An Obituary for Octopus

Dilbert Trilby is in his office writing the latest set of obituaries. A high school intern named Oscar steps in with his latest assignments. Trilby shows Oscar his office which stores all of the obituaries and the retractions they've had to make over the years with people being dead but coming back. Trilby gets a phone call from Joe Robertson telling him that Doctor Octopus just robbed the Robeaux Research Centre and that his obit had to be updated. Trilby tells Oscar about a blank which is a person who has accomplished nothing important in their life and won't be missed by anybody in the world. Trilby finds the Doctor Octopus folder as he continues to talk to Oscar. He then fills Oscar in on the life of Otto Octavius.

He starts with his school life and how he was popular with schoolyard bullies. His father also disapproved of the way he would never fight back and constantly called him weak and a coward. This led to confrontations with Otto's mother, Mary, about Otto's personality.[1] Meanwhile, at the Robeaux Research Centre, Peter finishes taking photos of the hole in the wall Doctor Octopus made his entrance through. Dr. Iberia tells him and Ben Urich that they specialize in viral research and that Ock stole their latest bloodwork.[2]

Trilby continues with Otto's obituary, now at the point of his college years. They mention that he survived high school, and due to his extreme intelligence, was left with many college possibilities. However, during Otto's freshman year, Torbert died in a construction accident.[3] He then graduated from college at the top of his class. Spider-Man finds Eddie Rollins to find out information about Ock's whereabouts and motives. Trilby then moves on Otto's work at the U.S. Atomic Research Centre. It is there that he meets Mary Alice Anders and they begin a relationship. It is at this time that he begins working on his robotic tentacles.[4]

A man named Willard Jaxton moves radioactive materials in his truck and has done for the past twelve years. Suddenly, a tentacle smashes through the window and steals a radioactive isotope when Spider-Man shows up. The two battle but Ock seems more interested in escaping that fighting. Despite the fighting, Ock doesn't reveal his intentions for the blood and the isotope. He distracts Spider-Man by smashing a gas pipe. Spider-Man quickly attaches a Spider-Tracer on his shoulder and seals up the gas pipe. Trilby tells Oscar that the relationship between Otto and Mary Alice deepened to the point that he proposed to her, which she accepted. Overjoyed, he rushed to his mother's house to tell her. But she wasn't happy about it because she hoped he would live to take care of her. Saddened by this, he broke his engagement. Rumors say that he had his cousin have her dismissed from the research facility.[5]

In Doc Ock's lab, he has set up an experiment compromising of the blood and the radioactive materials. He reveals that he just has to monitor the chemical levels when Spider-Man bursts out of the dark and attacks him. During the fight, Doc Ock continues with his experiment and says that the experiment is not for his own health. In the last part of Trilby's obituary, it shows that Otto's personality changed over anger for his mother so much that people started calling him Doctor Octopus. He returned to his mother's house to talk to her when he finds her all dressed up. She reveals that she has been dating a librarian she met at the supermarket. She says she is entitled to fun and happiness. Otto becomes angry at this because he could have been happy with Mary Alice. Shocked by this attack, Mary has a heart attack and dies.[6] He was so consumed with guilt that he was careless over the next few weeks. He was distracted during one of his experiments which exploded, fusing his tentacles to him that he became Doctor Octopus![7]

Continuing on with the fight, Doctor Octopus becomes angrier as the web-slinger pursues with finding out what he's up to. Spider-Man guesses that he is making a cure, but refuses to believe that. Ock announces that his experiment is over. Suddenly, Otto's tentacles fall to the ground, limp. Ock sadly says that his experiment has failed. Meanwhile, at the Robeaux Research Centre, Dr. Iberia is called into performing surgery as one of his patients go into heart failure. Otto is arrested but is still crushed about his experiment. Meanwhile, at the Daily Bugle, Trilby finishes his updated obituary of Doctor Octopus when Oscar enters saying they have caught Ock. Oscar carries another assignment sheet. Trilby looks at it and says that it's another blank who won't be missed. The sheet drops to the floor, which reads that Mary Alice Burke died today at Robeaux of a deadly virus.[8]

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus, Dilbert Tribly, Ben Urich, Mary Anders, Elias Hargrove, Code:Blue (Lt. Stone, Rigger Ruiz, Fireworks Fieldstein), (in flashback) Tobert and Mary Octavius

Continuity Notes

1. Otto's abusive childhood is explored further in The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol 2 #9 and Spider-Man - Doctor Octopus: Year One #1.

