On the surface there is little common ground between the web-swinging adventures of Spider-Man and the psychological exploration of serial killers from Thomas Harris’ Hannibal novels, but Doctor Octopus made a cameo in Miles Morales' spinoff game, but the sequel can do more with the character, and show Spider-Man consulting with his former friend and nemesis to help understand a new foe.
Film audiences most commonly associate the character of Hannibal Lecter with Silence of the Lambs, although the 2013 Bryan Fuller-directed television series Hannibal has since taken the mantle of the best screen adaptation of Lecter. The Hannibal TV series took liberties with the source material, thoroughly establishing a friendship and working relationship between Graham and Lecter before peeling back the truth about Lecter’s murderous tendencies. This made the inevitable confrontation between the two profoundly impacting for audiences, an approach Marvel’s Spider-Man also took with Otto Octavius.
By first establishing Octavius as a friend and mentor to Parker, his shift into a relentless villain who is willing to endanger countless New York citizens in his quest for vengeance became a more powerful arc. There are many ways the story could have Doc Ock return in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but a role as a consultant is more interesting than a second round of villainy. Some fans speculate Insomniac could be building towards a video game adaptation of Superior Spider-Man, a comic series where Otto Octavius took over the body of Peter Parker, but a Hannibal-style role is likely a safer bet for the gaming franchise.
Doctor Octopus Is The Perfect Consultant For Understanding How Power Corrupts People
The parallels between Hannibal and Octavius are more extensive than they might first appear, at least in context to his relationship with Peter Parker. Graham and Lecter were both trained in psychology, but Lecter was later revealed to be dangerously psychologically unhinged. Parker and Octavius are both scientists, but Octavius' mind was warped by his own rushed experimentation, and he weaponized his creations in his evolution into Doctor Octopus. The ending of the first game provided a perfect setup for Octavius to act as a consultant, as it hinted at Norman Osborn’s transformation into Green Goblin. Fans may have to wait until Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 for a Green Goblin debut, with the sequel teasing Venom and Kraven the Hunter as its villains, but a third surprise villain is not out of the question.
The villains of Marvel’s Spider-Man were largely created due to the hidden machinations of Norman Osborn. Osborn was attempting to cure his son Harry’s medical condition, but his unethical experiments cost the life of Martin Lee’s parents and imbued Lee with powers he employed as Mister Negative. Osborn also betrayed Octavius, a former colleague, and that betrayal led Octavius to with Lee in a plan to release an Oscorp manufactured virus called Devil’s Breath in Times Square. The game’s ending featured Norman Osborn in a secret laboratory where his son Harry was kept in stasis, and a strange substance in the stasis pod mimicked Norman's movements. This bears an obvious resemblance to the Venom symbiote, but it could also foreshadow the creation of the “Goblin Formula” that imbues Norman Osborn with superhuman resilience.
Some suspect Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will end in tragedy with the death of Peter Parker, paying homage to Marvel’s Ultimate Comics continuity where Parker died, leaving Miles Morales as the new Ultimate Spider-Man. This could perfectly tie to an Octavius as consultant story and provide a final twist that mirrors the Hannibal novels. If Norman Osborn does become infected with the Goblin Formula and become a supervillain, Octavius would be a natural person to consult, as he himself had his mind influenced by his neural interface technology. As someone who has known Osborn for years, and has been through a similar experience, Octavius could easily give insight into how enhanced physical power could further twist the already ruthless former mayor of New York.
Otto Can Get In Peter's Head In Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Like Hannibal Did With Will Graham
Alongside aiding Parker in predicting Osborn’s moves, leading to his defeat and capture, Octavius could be planning his own escape, mirroring Lecter’s actions in Silence of the Lambs. By focusing on Norman Osborn’s victims instead of the man who created them, Insomiac's Spider-Man was fighting the wrong villains. The damage was done, and Octavius is unlikely to ever forgive Parker for standing between him and his revenge. After Spider-Man defeats Venom, Kraven, and possibly the Green Goblin, Octavius could make a daring escape from custody and slay Peter Parker. Even if Octavius only managed to severely wound Parker, it would set the stage for Miles Morales to take up the mantle as the sole Spider-Man of New York City in the third chapter.
It is possible the focus of Spider-Man 2 will be on Harry Osborn instead of Norman, and he could make his debut as Venom instead of Green Goblin or Hobgoblin. The series may have closed the book on Otto Octavius as well, after a full game that focused heavily on the scientist’s tragic fall from grace. Given the amount of development the character received, an Octavius cameo, at minimum, seems likely, however. It is a given that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will make players cry again, as it would be odd if the sequel dialed back the emotional stakes of the original. Using Octavius as a Hannibal figure is a perfect reminder of the friendship he and Parker once shared, and the vengeful revenant he has become. Octavius also knows Peter well enough to get into his head, just as Lecter did with both Will Graham and Clarice Starling. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 can follow in the footsteps of other media that pays homage to Hannibal, and Otto Octavius is the perfect character to fill that role.
