Tuesday, August 9, 2011

A Disclaimer, an Explanation and References




Look, let's be honest. I'm just a guy behind a computer doing this for fun. I am in no way an expert in psychology. I minored in the stuff while in college, yes, but for God's sake I got C's in all my psych classes. For all that is good and holy, don't take anything I have to say here as advice, or to diagnose yourselves. In fact, don't listen to me at all. Go back to your porn.


Okay, that being done with, let me explain a little how this site works. All of this "Axis I, Axis II, Axis III, Axis IV, Axis V" stuff? That's what psychiatric professionals use when making diagnoses.

"Axis I" deals with mood disorders, anxiety disorders and psychotic disorders.
"Axis" II" is about "permanent" disorders, like personality disorders.
"Axis III" talks about medical and physical disorders.
"Axis IV" describes environmental and psychosocial conditions, like family strife and economic hardship.
"Axis V" is just a number. The Global Assessment of Functioning rates a person on a scale of 0 to 100, which shows how well they function. The higher the number, the better they can manage living in polite society.



Information used on this site comes from:

Andersen, Pauline. "Children With Bipolar Parents at Increased Risk for the Disorder." Medscape Today. 9 Mar. 2009. Web. 27 Aug. 2011.

Bressert, Steve. "The Causes of Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) | Psych Central." Psych Central - Trusted Mental Health, Depression, Bipolar, ADHD and Psychology Information . 22 Sept. 2010. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. .

century, the late 20th, and &. " Nihilism [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2011. .

Douglas, John., and Mark Olshaker. The Anatomy of Motive. New York, NY: Scribner, 1999. Print.

Dryden-Edwards, Roxanne. "Dissociative Identity Disorder Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - What Causes Dissociative Identity Disorder on MedicineNet." MedicineNet.com. Medicine Net. Web. 27 Aug. 2011. .

"Emotional effects on children of alcohol dependent (alcoholic) parents." Alcohol Answers - Evidence-based Treatment & Support. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2011. .

Ghaemi, S. Nassir. "Introduction." A First-rate Madness: Uncovering the Links between Leadership and Mental Illness. New York: Penguin, 2011. 16. Print.

Koltko-Rivera, Mark E. "The Psychology of Worldviews." American Psychological Association. Mar. 2004. Web. 27 Aug. 2011. .

L'Abate, Luciano. Family Psychopathology: the Relational Roots of Dysfunctional Behavior. New York, NY: Guilford, 1998. Print.

"Narcissistic personality disorder: Causes - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2011. .

Nelson, Bryce. "THE ADDICTIVE PERSONALITY - COMMON TRAITS ARE FOUND - Series - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 18 Jan. 1983. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. .

Ohio State University (2010, May 14). Changing thoughts key to battling even severe depression. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 25, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/05/100512125257.htm

"Post-traumatic stress disorder - PubMed Health." National Center for Biotechnology Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2011. .

Riester, Emilie J. "The Making of a Soviet Spy." Michigan State University. Est. 1855. East Lansing, Michigan USA. Michigan State University. Web. 27 Aug. 2011. .

Rohner, Ronald , Abdul Khaleque, and David Cournoyer. "Introduction to Parental Acceptance-Rejection Theory, Methods, Evidence and Implications." Introduction to Parental Acceptance.pdf. University of Connecticut, 8 May 2007. Web. 27 Aug. 2011.
"Schizophrenia Facts and Statistics." Schizophrenia.com, Indepth Schizophrenia Information and Support. Web. 29 Aug. 2011. .

Sharp, Rob. "Can Loneliness Really Damage Your Health? - Science, News - The Independent." The Independent | News | UK and Worldwide News | Newspaper. The Independent, 23 Aug. 2010. Web. 27 Aug. 2011. .


Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Paranoid Schizophrenia - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. 16 Dec. 2010. Web. 27 Aug. 2011. .

Wilson, Daniel H., and Anna C. Long. The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame: Muwahahahaha! New York, NY: Citadel, 2008. Print.




Baker, William (aka, "Sandman")

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Introduction

William Baker began life with only one parent, as his father, Floyd, was incarcerated. He was raised by his mother, who seemed to be a pleasant woman who cared for her son, but nevertheless had a drinking problem. She often was too drunk to notice if her son was home or not. Mrs. Baker was not a wealthy woman and made a living cleaning houses after Floyd abandoned the family. William was a creative child, excelling in art and sculpting in school.

This made him a target for the school bullies. Baker quickly learned that in order to be safe and be seen as a man, he had to get tough. He soon was "the boss of the kids" in school, earning the fear of the boys and the attention of the girls. Baker became a football star in high school and began throwing games to pay off a friend's gambling debts to the mob. The coach figured it out and Baker assaulted him to keep him quiet.

Baker was taken to jail after committing armed robbery and aggravated assault and battery with the motive of getting enough money to leave town for good. In prison, he earned a reputation as not being afraid to get into fights. He eventually escaped from jail and fled from New York to Georgia, where he stumbled upon a radiation testing site on a beach. A nearby reactor detonated while he was on the beach and the radiation changed William Baker into the Sandman. (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Annual #1)

As the Sandman, Baker has the ability to change the density of his body, to shape his body as he pleases and to gain size when near sand. A petty thief at heart, Baker has engaged in crimes from bank robberies to murder plots. Oddly, he does at times, show signs of a conscience. In the past, Baker has worked with the Nazi hunters known as the Wild Pack and is able to put his animosity towards Spider-Man aside in order to work towards common goals.



Psychopathology: Portrait of an Alcoholic

A strong indicator of Baker's future trouble with the law stems from his mother's alcoholism. As an adult, William has been shown to have a drinking problem as well. Take a look at Spider-Man's thoughts on the subject. "Tuesday, I'm cutting classes to fight the Sandman after he gets drunk and tries to pick a fight with a busload of college guys. Try to imagine a beach throwing up, try to imagine an abusive sandstorm with an alcohol problem, and you'll begin to get an inkling of what I do when I'm hiding Peter Parker." (Marvel Knights Spider-Man #7) When Baker gets into a fight over a woman with Hydro-Man, its in a bar. (Amazing Spider-Man #217) When Baker and his friend Vic are seen plotting a new heist, its in a bar. (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Annual #1)

Alcoholism has been found to be a genetic disease. In fact, a child with one biological parent with alcoholism is three times more likely to become alcohol dependent than a child without alcoholic parents. Children with alcoholic parents are more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems. (Think of the beating he gave his football coach.) Depression is reported 20% to 40% of the time when a person suffers from alcoholism. Its unclear if Mrs Baker drank while she was pregnant with her son but if she did, it made William more likely to suffer from memory and learning problems. Combined with a lack of positive role models, lack of control of his anger issues, alcoholism and a desire to prove himself as a man, its clear that Baker was going to explode.

A Desire for Wealth and Family

Baker was never the world domination, evil mastermind type. Money is his real motive. In his very first appearance, he faces off against Spider-Man while on his way to rob a bank. (Amazing Spider-Man #4) Sandman uses violence as a means to an end, not as a goal. Consider how he objected to Doctor Octopus's plan to hold the planet for ransom. The plan was to tamper with a satellite so that it would spray a poisonous chemical over the earth and kill everyone, unless the Sinister Six were made rulers. Baker tells Octavius, "I don't know. I wouldn't want to live with that kind of slaughter on my conscience." (Amazing Spider-Man #337)

Sandman has also shown a tendency towards working in groups. From the Sinister Six, to the Wild Pack to the Outlaws (a group of former criminals turned vigilantes), Baker prefers to work in teams rather than alone. Even outside of his criminal life, Baker has shown some signs that he desires a family. When Octavius was planning to rule the world in "The Return of the Sinister Six" (Amazing Spider-Man #334 to #339), Baker had to be persuaded to join the team, or else the family he was hiding out with would be killed. (The family didn't know he was a fugitive.) Not long ago, he kidnapped a little girl named Keemia, after killing her mother. He told her that she was his long lost daughter and that he would take care of her. He kidnapped the girl after finding out that his powers made it impossible for him to have biological children of his own. (Amazing Spider-Man #616)

Conclusion

All of this may stem from his lack of a family while growing up. Baker has been consistently shown to be at odds with himself: bank robberies and murdering a child's parent one moment, to defending families and the world the next. It could be said that his mother (caring but unreliable) and father (a violent felon) are battling for control of William's soul. The poverty he grew up in may be driving his desire for wealth. He does feel compassion but likely suppresses it during crimes. This all goes back to his childhood desire to prove that he was a man. It also shows a conscious decision to commit violent crime. This is very different from an individual that can't control their impulses.

