WARNING: Spoilers for Avengers of the Wasteland #3
Doctor Octopus is a classic Spider-Man villain and arguably one of the most recognizable bad guys in the entire Marvel universe. However, that’s not to say he hasn’t seen his own changes – from his time as the Superior Spider-Man to his days as the Superior Octopus in a cloned body of Peter Parker, aiding Hydra during the Secret Empire. And now, readers of Avengers of the Wasteland #3 can catch a glimpse of what the future has in store for Otto Octavius, and it is not pretty.
A lot has happened in the world of the Wastelands — the post apocalyptic future that began when the world’s villains united and collectively wiped out nearly all super heroes. Dr. Doom rules the Wastelands that were once the United States. Wolverine and his Old Man Logan future self may have been the original story line that brought the Wastelands to life, but this world has evolved into much more, with its own rich characters.
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In the Avengers of the Wasteland #3, Dr. Doom is fighting against the resistance of the Wasteland, and with the rise of a new team of Avengers Doom needs to make moves to ensure Otto will not interfere is the coming New World Order that even Doom did not see coming. Dr. Doom sees Otto as a wild card that he cannot risk leaving on the board. Proving that even the powerful Dr. Doom sees Doc Oc as a threat.
Doom finds Otto in Schenectady, his home base in the Wastelands, where he has apparently been for a long time. This has angered Doom, since Otto helped Doom and the other villains in overthrowing the heroes and world government. Dr. Doom could have used Doc Oc’s scientific genius in building their new world, but instead Otto retreated to Schenectady and decided to live as a hermit.
When Doom finds Dr. Octopus, it is immediately recognizable that something about the villain has changed. His voice appears more electronic than we are used to — but he is wearing a helmet and a full body suit, so maybe he has added more tech to himself to acompany his arms. As Doom moves to eliminate Doc Oc as a variable outside of his control, Otto fails to deliver any banter as they fight. Simply saying Doom has 30 seconds leaves, and starts a countdown. The impressive fight that ensues proves Doom should not only be threatened by Otto’s mind, but his abilities as well. Of course, Doom lands the seemingly killing blow on Dr. Octopus, punching a hole through his chest, and ripping his new armor away from his body. But Otto keeps counting down. It is here that the future of Otto Octavius is revealed, and it’s not pretty.
What can only be described as a husk of his original self is suspended inbetween the iconic mechanical arms of Dr. Octopus. The skeletal remains of the once great villain prove that Otto is no more, and his mechanical arms have become sentient, continuing to live on without the mind of Otto himself. And without the mind of Otto behind the arms, Doom no longer sees Dr. Octopus as a threat.
This offers an explanation as to why Otto would act out of character and hide for so many years after such a victory against the world’s heroes. If Otto fell ill to a sickness he knew would take his life, his pride would have never let anyone see him in a vulnerable state. A physical illness he would have been able to likely handle, as his appearance has never been an issue to him — out of shape man with a bowl cut? Obviously not concerned with his appearance. But if his mind started to fail, well that is something the egotistical villain would not allow others to see. So he retreated to Schenectady where he died, and the AI that operates his arms evolved to a point where they could fully function without Otto and his mind.
This is a truly horrific twist for the character that we can only wonder if readers will get to experience the fall of Otto Octavius that would lead to such an awful final state.
Avengers of the Wasteland #3 is available now from Marvel Comics.
