- Looking for another version of Doctor Octopus? Check out the Doctor Octopus disambiguation page.
Doctor Octopus is a scientist that has four metallic arms welded to his spine which he uses as weapons.
History
Early life
Science teacher
As a young man Otto Octavius was a teacher and head administrator of a science camp which a young Peter Parker attended. During Peter's time there he tried an experiment of his own and the chemicals he used blew up in his face. As the other children started to laugh at Peter, Octavius walked up to him and said "Their laughter is meaningless, science is the important thing. It justifies all that we do in it's service." These words stuck with Peter through his life and as a young adult would be a science major at Empire State University.
Lab explosion
Sometime later Octavius designed a battery that used cold fusion. However, his colleagues laughed at him believing that generating cold fusion in a battery was impossible. Octavius then went to the Hardy Foundation and Anastasia Hardy agreed to fund his research.
Octavius continued his research. However, he did not make as much progress as Anastasia Hardy wanted so she quit funding his research. Because of this Octavius was forced to move his laboratory into a basement and was unable to afford safeguards necessary to protect him from radiation. One night from behind a protective wall Octavius was using mechanical arms to handle the cold fusion battery. However, there was an accident and the battery exploded. Luckily the radiation did not harm Octavius. However, the extreme heat from the explosion fused the metallic arms to Otto Octavius' spine. This traumatic event warped Octavius' mind and made him vengeful.
Later life
Kidnapping Felicia Hardy
Several years later Octavius, now calling himself Doctor Octopus, returned and kidnapped Anastasia's daughter, Felicia Hardy. The F.B.I. then arrived and started to investigate Felicia's disappearance. When Anastasia read the ransom note and saw that the signature was that of Otto Octavius and told the F.B.I that Octavius use to work for her and that he must want revenge for the Hardy Foundation cutting his funding.
A short while later Doctor Octopus contacted J. Jonah Jameson. However, during their conversation Jameson made Doctor Octopus angry and Doc Ock ordered Jmeson to drop off the ransom money. When Jameson delievered the ransom Spider-Man followed him. When Spider-Man attacked Ock, he believed that Jameson brought Spider-Man along with him and then told Spider-Man that since he now has two hostages he also wants twice the ransom. Ock then picked up Spider-Man with his mechanical arm and and threw Spider-Man out of the building and was able to get away with Jameson and Felicia.
Peter then decided that if Spider-Man couldn't get Jameson and Felicia back he could. When Peter later arrived to drop off the ransom he told Doctor Octopus that he use to be a student of his. Doctor Octopus then showed Peter his cold fusion battery. Peter then demanded Ock to release. However, Doctor Octopus became angry that Peter was ordering him around so he picked him up with one of his mechanical arms and threw him out a window. Seconds later Peter reentered the building as Spider-Man and attacked Doctor Octopus. Spider-Man managed to trap Doctor Octopus by using a magnet which attracted his arms to it. However, Spider-Man also accidentally activated a test rocket right above Jameson and Felicia's head with only seconds before it fired on top of them. Doctor Octopus then said that if he stopped the rocket he would save his friends but face his full fury and that if he didn't turn off the rocket Jameson and Felicia would be burned alive. With no other choice Spider-Man turned off the rocket and magnet and once again fought Doctor Octopus.
During their fight Spider-Man shot a web at Doctor Octopus' eyes so that he couldn't see. As Doctor Octopus removed the web from his eyes she saw that Spider-Man was holding the cold fusion battery and Spider-Man then threw it. As Doctor Octopus caught the battery Spider-Man activated another magnet and Ock's arms were attracted to the magnet. Doctor Octopus was then taken to prison where he swore he would get revenge on Spider-Man.
The Insidious Six
Kingpin later broke Doctor Octopus, Shocker, Mysterio, Rhino, Chameleon, and Scorpion out of prison to join a team he called the Insidious Six to take down Spider-Man. At first Doctor Octopus was hesitant to join because he thought of himself as a scientist and not a petty criminal for hire. However, Kingpin told Doctor Octopus that he could set him up in a laboratory with the latest scientific equipment. After hearing this Doctor Octopus changed his mind and decided to join Kingpin's Insidious Six.
Doctor Octopus later tracked Scorpion to the Parker house. As Scorpion threatened Doctor Octopus to get out of the way Doc Ock grabed his limbs and his tail with his mechanical arms. Doctor Octopus then forced Scorpion to tell him what he was doing. Scorpion answered that he was tracking Peter Parker because he knew that he always took pictures of Spider-Man for the Daily Bugle and he was hoping that Peter could eventually lead him to Spider-Man. However, Doctor Octopus got an idea of his own and went to Peter's house alone and talked to May Parker. Doctor Octopus lied to May and told her that Peter passed out in front of his clinic and he tricked May into going with him. As Peter returned home he found a note left by Doctor Octopus telling him to find Spider-Man and have him meet the Insidious Six. Without his powers Peter went to meet the Insidious Six as Spider-Man but was very easily captured. Doctor Octopus unmasked Spider-Man revealing that he was Peter Parker. However, Doctor Octopus revealed that he believed Peter was not the real Spider-Man because of how easily he was captured. However, the Insidious Six told Peter to lead them to the real Spider-Man or else they would harm May.
