Warning: The following contains spoilers for Sinister War #4, on sale now from Marvel.
During his time as the Superior Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus demonstrated plenty of impressive tactics which Peter Parker never tried before. Since then though, Otto Octavius reverted to his old ways. Yet in Sinister War #4, by Nick Spencer, Ed Brisson, Mark Bagley, Dio Neves, Marcelo Ferreira, Andrew Hennessy, Andy Owens, Brian Reber, Andrew Crossley and VC's Joe Caramagna, Doctor Octopus shows that he still has the skills of the Superior Spider-Man.
Otto makes his rather impressive move at the climax of the issue, when all of the odds are stacked against Spider-Man. Even though some of the web-slinger's foes have taken his side, most of Spider-Man's enemies have him surrounded, and he is about to fall. Suddenly, Otto emerges from the shadows, unleashing a device that knocks out everyone except for Spider-Man and himself, saving the day. Apparently, Octavius was able to figure out how Kindred was using his centipedes to control all of Spider-Man's foes. Afterward, Doctor Octopus used Black Ant's helmet, adjusting its control over ants so that it could control the centipedes. The resulting ultrasonic transducer caused the centipedes to explode, knocking everyone out for the moment.
It's true that Doctor Octopus hasn't been the Superior Spider-Man for some time. However, Otto boasts the same level of intelligence that he's always possessed, whether he was Doctor Octopus or Spider-Man. It's Otto's mind which made him such a different Spider-Man than Peter Parker in the first place. While Peter Parker is also incredibly smart, Otto's intelligence was a bigger factor in his tenure as the Superior Spider-Man. Moreover, Otto had a different understanding of responsibility than Peter, allowing him to use his intelligence for a variety of new methods.
Whether he was creating an army of Spider-Bots to patrol the city or new devices to take down his enemies, Otto used his brilliant mind to guide his crime-fighting career. It's this mind which allowed Otto to create the device which saved Spider-Man during "Sinister War." Most impressively, Octavius crafted this gadget with a limited time window and few resources, demonstrating his incredible intelligence and quick thinking. Of course, as Otto admits, he didn't use this device to save Spider-Man. Doctor Octopus mainly took out Spider-Man's foes so he could get back at Kindred, who tried to subject Otto to his control. This is pretty in-character for Otto, who, even as the Superior Spider-Man, would often do the right thing for the wrong reasons.
It's interesting to note that Doctor Octopus turned on Kindred primarily because Kindred turned back on their deal, where he promised Otto that he would regain his life and memories as the Superior Spider-Man. In doing so, Octavius showed that he still has what it takes to be the hero he once was. More importantly, Otto showed what distinguishes his heroism from Peter Parker's. While Peter was heroically facing down some of his toughest foes, Otto was plotting in the background, devising a more subtle, clever means of victory.
Otto isn't normally one to go for the big, heroic moments that Peter does. Instead, he comes up with intelligent solutions, such as this one, to take down his enemies. His motives may have been skewed, but Doctor Octopus used his intelligence to do some real good, saving Spider-Man and foiling Kindred's plans. Even afterwards, Doctor Octopus walks away, letting Spider-Man go free. Going forward, it's possible that Otto will find his own path, away from Kindred, where he can further demonstrate his growth as a character.