Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom: The Enigma of Latveria’s Monarch

Who is Doctor Doom? A question that has echoed through comic book history for decades. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Fantastic Four #5 (July 1962). But who exactly is this man behind the iron mask? Is he a mad scientist or a master of both science and magic? A villain or a hero? These questions have kept readers engaged for over half a century.

Doctor Doom, Victor von Doom, is the monarch of Latveria. His goal is to bring order through world conquest, making him the archenemy of Mister Fantastic and the Fantastic Four. Yet, he has also clashed with other superheroes when their goals align. He was ranked #4 by Wizard on its list of greatest villains and #3 by IGN on its list of top comic book villains. His presence in various media forms, from live-action films to video games, speaks volumes about his enduring appeal.

But what drives Doctor Doom? A perfectionist through and through, he seeks to elevate himself above others due to a slight imperfection that led him to hide his face not just from the world but also from himself. This flaw, as Stan Lee’s writing showed, is his downfall, revealing how pride leads to disfigurement at the hands of his own machine.

During the 1970s, Doom became the Fantastic Four’s archenemy during a period that branched out into other titles such as Astonishing Tales, The Incredible Hulk, and Super-Villain Team-Up. His origin was featured in Astonishing Tales, revealing ties to Mephisto. Peter Coogan writes that Doom represents a change from ‘mad scientists’ to full-fledged villains with upgraded powers, traces of William Shakespeare’s Richard III and Iago can be found in his character.

In the 1980s, Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter chose Victor von Doom as the greatest villain to oppose Superman. John Byrne began his run on Fantastic Four with issue #236 in 1981, giving more depth to Doom’s personality. Despite his ruthless nature, he is a man of honor and occasionally shows warmth and empathy.

After his debut, Doctor Doom remained a key villain throughout the 1980s, appearing in titles such as Punisher, The Spectacular Spider-Man, and Excalibur. During Steven Englehart’s run on Fantastic Four, Doom was exiled by his heir Kristoff but left unresolved. Walt Simonson revealed that the Doom seen during Englehart’s arc was a robotic imposter, and later writers disregarded this interpretation.

Mark Waid redefined Doctor Doom in the 2003 ‘Unthinkable’ storyline, where Doom forsakes technology for mysticism and imprisons Franklin Richards in Hell. In 2005-2006, Ed Brubaker wrote the limited series Books of Doom, which explored the early life of Doom and questioned whether his path to dictatorship was fated or due to personal faults.

Later storylines include the Siege storyline, where Doom supports Norman Osborn’s attack on Asgard but withdraws. The Doomwar storyline sees him ally with Desturi to seize control of Wakanda. In Fantastic Four: Three, Doom seeks to be ‘reborn’ and plans to abdicate his throne to Kristoff. However, Reed Richards heals Doom’s face and purifies his soul.

Doom returns to his kingdom and saves Tony Stark from Latverian rebels but remains distrustful towards Stark. He later takes up the Iron Man mantle, faces Mephisto disguised as the Maker, joins the Avengers, and conceives a child with Dr. Amara Perera. Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm seek their teammates to restore the Fantastic Four’s powers, and Doom follows them into parallel universes to assist an alternate Reed Richards against a version of Doom who has merged with Galactus.

In Fantastic Four: Three, Doom seeks to be ‘reborn’ and plans to abdicate his throne to Kristoff. However, Reed Richards heals Doom’s face and purifies his soul. Doom returns to his kingdom and saves Tony Stark from Latverian rebels but remains distrustful towards Stark. He later takes up the Iron Man mantle, faces Mephisto disguised as the Maker, joins the Avengers, and conceives a child with Dr. Amara Perera.

Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm seek their teammates to restore the Fantastic Four’s powers, and Doom follows them into parallel universes to assist an alternate Reed Richards against a version of Doom who has merged with Galactus. Doom easily captures Gwen but is amused by her taunts. Gwen escapes, believing Doom is still a threat, and attacks again, releasing an earlier version of Doom. Doom defeats his doppelganger to save Gwen, who realizes her mistake and hopes for reform.

Doctor Doom was featured in his first solo series in 2019. He is framed for a Moon space station explosion he had warned about, while also experiencing random encounters with rival supervillain Kang the Conqueror due to a theorized quantum entanglement. During the 1960s, Doom attempted to recruit Spider-Man and conflicted with the Avengers.

