Superhero of the Month: Ross Radke's Doctor Octopus

Congratulations to Ross Radke, winner of this month's contest! But really, congratulations go out to all of the Top 5, since the scores separating these spots were based on razor-thin margins. Check out what the judges have to say, and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Ross Radke - 23/30

Alex: Upfront, this was a tough contest for me. Dr. Octopus is one of my least favorite characters in comics (and entirely the reason I can't get behind Spider-Man 2). What struck me about Ross's design, though, was the camouflage concept. Otto Octavius is a scientist, and while he may be using his skills for evil, it's logical that he would use them to further his efforts. Accepting his lot in life, it would make sense that he'd adopt other attributes of his invertebrate namesake. In terms of costume design, however, there's nothing here that really grabs me, unfortunately. 


Mitch: It's nice to see Doc Ock taking more cues from his namesake. And, yeah, I like the suit. The extra curved lines above the belt are something you may not notice right away but they really help bring the suit and the belt together.

Taylor: I really enjoyed this design it felt like a new and exciting interpenetration of Doc Ock. I really liked the face-gear, as well as the rest if the suit, as it kind of reminded me of a hazmat suit. Loved the colours and the camouflage design. Well done!

See the rest of the Top 5 after the jump!

OFFICIAL CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT - BAT-FILM VILLAINS

The Dark Knight Rises lands in theaters this month, and it features characters we've seen on film before -- namely Catwoman and Bane. While many are anxious to see what Team Nolan do with these characters, it begs the question, "What might have been?"

In modern Bat-films, there have been three directors, each with a unique take on Batman and his world: Tim Burton gave us a Gothic wonderland, Joel Schumacher gave us neon and an over-the-top flair, and Christopher Nolan has given us a Batman grounded in a world similar to ours.

Each director can also lay claim to uniquely using certain characters in their films. Where the Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, and Bane have been shared among directors, the following three have not.

Burton's take on the Penguin was radically different from the interpretation of Oswald Cobblepot in the comics. It fit with the bleak, Gothic take of Burton's Batman, and distinctly has the director's spin.

While still considered the same continuity as Batman and Batman Returns, the world of Joel Schumacher's Bat-films is very different, illuminated by neon and loaded with camp.

Jim Carrey's Riddler was a different kind of villain for the franchise; he had the madman factor, but he also played for laughs. He was still conniving and brilliant, and carried the narcissistic beats of his comic book counterpart.

We all know what happened after Batman Forever. The worst parts of that film were placed under a magnifying glass and run on screen for two hours in Batman & Robin, and Batman movies were all but dead for nearly a decade.

Enter Christopher Nolan, and his more grounded take on Batman as a man who very well could die doing what he does every night. To kick it off, Nolan gave us two villains who had never been on-screen before: Ra's al Ghul and the Scarecrow.

This minimalist, almost basic take on the character turned the Scarecrow from a man who dressed in straw and rags into a man who literally used a burlap sack mask as a way to inspire fear.

Knowing how each director used these characters, our challenge this month is to redesign the Penguin, Riddler or Scarecrow for a director that didn't use them in their films. What might have been? How would Nolan interpret the Penguin or Riddler? How would Schumacher work the Penguin or Scarecrow into his narrative? What dark, fantastical path would Burton take the Riddler or Scarecrow down?

For this contest, we'll allow up to three submissions, one for each director. In your submission email, please indicate which director(s) you've intended your redesign(s) for, and how your take would fit into their narrative. This contest will also be guest-judged by Andrew Asberry, comic reviewer for Batman-News.com, who did a write-up of the contest here.

Submissions are due Tuesday, July 24 by 6:00 PM MST. Be sure to adhere to the applicable submission guidelines. If you have any questions, please send them to us at superheroofthemonth@gmail.com

After the jump, click for a special announcement!

Doctor Octopus Results - Part 4

Another contest come and gone! Here are the final submissions for the Doctor Octopus contest!

