Last night, I was trying to fall asleep, when I suddenly realized that Anakin Skywalker's tale is much like that of another universe's villain, Dr. Otto Octavius (aka Doctor Octopus) of Spider-Man (specifically the movie version of the villain in Spider Man 2).
Warning, Spider Man 2 spoilers ahead.

Anakin and Otto were both prodigies of some sort, and they both were good
-Anakin was the chosen one, very strong in the Force. Even in ROTS, Anakin shows very good Jedi behavior, until a certain point.
-Otto was a scientific genius, a caring intellectual, and a loving husband.

Both were trapped in a powerful mechanical contraption, and didn't like it at first
-Anakin was very upset at the loss of his mobility and power while in his big metal suit, even thought it made him intimidating, and physically strong, but he needed it to survive.
-Otto could not get out of the arms, and they began to control him. But they were very powerful in many ways.

Anakin and Otto both suffered a horrible fiery accident during their fall
-Otto was in a horrible explosion during an experiment, which caused him to be stuck in his metal arms.
-Anakin set on fire in some lava, and had to have an artificial suit to survive his injuries.

Both lost a loved one during their fall, and they were both somewhat resonsible
-Anakin nearly choked Padme to death when he turned and she refused to, and his fall is what made her unwilling to survive beyond that.
-The accident during Otto's own experiment was what killed his belove wife.

They both became evil during their time in the contraptions
-Anakin truly submitted tot he Dark Side, and became Darth Vader in all his power while in the suit.
-Otto was driven by grief from his accident, the failure of his work, the loss of his wife. Then the mechanical arms affected his higher brain functions and forced him to unethical crimes.

Both were undoubtedly and unmercilessly evil while possessed by the "dark side."
-Vader was the most evil man in the galaxy, by reputation. He choked Rebels and Imperials alike, on a whim. Unquestionably ruthless.
-Doctor Octopus showed no remorse for any of his crimes, and was willing to drop an old woman off a building.

Both were saved by the pleading of a hero
-Vader saw his son in pain and his son's faith in him, and that made him change.
-Spider Man/ mild mannered Peter Parker showed Doctor Octopus that he was not a monster, and that he had to do the right thing to save millions of lives.

Both made a sacrifice at the end of their lives, returning to the light, and saving the world from a great evil
-Otto, refusing to "die a monster" gave his life to destroy his own creation that threatened the entire city.
-Anakin saved Luke's life, and destroyed the Emperor, saving the galaxy as well, but he too was fatally.


Vader's story and Doc Oc's story are really quite similar, becuase they're basically the same character. Power and goodness then an accident with much loss, as well as the gaining of mechanical power, then a fall to evil, then redemption at the aid of a hero, then a sacrifice that both returns them to light, and kills them. The only difference really is that one's a Jedi.

It's an interesting comparision, since the key point are all parrallel especially the mechanical body part. What does it mean? Not much. I doubt that either was inspired by the other. They are both simply examples of tragic characters with especially similar stories.

Note (to the comic book fans, mostly): This comparision was based entirely on the movie version of Doctor Octopus. I don't know a lot about the comics, and don't pretend to, but I am aware that in the non-movie versions, Doc Oc is criminally insane and is genuinely evil. He's not too sore about his awesome arms in that version. Also, he did not have a wife in the comic books.