In the 1970s, Doctor Doom expanded into more Marvel titles and appeared in Iron Man, thwarting his time-travelling plan but vowing revenge. He later allied with the Puppet Master to trap the Fantastic Four, sabotaging their escape but aiding them anyway. During John Byrne’s run, Doom attempted to steal Terrax’s cosmic powers, leading to a fight that destroyed his body. He survived by transferring his consciousness and was later restored by the Beyonder.

In the 1990s, Doom joined forces with the Fantastic Four, Avengers, and X-Men to battle Onslaught. After being believed dead, Doom was saved by Franklin Richards and later uncovered a secret power linked to him. In the 2000s, Doom contacted Johnny Storm for help with his pregnancy complications, saving Susan’s daughter and curing Johnny’s inability to ‘flame off.’ He then plotted to make Valeria his familiar, trapping Franklin in Hell and neutralizing the Fantastic Four.

However, Reed freed Doctor Strange’s astral self, outsmarting Doom. Reed dismantled Doom’s equipment but he transferred his spirit into Sue, Johnny, and Ben. Reed killed Ben to stop Doom, who later escaped from Hell through a dimensional tear caused by Mjolnir’s fall to Earth.

Doom sent an invitation to Storm and the Black Panther, inviting an alliance between Latveria and Wakanda. He was working with the Red Skull on a weapon, believing it would lead him to become the Baron of Iron. In Spider-Man: One More Day, Doom was approached by Spider-Man for help in saving Aunt May.

Doom transforms Latveria into a refugee camp for Atlanteans after its destruction and allies with Loki to manipulate his brother into releasing Asgardian allies. Doctor Doom defends Latveria against the Mighty Avengers after one of his satellites released the Venom Virus. He time-travels, leaves Iron Man in an exploding castle, and escapes prison with the help of a virus uploaded by Skrulls.

Doom joins the Cabal to seek revenge for his reputation and allies with Desturi to seize control of Wakanda. He severely injures T’Challa, aiming to take Wakanda’s vibranium but T’Challa destroys it. Doctor Doom receives a power upgrade after being thrown back in time by the Marquis of Death.

At the start of the ‘Siege’ storyline, Doom demands that Osborn reverse his actions against Namor but is actually a Doombot. The real Doom warns Osborn not to strike him again. It’s revealed that Scarlet Witch is a Doombot and Wanda was captured by Doom after the House of M event.

Doctor Doom plans to abdicate his throne, approached by Valeria who offers to restore his mental faculties in exchange for assisting with the Fantastic Four. After being brain transferred, he joins the Future Foundation and plans a symposium to defeat the Council of Reeds. Around this time, von Doom performed brain surgery on the Hulk to separate him from Bruce Banner, extracting the uniquely Banner elements from the Hulk’s brain and cloning a new body for Banner.

Later, Doom is apparently killed by the Mad Celestials but awakens in the ruins of the Interdimensional Council of Reeds with an army of lobotomized Doctor Dooms and two Infinity Gauntlets. With these resources, Doom created the Parliament of Doom to maintain peace across the multiverse.

He later returned to rule Latveria and was involved in various alliances and conflicts. During the confrontation between the Avengers and X-Men, Doom allied with Magneto against Red Skull’s Red Onslaught form. In an attempt to atone for past misdeeds, Doom absorbed the Scarlet Witch reality-altering powers and resurrected the dead Cassie Lang.

He subsequently made a Faustian deal with an unspecified demon to resurrect Brother Voodoo. As the final Incursion approached in the Secret Wars storyline, Doom usurped the power of the Beyonders and created a new Battleworld from the destroyed multiverse. Reed and a group of survivors challenged Doom, and with Molecule Man’s help, they restored the multiverse.

In the All-New, All-Different Marvel, Doom returned to Latveria and saved Tony Stark by using a sonic attack to incapacitate rebels. He told Tony he’s a new man and gave him one of the Wands of Watoomb for protection against Madame Masque. After Tony Stark’s defeat by Captain Marvel in Civil War II, Doom discovered his calling to heal the world and established Stark’s legacy as a third Iron Man.

Doom joined the Avengers and conceived a child with Dr. Amara Perera, prompting a group of villains to target him. The final battle occurred when the Hood tried to take over Stark Industries, leading to a confrontation between Doom and the Hood, during which Doom’s face was severely burned by a demon.

After the villains’ defeat, Victor retreated to the ruins of Castle Doom. A young woman named Zora Vokuvic broke into Castle Doom, demanding to see Doctor Doom and prompting him to venture out and quell the civil war.

