A new web-slinger in town
He’s Spider-Man, but he isn’t Peter Parker.
Dan Slott, Spider-Man writer, is taking fans for the ride of their lives with the introduction of a brand new character (well, sort of) in The Superior Spider-Man.
In the final issues of the Amazing Spider-Man storyline, Peter Parker has his mind switched with Doc Ock, aka Doctor Otto Octavius, after Doc Ock sustained fatal injuries.
In the end, Peter Parker dies in Doc Ock’s body — but not before good ole’ Spidey imbues into Ock’s mind all of his memories, his moral code, and of course the most important message of all — “With great power, comes great responsibility.”
As Peter Parker lies dying in Doc Ock’s body, Otto Octavius stands over him knowing with clarity that he must become a better man in order to live as Spider-Man.
What he realizes in that instant of clarity is that he cannot live on as a criminal mastermind, but instead he must live to do the opposite — to defeat the crime he was once part of.
So he makes a promise to Peter Parker, a promise to protect those who need protecting and defend those who need defending.
But, as is in the nature of Otto Octavius, he has to do it better than Peter Parker ever did.
Enter The Superior Spider-Man.
A proactive superhero instead of a reactive superhero.
He plots and plans when dealing with crime instead of just showing up when there is a crime. He calls the police for backup, or when a crime does not need a superhero.
He lets his emotions take hold, and is constantly fighting an inner battle of wills between what the conscience of Otto Octavius wants and what the conscience of Peter Parker wants.
And of course, he doesn’t quite understand why a superhero should not kill.
Of course, this is the story’s flaw.
An evil Spider-Man is not believable. If anyone saw the movie Spider Man 3, then you know what I mean (can you say utter disgrace and failure?)
Well, at least Dan Slott realizes this, and it can be seen when his secondary characters start to ask themselves why Spider-Man is being so weird. They ask themselves why he keeps beating petty criminals half to death.
In classic style, nobody can figure out what is wrong with him.
But the problem is not that Spider-Man is being evil. The question fans are asking is not will he change.
The question is: can an evil man become a superhero if he has to?
Zachary White can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].