamics and his leadership role. Writers like , who scripted key arcs in during this period, added layers of psychological depth to Otto Octavius, portraying him as a tormented genius driven by resentment and intellectual superiority rather than mere villainy. These narratives, often illustrated by artists such as John Romita Sr., highlighted his manipulative tendencies within villain alliances like the , shifting focus from isolated schemes to collaborative threats against and the Avengers. The 1990s marked a peak in Doctor Octopus's megalomania during the (1994–1996), where he served as a central and leader of villain groups, orchestrating complex plots involving technology and schemes that underscored his obsession with control and legacy. In stories spanning and related titles, writers and depicted him as a puppet master exploiting the chaos of clone identities, including his own temporary death and revival, which amplified themes of hubris and scientific overreach. Artists like contributed dynamic visuals to these arcs, emphasizing the tentacles' versatility in large-scale battles.) This era solidified his status as a recurring architect of Spider-Man's most convoluted crises, with his leadership in expanded iterations reinforcing his strategic intellect. Following his resurrection in Amazing Spider-Man #425-428 (1997), Doctor Octopus continued to appear in the 2000s. In the post-One More Day "Brand New Day" era starting in 2008, he was portrayed as a more cunning operative blending corporate intrigue with villainy. Writer Dan Slott's scripts portrayed him navigating a reset , often clashing with in high-stakes personal vendettas. Artists like influenced his visual evolution, refining the tentacle designs to be more biomechanical and expressive, allowing for fluid, menacing action sequences that highlighted technological enhancements. The 2010s brought profound shifts in Doctor Octopus's portrayal, most notably in Dan Slott's Superior Spider-Man series (2013–2014), where he swapped minds with Peter Parker in Amazing Spider-Man #698–700 (2012–2013), reimagining him as an anti-hero who adopted the mantle with ruthless efficiency. This arc explored his internal conflict between villainous instincts and heroic potential, as he upgraded gadgets, formed the mind-controlled Superior Six, and even built Parker Industries, only to grapple with Peter's resurfacing consciousness. Post-2014 returns delved into redemption themes, with Otto attempting heroic reinvention as the Superior Octopus while scheming comebacks, blending megalomania with reluctant growth. In the 2020s, Doctor Octopus has remained a prominent figure, featuring in ' Amazing series (2022–present) with upgraded tentacle technology and schemes involving villain alliances. He has also appeared in titles like All-New #9 (2024) and is set to star in vs. the Sinister Sixteen (2025), continuing his role as a strategic mastermind and enduring foe. A came in 2013 for Doctor Octopus's 50th anniversary, celebrated through variant covers and dedicated stories in , including retrospectives and new tales that revisited his origins while tying into ongoing arcs like the Superior transformation. These commemorative issues, featuring artwork from legacy artists, underscored his enduring impact as Spider-Man's arch-nemesis across six decades.

Fictional character biography

Early life and transformation

Otto Gunther Octavius was born in , to Torbert Theodore Octavius and Mary Lavinia Octavius. Raised in a troubled household by an overbearing mother and a father, Octavius endured a difficult childhood that left him reclusive yet intellectually gifted from an early age. Octavius excelled academically, earning a Ph.D. in and an honorary Ph.D. in biochemistry. He pursued a career as a brilliant atomic researcher, specializing in ways to enhance organic through nuclear applications and becoming a recognized world authority on nuclear radiation and its effects on human physiology. To safely handle hazardous radioactive materials in his laboratory work during the early , Octavius invented a specialized chest harness equipped with four powerful mechanical arms, each capable of lifting approximately eight tons. Tragedy struck when a freak laboratory accident involving an explosion of volatile liquids bombarded Octavius with intense radiation, fusing the harness directly to his spine and . The blast caused severe brain damage, granting him telepathic control over the arms but also destroying neural inhibitors that had previously suppressed his latent megalomania and . Upon awakening in the hospital, the disoriented Octavius—now derisively nicknamed "Doctor Octopus" by his former colleagues due to his new appendages—seized control using the arms, holding medical staff and embarking on his first acts of driven by an overwhelming sense of intellectual dominance.

Rise as a supervillain

Following the laboratory accident that granted him control over his mechanical tentacles, Otto Octavius adopted the moniker Doctor Octopus and initiated his criminal activities by escaping confinement and seizing a nuclear research facility, where he held hostage to resume his forbidden experiments. This bold incursion drew the attention of , leading to their inaugural confrontation in which Doctor Octopus overpowered the web-slinger with his superior reach and strength, humiliating him by tossing him from a window and briefly forcing him to question his heroic resolve. However, recovered and outmaneuvered the by luring his tentacles into contact with high-voltage wires, causing a that rendered the arms inert and allowed authorities to apprehend Octavius. Imprisoned shortly thereafter, Doctor Octopus's arrogance and unyielding intellect fueled multiple daring escapes, enabling him to orchestrate further schemes against throughout the mid-1960s. In one notable plot, operating under the alias Master Planner, he devised an elaborate radiation-based doomsday apparatus using stolen isotopes, intending to hold New York ransom. His underestimation of Spider-Man's resilience proved costly, as the hero dismantled the device and buried Octavius under collapsing debris during a fierce showdown, leading to another incarceration. Seeking greater dominance, Doctor Octopus recruited a cadre of Spider-Man's defeated foes—including , Electro, , , and —to form the , the first supervillain explicitly assembled to eliminate the wall-crawler. In their debut assault, the group kidnapped and as leverage, forcing into a grueling gauntlet of battles across New York; despite the odds, the dismantled their coordinated attacks through ingenuity and determination, ultimately defeating the and scattering its members. This formation marked a pivotal escalation in Octavius's villainy, highlighting his strategic mind in forging alliances, though his hubris often led to overlooking the unpredictable variables posed by Spider-Man's resourcefulness. The would reform in various iterations during the 1960s and 1970s, repeatedly challenging the but suffering defeats that underscored Octavius's pattern of institutionalization followed by breakout-fueled reprisals.

