| Doctor Doom | |
Doctor Doom, as depicted on the cover of Fantastic Four #247 (October 1982). Art by John Byrne. |
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| Publication information | |
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| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Fantastic Four #5 (July 1962) |
| Created by | Stan Lee & Jack Kirby |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Victor von Doom |
| Team affiliations | Terrible Trio |
| Abilities | Genius-level intellect Command of magic Powered armor Access to advanced technology |
Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom) is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by Marvel Comics and appearing as an enemy of the Fantastic Four. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 (July 1962).
After a failed experiment leaves his face disfigured, the brilliant but arrogant Victor von Doom casts a set of armor and sets out to dominate the world, as well as to destroy his archenemy Reed Richards and the other members of the Fantastic Four. He is the absolute monarch of the fictional European nation of Latveria, which he rules with an iron fist.
Doctor Doom is one of Marvel Comics' most recognizable and archetypal supervillains; the character has fought and opposed more heroes than any other Marvel villain.[1] Creator Stan Lee declared Doom his favorite villain of those he created. Wizard magazine rated Doctor Doom the 4th greatest villain of all time.[2]
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Like many of Marvel's first characters, Doctor Doom was conceived by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. With Fantastic Four performing well, Lee and Kirby were trying to dream up a "soul-stirring…super sensational new villain."[3] Looking for a name, Lee latched onto "Doctor Doom" as "eloquent in its simplicity — magnificent in its implied menace."[3] Due to the rush to publish, Doom was not given a full origin in the first issue he appeared in, or even in subsequent stories in which he menaced the Fantastic Four[3] (after issue #5 he appeared in issues six, ten, sixteen and seventeen in succession.)[4] Doom's origins were finally revealed in the Fantastic Four Annual #2, more than two years after his first appearance.[5] While The Fantastic Four had fought villains such as the Mole Man, Skrulls, the Miracle Man, and Namor the Sub-Mariner before Doom's appearance, Doom managed to overshadow them all and became the Fantastic Four's arch-nemesis.[6]
Lee established Doom's origins as the son of gypsies, born decades ago in Latveria when it was ruled by an unnamed nobleman called the Baron. Doom's mother was a witch, a fact his father tried to hide from the young boy; when his father is killed by the Baron's men unjustly, Doom discovers his mother's occult instruments and swears revenge on the Baron. Doom grows into a headstrong and brilliant man, who attracts the attention of the dean of Empire State University.[7] Offered the chance to study in America, Doom leaves his homeland behind and meets a fellow student named Reed Richards, though Doom disregards his peers. Richards tries to warn Doom about continuing an experiment to communicate with the dead with flawed figures, but Doom continues on; the resulting explosion severely damages Doom's face.[7] Expelled after the accident, Doom travels the world, eventually being found by a clan of monks in Tibet. Mastering the monk's disciplines, he becomes their master and forges himself a suit of armor, complete with a mask that can only be removed by him.[7] Doom then returns to menace those he feels are responsible for his accident - including Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four.
Jack Kirby modeled Doom after Death, with the armor standing in for that character's skeleton; "It was the reason for the armor and the hood. Death is connected with armor and the inhuman-like steel. Death is something without mercy, and human flesh contains that mercy."[8] Kirby further described Doom as being "paranoid", wrecked by his twisted face and wanting the whole world to be like him.[8] Kirby went on to say that "Doom is an evil person, but he's not always been evil. He was [respected]…but through a flaw in his own character, he was a perfectionist."[9] At one point in the Seventies, Kirby drew his interpretation of what Doom would look like under the mask, giving Doom only "a tiny scar on his cheek."[10] Due to this slight imperfection, Doom hides his face not from the world, but from himself.[10] To Kirby, this is the motivation for Doom's vengeance against the world; because others are superior due to this slight scar, Doom wants to elevate himself above them.[9] Typical of Lee's writing characterization of Doom is his arrogance; his pride leads to Doom's disfigurement at the hands of his own machine, and to the failures of many of his schemes.[11]
In 1969 Marvel announced plans to launch Doom in his own comic book, Doctor Doom. The comic was due for release in September 1969, with the story and penciling by Jack Kirby, and would be the first time a villain had received a solo title. Pressure from parental groups and the adverse publicity caused by the news forced Marvel to cancel the title and pulp the entire print run, with only Kirby's file copy surviving. Kirby's decision to leave Marvel shortly after was influenced to some extent by these events.[12]
During the 1970s, Doom branched out to more Marvel titles, with a battle between Doom and Prince Rudolfo over control of Latveria being featured in Astonishing Tales.[13] Doom also attempts to use the Hulk as his slave during two issues of The Incredible Hulk.[14] The character also made several appearances in the story arcs of Super-Villain Team-Up, starting in 1975, as well as appearances in Marvel Team-Up, beginning with issue #42 (February 1976). Doom's origin was further elaborated on; a childhood companion, Valeria, was introduced and it was established Cynthia von Doom had sold her soul to Mephisto.[15]
