"His powers do kind of match Spider-Man's, in terms of strength and versatility," Molina said. "The irony is that, with the tentacles, he's almost as spidery as Spider-Man. I'm sure that wasn't an accidental thing, but probably a subversion of the artists."

Also like Peter/Spidey, Ock is torn by inner torment.

"That's the interesting thing about Marvel characters, both villains and heroes," Molina said. "They're all rather reluctant. I think that helped (director) Sam Raimi to push a little bit and extend the story's possibilities."