Key alliances and defeats

Doctor Octopus has been a key figure in several major supervillain alliances, expanding his influence beyond solo schemes against Spider-Man. Octavius led his own iteration of the Masters of Evil in the early 1990s, assembling Whirlwind, Absorbing Man, Silver Samurai, and Goliath to conquer the galaxy in a bid for ultimate power. The 1989 Acts of Vengeance crossover marked another significant collaboration, as Octavius aligned with the event's "Prime Movers"—including Red Skull, Kingpin, Doctor Doom, Magneto, Mandarin, and Wizard—in a Loki-orchestrated plot to swap villain targets and dismantle the superhero community. During this chaos, Octavius reformed the Sinister Six, briefly referencing its origins as a collective effort against Spider-Man, to launch coordinated strikes across New York. He also formed a tenuous partnership with Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, in the late 1990s during Osborn's presumed absence from the U.S., plotting industrial sabotage and hero assassinations before their mutual egos fractured the alliance. Octavius's rivalries extended to other Marvel heroes, showcasing his tactical versatility. In 1980, he battled Daredevil after kidnapping the vigilante's associate Heather Glenn, using his tentacles to counter Daredevil's acrobatics in a brutal Hell's Kitchen showdown that highlighted Octavius's . Similarly, conflicts with the arose in 1984, when Reed Richards reluctantly consulted Octavius for medical expertise during Sue Storm's labor crisis, only for the alliance to devolve into combat as Octavius attempted to seize control of the Baxter Building's technology. Significant defeats punctuated these ventures, often stemming from overambitious city-scale threats. In Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #90 (1984), Octavius's plot to dominate New York's underworld collapsed when machinery he rigged for leverage crushed him in an , though he later resurfaced through experimental . His schemes evolved toward broader domination, such as a mid-1980s plan to flood by sabotaging hydroelectric dams, aiming to hold the city ransom but thwarted by combined hero intervention that exposed his logistical flaws. By the early , these escalated to near-apocalyptic bids, like deploying octobot swarms to seize all urban infrastructure for a technocratic takeover.

Multiple deaths and resurrections

Doctor Octopus's first apparent death occurred during the "Master Planner" storyline in #31-33 (1965-1966), where his underwater headquarters imploded under the strain of structural failure during a confrontation with , flooding the facility and leaving him presumed drowned. However, Octavius survived the catastrophe through sheer willpower, using his mechanical tentacles to cling to life amid the chaos, and reemerged in subsequent issues to continue his criminal endeavors. In the 1990s Clone Saga, the Jackal created multiple clones of Doctor Octopus as part of his genetic experiments, complicating the character's identity and fate. The original Otto Octavius met his end when the clone assassin Kaine snapped his neck during a battle in #226 (1995), but Octavius's consciousness had been digitized prior to his death, allowing it to be transferred into a cloned body for in #426 (1997). This revival, facilitated by advanced technology and the villain's own preparatory backups, underscored Marvel's frequent use of scientific tropes to perpetuate the character. Decades later, in #698 (2012), a terminally ill Doctor Octopus sacrificed himself in a desperate bid to save from an impending nuclear bomb detonation orchestrated as part of his own failing world-domination scheme, uploading his mind into a new vessel just before his original body succumbed to radiation poisoning. This event marked another "death" for Octavius, with his physical form perishing to avert catastrophe, though his intellect endured through digital means. The 2011-2012 revival storyline built on this sacrifice, as Octavius deployed his Octobot—a compact, octopus-shaped equipped with mind-transfer technology—to inhabit the body of the dying Peter Parker during their climactic clash in #698-700 (2012-2013). As his cloned body continued to deteriorate from prior injuries and , Octavius's desperation peaked, driving him to orchestrate the in a final act of that blurred the lines between villainy and twisted heroism. These repeated cycles of demise and return highlighted Octavius's resilience and Marvel's narrative reliance on , digital uploads, and mechanical ingenuity to sustain the enduring foe.

The Superior Spider-Man identity

In a pivotal event known as the "Dying Wish" storyline, Doctor Otto Octavius, facing imminent death from radiation poisoning, devised a desperate plan to ensure his survival by transferring his consciousness into the body of Peter Parker, Spider-Man. Using an advanced octobot—a nanotechnology device derived from his tentacle harness technology—Octavius initiated a mind-swap during their confrontation, overriding Parker's neural pathways and trapping Parker's essence in Octavius's failing body. This swap occurred as detailed in The Amazing Spider-Man #698-700 (2012), marking the apparent death of Peter Parker while allowing Octavius to inhabit the healthier, superhuman form of Spider-Man. Assuming the mantle of , Octavius sought to redefine heroism through superior intellect and efficiency, launching a year-long series from 2013 to 2014. He aggressively combated crime, often employing lethal force, such as executing the villain to prevent further massacres, which alienated traditional allies like the Avengers due to his ruthless methods. Octavius expanded Parker's life by completing his doctoral thesis, founding Parker Industries as a technological empire focused on innovation, and even forming romantic ties with scientist . Additionally, he assembled a team of heroes reminiscent of the Avengers to bolster his operations, while upgrading 's suit with enhanced web-shooters and surveillance drones for preemptive strikes. These developments, chronicled in Superior Spider-Man #1-33 (2013-2014), showcased Octavius's attempt to excel as a hero, though his villainous tendencies frequently surfaced. Throughout this period, internal conflict arose as remnants of Peter Parker's consciousness resisted Octavius's control, manifesting in moral dilemmas and subconscious interventions during battles, such as encounters with and . The crisis peaked during the "Goblin Nation" arc, where , as the Goblin King, launched a massive assault on , exploiting the power vacuum created by Superior Spider-Man's aggressive to transform civilians into goblin soldiers. Overwhelmed and recognizing his limitations, Octavius, moved by empathy for Parker and a desire to protect Marconi from the chaos, voluntarily relinquished control in Superior Spider-Man #31 (2014), allowing Parker's mind to reclaim the body and thwart the invasion. In the aftermath, Octavius's consciousness returned to his original, radiation-ravaged body, where it was trapped as the physical form deteriorated toward . Overcome by reflections on Parker's unyielding ism and his own role in condemning Parker to that fate, Octavius vowed personal change, honoring Parker's to protect the city as a true .