2. This story specifically states that the scientists are conducting AIDS research. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. At the time this story was published the AIDS virus a much deadlier illness. Since then, advances in medical science have made the virus treatable, less fatal, and a potential cure may be possible in the coming decades.

3. This contradicts The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol 2 #9. In that story, Otto states he was still a young child when he father died and was forced to watch his father die in bed. Given Otto's state of mind, there's telling what facts were are true.

4. Otto's romance with Mary Anders is explored further in Spider-Man - Doctor Octopus: Year One #2.

5. Otto telling his mother about Mary is explored in further detail in Spider-Man - Doctor Octopus: Year One #2. The supposed rumors of Mary Anders being dismissed by Elias Hargrove were likely rumors after all given that Mary was depicted as still being employed by Atomic Research up until Otto was first defeated by Spider-Man as seen in Spider-Man - Doctor Octopus: Year One #3-5

6. This is contrary to Spider-Man - Doctor Octopus: Year One #3. In this telling, Otto's mother did not suffer a heart attack but was strangled to death by Otto. It's entirely possible that Otto covered up the fact that he murdered his mother.

7. The accident that turned Otto Octavius into Doctor Octopus occurred in Amazing Spider-Man #3.

8.  This story specifically states that Mary died of AIDS. As stated above, this should be considered a topical reference. Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #11-12 it is revealed that Norman Osborn was responsible for injecting her with a virus. In that story, the type of virus she is injected with is generalized.

Captive Fire

While on patrol searching for crime photos, Spider-Man happens upon an illicit sale of goods being overseen by Lenny "The Operator" Flynn. After getting details photos of the exchange, Spider-Man sets up his automatic shutter and swings in to bust up the deal. Flynn orders his men to delay Spider-Man and hits a signal button on his watch. The wall-crawler wonders what's going on when suddenly his spider-sense begins to give off a powerful warning. That's when he is ambushed by Corona. Remembering her, Spider-Man tries to ask her what she is doing, but she doesn't speak and continues her attack. Finally, when Spider-Man tells her not to kill him, because she's not a criminal, she finally speaks. She tells the web-head that he has no right to dictate what she is because he lied to her.[1] While the battle continues, Flynn finishes his sale and he and his customers flee the scene. With the job over, Corona stops short of killing the wall-crawler becaus she has to put aside her personal gratification to follow her orders. Corono then flies away leaving the wall-crawler even more confused than ever. With the battle over, Spider-Man grabs his camera and decides to get some answers. A short time later, Spider-Man goes to the office of Cedrick Forrester, Corona's brother. Entering the building, Spider-Man is spotted by some guards. However, instead of fighting, they tell Spider-Man that Cedrick has since left the building and tell him to leave before the call the police and report him for trespassing. With no other leads to follow, Spider-Man heads home where his wife Mary Jane is getting ready for bed. When he enters through the skylight, he tells her about his encounter with Corona and recounts their first encounter. He tells her how Cedric Forrester transformed his sister into Corona and the wall-crawler promised to help her find a cure for her condition. Unfortunately, Cedric managed to use the law to have her designated as an asset of his company and repossessed her. Hoping to find a scientific expert to help fight the court order and cure her. Unfortunately, neither Henry Pym or the Beast was able to help. Attempts to call Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four yielded no response.[2] Hearing this, Mary Jane tells Peter that he did his best. However, Peter doesn't think so, but he can try to do more now.

The next day, at the Daily Bugle, Peter Parker sells his photos of the Corona battle to Joe Robertson. He then tells Joe that there might be a sidebar in the paper about Corona's brother Cedric and asks if Joe knows where he might be found. Joe suggests he check with Jake Conover who can look that information up. Peter then learns that Cedric has set up a lab at Empire State University and pays him a visit as Spider-Man. The wall-crawler demands to know what Forrester has done to his sister. Cedric explains that after taking possession of his sister he found a way to stabilize her powers and prevent further mutation with an implant. The device also had a feedback loop that he could use to cause her extreme pain if she disobeyed his orders. Spider-Man is appalled to hear this, but Cedric tells the wall-crawler that he had no choice. He tells the hero that he was forced to "lease" his sister to Lenny Flynn and was kicked out of his office. However, Forrester has developed an override device that can work if he can get it close enough to his former lab. Naturally, Spider-Man realizes that Cedric intends for him to do it on Forrester's behalf.

