Superior Spider-Man #31 marks the end of the Doctor Octopus as Spider-Man run with Part 5 of the 5-part Goblin Nation arc. A new Amazing Spider-Man #1 as part of the All-New Marvel Now branding initiative is coming with Peter Parker back in control of his body and destiny Doctor Octopus is MIA, but presumed KIA.
The preview to Super-Spider-Man #31 sets up the battle with Green Goblin and his Goblin Nation against Spider-Man quite nicely.
Before we get to my thoughts on the finale of Spider-Man #31, here’s where we’ve come on this mad journey from the mind of writer Dan Slott.
- Amazing Spider-Man #700 depicted how Doctor Octopus swapped his dying body with Peter Parker’s young and vital one. Peter presumably dies in Doc Ock’s place in latter’s decaying body.
- Superior Spider-Man #1 had strong support by Marvel Entertainment brass who from the outset said that they had at least a one-year commitment to the series.
- Superior Spider-Man #25 depicted that Peter Parker was really alive in Doc Ock’s “mindscape” who stepped forward to save Ock from Venom.
- Superior Spider-Man #26 showed how Peter Parker has been fighting to reassert himself while the Avengers get suspicious of the Superior Spider-Man.
- Superior Spider-Man #27 jolted readers when the Goblin Nation kingpin Green Goblin confided in Doctor Octopus that HE KNOWS it was him under the Spider-Man mask.
- Superior Spider-Man #28 depicted Peter Parker’s continuing mindscape escapades hiding from Doc Ock’s awareness.
- Superior Spider-Man #29 showed the return of Spider-Man 2099 in the middle of the Goblin Nation New York City siege.
- Superior Spider-Man #30 had readers witness the in-the-flesh return of Peter Parker as Spider-Man earlier and more unusual than expected. Doctor Octopus role in all this was “interesting”.
- Lastly, some elements like Spider-Man 2099’s appearance during the Superior Spider-Man run seems to have seeded writer Dan Slott’s Fall 2014 “Spider-Verse” event, featuring all the Spider-Man ever to have existed across Marvel’s multiverse.
Major SPOILERS follow for Superior Spider-Man #31.
The book opens with Spider-Man 2099 Miguel O’Hara confronting Peter Parker as Spider-Man who he believes is still someone other than Peter (Doctor Octopus).
The following page sets up the fact to the Avengers this Spider-Man sounds like the original and he never left the team.
Plus, Peter is caught up to speed about the corporation Alchemax that was created in modern-times and will be a foil in the side of Spider-Man 2099 in, um, 2099 as established years ago in writer Peter David’s classic Spidey 2099 run.
The Green Goblin / Norman Osborn knows Spider-Man. He easily realizes Peter Parker is back. When Peter unmasks him we find out Norman Osborn has had reconstruction surgery on his face; he is no Mason Banks a founder of Alchemax. The founding of this new company was all about securing the future for Goblin’s grandson Normie despite the built in rot of some of its executives.
Superior Spider-Man #31 winds down with Peter Spidey using Doctor Octopus anti-Goblin serum first to cure Menace and then cure / de-power Norman Osborn. Peter also keeps his promise to Doc Ock to save his little pal Anna Maria from the Goblin Nation’s clutches.
Writer Dan Slott did some great work in this issue; however some of the dialogue was a bit hammy. A lot of threads tied up and new ones teased. Interesting as well to see how integral Norman Osborn is to the creation of the company that is a main foil for Spider-Man 2099. It sure seems like he’ll be a foil in the new Spider-Man 2099 series coming to stands from writer and co-creator Peter David.
In the back-up tale to Superior Spider-Man #31, writer Christos Gage reveals how Mary Jane and NYC Mayor J. Jonah Jameson fare at the end of the Superior Spider-Man run.
MJ acknowledges that Peter Parker is back, and she’s pleased, but she doesn’t want to be part of his life as his partner (double entendre) as she’s so dramatically impacted by how much Spidey’s villains put him through the ringer like Doc Ock did until his “sacrifice” last issue. After failing to protect New York City from the Goblin Nation, J. Jonah Jameson resigns and heads back to the Daily Bugle to get back to his old life of rabble-rousing.
Thanks for reading. All feedback welcome.