Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius, A.K.A. "Doc Ock")

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Fantastic Four #267 Jun 1984
"A Small Loss!"
With his wife and unborn child in mortal danger due to their unique physiology, Reed Richards has just learned
that the only man who might be able to save their lives is Otto Octavius, the super-villain known as Doctor Octopus.
As they discuss their options, She-Hulk assess the situation, recalling how she just recently joined the team following her involvement in Secret Wars,
and how Sue has collapsed due to the complications caused by her impending birth. Reed tells the other doctors that he will not consider letting
a psychotic like Octavius near his wife. This raises questions with Dr. Morbius, who was once a living vampire.
Banner points out that Morbius and his own condition before he learned to control his transformations into the Hulk are different when compared
to Octavius. Banner recounts how Otto was a brilliant scientist who developed his mechanical arms before a nuclear explosion driven him criminally
insane, becoming a regular Spider-Man villain known as Doctor Octopus. After some consideration, Reed decides that he should at least take the chance
to deal with Doctor Octopus at the psychiatric clinic he has been remanded to. After checking to see how is wife is up to,
he kisses her goodbye and heads off to try and convince Octavius to help save his wife and his unborn child.

Stretching his body over to the Baxter Building, Reed quickly boards the Fantasti-Car and heads to the Brooklyn Psychiatric Facility
where Doctor Octopus is being held. There he convinces the head administrator Doctor Jefferson to allow him the opportunity to see Doctor Octopus.
Jefferson takes Richards to Otto's room. Using some quickly learned psychiatric techniques, to the surprise of Jefferson and the other doctors,
Reed manages to explain his situation and get through to Doctor Octopus. Shedding a tear over Richards plight, Doctor Octopus agrees

to help him try and save his wife and unborn child. Jefferson thanks Richards for help
and they leave to make arrangements to have Otto released into Reed's protective custody. As they leave,
one of the doctors goes looking at the arts and crafts that Otto was working on before they entered, finding a link of octopi cut out of paper.

Soon Reed and Otto are racing back to the hospital in the Fantasti-Car, along the way Otto happens to see a Daily Bugle advertisement
with an image of Spider-Man. This causes Otto to feel unwell. Miles away at a secure facility, the arms of Doctor Octopus spring to life
and begin fighting off the police officers tasked with containing the deadly weapons. They break loose into the city and attack Mister Fantastic
just as they near the hospital. As Otto tries to sort of his conflicting thoughts, Richards fights for his life against the mechanical arms.
When he is finally pinned, the arms pull Otto toward them and upon putting on his harness again, Otto's criminal mind is completely restored.
Doctor Octopus then tries to kill Reed Richards, but Reed fights back.

Reed quickly comes up with a way to stop his foe, stretching his hands, he plugs up the manual controls of Otto's harness, rending the arms useless.

With time running out, Reed makes one final appeal to Octavius to help him save his wife and child. Reed finally convinces Otto to help.

Later at the hospital, Johnny emerges from inside in tears, unable to believe what has happened.
He is soon met with Alicia who comes to his side and provides him comfort in his moment of grief.
Reed soon arrives with Doctor Octopus, and when Johnny begins to stutter over what happened, he rushes into the hospital for answers.
Inside, Reed is told by one of the doctors that Sue went into labor shortly after he left and that while they were able to save Sue's life, the baby died.

Story and art by John Byrne.

[jetengine]

Promoting Carolyn might be the better option then just alt-clonr Ock.

[Huntsman Spider]

Promoting Carolyn might be the better option then just alt-clonr Ock.

For what it's worth, Carolyn will be part of a new Sinister Six being created, if not led, by Janice Lincoln/Beetle.

[Michael Watkins]

if Doc Ock ever appears in live-action again, how about Tim Robbins as a casting pic?





i figure that you need a large frame to accomodate the tentacles.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Fantastic Four #268 Jul 1984
"The Masque of Doom!"
The Fantastic Four check in on Sue Richards, who is recovering after the miscarriage of her second child.
As Reed and Sue come to terms with this recent loss -- Alicia, Johnny, and She-Hulk also reflect on recent events.

While outside Sue's doctor, Dr. Lansing, thanks Michael Morbius, Walter Langkowski and Bruce Banner for helping the best they could.
Banner cannot help but mention that the only salvation for Sue's baby came from the villainous Doctor Octopus,
whose insanity delayed Reed for too long, resulting in the loss of his child. Hearing this, Doctor Octopus lashes out against his foes,

prompting Banner to transform into the Hulk. The Hulk is about to battle Doctor Octopus
when Reed steps in and handles the situation on his own. Richards calmly tells Octavius that he is
going to voluntarily return himself to custody, otherwise he will not rest until he is brought back to justice.
Seeing something in Richards eyes causes Octavius to relent and he agrees to the wishes of Mister Fantastic.
Satisfied with Otto's response, Reed leaves him in the care of Dr. Lansing. Just then Johnny
and She-Hulk are getting ready to leave so Johnny can show her around the Baxter Building.

Reed agrees with this course of action, telling Johnny that he can program She-Hulk to be recognized as a member of the team for the security system.

