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Superior Spider-Man Reading Order

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Written by Dan Slott, with artwork by Ryan Stegman, Humberto Ramos, and Giuseppe Camuncoli, The Superior Spider-Man launched in the aftermath of Amazing Spider-Man #700, in which Peter Parker lost his final battle with Doctor Octopus.

Otto Octavius had succeeded in swapping consciousnesses with Peter Parker, leaving Peter to die in Otto’s deteriorating body while taking control of Peter’s. With Peter gone, Otto assumed the role of Spider-Man. True to his personality, however, he had no intention of simply continuing Peter’s legacy. Arrogant as ever, he was convinced that he could be a more effective Spider-Man. Otto set out to improve upon Peter’s methods while attempting, in his own way, to become a better man than he had been as Doctor Octopus. He became the Superior Spider-Man.

The change was controversial, particularly because it meant replacing Peter Parker with one of his oldest enemies, but the series soon established itself as an important chapter in Spider-Man’s history. Otto’s adventures as Spider-Man would eventually come to an end with Peter Parker’s return, but not before he had fundamentally changed the way the character operated and left his own mark on Peter’s world.

That, however, was not the end of the Superior Spider-Man. Otto Octavius would eventually return to the role in later stories. This reading order collects those stories and follows the evolution of the Superior Spider-Man beyond his initial run.

The Superior Spider-Man Reading Order

Who is Doc Ock? Before reading about the Superior Spider-Man, you can learn more about the creation and origins of Doctor Octopus. And if you want to know what came before The Superior Spider-Man series, take a look at our Dan Slott’s Amazing Spider-Man Reading Order.

The Superior Spider-Man Omnibus Edition & Complete Collection

Before we get into a more detailed look at the Superior Spider-Man’s adventures, let’s take a quick look at the omnibus collection, which is all you need to read in two big hardcover books. The first one collects all the issues from the original Superior Spider-Man series by Dan Slott, while the second one covers everything else that followed the end of this first popular run.

  • Superior Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #698-700, and Superior Spider-Man #1-31, and Annual #1-2.
  • Superior Spider-Man Returns Omnibus [2026]
    Collects Avenging Spider-Man #15.1 and #16-22, Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #1-12, Superior Spider-Man (2013) #6au And #32-33, Daredevil (2011) #22, Scarlet Spider (2012) #20, All-New X-Men Special #1, Indestructible Hulk Special #1, Superior Spider-Man Team-Up Special #1, Inhumanity: Superior Spider-Man, Superior Spider-Man (2018) #1-12, Superior Spider-Man Returns #1, Superior Spider-Man (2023) #1-8, and material from Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #31 And Superior Octopus #1.
Superior Spider-Man #2

This original Superior Spider-Man run has also been collected in the Complete Collection in two volumes. Though they are harder to find now, they are still available in digital format.

The Superior Spider-Man Comics in Order: The Collected Editions

🕷 If you are looking for an issue-by-issue reading order of the Superior Spider-Man comics, it’s in the next section!

I. Otto Octavius, The Superior Spider-Man

Peter Parker is dead (in Amazing Spider-Man #700), and Otto Octavius is now Spider-Man. But becoming the hero is only the beginning of Otto’s attempt to prove that he can be superior to Peter Parker. 

The most important books to read are in bold. 

Clearly, Age of Ultron is optional, but since the Superior Spider-Man was the official Spider-Man at the time, Otto played a role in the event. For more information, see our Age of Ultron Reading Order.

Alert Crossover Event! Jonathan Hickman’s Infinity crossover event is set around the Avengers and the Mighty Avengers, but the Superior Spider-Man naturally played his part in the event. For more information, go to our Infinity Reading Order (which includes Inhumanity).

II. From Superior Spider-Man to Superior Octopus, then back again

After the Goblin Nation storyline, Peter Parker regained control of his body and returned as the Amazing Spider-Man. But Otto Octavius was not gone for good. He returned as the Superior Spider-Man during the *Spider-Verse* storyline, with the event’s multiverse and time-travel elements providing a way to bring him back.

During Spider-Verse, Otto discovered that Peter would eventually reclaim his body and, as revealed later, began making preparations to ensure his own survival. Those preparations would ultimately lead to Otto’s return during the Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy storyline.

  • Amazing Spider-Man: Edge of Spider-Verse
    Collects Edge of Spider-Verse #1-5.
  • Spider-verse
    Collects Amazing Spider-Man (2014) #7-15, Superior Spider-Man #32-33, Spider-Verse #1-2, Spider-Verse Team-Up #1-3, Scarlet Spiders #1-3, Spider-Woman (2014) #1-4, Spider-Man 2099 (2014) #6-8, and Material From Free Comic Book Day 2014 (Guardians Of The Galaxy) #1.

Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy centers on the Jackal’s attempt to conquer death through cloning, resurrecting dead heroes and villains and offering the possibility of a second chance to those left behind. As Peter Parker investigates New U Technologies and its increasingly dangerous cloning process, Otto Octavius’ consciousness also resurfaces, determined to reclaim his body and return to his former life. Check out our Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy Reading Order for a detailed look at the event and the collected editions.

Amazing Spider-Man (2015) #25

In Amazing Spider-Man (2015) #25, collected in Amazing Spider-Man: Worldwide Vol. 6, Otto Octavius emerged in a new body and adopted a new identity: the Superior Octopus. His next major appearance came during the Secret Empire event, where Otto allied himself with Hydra and set his sights on Parker Industries.

Being a villain again, the Superior Octopus eventually gets another chance at redemption during the “Go Down Swinging” storyline. When the Red Goblin threatens Aunt May, Otto chooses to protect her, putting himself in harm’s way and proving that some of Peter Parker’s sense of responsibility still remains within him. Peter recognizes the act and grants Otto a clean slate, setting the stage for his next chapter.

Now a hero, the Superior Octopus joined the other Spiders during the Spider-Geddon storyline, helping them once again fight the Inheritors. The event also marked an important step in Otto’s evolution, as he began to genuinely embrace his role as a hero. For the full reading order for the event, see our Spider-Geddon Reading Order.

After Spider-Geddon, Marvel launched the second volume of The Superior Spider-Man. Written by Christos Gage and illustrated by Mike Hawthorne, the series follows Otto Octavius as he resumes his career as the Superior Spider-Man, this time protecting San Francisco with the hired assistance of the Night Shift.

The Superior Spider-Man Issue-by-Issue Reading Order

This is the reading order, issue-by-issue, of Volume 1 of The Superior Spider-Man series.

  • Avenging Spider-Man #15.1
  • Superior Spider-Man #1
  • Daredevil vol. 3 #21-22
  • Superior Spider-Man #2
  • Avenging Spider-Man #16
  • Superior Spider-Man #3-5
  • Avengers v5 #6-9
  • Avenging Spider-Man #17
  • Avengers v5 #12-13
  • Avenging Spider-Man #18
  • Superior Spider-Man #6
    • Age of Ultron #1-2
    • Superior Spider-Man #6 AU
    • Age of Ultron #3-10
  • Avenging Spider-Man #19
  • Superior Spider-Man #7-9
    • Morbius – The Living Vampire #6-7
  • Superior Spider-Man #10
  • Avenging Spider-Man #20-21
  • Superior Spider-Man #11
  • Alpha – Big Time #1-5
  • Superior Spider-Man #12-13
  • Avenging Spider-Man #22
  • Superior Spider-Man #14
  • Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #1
  • Superior Spider-Man #15-16
  • Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #2
  • Scarlet Spider #20
  • Superior Spider-Man #17-19
  • All New X-Men Special #1
  • Indestructible Hulk Special #1
  • Superior Spider-Man Team-Up Special #1
  • Avengers v5 #14-17
  • Mighty Avengers v2 #1-3
  • Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #3-7
  • Superior Spider-Man #20-21
  • Superior Spider-Man Annual #1
  • Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #8
  • Superior Spider-Man #22-25
  • Inhumanity #1-2
  • Inhumanity: Superior Spider-Man #1
  • Mighty Avengers v2 #4-5
  • Superior Carnage #1-5, Annual #1
  • Superior Spider-Man #26
  • Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #9-10
  • Superior Spider-Man #27-29
  • Superior Spider-Man Annual #2
  • Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #11-12
  • Superior Spider-Man #30-31

After The Superior Spider-Man ended

At the end of The Superior Spider-Man Volume 2, Doctor Octopus left his Superior Spider-Man outfit in the garbage behind him. At that time, Nick Spencer had become the writer of the main Spider-Man series and didn’t bring back Otto immediately. The Doctor made his comeback in The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 5) #67 and played a part in the Sinister War storyline.

Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #31.

Superior Spider-Man’s Returns

In 2023, Dan Slott, who came back to writing more Spider-Man stories, launched a new Superior Spider-Man series. It’s not Otto back in Peter’s body, but the story is a sequel to the original series, building on some actions Otto took as the web-slinger.

Will the Superior Spider-Man come back one day? We never know!

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