Along with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 being considered one of the greatest superhero movies of all time, Doc Ock is considered one of the genre's greatest villains. Alfred Molina plays Otto Octavius aka Doc Ock with charm, intimidation, fun, and complexity.
Fans are thrilled Molina will be returning to the role for the upcoming MCU sequel Spider-Man: No Way Home, thanks to the multiverse. And as fans will no doubt be revisiting Spider-Man 2 in preparation, they can enjoy some of Doc Ock's best quotes that help make him such a good bad guy.
"You've Stuck Your Webs Into My Business For The Last Time!"
One of the great things about Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies is that he is always totally willing to be at least a little campy. While many superhero movies that followed tried to approach the genre in a grounded or gritty way, Raimi embraces the silliness of the source material.
When Spider-Man and Doc Ock face-off, Ock delivers a villain line that feels like it could have been lifted directly from the pages of Marvel comics. And yet with Molina's sincere performance, it never makes the villain laughable.
"Love Should Never Be A Secret."
Much like other Spider-Man movies, Spider-Man 2 allows Peter to develop a bond with Octavius before they become enemies. When Peter goes to speak to the professor for a school assignment, Octavius is a helpful mentor figure.
Not only does Octavius offer guidance for Peter's studies, but he also gives him some advice on Peter's complicated love life, encouraging him to tell Mary Jane how he feels. It is a rare moment of a bad guy talking to his adversary on a personal level and proves Doc Ock is a villain worthy of redemption.
"Butterfingers."
When Octavius becomes controlled by his mechanical arms, he really leans into being a bad guy and can be quite evil. In fact, after robbing a bank, Doc Ock uses Aunt May as a hostage which Spider-Man doesn't stand for.
While hanging on the side of a building, Spider-Man tries to convince Doc Ock to hand over Aunt May. Instead, Doc Ock drops her and wryly blames it on "Butterfingers." While he was charming before his accident, Doc Ock proves he can have a lot a fun being the villain.
"You Have A Train To Catch."
One of the most iconic moments in the Spider-Man trilogy is the battle between Spider-Man and Doc Ock on a speeding train through New York City. It is one of the best action sequences in any superhero movie and really establishes Doc Ock as a great villain.
Once again, the movie benefits from mixing the sincerity of a live-action movie with a bit of cartoonish energy. When Doc Ock disables the breaks and makes a pun about Peter catching a train, he perfectly walks that thin line between being a fun villain and being way over-the-top.
"That's Right... The Real Crime Would Be Not To Finish What We Started."
One of the most best aspects of Raimi's version of Doc Ock is the influence his mechanical arms have over him. When the accident destroys his inhibitor chip, he begins having conversations with these robotic limbs as if they were literal devils on his shoulder, telling him to do bad things.
After the accident, Doc Ock begins talking to the arms for the first time. It is an interesting one-way conversation as Doc Ock is convinced to continue his project despite its obvious danger. It is especially intriguing when the arms convince him to become a criminal to fund the project.
"Peter Parker? Brilliant But Lazy."
During the climactic battle in Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man is able to knock some sense in Doc Ock. He is momentarily shaken from the trance he's been under and he recognizes Peter. In fact, he remembers Dr. Connors's assessment of the young student as "brilliant but lazy."
In the midst of Doc Ock nearly destroying the entire city, he reverts back to that charming mentor and remembers Peter as the young student he formed a bond with. The first trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home hints at Doc Ock remembering Peter so it will be interesting to see if there is any of that bond left.
"Listen To Me Now!"
Once Peter is able to speak to Octavius, it is clear that the good part of him is still inside somewhere. Peter is able to convince Doc Ock that his machine needs to be shut down before it destroys the city but then Doc Ock has to convince his arms as well.
It is a defining moment for the character when he regains his agency and is able to become a hero again. After the mechanical arms had control over him for so long, he is able to use his own willpower to overcome them and make them listen to him.
"Find Him. Or I'll Peel The Flesh Off Her Bones."
What makes Doc Ock such a great villain in Spider-Man 2 is that, along with whatever sympathy the audience might have for him, he is still able to be an intimidating baddie. When Harry Osborn betrays Peter Parker and sends Doc Ock after him, Doc Ock is able to show just how menacing he can be.
After throwing a car through a café window, Doc Ock grabs Mary Jane. Confronting Peter, he tells him to deliver Spider-Man to him before giving a really terrifying threat to Mary Jane. The way the mechanical arm snaps after Doc Ock's threat makes it even more memorable.
"I Will Not Die A Monster."
Even though he is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes in the comics, Spider-Man 2 allows Doc Ock to be a tragic villain. Not only can he not be completely to blame for his crimes, but he also gets a sacrificial death in the end.
With his device overloading and threatening to consume the city, Doc Ock realizes the only way to stop it is by throwing it into the river. He knows it is an act that will kill him as well, but before he goes down with it, he is determined to redeem himself at all costs.
"The Power Of The Sun In The Palm Of My Hand."
Doc Ock's experiment to develop a fusion power device which becomes his obsession throughout the whole movie. And while Doc Ock does get corrupted by the mechanical arms following an accident, it is clear he has already developed a bit of a god complex due to this work.
As the fusion power kicks in, he says "The power of the sun in the palm of my hand" which becomes a repeated line for the character. It is interesting how the line changes over the course of the movie, starting as hopeful before becoming maniacal.