DR. TED TWAKI

Dr. Twaki

Real Name: Dr. Ted Twaki

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Head of the Tricorp Research Foundation
   formerly employed by the U.S. Atomic Research Center in New York (see comments)

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Javier Caldrone, Stan Hardy, Terry Kwan, Cassandra Locke, Chantal Stone, Walter Thorson, unidentified lab assistant, many unidentified co-workers
   formerly Dr. Christina "Chris" Carr, Dr. Otto Octavius, Peter Parker

Enemies: Captain Power, the Ghost (unrevealed)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California

Base of Operations: Tricorp Research Foundation, New York (specifically Lab 213-RM while conducting research)

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man II#1 (January, 1999)

Powers/Abilities: The extent of Dr. Ted Twaki's expertise is unrevealed, but he is well versed in nuclear sciences and has respectable administrative skills. Passionate about science, Twaki has a no nonsense attitude when it comes to what he expects from his employees.

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 173 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Bald, black at temples

History: (Amazing Spider-Man II#10 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Ted Twaki was a supervisor with the U.S. Atomic Research Center, overseeing the work of Dr. Otto Octavius. When Octavius caused the accident that bonded his tentacled apparatus to his back, Twaki saw that Octavius took the blame for the explosion and those injured and killed while ensuring that U.S. Atomic kept the patents to his work and research.
   At some point Twaki left the U.S. Atomic Research Center to work for Tricorp, formerly General Techtonics Research Laboratories East.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#2/Peter Parker: Spider-Man II#3 - BTS) - Twaki began an initiative within Tricorp to study the nature of Spider-Man's powers.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#1) - In the aftermath of a fight between the Scorpion (Gargan) and an imposter Spider-Man (Mattie Franklin), Twaki, at co-worker's Terry Kwan's suggestion, offered applicant Peter Parker a job with Tricorp. Twaki cited Parker's quick thinking that led to the Scorpion's defeat as one of the reasons for the hiring, telling Parker he'd be a welcome addition to their team.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#3 (fb) - BTS) - Twaki hired Parker despite the warnings of molecular chemistry researcher Javier Caldrone, who suggested that Parker lacked the commitment required of Tricorp.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#3/Amazing Spider-Man II#16 (fb) - BTS) - Twaki later sent Parker notes relating to the Roma 14-X project, the exploration of an advanced form of energy. (see comments)

(Amazing Spider-Man II#2) - Arriving as Parker finished a complex experiment, Twaki congratulated him on his success telling Parker to get his notes to him by the day's end and they'd begin the patenting process. During a final demonstration however, the compound proved unstable and Twaki ordered a shocked and confused Parker to Tricorp's on-site medical center for treatment. Before either could do anything, they were called into a lounge where employees gathered to watch Spider-Man (Franklin) battling Shadrac. Twaki ordered a team be sent to the site of the battle, adding that if anyone was able to obtain a DNA sample, they'd be given a generous Christmas bonus.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#3) - Twaki sent Javier Caldrone to track down Parker, eventually finding him in a hallway adjacent to the locker room. Twaki eagerly brought Parker to the Roma 14-X project testing area, asking about the notes he'd sent him earlier. When Parker admitted he hadn't found the time to go over them, Twaki reassured that he'd bring him up to speed as they went along and expressed how interested he was to hear his thoughts on the project. When Parker told him he had to leave to attend to personal business, Twaki was stunned that he would pass up this opportunity, and was reminded of Caldrone's comments on Parker's professionalism.

