Ashley Kafka

Dr. Ashley Kafka is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually 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. In the comics, Dr. Kafka is a psychiatrist at the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane, and an occasional ally of Spider-Man.

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
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).

Fictional character biography
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 and the Empire State University where she studied psychology and earned a degree.

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.

Kafka is later killed by Massacre during a breakout attempt.

During the "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy" storyline, the Jackal created a clone of Ashley Kafka.

In the pages of "Ravencroft," Norman Osborn created a clone of Ashley Kafka in a plan to get John Jameson to regain his ability to transform into Man-Wolf.

During the "Sins Rising" arc, the revived Sin-Eater uses Mister Negative's powers to corrupt Ashley Kafka and use her to free Juggernaut from his cell so that he can steal his powers.

When Norman Osborn recovered from the attack from Sin-Eater which purged him of his sins and the police have arrested Sin-Eater's followers at the start of the "Last Remains" arc, he claimed to the clone of Ashley Kafka that Kindred is Harry Osborn. Not wanting to give him to the police, Kafka brings Norman to her office where he confessed every bad thing that he has done in his life. When Norman still claims that Harry is Kindred and that he must find a way to stop him before he goes further down the path to vengeance, Kafka suggests to Norman that he should enlist someone who Harry would still listen to. When Mary Jane catches up to Norman Osborn and attacks him, Norman expressed his remorse for his sins that Sin-Eater purged him of which Ashley Kafka corroborated on. He claims to Mary Jane that Harry Osborn is Kindred to which Mary Jane claimed that she just saw Harry Osborn alive.

DC crossover
In the Marvel/DC crossover Spider-Man & Batman, Doctor Kafka was present when behavioral psychiatrist Doctor Cassandra Briar attempted to use Carnage as the test subject for a chip that would essentially lobotomise the homicidal instincts of dangerous patients, Kafka objecting to the treatment in the belief that she could still reach Kasady through conventional therapy (Spider-Man doubted this philosophy but agreed with her objections to Briar's work).

MC2
In the MC2 reality, Ashley Kafka ended up falling in love with and marrying John Jameson (son of J. Jonah Jameson) and together they had a son named 'Jack'. Jack became the costumed adventurer known as "The Buzz" without them knowing.

Television

 * Ashley Kafka appeared in the 1990s Spider-Man animated series, voiced by Barbara Goodson. This iteration is a therapist at Ravencroft and a love interest for Eddie Brock, who is one of her main patients. She appears in the episodes "Venom Returns" and "Carnage". Kafka also plays a minor role in the episode "The Wedding", where she treats Harry Osborn.
 * Ashley Kafka appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series, voiced by Elisa Gabrielli. This iteration is the Ravencroft Institute's founder and a therapist. She treats many criminally insane supervillains, such as Electro and Doctor Octopus.

Film
Ashley Kafka appears in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, portrayed by Marton Csokas. This iteration is re-imagined as a male German doctor and leading staff member of the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane, which is controlled by the corrupt scientific corporation Oscorp. He conducts inhumane experiments on Electro until Harry Osborn sneaks into Ravencroft and releases the latter, who in turn subjects Kafka to the same experiment.

Video games
Dr. Kafka appears in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 video game. This iteration is also a male doctor working for Ravencroft, where he oversees various illegal genetic experiments on patients funded by the Kingpin and Donald Menken. He experiments on Cletus Kasady with the Carnage symbiote until Kasady learns how to control it, breaks free of his restraints, and grabs the doctor by the throat.