 | Publisher: Marvel Comics Type: Limited Series (Solo) Genre: Super Hero Featuring: Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus | Status: Finished Publication Date: August—December, 2004 |
| 5 issues • 13 images |
Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One is a five-issue mini-series produced by Marvel in 2004. The series re-tells the origins of the iconic Spider-Man villain, Doctor Octopus. The series retroactively depicts the first time Peter Parker (who would become Spider-Man) and Otto Octavius (who would become Doctor Octopus) meet each other. The series modifies some details found in Otto's original origin story from Amazing Spider-Man #3. For example, in the original telling Doctor Octopus kidnaps three hospital workers and Spider-Man arrives for their first confrontation, ending with Doctor Octopus throwing Spider-Man out of a window and escaping to evade police. In the mini-series retelling, Doctor Octopus is not fully in control of his arms and he is kept in a transparent box by the doctors, which he breaks out of and terrorizes them, causing Spider-Man to arrive. The most serious departure is in Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus' ultimate battle, which in one telling has Spider-Man fusing the Doctor's mechanical arms together with a checmical concotion he devised and in the other involves Doctor Octopus abusing Spider-Man's "Spider-Sense" ability by overloading it with input from hundreds of copied Spider-Tracers. Other than the final battle, main story beats from the original origin story are preserved, but details throughout were modified for the series. In contrast, the series adheres to and expands upon the only previous description of Otto's childhood, which was given in Spider-Man Unlimited #18.
"Year One: Part One"
Release date: June 16, 2004
Cover date: August, 2004
"Year One: Part Two"
Release date: June 30, 2004
Cover date: August, 2004
"Year One: Part Three"
Release date: September 15, 2004
Cover date: November, 2004
"Year One: Part Four"
Release date: November 3, 2004
Cover date: November, 2004
"Year One: Part Five (Destiny)"
Release date: December 15, 2004
Cover date: December, 2004