Isaac Bartsch

"Doctor Otto Octavius, brilliant physicist and inventor, is the foremost in clean energy research. To aid him in his experiments he creates a harness that uses electromagnets to control through a cybernetic interface four prehensile plasma 'tentacles' which allows him to work with materials otherwise too harmful or dangerous for humans to handle. Tragically, an experiment gone wrong caused an explosion that left Octavius horribly scarred and physically disabled. Driven mad by his disfigurement and deformity, Dr. Octavius uses his genius to modify his plasma tentacle harness to allow him the freedom of movement and a chance at revenge on those he believes reconsider for his condition, and this Doctor Octopus is born!

"I had a blast with this redesign, it was a challenge to design Ock and the tentacles, as they were a character in and of themselves! I decided his suit should look a little like a hazmat suit, as he was injured working with chemicals and energy, and I could get away with his traditional green and orange color scheme. I always thought it strange that he was in the accident that bonded his harness to him but bore no scars, so I gave him some gnarly face scars and removed his left hand and legs, making him reliant on his harness even more. I didn't want to go with the traditional metal tentacles so I decided to make them an amorphous plasma which he can reshape for whatever use. All in all though I really wanted to keep his rotund shape and some of his earlier characteristics to make him still be Doc Ock."

Editor's note: The next submission comes from Superhero of the Month's youngest submitter, who last entered our Batman contest. We're very excited he's come back with this inventive take on Doctor Octopus!

Connor

"My Doctor Octopus was a scientist who worked for Norman Osborn. The facility Doc worked at was the same facility that made the spider that bit Peter Parker. The spider was Doc's experiment. He specialized in genetic mutation of DNA. So one day, Norman fires Doc. Doc, in rage, locks himself in his lab. When Norman sends the tear-gas bombs in, Doc goes blind and knocks over his creations and chemicals! The chemicals mixed and exploded. The genes and chemicals seeped into Doc's cuts and wounds, thus mutating him into...Doctor Octopus!"

Justin DeVine

"I’m imagining a Doctor Octopus whose snobbery and disdain for physical labor have been pushed to pathological extremes--he’s gone from simply a rotund braniac-type to a corpulent recluse whose superiority complex prohibits him from engaging the world. In temperament, he seems to be equal parts Maxie Zeus and Miss Havisham.

"He’s given up on using his own physical limbs, and operates instead entirely with his mechanical prostheses. This aversion is so strong that he refuses even to step foot on the ground, and as such, I imagine his legs have become withered and atrophied due to lack of use. The garment he wears is a combination of a ceremonial robe, a lab coat, and (as a friend described it) 'the world’s most epically long muumuu.'

The collar operates as a neck guard, but is also connected to some sort of neural network which exchanges sensory information between the Doctor's brain, and the processors of his mechanical limbs. The tentacles also each have sensors on their ends, which process data about the immediate surroundings which is forwarded to the operator, thus allowing him to respond to proximate threats more quickly than he could otherwise."

Ross Radke

"I've always been fascinated by the octopus's ability to rapidly change color and wanted to incorporate that into this design. The inspiration came from this 'invisibility' technology. Other than that, I just sort of dressed him up like a Bloober from Super Mario."

Christian Burns

"I see Doctor Octopus as a nanotechnologist and nanophysicist, working both with nanite technology and the fusion of those nanites with laser technology. In the accident that creates him, the nanite-composed tentacles are fused to his body, as well as the control headband, implants, and light generators on his back. His tentacles are actually composed of segments of nanites (whose programming have been stuck in tentacle form with very little variation) that are connected to each other by beams of light. This way, the tentacles themselves cannot be permanently separated unless a light dampener is employed against him. And since Spider-Man isn't a rich man, and probably can't make an EMP from scratch, that makes Doc Ock VERY hard to defeat. His body is covered in light circuits that contain millions of light-power units that fuel the tentacles. The tentacles themselves can extend, both due to nanite duplication and light generation. The claws at the end of the tentacles can also turn into various weapons, with a blade weapon shown."