Return to villainy and redemption arcs

After the end of the Superior Spider-Man run, Otto Octavius returned in The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 3 #14-15 (2015), having prepared a cloned body and enhanced mechanical tentacles in advance to escape death from radiation poisoning. Rebranding himself as the Superior Octopus, Octavius enhanced his tentacle harness with advanced technology, including superior strength, agility, and weaponry, to pursue his vendettas more effectively. He clashed repeatedly with Peter Parker in a series of confrontations detailed in The Amazing Spider-Man #14-18 (2015), attempting to dismantle Parker Industries and reassert his dominance in the criminal underworld. These encounters highlighted Octavius's unyielding ambition, though they also sowed seeds of internal conflict as he grappled with lingering influences from his time embodying Spider-Man's heroism. Years later, in Superior Spider-Man (2019) #1, Octavius made a deal with the demon Mephisto to fully restore his original body and villainous mindset, solidifying his return to antagonism. Subsequent storylines teased elements of redemption amid his villainy. During the event (2014), Octavius, still operating as , ultimately aided Peter Parker by relinquishing control of their shared body, enabling to escape the Inheritors and continue the fight across the . In The Clone Conspiracy (2016-2017), Octavius initially allied with the , joining forces with villains like Rhino, , and Electro to advance a scheme resurrecting the dead through . However, his involvement shifted toward reluctant cooperation with , as he manipulated events to undermine the Jackal's plan, activating a frequency that accelerated the decay of unstable clones via the Carrion Virus. Octavius's arc deepened in (2018), where he teamed with against the Red Goblin ( bonded with the Carnage symbiote), protecting civilians including and demonstrating uncharacteristic growth by prioritizing lives over personal gain. This collaboration underscored a borderline heroic turn, as Octavius intervened directly in the battle, shielding allies from lethal attacks. In (2018), he fought alongside the Spider-Army once more against the resurgent Inheritors, contributing to the multiversal defense as the Superior Octopus and further blurring the lines between foe and uneasy ally.

Involvement in major events

During the Civil War event in 2006, Doctor Octopus aligned himself with Iron Man's pro-registration faction by joining the Thunderbolts initiative, registering his identity and abilities under the Superhuman Registration Act to hunt unregistered heroes. As part of the expanded Thunderbolts Army, which included villains like and , Octavius participated in enforcement operations against anti-registration forces, leveraging his tentacles for capture and combat support. However, his involvement was driven by personal ambition rather than ideological commitment, as he sought to exploit the conflict for opportunities to advance his own schemes, ultimately betraying the pro-registration side when it no longer served his interests. In the 2016 Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy, a cloned version of Doctor Octopus initially partnered with the (revealed as ) to exploit resurrection technology, providing scientific expertise in exchange for access to cloned bodies that could restore his full capabilities. Octavius worked alongside recruited villains including Rhino, , and Electro, contributing to the 's New U Technologies operation that promised to revive the dead, while secretly pursuing his own agenda to perfect a "proto-clone" body for himself. The alliance fractured when Octavius discovered the Jackal's true identity as a clone of Peter Parker and took offense to insults directed at his associate , leading him to attack and betray the Jackal, destroying key cloning equipment and escalating the chaos that forced to intervene. Doctor Octopus reemerged in 2017's Secret Empire as the Superior Octopus, allying with the Hydra faction led by an alternate to seize control amid the event's reality-altering crisis. In this role, he joined Hydra's reimagined Avengers team, which included Taskmaster, , and Black Ant, utilizing his enhanced octopus harness to support Hydra's territorial expansions and scientific endeavors. Leveraging his Hydra connections, Octavius targeted Parker Industries for sabotage, aiming to dismantle Spider-Man's corporate empire while leading aspects of Hydra's technological and research divisions to bolster their regime's infrastructure. His strategic influence helped Hydra maintain scientific superiority during the empire's brief dominance, though the alliance dissolved with the event's resolution. In the 2021 Sinister War, Doctor Octopus was coerced by Kindred into reforming the , assembling a team including Electro, , , and to wage a multi-faction conflict against and other heroes. Under duress from Kindred's manipulations—stemming from prior grudges and leverage over his personal life—Octavius initially led his in battles against rival groups like the , escalating the war across with coordinated assaults that threatened civilian safety. However, recognizing the destructive potential of Kindred's scheme, Octavius rebelled against his manipulator, turning his team's resources to aid in thwarting the overall plot and preventing further catastrophe. During from 2021 to 2022, Doctor Octopus formed the Superior Four under the empowerment of Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, to counter the vigilante activities of and Daredevil in a New York stripped of superhuman protections. The team consisted of himself and multiversal variants of Doctor Octopus from alternate realities, forming a personal army augmented by Octavius's scientific oversight and Fisk's resources. Operating from a commandeered Baxter Building, the Superior Four engaged in high-stakes battles, using advanced technology to dismantle hero networks and enforce Fisk's authoritarian rule, though their efforts ultimately clashed with the protagonists' alliance, highlighting Octavius's tactical prowess in orchestrating villainous coalitions.

Recent schemes and conflicts

In the Beyond arc, Doctor Octopus infiltrated the Beyond Corporation's headquarters, driven by his discovery that the organization had appropriated his proprietary technology without authorization, including designs originally developed during his time at Parker Industries. He clashed directly with , who was operating as the corporation's sponsored , and used the confrontation to expose the company's manipulative practices, including their exploitation of Reilly's vulnerabilities and false narratives about their origins. This scheme culminated in Octavius reclaiming elements of his stolen while shattering Reilly's faith in his employers, though it ended with his temporary retreat after a fierce battle. In 2025, Doctor Octopus reemerged in a high-stakes conflict with , assembling "Team Octopus" to counter "Team Venom" in a bid to dominate symbiote-related technology and determine the future of symbiotekind. His scheme involved initially overpowering by reducing the symbiote to a state, but it backfired when repurposed replicas of Octavius's own cybernetic arms against him, highlighting his overreliance on mechanical superiority in biotech confrontations. This clash underscored Octavius's ongoing pursuit of technological dominance over symbiotic entities, though it resulted in his tactical setback without resolving his larger ambitions. Octavius played a pivotal role in the Sinister Sixteen confrontation, where he joined an expanded alliance of villains—including core members—at a neutral venue, the upscale La Belle Époque, which inadvertently became a battleground during Spider-Man's date with . The gathering escalated into a chaotic brawl when Spider-Man intervened, forcing Octavius and his cohorts to defend against heroic interference in what was meant to be a temporary truce among adversaries. This event teased a potential revival of Sinister Six dynamics, with Octavius positioning himself as a strategic leader amid the group's internal tensions. By late 2025, Doctor Octopus had ascended to Director of Operations for S.C.A.R., a shadowy organization, where he directed operations targeting the all-new symbiote and clashed with Luke Cage's oversight. Despite prior defeats leaving him imprisoned at times, his current role reflects ongoing schemes for escape and influence, with subtle hints of anti-heroic pragmatism in selective alliances against greater threats like unchecked symbiote proliferation.

