This October, Otto Octavius returns as the Superior Spider-Man! Creators Dan Slott and Ryan Stegman will be joined by superstar artists Mark Bagley, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Humberto Ramos to deliver a giant-sized one-shot, Superior Spider-Man Returns, telling an untold story from this web-slinging menace's past.
It's all part of the character's 10th anniversary after Superior Spider-Man kicked off in 2013 when a dying Doctor Octopus swapped his mind into Peter Parker's body.
Determined to prove himself better in every single way, Doc Ock ruthlessly made his way through Spider-Man's legendary rogues' gallery, shocking fellow heroes with his violent approach to crimefighting before learning harsh lessons about great responsibility. Did Doc Ock have his fill of the web-head lifestyle or is he ready to trade in his metal arms and be the smartest, strongest superhero in the Marvel Universe once more?
The story was a controversial one at the time, and while this run earned plenty of fans by the time it concluded, the very idea of Otto being in control of Peter's body remains a problem for some.
However, in recent issues of Amazing Spider-Man, we've seen the villain in search of his missing memories and can't help but wonder if this story is going to set the stage for some sort of return down the line.
"A run that started with outrage ended with nearly universal accolades," Executive Editor Nick Lowe says. "So we were super excited to gather the folks who made Superior Spider-Man the historic book it was back together!"
Slott adds, "The challenge Marvel gave me was: for the 10th anniversary, how can we revisit Superior, without repeating ourselves, and while telling a story that impacts Spider-Man's world today?"
"Superior Spider-Man Returns is going to take an untold Superior tale, and drag it kicking, screaming, and violently exploding into the present. It's going to give you everything you liked about Superior but in new surprising ways. No time travel. No clones. And no way we're telling you how."
Check out Stegman's cover for the issue below.