The greatest gift in the history of humankind--or its deadliest weapon! But why can't I remember my most brilliant triumph? Dear God in Heaven! What did I do... all those years ago?! 
Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
- Doctor Octopus / Spider-Man (Dr. Otto Octavius) (Main story and flashback)
Supporting Characters:
- Spiderlings (Only in flashback)
- Number 23 (Only in flashback)
- Horizon Labs (Only in flashback)
- The Living Brain (Only in flashback)
- Grady Scraps (Only in flashback)
- Anna Maria Marconi (Only in flashback)
Antagonists:
- Slyde (Jalome Beacher) (Only in flashback)
- Supernova (Estrella Lopez) (First appearance) (Main story and flashback)
- AIM (Only in flashback)
- Quintronic Man (Only in flashback)
Other Characters:
- Death (Referenced)
- Antonio Salieri (Referenced)
- Spider-Man (Peter Parker) (Only in recap)
- God (Invoked)
- Alchemax (Mentioned)
- NYPD (Only in flashback)
- Max Modell (Mentioned)
- Future Foundation (Mentioned)
- Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) (Mentioned)
- Daredevil (Matt Murdock) (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- New York (Main story and flashback)
- New York City (Main story and flashback)
- Manhattan (Main story and flashback)
- Atomic Research Center (Main story and flashback)
- East River Drive (Only in flashback)
- South Street Seaport (Only in flashback)
- Empire State University (Only in flashback)
- Central Park (Only in flashback)
- Tavern on the Green (Only in flashback)
- Empire State Building (Only in flashback)
- Broadway (Only in flashback)
- 103rd Street (Only in flashback)
- Manhattan (Main story and flashback)
- Hudson Valley (Only in flashback)
- New York City (Main story and flashback)
- New York (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- Heaven (Invoked)
- Hell (Invoked)
Items:
- Doctor Octopus' Tentacles (Main story and recap)
- Octobot (Only in recap)
- Spider-Man's Suit (Only in recap)
- Superior Spider-Man's Suit and Web-Shooters (Only in flashback)
- Spider-Bots (Only in flashback)
Vehicles:
- Arachnaughts (Only in flashback)
Synopsis for 1st story
Otto returns to the research center where he became Doctor Octopus, thinking about his life and how for years he tried to maintain a stable fusion in order to create a new and very powerful source of energy. Entering a dungeon, he finds a dodecahedron in which he apparently sealed this energy source, but cannot remember how he stabilized it. Years ago during his time as Spider-Man, Otto captured Slyde and took possession of the tritium he had stolen and decided to use it to complete his old project of creating a miniature star that would grant unlimited energy. However, he did not want to do it at Horizon Labs, because otherwise Max Modell would benefit from the fruits of his discovery and so he returned to the basement of the old research center and hired Estrella Lopez as an assistant. However, despite all his efforts, he was unable to stabilize the reaction and took over one of Estrelle's intuitions, without giving her any credit, so she tried to complete the experiment alone out of spite. Due to an accident, however, she transformed into a human supernova and Otto locked her in the dodecahedron, without food or water (which she didn't need), nor company or distractions. In the present, not remembering what is inside, Otto opens the dodecahedron, freeing Estrella. Seeing her brings back his memories of her, but she, having no idea that he is responsible for her captivity, shouts that she will go kill Spider-Man, much to Doc Ock's satisfaction.
Solicit Synopsis
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN WEB-SLINGS AGAIN!
The spider-team that redefined the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN returns to celebrate the TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the most monumental and shocking Spidey story in a generation! DAN SLOTT. RYAN STEGMAN. MARK BAGLEY. GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI. HUMBERTO RAMOS. Peter Parker. Doc Ock. Together again for a Spider-Man story SUPERIOR to all others!See Also
- 7 image(s) from Superior Spider-Man Returns Vol 1 1
- 1 reprint(s) of Superior Spider-Man Returns Vol 1 1