Powers and abilities

Scientific expertise and intellect

Doctor Octopus, born Otto Octavius, possesses genius-level intelligence that establishes him as one of the Marvel Universe's foremost scientific minds. He holds a Ph.D. in and is recognized as the world's leading authority on nuclear radiation and its physiological effects on humans. His expertise extends to atomic research, , and biochemistry, where he earned an honorary Ph.D. while inhabiting Peter Parker's body. This multidisciplinary brilliance allows him to conduct complex operations, performing up to two intricate tasks and two simpler ones simultaneously through extraordinary mental concentration. Beyond his foundational work in radiation manipulation, Octavius has invented numerous advanced devices that showcase his innovative prowess in and control systems. Notable among these are the octobots, autonomous drone-like robots designed to interface with neural patterns, enabling mind transfers such as the one that swapped his consciousness with Spider-Man's. He also developed mind-control technology, implanting it in villains to form the coerced Superior Six team. Other creations include spider-bots for with integrated sensors and force fields, as well as a nullifier device capable of disabling electronic systems on a wide scale. In one scheme as the Master Planner, he engineered a ray leveraging anti-matter principles to assert global dominance. As a tactician, Octavius excels in elaborate planning and manipulation, often orchestrating alliances among supervillains like the to execute multifaceted criminal enterprises. His strategic acumen is evident in operations such as seizing nuclear facilities and constructing undersea bases, where he anticipates and counters heroic interventions with precision. However, this overreliance on intricate schemes can expose vulnerabilities, as his plans frequently falter due to unforeseen variables or his own hubris in underestimating adversaries.

Tentacle harness technology

The tentacle harness of Doctor Octopus, originally designed by Otto Octavius as a safety device for handling radioactive materials during nuclear research, consists of a stainless-steel chest harness connected to four mechanical, tentacle-like arms made from a titanium-steel . This provides light weight, high tensile strength, a high , and thin-wall rigidity, allowing the arms to contract to approximately six feet in length while extending up to a maximum of 24 feet. Each is controlled psionically through a neural interface linked directly to Octavius's , enabling precise mental commands even if the arms are severed and separated by distances up to 900 miles. The harness's strength allows each tentacle to lift approximately eight tons when supported by at least one other arm to stabilize the chest plate, sufficient for lifting an automobile with one arm or hurling it tens of feet using two. Capabilities include wall-crawling via cups that create handholds in stone, , or ; prehensile pincers exerting 175 pounds per of pressure to crush handguns or deform metal; telescoping extension at speeds up to 90 feet per second; generating jackhammer-like force for demolition; and producing winds up to 50 miles per hour when spun. The arms are also insulated against and electricity, with built-in sensors providing tactile feedback through electrical resistance measurements. Following a involving , the harness fused inseparably to Octavius's spine and chest, enhancing the neural link but rendering surgical removal impossible without fatal trauma. Upgrades to the harness have appeared in later iterations, such as the Superior Octopus version, which incorporates four additional mechanical spider-arms, integrated web-shooters for mobility and restraint, and nano-spider-tracers for tracking targets. Octavius has also deployed octobots—miniature, remote-controlled spider-bots—as extensions of the harness, capable of surveillance, , and generating protective force fields. The power source for the harness is a small nuclear-powered , providing operation for up to five years before requiring replacement. Vulnerabilities include severe disorientation and loss of control if the tentacles are physically severed from the harness, as well as dependence on the finite nuclear core for sustained functionality.

Enhanced forms and augmentations

Doctor Octopus has undergone several significant enhancements and body modifications throughout his criminal career, often leveraging advanced technology and supernatural interventions to overcome his physical limitations and amplify his capabilities. One of the most notable transformations occurred during the "" storyline, where Otto Octavius used his Octobots to execute a mind-swap with , transferring his consciousness into Peter Parker's body. This allowed him to adopt the identity of , granting him access to Parker's physiology, including enhanced , strength, and reflexes, as well as the use of web-shooters for mobility and combat. Additionally, Octavius augmented this form with his own inventions, such as enhanced spider-bots for tactical support. However, this enhancement came with limitations; upon returning to his original body, Octavius lost the spider-sense and attributes, reverting to his baseline frailty reliant on mechanical aids. In a later augmentation, Octavius reconstructed himself as the Superior Octopus following the Clone Conspiracy events, inhabiting a proto-clone body engineered by the villainous . This cybernetic rebuild, initiated around 2016, featured an upgraded harness integrated with plasma beam emitters for offensive capabilities and bolstered overall durability to withstand intense combat. The new form maintained his intellectual prowess while enhancing physical resilience, allowing him to engage in high-stakes conflicts with greater endurance than his original irradiated body. Despite these improvements, the clone-based physiology proved unstable over time, necessitating further interventions and highlighting Octavius's dependence on external technologies for sustained power. Another key restoration involved a demonic pact with Mephisto in the Superior Spider-Man series (2019), following the Spider-Geddon crossover, where Octavius bargained for a return to his pre-swap original form to combat a powered-up Norman Osborn. This 2019 deal permanently reverted him to his classic physique, erasing redemptive influences from his time as Superior Spider-Man and sharpening his neural interfaces with the tentacle harness for more precise control. The enhancement focused on mental acuity and mechanical synergy rather than raw physical upgrades, enabling seamless operation of his signature arms without the prior degradation issues. Ultimately, these forms underscore Octavius's pattern of temporary boosts, as each augmentation ties back to his core vulnerability: without ongoing technological or otherworldly support, he remains susceptible to human weaknesses. In the 2023 Superior Spider-Man series, Octavius employs his classic abilities in a redemptive capacity, with minor upgrades to his harness for enhanced versatility in heroic conflicts.

