The story of Doctor Octopus from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man film trilogy and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Origins[]
Otto Octavius was a scientist by profession who studied science together with Curt Connors. It was at university that he met his future wife Rosalie, who was studying English Literature at the same time. Rosalie also went to work as his laboratory assistant.
Otto dedicated his life to researching and building a sustainable fusion power reactor with his wife's help. He finds funding for his project from Oscorp under the leadership of Harry Osborn, its new head of research development and the company's CEO following his father Norman's death, who Otto shared history with.
Spider-Man 2[]
Meeting Peter Parker[]
One day during the year 2004, Otto is first seen when Harry comes to visit him and introduces him to his best friend Peter Parker, who was writing a paper on him for a university class, ironically taught by his colleague Dr. Curt Connors, to not flunk the course due to his constant absences thanks to his secret role as Spider-Man. Harry expresses his hopes of the awards they can receive for the experiment, though Otto assures him that he isn't doing the experiment for awards but because "intelligence isn't a privilege but a gift" which they must use for the good of mankind. Otto quickly becomes friends with Peter and explains to him how much the experiment means to him, in addition to showing him a set of artificially intelligent mechanical arms impervious to heat and magnetism he developed to help him perform the sustained fusion experiment, though they are controlled by him with a neural inhibitor chip to avoid them taking over his mind. He and Rosalie then talk with Peter, giving him romantic advice due to his relationship with Mary Jane Watson.
Becoming Evil[]
“ | "Doctor Octopus". New villain in town: "Doc Ock". | „ |
~ J. Jonah Jameson decides on a name for the villain. |

Otto Octavius before becoming Doctor Octopus
On the day of the experiment, Peter, Harry, a bunch of journalists and Oscorp associates attend Otto's experiment. During the experiment, however, things start going wrong as the fusion reactor starts dragging and consuming magnets, but Otto refuses to halt it as the reactor overloads and becomes unstable, feeling that he can control it despite Harry's angry demands to shut it off.
Spider-Man arrives soon afterward and tries to shut it down, but Otto knocks him out with his arms. However, the laboratory's windows are broken and the shards stab Rosalie, killing her. Devastated, Otto turns around to see his wife's corpse, but is electrocuted by the reactor and the neural inhibitor chip gets fried, fusing the mechanical arms to his spine and allowing the advanced AI of the arms to influence his mind. Once the fusion reactor stops working, everyone present on the scene is evacuated and Oscorp is left bankrupt, much to Harry's anger.
Unconscious, Otto was taken to a hospital to have the appendages removed, but the tentacles develop their own ability to move at will and brutally kill most of the surgeons, much to Otto's horror once he wakes up. Otto escapes and hides out in an abandoned warehouse by the waterfront. At The Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson and his editor Hoffman discuss what to name him. Hoffman suggests "Doctor Octopus" which Jameson thinks is crap. He then suggests "Science Squid" which J.J also thinks is crap. Hoffman finally suggests the name "Doctor Strange" which J.J. thinks is good, but is already taken. J.J finally settles on Hoffman's original idea (for which he takes credit for himself) and decides to name him "Doctor Octopus" or "Doc Ock" for short.
At the warehouse, Otto laments on the death of his wife and initially intends to drown himself due to his actions, but then notices that the tentacles are talking to him. He then realizes that the inhibitor chip has been destroyed, leading to the tentacles no longer being under his control. The uncontrolled AI within his arms invade his mind, convinces him not to commit suicide and instead advises him to finish the experiment at all costs. While Otto initially believes that Peter was right about him miscalculating, he then claims that he couldn't have been wrong, thereby falling for the tentacles manipulations. The tentacles suggests that he steals money and buys the necessary technology he needs to do finish his experiment, which Otto initially refuses to do because he wasn't a criminal. However. the tentacles then manipulate him him into believing that robbing money would not be a crime but the real crime would be to not complete what he started. Succumbing to his tentacles manipulations, Doctor Octopus then steals some clothes to wear.
Bank Showdown[]