The pair then break into the Forrester building where they are caught breaking in by the armed guards. While Cedric runs for cover, Spider-Man deals with them as well as Corona. He tries to convince the woman that he is trying to help her, but she refuses to listen to the wall-crawler. She then traps the wall-crawler by turning a bank of computers in liquid, and solidifying it when it splashed around the wall-crawler. That's when Flynn enters the room and tells them that he is going to sell Corona to Silvermane's mob for four million dollars. He figures he can sweeten the pot by also selling Spider-Man as well, after peaking under his mask first. That's when Cedric tries to up bid to get his sister and his lab back. Corona is horrified at the prospect of being sold back to her brother and lashes out, only to be contained by the control device. By this point, Spider-Man manages to break free from his prison. He then comes up with a plan to free Corona, and angers her enough to begin attacking him. He then leaps around the room, so that Corona destroys the machines that keeps her under control. Realizing that she is free, Corona helps Spider-Man take down the armed guards, but Flynn manages to escape in the ensuing confusion.

With the battle over, Corona attempts to kill her brother but Spider-Man stands between the siblings. Corona admires Spider-Man's guts and decides to spare her brother and leaves to find her own way. When Cedric offers Spider-Man 5 million dollars to capture his daughter, the wall-crawler responds by stuffing Cedric into a garbage can, head first, and swings away.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Corona, Cedric Foster, (in flashback) Henry Pym, Beast

Continuity Notes

1. In The Spectacular Spider-Man #175-176, Spider-Man learned that Corona was transformed by her brother. He promised to get her cured but his brother managed to regain custody as she was considered the property of his company.

2. Henry Pym states that the Avenger's government relations are "touchy" at the time. At the time of this flashback, the Avengers had just recently lost their backing from the United States government in Avengers #326. Meanwhile, the Beast states that there is an emergency that he needs to respond to. At the time of this story, the Beast was among various mutants who went help rescue Professor X from the Shadow King in Uncanny X-Men #273. The reason why Mister Fantastic wasn't home to answer the phone was that, at the time of the flashback, the Fantastic Four were helping the Guardians of the Galaxy to prevent the rebirth of Korvac as seen in Fantastic Four Annual #24.

Ren-Tech's Revenge

At the secret lab of Doctor hillman Barto, the scientist tells Alex Ellis that he has no choice but to shut down the Annex armor. Ellis refuses to allow this because he was able to control the armor and even fought alongside Spider-Man.[1] Barto reminds Ellis how he became Annex, after losing a leg during military action in the Middle East, he was selected by Adarco to test out the Annex suit.[2] However, Hillman isn't satisfied reactivating the armor after he has a chance to go through all the programming. He turns Alex's attention to a recent news report of Theodore Bolton and Diana Bradley, who misused their positions as lab technicians for Code: Blue that they were suspended without pay.

At that moment, Bolten and Bradley leave the courthouse and get past the media, taking a cab back home. There, they marvel over the technology they stole while working for Code: Blue to develop their own company, Ren-Tech. With this technology, they plan on setting themselves up as selling technology to criminals. To this end, they attack the Adarco Building to steal technology. While this is happening, Barto continues to warn Ellis of the dangers of the Annex armor when suddenly his computers alert him of the attack on Adarco. With no other choice, Hillman agrees to allow Alex to become Annex again and stop the attack. At first, Annex has the advantage against the pair. That's when Bolton notices that Annex gets the majority of his power and weapons via radio transmission and activates a signal blocker, incapacitating the hero. However, Annex is far from helpless, as he uses his internal batteries to magnetize his armor and disarm his foes. Disabling the signal jammer, Annex summons a stun blaster to incapacitate his foes. With the battle over, Code: Blue arrives to take Bolton and Bradley prison. Returning to Hillman's lab, Barto admits that the Annex suit can be used as a force for good, and agrees that they should keep using it.

Recurring Characters

Annex, Hillman Barto, Code:Blue (Lt. Stone, Rigger Ruiz, Fireworks Feilstein)

Continuity Notes

1. Annex fought alongside Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #27. 

2. Barto states that Ellis fought in Desert Storm. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.