Mark Hartman

"The good doctor has seen fit to do away with his frail human form locking it within his new eight tentacle exo-octopus. Inside his body appears dormant but his mind is hard at work, amplified by the octopus' super high-tech processor and protected by a thick layer of armor."

Thomas Crielly

"My basic idea was that although the mechanical arms are permanently fused to him, with his scientific knowledge he would be able to modify and create interchangeable 'extensions' for them allowing him to carry a whole armoury of weapons and devices. In addition to providing him with more energy sources and weaponry options the armour also helps to support the additional weight of the extensions carried on his back through an anti-gravity system ,which also makes the armour lightweight."

Joshua Daniel

"In my version of Doc Ock, the explosion that changed him into Doctor Octopus, his legs and right arm were blown off.  He uses his tentacles more as a way of support and as false legs. He also turned his severed hand into a multi-tool for scientific/surgical procedures. He's usually more of a scientific, experimental character rather than a fighter, but when he gets riled up(or when someone insults his bowl haircut), he goes full tentacle.  His arm can also turn into smaller tentacles or a myriad of weapons."

Omar I. Landeros

"I was feeling sorry for myself when a guy with a prosthetic leg passed me. A prosthetic leg. How inspiring is that? I started looking at the list of villains who've gone bad because they got handed lemons from life, and it made me pretty mad. What does that say about human life? Human will?  I have a wonderful sister-in-law who at a very young age was affected with a rare form of spina bifida and was told she'd never walk again. She walks with the aid of crutches, and even though she lives in pain every day of her life, she doesn't become bitter or malicious. She is one of the strongest willed people I know and there has not been a challenge she hasn't been able to beat. So here's to you Miss Montoya: In my world Otto Octavious loses his legs in a car accident in high school. He decides to do something about it and through hard work and no shortage of will becomes a leader in the field of metallurgy, engineering and prosthetics.  His crowning achievement being his tentacle suit. The part on his back is actually a personal hover craft, which allows him to get around without having to touch the ground, and the rest of his suit houses a liquid metal alloy of his own invention which give him the ability to make his tentacles into almost any form he needs. To give back to the community, he works at Empire State University where he teaches his field. Upon meeting Peter Parker, he feels kindred to the poor kid whom life keeps throwing lemons at, and chooses to become his mentor. Ta-da."

Eric Kenney

"I had alot of fun with this one. I was inspired by the comic Invincible; I love the simplistic straight-forward costume designs of it's characters and I agree with something I read once that said Invincible is what Spider-Man should be. I didn't want to recreate the character, but I did want to give him character, so I stuck ole' Otto in a sort of patent leatherish body-suit, cause what's eviler than the smell of a chubby scientist sweating inside it? I obviously went literal with the name and adorned him with a huge mechanical octopus. It just seemed to make sense. I saw it as sort of a Batman-esque way to put fear into civilians and heroes alike; I mean lets face it, he's not the most fit of villains and his stature leaves much to be desired, so he would want to change that right? Lastly I went with straight tentacles and no gizmos on the tips. Something different."

Blair J. Campbell

"I set out to make my take on Doc Ock fit a few criteria. 1) I wanted his new suit to look like it might be able to protect him from radiation better than just a set of extra arms. I updated his suit into a more realistic take on a radiation suit; 2. I wanted his silhouette to actually be more octopus like. If you saw him in the dark, it would be a lot easier to mistake him for an actual octopus now; and 3) I wanted to keep his original green and yellow color scheme."


And there we have it! What do you think? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out the submissions we've received so far while you're at it! The winner of the contest will be announced June 30, but stay tuned: on Monday we'll be announcing our next contest, plus a special fan art post for July!

Doctor Octopus Results - Part 3 [Updated]

A couple more submissions came in over the weekend that we're quite excited to share with you. Check them out:

Warren Newsom

"Instead of having robotic arms grafted to him, my Doc Ock was a geneticist who accidentally transformed himself into a part-human, part-part cephalopod creature. The transformation increased his already amazing intelligence and gave him extra, powerful appendages and increased healing abilities. Maybe he’s aquatic too?"