Other versions of Doctor Octopus

Legacy and successor characters

Carolyn Trainor, the daughter of Otto Octavius's former student Seward Trainer, emerged as a key successor to the Doctor Octopus mantle following Octavius's apparent death during the Clone Saga. A brilliant scientist with a romantic fixation on Octavius, Trainor adopted his identity as the new Doctor Octopus, equipping herself with a custom harness of four mechanical tentacles capable of superhuman strength and precision manipulation. Her debut in this role occurred in The Amazing Spider-Man #406 (October 1995), where she sought to honor her idol by continuing his villainous legacy against Spider-Man. Trainor later rebranded as in Secret War #3 (October 2004), to distinguish herself from the original, developing her own advanced cybernetic tentacles integrated with technology to blur the lines between digital and physical realms. As , she clashed with and other heroes, often viewing her innovations as superior to Octavius's original designs, though the returning Otto dismissed her as an unworthy pretender during their encounters. She later joined the all-female criminal group , appearing in Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 #25-28 (2020). Luke Carlyle, a cunning con artist and corporate thief, briefly claimed the Doctor Octopus title by stealing and reverse-engineering Octavius's tentacle harness into a six-limbed, cybernetically enhanced version. Posing as a legitimate businessman to lure the weakened Octavius, Carlyle donned the upgraded suit to battle , aiming to establish himself as the superior successor. His tenure ended disastrously in The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2 #44-45 (July-August 2002), where he was defeated by the original Octavius and during a confrontation; Octavius reclaimed the technology, deriding Carlyle as a mere opportunist lacking true genius. Angelina Brancale, known as Stunner, served as a cybernetically enhanced ally to the second Doctor Octopus (Trainor), enhanced using virtual reality interfaces developed by Octavius while working as a clerk for Trainor. These enhancements granted Brancale superhuman strength, durability, and the ability to project holographic disguises or force fields, making her a formidable enforcer in Trainor's schemes, with her own admiration directed toward Octavius. Her first appearance came in The Amazing Spider-Man #397 (January 1995), and she later aided in plots involving virtual reality domination, though Octavius himself regarded such derivatives of his work with contempt.

Earth-616 variants and impostors

In , the primary Marvel continuity, Doctor Octopus has been replicated through various clones, impostors, and consciousness transfers, often as part of larger plots involving genetic manipulation or deception. Otto Octavius created a digital clone of himself as a prior to his death in the , which later played a role in his resurrections and schemes. These variants suffered from instability, leading to their eventual destruction or override during confrontations. A prominent variant arose from mind transfers, most notably when Doctor Octopus's dying consciousness was uploaded into an Octobot device and swapped with Peter Parker's mind, creating the Superior Spider-Man identity. In this form, Octavius controlled Spider-Man's body, adopting a more efficient but authoritarian approach to heroism while suppressing Parker's essence. Octavius has also temporarily inhabited android shells and clone bodies to evade death and pursue new schemes, such as during his revival post-Superior Spider-Man. The resolutions to these variants typically involve their destruction or dissipation, with digital clones overridden and mind transfers reversed through heroic intervention, thereby affirming the original Otto Octavius's singular role in Earth-616. The Clone Conspiracy event later echoed these cloning themes but centered primarily on Spider-Man's duplicates.

Alternate universe versions

Ultimate Universe

In the Ultimate Marvel Universe (Earth-1610), Otto Octavius is introduced as a brilliant but conflicted employed by , where he serves as a lead researcher on the OZ super-soldier serum project funded by S.H.I.E.L.D.. Secretly acting as a corporate spy for Osborn's rival , Octavius designs experimental mechanical arms to assist in his lab work. A catastrophic during a test fuses the arms directly to his spine and nervous system, granting him , , and telekinetic control over metal but severely damaging his mental stability and turning him into the vengeful Doctor Octopus. As Doctor Octopus, he embarks on a rampage against Hammer's facilities, clashing with in his debut confrontation and initially overpowering the young hero with his enhanced tentacles. Octavius later escapes S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, remotely activates his arms to free other superhuman criminals—including Electro, , , and —and forms the Ultimate Six to launch a terrorist assault on the . During this event, tensions within the group erupt; an enraged , transformed into the , brutally beats Octavius to death in a street brawl after Octavius attempts to assert dominance. This portrayal emphasizes Octavius as a more tragic antagonist than his counterpart, driven less by grand megalomania and more by betrayal, accident-induced rage, and personal grudges, resulting in his permanent demise at the hands of an ally rather than . In the relaunched () starting in 2024, Doctor Octopus is reimagined as a younger, Peter Parker-like figure named Otto Octavius, serving as a key executive and scientific advisor to . Debuting as an early antagonist in #5, he focuses on corporate espionage, particularly reverse-engineering stolen technology such as armor prototypes to bolster Oscorp's dominance. His tentacles integrate advanced Stark-derived AI and , enabling sophisticated hacking and combat capabilities, while his motivations center on ambition and loyalty to Osborn rather than outright villainy. As of #22 (October 2025), Octavius assumes the identity of the "Superior Spider-Man," donning a tentacled suit to wield Spider-Man's powers more efficiently and forming a tenuous alliance with Peter Parker amid escalating conflicts. This version positions him as a calculating schemer in a modern, tech-driven rivalry, contrasting the original Ultimate's more impulsive, accident-fueled tragic arc, while echoing his "Superior" phase.

