A new variant cover revealed by a Marvel artist on Twitter features Doc Ock walking away from a scene with a similar air to Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight (2008). Devil’s Reign: Superior Four #1 will feature Spider-Man’s foe on a journey through the multiverse. After catching a break thanks to Kingpin, Doc Ock is ready for his next big opportunity.
Devil’s Reign is an upcoming Marvel Comics event that is slated to begin on December 8. It will continue into January. It spins out of Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s run on Daredevil and will include many heroes and villains. Daredevil will be partnering up with his old associates – the Avengers – to take down Kingpin and his latest threats. In addition to Doc Ock’s issue, other issues will include Spider-Woman #19, Devil’s Reign: X-Men #1, Devil’s Reign: Winter Soldier #1, and even Devil’s Reign: Villains for Hire #1. The Luke Cage miniseries that was supposed to be an integral issue to this event was recently revealed to be canceled. However, the event continues on and the newest variant cover is truly villainous.
On Twitter, comic artist Dike Ruan shared a new variant cover for the upcoming Devil’s Reign: Superior Four #1, with colors done by Matt Wilson. This issue has the creative team of Zac Thompson, Davide Tinto, and Ivan Shavrin. It features Doc Ock in the center, similar to the main cover for the issue, except with a twist. The iconic villain is walking away cheerfully from a fiery scene while wearing a white suit. Visually, it is very similar to when Heath Ledger’s Joker walked away from the hospital he blew up while wearing a white nurse’s uniform. The background in this cover art predominantly contains police vehicles, but it doesn’t make his nonchalance any less chilling.
This candid art of Doctor Octopus has dual versions, with one in black and white, and the other in color. Both are stunning. A noteworthy aspect is that Doc Ock appears much more like Kingpin within it. Instead of his traditional green and yellow costume – or even the lab coat he’s been known to wear, he is in a suit. The all-white suit paired with a dark shirt looks like it was pulled directly from Wilson Fisk’s closet. Whether this is a nod to his benefactor or an alternate version of Doc Ock within the multiverse, it is definitely a bold new style choice.
The issue’s synopsis mentions the Marvel villain traveling through the multiverse and putting together an army full of his own variants. The main cover for the series featured Doc Ock from Earth-616, standing alongside other Doc Ocks over the numbers 614, 615, and 617. The Doc Ock featured in Ruan’s variant could very well be one from an alternate universe – or this could just be an artistic nod to the core villain of this soon-to-release event.
Doc Ock has had many opportunities to excel within his villainous career. He has taken over Spider-Man’s body, led the Sinister Six, and he’s also had success within Marvel’s movie universes. However, his partnership with Kingpin may lead him to his best opportunity yet. Good help is hard to find, but having yourself as help might be exactly what this villain needs – unless he’s the kind of villain who will get in his own way. This newest variant brings together many villainous vibes, combining the look of Kingpin with the evil swagger of Heath Ledger’s Joker into one ready for action Doc Ock – just in time for Devil’s Reign: Superior Five #1, which releases January 12.
