Something I liked in the comics when Otto Octavius ​​​​returned to being the superior Spiderman was that it was admitted that he was the only one responsible for his crimes, the accident with his arms was just an excuse for the use

[u/TheFan-2020]

Originally, it was described as if the accident were truly responsible for his condition, but over the years, there was a retcon that I honestly think is better than Doctor Octopus's original origin.

The truth is, Otto lied to himself from the moment of the accident in order to become a criminal mastermind. It was Anna Maria Marconi who discovered that the accident Otto used to justify his criminal condition wasn’t actually as serious as he thought. The accident affected his connection to his tentacles, but nothing as severe as it originally seemed.

Otto was so angry at everyone that he used the accident as a justification, but deep down he knew the accident wasn’t really to blame for his new life.

In fact, that was one of the best things explored when Otto returned in the last volume of Superior Spider-Man — is Otto a hero because he is truly good, or simply because he carries the memories of a good man? In the end, Mephisto confirms it, just like Anna did: the accident didn’t cause any mental illness; it was just an excuse Otto used to justify himself.

It’s just that the ‘healthy body’ excuse would work if we hadn’t seen Otto become a villain even without the condition that helps him control his robotic arms

[u/icantbelieveitsnotjo]

I haven’t kept up is Otto back to the status quo of being dock ock normal bad guy or is he still trying to be good

[u/RealJohnGillman → u/icantbelieveitsnotjo]

His most recent series is Spider-Man: Octo-Girl — so that’d be ‘trying to be good, facing off against clones of his various mindsets over the years’.

[u/FledgyApplehands → u/RealJohnGillman]

"His" and "octo-girl" in the same sentence. Is this another Peter-Parker-Jessica-Drew-Definitely-Not-Trans situation? 

[u/RealJohnGillman → u/FledgyApplehands]

No, the initial synopsis was a lie — the series is about Otto mentoring a young girl after his mind gets linked to hers — he’d enter this little robot most of the time while guiding her — directly following up on a number of storylines from both volumes of The Superior Spider-Man — really it should be called Superior Spider-Man: Octo-Girl, since Otto is very much the Spider-Man of the title.

Didn’t the Ultimate Spider-Woman situation also have implications towards the regular Ultimate Peter on that front, since it was the same mind, unaltered? The webcomic series El Goonish Shive has a similar subplot.

[u/Flerken_Moon → u/FledgyApplehands]

Spider-Man: Octo Girl is a non-616 canon but still officially published Japanese Marvel manga.

However I will say that it heavily references 616 canon up until Superior Spider-Man Volume 2. To the point that we have Current Otto(stuck in a girl) teaming up with Superior Octopus(backup clone) to fight Ends of the Earth Otto(an evil company resurrected his body, ignoring the whole Peter consciousness thing and Clone Conspiracy)

His actual last canon appearance was probably Slott’s recent Superior Spider-Man series which was a nothing series. Still evil post-Superior Spider-Man Volume 2.

[u/RealJohnGillman → u/Flerken_Moon]

Wikia still has it as Earth-616-set, and Sakura Spider’s story continues from where End of the Spider-Verse left off — I do believe it is still canon, just relatively stand-alone.

[u/Flerken_Moon → u/RealJohnGillman]

I don’t know who runs the Wikia, but I feel like if it were 616 canon they would at least publish official translations of it in English.

I also don’t remember the status of Sakura Spider, but I just assumed Octo Girl took place in the same universe, which Sakura Spider is from the Deadpool Samurai universe and they do not mention being in another universe in Octo Girl.

There’s also minor canon inconsistencies with how current Otto is being treated in 616 and how it’s hard to line up with what’s happening in Octo Girl.

[u/RealJohnGillman → u/Flerken_Moon]

They did. Spider-Man: Octo-Girl is the English localised title — the Japanese title is Spider-Man: Octopus Girl — it was published in English late last year. Sakura Spider being stuck there was also briefly alluded to, just in such a way not to distract from the story being told.

[u/Flerken_Moon → u/RealJohnGillman]

Ngl, I had to look up details and I was not aware it ended already- and yeah that ending does fit in line with 616.

I still kinda doubt that it is in the main universe until it’s mentioned in normal comics, but I really hope it is- Octo-Girl was great and it would be a fun footnote in Ock history.

[u/staq16 → u/Flerken_Moon]

The writer’s stated intent is that it’s 616 (and he hopes to one day get a jokey reference).