Other multiverse iterations

In the reality (designated Earth-2149), Doctor Octopus appears as a zombified Otto Octavius, one of many superhumans infected by a that turns them into flesh-eating . This version uses his mechanical tentacles to seize and consume victims in graphic displays of horror, first showcased in the 2005-2006 where zombies from this universe invade others. The Spider-Man Noir storyline reinterprets Doctor Octopus as a 1930s-era gangster and biologist in Earth-90214, a grim alternate New York rife with corruption and racism. Otto Octavius, an immigrant from South Africa left paraplegic after a mob assassination attempt, engineers four mechanical prosthetics mimicking octopus tentacles to regain mobility and orchestrate criminal schemes, including human experimentation supplied by the Crime Master. This version twists his scientific genius into a tool of xenophobic tyranny, debuting in the 2009 miniseries Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face. In the cyberpunk future of Marvel 2099 (Earth-928), Doctor Octopus manifests as an unnamed Atlantean xenobiologist who wields four organic octopus-like tentacles, aligning with the Sinister Six 2099 against Spider-Man Miguel O'Hara. Operating as a ruthless enforcer in Alchemax's corporate-dominated world, this iteration embodies aquatic horror and technological oppression, introduced in Spider-Man 2099 vol. 3 #10 (2023). Additional multiverse variants highlight Doctor Octopus's adaptability across timelines and genres. In the dystopian Age of Ultron event (Earth-61112), Otto Octavius survives as the "Superior Spider-Man," his consciousness in Peter Parker's body aiding resistance against Ultron's regime amid time-altered chaos. The Spider-Gwen universe (Earth-65) features a gender-swapped counterpart, Octavia Octavius, who employs tentacled augmentations in battles echoing Gwen Stacy's struggles. During the 1984-1985 Secret Wars, Octavius is teleported to Battleworld, where he schemes against Doctor Doom for villainous supremacy using his harness to combat heroes. These portrayals consistently adapt the octopus motif to genre demands, such as amplifying body horror in zombie tales or prosthetic vengeance in noir settings.

Reception and cultural impact

Critical analysis

Doctor Octopus, or Otto Octavius, serves as a profound foil to , embodying the perils of unchecked scientific ambition and ego-driven isolation in contrast to Peter Parker's selfless heroism and personal responsibility. Critics have noted that Octavius's transformation begins as a brilliant whose laboratory accident fuses him with mechanical tentacles, symbolizing the of tampering with nature without ethical restraint; this event erodes his inhibitions, turning into destructive megalomania. Psychoanalytic interpretations frame this shift as the unleashing of the unconscious id, where the tentacles represent unrestrained power and invasive control, echoing Freudian themes of repressed drives manifesting through technological extension. As 's intellectual equal, Octavius highlights Parker's internal conflicts, particularly the tension between scientific potential and moral , making their rivalry a mirror for themes of identity and restraint. In Dan Slott's Superior Spider-Man series (2013–2014), Doctor Octopus's character reaches a peak through a complex redemption arc, where he inhabits Parker's body and adopts a heroic , grappling with lingering villainy while influenced by 's values. Reviewers praised this portrayal for deepening Octavius's humanity, transforming him from a one-dimensional into a multifaceted anti-hero whose clashes with emerging , ultimately questioning the possibility of villainous reform. Slott's run is often cited as the character's most nuanced exploration, balancing Octavius's arrogance with moments of genuine growth, such as his protective instincts toward civilians, which culminate in a sacrificial act that underscores his foil role to Parker's enduring . However, this development is critiqued for adhering to Marvel's "illusion of change" policy, where Octavius's progress is reversed post-series, reverting him to villainy and undermining the arc's redemptive potential. Despite these highs, Doctor Octopus's portrayal has faced for being reduced to a as the "tentacle guy," emphasizing his mechanical appendages over psychological depth and minimizing his tragic of and isolation. This simplification, prevalent in some media adaptations and post-2014 , portrays him as a generic tech-villain reliant on gimmicks rather than intellectual menace, diminishing his status as Spider-Man's most cerebral adversary. Academic analyses in highlight the accident's role in exploring themes, depicting Octavius's fusion with the tentacles as a for acquired impairment and loss of bodily , which fuels his villainy through and compensatory rage. Essays frame this as a cautionary on , where the "super-crip" trope emerges—Octavius's enhancements "overcome" his at the cost of his humanity, reinforcing of impairment as a pathway to monstrosity. Such readings position Doctor Octopus as a lens for examining how intersect with real-world experiences of technological augmentation and post-trauma.

Popularity and legacy

Doctor Octopus has consistently ranked among the most iconic villains in , reflecting his enduring appeal to fans and critics alike. In 2009, placed him at number 28 on its list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time, highlighting his role as one of Spider-Man's most dangerous and persistent adversaries alongside and . A 2020 reader poll conducted by Multiversity Comics further underscored his popularity, with 28.1% of respondents selecting Doctor Octopus as their favorite Spider-Man villain, outpacing other notable foes. Among comic enthusiasts, Doctor Octopus remains a staple at major conventions, where elaborate recreations of his mechanical tentacles draw significant attention for their creativity and visual impact. At 2025, for instance, a Doctor Octopus was featured among the event's 27 best costumes, showcasing the character's ongoing draw for fans seeking to embody his distinctive silhouette. To commemorate his 60th anniversary in 2023—marking the debut of Otto Octavius in #3—a tribute compiled 13 notable covers, celebrating his legacy as a cornerstone of lore. The character's influence extends deeply into broader pop culture, particularly through adaptations in film and video games that have amplified his recognition beyond comic pages. His portrayal by in Sam Raimi's 2004 film introduced Doctor Octopus to a global audience, contributing to the movie's critical and commercial success as a defining arc. Molina reprised the role in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), where Doctor Octopus's return from an alternate universe was a highlight, praised for blending nostalgia with updated visual effects on his tentacles; the film grossed over $1.9 billion worldwide, boosting the character's cultural prominence.[](https://www.boxoffice mojo.com/title/tt10872600/) In video games, such as Insomniac's 2018 Marvel's Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus serves as the primary antagonist, with his narrative depth and technological menace earning praise for enhancing player engagement and storytelling. Recent comic appearances, including in All-New Venom (2024) and Spider-Man vs. the Sinister Sixteen (2025), demonstrate continued utilization as a strategic threat. This cross-media presence has solidified his role in shaping narratives, inspiring similar intelligent, tech-augmented adversaries in other franchises. Commercially, Doctor Octopus drives substantial merchandise sales, with action figures, apparel, and collectibles from lines like consistently ranking high in demand at retailers such as Amazon and Entertainment Earth. The 2013-2014 Superior Spider-Man series, in which Doctor Octopus possesses 's body, exemplified this impact by boosting sales to approximately copies per issue, a notable increase from the prior Amazing Spider-Man volume's 50,000-60,000 range.