1981 saw Marvel and DC Comics collaborate on another project. In 1976 the two companies had published Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, and seeking to replicate that success the two companies again teamed the characters up, in Superman and Spider-Man. Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter co-wrote the story alongside Marv Wolfman, and recalled choosing Doom based on his iconic status: "I figured I needed the heaviest-duty bad guy we had to offer — Doctor Doom. Their greatest hero against our greatest villain."[16]
The same year saw John Byrne began his six-year run writing and illustrating Fantastic Four in 1981, sparking a "second golden age" for the title[17] but also attempting to "turn the clock back [...] get back and see fresh what it was that made the book great at its inception."[18] Doom made his first appearance under Byrne's tenure with issue #236.[19] Whereas Kirby had intimated that Doom's disfigurement was more a figment of Victor's vain personality, Byrne expressed that Doom's face was truly ravaged; only Doom's own robot slaves are allowed to see the monarch without his helm.[20] Byrne also emphasized other aspects of Doom's personality; despite his ruthless nature, Doom is a man of his word.[21] He also genuinely cares for his people of Latveria, who in turn are devoted to their leader; returning to Latveria after being temporarily deposed, Doom abandons a scheme to wrest mystical secrets from Doctor Strange in order to oversee his land's reconstruction.[20] Though possessing a tempestuous temper, Doom also occasionally shows warmth and empathy to others; he tries to free his mother from Mephisto and treats Kristoff Vernard like his own son.[20]Byrne also gave further detail regarding Doom's scarring; Byrne used the idea that the accident at State University only left Doom with a small scar; when Doom puts on the armor forged for him when it had yet to cool, however, he truly damages his face.[22]
After Byrne's departure Doctor Doom continued to be a major villain in Fantastic Four, and as the 1980s continued Doom appeared other comics such as X-Factor, Punisher, Spectacular Spider-Man and Excalibur. In Fantastic Four #350, writer Walt Simonson introduced the idea of Doom being on a journey through time and space, only returning to Earth on occasion. Simonson's retcon was done so readers could assume that any of the character's appearances that they found odd were in fact Doombots. An urban legend states that Simonson drew up a list of official stories which featured the real Doom and those which did not.[23]
In 2003, Doom was the sole villain in the Fantastic Four story arc "Unthinkable", in which Doom imprisons Franklin Richards in Hell and captures Valeria Richards before succeeding in fighting the Fantastic Four to a standstill. Writer Mark Waid sought to redefine Doom's character in a way that had not been seen before. In Waid's reinterpretation, Doom hates Richards for knowing at his core he was right when Doom was wrong.[24][25] Waid was also convinced that the "truism that Victor Von Doom is, despite his villainy, a noble man" (as suggested in Byrne's run) "is absolute crap. [...] A man [Doom] whose entire motivating force is jealousy is ridiculously petty, not grandly noble. Yes, Doom is regal, and yes, whenever possible, Doom likes to act as if he possesses great moral character, because to him that's what great men have... — but when I hear Doom say it 'does not suit him to' do this-and-such, what I hear is, 'it has nothing to do with my hatred for Reed Richards, so it's not worth my time.'" Waid also stated that Doom "would tear the head off a newborn baby and eat it like an apple while his mother watched if it would somehow prove he were smarter than Reed." [25]
In 2005 and 2006, Doom was featured in his own limited series, Books of Doom, a retelling of the origin story by Ed Brubaker.[26] In an interview, Brubaker said the series was a way to elaborate on the earlier portions of Doom's life which had not been seen often in the comics. The series also set out to determine if Doom's path from troubled child to dictator was fated or Doom's own faults led to his corruption — in essence, a nature versus nurture question.[27] Brubaker's version of Doom was heavily influenced by the original Lee/Kirby version; responding to a question if he would show Doom's face, Brubaker stated "following Kirby's example, I think it's better not to show it."[26]
Doom's most dangerous weapon is his intelligence. A true genius, he is considered to be one of the greatest human intellects in the Marvel Universe, second only to his arch-nemesis Reed Richards. He has extensive knowledge of all sciences, and is an expert in robotics, genetic engineering, weapons technology, bio-chemistry, and other fields. Doom is depicted constructing numerous devices in order to defeat his foes or gain more power, including a time machine, a device to imbue people with superpowers, and numerous robots. Doom's calculating and strategic nature leads him to use "Doombots," exact mechanical replicas of the real Doctor Doom, for many missions, typically those where he fears defeat.[20] Doom also possesses a limited amount of magic ability. This ability is due to knowledge of the mystic arts learned during his time with Tibetan monks and from his mother. His magical talents are limited by his lack of humility and refusal to admit that he is not a master of all arts. The alien Ovoids teach Doom the process of psionically transferring his consciousness into another nearby being, which Doom uses on several occasions, including to escape death at the hands of Terrax.[20] Doom also uses his scientific talents to steal and replicate the power of Galactus' heralds such as the Silver Surfer on several occasions.