Diagnosis

Axis I: Alcoholism.
Axis II: Antisocial personality disorder.
Axis III: Infertility.
Axis IV: Economic hardship as a child.
Axis V: 70--Moderate difficulty. Prone to violent outbursts, violent crime. Can be sympathetic to the suffering of others.

Brock, Eddie (aka, "Venom", aka "Anti-Venom")



















Introduction

Eddie Brock is a religious fanatic with ample reasons in his deeply troubled mind to believe that he is a servant of God. Raised as a Catholic, Brock was held in contempt by his father, Carl, who silently resented his son for the death of his wife in childbirth. Brock craved his father's affection but only earned a small amount after he became a journalist for a New York newspaper, the Daily Globe. That respect was lost after Brock wrote a story that erroneously named a disturbed man as the serial killer known as the Sin-Eater. The real Sin-Eater, Stan Carter, was soon captured by the vigilante known as Spider-Man.

Brock was immediately fired, lost the respect of his father and was divorced by his wife. Despondent over the turn his life had taken, Brock went to a local church to pray for forgiveness for the suicide he was planning. While in prayer, a black, liquid like creature (identified by lead scientist Reed Richards as an alien creature called a symbiote) appeared from the darkness of the church and attached itself to Brock. The creature had tried to attach itself to Spider-Man and had nearly been killed in battle with him. Sensing that Brock's hatred of Spider-Man matched its own, the parasitic symbiote chose him as its new host. Brock accepted the "gift" of the symbiote and the powers it gave him. (Super human strength, invisibility, creating webbing, evasion of Spider-Man's early warning "spider sense" and knowledge of Spider-Man's identity.)

Calling himself Venom, Brock went on a personal crusade to kill Peter Parker. In his mind, Spider-Man had destroyed Brock's innocence. He clashed with Spider-Man and Peter Parker numerous times, threatening his friends and loved ones at the same time. He and Spider-Man only manage to call a truce (albeit a temporary one) when Brock's ex-wife, Anne Weying, convinced him that killing Spider-Man would harm other innocents. As Brock is obsessed with innocence and guilt, he allowed Spider-Man to live in order to protect the innocent. (Amazing Spider-Man #375)



Years later, Brock revealed that he was dying of cancer. With his time running short, he attempted to atone for his sins by auctioning off the the symbiote to the highest criminal bidder and donating the money to charity. After the auction, Brock again attempted to commit suicide, by slitting his wrists. (Marvel Knights Spider-Man #6) While recuperating in a hospital, Brock learned that Parker's Aunt May was a patient in the same building. He quickly killed a nurse, to see if he was still strong enough (physically and mentally) to take a life. All the while, hallucinations of the symbiote mocked him, asking if he was really serious about killing an old woman. Peter finds Eddie standing over his comatose aunt's hospital bed and Brock jumps out the window. Peter saves him by catching him with his webbing. (Sensational Spider-Man #39)

After being cured of his cancer by Martin Li's powers, Brock was inadvertently transformed into Anti-Venom. Brock had come to hate the symbiote and all of the harm he blamed it for. He now wants to cleanse the world of all symbiotes (the creature spawned several times) while aiding the hopeless and weak. He sees being Anti-Venom as a blessing. (Amazing Spider-Man #573)


Poisoned Thinking: Obsessive Behavior


To Eddie Brock, everything wrong in his life comes from Spider-Man. His desire to see Spider-Man dead is the driving force in Brock's life. His hatred causes him to attack Spider-Man even when he is powerless to truly be a threat. While Brock was separated from the symbiote, he was confronted by Spider-Man, who accused him of threatening his wife. Brock screamed "It's all your fault! Every bad thing that has ever happened to me...it's all because of you!" (Peter Parker: Spider-Man #9 vol. 2) Spider-Man easily held off Brock, who all the while insisted that he wanted his enemy to die. Brock was soon after reunited with the symbiote and they went to go see Brock ex-wife, Anne. After several adventures with Venom and Spider-Man, Anne was suffering from extreme stress and anxiety. She committed suicide by jumping out of her apartment window, as a fight between Venom and Spider-Man raged outside. Venom blamed Spider-Man for her death. (Amazing Spider-Man #19, vol. 2)

A Holy Cause?

Religion is a major factor in Brock's life. While being very religious is not a sign of mental illness, the way that Brock injects religion into his grudge against Spider-Man and his transformation into Venom does show delusional thinking. Brock also has animosity towards the Sin-Eater (and his copy cat), the serial killer that he misreported on, causing him to lose his job. The name "Sin-Eater" may also give Brock reason to believe that religion is a part of his struggles in life. After escaping from The Vault, Brock hid at an abandoned fallout shelter under New York, There, he ranted about he and the symbiote were now "safe to pursue our destiny! A destiny begun when Spider-Man destroyed my life!" (Amazing Spider-Man #316)

Even in their very first meeting, Brock was dressed in a priest's robe and collar, claiming that the clothing was appropriate as they were "about to exorcise a demon!" (Amazing Spider-Man #300) Shortly before admitting to having cancer, Brock has visited a confessional and told the priest "I think the Lord decided to punish me for my terrible sin. I think he put a demon inside me." (Spectacular Spider-Man #1, vol. 2) Before auctioning the symbiote, he claims that he experienced a religious renewal after seeing a recent religious movie, insinuated to be Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." (Marvel Knights Spider-Man #6)

Psychopathology: Paranoid Schizophrenia


It seems appropriate that schizophrenia means "split mind" as there are two minds that make up Venom: Eddie Brock and the symbiote. While it has been shown that the symbiote goads its host into acts of violence in order to feed off of the human's adrenaline, Brock is capable of violence without the creature's influence. He also shows paranoid, delusional thoughts. He repeatedly blames Spider-Man for problems he had before he even met the vigilante. He has suffered from visual and auditory hallucinations (Sensational Spider-Man #39) and has thought of or attempted suicide on at least three separate occasions.

Schizophrenics often prefer to be left alone and are non-violent. They harm themselves much more often than they hurt others. This seems to be the case with Brock, who went to the church alone to pray for forgiveness for his upcoming suicide. It was only after being bonded to the alien that he showed signs of aggression. As the creature provokes violence, his behavior may have been permanently changed by the alien. The multiple suicide attempts do fit the schizophrenia diagnosis. Schizophrenics are fifty times more likely to die by their own hand than someone from the general population. Within ten years of a schizophrenia diagnosis, 10% of individuals have died by suicide. Its been found that those born in an urban area are 50% more likely to develop the disease. (Brock was born in San Francisco.)

Conclusion

If Brock can be successfully and finally separated from the symbiote and with a strict regimen of anti-psychotics, he may stand a chance of some degree of recovery. While total recovery is rare (25% of patients are cured after ten years of treatment), one quarter of patients are "much improved, relatively independent." With therapy, he may be able to see how distorted his obsession on Spider-Man is. This will be difficult, as the symbiote has shown to be fixated on Brock and is very hard to kill.

Diagnosis

Axis I: Depression.
Axis II: Schizophrenia; antisocial personality disorder.
Axis III: Cancer, non specified; in remission.
Axis IV: Unsafe living conditions (sewers, underground fallout shelter, ruins of old San Francisco under the new city.)
Axis V: 30--very serious impairment: repeated suicide attempts, schizophrenia, hallucinations.

