Ashley Kafka was created by writer J.M. DeMatteis and artist Sal Buscema. She first appeared in The Spectacular Spider-Man #178, in July 1991.
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 killed by Massacre during a breakout attempt. During the storyline, Jackal had created a clone of Ashley Kafka.
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.
MC2
In the MC2 reality, Ashley Kafka ended up falling in love with and marrying John Jameson and together they had a son named 'Jack'. Jack became the costumed adventurer known as "The Buzz" without them knowing.
In other media
Television
Ashley Kafka appeared in the 1990sSpider-Man animated series, voiced by Barbara Goodson. This version is a therapist at Ravencroft who treats Eddie Brock and serves as a love interest in the episodes "Venom Returns" and "Carnage", and also treats Harry Osborn in the episode "The Wedding".
Ashley Kafka appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series, voiced by Elisa Gabrielli. This version is the Ravencroft Institute's founder and a therapist. She treats many criminally insane supervillains, such as Electro, Otto Octavius and Cletus Kasady.
Film
Ashley Kafka appears in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, played by Marton Csokas. The character is re-imagined as a male Germanmad doctor and is a leading staff member of the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane, which is controlled by the corrupt scientific corporation Oscorp. He is shown to have been conducting inhumane experiments on Electro who retaliates by smashing Kafka's glasses and verbally threatening him. After discovering that the staff at Ravencroft have been experimenting on the patients, Harry Osborn sneaks into Ravencroft and releases Electro's holding cell. Electro then brutally assaults Dr. Kafka, knocking him out. When Kafka regains consciousness and tries to escape, Electro traps him in Electro's same harness. This harness presumably kills him, due to electricity being contained and the fact that he was drowning in the water underneath. Frayda Kafka reacted negatively to this portrayal.
Video games
In the Amazing Spider-Man 2video game, Dr. Kafka appears in the Ravencroft Institute alongside. Kafka is shown to be experimenting on Cletus Kasady with the spider venom responsible for Peter Parker's powers. However, this inadvertently transforms Kasady into Carnage who grabs Kafka by the throat. This is the last time Kafka is seen in the game.