Doctor Octopus stealing money to fund his experiments
As Peter and his aunt are discussing with an accountant at a bank, Doctor Octopus wanting to rob the bank for money to fund his experiments, arrives at the place, wearing a long brown leather duster; exposing his tentacles and ripping off the vault door. When security guards attempt to stop him, he simply throws them out of his way and starts collecting all the money. Peter then changes into Spider-Man and attempts to stop Doctor Octopus. After a short glitch in his powers, Spider-Man manages to recover and soon the two take their fight outside the bank, but Doc Ock takes Aunt May hostage. During their fight, Doc Ock attempts to drop May to her death, but Spider-Man rescues her and she in turn saves him when Doc Ock tries to impale him with a blade within his tentacles by smacking his glasses with her cane. After Spider-Man rescues her, she revises her former opinion of him and realizes that he is a hero. Doctor Octopus escapes unscathed.
Allying with Harry Osborn[]
After acquiring funds from his bank robbery, Doctor Octopus has completed rebuilding his fusion reactor, but is still in need one final item: the tritium which fuels the reactor. Doctor Octopus goes to Harry Osborn's penthouse for it, where he called him a hack. After threateningly dangling him over the edge of the Osborn mansion balcony Harry proposes a deal. Harry agrees to give Doctor Octopus all the tritium he needs in exchange for capturing Spider-Man and bringing him back to him alive. He tells Doctor Octopus that Peter will tell him how to find him, but urges him not to harm his best friend.
Abducting MJ[]
Doctor Octopus destroys a coffee shop where Peter and Mary Jane Watson were meeting. Peter, through his spider-sense throws Mary Jane and himself out of the way of a thrown taxi, but Doctor Octopus abducts Mary Jane and demands Peter to find and tell Spider-Man to meet him at the West Side Market Clock Tower at 3 O'clock or he'll kill MJ.
Train Showdown[]

Doctor Octopus fighting Spider-Man
Spider-Man arrived at the clock tower and demands to know MJ's whereabouts. He then engages Doctor Octopus in a battle, which starts off at the top of the tower, and then they battle down on top of a train. During the battle, Doctor Octopus destroyed the brakes of the train, forcing Spider-Man to rescue the runaway train so he can escape.

Doctor Octopus getting Spider-Man
Spider-Man manages to stop the train before it can plunge over the end of the track, but at great physical exertion. He nearly falls, but the people on the train catch him and pull him up. Doctor Octopus arrived and the passengers defend Spider-Man, but his mechanical arms are too powerful for them. Doctor Octopus captures Spider-Man and delivers him to Harry as arranged. He then takes the tritium for his own. Spider-Man awakens and convinced Harry to reveal Doctor Octopus whereabouts so he can rescue Mary Jane, learning that he was rebuilding his machine and threatening the world.
Final Battle and Demise[]

Doctor Octopus protects his fusion reactor
“ | I will not die a monster. | „ |
~ Doctor Octopus, before bringing the fusion device on top of himself and sinking it in the river as an act of redemption for his crimes and for the death of his beloved wife Rosalie "Rosy" Octavius. |
Spider-Man finds Doctor Octopus in the abandoned warehouse on the waterfront, where he's restarted his fusion experiment. Upon seeing Spider-Man there, Doctor Octopus concludes that he should't have know that Harry couldn't bring himself to kill him and engages him in a battle. During their fight, Mary Jane tries to smack Doctor Octopus, but he knocks her away. As they fight, the fusion reactor grows more and more and starts dragging every magnet of New York City towards itself, like cars.
After battling with Doctor Octopus, Spider-Man manages to stun him with an electric shock. Peter then reveals his true identity to Otto and pleads with him to stop the machine as the mechanical tentacles try to strangle him, reminding him how he taught him that intelligence is a gift and that they must use it for the good of mankind, even convincing him to sacrifice the experiment despite it being his dreams by telling him that sometimes people sacrifice their dreams for the greater good (a callback to a conversation he had with Aunt May when she told him about how much Spider-Man's heroism meant for other people).
Returned to his senses by the shock and Peter's words, Otto Octavius realizes that he is right. Determined to end his doomsday experiment before it causes more harm, forcing his arms to listen to him, Otto tells Peter that the fusion reactor can't be shut down anymore and that the only solution is to sink it. Spider-Man tries to go to do so, but Otto stops him, insisting him to let him do so. Otto proceeds to use his mechanical tentacles to collapse the floor of the building, successfully drowning the fusion device at the cost of his own life, declaring that he would not die like a monster.

Doctor Octopus drowns into the river
In the end, as Spider-Man rescues Mary Jane and they escape from the warehouse, Otto drowns in the river along with the sinking fusion core, whilst the river water also shuts down the tentacles and the manipulative advanced AI that corrupted Octavius' mind playing on his vanity and ego all along, allowing him to not die like a monster and precluding his tentacles from doing any more harm ever again.
Marvel Cinematic Universe[]
Spider-Man: No Way Home[]
Arrival to the MCU[]

Doctor Octopus in the MCU universe, greeting Peter
Twenty years later, when Peter Parker from the MCU/Earth-199999 universe (an alternate's Peter from an alternate universe) accidentally botches Doctor Strange's spell to make everyone forget his secret identity after being outed and framed by Mysterio during the year 2024, the spell spiraled out of control and began bringing in individuals aware of Peter Parker's identity as Spider-Man from every universe within the multiverse into the MCU universe. Despite Strange containing the spell, an alternate version of Octavius as Doctor Octopus is transported into Earth-199999 shortly before his death, specifically from when he was strangling his Peter before he had managed to break through to Octavius. As he arrived in the MCU universe before his redemption and death, Octavius was still being controlled by his tentacles and going by Doctor Octopus. Shortly after arriving in the MCU universe, Doctor Octopus stole some new clothes that resemble his original outfit but with a black turtle neck. Doctor Octopus then encounter the MCU Spider-Man, but believed that he was his. Thinking that the MCU Spider-Man was playing games with him, Doctor Octopus attacked him.