Doctor Doom is a polymath inventor with genius-level intellect, possessing abilities such as energy absorption, lightning manipulation, and dimensional travel. As the absolute monarch of Latveria, he rules with an iron fist, reshaping the country in his own image and monitoring its citizens from Castle Doom. Despite his notorious reputation as a supervillain, Doctor Doom enjoys diplomatic immunity, allowing him to avoid prosecution for many of his crimes outside of Latveria.

His primary weakness is his arrogance, which often blinds him to his own role in his failures. Despite this, he adheres to a strict code of honor, keeping his word but often interpreting promises self-servingly. He has saved certain heroes’ lives but refuses to attack weakened opponents, preferring victories solely from himself.

Doom’s genius in science and technology has allowed him to create various devices, including Doombots, Servo-Guards, and a time platform that enables transportation through the timestream. Doctor Doom is widely regarded as one of the most iconic Marvel supervillains, known for his intelligence, mastery of both science and magic, charisma, and distinctive appearance.

He has been ranked among the greatest villains in various lists, including Wizard Magazine’s ‘100 Greatest Villains Ever’ and IGN’s ‘Top 100 Comic Book Villains.’ In 2018, ComicBook.com included Doctor Doom in their ‘7 Great Villains for Black Panther 2’ list. In 2019, IGN ranked Doctor Doom 1st in their ‘Top 25 Marvel Villains’ list.

In 2022, Newsarama ranked Doctor Doom 2nd in their ‘Best Marvel supervillains’ list. In 2022, Screen Rant included Doctor Doom in their ‘MCU: 10 Most Desired Fan Favorite Debuts Expected In The Multiverse Saga’ list, in their ’15 Most Powerful Black Panther Villains’ list, and in their ’10 Best Black Panther Comics Characters Not In The MCU’ list.

In the 2022 CBR.com lists, Doctor Doom was ranked 1st in their ’10 Coolest Avengers Villains’ list, 3rd in their ’13 Most Important Marvel Villains’ list, and 5th in their ’10 Most Iconic Black Panther Villains’ list. Rapper Daniel Dumile based his MF DOOM and Viktor Vaughn personas on Doctor Doom and Victor von Doom respectively.

In the 2004 album Mm…Food, several songs contain samples of Doctor Doom’s lines in the 1981 Spider-Man animated series. A ride called Doctor Doom’s Fearfall is located at Islands of Adventure in the Universal Orlando Resort. In Neil Gaiman’s alternative-universe tale, Marvel 1602, Dr. Doom is ‘Count Otto von Doom,’ a mastermind genius who keeps the Four of the Fantastick imprisoned in his castle.

In the Age of Apocalypse, Victor von Doom is an agent of the Human High Council and Head of Security. In the Amalgam Comics universe, Dr. Doom was a Cadmus scientist who sabotaged their space project out of jealousy. Doctor Doom made an appearance in Marvel UK’s Combat Colin strip, where he attempted to attack a superheroes convention with the robotic Steamroller Man.

In an alternate reality, Doctor Doom became a master of dark arts after losing Valeria, using her remains to forge his armor. He formed a new Masters of Evil from the worst villains in the Multiverse, including Black Skull, Dark Phoenix, and King Killmonger. They attacked various Earths, eventually arriving on Earth-616, where he defeated Orb and sent his team to fight the Avengers.

Doom Supreme interacts with a version of Doctor Doom called Doom-Thing, subduing him and explaining that he collects alternate versions of himself. He arrives on Earth-616 after Agamotto breaks up the Avengers’ fight with the Prehistoric Avengers, removing Agamotto’s eyes and killing the Prehistoric Star Brand.

As most of the Multiversal Masters of Evil are defeated, Dark Phoenix confronts Doom Supreme, only to discover he’s just a hologram. Doom Supreme arrives at the God Quarry, instructing his variants to hold off the Multiversal Avengers while he casts a spell to claim rights to all existence.

Avenger Prime joins the fray, and Old Man Phoenix and Echo use their powers to make Doom the Living Planet bleed molten blood. As the battle rages on, Avenger Prime breaks off from fighting Doom Supreme due to news of a Celestial-sized Mephisto attacking. Ka-Zar and an alternate Galactus join the fight, while Gorilla-Man and Ursa Major decimate the Doctor Doom variants.

The Multiversal Avengers regroup and apprehend the remaining Doctor Doom variants. In another reality, a version of Doom leads the ‘Challengers of Doom’ consisting of himself, Reed Richard, Sue Storm, and the Hulk-, with Latveria having been destroyed in an unspecified past disaster. This Doom is portrayed as an old, senile man with delusions of retaining his old authority.

