| Doctor Octopus | |
Doctor Octopus drawn by John Romita Jr. |
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| Publication information | |
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| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Amazing Spider-Man #3 (July 1963) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Steve Ditko |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Otto Gunther Octavius |
| Team affiliations | Sinister Six Masters of Evil Thunderbolts leader of own crime gang Legion Accursed |
| Notable aliases | Master Planner, Master Programmer, Doc Ock, Bowrey Bum, Prisoner #4756689 |
| Abilities |
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Doctor Octopus is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Otto Gunther Octavius is an enemy of Spider-Man who is portrayed as a stocky, myopic man who utilizes four powerful, mechanical appendages, and is obsessed with proving his own genius and destroying Spider-Man. In his first several appearances, Dr. Octopus' last name was spelled "Octavious." All stories since have spelled it Octavius. Spider-Man has also nicknamed Octopus was refered to as Doc Ock. Creator Stan Lee has cited that Doctor Octopus is one of his favorite Spider-Man villains. The character has appeared in numerous Spider-Man cartoons and video games and was portrayed by Alfred Molina in the 2004 film Spider-Man 2.
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The character of Doctor Octopus first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #3 (July 1963), and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko.
It has been speculated that his appearance was originally based on that of Roy Orbison.[1]
Born in Schenectady, New York, Otto Octavius had a turbulent upbringing. His father, a factory worker, was abusive and violent towards both Otto and his mother, leading Otto to be shy and reclusive in school. However, at his mother's insistence, he was determined not to become like his father and threw all his efforts into his education, regularly scoring top marks. His father's death due to an industrial accident pushed him further towards the study of, and obsession with, physical science.
Otto became a brilliant and respected nuclear physicist, atomic research consultant, inventor, and lecturer. He designed a set of highly advanced mechanical arms controlled via a brain-computer interface to assist him with his research into atomic physics. The tentacle arms were resistant to radiation and were capable of great strength and highly precise movement, attached to a harness that fit around his body.
Though his relationship with co-workers was typically hostile, a fellow researcher named Mary Alice Anders befriended him, and later agreed to marry him. His mother did not approve, and to please her, he ended his engagement. Later, when he discovered that his mother had begun dating a librarian, he rebuked her causing her to have a fatal heart attack in the heat of their argument.
During an accidental radiation leak that ended in an explosion, the apparatus became fused to Octavius' body. It was later revealed that the radiation (or possibly his own latent mutation) had mutated his brain so that he could control the movement of the arms using his thoughts alone. The tentacles have since been surgically removed from his body, although Octavius retains the power to control them telepathically from a great distance. The accident also seemingly damaged his brain (although it was later suggested that what was interpreted as brain damage was in fact his mind rewiring itself to accommodate four extra limbs[2]), and the scientist turned to a life of crime.
Though Doctor Octopus himself is portly, in poor physical shape, and is near-sighted, with his harness attached he is physically more than a match for Spider-Man: in his first appearance he beat Spider-Man so badly that the wall-crawler considered giving up his heroic career,[3] until he was inspired to continue by the Human Torch at the time when the Fantastic Four were called in to fight Doctor Octopus.