Doctor Octopus finds out that the Spider-Man he was fighting is not his own
Despite attacking him, Doctor Octopus was impressed with MCU Spider-Man's suit and arms that came with it as he thought he outdid himself. After finding out that his suit was made of nanotechnology, Doctor Octopus put a piece of it into his arm then tried to kill the MCU Spider-Man. However, when MCU Spider-Man used the remaining nanites to save himself, Doctor Octopus saw his face as he brought him closer and realized that he isn't his Peter Parker. Unfortunately, Doctor Octopus lost control of his tentacles as MCU Spider-Man took control of them through his nanotechnology.
Although he no longer had physical control of his tentacles, Doctor Octopus could still hear them in his head mentality (due to the A.I) as he attempted to attack the MCU Spider-Man with his bare hands. Then a bomb went off and someone emerged out of the smoke, Doctor Octopus recognized him as his friend and fellow scientist Norman Osborn, but was under the control of his alter ego, Green Goblin. However, before Green Goblin could attack him and the MCU Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus and Peter were teleported away by Doctor Strange. Doctor Octopus was then captured and imprisoned by the two superheroes along with Lizard, who was from another alternate universe (Webb universe).
Confused, Doctor Octopus asked MCU Peter and Strange for answers, but no response. However, overhearing their conversation, Doctor Octopus was shocked to hear that the Multiverse was real and surprised that magic existed, but was skeptical about it. Although, Doctor Octopus was convinced that magic was real until he witnesses Strange use it. Later, Doctor Octopus witness MCU Peter return with guests as he asked him who those two were as he was told that they're his friends, MJ and Ned. Doctor Octopus then introduces himself by his real name to MCU Peter and his friend, which they found funny, much to his annoyance.
Despite being annoyed, confused, and depressed, Doctor Octopus overheard MCU Peter talking to his friend about Norman as he told them his background from his universe. However, Doctor Octopus had an outburst on MCU Peter but quickly calmed down. Also, Doctor Octopus told the MCU Peter that who they saw before couldn't have been Norman as he explained to him and his friends that he died years ago. Doctor Octopus then warned MCU Peter that either what they saw before was someone else or he was chasing a ghost. Later, Doctor Octopus met Electro, who was from the Webbverse like Lizard, and Flint Marko (Sandman), who was from the Raimi universe like him and Norman.

Doctor Octopus in shock to see Norman Osborn/Green Goblin
That next day, Doctor Octopus reunited with Norman himself, who was brought in by the MCU Peter, as he realized that it was him that he saw before as Green Goblin. When Norman asked him as to what happened to him when he saw his tentacles, Doctor Octopus didn't answer him as he told him about his death in their world. However, much to his shock, Doctor Octopus was told by Sandman that he also died in their world while fighting their Spider-Man. Sandman told him of how he drowned with his experiment. At first, Doctor Octopus was unconvinced as he told everyone in the room that he had his Spider-Man by the throat until he realized that it was the only thing he remembers before being brought to the MCU. Through this realization, Doctor Octopus realized that Sandman was telling him the truth.
Doctor Octopus then listens to Electro tell everyone in the room his own fight with his Spider-Man before realizing he was about to die, as he and Norman became sympathetic with him when they found out that he also die fighting the web-slinger. Then, Doctor Octopus witnesses Strange return and was told that he intends to reverse the spell that brought him and the rest of the group to the MCU back to their worlds. Hearing this, an angry Doctor Octopus asked Strange if he and the rest of the group will die once they go back, unaware that Lizard and Sandman were spared from death in their fights with Spider-Man. Seeing Strange reversing the spell, Doctor Octopus became scared until MCU Spider-Man stopped him from sending them back to die.
After MCU Spider-Man trapped Strange in the mirror dimension and returned, Doctor Octopus became surprised that he came back and would go out of his way to save them. Doctor Octopus then asked MCU Spider-Man as to why he didn't leave him and the rest of the villains to die as MJ told him that it isn't who he is. Hearing that MCU Spider-Man intends to help them by freeing them of their problems that caused their villainous natures, Doctor Octopus was skeptical and refused his offer. However, despite this, Doctor Octopus was convinced to come with him when he saw that Norman was willing to go with him.
Getting Cured[]