Sometime later Doctor Octopus and the Insidious Six abducted Silvermane on orders from Kingpin. However, Spider-Man arrives and rescues him. Without his powers Spider-Man had to trick Doctor Octopus into fighting Scorpion and in the process Spider-Man was able to get away. The Insidious Six later disbanded after feeling that Kingpin could not deliver on the things he promised. Doctor Octopus also let May go and she returned home.
The Argon Matrix Laser & controlling Spider-Man
Doctor Octopus later returned and intended to steal a device he created called the Argon Matrix Laser from the Hardy Foundation. As Doctor Octopus broke into the demonstration Peter changed into his Spider-Man costume and began to fight Doctor Octopus. Spider-Man manged to stop Doctor Octopus from stealing the Argon Matrix Laser but failed to prevent Doctor Octopus from escaping.
Doctor Octopus later went to Crime Central and showed Kingpin his new invention, the Octobot and says that it will lead him straight to Spider-Man.
The Octobot then tracked Spider-Man to a rooftop and captured him. Doctor Octopus then used knockout gas on Spider-Man and took him back to his hideout. While there Doctor Octopus exposed Spider-Man to a beam from his Neural Neutralizer. This ray caused Spider-Man to lose all memory of who he was and Doctor Octopus was able to convince Spider-Man that he was a criminal and they were partners in crime.
Doctor Octopus and Spider-Man then went to a military base and Doctor Octopus caused a diversion which allowed Spider-Man to sneak inside to steal the Argon Matrix Laser. Doctor Octopus later intended to mount the Argon Matrix Laser onto the Octobot. A little girl named Maria Taina Elizando and a cabbie named Mousie attempted to snap Spider-Man out of Doctor Octopus' control but failed. Taina later tracked Doc Ock and Spider-Man to their hideout and Taina was able to break Dock Ock's control on Spider-Man. As Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus fought Taina took control of the Octobot and used it to capture Doctor Octopus. Doctor Octopus was then arrested.
Non-canon history
In Spider-Man Adventures #2, which is based on The Sting of the Scorpion, it was revealed that Otto Octavius was a scientist working for OsCorp. Octavius was present when Spider-Man and Scorpion fought at OsCorp and Scorpion started a nuclear meltdown. However, Octavius was able to stop the meltdown and Spider-Man thanked him for his help. In this universe Peter did not acknowledge Dr. Octavius meaning that he may not have been Peter's science teacher as a child. Spider-Man would later fight Octavius as Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man Adventures #7, which is based on Doctor Octopus: Armed and Dangerous.
In Spider-Man Adventures #14, Doctor Octopus escaped prison and swore to get revenge on Spider-Man. Doctor Octopus then learned that a new theme park called Marvel World was opening and arrived at the park to destroy it. By doing this Doctor Octopus hoped that people would see their heroes as egotistical, mortal, and powerless. Later on Doctor Octopus arrived at the theme park and destroyed the tracks to a roller coaster. Mary Jane Watson was on the roller coaster at that time but Spider-Man managed to save her. Spider-Man then chased Doctor Octopus into the hall of mirrors. Spider-Man is able to use all the mirrors as cover and came up behind Doctor Octopus and knocked him out. Soon after the police arrived and arrested Doctor Octopus.
In the comic book Totally Kids, Doctor Octopus teamed up with several of Spider-Man's enemies to defeat Spider-Man. However, Spider-Man was able to get away.
Equipment
Doctor Octopus has four metallic arms welded to his spine. He is able to mentally control them. The four metallic arms are very strong and are capable of lifting several times his own weight. The arms also allow Doctor Octopus to climb walls and the arms are also able to walk. Doc Ock also uses them as weapons and can squeeze humans within them or use them to try and hit his opponents. Doctor Octopus can also release sleeping gas from the tips of the arms claws.
Doctor Octopus also has a keen scientific mind and is capable of building various mechanical devices such as the Argon Matrix Laser, the Neural Neutralizer Ray, and the Octobot.
Appearances
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
- Doctor Octopus: Armed and Dangerous
- The Insidious Six
- Battle of the Insidious Six
- Ravages of Time (Mentioned only)
- Make a Wish
- Attack of the Octobot
- Enter the Green Goblin (Mentioned only)
Spider-Man: Unlimited
Doctor Octopus as he appears in Spider-Man: Unlimited
- World's Apart, Part One
Trivia
- In the comic books, Doctor Octopus is usually drawn as being over weight. However, in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Doc Ock was drawn to look more muscular.
- This version of Doctor Octopus also speaks with a thick German accent as opposed to other cartoons which have Doc Ock speaking with an American accent.
- Otto Octavius being Peter Parker's science teacher was original to the series.
- In Enter the Green Goblin, Green Goblin called Doctor Octopus one of the greatest criminals of all time.