Over the years Dr. Octopus has become one of the most identifiable members of Spider-Man's rogues' gallery. He remains one of Spider-Man's most dangerous foes, having many legendary battles with him over the years. Doctor Octopus formed the original Sinister Six to fight Spider-Man.[4] Disguised as the Master Planner, he organized a theft of atomic equipment.[5]
Doctor Octopus later attempted to steal the Defense Department's Nullifier device, and set a trap for Spider-Man.[6] He became May Parker's tenant,[7] then got close enough to use the Nullifier on Spider-Man and rendered him amnesiac,[8] and tricked Spider-Man into helping him.[9]
Doctor Octopus later exhibited the ability to activate his mechanical arms remotely, and used them to free himself from prison.[10] His resulting battle with Spider-Man resulted in the death of Captain George Stacy.[11] Doctor Octopus later waged a gang war with Hammerhead.[12] He attempted to wed May Parker in order to acquire an island with an atomic plant which she inherited.[13] Doc Ock escaped death when the island was destroyed, and began a life as a homeless person never able to raise a gang again in fear of the ghost of Hammerhead. [14] He next battled the "ghost" of Hammerhead, and was able to return him to human form.[15]
Doctor Octopus later attempted to hijack an atomic submarine.[16] He also attempted to poison New York City with printers' ink, and battled the Punisher and Spider-Man.[17] He next battled the Owl and his gang. [18] He successfully deactivated a nuclear reactor in a laboratory before meltdown. [19] He later displayed symptoms which Mister Fantastic diagnosed as multiple personality disorder.[20] Doctor Octopus was taken to the Beyonder's battleworld, where he fought a horde of heroes.[21]
His crowning achievement of evil was the near-fatal beating of Spider-Man's then-partner, the Black Cat, who was placed in critical condition and led to Spider-Man beating "Doc Ock" to within an inch of his life. The trauma of the beating he received from Spider-Man left Octavius afraid of Spider-Man and spiders in general for years, and he needed to be treated for his acute arachnophobia. [22] Spider-Man was forced to let his nemesis beat him in combat so as to allow Octavius to break free of his fears and recruit him to save New York City from an exploding nuclear reactor.[23]
Doctor Octopus has worked with other supervillains on several occasions, most notably as the leader of the original incarnation of the Sinister Six. He reformed the Sinister Six[24] more than once, and founded his own short-lived version of the Masters of Evil when his teammates from the Sinister Six proved too difficult to manipulate.
Despite the obvious obstacles, Octavius was for a time on good terms with Peter Parker's Aunt May, whom he first met in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (1964) when he abducted her and Peter's then-girlfriend Betty Brant to attract Spider-Man's attention. In fact, in later years May Parker and Otto Octavius were briefly engaged to be married. Their wedding was interrupted by Hammerhead.
During the Clone Saga, Doctor Octopus saved Spider-Man from certain death due to a poison injected by the Vulture. During the healing process he discovered the identity of Spider-Man and then allowed himself to be taken in by police, expecting to be saved by his accomplice/lover Stunner. But Stunner was knocked out and Doc Ock was murdered by the insane Peter Parker clone named Kaine. Octavius' student Carolyn Trainer took over as "Doctor Octopus" until the original was resurrected by a branch of the mystical ninja cult known as the Hand. Upon his resurrection, it was revealed that he had no knowledge of Spider-Man's identity. The reason was that the memories he gained came from a computer chip provided by Carolyn Trainer with his recorded memories; that recent memory had not been recorded at the time of his death.
In recent years, Octavius attempted to create his own personal assassin in the form of a villainous mutated entity he dubbed "Spider-Woman", and was involved in a plot involving using prosthetic limbs as mind-control devices, to create an army of minions. He has also had to deal with another usurper, in the form of an arrogant young businessman and con artist named Carlyle, who pretended to employ Octavius at his company. This, however, proved to be a ruse, and Carlyle subdued Octopus and stole his technology, using it to create his own version of Octavius' harness. During a battle with Octavius and Spider-Man, Carlyle was defeated when Doc Ock ripped open his suit, allowing Spider-Man to fill Carlyle's suit with webbing.
Then, Dr. Octopus took the ambassador of the newly-formed Free Palestinian State hostage, demanding that in exchange for the ambassador's freedom, Spider-Man would meet him in Times Square and unmask himself in front of the world. When Spider-Man went to Times Square, he pulled off his mask to reveal another mask--angering Octavius enough to distract him from the release of the ambassador by agents of the Israeli Secret Service.
Dr. Octopus was taken into Ryker's Island and was drugged and brainwashed to take down the Green Goblin. He interrupted a battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin on the Brooklyn Bridge, and the two villains were struck by lightning and fell into the river below. Octopus was dragged out days later with no memories of the event.
He broke out of jail but was returned there after being defeated by Spider-Man and Invincible.