Connors, Dr. Curt (aka, "The Lizard")





















Introduction



Little is known about Dr Curt Connors' life as a child. As an army surgeon, herpetologist (a person that studies amphibians and reptiles) and professor, he is obviously a brilliant man. He always pushed himself, from grade school to medical school, graduating at the top of his class. When he was drafted into the military, he performed battlefield surgery on wounded GI's, until a grenade wounded his arm. The arm became gangrenous and was amputated. This ended his career as a surgeon. He turned to studying lizards and their ability to regenerate missing limbs. By stimulating an area of the brain called the "R complex," he hoped to mimic the ability in humans. He created a formula and tested it on himself. (Spectacular Spider-Man #238)

Naturally, things got worse after that. The serum changed him into the Lizard, a creature that hates humanity, Dr Connors and his family. Reports from Florida of a strange, man-like reptile in the swamps made their way to New York City and drew the attention of Spider-Man. He sought out the help of Connors, not knowing that he was the Lizard. Connors' wife, Martha, explained to the vigilante what had happened to her husband and the masked man set about creating a formula cure in Connors' lab. (Amazing Spider-Man #6)

After Connors was returned to normal, everyone hoped that the change was permanent. Eventually the Connors family moved from Florida to New York City and Connors became a professor at Empire State University. The changes began again, after Connors helped Spider-Man create a formula to melt the protective hide off of the Russian agent known as the Rhino. He theorized that the fumes in the formula, which shared certain ingredients with the Lizard formula, had re-triggered the Lizard transformation. (Amazing Spider-Man #45)

Spider-Man and the Lizard battled off and on for years, with Connors usually being changed back to normal. The family suffered during these years but no more than when Martha died of cancer, caused by toxic chemicals from a nearby factory. This left their young son, Billy, with his father, who still risked transformations. Eventually, the inevitable caught up with Billy and he was killed by the Lizard. The murder was an attempt by the creature to kill Curt, who still resided in the animal's mind and could influence its actions. (The same was true of the Lizard. It was always in the back of Curt's mind, whispering to him.) The creature hoped that if Curt's son died, he would give up and fade away. It succeeded. (Amazing Spider-Man #632)

The Lizard's whereabouts are currently unknown, but still seethes with hatred for all mammals.

Emotional Instability Caused by Post Traumatic Stress

Connors' war time experiences, plus the multiple transformations into the Lizard, must have caused him great stress. Post traumatic stress is very common among people that have been to war, seen acts of terrorism, been to prison or suffered other kinds of traumatic events. There are many symptoms of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.) The person often "relives" the event that caused the stress, avoidance (staying away from people or places that remind you of the event) and constant states of emotional arousal. When so aroused, a person may be very irritable and have angry outbursts.

While its never explained why Dr. Connors' moved from Florida to New York (Amazing Spider-Man #32), its possible that he moved as a part of the symptom of avoidance. The swamps may have reminded him too much of being the Lizard and decided that the concrete of N.Y.C. was as far from a swamp as he could get.



Curt also explained in a later transformation that he had some control of being the Lizard and used it as an escape from his emotional pain. "When Martha died, I was secretly satisfied, because her death gave me a great excuse to become the Lizard and take out my frustrations on the world," he explained. (Spectacular Spider-Man #13, vol 2) Some of that pain must have been taken out on his family, such as when he backhanded his son into a pile of trash while taunting Spider-Man. (Spectacular Spider-Man #13, vol 2) He also screamed at the terrified boy during the kidnapping, "Stop screaming, you little brat! Why wont you stop screaming? I cant hear myself think!"

A Negative World View

A "world view" is "a set of assumptions about physical and social reality that may have powerful effects on cognition and behavior." Dr Connors showed many times that he had strong, negative opinions on the state of humanity and the environment. After returning to New York from Florida after a long time away, he looked at the city and didn't like what he saw. "Its a charnel house of filth and decay...a horrifying example of urban influence. It has become a microcosm for the world of the future--of what this planet will become should mankind be allowed to continue its perilous course towards Armageddon." (Spectacular Spider-Man #237)

Connors further expressed his dissatisfaction with humanity when Peter Parker visited him in Miami. After Peter declined a glass of water offered to him by Connors, Curt went on a tirade. "I know what it is, Peter. You're not used to the filtered water down here. Sad, isn't it...that someday everyone's drinking water will have to be filtered due to all the blasted pollution! Just another example of how we're wrecking this planet!" (Spider-Man Unlimited #19)

Martha Connors also saw how her husband's world view was hurting he and the family. After finding the Lizard and some partially transformed lizard assistants at the Miami reservoir, she called him out. "I think I've finally figured it out, Curt. These transformations of yours. This distaste for all of humanity that has escalated so much over the years. It hurt you, didn't it--more than you ever admitted to yourself--losing your arm due to man's inhumanity to man." (Spider-Man Unlimited #19)

Feeding the Beast: Curt's Rage

By Connors' own admission, he was a strongly driven young man. He must have worked very hard in order to graduate in the top of his class in med school, perhaps sacrificing other aspects of his life in the process. He was clearly very eager to be a surgeon, a goal that he strove for and which was taken from him on the battlefield. He must also have been a caring, compassionate man to be a surgeon. As his wife said, it must have hurt him to have lost his arm because of "man's inhumanity to man."

He may have ignored or tried to suppress the anger he felt, which nevertheless was still there. The fact that Curt resents humanity and the Lizard also despises all mammals raises the possibility that the monster is a result of Dr. Connors' psychological pain. Sigmund Freud's ideas about the Id, ego and superego play into this theory. The id represents the lusty, animal part of human thoughts. The superego is the moral, restraining aspect of human actions. These two opposite forces are balanced by the ego, which tries to negotiate the desires of both. When Curt gets upset, he would transform into the Lizard, showing that the id had taken over his mind. When the superego took over, he changed back to loving, caring Dr. Connors.

Conclusion

Dr. Connors' psychological trouble stemmed from his childhood focus on being the best, academically. He drove to be a surgeon, but he lost that ability when he lost his arm while performing medical service to GI's on the battlefield. This anger, post traumatic stress and chemical dependency on the Lizard formula fed into the monster which terrified his family and the community. Had Curt gotten psychological help, he may have prevented the death of his son at the monster's hands and his own demise.

Diagnosis

Axis I: Chemical dependency (Lizard formula, made up of unknown chemicals)
Axis II: Post traumatic stress.
Axis III: Loss of his right arm.
Axis IV: Dangerous living conditions. (The swamps of Florida, New York City's sewers and subway tunnels.)
Axis V: 15--Very serious impairment. Angry outbursts; recurring chemical abuse.

Dillon, Max (aka, "Electro")





















Introduction

Max Dillon was born in Endicott, New York, to Anita and Jonathan Dillon. Jonathan had a nasty temper and took it out on his wife and son. It likely also created problems in his job as an accountant, as he was often fired and forced the family to move to a new town. Jonathan left his wife and son when Max was around eight years old and Anita leaned heavily on her son. She was over protective and often reminded him "You're all I have."

Anita felt betrayed when Max decided that he wanted to go to college to study electrical engineering or to be a scientist. She told him that he didn't have the brains or discipline to be an engineer. She suggested that he become an accountant, like his father. Anita died near Max's twenty fifth birthday but his life didn't get any better. He got married six months after her death but the marriage was a short one. She encouraged him to follow his dream as a engineer or to apply for a management job at the electric company. He glumly told her that he didn't have the brains for jobs like those. She eventually left him.

