main image

BRIGHAM FONTAINE

Real Name: Brigham Fontaine

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: Inventor

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None;
   formerly Dr. Octopus (Otto Octavius)

Enemies: Bradley Burbank, Spider-Man (Peter Parker)

Known Relatives: Parents (names unrevealed)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New York City, USA

First Appearance: Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#1 (January, 2004)

Powers/Abilities: Brigham Fontaine was a normal teenager who had at least gifted level scientific intelligence, particularly concerning magnetic fields. He briefly wore a self-designed belt that could explosively disrupt an electromagnetic field.

Height: 5'3" (by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond

History:

(Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#2 (fb) - BTS) - As a boy, Brigham felt laughed at by his parents, teachers and peers because he was "different." Fontaine also secretly developed an admiration of Otto Octavius' power, resourcefulness and personal authority, yet Fontaine also sought a father figure.

(Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#1 (fb) - BTS) - Peter Parker tutored Brigham Fontaine in Midtown High.

(Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#1) - A year later, Fontaine's liquid electromagnet design of a new bank vault thwarted the robbery attempt of Dr. Octopus (Octavius). Fontaine was briefly interviewed on television as the designer of the Dr. Octopus-proof lock. This broadcast was seen by Parker and Octavius, who both attended his press conference that night at Empire State University. Parker, as Spider-Man, was cast away by Octavius, who made off with the surprised and fearful Fontaine.

(Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#2) - Back at his lair, Octavius demanded that Fontaine develop a method to overcome his lock. Fontaine came up with the concept, then Octavius took the boy along as he violently took over a research center for the required resources. Spider-Man's intervention necessitated the two's hasty retreat, although a Fontaine-designed magno-converter prevented Spider-Man's pursuit. Back at Octavius' secret lab, Fontaine stood up to Octavius. Fontaine developed the body-powered, portable belt with three injectors to overcome his vault lock by explosively disrupting the electromagnetic field, but a test run saw him fall overwhelmed. Believing it a rescue, Spider-Man suddenly arrived and took Fontaine away without the belt (which was taken by Octavius).

(Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#3 (fb) - BTS) - Fontaine initially went home, but was beset by reporters. Encouraged to say how horrible it was, he instead realized the thrill of invention while with Octavius.

(Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#2) - Fontaine voluntarily returned to Octavius at his Pier 75 base.

(Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#3) - Initially suspicious, Octavius welcomed Fontaine back, although Fontaine's arrogance irritated him. Fontaine revealed how he powered his belt and that his emotions may be influencing it. They went on a crime spree robbing banks, testing the new belt by disabling vaults. Fontaine reveled in the money and considered Octavius' extra metal arms may be a fear-inciting hindrance worth eliminating. Fontaine offered to amplify Octavius' powers with electromagnetic energy to become akin to a living battery, but Octavius declined at the last minute. Spider-Man suddenly arrived and Fontaine's intervention knocked him out. Fontaine chided Octavius for refusing extra power, then took the power belt before seeking to make a public broadcast. Fontaine forced newsreader Bradley Burbank's assistance.

(Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#4) - Watched by Parker and Octavius, Fontaine broadcast he was the inventor of the vault-breaking device and hadn't been brainwashed, and that Dr. Octopus was his sidekick. Angered, Octavius hauled the now-relenting Fontaine outside. Spider-Man again attempted a rescue and kicked Octavius aside, but Fontaine donned the power belt and blasted Spider-Man away; however, Fontaine lost control with conflicting advice from Spider-Man and Octavius and the boy fled in the resulting explosion. Fontaine's mind had begun to be taken over by the machine, which was seeking more energy to complete its evolution, from electrical to chemical and finally atomic. Spider-Man and Octavius found Fontaine charged up at a power plant; Spider-Man pleaded with him to let the machine go, while Octavius wished to become Fontaine's mentor.

(Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#5) - Fontaine chose to blast Spider-Man unconscious and Octavius led Fontaine to two other power plants, seeking to make his protege a self-sustaining, nuclear-powered battery of electromagnetic energy. But Spider-Man again arrived and disrupted the final process, beseeching Octavius to stop the process and give Fontaine a chance to live a life that had eluded Octavius. The criminal relented and revived Fontaine, but was knocked out by Spider-Man. Later, recovering in bed, Fontaine told reporters that Spider-Man had saved him and the media maintained that Octavius (back in jail) had kidnapped Fontaine.

Comments: Created by Colin Mitchell (writer), Keron Grant (pencils), and Rob Stull, Derek Fridolfs & Scott Elmer (inks).

Unusual to have a sudden art and editorial change midway through a limited series.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Brigham Fontaine has no known connections to:

Bradley Burbank

Bradley Burbank

Bradley Burbank was a reporter and news anchor for Channel 4 WFRT News. He covered one of the bank heists by Octavius and Fontaine, but was later coerced by Fontaine during a studio tour into broadcasting that Fontaine was the real inventor of device breaking open the otherwise impenetrable bank vaults. Both Octavius and Spider-Man saw the broadcast and rushed to the studio as a result.

 

 

--Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#3

images: (without ads)
Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#5, p7, pan5 (main image)
Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#3, p1, pan2 (headshot)
Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#4, p9, pan6 (with charged harness)
Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#3, p21, pan3 (Burbank)

Appearances:
Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#1 (January, 2004) - Colin Mitchell (writer), Keron Grant (pencils), Rob Stull, Derek Fridolfs & Scott Elmer (inks), Teresa Focarile (editor)
Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#2 (February, 2004) - Colin Mitchell (writer), Keron Grant (pencils), Rob Stull, Derek Fridolfs & Scott Elmer (inks), Teresa Focarile (editor)
Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#3 (March, 2004) - Colin Mitchell (writer), Derec Aucoin (art), Cory Sedlmeier (editor)
Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#4 (April, 2004) - Colin Mitchell (writer), Derec Aucoin (art), Cory Sedlmeier (editor)
Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Out of Reach#5 (May, 2004) - Colin Mitchell (writer), Derec Aucoin (art), Cory Sedlmeier (editor)

Last updated: 09/03/17

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com.

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix!

Back to Characters