In other media

Television animations

Doctor Octopus made his animated television debut in the 1967 series , where he was voiced by Vernon Chapman in the premiere episode "The Power of Dr. Octopus" and by Tom Harvey in a subsequent appearance. This early portrayal emphasized comedic elements, with the character engaging in over-the-top schemes such as attempting to bomb or deploying an orbital weapon for extortion, ultimately foiled by in both instances. In Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994–1998), Efrem Zimbalist Jr. provided the voice for Doctor Octopus, presenting a more tragic and psychologically complex figure than prior versions. The series depicted Otto Octavius as a brilliant but arrogant scientist who mentored a young Peter Parker before a lab accident fused mechanical tentacles to his body, driving him to villainy; key arcs included his role in forming the (later ) and experiments that transformed Felicia Hardy into the . This iteration highlighted his intellectual rivalry with and descent into madness, blending action sequences reliant on his tentacles with explorations of hubris and isolation. The 2012 series featured as Doctor Octopus, portraying him initially as a SHIELD-recruited and reluctant mentor to the young team before revealing his villainous ambitions. Kenny's performance captured Octavius's manipulative charm turning to megalomania, with the character engineering threats like the symbiote, Green Goblin's transformation, and the Sinister Six's formation, often clashing with heroes in high-stakes team-up episodes. The show emphasized his technological prowess, using tentacles for dynamic combat and gadgetry in an episodic format geared toward younger audiences. In more recent animations, Doctor Octopus appeared in Marvel's Spider-Man (2017–2020), voiced by Scott Menville, as Horizon High's science teacher who briefly allies with Spider-Man as a hero before succumbing to his accident-induced rage and leading the Sinister Six. The series includes a "Superior Spider-Man" arc in season 2, where Octavius temporarily possesses Peter Parker's body, attempting to "improve" heroism through ruthless efficiency and underscoring his obsessive ego. Doctor Octopus also features in the MCU animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (premiered January 29, 2025), voiced by . In this iteration, Otto Octavius is portrayed as a brilliant but morally ambiguous who provides advanced technology to criminals, leading to his arrest by authorities in episode 5 (""). The series explores his early interactions with a young Peter Parker in an alternate take on the MCU's origins, emphasizing themes of scientific ambition and ethical downfall. Across these series, adaptations consistently leverage the character's tentacles for fluid, multi-limbed action choreography, while deeper portrayals like the version incorporate psychological depth, examining themes of scientific overreach and personal downfall.

Live-action films

Doctor Octopus first appeared in live-action as the primary antagonist in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 (2004), portrayed by . In the film, Dr. Otto Octavius is depicted as a brilliant nuclear physicist and inventor who develops a harness of four mechanical tentacles to assist in conducting a controlled fusion experiment aimed at providing unlimited clean energy. The experiment fails catastrophically when the fusion reactor destabilizes, killing his wife and fusing the tentacles directly to his spine after his neural inhibitor chip is destroyed, allowing the AI in the arms to corrupt his mind and amplify his obsessions. Under this influence, Octavius becomes Doctor Octopus, robbing a bank to fund his work, kidnapping , and attempting to complete the reactor atop a , which threatens to destroy . His arc culminates in redemption when he regains control, drowns the tentacles to silence their influence, and sacrifices himself by submerging the reactor in the river to prevent the catastrophe. Molina reprised the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), where Doctor Octopus is transported from his universe moments before his death in Spider-Man 2 via a multiverse rift caused by Doctor Strange's spell. Still under the control of his tentacles, he ambushes and battles Peter Parker () on the , showcasing enhanced menace with his mechanical arms overpowering the . Captured and brought to the heroes' sanctuary, Octavius interacts with alternate-universe Spider-Men ( and ), expressing confusion about the before Peter Parker uses Stark to repair his inhibitor chip, freeing him from the arms' corruption. Redeemed further, he aids in the final confrontation at the against other multiversal villains, assisting in their cures and returning to his universe as a . Molina's portrayal of Doctor Octopus has been widely regarded as , blending intellectual depth, tragic vulnerability, and physical menace to create one of the most sympathetic yet formidable villains in live-action. Critics and the actor himself have noted how the role humanized the character, emphasizing Octavius's fall from a mentor-like figure to a puppet of his own invention, which resonated through both films and influenced fan perceptions of the villain's potential for redemption. This performance, enhanced by practical effects for the tentacles in and de-aging technology in No Way Home, solidified Molina's interpretation as a benchmark for adapting adversaries to screen.

Video games and merchandise

Doctor Octopus has been a recurring character in Spider-Man video games since the early 1990s, typically portrayed as a formidable antagonist utilizing his mechanical tentacles for boss fights and combat mechanics. In the 1992 NES title Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six, he appears as the final boss and leader of the Sinister Six, employing strategic attacks with his arms in platforming sequences. Subsequent games expanded his role, blending comic lore with gameplay innovation. The 2000 Spider-Man for PlayStation and Nintendo 64 casts him as the primary antagonist following a narrative twist, introducing a symbiotic "Monster Ock" form that combines his tentacles with Carnage for intense 3D battles. The 2004 Spider-Man 2, inspired by the Sam Raimi film, positions him as the central threat, featuring dynamic encounters like the elevated train fight that emphasize web-swinging and tentacle-based combat. Later titles diversified his presence beyond villainy. In the 2007 beat 'em up Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, Doctor Octopus becomes a playable ally, wielding his mechanical arms for smashing enemies in cooperative gameplay. Spider-Man: Edge of Time (2011) fuses him into the hybrid entity Atrocity alongside other villains, impacting time-travel mechanics and power dynamics against Spider-Man. In (2013), he serves as both a boss in the "Times Square Off" level—where players battle his tentacle assaults amid destructible environments—and a playable character with unique abilities like arm-based puzzles and attacks across multiple LEGO titles in the series. The mobile game (2015) features him as a playable combat-class , with uniforms such as Superior Octopus enhancing his skills for PvE and PvP modes, including tentacle strikes and . The series provides a modern, narrative-driven take. In Marvel's Spider-Man (2018) for , Otto Octavius begins as Peter Parker's close mentor and collaborator on advanced prosthetics, but his arc evolves into the main villainy of Doctor Octopus through a tragic fusion with his inventions, culminating in an emotionally charged confrontation that highlights themes of ambition and betrayal; he is voiced by . The storyline carries into Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (2023), where Otto, now imprisoned, aids Peter remotely with technology amid ongoing tension from prior events, appearing briefly in a to suggest potential redemption or further conflict, without adopting a Superior Octopus form. Beyond games, Doctor Octopus inspires extensive merchandise, reflecting his enduring appeal as a complex villain. 's Marvel Legends series includes detailed 6-inch action figures of him, often with articulated tentacles and accessories drawn from comic and film designs, such as the deluxe Spider-Man 2-inspired release. High-end collectibles from and Hot Toys feature premium sixth-scale statues and figures, showcasing posable mechanical arms, tailored suits, and interchangeable parts for display. Apparel like t-shirts and hoodies bearing his likeness, along with 2024 releases of variant toys by capturing his alternate-reality design with enhanced tentacles, further extend his presence in fan collections.

