The title character in the thirteenth James Bond film produced by Albert R. Broccoli. As portrayed by Maud Adams, Octopussy is the fabulously wealthy and resourceful leader of the Octopus Cult, a sect of acrobatic lady smugglers who live on a secluded island in the middle of Lake Pichola in Udaipur, India.

Octopussy is the daughter of Major Dexter Smythe, a former British Army officer and Secret Service agent who stole a cache of Chinese gold from North Korea and, in so doing, murdered his guide. Twenty years later, James Bond (Roger Moore) traced Smythe to Sri Lanka and gave him twenty-four hours to clear up his affairs before Bond brought him back to London for trial. Rather than face the disgrace of a court-martial, Smythe committed suicide. Before he died, Smythe had become a leading authority on octopi. His pet name for his only daughter was “Octopussy.”

When Smythe’s gold ran out, the people of Hong Kong who helped dispose of it offered Octopussy a commission to smuggle some diamonds. Developing a talent for such illegal activities, she revived the old Octopus Cult and populated its ranks with a group of attractive young women who were searching for spiritual discipline. As her wealth increased, Octopussy diversified into shipping, hotels, carnivals, and circuses.