WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Spider-Geddon #3 & #4 by Christos Gage and Jorge Molina, on sale now.
The role of Spider-Man has evolved over the years, especially in the last decade. In that time, fans have met Ghost Spider, Silk, Spiderling, Spider-Punk, Spiders-Man and plenty more taking on the Spider-Hero mantle. The most instantly iconic was Miles Morales, the Spider-Man who succeeded Peter Parker in the Ultimate Universe before moving into the mainstream Marvel Universe.
In that time, we've also been introduced to potentially the most controversial version of Spider-Man ever: Otto Octavius, former Doctor Octopus and the self-titled Superior Spider-Man. Otto is a villain having a crisis of conscience, trying to learn to become a hero despite every impulse leaning towards villainous acts. Both characters have proven compelling in their own right. Miles, in particular, has become one of the defining characters of the modern era.
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Miles and Otto have risen to the forefront of Spider-Geddon, their competing moralities and qualities pushing against one another throughout the event. Their interactions alone are some of the best beats in the entire event, and their reluctant respect for one another should continue even after the story ends.
An Unlikely Duo
The best duos are usually defined by their differences as much as they are by their similarities. It’s the classic good cop/bad cop routine: One of them follows a moral code that puts them in direct conflict with their partner, who defines themselves as a “lone wolf” willing to do “whatever it takes” to see justice done. That describes almost every contrasting duo ever, perfectly summarizing how Miles Morales and Otto Octavius bounce off one another in Spider-Geddon.
Miles is the well-meaning rookie, literally a foundational members of the current “future generation of the Marvel Universe” team. He is here to be a superhero, not a killer. He’s a good kid, with a strong enough moral base that his refusal to kill a Nazi Captain America can form the emotional crux of an entire Marvel Universe crossover.
NEXT PAGE: Miles and Otto Are at Their Best When "Working" Together
Otto, on the other hand, would have straight murdered that Hydra Captain America within seconds. He’s a cruelly logical man, trying to approach things with numbers, not morality. This is a man who will instinctively save a little boy from danger (because of course), only to yell at himself for being “weak” and risking the lives of everyone else around him just to save one child. Inherently, their differences make them an interesting pair, both with good intentions but very different ways to achieve that end.
Good Spider, Bad Spider
Throughout Spider-Geddon, Miles and Otto have been portrayed as being in a sharp contrast to one another. While Miles tries to be cautious when he goes to confront Otto over his cloning tanks, Otto jumps the gun and immediately gets himself into a fight with other heroes. Miles tries to unite an army of Spider-Heroes to work together and save lives, while Otto promptly recruits people who know their way around murder. They barely agree on who they’re fighting, let alone on how to work together.
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But what makes them so interesting is when they're paired together. In Spider-Geddon #3 & #4, both characters bring out the best in one another. When Miles talks to Otto, he learns something new about how to make decisions, not just as a hero, but as a leader. Meanwhile, Otto learns from Miles about how to compromise and work with other heroes, even when they disagree with him.
That’s a huge step forward for someone who used to literally lead a supervillain team. While Otto does recognize, and even respect, Miles, he’s not willing to trust him out of sheer misguided self-confidence. He doesn’t consider Miles an equal. He even attempts to sacrifice Ben Reilly without warning, knowing that Miles and the others would fight him on it. There's room for the two to bounce off one another, debating the morality and effect of their heroics. Which is exactly why them being forced together would make for the best potential team-up Spider-Man comic.
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Dream Team
Miles is the hero, the true successor of the ideal of being amazing, spectacular and sensational. Miles risks his life to save anyone and everyone, and is an honest-to-goodness hero. Meanwhile, Otto is the brilliant scientist who wants to be better than he used to be. Like Peter, Otto is trying to redeem his prior mistakes while Miles is trying to change the world for the better.
They both reflect the core of what being Spider-Man means, in completely different ways. Their attempts to work together despite their differences only make them more compelling. Spider-Geddon has proven that Miles and Otto are kind of perfect with one another and deserve their own spinoff.