Doom's armor, originally designed to hide his face from the world, is both menacing and powerful. As a defensive measure, his armor is built to generate a massive electric shock, disabling anyone who might come in contact with Doom.[28] The suit is highly resistant to damage, and has the additional defense of a force field generated by the armor.[28] The armor's exoskeleton augments Doom's natural physical strength, granting him low level superhuman strength. The armor is self-supporting, equipped with internal stores and recycling systems for air, food, water, and energy, allowing the wearer to survive lengthy periods of exposure underwater or in outer space. For weapons, Doom utilizes blasts of energy from his gauntlets, as well as some mystical powers like the ability to cast bolts of electric energy.
Doom's status as one of the Fantastic Four's greatest villains[6] has led to his appearance in many of Marvel's alternate universes and spinoffs. Doom appears as a superhero in the Mutant X dimension, with Mr. Fantastic as the villain. Doom also appears in the Marvel 2099 universe, which takes place in an alternate future; this Doom believes he is actually the original, although he has no idea how he came to be sent to the future.[29] Still a ruler at heart, Doom returns to Latveria to free his people from a futuristic robber baron.[29] This version, created by Robert Kirkman, was well-received.[30]
Doom first appears in the Ultimate Marvel series in Ultimate Fantastic Four. This series, originally written by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar, radically changed Doom. In this universe, the character is known as Victor van Damme, a descendant of Vlad III the Impaler; caught in the same accident that creates the Fantastic Four, his flesh transforms into metal and his body reshapes into that of a faun.[31] In the graphic novel Marvel 1602 and its follow-ups, Doom (named Otto in this universe) is disfigured when trying to use an item from the future against the Fantastic Four,[32] and later appears in the Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four spinoff.[33]
Doom has appeared in the cartoons The Marvel Superheroes, Fantastic Four (1967-70), Fantastic Four (1978), Spider-Man (1981), Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981), Fantastic Four (1994-96), The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man (1997) and Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes (2006 onwards). Doom has also appeared in ten video games: he made his debut in Spider-Man and Captain America in Doctor Doom's Revenge (1989). He is the main antagonist in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006).[34] There is also a ride called Doctor Doom's Fearfall at Islands of Adventure in the Universal Orlando Resort.[35]
Doom has appeared in all three Fantastic Four films, including the unreleased 1994 film. In the 2005 film and its 2007 sequel, Doom is a Latverian-born billionaire, who is imbued with metallic flesh and the ability to conduct electricity after being caught in the same accident that created the Fantastic Four. Similar to the comics, the film version of Doom captures the Silver Surfer's board and steals the Power Cosmic. Golden-Globe nominated Australian actor Julian McMahon portrays Victor Von Doom in the 2005 film Fantastic Four and the 2007 film sequel Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer.
In the book Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre, Peter Coogan writes that Doctor Doom's appearance was representative of a change in the portrayal of "mad scientists" to full-fledged villains, often with upgraded powers.[36] Doom is also emblematic of a specific subset of supervillain, which comic book critic Peter Sanderson describes as a "megavillain".[36] These supervillains are genre-crossing villains who exist in adventures "in a world in which the ordinary laws of nature are slightly suspended"; characters such as Professor Moriarty, Count Dracula, Auric Goldfinger, Hannibal Lecter and Darth Vader, also fit this description.[36] Sanderson also found traces of William Shakespeare’s characters Richard III and Iago in Doctor Doom; all of them "are descended from the 'vice' figure of medieval drama", who address the audience in monologues detailing their thoughts and ambitions.[37]
Described as "iconic",[38] Doom is one of the most well-received super-villains of the Marvel universe, as well as one of the most recurring;[38] in his constant battles with heroes and other villains, Doom has appeared more times than any other villain.[6] The comics site Panels of Awesome ranked Doom as the number one villain in their listing of the top ten villains in comics;[39] Wizard Magazine went a step further by declaring Doom the fourth greatest villain of all time.[2]
Comic Book Resources ranks Doom as their fourth favorite Marvel character. Journalist Brent Ecenbarger cited him being able to "stand up against entities like Mephisto, the Beyonder, and Galactus and often come out on top", as well as the tragedy of any "other number of circumstances could have led to Doom being a savior, but as it is, instead he remains Marvel’s greatest villain." Fellow journalist Jason Stanhope called his "master[ing] of sorcery and technology an unusual combination", and also felt "his inner sense of nobility sets him apart from lesser villains, in a similar manner to Magneto."[40] Doom has also been favorably regarded by those who wrote for the character; Stan Lee declared Doom his favorite villain, saying "[Doom] could come to the United States and he could do almost anything, and we could not arrest him because he has diplomatic immunity. Also, he wants to rule the world and if you think about it, wanting to rule the world is not a crime."[41] Mark Waid echoed Lee's assessment of the character, stating that Doom "[has] got a great look, a great visual design [and] a dynamite origin."[42]
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