Otto Octavius

* Doctor Octopus
* Otto Octavius

**Otto Octavius**, also known as **Doctor Octopus**, is a major character in the *Marvel's Spider-Man* series. He is an antagonist in *Marvel's Spider-Man*, with appearances in *Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales* and sequel *Marvel's Spider-Man 2*. A brilliant scientist with an expertise in prosthetics, Octavius built a neural interface capable of controlling robotic arms.

Otto Octavius co-founded the megacorporation Oscorp alongside Norman Osborn, before parting ways due to disagreements over GR-27. He established Octavius Industries, where with his employee Peter Parker, he developed prosthetic limb technology, funded by grants from New York City. As his animosity toward Osborn intensified, compounded by neural interface testing that affected his mental state, Octavius transformed into the villainous Doctor Octopus. He orchestrated the Sinister Six and sought vengeance against Osborn, ultimately leading to imprisonment in the maximum-security prison, the Raft.

## History

### Early history

Otto Octavius was born around 1955 in Schenectady, New York. He met and befriended Norman Osborn during his college days, and in grad school, the two were known as "the O's". This inspired the name of their joint venture, Oscorp, which was born from their shared dream of changing the world, though they had conflicting visions for how. Exposure to toxic chemicals in Otto's youth led him to develop a degenerative neurological disorder later in life that affected only his muscles.

Though their stint at Oscorp was initially successful, their partnership soured as Norman Osborn became fixated on genetics, culminating in the GR-27 (later codenamed "Devil's Breath") project. The unethical project led to dangerous experiments, including on Martin Li, who in his third clinical trial as supervised by Octavius and Osborn on November 17, 1986, and supervised by Octavius and Osborn, led to the death of Li's parents and a dangerous condition for him. Otto's disagreement with the project led to a fallout; lawyers were involved, and Otto chose to leave Oscorp in exchange for a settlement.

Otto founded Octavius Industries, which worked on prosthetics. It was not commercially successful, initially using the money he received from the settlement, until it dried up and he relied on city grants. Otto had at times violated the safety provisions attached to the grants, though Norman Osborn, who was elected Mayor of New York City, excused the violations to allow the company to keep running.

Around 2016, May Parker recommended her nephew Peter for a summer internship with Octavius, despite there being no such internship program. Otto hired Peter, who had idolized him since childhood, based solely on her word. In the two years that followed, Peter became Octavius' full-time employee. Praising Peter's eye for "guerilla science", Otto referred to him as a "genius" but "chronically late". At one point, Otto Octavius and Peter Parker attended the Oscorp Science Center, and unknowingly bumped into Miles Morales and Phin Mason; the two found inspiration for their prosthetic neural interface from what they saw, but Peter had to leave abruptly.

### *Marvel's Spider-Man*

In "My OTHER Other Job", the grant committee's lab inspection of Octavius Industries went awry when Peter's late arrival meant he was unable to fix the power dampener, and Otto told Peter to take the day off. Despite the committee's disapproval, Otto downplayed it, telling Peter they were "nervous in the face of triumph". In "Something Old, Something New", Otto discovered Peter's Spider-Man suit in the lab, showing pride in Peter's actions and assuring him that his secret was safe.

Otto Octavius convinced the grant committee to maintain funding if the prosthetic fitting for Lance Corporal Texidor, who had lost an arm, was successful. In "Day to Remember", despite the fitting's success, Mayor Norman Osborn withdrew funding for Octavius Industries, no longer excusing safety violations for the company, and subtly urging Otto to continue his work at Oscorp Robotics, where he directed Lance Corporal Texidor to. The situation infuriated Otto, who advised Peter to look for a new job.

Continuing to pursue funding, Otto called every last favor he had to secure loans, shifting the project's direction to one that excited investors: rather than replacing limbs that were lost, he would provide better ones. After updating Peter as news came in, in "A Fresh Start", Otto showed the new prosthetics to Peter, impressing him. However, as his hatred for Osborn intensified, Otto's mental state deteriorated. In "Strong Connections", while working together on the neural interface for the new prosthetics, Otto revealed to Peter his neurological condition affecting his muscles to Peter.

In "Breakthrough", Otto showed Peter his intra-cranial neural network, attached to his knew robotic limbs, which was capable of neuro-transmission speeds under a nanosecond, faster than signals inside the brain. Though Peter was proud, he warned Otto that the interface, as it was at the time unsafe, could permanently damage Otto's mind. Otto lashed out in response at first, declaring it was the first time he "didn't fail like a failure" in his life, but saw wisdom in Peter's words after a moment and promised to do more testing. Instead, Otto's rage toward Osborn had grown, and with his new mechanical arms and neural interface, he became Doctor Octopus.

