Thread Drift: If Amazing Spider-Man #700 Ended a little differently (spoilers)

[Xistel]

So I just read the last ASM title. It's a nice story, well done. But I'm dropping the title because spoilers:

I'm more interested in reading Peter Parker than I am Spider-Man. If the ending had been reversed (Doc instead of Peter) it would have been a hell of a farewell.

end of spoilers

[John Zaleski]

So I just read the last ASM title. It's a nice story, well done. But I'm dropping the title because I'm more interested in reading Peter Parker than I am Spider-Man. If the ending had been reversed (Doc instead of Peter) it would have been a hell of a farewell.

My thoughts exactly. Both statements above.

[Mister Mets]

So I just read the last ASM title. It's a nice story, well done. But I'm dropping the title because I'm more interested in reading Peter Parker than I am Spider-Man. If the ending had been reversed (Doc instead of Peter) it would have been a hell of a farewell.

That's an interesting point. It would have been a conventional and crowd-pleasing finale if the story ended with Doc Ock sacrificing himself to save Spider-Man (removing the plating in his mask to allow the golden octobot to switch his brain patterns with Peter's). I'm kinda glad it didn't end that way, just because I'm interested in seeing more of Doctor Octopus, even when the Superior Spider-Man era is over.

[TheOther]

That's an interesting point. It would have been a conventional and crowd-pleasing finale if the story ended with Doc Ock sacrificing himself to save Spider-Man (removing the plating in his mask to allow the golden octobot to switch his brain patterns with Peter's). I'm kinda glad it didn't end that way, just because I'm interested in seeing more of Doctor Octopus, even when the Superior Spider-Man era is over.

Exactly. Instead of letting the selfish, egotistical, bastard that is Ock win.

[stillanerd]

That's an interesting point. It would have been a conventional and crowd-pleasing finale if the story ended with Doc Ock sacrificing himself to save Spider-Man (removing the plating in his mask to allow the golden octobot to switch his brain patterns with Peter's). I'm kinda glad it didn't end that way, just because I'm interested in seeing more of Doctor Octopus, even when the Superior Spider-Man era is over.

Which to me raises an interesting question: if we're supposed to conclude that Doctor Octopus has indeed learned the value and importance of life, that he has indeed learned that "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" then why does he NOT feel the least bit guilty or remorseful about the fact that HE was the one who killed Peter Parker? Why, if he truly learned those lessons, did he NOT try to sacrifice his own life and save Peter's by changing his mind and allowing for his and Peter's mind to go back into their own bodies?

[charlesthehammer]

That's an interesting point. It would have been a conventional and crowd-pleasing finale if the story ended with Doc Ock sacrificing himself to save Spider-Man (removing the plating in his mask to allow the golden octobot to switch his brain patterns with Peter's). I'm kinda glad it didn't end that way, just because I'm interested in seeing more of Doctor Octopus, even when the Superior Spider-Man era is over.

Yeah but when you are trying to have a road to redemption arc, you generally don't want to start it by having the reformed villain do something villainous. It undercuts ya a bit.

[Beast]

Exactly. Instead of letting the selfish, egotistical, bastard that is Ock win.

Better than letting the selfish, egotistical, bastard that is Peter Parker win.

[ViewtifulJC]

Better than letting the selfish, egotistical, bastard that is Peter Parker win.

Spoken like a non-Peter Parker fan

[TheOther]

Better than letting the selfish, egotistical, bastard that is Peter Parker win.

Ha. Good one.

[Beast]

Ha. Good one.

Honest one. After all, the guy did sell his marriage/unborn child to "The Devil" for more of Aunt May's Wheatcakes.

[nosocialize100]

That's an interesting point. It would have been a conventional and crowd-pleasing finale if the story ended with Doc Ock sacrificing himself to save Spider-Man (removing the plating in his mask to allow the golden octobot to switch his brain patterns with Peter's). I'm kinda glad it didn't end that way, just because I'm interested in seeing more of Doctor Octopus, even when the Superior Spider-Man era is over.

It sure would have been more poetic. Maybe life changing for Peter too with the lesson that sometimes you gotta kill.

I still believe the whole point of this though is to have Spidey come back from death in super epic fashion.

[Mister Mets]

It sure would have been more poetic. Maybe life changing for Peter too with the lesson that sometimes you gotta kill.

I still believe the whole point of this though is to have Spidey come back from death in super epic fashion.

Oh, I'm sure of it.

The consequences of what Doc Ock did while in Peter's body could also be explored for some time.

So I think the current ending is preferable to the safe ending.

[EuphemismForSex]

I can't say I'm not a fan of heroes winning, so yeah. I would've liked this outcome more. They could even say Otto was trapped in the Golden Octobot instead.

[Choppa]

I hope what ends up happening is that Peter's memories eventually replace Ock's and he basically becomes Peter again.

[Joecooler2u]

To me Peter Parker is trapped in the Gold Octobot and never really died but said his final words in Doc Ock's body as it died. (what happened to that Gold Octobot anyway?) Will he be merged with Doc Ock in Stuperior Spider-Man #1 or will that wait until Peter Parker makes his ultimate comeback as Spider-Man in a year or so? There are real inconsistencies between Amazing Spider-Man #700 and Avenging Spider-Man #15.1. To me Yost had Doc Ock more "in-character" in relation to his history and how he acts in the Avenging issue than Slott did where Doc Ock and frankly Peter and a lot of the supporting cast were all over the place and not acting like you'd expect them to act given the history of the characters (if you followed anywhere near as long as I have). A lot of ASM seemed "forced" to fit the story than natural. What I don't get is how Doc Ock seemed reformed at the end of the issue to basically waking up in Avenging where he was happy he killed Peter. To me the latter is who Doc Ock really is. I can't see him giving a damn that Peter died. Maybe it was just those memories that hit him emotionally at the time of #700 but still I can't see him caring even then.