Collected editions

Key story arcs as Doctor Octopus

The key story arcs featuring Doctor Octopus as Spider-Man's arch-nemesis in his classic villain role are primarily collected in Marvel's Epic Collections series, which compile early issues of from the 1960s. These volumes cover his origin and initial clashes, including the landmark debut in #3 (July 1963), where nuclear physicist Otto Octavius is transformed into a criminal mastermind after a lab accident fuses four mechanical tentacles to his body, granting him superhuman strength and agility while amplifying his megalomania. This issue, written by and illustrated by , establishes Doctor Octopus as Spider-Man's first major recurring foe and is included in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Vol. 1: . Subsequent early battles, such as those in #11-12 and #31-33, showcase his intellect and tentacle-based combat style against , and are gathered in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Vol. 2: Great Responsibility. A pivotal arc highlighting Doctor Octopus's leadership is the formation of the original Sinister Six in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (1964), where he unites with Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, Sandman, and Vulture to overwhelm Spider-Man in coordinated attacks, marking the first supervillain team-up in Spider-Man lore. This storyline, emphasizing team battles and Doctor Octopus's role as strategist, is collected in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Vol. 1: Great Power. Later, in The Amazing Spider-Man #50-52 (1967), Doctor Octopus features prominently in the "Spider-Man No More!" arc, where a despondent Peter Parker temporarily abandons his powers amid personal turmoil, allowing Doctor Octopus to rampage unchecked until Spider-Man returns for a climactic confrontation involving high-stakes chases and moral dilemmas. These issues are reprinted in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Vol. 4: Spider-Man No More!. The 2004 trade paperback Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One further explores his origins through a modern retelling in issues #1-5 of the 2004 miniseries by writer Zeb Wells and artist Kaare Andrews, delving into Otto's pre-accident life and first encounters with Peter Parker, providing deeper psychological context to his villainy. Doctor Octopus's return as leader of a reformed occurs in #61-62 (1968), where he orchestrates a deadly assault on New York, recruiting new members like the second and fighting in intense, multi-issue team battles that underscore his enduring threat as a coordinator of chaos. This arc is collected in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Vol. 5: The Secret of the Petrified Tablet. The 2004 trade paperback Spider-Man: The Sinister Six compiles select team-focused stories, including battles from the original lineup and later iterations led by Doctor Octopus, highlighting his recurring role in assembling and commanding the group against and other heroes. During the (1994-1996), Doctor Octopus's storyline ties into themes of identity and duplication, with his apparent death in The Spectacular #229 leading to explorations of his legacy through imitators and digital backups that influence clone-related plots. These tie-ins, including his final schemes involving the Jackal's cloning experiments, are compiled in Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic Book One (first collected in 2010, with earlier omnibus editions tracing back to 2007 formats), which gathers Amazing #393-414 and related titles featuring Octopus clones and successors like . In more recent arcs, Doctor Octopus reemerges as a central antagonist in the 2021-2022 event, where he manipulates New York City's underworld amid Wilson Fisk's anti-vigilante crusade, forming the Superior Four—a twisted team including himself, , , and Swarm—to launch terrorist attacks and challenge on a citywide scale. This storyline, emphasizing Doctor Octopus's tactical genius and resentment toward heroes, is collected in the hardcover (2022), which includes Devil's Reign #1-5, Alpha #1, Omega #1, and select tie-ins like Devil's Reign: Superior Terrors.

Superior Spider-Man collections

The Superior Spider-Man series, in which Doctor Octopus assumes the role of Spider-Man following a body swap with Peter Parker, was initially collected in trade paperbacks that highlight Otto Octavius's efforts to redefine himself as a hero. The inaugural volume, Superior Spider-Man Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy (2013 trade paperback), collects issues #1–5 and depicts the debut of the body swap, where Otto seizes control of Peter's body and begins imposing his vision of superiority on the role of Spider-Man. Subsequent volumes build on Otto's heroic yet conflicted tenure, with Superior Spider-Man Vol. 2: A Troubled Mind (2014 trade paperback) collecting issues #6–10, #1.5, and Avenging Spider-Man #15.1, exploring his internal struggles and alliances, and Superior Spider-Man Vol. 3: No Escape (2014 trade paperback) gathering issues #11–16 and Daredevil #8, focusing on escalating threats that test his resolve. The complete 2013–2014 run, spanning 33 issues and showcasing Otto's full arc of villainous redemption through heroism, is compiled in the Superior Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 1 (2023 hardcover edition). Tie-in stories addressing the aftermath of Otto's defeat as Superior Spider-Man appear in collections like Superior Spider-Man Vol. 6: Death of the Superior Spider-Man (2014 trade paperback), which includes issues #28–33, Annual #2, and Amazing Spider-Man #698.1, examining the lingering impact and legacy of Doc Ock's time in the mantle. Otto's later return as the villainous Superior Octopus is featured in : Worldwide Vol. 6 – The Osborn Identity (2017 trade paperback), collecting issues #25–28 of the 2015 series, where he emerges with upgraded tentacles to target Peter Parker's life and Parker Industries.

References

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