The failure of the first experiment brought to mind a conversation he once had with Peter. He believed he had learned his lesson. This time, he was sure to succeed!
"Stop right there, Doctor Octopus!" Peter (Earth-616) released his grip and dropped from the ceiling, landing right next to Doctor Octopus.
Doctor Octopus spun around instantly, his expression tense upon recognizing the Spider-Man who had so easily defeated him. "You're here to stop me? Why? I only want to complete my experiment for the good of all humanity!" Doctor Octopus roared. "Do you know what this experiment, if successful, will bring to mankind?" "It's Energy! The power of the sun! Infinite Energy!" Doctor Octopus's own arms and mechanical tentacles all waved wildly in excitement, making him truly resemble an octopus.
Peter applauded lightly: "That is certainly a noble ideal. I fully agree with your aspirations. Successful fusion energy could provide humanity with the cleanest and most inexhaustible energy source. However, your experiment is flawed, and your methodology is incorrect."
"What do you know? How dare you claim my experiment is flawed?" Challenged on his professional expertise, Doctor Octopus momentarily forgot the threat Peter posed, arguing vehemently.
"If I'm not mistaken, the method you are currently using is Inertial Confinement Fusion," Peter stated confidently. "You compress a few milligrams of solid deuterium and tritium mixture, sealed inside that millimeter-sized sphere. Then, using external, uniformly directed laser beams, the surface of the sphere is heated and vaporized outward, using the resulting reaction force to compress the inner layer."
"Inertial Confinement... what a splendid term!" Doctor Octopus's eyes lit up. His previously dismissive expression instantly changed to one of respect and seriousness. As a brilliant nuclear physicist, he was supremely confident in his professional knowledge. He had earned that right. The fusion technology Doctor Octopus was experimenting with was still only in the theoretical and testing phases in Peter's era, which was decades ahead of this one. Yet, he had independently achieved the lab setup and preliminary results! He relied only on himself because few could keep up with his thinking.
Peter looked at Doctor Octopus, continuing his monologue based on scientific journals he'd read: "When the deuterium-tritium gas mixture inside the sphere is compressed, its pressure and temperature rise sharply. Once it reaches the ignition temperature, the mixture explodes, releasing vast amounts of heat. This explosion lasts only a few picoseconds. But if this explosion occurs three or four times every second and is sustained, the released energy would be equivalent to a million-kilowatt power plant!"
"Am I correct, esteemed Dr. Otto Octavius?"
"You are absolutely correct!" Doctor Octopus's face was flushed with excitement, and he stared at Peter. This was the first time anyone had resonated with him intellectually! In the past, even his friend Peter Parker had only offered mildly interesting opinions based on existing knowledge. But this new Spider-Man saw the future, just like him!
"This is truly astonishing! What is your name? I think, perhaps, we could be friends?" Doctor Octopus was overcome with excitement.
Peter removed his mask; Doctor Octopus had already seen his face. He smiled slightly: "My name is Peter."
"Peter? You are also named Peter?" Doctor Octopus was slightly surprised. Peter's chosen English name was "Peter," the name he used while studying abroad, identical to Peter Parker's.
Peter shook his head slightly: "As you can see, I am Asian, so actually, Bi is my surname."
"Ah! I see!" Doctor Octopus nodded. "Well then, Peter, do you see a flaw in my experiment?" This time, Doctor Octopus's tone was no longer accusatory but genuinely inquisitive.
"There is indeed one flaw," Peter said. "You failed your first experiment, correct?" "Yes," Doctor Octopus nodded, a look of pain crossing his face. That failure had not only ruined his reputation but also cost him the life of his beloved wife.
"In an extremely confined space, what happens when energy equivalent to thousands of megawatts is released every picosecond?" Peter guided Doctor Octopus.
Doctor Octopus pondered for a moment, recalling the events of the first experiment. Then, he finally grasped Peter's point: "A gravitational field! If the energy were released instantly, that would be the principle of the hydrogen bomb. But confining it within this vessel creates a singularity with massive energy. Before it collapses, the gravity would become immense, powerful enough to swallow everything around it..."
As Doctor Octopus spoke, a look of alarm dawned on his face. He hadn't considered this angle before. To achieve his goal—controlling nuclear fusion as an energy source—he absolutely had to constrain the energy, not allow it to be released rapidly. He had been so focused on balancing energy confinement and generation that he missed the secondary effect.
"Do you have a solution?" Doctor Octopus looked at Peter, anxious. "Since you discovered the flaw, you must have a solution, right? Help me!"
"I'm afraid I don't have a solution," Peter shook his head. He knew nothing about nuclear physics beyond college-level science journals. He was just an astrophysics graduate student! His ability to "con" Doctor Octopus came only from reading advanced science journals in his era, where fusion research was common.
CRACKLE! Doctor Octopus's mechanical tentacles moved.
Peter sighed. Why is every Doctor Octopus the same?