Doctor Octopus in an apartment
Once he was set free from his imprisonment, Doctor Octopus and the other villains were brought to an apartment owned by a friend of the MCU Parkers. Due to his unstable mind, Doctor Octopus was tied up by his own tentacles. Doctor Octopus asked the MCU Peter that bringing him and the rest of the villains to a condominium, where he reveals his plan to help them instead of using a lab or facility. Also, Doctor Octopus snarked the MCU Peter then told Norman that he's going to kill them all. Unfortunately, Doctor Octopus' problem was easy to convince the MCU Peter and Norman, who was helping him in his plan, that he needed to be fixed first. Hearing that he was going to be helped out first, Doctor Octopus protested and told the MCU Peter that he didn't need fixing.
While in the living room, Doctor Octopus quietly stood by until MCU May Parker approached him and asked him if he wanted something to drink. Doctor Octopus politely accepted her offer. However, Doctor Octopus became confused when MCU May asked if he wanted fresh water or salt because she thought he was part of octopus, but changed the subject. After the MCU Peter and Norman were finished making a new inhibitor chip for him through Stark Tech, Doctor Octopus was set up so Spider-Man could remove the old one and put the new one in. However, Doctor Octopus resisted MCU Peter's efforts to cure him.

Otto Octavius is back
Nevertheless, Doctor Octopus had his chip installed to the back of his neck but lost consciousness, which worried the group. Fortunately, Otto regained consciousness but was frantic until he settles down when he realized that the voices from his tentacles were no longer inside his mind. Realizing that he has control of his own mind again, Otto became emotional and almost broke down. Hearing Norman calling out to him, Otto happily assured his friend that he was himself again. Seeing the MCU Peter removing the connection between his nanotechech suit and his tentacles, Otto used his arms to return the nanites to him as he had control of them once again.
After retuning the nanites, Otto told the MCU Peter that he is grateful for his help in giving him control of his mind and tentacles back. Wanting to help the group, especially his friend, and indebted to MCU Peter, Otto decided to aid him and Norman in making cures for everyone else. Otto was shown the Stark Tech that the MCU Peter and Norman were using as he sees as to how they were able to help him. Later, after realizing his fellow scientist's problem and understanding his situation, Otto talked with Norman as he asked his friend on how it would feel to no longer have Green Goblin inside his head. However, seeing the MCU Peter getting up because of his spider-sense, Otto became worried and followed him to the living room with Norman not too far behind them. When the MCU Peter found out that Green Goblin has reasserted control over Norman's body and convinces the other uncured villains to turn on him and his allies, Otto tried to reach out to his friend, but to no avail. Otto then tried to stop Electro from leaving with the Arc Reactor but blasted him as he attempts to revert him back to Doctor Octopus. Realizing that he's outnumbered, Otto was forced to retreat.
Final Battle[]

Otto Octavius with the Arc Reactor
During the final battle, Otto returned, apparently once again on the side of evil, as he captured two of the Spider-Men (one of whom being his Raimiverse's version of Peter Parker, and the other being the Peter Parker from the Webbverse) in his tentacles. However, Otto revealed that his defection to the villain's side was an act of deception as he immediately turned on Electro, tearing the Arc Reactor from his chest and replacing it with the device that MCU Peter had created to cure him, draining Electro of his powers. Otto examines the Arc Reactor, recognizing it as the kind of fusion power that he had dreamed of creating with his doomed fusion project. Otto is then happily reunited with his universes' Peter , noting on how he has grown up since they last saw each other, before they are interrupted by the arrival of Stephen Strange and an attack by the Goblin. Otto aids Strange in battling the Green Goblin but has the end of one of his tentacles cut off. When the Green Goblin throws a bomb into the Box, it explodes causing scaffolding that they are fighting on to collapse but Otto used his arms to climb safely down, carrying Max with him.

Otto Octavius returns to his home universe
He was subsequently returned to his own reality by Strange with the Arc Reactor in his possession, potentially allowing him to achieve his dream of providing the world an infinite, fusion-based source of energy through safer and efficient means and a second chance at life in a branched/alternate timeline of the Raimiverse, but at the cost of everyone in MCU forgetting who Spider-Man truly is.
Spider-Verse[]
'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse[]
In one of the recent TV spots for the film, Doctor Octopus' voice can be heard from a portal that Miles Morales passes by as he looks for a way to escape from Spider-Man 2099 and his Spider-Army. Octavius is heard saying hello to Peter Parker, a reference to his iconic line of Spider-Man: No Way Home.