Max kept his job as a lineman and one day his boss ordered him to climb up an electrical pole to save a fellow lineman, who had been shocked at the top of the pole. Max did it when he was guaranteed a bonus check and was struck by lighting when at the top. He found that the strike had given him the ability to generate and control electricity and embarked on a criminal career as a thief. (Amazing Spider-Man #422)

Psychopathology: An Insecure Dynamo

Despite being nearly god-like in power, Dillon has always felt like a little man. Soon after being granted his power, he was approached by Erik Lensherr, a mutant terrorist with abilities similar to Max's. He hoped to recruit Max into his Brotherhood of Mutants but he refused. "Let me tell you something, bullet head: My whole damn life nobody ever missed a chance to make me feel small. But that lightning strike? That was karma, baby. That was somebody upstairs saying I don't have to take other people's garbage anymore!" (Web of Spider-Man #2, vol 2)

Dillon was always sensitive to other people's criticism. After he was released from prison, he was visited by his parole officer, who praised him for saving some co-workers at a TV studio when a electrical cable shorted out. (Being invulnerable to electricity, Dillon was able to walk past the cable and shut off the power with ease.) Despite the parole officer's approval, Dillon still thought of him as a "smug punk." Back in his apartment, Dillon promised himself that "When I'm ready to go back into action--as Electro again--nobody's gonna push me around! Nobody!" (Amazing Spider-Man #82)

His sensitivity was still there after he tried to increase his electrical power by strapping himself into a electric chair. After getting beaten by Spider-Man again, Max was at his wits end. "Y-you're like all the rest...like my own father. You think that I'm a useless nothing! A pathetic loser! A perennial failure! You are so wrong!" After being finally defeated, he tries to commit suicide by falling into New York harbor. Electricity + water = boom.(Amazing Spider-Man #425)

Momma's Boy Gone Bad

After Jonathan Dillon left his family, Anita depended on her son. She didnt allow him to play with other kids, because she was afraid he might hurt himself. She repeatedly told him "You're all I have." This kind of role reversal between parent and child is called parentification. The parent stops looking after the child and the child starts meeting the needs of the parent. Parentified children can look after a parent's physical needs (like always doing all of the cooking and cleaning) or emotional needs (being an emotional confidant.)

Young children are not yet emotionally mature enough to take on the worries and fears that adults have. It seems that Anita parentified Max by leaning on him emotionally and not letting him have a carefree childhood. Parentified children grow up to have emotional problems, can be very angry people and have trouble forming stable romantic relationships. Max never married again after his wife left him but he did form somewhat of a relationship with a shape shifting Ukrainian prostitute. (Marvel Knights Spider-Man #2) Still, not the most stable of love affairs.



Psychopathology: Depression

Max's fixation on his parents and wife's disappointment in him most likely caused him to become depressed. The parental rejection he dealt with from his father likely caused him to become depressed, as well as the emotional stress he dealt with in living with his mother's needs. Always a crook at heart, perhaps he saw money as a way of dealing with his depression. More likely, cognitive therapy would have eased his symptoms. Researchers have found that changing the way a person thinks has a greater effect on improving mood than changing how the depressed person behaves.

Conclusion

Max Dillon suffered emotional abuse at the hands of his parents and rejection by his ex-wife. These traumas led him to think of himself as a loser and he tried to "self medicate" with money and violence. Constant defeat by Spider-Man only increased his negative self image and depression, resulting in a hatred of the wall crawler. Cognitive therapy may help with his anger and depression but his receptiveness to the idea is in question.

Diagnosis

Axis I: Depression caused by parentification and parental rejection.
Axis II: Antisocial personality disorder.
Axis III: No diagnosis.
Axis IV: Dirty living conditions. (Hid out in a warehouse with rats, Amazing Spider-Man #425)
Axis V: 40--very serious impairment: suicide attempt, major depression

Fisk, Wilson (aka, "The Kingpin")























Introduction

Exact details about Wilson Fisk's life are unknown, other than he has been a criminal since at least the age of twelve, when he committed his first murder. A fat, unpopular boy, he was often bullied in school. He eventually learned to use his size to his advantage. Fisk trained in martial arts and changed his flabby body into a mass of pure muscle, intimidating the other thugs in his tough Bronx neighborhood. His pure cruelty caught the attention of Don Rigoletto, a mob boss who hired Wilson into his gang. Later, Fisk killed Rigoletto and took over his portion of the mob.

While not formally educated, Wilson did teach himself political science, which he made use of while running the mob. He also rose to power shortly after Spider-Man removed the mob leaders, Crime Master and Big Man, from the scene. This power vacuum aided the Kingpin's power grabs. "Instead of many rival gangs operating haphazardly throughout the city, instead of countless crooks acting alone...the underworld will now be run like a business. And the chairman of the board will be the Kingpin!" (Amazing Spider-Man #50)

Fisk and Spider-Man clashed numerous times over the years, sometimes physically but more often in a sort of cloak and dagger way. Kingpin's tendency to actually take part in his crimes gave way to having underlings and unwitting dupes do his dirty work. He has used other criminals (from the Hobgoblin to Jack O'Lantern) and vigilantes (Daredevil to Spider-Man) as pawns in his schemes. An intimidating bear of a man, Fisk's physical strength is not to be underestimated. His strength is not superhuman but is more than enough to kill an average human with one punch.

Psychopathology: Narcissism and Cyclothymia

As the Kingpin's criminal empire expanded, so did his ego. Always the audacious type, one of Wilson's first acts as Kingpin was to kidnap newspaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson to silence him and his anti-organized crime campaign. Spider-Man was also captured and sent to drown with the publisher in a sub basement. As Jameson pleaded for his life, Fisk snorted "You fool! The Kingpin can do anything!" (Amazing Spider-Man #52)

Spider-Man knows about Kingpin's narcissism. After Peter unmasked to the public as part of the Superhuman Registration Act, Fisk hired a sniper to kill Peter's beloved Aunt May. Filled with rage as his aunt lay in a coma in a hospital, Peter confronted Fisk in prison and beat him in front of the assembly. As Kingpin lay bleeding on the concrete, Peter let him know how it was going to be. "You see, I've learned something from you, Fisk. Something about cruelty...and timing. I've done something far worse than kill you, Fisk. I've beaten you...And for a man as prideful as you, who needs everyone to believe he cant be beaten...that's the worst pain you can feel." (Amazing Spider-Man #542)



Cyclothymia is characterized by a milder form of mania and depression. Fisk would go between states of high moods and depression, but these episodes would be milder than full blown manic depression. For example, look at the differences of emotion when Kingpin says "At last! With Spider-Man gone, the city is mine!" (Amazing Spider-Man #51) and his dreary outlook when Spider-Man faces him after a gang war. "Spider-Man, I've made several fortunes via the practice of using people like you...Trusting idiots that believe there is happiness to be had on this planet." Even the threat of death doesn't stir him. "My death would serve no purpose, other than to bloody the hands of such God fearing men as yourself." (Amazing Spider-Man #288) It should be noted that Fisk's wife, Vanessa, was forced to flee to Europe during the gang war, possibly explaining Kingpin's depression.

The Kingpin of Crime: Family Man

Despite being willing to kill anyone if it means protecting his empire, Fisk is a devout family man. He fawns over his wife, and was a proud father to Richard. Richard had believed his father to be an importer of Asian spices, but was devastated to learn that he was a mob leader. The news that his lavish lifestyle was paid for with blood money made him hate his father. He faked his death, causing Wilson to fall into a deep depression. Richard later planned to take apart the Kingpin's empire as the Schemer, and his unmasking shocked Wilson into a catatonic state. They eventually reconciled, despite other sabotages by Richard. Rich was eventually killed by Vanessa after a final assassination attempt. This father/son struggle for power and redemption is similar to another New York crime family: John Gotti Senior and John Jr.

Conclusion

Wilson Fisk is hugely full of himself. It may seem to be with good reason, until you dig deeper. While he is an extremely healthy specimen, he throws himself against super humans and expects to win. Kingpin does put up a good fight but his narcissism cost him dearly when faced against an irate Spider-Man. Fisk has gained control of the mob numerous times, but only after losing it to other gangsters and super criminals. He is a force to be reckoned with but is not the force of nature that he thinks himself to be. Kingpin is also not mentally ill. His murders are goal oriented, not committed out of blood lust. This puts him low on the psychopathic scale.

Diagnosis

Axis I: Depression.
Axis II: Cyclothymia; Narcissistic Personality disorder
Axis III: No diagnosis.
Axis IV: Son keeps trying to kill him.
Axis V: 70--Mild symptoms. Murderous tendencies, kept under control by a goal oriented personality.

Kasady, Cletus (aka, "Carnage")






















Introduction


Every super villain had a screwed up childhood but Cletus Kasady's was extra crazy. He loves to taunt his doctors with whether or not he was abused or if he is just a bad seed. It may be a bit of both but genetics alone don't make up an individual's personality. What is suspected is that he watched his father beat his mother to death with a hammer. After his father went away to prison, Cletus ended up with his grandmother. She found him torturing her dog and when she tried to stop him, he killed her. The police took her death as an accident and Kasady ended up at St Estes Home for Boys, in Brooklyn. The building was later destroyed in a fire.