Doctor Octopus researched the background of the major supervillains in the Raft, including Martin Li, to offer them deals in exchange for joining his plot to humiliate Osborn. In "Out of the Frying Pan...", Octopus released them, and warned Spider-Man to stay out of their way. The villains then executed Octopus' plan: release Devil's Breath to set a plague on New York City, and create crises around the city to ruin Osborn's reputation as mayor, targeting areas where Oscorp had influence such as the power grid. In "Picking up the Trail", Spider-Man learned of this plan when Octavius left behind evidence of it, but had Spider-Man ambushed there. When Spider-Man survived, Octopus angrily told him that the way to truly help the city would be to join him in exposing Osborn's crimes.

In "The Heart of the Matter", Doctor Octopus attacked the Devil's Breath lab where Norman Osborn had created a cure. After Martin Li failed to stop Spider-Man and had a change of heart, Octopus cast him aside, badly wounded Spider-Man, and took Osborn and the antiserum. In "Pax in Bello" Octopus filmed Osborn to try to broadcast Osborn's confession to his crimes, but Osborn instead called Otto a failure that depended on him for success, causing Octopus to drop him to his certain death were it not for Spider-Man's rescue. Spider-Man, using an Anti-Ock Suit he developed, fought Doctor Octopus atop Oscorp headquarters.

As Doctor Octopus revealed he knew Peter was Spider-Man, Peter tearfully told Otto that he had once looked up to him as a hero and that Otto was throwing it away. Otto was initially defiant, saying it was his responsibility to take down Osborn for the good of New Yorkers even if they did not appreciate it. He then changed his tune to apologize, acknowledging that the neural interface had affected his mind, pleading with Peter to not be locked up as his condition meant he would be useless without his mechanical arms. Peter declined and only promised to "make sure he got the best help" before leaving Otto to be imprisoned in the Raft.

### *Marvel's Spider-Man 2*

When resisting the control of a black symbiote at City Hall, Peter had an hallucination of Otto in his mind that Miles Morales and Martin Li encountered while trying to save him

After the events of the main game, Otto is visited by Norman, who asks him for the identities of the Spider-Men in hopes of seeking revenge on the two for putting his son Harry into a coma. Otto dismissed the question, and instead taunted Norman and tells him that they all must experience loss. Norman shifted the conversation and asks Otto about the book he had been writing in. Otto, holding the book in both hands, looked at Norman with a smile and told him it was "the final chapter".

## Characteristics

### Appearance

Artist illustration
Otto is a dark-haired, balding, bespectacled individual with green eyes. While not sporting a beard, he does seem to sport a five o'clock shadow, seemingly due to all the time he spends working in the lab. While heavier than most people his size, Otto hardly appears fat – he is at best chubby, which would be expected of an older man not engaging in regular exercise. He is generally seen wearing a green turtleneck sweater, often under a white lab coat. In his youth, Otto had a full beard and long hair.

As Doctor Octopus, Otto wears a dark green bodysuit lined with a black polymer, along with round welding goggles. From the center of his lower back are four long mechanical arms, comprised of a black polymer. At the end of each claw are two sets of four sharp claws, the larger of which are tipped yellow.

### Personality

Otto Octavius is a passionate and relentless, devoted to use his intellect to make the world a better place. Initially, Otto is optimistic, seeing the positive in his failures. This is seen in his drive in pursuing his work at Octavius Industries despite setbacks and commercial failures, along with his preference for bettering mankind over his own financial comfort. As his mental state deteriorates, Otto retains his same devotion but is taken to a dark place by his resentment, considering it his duty to harm Osborn regardless of if New Yorkers appreciate it, and believing half-measures are insufficient with Osborn. Octavius' downfall also made him calculating and sinister, in contrast to his gentle personality prior.

Beneath Otto's good intentions also lies a deep insecurity, due both to his neurological condition, and his commercial inadequacy. Though Otto's prosthetics research comes from a genuine desire to change the world and make lives better, it also affects him personally due to his worsening muscles that will make him reliant on his own inventions. Otto's lack of commercial success alone has also internalized a belief that he is a failure, a significant insecurity that fuels his resentment of Osborn further and causes rash decisions, particularly with the neural interface exasperating his deteriorating mental state. Even before his connection to the neural interface, Octavius believed himself hidden and isolated in society, believing his true self was set free when the neutral interface connected with him, heightening his egotism to a large degree.

