So many heroes in the Marvel Universe have a clearly identifiable arch-nemesis. Captain America's greatest enemy is the Red Skull while Doctor Doom looms largely as the primary antagonist for the Fantastic Four. But with Spider-Man, despite boasting one of the best rogues' galleries in the entire superhero genre, the identity of his ultimate foe is more nebulous.
Both the Green Goblin and Venom certainly make the shortlist, but one villain has really risen through the ranks in recent years to take the top spot. Both the original run and the new Superior Spider-Man series currently being published by Marvel have helped cement that Doctor Octopus truly is Spider-Man's arch-nemesis.
The lead-up to the original Superior Spider-Man, which came in the midst of Dan Slott's run on Amazing Spider-Man, presented Peter Parker with his gravest defeat ever. Using his network of Octobots to map Peter's brain patterns, Otto Octavius switches bodies with Peter as Otto's own body deteriorates from years of being pummeled by superhuman opponents.
In 2012's Amazing Spider-Man #700, Peter fails to regain control of his body and dies. Because of their linked neural networks, Otto experiences a final wave of memories from his dying enemy and vows to continue on as Spider-Man, but one far superior to how Peter approached crime-fighting.
There have been plenty of other occasions when Spider-Man has memorably been outsmarted and defeated, if only temporarily, by his enemies.
1987's Kraven's Last Hunt by J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck, and Bob McLeod depicted Kraven the Hunter incapacitating Spider-Man and claiming victory over the webslinger in completing his hunt. 1973's Amazing Spider-Man #121 by Gerry Conway, Gil Kane, and John Romita, Sr. has the Green Goblin murder Peter's love Gwen Stacy. Both of these incidents stand as failures for Spider-Man, but Superior Spider-Man goes deeper.
Not only does Doc Ock succeed in tricking Peter, but the villain's plot succeeds - Otto Octavius is now Spider-Man and masquerading as Peter Parker, with the world none the wiser and Peter actually dead. Peter only reclaims control of his body because Otto realizes he is not a superior Spider-Man after all, outmatched when facing off against the latest scheme by the Green Goblin and agreeing to cede his control of Peter's body in the nick of time.
Marvel has revisited the Superior Spider-Man premise on several occasions since and is in the midst of doing so again, providing readers with a vision of what would happen if Spider-Man's greatest enemy not only defeated but replaced him.
This narrative is Kraven's Last Hunt writ large - Kraven spares Peter and poses as Spider-Man for a relatively brief period after subduing Peter, more as a fleeting indulgence than a concentrated attempt to succeed him. Doc Ock takes that concept and runs with it for Superior Spider-Man, ready to play for keeps until he's up against external threats he never anticipated.
Doctor Octopus' vaunted villain status is something reflected in different multimedia adaptations of the character as well. 2004's Spider-Man 2 is widely considered the high-water mark of filmmaker Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, with Alfred Molina playing Otto as a tragic villain, with his conscience consumed by his own creations.
2018's Marvel's Spider-Man for PlayStation 4 deepens the relationship between Peter and Otto, making Otto a father figure and Peter's boss. This, in turn, makes Otto's heel turn all the more heartbreaking when Otto begins using his mechanical limbs to overcome a neuromuscular disease, despite Peter's warnings. There is a sense of shared history and emotion in these depictions that elevate Doctor Octopus' villainy and one that Superior Spider-Man makes more than skin deep.
Though Superior Spider-Man gave Doctor Octopus a more profound understanding of Peter Parker and his psyche, it also brought the supervillain too close for comfort.
Otto might have entertained the idea of being a superhero for an extended stint, but he's still every inch the evil genius ready to make the world pay for any and all perceived slights. Other villains may have cost Spider-Man a whole heck of a lot, but Doc Ock's Superior Spider-Man scheme brought the two adversaries closer together, at the expense of Peter's life.
The Superior Spider-Man Returns #1 is out now from Marvel Comics. A new ongoing series launches with a new Superior Spider-Man #1 on November 15.
Doc Ock is one of many dangerous adversaries in this list of the best Spider-Man villains of all time.