Over the years, Kasady became a serial killer and was sentenced to eleven consecutive life terms in Riker's Island prison. While incarcerated, Cletus was cell mate to Eddie Brock, aka Venom. Eddie was without the symbiote at the time, thinking the creature dead. It proved him wrong, helping him break out of prison. At that moment, the asexual creature spawned, leaving a new symbiote with Kasady. The symbiotes have no concept of family and it felt no obligation to the spawn or the need to even tell Brock it had reproduced. Now bonded to a new alien, Kasady escaped and began a murder spree as Carnage.

A Nihilistic Philosophy

When a new therapist was sent to Ravencroft Asylum, Kasady made his philosophy known to him during one of his stints of incarceration. As the symbiote tore into Dr. Kurtz, Kasady raved "I'm chaos, Mistuh Kurtz, chaos--and the rest of the world wont admit that its just like me. And because of that the world is worthless, its dirt on my heel--its a planet full of mannequins filled with blood and they may as well be torn up and burst and stamped on because what else are they good for--apart from making noise and being nice and making more stupid little mannequins that sit still for lies and TV and kissy-kissy garbage." (Carnage: Mind Bomb)

According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy." Indeed, Carnage has shown loyalty to no one. He attempted to kill Doppelganger, a member of his "family" that tore apart New York. He also fantasized about murdering Shriek, his lover from the same riot. (Carnage #3)



Mass murderer, Spree killer or Serial Killer?

The FBI divides murderers into three different categories, each with different sets of motivations. According to former FBI agent and criminal profiler John Douglas, this is how various killers are classified:

A serial killer is someone that has murdered on at least one occasion, with an emotional "cooling off" in between kills. A cooling off period can go on for days, weeks, months or years. Rarely, its only for hours but each murder is always a separate emotional experience for the killer.

A mass murderer kills four or more people in one place in one incident. The killings are all part of the same emotional experience and the incident may go on for minutes or hours.

A spree killer is a person that kills at two or more separate locations with no emotional cooling off period. The killings tend to take place over a short period of time.

Cletus Kasady: Mass Murderer

Kasady has never been one to hold back on his rampages, especially the event called "Maximum Carnage" where he and a gang of other murderers wrecked havoc through Manhattan for days. Of course, its unusual for a murder rampage to go on for that long, but the symbiote does increase aggressive tendencies by provoking its host to violence and feeding on adrenaline. (Being given super human strength, stamina, agility and being bullet proof could certainly help extend a rampage as well.) Given Kasady's disregard for planning and thought (he once told Shriek that thinking was a nasty habit that she better stop doing), he likely never put any thought into how it might end. This is a trait more common in spree killers than mass murderers, but again, possibly a side effect of the symbiote's influence.

Psychopathology: Mania and Narcissism

Carnage has very grandiose ideas for a simple mass murderer. He has a vision that his creed of freedom via chaos will take the world by storm. He is also in love with murder, saying that it makes him feel like a "God on Monday morning" or "like a gunship." (Carnage: Mind Bomb) He also considers the world to be "dirt on my heel" because it has so far rejected his philosophy. These traits are commons in manic and narcissistic patients, respectively. Again, the effects of the symbiote on Kasady's psyche is uncertain, but the power and adrenaline could definitely add to the grandiosity.

Conclusion

Kasady's exact background is uncertain but some form of abuse is likely. An aggressive individual in his own right, his condition could only be exacerbated by the alien's influence. A highly emotional person to begin with, the "cooling down time" of a typical mass murderer seems to have been negated by the adrenaline feeding parasite. Separating Kasady from the alien is of greatest importance but has proven to be difficult to accomplish. Even after successful separations, the creature finds a way back to its host.

Diagnosis

Axis I: Manic mood disorder, Severe, recurrent.
Axis II: Narcissism; Antisocial personality disorder.
Axis III: No diagnosis.
Axis IV:No diagnosis.
Axis V: 20--Severe danger to others.

Kravinoff, Sergei (aka, "Kraven the Hunter")

















Introduction

Sergei Kravinoff was born into the Russian aristocracy before the Revolution of 1917. His parents fled with him to America, most likely when he was a teenager, where they found a home in Upstate New York. The Kravinoffs must have found a way to bring much of their wealth with them to the New World, as the mansion they lived in was quite lavish. They also had a large amount of land, in which young Sergei practiced his skills as a hunter, carrying on the aristocratic tradition.

Despite escaping Russia with their lives and their wealth, the Kravinoffs found life in America to be dull. Sergei's family life was likely unpleasant, as his mother could fly into sudden rages and eventually committed suicide in a psychiatric hospital. (The Sensational Spider-Man Annual 1996) (She once slapped a maid after she stopped Sergei's mother from stripping down and jumping into a fountain in France. (Web of Spider-Man #7, vol 2)) His father was also a philanderer, who had a child (Dmitri Smerdyakov) out of wedlock with a servant girl. Sergei eventually left and became world famous as a big game hunter. A newspaper journalist, who couldn't spell the name Kravinoff, dubbed Sergei "Kraven the Hunter."

While on safari in Africa, Sergei met a witch doctor that gave him knowledge of jungle elixirs and potions that increased his strength, speed and agility. Using these natural chemicals made Sergei the greatest hunter of all time. After capturing every kind of dangerous animal known to man with his bare hands, Kraven became bored. He took up the challenge presented by the Chameleon to hunt Spider-Man, who had defeated him months beforehand. J. Jonah Jameson called Kraven, "...a living legend! The greatest hunter of all time! He's trapped and beaten every kind of beast that lives--and always single handed!" (Amazing Spider-Man #15) Loss after loss to Spider-Man caused Kraven to see losing to his enemy as a threat to his honor.

After years of humiliation, Kraven finally captured Spider-Man, drugged him, buried him alive in a grave and took his identity, to prove that he was superior to "the Spider." He took to crime fighting, killing the petty thugs he came across. After Spider-Man awoke from his drugged state and dug himself out of the grave, he went after Kraven with a vengeance. Kraven loosed the cannibal, Vermin, into the city, forcing Spider-Man to go after him. After Spider-Man left, Sergei committed suicide. (Amazing Spider-Man #294)

Years later, Sergei's wife, Sasha, resurrected her husband via a dark magic ritual. This infuriated him, and he killed her. The only way that he can die again is if its by Spider-Man's hands, but Spider-Man is unable to do so, for various mystical reasons. Kraven is now back to the hunt, needing to die from an enemy who refuses to kill him. (Amazing Spider-Man #637)

Genetic illness and Jungle Potions

Its unclear the nature of Kraven's mother's illness, except that she could be normal for months on end and then suddenly explode. Nor do we know anything about the jungle substances that Sergei used before a hunt. They were herbs, roots, juices, poisons, fruit and flowers. He told himself to "Let them pervade your mind...widen it...shatter your Kravenness...and let in Spiderness." Soon after drinking the concoction, Kraven hallucinates a giant spider, made up of thousands of tiny spiders, coming to kill him. Though he struggled, he hallucinated that the spider consumed him. (Amazing Spider-Man #293)

Kraven the Hunter: Alpha Male

Spider-Man straight up calls Kraven "the macho type," right before he gets shot with a tranquilizer dart. (Web of Spider-Man #31) Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and has been found to be linked to increased aggression and sexual behavior in both men and women. Kraven was never short of women in his life: his wife (Sasha), his lover (Calypso Ezili), the mother of his illegitimate son, Alyosha Kravinoff, a Russian baroness that he attempted to have his way with and Gwen Stacy.

A study from 1990 done with male prisoners found that inmates with higher than average levels of testosterone were more likely to commit violent crimes, have more sexual partners, have more prison violations and more likely to be delinquent. Sergei was always the tenacious type. Even after being deported from the U.S. back to Russia after his first time in prison, he found a way back to New York.

