Dr. Kafka's Notebook

In "Dr. Kafka's Notebook", Dave Sippel plays amateur psychologist to the villains of Marvel Comics.

With due care and disclaimers, he offers his interpretation of the various psychoses afflicting the most disturbed bad guys that inhabit the known Spiderverse. Final assessments are offered, using the standard categories.

  • "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.

For similar reading material, please check out “The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame” by Daniel H. Wilson and Anna C. Long. This project is based on their book.

If you do wish to offer submissions to this section, simply use the online mail form to contact Dave Sippel. If you need to send an attachment, just send them a quick message introducing yourself, and they will reply with a regular email address.

Recent “Dr. Kafka's Notebook” Items

Archive (2022)

Archive (2014)

Archive (2013)

Archive (2012)

Archive (2011)