Well it’s Amazing Spider-Man 700 again and the plot thickens. Is any semblance of the real Peter Parker left? Has Doc Ock‘s mind wipe of Peters memories finally eliminated our hero from possession of the body he was born to? The controversy continues and Superior Spider-Man keeps selling at record levels. Is Peter truly a lost soul that will be resolved but not right now. Dan Slott seems resigned to show us Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius in control of Spider-Man and Peters personal life. There has got to be a reason that the real Peter Parker has not showed up triumphant over Doc Ock.
I think that Dan wants to show us a contrast of how heroes should act. Without Peter to curb Doc’s actions just how far will he go with the power of Spider-Man. What is his warped idea of how a Superior Spider-Man should act. Will Peters friends and other people in his life figure it out. No matter how happy that some people are that Spider-Man is very aggressive now it has to change to public perception of how a hero is to act. We know that Doc Ock’s idea of the right thing to do will not include self sacrifice which Peter has show all his life. And those closest to Peter already have their doubts Peter is in his right mind and why is he acting so differently.
We already know that even with Doc Oct’s new resolve to be a hero he has some serious anger issues and has compromised his thinking several times about killing to accomplish his idea of heroism. In a recent interview with Jim Beard he (Dan Slott) said that ” Otto is always comfortable with what he’s doing. Otto Octavius is always correct. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He is superior in every way.” He said there are many changes ahead, ” In SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #14 there will be new allies, a new look, and an all-new agenda. What is Superior Spider-Man doing? Why is he doing that? We have never seen a Spider-Man in any continuity ever do that. Yeah. Everyone just suddenly got very shocked in #5 and when Chris Eliopoulos was lettering it his son walked into the room and saw the art and he just yelled out, “Spider-Man doesn’t do that!” Well, here’s something else in #14 that Spider-Man doesn’t do. And he’s doing it.” With Otto (Doc Ock) in full control expect anything.
Dan Slott: Change your expectations. Everything that you think Spider-Man can’t do? That’s off the table.
I could not stop smiling while I was writing [issue #14]. It’s the issue where everything explodes, explosions and craziness and we literally change the face of the New York of the Marvel Universe.
Going forward from there, expect to see more of the Goblin, and we promised Spider-Man 2099, so you will get Spider-Man 2099. And we have carefully created a world where the Flash Thompson Venom has yet to really meet and fight Spider-Man. There have been little tiny blips, like in the pages of VENOM right when it was kicking off and in one of the Carnage minis. But for the most part these two characters have been kept at a distance. Even when both guys were on different Avengers teams, they didn’t really cross paths. Even in Spider Island, where both greatly affected each other’s stories they never really met. We are going to put it front and center; the two will come face to face. (FULL INTERVIEW HERE)
So while the real Peter is no where to be found Otto will be doing what what he does. In his compromised world of being hero he will do what he thinks is right and not worry about what others think. How this will end is a secret but in time I bet you will see the real Peter Parker come back so fear not comic faithful and keep it here at Comics Talk for the latest. Stay tuned for more. 🙂 Walt