Spider-Man consistently lands amongst the most popular superheroes in America, and a great hero demands great enemies. One such adversary is the many armed mad scientist Dr. Otto Octavius, better known as Doctor Octopus.
Doctor Octopus was introduced in the third issue of The Amazing Spider-Man comic back in 1963, making him one of the earliest and most enduring villains of the character's history. Dr. Octavius is a dangerously intelligent scientist who fuses four unbreakable metallic limbs to his spine, turning to a life of crime, often to fund his scientific endeavors. Doc Ock goes on to found the Sinister Six and remains one of Spider-Man's central nemeses.
Spider-Man (1967)
The first-ever Spider-Man cartoon featured Doctor Octopus in only two of 52 episodes. He was portrayed by Vernon Chapman in the first and Tom Harvey in the second. In each of his two episodes, he develops a hare-brained scheme to cause chaos and garner profit. His first plan involves bombing much of New York for poorly justified reasons and the second is based around an orbital weapon he uses to prevent spacecraft from leaving Earth without paying him first. Spider-Man stops him both times, his final fate is incarceration.
Spider-Man/Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends/The Incredible Hulk (1981)
This version of Doctor Octopus, voiced by Stanley Jones and Michael Bell, also crossed over into simultaneously airing series The Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Doc Ock appears in one episode of each series, engaging a new wacky scheme which is immediately foiled by the series' hero. In Spider-Man, he attempts to monopolize the world's oil supply, in Hulk he attempts to irradiate the planet with a rare element, and in Spider-Friends, he steals a time machine and kidnaps one of its owners. Interestingly, this version of the character pops up later in a Deadpool comic. He is brutally murdered by Iceman after Deadpool convices his fellow heroes that Doc Ock killed Spider-Man.
Spider-Man (1994)
The first Doctor Octopus to get a backstory was voiced by the great Efrem Zimbalist Jr., best known for portraying Alfred Pennyworth in numerous Batman cartoons. The 90s Otto Octavius ran a science-themed summer camp which a young Peter Parker happened to attend. Parker credits Octavius with his love of science and role as a mentor in his life, adding dimensions to the pair's relationship.
Like in the comics, Octavius crafts mechanical arms to aid him in experiments, but an accident fuses them permanently to his spine. Doc Ock begins terrorizing Felica Hardy and her family, who previously funded Octavius' research, for cutting him off. He later forms the Insidious Six with a team of fellow villains under the leadership of Kingpin. He's also responsible for turning Felicia into Black Cat through a super-soldier serum. This series is the best showcase for the character thus far, linking him with Spider-Man and allowing him to show up in a variety of fun roles.
The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008)
Doctor Octopus goes through a number of interesting phases in this iteration, voiced by Peter MacNicol. For the first time, this Octavius is evil before the accident that bonds him to his metal limbs. He works as a scientist for Oscorp and actually facillitates the creation of numerous other supervillians, including Sandman and Rhino.
When Octavius becomes Doc Ock, he is the greatest threat Spidey has faced off against at that point, only defeated after his arms lose power. From jail, Doc Ock forms the Sinister Six and plots revenge. The best-laid plans of the Six are unsuccesful, as they encounter a Spider-Man empowered by the iconic black symbiote suit, and all barely escape with their lives. Doc Ock goes on to take the moniker Master Planner and lead a siege against fellow criminals for control of the city. He, along with his enemies, are defeated by Spider-Man and hauled off to Ravencroft.
Ultimate Spider-Man/Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. (2012)
Also appearing in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., this iteration of the mad scientist is portrayed by voice acting legend Tom Kenny. This Octavius once again works as a scientist for Oscorp, the iconic disaster which afflicts Octavius is caused by Norman Osborn. In return, Octavius is the one who creates this version of The Green Goblin. Operating from the shadows, this Octavius is also responsible for creating the Venom symbiote. He again forms the Sinister Six, later creating much-maligned Spider-Man clone Scarlett Spider, who goes on to betray him. Like many versions before this one, Octavius tangles with villains and heroes in a multifaceted manner that is tons of fun to watch.
Spider-Man (2017)
One of the more complex iterations of the character appears in this recent iteration of the franchise. Voiced by Scott Menville, Otto Octavius appears here as a high school science teacher who meets and dislikes Peter Parker. After the requisite lab accident fuses the arms to his spine, Doc Ock actually tries to become a superhero under Spider-Man's mentorship.
Doctor Octopus turns against this lofty goal due to his own moral failings, leading him to again found the Sinister Six and wage war against Spider-Man. A later conflict with the Wall-Crawler leaves Octavius comatose, forcing him to spend a period hopping from body to body. Once finally given control of his own body and reassuming his Doc Ock persona, he reclaims his heroic ambitions, giving his life to stop a greater threat and dying a hero.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
In Spider-Verse's alternate reality take on this classic character, fans were introduced to Dr. Olivia "Liv" Octavius. Voiced by Wandavision star Kathryn Hahn, Liv is a female Doc Ock who resides in Miles Morales' home universe. Her backstory is less clear, but she is clearly capable of feats similar to the classic Doc Ock. She is introduced as a groundbreaking scientist, but quickly revealed to be in league with Kingpin and involved in unethical research. She creates the interdimensional travel device which fuels the plot, has an unexplored relationship with Aunt May, and is defeated by a wayward truck launched from her own portal. She's a fun shake-up for the character, showing what a long-running franchise can do with established characters.
Doctor Octopus also appears briefly in Japan-exclusive series Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers and preschool-friendly series Spidey and his Amazing Friends and Marvel Super Hero Adventures. The character's groundbreaking live-action iteration, portrayed by Alfred Molina is set to star in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home.