DOCTOR OOKTOPUS
Earth-8101
Real Name: Otto Ooktavius
Identity/Class: Alternate Earth (Earth-8101) primate, technology user
Occupation: Terrorist
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: L-ook-i Laufeyson, Mole Monk;
formerly May Parker
Enemies: Ape-Vengers (Ape X/Roy Reyna, "Captain America"/John Falsworth, Captain America/Steven Rogers, Gro-Rilla, Hawkape, Iron Mandrill, Juggermonk/Cain Marko, Ms. Marvel/Carol Danvers, Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff, Sandmonk, Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff, Speedball/Robert Baldwin, Spider-Monkey/Peter Parker, Thorangutan/Thorangutan Odinson, Vision, Wasp/Janet Van Dyne), Invaders (Bucky/James Barnes, Red Raven, Sub-Mariner/Namor McKenzie, Toro/Thomas Raymond)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Doc Ook, "Calamari" called by Toro
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly underwater hideout, unrevealed location presumably near Monkhattan
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man Family I#1/2 (October, 2008)
Powers/Abilities: Doctor Ooktopus possesses no superhuman powers but is a scientific genius. He is equipped with four powerful, telescoping titanium-steel mechanical tentacles, mentally controlled through a neural interface. Each tentacle can extend several yards, strike with tremendous strength, lift several tons, and perform delicate manipulations. The tentacles grant him enhanced mobility, allowing him to climb, walk on walls, and move at high speeds.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 4'5")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 200 lbs.)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Black, formerly brown, receding hairline
History:
(Amazing Spider-Man Family I#1/2 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking to conquer the world and claim May Parker as his queen, Doctor Ooktopus obtained the powerful Serpent Crown. From his underwater lair, he was confronted by May's nephew, Spider-Monkey, who infiltrated the hideout. During their clash, Doc Ook gained the upper hand, leaving Spider-Monkey trapped beneath tons of fallen steel as the tentacled terrorist escaped with the Crown.
(Amazing Spider-Man Family I#1/2) - As Spider-Monkey struggled beneath the wreckage, Doc Ook departed with the Serpent Crown in hand, intent on finding May Parker.
(Amazing Spider-Man Family I#1/2 (fb) - BTS) - Before he could succeed, Doc Ook was intercepted by Ape X and Speedball, who had tracked Spider-Monkey's signal and come to assist. Ape X swiftly seized the Serpent Crown, ending Ook's scheme. Doc Ook nevertheless escaped; while Speedball pursued him, Ape X freed Spider-Monkey, who then set out in search of Ook.
(Marvel Apes I#1) - In hot pursuit, Doctor Ooktopus reached Monkhattan, where he was confronted by Spider-Monkey. The tentacled terrorist quickly overpowered the hero, hurling him into a banana stand before seizing him by the throat. At that moment Ape X and Speedball arrived, forcing Ook to release Spider-Monkey. Observing the battle were Earth-616's Gibbon and Dr. Fiona Fitzhugh, stranded on the ape world. The Gibbon distracted Ook long enough for Speedball to strike, enabling his defeat. Bound in a massive ball of webbing, Doc Ook was taken to the Ape-Vengers Tower and handed over to Gro-Rilla and Juggermonk, who escorted him to the tower's sub-levels.
(Marvel Apes #1 (fb - BTS) - Imprisoned within the Ape-Vengers' sublevel arena, Doc Ook was suspended mid-air within a beam of red energy to await judgment.
(Marvel Apes I#1) - Later that day, Ook faced a jury of Ape-Vengers and other super-simians under the leadership of Captain America. His long list of crimes was recounted before his mechanical tentacles were forcibly removed to ensure he would never again threaten apekind. Injured and enraged, Ook swore vengeance, but Captain America deemed him beyond rehabilitation, demanding total loyalty. His words incited chaos, and the gathered apes violently beat Ook, leaving him broken and near death.
