Otto Octavius | |
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Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and Marvel Cinematic Universe character | |
![]() Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius in Spider-Man 2 (2004) | |
First appearance | Spider-Man 2 (2004) |
Last appearance | Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) |
Based on | |
Adapted by | |
Portrayed by | Alfred Molina |
Voiced by |
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In-universe information | |
Full name | Otto Octavius |
Alias | Doctor Octopus |
Nickname | Doc Ock |
Species | Human cyborg |
Title | Doctor |
Occupation | Physicist |
Affiliation | Oscorp Industries |
Weapon | Four robotic arms with artificial intelligence |
Spouse | Rosalie "Rosie" Octavius (Deceased) |
Nationality | American |
Otto Gunther Octavius is a fictional character portrayed by Alfred Molina in Spider-Man 2 (2004) and later in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Octavius is introduced in Spider-Man 2 as a nuclear physicist and friend and mentor of Peter Parker, whose research into fusion power with his wife Rosie (portrayed by Donna Murphy) is being sponsored by Oscorp's genetic and scientific research division, headed by Harry Osborn.
When Octavius' fusion reactor experiment using tritium becomes unstable, resulting in Rosie's death, the harness of powerful robotic tentacle arms equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) which he was using to safely handle the materials is fused to his body, burning the inhibitor chip keeping the arms from controlling his nervous system. After ending up in the hospital and massacring the surgeons attempting to save Octavius by sawing them off, the arms' AI begin influencing his mind and they manipulate him to steal funds in order to attempt the experiment again, over the course of which crime spree the Daily Bugle dubs him Doctor Octopus, or "Doc Ock" for short, regarding him as New York's second effective supervillain. Along the way, he comes into conflict with Spider-Man, with Osborn offering to give Octavius the tritium he needs to complete his experiment in exchange for handing Spider-Man over to him. Ultimately, as the experiment begins to destroy New York City, Spider-Man reveals himself as Peter to Octavius after damaging his arms, and inspires him to regain control of them and destroy his fusion reactor. A now redeemed Octavius sinks the fusion reactor into the East River, but sacrifices his life in the process by drowning.
A past version of the character returns in Spider-Man: No Way Home, being transported into another universe shortly before his redemption and death, due to a magic spell gone wrong causing a rupture in the multiverse, and ends up clashing with that universe's (MCU) Spider-Man and his allies. After the other universe Spider-Man and his closest friend, colleague and Harry's father Norman replaces his faulty inhibitor chip with a working one, Octavius regains control of his arms and mental state like he did before his original death, and joins his Spider-Man and two alternate versions of him in fighting other universe-displaced supervillains, including Norman's alter ego Green Goblin. After briefly reuniting with his version of Spider-Man, now older, Octavius is returned to a branched/alternate timeline of his universe. Molina has expressed further interest in reprising the role in the in-development Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) film based on The Sinister Six.
Molina's performance as the character, considered one of the earliest portrayals of Octavius as a tragic villain, has been positively received by critics and audiences, and the character has come to be considered to be one of the most iconic villains in superhero films.
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