Octavius unsuccessfully tries to form and lead another version of the Sinister Six, because Captain America's Secret Avengers managed to defeat the villainous group, although Ock himself eludes authorities. In Sensational Spider-Man #28, Dr. Octopus is seen viewing a telecast of Peter Parker revealing himself to be Spider-Man. Ock then goes rampaging throughout the city, in utter disbelief that not only was he beaten numerous times by a teenager, but of the lost opportunity he had when he unmasked Parker in one of their first encounters (at the time, Peter was severely weakened and Octavius assumed it was an impostor). He is again defeated by Spider-Man, who confronts Dr. Octopus unmasked, after two of Peter's students distract Octavius. He is then sent to Baron Zemo's super-villain detention facility (as seen in Thunderbolts #104 and Iron Man Vol IV #14). He is one of the ex-super villains trying to hunt down the renegade super heroes.
In "One More Day" Part 2, Octavius is one of the people Spider-Man contacted to see if he could help with Aunt May's condition; although no speech is given in each panels, he most likely did not have a clue, like the others, of what to do.
Octavius is a genius in the field of atomic physics, and he holds a Ph. D. in nuclear science. A brilliant engineer and inventor, he is also a superb strategist and a charismatic leader.
Due to exposure to atomic radiation, Doctor Octopus has the ability to control his four artificial tentacle arms (even when they are not connected to him, he can also control them over vast distances), electrically powered, telescoping prehensile titanium-steel tentacle appendages are attached to a stainless-steel harness encompassing his lower torso. These arms are capable of lifting several tons, provided that at least one arm is used to support his body. The reaction time and agility of his mechanical appendages is enhanced far beyond the range attainable for normal human musculature. The arms allow Octavius to move rapidly over any terrain and to scale vertical surfaces and ceilings. He has developed his concentration and control to the point that he can engage a single opponent, like Spider-Man, or multiple opponents with the arms while performing a completely separate, more delicate task, such as stirring coffee or constructing a machine.
Doctor Octopus has also employed an armored body suit enabling him to breathe underwater and designed to withstand extreme water pressure.
Dr. Octopus has possessed a total of three different harnesses during his career: the original titanium harness, a more powerful adamantium harness, and the current harness, with tentacles bearing an octopus-like motif. The original and adamantium harnesses were both destroyed in the Lethal Foes of Spider-Man miniseries. His current harness is made of a titanium-steel-niobium alloy mixture that is dense but light weight in composition. While wearing the harness, the arms are powerful enough to allow him to walk up sheer concrete walls and move about quickly. They are also used to grab items, both small and large, and as literal weapons in terms of being swung at objects and people like clubs. The pincers at the end of each tentacle can also be used to cut and tear into the flesh of his enemies. The adamantium harness was powerful enough to both restrain and pummel the Hulk into submission during a series written by Erik Larsen. The harness is also capable of holding a small jetpack allowing him to fly to places faster and able to evade Spider-Man more easily. Doctor Octopus is even capable of whirling his tentacles around to deflect small projectiles like bullets.
Eventually, Dr. Octopus' harness was surgically removed, but he was still able to control it mentally, even at a distance. This power was initially explained as having been caused by the initial accident; Octopus and his arms were fused together mentally, as well as physically. In fact, when the original harness was destroyed it caused Octavius excruciating pain. He was seen sweating profusely and screaming. Later stories suggest that Octavius possessed minor telepathic powers that gave him a direct mental link with his harness. These telepathic powers were also hinted at to have caused a brain aneurysm in his father when they first developed during puberty.
In the House of M reality created by the Scarlet Witch, Otto Octavius makes an appearance as a researcher for the government, studying stem cells.
On Earth-2149 (a world in which almost all heroes and villains are zombies) an undead Doctor Octopus first appears in Marvel Zombies series alongside several other zombie supervillains attempting to kill and devour the invading Galactus; this incarnation of Doctor Octopus is apparently destroyed piecemeal by several cosmically powered hero zombies after he got in the way of an attack they were aiming at Galactus. [25]
In the prequel series to Marvel Zombies, Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness and Marvel Zombies: Dead Days, the zombie Doctor Octopus makes few cameo appearances, as a member of the undead Sinister Six.