Another version of Doom betrays Layla Miller and Madrox by ordering the time traveling ‘Cortex’ to destroy all mutants, using his cybernetic implants to control Cyclops. After this battle, Doom vanishes.

In the 31st century of the original Guardians of the Galaxy, Earth-691, Doom is revealed to have placed his brain inside Wolverine’s adamantium skeleton, hiding it with a replica of his armor and cloak. He eventually comes face to face with Rancor, offering to become her ally while secretly intending to use her as a pawn for his own gain.

In another reality, Doom forms a new group called the ‘Challengers of Doom’ consisting of himself, Reed Richard, Sue Storm, and the Hulk-. This version of Doom is portrayed as an old, senile man with delusions of retaining his old authority. Doom is not seen again in this reality.

Earth-X: Doctor Doom killed Invisible Woman and Human Torch but died. God Emperor Doom: Doctor Doom stole Beyonders’ power and became God Emperor Doom. Heroes Reborn (2021): A variation of Doctor Doom appears, can turn into Doctor Juggernaut using Gem of Cyttorak.

House of M: Doom rules Latveria, forms Fearsome Four with It, Inhuman Torch, and Invincible Woman; It betrays team. Iron Man 2093: Young Doom stops older self from destroying Earth’s population. Marvel Mangaverse: T’Channa banishes T’Challa’s sister to another dimension, takes her place as Doctor Doom.

Marvel Two-In-One (2017): Doctor Doom transferred mind into Galactus, devouring other planets; defeated by transferring mind into Emma Frost’s body. Marvel Universe vs the Avengers: Dr. Doom aids Avengers in repelling infected population but demands loyalty; stones enhance transformation process, Hawkeye killed him.

Marvel Zombies vs. The Army Of Darkness: Earth-2149 version of Doom defends Latveria against zombies; creates portal for refugees to escape, vaporizes mutant Dazzler and Enchantress. 1. With Ash Williams remaining, Doom reveals he has been infected with a virus and cannot use the portal himself. He saves Ash but ultimately destroys the device, trapping himself.

2. In MC2, Doom escapes from captivity after 10 years and attempts to take over the world using his powers. 3. In Mini-Marvels, Doom appears in short stories about trying to read Marvel comics and experimenting with Spider-Man’s body. 4. In Mutant X, Doom leads the United Nations against the Goblyn Queen and Beyonder.

5. An alternate version of Doom is a superhero leader of an X-Men team with Charles Xavier’s powers. 6. In Old Man Logan, Doom has his own area called New Latveria and is seen watching an old Logan drive the Spider Buggy. 7. In Earth-21923, Doom takes over Amerika after Red Skull and Hulk’s death, kills Baron Mordo, and frees Sofia Strange from his grasp.

8. In Old Woman Laura, Doom holds Bellona prisoner and attempts to transfer his mind into her body but discovers she is dying. Doom returns to his own body, but is killed by Laura immediately after.

Spider-Man: Life Story – Dr. Doom takes over Earth after a Civil War between Captain America and Iron Man. Fantastic Four: The End – Dr. Doom breaks down into a cyborg and engages in a final battle with the Fantastic Four, seemingly dying, but later revealed to be alive.

The Last Fantastic Four Story – Dr. Doom’s fate is unknown, but he tries to destroy the Adjudicator and is disintegrated. Ultimate Marvel – Victor Van Damme transforms into a metallic figure after reprogramming a teleporter’s coordinates, leading to his descent into madness and eventual return as Doctor Doom.

Dr. Doom leads a micronation in Copenhagen with mind control devices. Liberates citizens from the micronation during the Fantastic Four’s first battle. Transforms Latveria into a wealthy country within six months. Switches bodies with Reed Richards to claim recognition. Reverts the zombie Fantastic Four and defeats a threat himself.

Later revealed as a Doombot in Ultimate Power issue 8. Controls Ultron in Ultimates 3, without goat legs. Killed by The Thing in his Latverian home for causing events of Ultimatum.

The Parliament of Doom fought the Fantastic Four in an alternative past of Earth-616. Led by a Doctor Doom similar to Ultimate Doctor Doom with goat-hooved legs. E.L.D before it disbanded. He is released and forced to join the Future Foundation alongside Invisible Woman, Falcon, and Tony Stark.

