[1] In the comics, Dr. Kafka is a psychiatrist at the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane, and an occasional ally of Spider-Man.

The character has appeared in several forms of media outside of comics, including animated series and video games.

A male version of the character appeared in the 2014 film The Amazing Spider-Man 2 portrayed by Marton Csokas.

5 #88 (February 2022) 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.

On her second "reanimation" (with a slightly degraded soul) in a cloned body, Ashley was exposed to the sins of Norman Osborn and was mutated into the "Queen Goblin", which gave her a red-skinned goblin-like appearance and granted her goblin serum-like abilities like enhanced strength, speed and durability while seemly a healing factor and perhaps increased intelligence based on the source of the powers.

[8] In the Marvel/DC crossover Spider-Man & Batman, Kafka was present when behavioral psychiatrist Cassandra Briar attempted to use Carnage as the test subject for a chip that would lobotomize the homicidal instincts of dangerous patients, Kafka objecting to the treatment in the belief that she could still reach Kasady through conventional therapy.

[volume & issue needed] Ashley Kafka appears in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 film tie-in game.