Otto Octavius was humble and trusting. He had great reverence for Peter Parker's intellect and even seeing him as a son. The two had a mutual admiration for one another's intelligence and desire to change the world, to the point where Octavius kept Peter's identity secret. Though Octavius' relationship with Osborn strained, it was strong initially to the point he went along with GR-27 despite the ethical concerns he had. That he considered calling Osborn's office when under threat and that Osborn had forgiven his past safety violations and referred to him as always the "smartest guy in the room" suggested it remained this way to an extent after the fallout, before souring due to Octavius' resentment of Osborn's dishonesty.

Even after years of incarceration and disconnection from the neural interface, Octavius retained his arrogant and vengeful persona when Norman Osborn visited him searching for the Spider-Men's identities. He displayed satisfaction that the two vigilantes had "ruined" Harry's life and did not reveal Peter's identity to Norman out of spite.

### Abilities

Otto Octavius possessed a genius-level intellect that allowed him to solve incredibly complex problems. His work with Octavius Industries in developing his arms shows a great array of knowledge in engineering, physics, robotics, neurotechnology, and biomechanics. Though his neural interface was dangerous, when finished, the intra-cranial neural network was able to achieve neuro-transmission speeds under a nanosecond, much faster than signals traveled within the brain.

As Doctor Octopus, the mechanical arms he had developed gave him superhuman strength and durability. Doctor Octopus' arms allowed him to scale nearly any surface, the prosthesis responded with the speed of thought, due to the rapid speeds of the neural interface. Doctor Octopus was unmatched by any opponent, easily outclassing Spider-Man until Peter developed the Anti-Ock Suit.

Octavius' intelligence carried over into being a devious strategist and leader. His plans with the Sinister Six involved numerous fail-safes, accounting for numerous possible scenarios with efficient contingencies, making him extraordinarly versatile and unpredictable.

## Original appearance

For more background of Otto Octavius throughout comic book history, see **all appearances of Doctor Octopus** and the **original appearance of Otto Octavius** on the **Marvel Database**
In the comics, Doctor Octopus has appeared as one of the original members of the Sinister Six. The character's first appearance came in *Amazing Spider-Man* #3 (July 1963).

## Behind the scenes

Doctor Octopus is portrayed by William Salyers.

Doctor Octopus's inclusion in the game was leaked during a live stream of a game by Chris Jai Alex, the motion-capture actor for Rhino, commenting on the size difference while doing motion capture between Rhino and Doctor Octopus; he was quick to stop talking, however, and speculation about this leak lingered until the game released.

## Notes

### Annotations

1. ↑ Otto was 63 in *Marvel's Spider-Man*, which took place in 2018, giving him a birth year of roughly 1955.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Otto Octavius being idolized by Peter Parker at childhood suggest his scientific achievements were strong, although Peter was mostly impressed by his character. Otto also was insecure about his legacy, saying that he had felt like a "failure" in life, something that Norman Osborn described him as in saying that Otto was dependent on him for success. These however only affirm that Otto's work was not financially successful, while his accomplishments at Octavius Industries imply that his scientific accomplishments were still strong.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 When Otto Octavius discovered Peter's Spider-Man suit in the lab, he claimed that he thought Peter was Spider-Man's "suit crafter", showing pride in him and speaking positively of Spider-Man. However, his decision to stop the Sinister Six from killing him coupled by his later revelation that he knew Parker was Spider-Man suggested he knew Peter was Spider-Man the entire time, and was just pretending for Peter's sake.

### Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 *Marvel's Spider-Man* menu § "Otto Octavius"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Hidden Agenda"
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "A Fresh Start"
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Strong Connections"
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Breakthrough"
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Pax in Bello"
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Step Into My Parlor..."
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Day to Remember"
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "My OTHER Other Job"
10. ↑ *Miles Morales* script § "Like Real Scientists"
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Something Old, Something New"
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Out of the Frying Pan..."
13. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Landmarking"
14. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Financial Shock"
15. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Straw, Meet Camel"
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Picking up the Trail"
17. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "The Heart of the Matter"
18. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Back to School"
19. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* menu § "Doctor Octopus"
20. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man*, credits
21. ↑ Fogel 2018

## References

* Fogel, Stefanie (2018, June 25). "Voice Actor Accidentally Reveals Mystery ‘Spider-Man’ Video Game Villain". From *Variety*. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024.
* Insomniac Games (2018). *Marvel's Spider-Man* [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 4.
* Insomniac Games (2020). *Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales* [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 5.
* Insomniac Games (2023). *Marvel's Spider-Man 2* [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 5.