Okii Shirow

"I got tired seeing him as a big fat slobbery dude; its time for the tall, thin and cunning Ockman!"

[Update]


Last month's winner, Craig Payne, decided to forego guest-judging this contest in order to participate fully, and sent us this take on Doctor Octopus:

Craig Payne

"I wanted to give Doctor Octopus a more inhuman look, so I imagined that he recieved major injuries in the explosion that created him; in particular losing his legs, scorching his lungs and recieving serious burns to his face and arms. This version of Doctor Octopus replaces his legs with the mechanical tentacles, and utilises breathing apparatus, making his hi-tech costume a kind of life support system."

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out the submissions we've received so far while you're at it! Doctor Octopus redesigns are due this Friday, June 22 by 6:00 pm Mountain Time, so be sure to check out the Official Contest Announcement for details on how to send yours in!

Dr. Octopus Results - Part 2

Doc Ock submissions have been slow-coming so far, but we're happy to present another when we can!

Matthew Ray

"My take on Ock is an even heavier-set villain who has to resort to wearing sweats! I edged up the tentacles with razor spines running along their length."

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out the first submission we've received so far while you're at it! Doctor Octopus redesigns are due June 22, so be sure to check out the Official Contest Announcement for details on how to send yours in!

Dr. Octopus Results - Part 1

Hey there! Doctor Octopus results have started to come in, and we're kicking it off with this reinterpretation from Thomas Fummo!

Thomas Fummo

"Got rid of the mechanical arms and replaced them with jacks and usb cables, turning Otto into The Octopus, notorious genius hacker, capable of sending entire cities into disarray at the click of a button. Decided to go mainly on Otto's 'master planner' persona for this redesign: I see Otto also working from afar to destabilize politics, organize crime hits, robberies, even murders... when a certain spider doesn't tangle his webs."

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to send in your Doctor Octopus redesign soon! Check out the Official Contest Announcement for details!

Superhero of the Month - Craig Payne's Avengers!

Okay, after a bit of an extended judging period, we can finally, officially congratulate Craig Payne on winning the April/May Avengers contest! Craig's submitted to us many times before, and with this month's contest, the judges pretty unanimously felt he knocked it out of the park. Here's what we all thought:

Craig Payne - 169/200

Alex: The simplicity here is excellent. Nothing is overdone, and the simplicity of these designs gives the impression that they would translate easily into different styles and mediums. My favorites here are Hawkeye and Vision, but the others look phenomenal, as well. The only one I'd need a clue regarding identity is Moon Knight. I think it's a fine design, but the giveaway isn't immediate.

Mitch: This is all about the little things such as US Agent's red eyepieces, or Hawkeye's pointy eyepieces and glove. The Moon Knight is also pretty interesting and wouldn't mind seeing someone in that suit. Won't lie though: I'm a fan of Hawkeye's dorky head points as they give him an instantly recognizable profile.

Taylor: I really enjoyed the sleekness of this design and how it was so simple and worked so well. The stand out for me here was the Hawkeye design, I really like the almost-trench coat look of it, as well as how it connected to the mask. I also enjoyed the hood on Vision helping to definitely make this look like a well trained Black-Ops team. Well done!

Sebastian: Craig's was easily my favorite of the bunch. The designs are simple and elegant and they work well together and form a cohesive look. Hawkeye is easily my favorite and the top scoring among these. It's just so slick and I love the overcoat look, though I don't quite understand why Craig chose to use different designs for each arm sleeve. I think Vision and US Agent are really solid as well, and instantly recognizable which is always a plus. The weaker characters in this batch are Moon Knight, who I don't think I would've recognized him if I hadn't been told it was him (though I love the inverted logo), and Mockingbird who is a little too busy in areas, especially in the lower half of the design. A well deserved win.

Judging for this contest was done by the Superhero of the Month staff and Sebastian von Buchwald, winner of our Birds of Prey contest. As is customary, Craig now has the option of joining us this month for our Doctor Octopus contest.

Please check out the runners-up in our full article.