In the MC2 alternate continuity, it is revealed that Doctor Octopus attacked the Daily Bugle shortly after the disappearance/retirement of Spider-Man, killing editor-in-chief Joseph "Robbie" Robertson. This motivates Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson to initiate "Project: Human Fly", an attempt to create a government controlled superhero. Mercenaries (later revealed to be in the employ of Doctor Octopus) attempt to steal the Human Fly suit, but are thwarted when Jameson's grandson takes the suit (the controls of which bond to the first user) and becomes the superhero The Buzz. The Buzz and Spider-Girl eventually apprehend Doctor Octopus, who--now being struck with cancer--falls into a coma from which he is not expected to recover.
Later, the mantle of Doctor Octopus is taken up by Lady Octopus.
In the Alternate Universe as conceived by Kaare Andrews, in which many Superheroes had grown old and retired, Octavius appeared to save Spider-Man from death at the hands of an older version of the Sinister Six. While he originally appeared to merely be world-weary, relying on his 'four sons' (his tentacles) to keep him alive, he revealed via monologue that he had in fact been dead for months, and had left the tentacles a program that would force them into action to find Spider-Man, play him the tape on which his monologue is recorded, and take him to the graveyard where his loved ones lay, hoping to use Spider-Man to reignite the age of the super powered beings, as both Doctor Octopus and Spider-Man were born from nuclear accidents.
In Ultimate Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus is no longer fat and middle aged, but young and very muscular. While the original Doctor Octopus wore sunglasses due to myopia, the Ultimate Octavius wears them to disguise horrible wounds inflicted on his eyes during the accident that created him, that leave him very sensitive to light. His arms are also different: he modifies them so that their ends are made up of nanobots, and thus can have various lethal accessories, transforming the three-pronged 'claws' into flamethrowers, tasers, and machine guns. Ultimate Six revealed he had a psychic link with his arms and could control them remotely; #103 expanded on this, revealing Octavius actually did not have a psychic link with his arms only, rather that he has the ability to manipulate metal. It has not yet been revealed how similar or dissimilar his power is to that of Magneto.
Dr. Otto Octavius is introduced as a lab assistant to Norman Osborn and secretly a spy for Osborn's business rival, Justin Hammer. He is caught in a lab accident (the same one that turns Norman into the Green Goblin), grafting his traditional metal arms onto his body. After this incident, he is able to communicate with these mechanical arms via telepathy. He modifies his arms to have the power to morph into different shapes, and then seeks revenge against Justin Hammer, but Spider-Man intervenes. Although Octavius is defeated by Spider-Man, Justin Hammer perishes due to a heart attack caused by Doctor Octopus attacking him. Afterwards, Octavius is brought into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody where he, along with Norman Osborn, form the Ultimate Six, comprised of some of Spider-Man's rogues gallery and an unwilling Spider-Man himself. In a battle between the Six and the Ultimates on the White House lawn, Octopus is taken down by Wasp. Octavius is separated from his tentacles and held in a different prison far away from them. Octavius later finds out that his ex-wife is giving the rights to use his likeness in the Spider-Man film. Outraged, he summons his tentacles from the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility and goes on a rampage, until he is once again stopped by Spider-Man. Back in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, Nick Fury melts Doctor Octopus' mechanical arms in front of him and instructs the guards to watch the melting mechanism for at least an hour afterwards to make sure the arms would not try to escape. However, in the "Ultimate Hobgoblin" story arc, it was revealed that a spare set of arms existed within a bunker belonging to Norman Osborn. Plans for these remain to be seen.
In the Ultimate Clone Saga, Otto Octavius was revealed to be responsible for all the Spider-Man clones, including an older clone of Peter believing itself to be Richard Parker, and a Gwen Stacy clone that can transform into the Carnage creature. His experimentation and research was done for the FBI/CIA (both organizations are said to be behind it in different issues) in order to find a way to create super soldiers so the U.S. Government wouldn't have to be reliant on Nick Fury's monopoly on the Ultimates. In #103, he smugly reveals he is now outside Fury's jurisdiction and takes pleasure in pointing out to Peter that his work perverts the hero's life. In issue #104 he creates a new set of arms out of metal scraps and battles both Spider-Man and Spider-Woman, killing two other clones in the process, before being knocked out.
