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The worst sidekick Spider-Man ever had did little to complement the iconic Marvel superhero, and ultimately ended up a tragic casualty of Civil War.
Despite the best efforts of J. Jonah Jameson to paint him as a menace, Spider-Man has always been one of the most inspiring heroes in the Marvel Universe. Whether it’s inspiring young heroes like Miles Morales, earning the respect of established veterans like Captain America, or even assisting in the redemption of former enemies like Eddie Brock, Peter Parker has proven time and again that his greatest superpower might be his unique ability to bring out the best in the people around him.
Not everyone Spider-Man’s inspired has gone on to do bigger and better things, however. One of the best and worst examples is Oliver Osnick, a young man who Spider-Man weened away by a life of crime who ended up taking his adoration for the Web-Slinger too far and going down a path of self-destructive heroism that ultimately cost him his family, his future, and a limb.
Oliver originally admired Dr. Octopus, who he felt a kinship with due to their shared backgrounds as intelligent but unpopular children. Building himself a set of mechanical tentacles, Oliver led a group of supervillain-inspired children on a short-lived crime spree until Spider-Man stopped him. Instead of turning him in, Spider-Man gently lectures Oliver and encourages him to put his extraordinary intelligence to better use. Inspired by Spider-Man’s words, Oliver modified his legs and took on the alias of “Spider-Kid”, dedicating himself to fighting crime like his newfound idol.
Unfortunately, Oliver’s inexperience results in him doing more harm than good, forcing Spider-Man to drop whatever he’s doing and bail Oliver out of whatever trouble he’s found himself in. Eventually, Spider-Man can convince Oliver that he’s just too young to be a superhero and that he should slow down and enjoy his childhood before it passes him by. Heeding his advice, Oliver spends the next few years as an ordinary young man, taking the time to get into better shape and forming a romantic relationship with his childhood crush Jane Lane. An attack on Jane by a group of muggers briefly drives him back to super-heroics, but Spider-Man once again convinces him to not give up on his chance at an ordinary life.
For the next few years, Oliver lives peacefully in Arizona with Jane, who was unfortunately paralyzed from the waist down by a stray bullet during the mugging. All of this changes when the Superhuman Registration Act becomes law, triggering the events of Civil War. Seeing Spider-Man publicly defy the Registration Act even after he unmasked himself reignites Oliver’s passion to be a superhero. Dusting off his old tech, Oliver leaps back into the world of crimefighting under the alias of “Steel-Spider”.
Right from the beginning, there are some disturbing signs that Oliver is taking his desire to be like Spider-Man too far. Oliver proves to be an overzealous hero, viciously taking down any criminals he comes across and bluntly defying the Registration Act. His relationships with his family and loved ones also become extremely strained, especially after it’s revealed that he’s paying for the upgrades to his equipment by blowing through his family’s savings. After Norman seizes control of S.H.I.E.L.D and transforms it into H.A.M.M.E.R, things only get worse for Oliver, who responds by doubling down on his obsession with being a hero.
By the time the Thunderbolts finally track him down, Oliver has completely given up on his civilian identity, having decided that being like Spider-Man is more important to him than his family is. Among the Thunderbolts is the Venomized Mac Gargan, who proceeds to rip off and devour Oliver’s arm when he refuses to be taken into custody. Oliver’s status in the wake of Osborn’s fall from grace after his siege of Asgard is unknown. While it can be assumed that Oliver was released like all the other heroes Osborn had imprisoned, there wasn’t much of a life left for him.
Oliver is a sad example of a promising young hero losing themselves to their own desire to help others. Oliver’s admiration for Spider-Man blinded him to the realities of being a superhero, and he ultimately chose to throw away everything the wall-crawler tried to teach him in his attempts to emulate his idol.
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