   doctor octopus, real name dr. otto gunther octavius and also known as doc ock, doc octopus and the superior spider-man, is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by marvel comics since 1963. a highly intelligent mad scientist, doctor octopus is one of spider-man's greatest foes. he is typically portrayed as a stocky, myopic man who utilizes four powerful, mechanical appendages, and is obsessed with proving his own genius and destroying spider-man. in his first several appearances, his last name was spelled "octavious" while all stories since have spelled it "octavius". the character has appeared in numerous spider-man cartoons and video games and is portrayed by alfred molina in the 2004 film spider-man 2. in 2009, doctor octopus was ranked as ign's 28th greatest comic book villain of all time.doctor octopus is number 28 , ign. comics journalist and historian mike conroy writes of the character: "created by stan lee and artist steve ditko, doc ock, as he became known, has become one of the web slinger's most persistent and dangerous foes."conroy, mike. 500 comicbook villains, p.44-45, collins & brown, 2004. ==publication history== {{expand section|date=sep
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