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Ashley Kafka

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This article is about the Queen Goblin. For the Goblin Queen, see Madelyne Pryor.
Ashley Kafka
Ashley Kafka
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearance
Created byJ. M. DeMatteis (writer)
Sal Buscema (artist)
In-story information
Full nameAshley Kafka
Notable aliasesQueen Goblin
AbilitiesExpert at psychology
As Queen Goblin:
Super-strength
Enhanced durability
Goblin Gaze

Dr. Ashley Kafka is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted in stories revolving around the superhero Spider-Man. Introduced in The Spectacular Spider-Man #178 (July 1991), she was created by writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Sal Buscema. The character was inspired by therapeutic hypnotist Frayda Kafka.[1] In the comics, Dr. Kafka is a psychiatrist at the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane, and an occasional ally of Spider-Man. After having been killed by Massacre, Dr. Kafka was twice "reanimated" with her soul intact in a cloned body by Ben Reilly and Norman Osborn, dying again in the former body to the Carrion Virus before going on to become the Queen Goblin in the latter body after being magically corrupted by Osborn's "sins" (the Green Goblin persona) by the Beyond Corporation.

The character has appeared in several forms of media outside of comics, including animated series and video games. A male version of the character appeared in the 2014 film The Amazing Spider-Man 2 portrayed by Marton Csokas.

Publication history

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Ashley Kafka first appeared in The Spectacular Spider-Man #178 (July 1991), and was created by J.M. DeMatteis and Sal Buscema. She was killed in The Superior Spider-Man #4 (April 2013) before being twice revived in Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy #2 (November 2016) and Ravencroft #5 (September 2020), becoming the Queen Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 #88 (February 2022)

Fictional character biography

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Ashley Kafka grew up in New York with her mother and her sister, Norma, who had been born with severe facial birth defects and was mentally challenged. Kafka looked after Norma while growing up. Their mother died when Kafka was nineteen years old and Norma was left at a psychiatric hospital, where she died a short time later. Kafka then went to college at the Empire State University where she studied psychology and earned a degree.[2]

Kafka goes on to become a professional psychologist specializing in the criminally insane and founds a maximum security sanitarium called the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane, where she treats super-criminals.[3]

Kafka is later killed by Massacre during a breakout attempt.[4] In "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy", Ben Reilly resurrects Kafka in a clone body, but she dies after undergoing cellular degeneration.[5][6]

In Ravencroft, Norman Osborn uses Reilly's cloning method to revive Kafka in a new clone body.[7] She later becomes the Queen Goblin after being infused with Osborn's sins.

Powers and abilities

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Ashley Kafka is an expert at psychology.

On her second "reanimation" (with a slightly degraded soul) in a cloned body, Ashley was exposed to the sins of Norman Osborn and was mutated into the "Queen Goblin", which gave her a red-skinned goblin-like appearance and granted her goblin serum-like abilities like enhanced strength, speed and durability while seemly a healing factor and perhaps increased intelligence based on the source of the powers. She also possesses a Goblin Gaze that causes anyone hit by it to relive their trauma.

Equipment

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As Queen Goblin, Ashley Kafka rides a Goblin Glider and wields a high-tech Pumpkin Scepter that has two features. The first feature can be used in a rigid state. The second feature is a chain retractable state. In addition, the Pumpkin Scepter can fire explosive blasts through the Pumpkin Scepters extremities.

Reception

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In 2022, Screen Rant included Queen Goblin in their "10 Spider-Man Villains That Are Smarter Than They Seem" list.[8]

Other versions

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DC crossover

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In the Marvel/DC crossover Spider-Man & Batman, Kafka was present when behavioral psychiatrist Cassandra Briar attempted to use Carnage as the test subject for a chip that would lobotomize the homicidal instincts of dangerous patients, Kafka objecting to the treatment in the belief that she could still reach Kasady through conventional therapy.[9]

Earth-71290

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On Earth-71290, Ashley Kafka works at Ravencroft where she has Edward Whelan as her assistant. Web-Weaver enlisted them to help hide the Great Web of Life and Destiny from the Sinister Squadron. When Some of the spider-themed heroes arrived to make sure it is safe, the Sinister Squadron arrived with their leader Madame Web (an unidentified reality version of May Parker) causing Ashley and Edward to flee.[10]

MC2

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In the MC2 reality, Ashley Kafka married John Jameson, with whom she had a son named Jack. Jack became a costumed adventurer known as "The Buzz" without them knowing.[volume & issue needed]

In other media

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Television

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Film

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Dr. Ashley Kafka as he appears in The Amazing Spider-Man 2
  • Rachel Kafka appeared in David S. Goyer's 1997 draft of Venom as Eddie Brock's love interest.[12]
  • Ashley Kafka appears in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, portrayed by Marton Csokas.[13] This version is a male German doctor and leading staff member of the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane, which is controlled by Oscorp. He conducts inhumane experiments on Electro until Harry Osborn sneaks into Ravencroft and releases the latter, who subjects Kafka to the same experiment.

Video games

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Ashley Kafka appears in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 film tie-in game.

References

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  1. ^ Hoffman, Jordan (May 5, 2014). "The Real-Life Inspiration for a Spider-Man Character Reacts to Being Turned Evil...and into a Man". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  2. ^ The Spectacular Spider-Man #178. Marvel Comics.
  3. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #655. Marvel Comics.
  4. ^ Dan Slott (w), Ryan Stegman (a). The Superior Spider-Man, no. 5 (March 2013). Marvel Comics.
  5. ^ Clone Conspiracy #2. Marvel Comics.
  6. ^ Clone Conspiracy #5. Marvel Comics.
  7. ^ Ravencroft #5. Marvel Comics.
  8. ^ Chrysostomou, George (2022-10-03). "10 Spider-Man Villains That Are Smarter Than They Seem". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  9. ^ Spider-Man & Batman. Marvel Comics/DC Comics.
  10. ^ Spider-Society #2. Marvel Comics.
  11. ^ a b "Ashley Kafka Voices (Spider-Man)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved January 29, 2025. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  12. ^ "Sci-Fi - David Goyer's 1997 Venom Film". 12 June 2022.
  13. ^ "Interview: Talking Sociopaths, Stanislavski and Sandler with the Equalizer's Marton Csokas". 26 September 2014.
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