The Spider-Man 2 Novel Shares One of Doctor Octopus's Hidden Talent
Like other non-movie publications in the Raimi Spider-Man series, Peter David's Spider-Man 2 novelization stretches the tale and mythos of the three films with more dialogue, scenes, and characters. Doctor Octopus shows Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson in a café a secret ability of his famous mechanical tentacles:
My children have multiple talents. Fiber optics is the lifeblood of this city; my tentacles can readily hook into it.
Contextually, Doctor Octopus used this power to tap Peter Parker's phone and find his location so he could confront him. This secret talent also unintentionally offers one of the greatest theories for how Doctor Octopus might have discovered Norman Osborn was the Green Goblin. Given his aim of acquiring more tritium for his fusion device from Harry Osborn, it is logical to assume that Doctor Octopus also hacked the devices of the Osborn penthouse, unintentionally finding the Goblin lair (which runs on Oscorp computers) and so linking the dots that the late Osborn was the Goblin.
Hacking Skills of Doc Ock Come From The Comics
Fascinatingly, Marvel's comics first introduce Doctor Octopus's improved hacking skills. In the notorious Clone Saga, Peter Parker clone Kaine killed the original Doc Ock, but he was soon replaced by intelligent student and fan Carolyn Trainer. Equipped with a set of Octavius's mechanical tentacles, Trainer announced herself as the new Doctor Octopus utilizing the same deadly gadgetry – and adding her own new ones to the tentacles – on Spider-Man and his clone, Ben Rely.
One of Carolyn Trainer's enhancements to the tentacles' toolkit is improved computer hacking and connectivity capacity. Trainer quickly and deftly broke into one of Alistaire Smythe's machines, a genius in his own right. Courtesy of the criminal group The Hand, Otto Octavius was resurrected. Trainer then returned the tentacles to him, giving him the same increased hacking power as his brief successor. Given the hilarious precision of Alfred Molina's Doc Ock, it is appropriate that he feature this uncommon comedy ability.
One Major Spider-Man: No Way Home Mystery Was Really Solved 17 Years Ago
One perplexing riddle in Spider-Man: No Way Home was resolved over 17 years before the MCU film by a sometimes disregarded aspect of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man series. No Way Home brought cinematic villains from Spider-Man back to theaters and let them interact in ways the original Spider-Man films could not have done. For instance, Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus shared scenes with Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin even though the latter had passed away before the former became into a supervillain. Still very perplexingly, Doctor Octopus is shown to have known that Norman Osborn is the secret identity of the Green Goblin.
While both are skilled scientists in respective Marvel reality, No Way Home retroactively shows that Octavius knew Norman Osborn. This is not shocking. Otto's knowledge of Osborn's darkest secret is. For his fusion experiments following Norman Osborn's death, Octavius teamed with Oscorp Technologies—run by Harry Osborn at the time—but Spider-Man 2 made no hint that Octavius would be aware of Norman's violent alter persona. Though No Way Home never reveals how Octavius found Norman's secret, a classic component of the Raimi Spider-Man universe offers the greatest possible solution to this strange riddle.
The Doctor Octopus Hacking Just Makes Sense
Though the Sandman in No Way Home reveals, the real identity of the Green Goblin was not public knowledge in the Raimi Spider-Man universe. Though the Raimi universe's Otto Octavius was a genius who could have maybe discovered Osborn's secret on his own, the truth is he was a decent man prior to assuming Doctor Octopus. Suggesting that Octavius would have kept this knowledge to himself while closely collaborating with Harry Osborn and Oscorp Technologies stretches possibly too far.
It makes lot more sense for Octavius to learn the identity of the Green Goblin after he transforms into a supervillain as Doc Ock would have no motivation or need to act upon this knowledge. Otto, acting as Doctor Octopus, was virtually totally focused on repairing his fusion device at all costs, hence he had no interest in the dark secrets of his late colleague. Although Doctor Octopus would have carried this knowledge with him to his watery tomb in the primary Raimi timeline, Spider-Man: No Way Home lets him consider his discovery and engage with the Green Goblin onscreen.
Marvel Spider-Man: No Way Home Mystery and Villain Interactions
Combining enemies from several Spider-Man worlds, No Way Home produced an original and thrilling crossover. The way these venerable characters interacted in the movie was fascinating, especially since Doctor Octopus knew Norman Osborn's Green Goblin persona. Although the movie does not specifically say how Doc Ock discovered this fact, the Spider-Man 2 novelizing offers a workable theory.
No Way Home is evidence of the ongoing strength of the Spider-Man series and its capacity to combine several aspects from its vast legacy. Audiences all across were enthralled with the movie because of its examination of the multiverse, the comeback of legendary villains, and the surprising turns.
Doc Ock and the Green Goblin: an unusual relationship
Doc Ock's interaction with the Green Goblin is a convoluted and fascinating one. Driven by their own wants and aspirations, both characters are talented yet flawed. Whereas the Green Goblin is motivated by a thirst for power and anarchy, Doc Ock aims to make scientific discoveries and frequently ignores the repercussions of his activities. < Particularly intriguing in Spider-Man: No Way Home is the interplay between Doc Ock and the Green Goblin, which highlights the several motives and personalities influencing these two legendary foes.
Doc Ock's awareness of the Green Goblin's hidden identity gives their relationship still another level of intricacy. It implies that Doc Ock is aware of the darker side of mankind even if he emphasizes science. Knowing this might affect his behavior and choices, which would make him a more erratic and dangerous opponent. Doc Ock's relationship with the Green Goblin reminds us that darkness can motivate even the most brilliant brains and that the distinction between good and bad is sometimes hazy.