Psychopathology: Depression

Kraven is obsessed with his own death. Before beginning his Last Hunt, he contemplated his life. "I have found morality, I have found meaning--in the hunt. But I cannot escape Time forever. Herbs and roots cannot rejuvenate a dying spirit--or heal a heart crushed by the weight of a corrupted Age. I will die soon. I must die soon. But not yet." (Web of Spider-Man #31) After being returned to life, he was no more happy. He begs Spider-Man to kill him and accuses Sasha, "It was perfect. It was a masterpiece. You took that masterpiece away from me." (Amazing Spider-Man #637)



Mood swings and thoughts of suicide was often symptoms of depression. Sergei's mother had such mood swings and may have passed the trait on to her son. Depression can be a genetic disorder, and the substance abuse that Kravinoff engaged in, plus the numerous defeats at Spider-Man's hands made his suicide much more likely. Add the fact that he had numerous firearms and weapons in his mansion and his death became very certain.

Conclusion

Kravinoff felt that he no longer belonged to this world. He was a relic of an old way of life. All he had was "the hunt" and he had conquered every animal known to man, leaving him without a challenge. Defeat by Spider-Man gave him a new challenge, one that he became obsessed with. For a man as proud as Kraven the Hunter, not being able to best a man in a costume grated at him. Add to that the genetic background of depression and recurrent hallucinogenic substance abuse and Sergei's pscyhe became very unstable. His mind is no less fragile after being returned to life, as he is willing to kill others to goad Spider-Man into returning him to the grave.

Diagnosis

Axis I: Major depressive episode, Severe, recurrent. Substance abuse.
Axis II: No diagnosis.
Axis III: No diagnosis.
Axis IV: Dangerous living conditions: African jungle; Savage Land.
Axis V: 5--very serious impairment: serious suicidal attempts with clear expectation of death; recurring substance abuse; persistent danger of hurting self and others

Octavius, Otto (aka, "Doctor Octopus", aka "The Master Planner")





















Introduction

Meet Doctor Otto Octavius. In many ways, the mirror image of Spider-Man and Peter Parker. Both are extremely gifted scientists and bullied outcasts as children and teenagers. The difference is that Parker had a loving childhood and was taught to respect power and responsibility. Octavius, on the other hand, was taught fear and anger. This led similar boys to become very different men.

Otto's father, Torbert, was a construction worker who despised his son's perceived weakness. He derided Otto as a wimp and Otto's mother came to his rescue. Torbert later died from injuries after a construction accident. He refused to go to the hospital, demanding to tough it out at home. In a rage, Otto's mother left him at home, and he watched Torbert die. Otto refused to move that whole night, fearing that his father was only asleep. As a nuclear researcher, Otto began dating a woman named Mary Alice and eventually proposed to her. His mother refused to allow the marriage and Otto called it off. He was later outraged that his mother had begun dating. He railed against her and she died of a heart attack.

Otto was always fastidious about his work, but after his mother died, he focused entirely on his radiation research. He invented four telescoping metal arms to handle the dangerous substances from a safe distance. One day there was an accident at his lab, and the resulting explosion fused the tentacles to Otto's spine. Waking up in the hospital, Otto merely thought of removing the bars from his window and the tentacles obeyed the order. He quickly pronounced himself "the supreme human being on earth!" (Amazing Spider-Man #3)

Recently, the years of being battered by super humans, as well as radiation poisoning, have taken their toll on Octavius's health. His body is now useless and he depends on a voice box to communicate. His time on this earth may be short and he intends to leave humanity one last "thank you."

Psychopathology: Narcissism

Otto Octavius is the picture of a narcissist. He holds everyone around him in contempt, from his allies in the Sinister Six, to the public as a whole to Spider-Man. His arrogance was on full display while attempting to steal Leonardo Da Vinci's sketch "Proportional Study of Man in the Manner of Vitruvius" from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While disposing of the guards, he tells them "The only people who should be permitted to behold the genius of Leonardo are his intellectual equals. And regrettably, that is a rather exclusive club." (Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Negative Exposure #1) Spider-Man particularly irks him, as he cant imagine why a costumed "buffoon" could possibly defeat him. After intercepting Spider-Man on one of his nightly patrols of New York, Octopus tells him "I've wondered about you, Spider-Man. You're a great mystery to me. The mystery is how a little whelp such as you could have been such a thorn in my side for so long. I'm stronger than you...more intelligent by far." (Spectacular Spider-Man #6, vol 2)

The cause for a narcissistic personality is unknown, but theories range from either a very pampered childhood to abuse and neglect while young. Other evidence points to genetics and psycho-biology. Some researchers suggest that a neglected child makes up grandiose stories about themselves to increase their low self esteem. This self delusion continues into adulthood and the person may try to surround themselves with people that they see as superior. (Think of Otto saying that only he can truly appreciate the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci.) All of this is an attempt to make up for what was missing in childhood.

Master Planner...Or Prime Poisoner?

While Otto's crimes have ran the gamut from theft to murder to kidnapping, he has shown several times to have an interest in poisons. From his very first outing as a criminal, he attempted to destroy part of a nuclear reactor and rebuild it as he saw fit, likely covering the city in radiation in the process. He has also tried poisoning the ink in the Daily Bugle's newspapers (Amazing Spider-Man Annual #15) and commandeering a satellite in hopes of having it release a poison that would cover the planet (Amazing Spider-Man #338).

It was noted by his fellow researchers before the explosion that grafted the tentacles to his spine that Otto's demeanor towards them was negative. This is typical of poisoners. Criminal profiler John Douglas suggests that these types of killers are "generally driven by anger in most of his attitudes and endeavors...there would be a long list of personal failures throughout his life and these could include education, employment, social experiences and relationships with women of his own age and intelligence level." This could certainly describe Octavius. He was bullied as a child by classmates and his parents, his engagement to Mary Alice was brief and he's never held a job for long. Douglas also says that a poisoner would gravitate towards positions of authority...such as a nuclear physicist.



Disdain for Others but a Need for Companionship

While Otto sees others as nearly subhuman compared to he in terms of intelligence, he has developed genuine feelings for certain women over the years. Of course, there was Mary Alice, his fiance whom he ended the relationship with at his mother's demands. (He never forgot Mary Alice, and tried to find a cure for AIDS years later, after she was diagnosed with the deadly disease.) There was also May Parker, a woman that he tried to marry in order to gain access to a nuclear facility on an island that she had inherited. While his intentions with her were not entirely pure, he has shown concern for "that dear lady," even after the wedding fell through. Finally, there was Angelina Brancale, aka "Stunner." An obese woman, she finally made herself slim, powerful and beautiful via virtual reality. The virtual reality was then made real by Dr. Carolyn Trainer, another associate of Octavius.

Despite having several women in his life, Otto never seems to hold on to them. Angelina and Carolyn disappeared, Mary Alice died and May Parker married another man. Otto is often seen working alone, without assistants or confidants. It seems that he lives a very isolated, maybe even lonely, life. Research has found that men benefit from having a partner to help look after them. There is also evidence that removal of a social structure can have negative effects on a person's cardiovascular health, immunity and behavioral regulation. Loss of social support also has negative consequences for mental health, resulting in more depression and stress.

Octavius does show signs of loneliness, depression and stress. While conversing with Stunner over the ill Spider-Man, Ock admits that he respected the vibrant, humorous opponent. He even envies him to a degree. While Otto pities himself for the man he has become, he is cheered up by Stunner. He believes her to be the best thing that has happened to him in ages. When she suddenly ups and runs out, he nearly panics, begging her to come back. And then he is alone again. (Amazing Spider-Man #397)

Conclusion

Otto's bloated sense of self worth is both his strength and weakness. While certainly a brilliant man with an iron will, his own ego is also his greatest weakness. He cant understand how a "whelp" like Spider-Man can manage to consistently beat him. What he doesn't realize is that he isn't the smartest one there is. He does need others in his life. Normal, healthy people who can guide him to pro-social behavior and to look out for his decaying health. There must have been signs of his physical state deteriorating but he likely overlooked these symptoms in his obsession to be proven the world's greatest scientist and to kill Spider-Man. Like his injured construction worker father, he was so determined to prove that he was tough enough, that he wasted valuable time to get medical help.

Diagnosis

Axis I: Manic episodes, moderate severity, recurrent. Depression.
Axis II: Narcissistic personality disorder.
Axis III: Radiation poisoning; Traumatic brain injuries, dozens of cases of blunt force trauma.
Axis IV: Dangerous working conditions.
Axis V: 100--Superior functioning. Manic and depressive episodes seem to have had no effect on his ability to build, experiment and master plan.

