Doctor Darwin

Doctor Darwin is a hyper-intelligent, genetically modified gorilla. Darwin was discovered in the Congo in 1842 by anthropologist Oswald Odd. Odd recognized Darwin's unusual intelligence, curiosity and adaptability and brought Darwin back to his lab for experimentation. Using the science of the time, which bordered on occultism, Odd enhanced Darwin's mental abilities, turning him into a capable assistant. When Odd disappeared, Darwin took over his lab and carried on his research. Darwin attempted to work within the confines of academia at first, but soon chafed at what he felt were hidebound notions. At some point, Darwin, now "Doctor Darwin," moved to an uncharted tropical island where he could continue his research into evolutionary biology and metaspecies genetics, eventually populating the island with a wide array of chimeras and transforming the island itself into a vast, mobile organism. The Island of Doctor Darwin is a refuge for misfits and a place that eschews any rule or regulation that would prevent progress. Doctor Darwin has had some association with VENOM, as his attempts to ally with AEGIS were rebuffed. Doctor Darwin has also had some contact with the nation of Kumarikhanda, and the Island's current location is believed to be nearby in the Indian Ocean. Doctor Darwin is a strong antiestablishmentarian, encouraging those under his care to "cast off the shackles of society's expectations and seize the reins of their own destiny to achieve their true potential." Doctor Darwin is well-intentioned - even altruistic - but as a radical he is viewed by many (particularly AEGIS) as a villain. Known associates include Tommy "Zoo Boy" Torres, Sara "Negative Space" Stultz, Architeuthis "Archie/Squid Boy" Sapiens, and a host of chimeras including pandadillos, womboalas, spider monkeys, hedge hogs, parrot-fish, chimpanzurtles, fashion beavers, Daniel the Veslothiraptor, and the Living Island itself (a massive tenturticle).