Spider-Man has always been one of the most iconic Marvel characters, but in 2014 Spider-Man became one of the most controversial characters in the Marvel universe.

In The Amazing Spider-Man #700, one of Spider-Man’s greatest villains, Doctor Octopus, took control of Spider-Man’s body and mind, and left him in his dying body.

Hardcore Spider-Man fans were livid. They could not understand how Marvel could kill one of their most beloved characters out of the blue; writer Dan Slott even received death threats over the death of Spider-Man.

The Superior Spider-Man series replaced The Amazing Spider-Man as the main Spider-Man title.

The hatred of the new Spider-Man only fueled the series’ popularity. Every issue was a cliffhanger, and fans left every issue wondering when Peter Parker would return as Spidey.

In the year and a half that Doc Ock was Spider-Man, the character went through many drastic changes: he became more violent, smarter, more confident, and meaner. The drama around Spider-Man peaked when he went so far as to kill one of his enemies.

Just because Doctor Octopus was a villain in his own body does not mean he was one in Parker’s body. In fact he did a better job as Spider-Man than Peter Parker ever did.

Every issue in the series was a pageturner and it caught everyone’s eyes, which is exactly what Marvel had hoped for. In my opinion it was one of the most well written comics so far this decade and it brought Spider-Man’s popularity to new heights. Comic reader or not, it is definitely worth a read.