Osborn, Harry (aka "The Green Goblin")
























Introduction

Harold "Harry" Osborn is basically a good person who got dealt a rotten hand in life. Born to industrialist Norman Osborn and his wife Emily, Harry never knew much in the way of love and compassion. Emily died shortly after Harry was born and Norman wasn't much of a father. Norman was both verbally and physically abusive to his son, making it clear that gaining Harry but losing Emily wasn't a fair trade.

Harry grew up angry and took out his anger on fellow college classmate Peter Parker when it seemed that Peter acted superior to his classmates. Once he found out that Peter hadn't intentionally ignored he and his friends, Harry and Peter became friends. Later, they even became room mates. Harry tried dating Mary Jane Watson and when she seemed to reject him, he turned to illegal drugs. He was still going through withdrawal symptoms when he witnessed the battle between the Green Goblin and Spider-Man, where the Goblin was impaled by his own flying device. After Spider-Man left the scene, Harry unmasked the unconscious criminal, and saw the face of his father.

Harry blamed Spider-Man for his father's death, and took over as the second Green Goblin. He later found out that Peter was Spider-Man and vowed to kill his former friend. He attacked both Peter Parker and Spider-Man and was quickly defeated, falling prey to a head injury and amnesia. They remained friends for years to come. Eventually, Harry had married a woman named Liz Allen and had a son, Norman Jr. Soon after, his memories began to return, in the form of hallucinations of his father and friend.

He again tried to kill Peter but couldn't bring himself to deliver the killing blow. He found the ability after taking his father's so called "Green Goblin formula," which gave him super human strength, endurance, intelligence...and insanity. Setting a trap for Peter at the Norman Osborn Foundation, he planted a bomb set to kill both of them. When Mary Jane (now Peter's wife) and Norman Jr. arrived at the building, Harry went back to save them. Mary Jane begged Harry to save Peter, upon learning that he was drugged and still inside with the bomb. Harry went back for Peter, escaping just as the bomb exploded. Unfortunately, a side effect of the enhanced Goblin formula struck Harry down, seemingly killing him. (Spectacular Spider-Man #200)

Later, it was found that Norman (who was still alive and had been in hiding) had arranged for Harry to be taken to Europe to get treatment for his drug addiction. He had never died at all. Harry no longer remembers that Peter is Spider-Man but maintains a hatred of his father and all of the harm he has done to the people around him.

A Desperate Son and a Cold Blooded Father

The very core of Harry's psychiatric problems is the relationship he had with his father. Norman Osborn was the center of Harry's world, even though Harry was nothing but an embarrassment to Norman. Harry was a mediocre student and Norman demanded that he pay more attention to his studies, as school was costing Norman "a small fortune." (Amazing Spider-Man #39) His son's average school performance likely grated at Norman because by Harry's age, Norman was on his way to creating Osborn Industries and rebuilding the family fortune. Later, Harry and Peter talk and Harry says that he and Norman used to be friends, until a few years prior, when Norman began taking out his anger on his son.

According to professors at the University of Connecticut, PARTheory (parental acceptance rejection theory) claims that children everywhere need acceptance from their parents and other important caregivers. Lack of parental acceptance can lead to long lasting personality problems: low self esteem, a negative world view, hostility, aggression (emotional and physical) and emotional instability. The researchers also say "More specifically, beyond a certain point--a point that varies from individual to individual--children and adults who experience significant rejection are likely to feel ever-increasing anger, resentment, and other destructive emotions that may become intensely painful."



Self Destructive Chemical Abuse

As said before, Harry turned to drug use after being rejected by Mary Jane Watson. (Amazing Spider-Man #97) Considering the anger he must have already been carrying around due to years of Norman's abuse towards him, the put downs from MJ must have hit Harry extra hard. He certainly didn't put up much of a fight when the drug dealer approached him on campus. The exact type of drugs that he took are unknown but the dealer told him "this stuff is real new, and it aint easy to come by." I suspect that the drug, which was dangerous in and of itself, may have been hastily manufactured in order to get it on the street as soon as possible. (Just as in any business, dealers want to beat the competition to the punch.) The haste in which the drugs were made may have made them especially dangerous.

Later, Peter notices that Harry "always had a lot of bottles in his medicine chest--pills to keep him up--to relax him--and to put him to sleep." (Amazing Spider-Man #97) Harry seems predisposed to drug use, showing that he may have an addictive personality. Individuals with these personalities often show impulsive behavior, weak commitment to the goals of society, a sense of social alienation and heightened stress. Harry didn't try to walk away from the dealer (impulsive behavior), wasn't interested in running Osborn Industries despite his father's demands (weak commitment to goals) and suffered from social alienation (from his father, to Mary Jane to arguments he had with Peter).

He was also impulsive in taking the Goblin formula. He knew full well that Norman was the Green Goblin and that he had killed his friend, Gwen Stacy. It must have occurred to him that the formula was at least partially responsible for Norman's violent behavior. Still, he took the modified formula anyway. (Modified to increase his strength beyond that of his father's.) He didnt think of the dangers, he was focused on how he had felt small and weak for years, never getting approval from his father. He exposed himself to the formula in an attempt to become the man that he wanted to be. (Spectacular Spider-Man #188)

Psychopathology: Bipolar Disorder

Norman Osborn has been diagnosed as "massively bipolar" by Dr. Karla Sofen, aka, "Moonstone." (Thunderbolts #113) While Dr. Sofen has psychological issues of her own, she has examined Norman more closely than I have. This is relevant to Harry, as it has been shown that children of bipolar parents are at greatly heightened risk of developing the disease themselves. It was found that children with one bipolar parent are fourteen times as likely to have the disease themselves, compared to a child with two healthy parents. Children of bipolar parents are twice as likely to have a mood or anxiety disorder.

Of course, it can be hard to tell where Harry's manic depression ends and where the effects of the Goblin formula begin. What is clear is that Harry was having visual and auditory hallucinations shortly before he exposed himself to the formula. While on a family day with Liz and Norman Jr., Harry sees his father, disapproving of the fun and frivolity. The apparition asks him "Why do you indulge him like this, Harry? Zoos and merry-go-rounds. Hmph. It's a hard world out there. The sooner he learns that, the better." After Harry comes out of the hallucination, he snaps at Normie, asking "What the devil do you want?!" (Spectacular Spider-Man #179) He just as quickly snaps out of that mood and gets some cotton candy for his son.



After taking the Goblin formula, Harry's moods become even more violent. As he expected, he does become less scared and uncertain of himself. While he became the Green Goblin before taking the formula, he couldn't bring himself to kill Peter, but after the chemical bath he took, he was entirely focused on his friend's death. He also became more more aggressive towards his wife. A nervous Liz tried to tell Harry that he should get to bed and he grabbed her by the throat, screaming "Will you stop talking to me like that! Like I'm weak! Like I need coddling! I'm an Osborn, Liz! An Osborn! And the Osborns are strong! Strong enough to rule this family! To rule this city!" (Spectacular Spider-Man #200) Liz later divorced Harry when she learned he had been alive for years without telling her. (Amazing Spider-Man #582)

A Compassionate Psychopath

Norman and Harry share similar psychological profiles: both are bipolar and obsessed with killing Spider-Man. Both have experimented with dangerous chemical substances. However, Harry does show signs of compassion towards others, a trait that his father totally lacks. Harry went back to save Mary Jane and Normie when he realized that they were in the building set to explode, risking letting his enemy escape. He even respected Mary Jane's wishes that he go back and save Peter. Prior to all of this, Harry made it clear to her that while he hated her husband, she had nothing to fear from him. (Spectacular Spider-Man #199)

Conclusion

Harry Osborn has his work cut out for him. He needs help in dealing with his anger issues with his father, his hatred of Spider-Man, his drug use, any side effects of the Green Goblin formula and his bipolar disorder. His compassion will be the key to all of this. It has made him try to improve relations with his ex-wife, Liz. (He found a cure for her step-brother's condition.) If this compassion can be nurtured, he may well forgive the people around him and move one with his life. This will be difficult, as Norman still sees Harry as a possession and uses him as such.

