Doctor Doom is one of the greatest villains of the Fantastic Four and one of the best Marvel Comics supervillains in general. Despite committing many terrible acts against the team, Doctor Doom nonetheless has a nuanced and complex journey that few beyond the most devoted comic book fans are aware of.
With a broad array of talents and powers, his ruthless ambition makes him an endlessly compelling figure and a constant threat. With his MCU debut possibly on the horizon – and the potential for him to appear in advance of the Fantastic Four in another franchise – the comics could provide some insight into how his screen story will unfold.
His Armor Inspired Kang The Conqueror
Doctor Doom has had a major influence on the Marvel Universe. One of the most significant impacts he’s had is on his fellow supervillain, Kang The Conqueror. Kang’s encounter with Doom early in the comics inspired him to create his own suit of battle armor.
Kang’s derived from technology from the 30th century and gave him some of his strongest comic book powers, including superhuman strength and stamina. It’s possible that Doom also inspires Kang’s armor in the MCU, or has already and fans don’t know it yet.
His Mother Was A Witch
Doctor Doom is one of the most powerful magic users in the Marvel Universe. His powers derive in some ways from his mother. Cynthia Von Doom was a witch who died when he was very young. She attempted to draw on the power of the demon Mephisto but lost her life in the process.
The shadow of his mother’s death would haunt him for much of his life, and in one of his greatest stories in the comics, he actually travels to Mephisto’s dimension to free the soul of his trapped mother.
He Stole The Silver Surfer’s Power
Doctor Doom’s status as a legendary Fantastic Four villain was secured early on. Just one of his fantastic exploits in the comics occurs in issue #60 when he steals the Power Cosmic from the Silver Surfer, the Herald of Galactus. With this power, he’s able to utilize the Surfer’s board.
He also had, for a brief time, cosmic awareness and the ability to alter reality. He wasn’t all-powerful, though, and lost the Power Cosmic when he breached a cosmic barrier Galactus had erected around Earth to trap the Silver Surfer there.
He Fought The Overmind
Doctor Doom is typically fighting against the Fantastic Four but has on occasion worked with them to defeat greater threats. A major example of this happened in Fantastic Four#116 when Doom fought with the team against the power of the Overmind.
The Overmind is one of the most powerful Eternals, with the incredible ability to mesmerize people and control their thoughts and actions. Doom was able to fight the Overmind with the Fantastic Four, but they were all saved by an even more powerful entity known as The Stranger.
He Has Doombots
Doom’s interest in technology rivals that of his fascination with magic. A key example of his endless pursuit of invention is the Doombots. These mindless automatons serve as the footsoldiers of Victor Von Doom and guard his imperial palace in Latveria.
Many iterations of the Doombots have existed throughout Marvel Comics and they’re likely to appear in the MCU. A highly advanced Doombot appeared in the Civil War crossover event, who believed he was the actual Doctor Doom.
His Actions In The Unthinkable Storyline
While Doctor Doom has committed many heinous acts in the comics, perhaps his evilest moment came in the “Unthinkable” storyline. He seeks out his first love, a woman named Valeria, and confesses he still has feelings for her. Their deep bond is what he needs to finally unleash truly cosmic power.
She opens a locket containing pictures of the two young and in love, which triggers her death and the power Doom has always been seeking to defeat the Fantastic Four.
His Part In Secret Wars
Doom has flirted with truly cosmic power before. He gains the powers of The Beyonder, one of the strongest cosmic beings in Marvel Comics, during the Secret Wars crossover from 1985. Doom manipulated the gathered villains on Battleworld into a series of events that ended with him gaining terrific power.
He used it violently against his enemies and allies alike, destroying Captain America and killing and then immediately resurrecting Kang. He would lose the powers to the Beyonder before the end of the series.
He Has A History Against Black Panther
There are a number of ways Doctor Doom can be introduced into the MCU beyond simply being the villain of the first Fantastic Four movie. One is as the villain of Black Panther: WakandaForever. Doom’s enmity with Wakanda is well established, spilling over in the Doomwar storyline in the comics.
Doom attempts to get his hands on the vibranium exclusive to Wakanda since it has application in the use of magic. Doom bankrolled the Desturi, a radical political group in Wakanda to try and destabilize the country. This led to a major confrontation between Doom and Black Panther.
He Was In Love With The Scarlet Witch
Doctor Doom’s relationships in the comics are often tinged with tragedy. One of the strangest romances in Fantastic Four comics occurred between Doom and the Scarlet Witch. She wasn’t really the Scarlet Witch though, but a Doombot he had constructed to impersonate her.
This unusual courtship was discovered by Tommy and Billy Maximoff, members of the Young Avengers, during The Children’s Crusade storyline. In the story, the two realize they are the reincarnated twin children of Wanda and The Vision.
Doom Killed Thanos
Doom was for a brief time the most powerful being in the entire Marvel Universe. During the 2015 Secret Wars comic book crossover, Doom became God Emperor Doom and proved his cosmic power in one single stroke by killing Thanos. Doom ripped the spine and skull right out of the Mad Titan’s body.
Doom accomplishes this after obtaining the power of all The Beyonders and collapsing the entire Marvel multiverse down to a single realm, once again called Battleworld, which he designed as he saw fit.