(Peter Parker: Spider-Man II#3 - BTS) - Twaki had Caldrone, Terry Kwan, and Walter Thorson investigate the aftermath of Spider-Man and Iceman's fight against Shadrac.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#10) - Twaki called Peter Parker into his office to discuss his frequent absences and lack of enthusiasm (that being one of the reasons he hired Parker to begin with). Reassuring Parker of his faith in his abilities, Twaki told him to work out whatever problems he has, and not to let him down.
   Dr. Christina Carr, Otto Octavius's former assistant who was driven to madness after gaining superpowers as a result of Octavius's accident, went after Twaki during her attack on the survivors of the explosion. Twaki was rescued by Spider-Man (Parker, once more), who used an energy transversion to short out Carr's body morphing powers long enough to stop her.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#16 (fb) - BTS) - Disappointed with Peter Parker's job performance, Twaki decided to let him go.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#16 (fb) - BTS) - Twaki initiated the Roma 14-X project.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#16) - Hired to disrupt the Roma 14-X project and see that all evidence of it is destroyed, the Ghost, industrial saboteur for hire, re-programmed Twaki's computers to increase the power output after seeing that a vital computer bank was taken off-line. Directing Spider-Man after the Ghost, Twaki halted the increased energy output with the assistance of time-traveler Cassandra Locke (who arrived to witness Twaki's work, which would have an affect on every future technological advancement).
   In the aftermath of the near-disaster, Peter Parker approached Twaki, vowing to place greater importance on his job at Tricorp. Twaki told Parker that he had the sympathies of Tricorp for the recent "death" of his wife Mary Jane, but that he might be better off with a job more suited to his life-style and his attentions. Thinking that Twaki meant he would be placed with another research team, Parker was corrected and told that he was being fired.

Comments: Created by Howard Mackie (writer), John Byrne (pencils), and Scott Hanna (inks)

Additional details about Twaki and his Tri Corp co-workers were revealed in the Spider-Man's Friends and Associates profile in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol. 11.

Dr. Twaki was originally involved with General Techtonics Research Laboratories East, as per the short-lived retcon that the accident that turned Otto Octavius into Dr. Octopus was the same one that irradiated the spider that bit Peter Parker. Since that bit of story from John Byrne's Chapter One revamp has been discarded and Octavius's backstory involving the U.S. Atomic Research Center has been restored, it's assumed (but as yet unconfirmed) that Twaki was employed there as well, prior to joining Tricorp.

On that particular note, it's worth clarifying that Tricorp is the successor to General Techtonics Research Laboratories East, which should be differentiated from General Techtonics Research Laboratories West, which later became GARID (Galannan Alternative Research for Immunization Development).

It's not specified that the project Twaki is working on in Amazing Spider-Man II#16 is Roma 14-X, but in lieu of further information it's assumed the two projects are the same.

You may have noticed most of Twaki's appearances occur early into the 1998 Spider-Man relaunch. As with many other storylines to originate early on in the relaunch (like the Senator Ward saga, the mystery of Hunger, et al), Twaki and Tricorp gradually fizzled out, even with the promise of a storyline dealing with Twaki's interest in obtaining Spider-Man's DNA. While the ultimate resolution of Twaki firing Parker made sense with how little time he'd been spending at Tricorp, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't... slightly unsatisfying after all of the set up. And even then, there was the tease that Twaki's experiment was going to revolutionize the world, which has yet to be followed up on.

Profile by G Morrow.

CLARIFICATIONS: Dr. Ted Twaki has no known connections to

images: (without ads)
Amazing Spider-Man II#3, p9, pan1 (main image)
Amazing Spider-Man II#1, p29, pan4 (close-up)
Amazing Spider-Man II#16, p20, pan1 (in protective suit)

Appearances:
Amazing Spider-Man II#1 (January, 1999) - Howard Mackie, John Byrne, and Scott Hanna (story & art), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#2 (February, 1999) - Howard Mackie (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#3 (March, 1999) - Howard Mackie (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Peter Parker: Spider-Man II#3 (March, 1999) - Howard Mackie, John Romita Jr., and Scott Hanna (story and art), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#10 (October, 1999) - Howard Mackie/John Byrne (story and art), Scott Hanna (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#16 (April, 2000) - John L. Byrne & Howard Mackie (story and art), Dan Green (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)

Last updated: 05/11/14

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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