Diagnosis

Axis I: Depression; Low self esteem.
Axis II: Bipolar disorder.
Axis III: Drug addiction; "Green Goblin formula" usage.
Axis IV: Parental rejection; Estranged from his ex-wife and son.
Axis V: 55--Moderate symptoms: drug use, neglects family, some homicidal tendencies.

Osborn, Norman (aka, "The Green Goblin")






















Introduction

Certainly the adversary that has caused the most personal harm to Spider-Man than any other criminal, Norman Osborn's hatred began early in life. His father Amberson Osborn, was an inventor in his own right and an industrialist. At some point, Amberson lost control of the company and the family wealth. (The Osborn's seem to be an "old money" family, as Norman once explains that an ancestor of his was accused of being a robber baron.) Amberson began to drink and took his anger out on his wife and child. Already showing signs of antisocial personality disorder, young Norman killed the family dog, justifying it as "one less mouth to feed." Whether or not he was really looking out for the family finances or if he just killed the dog out of anger at seeing Amberson beat his mother is uncertain.

Norman took another step towards psychological trouble when Amberson tried to cure his son's fear of the dark. Amberson tried to remedy this by locking Norman alone in the house overnight during a thunderstorm. In his terror, Norman imagined a green monster was in the dark, waiting to eat him. The creature would only get him in the brief flashes on light from the lightening, so Norman prayed for the dark to stay forever. He decided that the dark was always better than the light. Years later, he also used his fear of the monster as inspiration for his criminal persona.

Norman took it on himself to restore the Osborn name and fortune. He studied chemistry in college, totally focused on his school work. Somehow he met a woman named Emily, who could bring the brooding young man out of his shell. She would tell him not to sulk so much and that she married him because she loved him, not for his family name. Norman loved having a woman fuss over him and he couldn't take it after Emily died. He raised their son, Harry, alone. The death of Emily remained painful to Norman for years, and he would strike out at Harry for even mentioning her name.

Osborn did eventually manage to re-create the family wealth, with help from his university professor, Dr Mendel Stromm. They went into business together but Norman soon had him framed for embezzlement, giving Norman full control of the company. After Dr. Stromm was fired and sent to prison, Norman went through his files and found a formula for increasing strength and intelligence. He re-created the formula, which exploded in his face, covering him in the substance. He recuperated in the hospital and found that he had indeed increased his strength and intelligence...but couldn't admit that the formula had also ruined his sanity.

Norman set about controlling the New York mafia, in a bid for even more money and power. He started out with proxies to do his dirty work, but they were all soon captured by the new vigilante, Spider-Man. Taking the adage, "If you want something done right, do it yourself," to heart, Norman created the Green Goblin costume and set about trying to kill Spider-Man. He hoped that the vigilante's death would make a name for him in the mob, and he would eventually come to control them. Defeat after defeat proved him wrong, even though the Goblin did manage to escape with his secret I.D. intact.

Norman gained his greatest triumph after learning that Peter Parker is Spider-Man and he set about making his life a living hell. Other enhanced criminals threaten Spider-Man's family, but Norman made good. After seducing Parker's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, she gave birth to twins, Sarah and Gabreil. She refused to give up custody to Norman and he went to her apartment as the Goblin and kidnapped her. Leading Spider-Man to a New York bridge, he killed Gwen in front of her boyfriend. The resulting battle seemed to end with the Green Goblin's death.

Little did anyone know, but the Goblin formula also gave Norman an advanced healing factor and he woke up in the morgue. He faked his death and fled to Paris, where he continued to plot against Parker. The battle of wills continues, with both parties refusing to give in out of spite.

Psychopathology: Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Paranoid Personality Disorder and Narcissism (What Doesn't This Guy Have?)

As Dr. Karla Sofen noted, Norman is undoubtedly severely bipolar. (Thunderbolts #113) Norman's signs of this mental illness likely first showing up as a child, with his vivid fears of a monster out to get him. He was still a disturbed young man in college, brooding constantly over the lost family fortune. He likely stayed away from parties in college, seeing them as a waste of time. How he managed to meet, much less marry, a kind woman like Emily is a mystery. Regardless, her death was a major stressor in his life and likely helped send him down the dangerous path that he took.

Stress can be a major factor in bringing about a manic episode in a bipolar person. Norman has shown to be a stress-prone individual, with manic episodes resulting from stressful situations. Some of his most violent acts have been preceded by stress. Gwen Stacy's murder followed Norman losing 13% in his stocks, Harry falling ill from his drug use and Gwen refusing to let Norman take custody of their children. (Amazing Spider-Man #121 and Amazing Spider-Man #512) This episode was so severe, it caused Norman to hallucinate that Spider-Man had come to gloat over his troubles.

In a much later incident, Norman was tricked into going off his medication while director of the Thunderbolts. This caused him to literally crucify the team member Swordsman for attempting to stage a coup against Osborn's leadership. (Thunderbolts #120) In general, Osborn shows very poor impulse control. When a reporter from the Daily Bugle came to interview him on missing employees from his company, he killed her and dumped the body in the reservoir. A further investigation from the Bugle reporters led them to Osborn, with the police in tow. Instead of letting the police look around and give them an interview, Osborn flew off the handle and killed the lot of them, except two Bugle reporters. (The Pulse #4)





Osborn is also an obsessive planner. According to Mac Gargan, aka the Scorpion, Norman has "hundreds of plans and counter plans" to hurt Parker. He tells Peter: "You ever been in his hideout? You ever see those schemes and arrows and boxes he has all over his walls? He's had this one planned out since the minute he found out who you were, kid." (Marvel Knights Spider-Man #9)


While many people suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder obsess over things like dirt or germs, Norman obsesses over enemies, real and perceived. Indeed, Norman believes he has enemies everywhere: Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson, members of the mafia, other members of the Thunderbolts, Spider-Man, his doctors, the news media and Spider-Man. Look at his thoughts as Harry lay sick in bed: "I should have realized those--those friends of yours--what they were doing to you! But how could I have known? Our enemies are everywhere...men trying to ruin me...corrupt you, my only son...enemies...surrounding us..." (Amazing Spider-Man #121)

Finally, narcissism is a major part of Norman's psyche. He clearly sees himself as a "cut above." Being rich and famous is a source of great pride for Osborn (he named his freakin company after himself), and he likely is irked by the fact that he is consistently beaten by a underpaid nobody living out of cheap apartments. He made this clear after Gwen's death, asking Spidey "What worth is there in the paltry existence of one useless female? A simpering, pointless girl who never did more than occupy space--while I--" He was cut off by Spider-Man, who resumed beating his enemy to a pulp. (Amazing Spider-Man #122)

Norman Osborn: Assassin

Osborn's paranoia and obsession with Spider-Man gives him some similarities to assassins, like John Hinckley. (Hinckley tried to kill President Reagan in 1981, to win the affection of Jodie Foster.) The faulty logic of the thinking is clear. Just as Jodie Foster would want nothing to do with Hinckley had he killed the president, the mob wouldn't care if the Green Goblin killed Spider-Man. Norman is a classic "loner." He never re-married after Emily died, he had few friends, didn't do much outside of obsess over Osborn Industries (and Spider-Man) and always had weapons nearby. He had plenty of Goblin hideouts across the city, for him to make quick changes if necessary.

Conclusion

Norman Osborn's main goal in life is the accumulation and maintaining of power. Whether it comes in the form of wealth and fame from Osborn Industries, as the leader of the Thunderbolts or as the Director of H.A.M.M.E.R., power is his first and last preoccupation. Woe to anyone that gets in his way: Spider-Man, Swordsman, Iron Man and others. Norman's psychosis goes back to his traumatic childhood and his drunken, abusive father, as well as his genetics. Heavy medications may bring some of his symptoms under control, but he must keep up with them daily. To do this, he would have to think about something besides power and crushing his enemies.

Diagnosis

Axis I: Parent child relational problem.
Axis II: Narcissistic personality disorder; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Paranoid personality disorder; Bipolar disorder.
Axis III: Exposure to the Green Goblin formula.
Axis IV: No diagnosis.
Axis V: 25--Very serious impairment. Substance abuse; Persistent danger to others.