(Marvel Apes I#2) - As Ook was savaged by the apes, Captain America abruptly halted the attack, ordering the others to leave them alone. Left in private, "Captain America" saluted Ook's sacrifice as four shadowy figures arrived, the vampiric Invaders. Captain America was in fact Baron Blood, who had replaced the real Captain America during World War II, he introduced his turned comrades: Bucky, Namor, Red Raven, and Toro, and commanded them to finish Ook off, presumably killing the villain.
(The Spectacular Spider-Men I#6/2 - BTS) - Doctor Ooktopus got better, returning to his old ways.
(The Spectacular Spider-Men I#6/2 (fb)) - Banded together with L-ook-i and Mole Monk, Doctor Ooktopus fought the Ape-Vengers in the streets of Monkhattan. During the fight Ooktopus faced Hawkape while Captain America expressed they needed the Invisible Simian's help to stop the villains. Doctor Ooktopus and the others were unaware they were being watched by Atleza Langunn, guardian of the Infinity Abyss who oversaw her subset of the multiverse.
Comments: Created by Karl Kesel.
The Marvel Apes limited series (2008) was conceived as a playful companion to the earlier Marvel Zombies phenomenon. Following the unexpected commercial success of Zombies, Marvel looked to replicate the formula by reimagining its superheroes in another offbeat, high-concept alternate reality. Writer Karl Kesel, inspired by Silver Age whimsy and the classic "What If?" tradition, pitched a world where Marvel's heroes and villains were evolved primates rather than humans. The project was greenlit as a four-issue miniseries, launching with a tongue-in-cheek promotional campaign that leaned into its absurdity while still delivering a surprisingly dark, satirical storyline. The series spawned several tie-ins and one-shots, positioning the Ape-Verse as both a parody of and homage to Marvel's multiverse storytelling.
Both Marvel Apes I#2 (December, 2008) and Marvel Apes I#3 (December, 2008) included a Bonobo-Pen Bulletin letter page that established that several Marvel Apes variant covers at the time were part of their reality with fun little solicitations of those issues. This information will be included in the Marvel Apes profiles on the Marvel Appendix. In the Bonobo-Pen Bulletin letter page for Marvel Apes I#2 (December, 2008) Doc Ook was mentioned in the solicitation for the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Monkey#22: "He's grappled the arms of Doc Ook. He's matched wits with the Kongpin. He's peeled Sandmonk's banana. But all those pale to this issues foe - J. Jonah Japeson, Aunt Maype's new boyfriend!".
Earth-8101 is the main Marvel Apes reality, but there are three others as well:
- Earth-81218, possible future of Earth-8101 set in the year 2099.
- Earth-90543, monkey Speedball was send back to his world and branded a traitor by the Ape-Vengers. This was a bad dream of the Gibbon.
- Earth-95019, diverged from 8101 when zombies invaded their world. The reset button was eventually pushed on the original Earth-8101, preventing the divergence.
Amazing Spider-Man Family I#1/2 was reprinted in Marvel Apes I#0.
Profile by MarvellousLuke
CLARIFICATIONS:
Doctor Ooktopus has no known connections to
Images: (without ads)
Marvel Apes I#1, p14, pan4 (main image)
Marvel Apes I#1, p12, pan3 (fighting Spider-Monkey)
Marvel Apes I#1, p21, pan2 (prisoner)
The Spectacular Spider-Men I#6, p25, pan3 (new outfit)
Appearances:
Amazing Spider-Man Family I#1/2 (October, 2008) - Karl Kesel (writer), Ramon Bachs (pencils & inks), Tom Brennan (editor)
Marvel Apes I#1 (November, 2008) - Karl Kesel (writer), Ramon Bachs (pencils & inks), Tom Brennan (editor)
Marvel Apes I#2 (December, 2008) - Karl Kesel (writer), Ramon Bachs (pencils & inks), Tom Brennan (editor)
The Spectacular Spider-Men I#6/2 (October, 2024) - Greg Weisman (writer), Humberto Ramos (pencils), Victor Olazaba, Humberto Ramos (inks), Nick Lowe, Kaeden McGahey (editors)
First Posted: 08/27/2025
Last Updated: 08/27/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
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