When the time-displaced young X-Men are transferred into the Ultimate Marvel universe by accident, Doom captures and brainwashes the younger Beast to serve him, requiring the displaced X-Men to join forces with the new Ultimate Spider-Man and the Ultimate Marvel X-Men to rescue him.

Later, it is revealed that Doom teamed up with Hydra to ‘save’ the world from corrupt governments, capturing Miles Morales and Jessica Drew to exploit their DNA for a super soldier army. However, Miles unexpectedly taps into a hidden power, defeating Doom and Hydra, just as another Earth’s image appears in the sky.

Ultimate Doom is a scientific genius who views science as an art, having transformed his body into solid metal and gained powers similar to Colossus. He exhibits super strength and can launch metal spikes from his forearms, making him formidable enough to break the arms of a zombie version of Ben Grimm.

In Venomverse, Doom was consumed by the Poisons and became their second in command after Poison Thanos. He with the other Poison Heroes started battling the Army of Venoms in which he was the only survivor. Then the Poisons tried to invade Earth-616, he and Thanos along with the other Poisons got killed, after the Poison Queen was destroyed.

On the original Counter Earth, Victor von Doom is a genius, but not a villain. He appears in the original Warlock series. Von Doom’s armor is now represented only by the metallic mask and the green hood/cape is gone. He is referred to as ‘the most famous egghead in the country,’ the ‘like spirit-brother’ of Reed Richards, and ‘a man as dedicated to counter-Earth’s survival as Earth’s von Doom is to its enslavement.’

He and Reed Richards are mentioned in passing in Marvel Premiere #2 and Warlock #2 as scientists without any sort of super-powers. In Warlock #6, it is told how von Doom and Richards had been roommates, friends and lab partners in college. After von Doom’s disfiguring accident, Richards’ emotional support prevented him from becoming a villain.

In Warlock #5-7, Victor von Doom was employed at the Livermore Valley Lab in California where he worked on ‘Earth-Corer-1,’ a vehicle designed to tunnel into the Earth. He warned the president of a massive earthquake that would be caused by a nuclear bomb test. The resulting earthquake accidentally activated ‘Antipersonnel missiles, nicknamed deathbirds’ which began killing people indiscriminately.

There are some ‘What If’ stories revolving around Doctor Doom:

• What If Doctor Doom had become a Hero? Victor Doom heeds Reed Richards’ warnings, freeing his mother from Hell and becoming a hero. He sacrifices Valeria to Mephisto for ambition, spending his future fighting demons.
• In alternate scenarios:
  • Victor seeks the Ancient One’s magical potential.
  • Victor sabotages Reed’s rocket project to become the Thing.
  • Doctor Doom defeats the Beyonder, eliminates superheroes, and establishes a utopia in Earth.
  • Doctor Doom transfers his mind into Tony Stark’s body and builds a reputation while Stark creates a new life.
• King Loki destroys Latveria, and Doom attempts to prevent this future by imprisoning the present Loki. In the Ultimate Universe:
  • Latveria is an independent territory with a permanent war economy under Doom’s control.
  • The Maker arrives in 1963, establishing a futuristic enclave at Latveria and performing feats like taking care of external threats.
• In King Thor’s timeline, Doom acquires powers from Iron Fist, Ghost Rider, Star Brand, and Doctor Strange, but is defeated by Thor with the power of the Phoenix Force.

2002 saw ToyBiz release a Doctor Doom figure and Doombot variant in the Marvel Legends line. A scarred version was later released in 2006 as part of a 7-pack. Hasbro released Doctor Doom figures in their Marvel Legends Icons series (2006), Marvel Legends line (2007), and Marvel Universe line (2010). Repaints, variants, and exclusives were also released in subsequent years.

Other releases include:

• A ‘Slash Attack’ Doctor Doom figure (2008) based on the 2007 movie Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
• A 3′ Doctor Doom mini figure (2009) from MoonScoop’s animated series.
• Doctor Doom as a mastermind in the card game ‘Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game’ (2012).
• A 1/6 scale Doctor Doom figure by ThreeA (2015).
• A Doctor Doom boss character added to Fortnite in Chapter 2 Season 4 (2020).

Doctor Doom returned as the main antagonist of Chapter 5 Season 4, and a new skin titled ‘Doom’ was added.

Doctor Doom, the enigma of Latveria’s monarchy, continues to captivate and intrigue comic book enthusiasts. His journey from a brilliant inventor to a feared supervillain is a testament to his enduring legacy in the Marvel universe. Whether as a hero or villain, Doctor Doom remains a complex character whose story will undoubtedly continue to unfold.