Octavius makes a brief appearance in Ultimate Spider-Man #113 confronting Norman Osborn as the latter breaks out of the Triskelion; Octavius attacks his former boss to prevent his escape, informing him that he betrayed him by giving the OZ formula to the FBI. Ock is beating Norman senseless until his other former ally, Electro, intervenes and shocks Ock with a bolt of electricity, knocking him out.
Director of the Spider-Man films, Sam Raimi, has stated that Ock was intended to appear in the first film, teaming up with Green Goblin, but wasn't included because Raimi thought it wouldn't "do the movie justice to have a third origin in there."[26] In the sequel Spider-Man 2 (2004), Doctor Octopus is portrayed by Alfred Molina as the main villain. Unlike the comic version, the movie version is portrayed as a sympathetic character, married to a woman named Rosalie. Octavius is first seen working with his wife on a special energy generator which in essence, creates a miniature sun. Peter, who to some extent idolizes Octavius, meets him through the recomendation of Dr. Connors. Eventually sparking a friendship, Octavius invites Peter to the upcoming unveiling of the generator. This goes horribly awry when Octavius can't keep the machine stable, despite using his specially created AI implanted robotic arms, which he keeps under control with an inhibitor chip. Spider-Man is able to get everyone to safety, but the machine explodes and the facility is sent halfway under water. Octavius could have escaped if he had not been partially traumatized by the sight of his wife being killed by a large shard of glass. He is knocked out and taken to hospital.
Doctors attempt to remove the tentacles using buzzsaws, but they react and kill all of them. Octavius awakens to see the horrific sight unqittingly escapes to the remains of the facility.
Octavius laments his tragic loss. He eventually begins getting messages from his robotic arms and begins having very sadistic thoughts. He realizes the inhibitor chip has been burnt away and is now connected to his spinal cord, fusing the two intelligences. Although he tries his hardest to stay in control, his arms convince him to continue his research and create a larger, more stable containment field for his creation, but upon realizing that he has nothing to make it with, is convinced to steal them.
Peter and Aunt May try to get a loan from the bank, but are turned down. As they start to leave, Octavius appears and robs the bank. Peter becomes Spider-Man and battles with Octavius, who in response, holds Aunt May as a human shield and climbs to the top of a building, with Spider-Man in pursuit. While he and Spider-Man fight, Aunt May manages to save the day by hitting him in the side of his head with the handle of her umbrella, breaking his sun glasses. As Spider-Man brings her to safety, Octavius escapes back to his lair, where he continues his construction.
J. Jonah Jameson has difficulty finding a name for Octavius to use in the papers, but eventually settles on Doctor Octopus, or Doc Ock for short (after rejecting it from a staff member moments before.).
Nearing completion, Ock realizes that he needs more Tritium, which was supplied to him originally by OsCorp, now run by Harry Osborn. He confronts Harry and requests a new supply, and eventually a deal is struck, if Ock brings him Spider-Man, Harry will give him the tritium.
Ock attacks Mary Jane and Peter Parker in a cafe, and Peter is forced out of retirement in order to battle Ock. Ock destroys the brakes of a train and abducts Mary Jane. After Spider-Man stops the train and is unmasked, Ock appears and takes advantage of his weakened state and delivers him to Harry, who supplies the tritium and unmasks Spider-Man again.
Still with Mary Jane in his clutches, Ock activates his machine, causing havoc in the streets with its magnetic pull. Spider-Man returns and has a brief fight with Ock before revealing his identity to Mary Jane. Realizing he can't possibly destroy the device, he begs Ock to return to his senses and destroy the device. The fight having knocked his sanity back, even if briefly, Ock marches towards the devices and destroys its support beams, immersing it in water and eliminating it once and for all, sending himself down with it. With the city saved, he fulfills his last desire of "Not dying a Monster."
Doctor Octopus appears in many Spider-Man computer games and video games, some of which feature him as the game's primary antagonist.
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