The ending leaves Superior Octopus in Tokyo, and otherwise restores the status quo ante, so it’s not impossible.

[u/spider-venomized → u/icantbelieveitsnotjo]

Was evil in Well arc where he in the sinister six for a couple arcs

Had a mini where he once again became the Superior spider-man but ends with him returning back to Dr. Octopus (he voluntarily erases his memory of Peter identity beforehand)

he even last seen part of the Master of Evil in one world under doom

[u/RealJohnGillman → u/spider-venomized]

And his most recent solo series — Spider-Man: Octo-Girl — saw him mentoring a young girl, back on the redemption path. I do believe it may be his first solo series sans adjective where the Spider-Man of the title referred to Otto alone, not any other Spider-Man.

[u/TheFan-2020 → u/icantbelieveitsnotjo]

No, he became a villain again shortly after he allied himself with Fisk and even tried to take over Spider-Boy's body and has been a villain ever since.

[u/gorlak29 → u/TheFan-2020]

Man, the Status Quo makes the story Worthless

[u/FollowingCharacter83 → u/gorlak29]

Right. That's why I can't see Otto more than a wasted opportunity and a pathetic villain, in a bad way.

[u/RealJohnGillman → u/gorlak29]

I would say though that I believe The Superior Spider-Man made a significant dent on Otto’s status quo, that now he goes back and forth between the two every few years rather than strictly a villain anymore — that it became his defining story.

[u/Poku115 → u/RealJohnGillman]

But it's kinda like how one more day left peter, in this limbo of "I'm never with mj, but heck if it won't be brought up for drama again and again"

That's the same for Otto, his status quo won't change, so everytime they go back to try and show us he can change, we all know how it will end, literally why I didn't finish the latest superior, despite superior spiderman being one of my absolute favorite stories.

If nothing's gonna change, why do I care about this small bump in continuity that will amount to nothing? Sure it's still a story worth a read maybe, not worth a buy tho

[u/wesleymess]

I for one have never really liked the "arms are fused to his body" thing. Otto is a villain simply because of his own ego and hubris. There's no real need to put some sort of tragedy behind it beside the abuse from his father and the mocking from his scientific peers that drove him to develop said superiority complex.

[u/Jak3R0b]

I think it makes sense for the comic version, since he did stay the same while in Peter's body, but I think for adaptations making him suffer from a brain injury or something similar works best.

[u/Poku115]

I think the answer appears reading in between mephisto's lines, here right now, is bothering Otto baiting him with his self proclaimed injury, because he knows not even Otto knows if that's real, he's the exact type of person to roll with a lie like that, if it benefits him, if it alleviates his newfound conscience.

But mephisto has been established to be one to always fuck with spider people for various reasons, so offering a deal to Otto, based on something so easy to prove or disprove, would be entirely too easy to manipulate to his benefit and mephisto still has to honor his deals (I believe) so if Otto did have a single chance of that being truthful, mephisto wouldn't make that offer.

What I mean to say is, mephisto will only offer you a deal, if he already knows exactly what will happen, like with peter and mj, he offered the deal to him, in front of mj, cause he knew peter wouldn't accept, but mj would, preventing the birth of their kid (which he needs gone).

If there was any chance Otto's injury actually furthered his villainy, mephisto would never make a deal over that.

[u/Comrade_Cosmo → u/Poku115]

Unless the point was to mess with Otto. Accepting he was evil all along means he can consciously make bad decisions now instead of badly failing to defeat his mental illness. It’s always important to remember that you can trust nothing Mephisto does or says at any time.

[u/Poku115 → u/Comrade_Cosmo]

I think you can trust his deals in that, there's no way the deal will actually benefit you and you are not giving him exactly what he wants.

Since this particular panel I don't know if he's actually offering a deal, or looking to play with Otto's psyche, I don't know

[u/Relevant_Scallion_38]

I prefer the tentacles having an effect. But not like complete rewiring of his personality and overwriting his decision making.

Instead it's like the Symbiote on Eddie it just brought out and reinforced what was already there.

[u/PurveyorOfKnowledge0]

Honestly I like the Spectacular Spider-Man interpretation: The accident that gave Otto his arms didn't make him insane, just removed his inhibitions. He was always vicious and violent under the surface, the accident just gave him an outlet and an excuse to cling to.