The Superior Spider-Man is back, and he's going to be better than ever! While writer Christos Gage and artist Mike Hawthorne's new ongoing title doesn't launch until December, Marvel's February solicitations have revealed some details about the upcoming series, including a cosmic upgrade for former (current?) villain Otto Octavius/Elliot Tolliver.

Superior Spider-Man #3 will see Otto face off against Terrax, the former Herald of Galactus. Terrax is a tough foe for any Spider-Person, so Otto "somehow turns himself into the COSMICALLY POWERED SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN" to deal with the powerful threat. How Otto manages to do that is the big question, though he wouldn't be the first villain to accomplish the task. Doctor Doom and Red Skull have both achieved cosmic abilities in the past, through manipulation of cosmic entities like the Silver Surfer or weapons like the Cosmic Cube. It's possible Otto could follow their footsteps when achieving his new cosmic status, though it will probably only be a temporary adjustment.

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Peter Parker has also been cosmically powered way back in the 90s when the Uni-Power chose him to be the next Captain Universe. Captain Universe Spidey took on powerhouses like Magneto, Hulk and the Tri-Sentinel before the Uni-Power sought out a new host, though a version of the character reappeared briefly during Dan Slott's Spider-Verse event, which was actually integral to the survival of Otto's Superior Spider-Man. During the event, Otto figured out that the Earth-616 Spider-Man was actually from his future, meaning Parker would eventually take back control of his body and defeat Octavius. Being the Superior Spider-Man, this allowed Otto to prepare for this eventuality, which eventually led to his rebirth as Elliot Tolliver, aka the Superior Octopus.

Despite his return to villainy, Otto redeemed himself to Spider-Man when he defended Aunt May from the Red Goblin in Slott's "Go Down Swinging" finale, earning him a second chance in Parker's eyes. Octavius/Tolliver is currently appearing in Spider-Geddon along with every other Spider-Man ever as they deal with the return of the Spider-Totem snacking Inheritors, where he readopted the Superior Spider-Man identity. Spider-Geddon will then lead into the new ongoing from Gage and Hawthorne, with Otto attempting to be a hero again for the city of San Francisco.

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The cover and solicitation for Superior Spider-Man #3 can be found below:

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #3

  • CHRISTOS GAGE (W) • MIKE HAWTHORNE (A)
  • Cover by TRAVIS CHAREST
  • CAPTAIN MARVEL VARIANT COVER BY JESUS SAIZ
  • Outpowered and outclassed by Terrax, Otto Octavius somehow turns himself into the COSMICALLY POWERED SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN!
  • This may not be enough to defeat Terrax, but if so, is the world ready for an Otto Octavius with this level of power?!
  • 32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Superior Spider-Man #3 hits stores in February.