Name some of the greatest villains in Marvel Comics and you’ll surely hear the name Victor Von Doom, A.K.A Doctor Doom. This Marvel villain has been many things throughout his time in Marvel Comics. He has been the monarch of Latveria, a member of the Cabal, the Sorcerer Supreme, and an actual god who ruled over Battleworld. Heck, he even time-traveled all the way back to the Arthurian era and battled Iron Man. He’s also stolen the most powerful weapons and artifacts anyone could possess in the Marvel Universe and used their power for his own nefarious goals. Some examples include Silver Surfer’s board, Thor’s hammer, and even the powers of The Beyonder. But even before he does steal godlike power, this guy still has the spine to stand up to some of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. This includes Galactus and the Beyonders themselves.
I can make a whole list of the reasons why Doctor Doom is one of the best villains in Marvel Comics. The only other villains who can compete with him are probably Magneto, Thanos, and the Green Goblin. It’s a razor-thin competition, but there’s a reason why this metal-faced villain has only grown in popularity over the years. Fun fact, did you know Doctor Doom was one of the inspirations for the creation behind Darth Vader. Given their similarities in their appearances and mannerisms, it’s not too hard to understand as to why. Beneath that metal mask is a hideously disfigured face, but unlike Darth Vader, the scars of Victor Von Doom are self-inflicted.
Part of his origins story is how he became the man behind the mask. To put it short, he spent some time with some monks, who helped him forge the iron mask. Rather than waiting for the mask to cool down, Victor Von Doom opted to put the mask on his face while it was still hot. Ouch, right? The mask was permanently stuck to his face and the villain known as Doctor Doom was born. It didn’t take him long to take the throne of Latveria by force and proclaim himself as its new monarch. When that happened, he began to establish his dominance right away and use the dangerous combination of mad science and dark magic to consolidate his power.
But even with all of his power and his grip over the people of Latveria, Victor Von Doom never forgot his burning hatred for his longtime rival, Reed Richards. Now why does Victor hate Reed so much. Well, they were first acquainted during their college years, when Reed was supposed to be Victor’s roommate. Victor, however, took an instant disliking to Reed and sought a new roommate. The young Victor Von Doom spent all of his time building a machine that would allow him to communicate with his deceased mother. Reed tried to warn Victor that his machine would backfire, but the arrogant and desperate Victor Von Doom ignored Reed’s advice. Victor proceeded with the experiment and Reed’s prediction came true.
The machine blew up in Victor’s face and he was subsequently expelled from Empire State University. This resulted in Victor Von Doom swearing vengeance against Reed Richards, because he believed Reed deliberately tampered with his machine. This led to one of the most contentious rivalries in Marvel Comics and it is one we need to see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We know it’s coming, especially after the announcement of the upcoming Fantastic Four movie. I know, we’re all just hoping it will be done right this time, but let’s trust Kevin Feige and Jon Watts.
Will Doctor Doom be the main antagonist in the MCU Fantastic Four movie? I honestly don’t think so. However, I reckon he will at least make his debut in the movie. If Doctor Doom won’t be the main villain in that movie, then he’ll likely be a supporting character. He doesn’t even have to a secondary villain, but the Fantastic Four will be aware of him. I have an idea that I think will work for the MCU: how about they build Doctor Doom up before making him the greatest villain of the Fantastic Four? What do I mean specifically? Well, we all remember how Fox tried to make Doctor Doom the main villain in all the Fantastic Four movies. Just a little reminder, it didn’t work. I think that calls for a change of pace.
The backstory I just told was only a fraction of the beginning of Doctor Doom. It goes much deeper than that and it’s honestly quite tragic. Doctor Doom can be described as one of the most evil Marvel villains, but he’s actually one of its most complex ones. Despite his reputation, he does have a code of honor. Twisted as it may be, he does follow it to the extreme. This has surprised many heroes over the years, and that goes beyond the Fantastic Four. Doctor Doom has also made enemies of Black Panther, Namor, Iron Man, and Captain America. This is another thing that the MCU can explore, which could place Doctor Doom in the place of Thanos.
What always intrigued me about Doctor Doom was his tragic backstory. As a young boy, he was born into the gypsy society, which was considered to be an outcast minority in Latveria. He lost his father at an early age and his mother sold her soul to Mephisto in order to save her people. As bad as Doctor Doom is, a big part of his motivation was always to save his mother from Mephisto’s realm. Now this is something we can see unfold in his Disney+ series. That’s right, I think Marvel should give this villain his own series. I think it’s only fitting, given that he’s one of their best villains. But unlike most of Marvel’s villains, I do believe Doctor Doom has enough in his backstory to work with for a Disney+ series.
I personally think a Disney+ series for Doctor Doom would work best if it works as a rise to power type of story. How did he become the monarch of Latveria? Better yet, how did he learn to rival Doctor Strange as a sorcerer? All of those things can be explored in his own Disney+ series. Heck, show us when he invented his first Doombot. No matter how it’s done, I think I speak for everyone when I say I just want to see Doctor Doom done right in the MCU. And that can all start in a Disney+ series. What are your thoughts, Marvel fans?Fantastic Four
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