Going to the roof of the hospital, Johnny summons a Fantasti-Car with his signal belt and the two are soon off to the Baxter Building.
Along the way, Johnny inquires about She-Hulk's past. He is surprised when she is very candid about about her true identity and her origins:
That she was a California lawyer named Jennifer Walters, cousin to Bruce Banner, who agreed to put up her wayward
cousin during a period in which he could not control his transformations into the Hulk and needed refuge from the law.
At the time Jennifer was dealing in a court case that involved the mob.
The mobsters she was after did not appreciate this and organized to have Jen shot.
With her life on the line, Jennifer was saved by a much needed blood transfusion by her cousin who quickly left thereafter.
When the mob came to finish the job later on in the hospital, Jen was shocked when she suddenly transformed into the She-Hulk for the first time.
She remarks that unlike her cousin, she can control her transformations and maintains her original personality and intellect when she becomes the She-Hulk.

She finishes her life story by telling Johnny briefly of her joining the Avengers when they land on the roof of the Baxter Building.
Inside, Johnny shows She-Hulk around, including one of a series of buttons used in case of emergency that can jam any signal coming
from outside of the Baxter Building, and the private elevators that are operated by their special belt buckles.
He then shows Jen a secret room where the Fantastic Four keep their "trophies", powerful weapons and inventions confiscated
during their various adventures to ensure their safe keeping. Among all these items is the mask worn by Doctor Doom
when he seemingly perished during the Fantastic Four's recent battle against him and Tyros the Tamer.
As the pair leave the room they are unaware that the eyes on the Doom mask have begun to glow.

At that moment at the home of "Reed and Sue Benjamin" in Belle Porte, Connecticut, local gossip
Alma Chalmers is trying to peek into the window of the new family that has moved into the neighborhood.
She is caught red-handed by Alice Winchell who is out with her son Danny, who scolds her for being a snoop.

Back at the Baxter Building, Johnny and Jen are having coffee together talking about business when suddenly the alarm goes off.
Rushing to the trophy room they find that something has blasted the door off the hinges.
Going inside, they find that the mask appears to have been taken.
While looking for clues they are caught off guard when they are attacked by the mask itself, which has appeared to take on a life of its own.
The pair dodge the eye beams of the mask and its various other defenses but fail in trying to destroy it.
When they try to exit the trophy room they are forced back by a powerful wind. When She-Hulk tries to rush it as hard as she can,
the powerful force suddenly stops, sending She-Hulk charging right out of the window and plummeting to the ground below.
At that moment, Reed has returned to the headquarters and arrives just as Johnny is being attacked anew by the mask.
Trying to fight the mask himself, Reed discovers that it is more than a match for any of them.
Quickly realizing that it must be controlled by remote, he stretches over to one of the emergency buttons and quickly presses it.
With all outside signals now cut off, the Doom mask suddenly falls to the ground totally inert.

In the aftermath of the battle, Reed explains that the mask came to life due to a signal being sent to it and not a pre-programmed attack.
With the Latverian embassy denying the apparent death of Doctor Doom, Reed is left to wonder who it was that initiated this attack and if, in fact, Doctor Doom is still alive.

Story & art by John Byrne https://13thdimension.com/13-covers-...rthday-salute/

[Master Planner]

Re-reading "Return of Sinister Six" and i feel that David Micheline doesn't get enough credits for making Doc Ock a credible threat again, after the bad spot he was in late 80s. Micheline writing, along with Larsen's modernised look for Ock, brough Octavius back to the top.

[Hypestyle]

if Doc Ock ever appears in live-action again, how about Tim Robbins as a casting pic?





i figure that you need a large frame to accomodate the tentacles.

I would liked to have seen Philip Seymour Hoffman. Alas....

[Tendrin]

Hoffman would have been a fantastic Ock even if I doubt he would have taken the role.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

I personally don't want the old Ock to come back in terms of his original physical appearance. The round guy in a green suit just isn't very intimidating anymore, and I think that's why artists changed his clothes periodically (white suit, trenchcoat, etc.). Coming back with full memories and old personality is good, but to make him lean and young I think is the way to go.

A live action version of the character like this would be nice.

[Mistah K88]

When it comes to Doc Ock in media outside of comics, you have to admit that Octavius has a decent track record. What would you say are the 3 best media portrayals of the good doctor in your opinion?

My favorites are

1. Spectacular
2. PS4
3. Spider-Man 2

[Frontier]

When it comes to Doc Ock in media outside of comics, you have to admit that Octavius has a decent track record. What would you say are the 3 best media portrayals of the good doctor in your opinion?

My favorites are

1. Spectacular
2. PS4
3. Spider-Man 2

If you're a fan of Superior/Heroic Doc Ock, then you'll probably prefer Marvel's Spider-Man.

Personally, I always hear Doc Ock in his 90's cartoon voice, so I always find that version a little underrated .

[Digifiend]

Looks like this thread escaped the appreciation thread lockup because it didn't have Appreciation in the name.

[Mister Mets]

Looks like this thread escaped the appreciation thread lockup because it didn't have Appreciation in the name.

Not any more.