The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had no shortage of beloved villains across its various movies and TV series, but there’s still plenty of iconic comic antagonists who have yet to be adapted. And most prominent among them is one of Marvel’s greatest villains ever, Doctor Doom.
Victor Von Doom is best known as the arch-nemesis of the Fantastic Four, but over the decades he’s essentially become the de facto big bad for the entire Marvel Universe. As such, he’s been involved in plenty of landmark storylines, not all of which have featured the FF. Here are just a few memorable Doctor Doom stories that could easily provide the inspiration for his inevitable MCU appearances.
Books of Doom
Doctor Doom is a unique character in many ways — for instance, his origin story could just as easily belong to a hero rather than a villain. And there’s no better account of Doom’s thrilling backstory than the 2005 miniseries Books of Doom from writer Ed Brubaker. This story hits all the high notes of Doom’s origin, from the tragic death of his parents to his college rivalry to Reed Richards, from the lab accident that scarred his face to his conquest of his homeland of Latveria. Curiously, many of the tropes found in Doom’s backstory echo the origins of heroes like Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man. So while the MCU has yet to devote an entire movie or TV series to a villain’s origin story, Doom could very easily be the first.
The Peril And The Power
This classic arc from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby spanned Fantastic Four issues 57 to 60 all the way back in 1966, making it the first of many, many stories in which Doctor Doom temporarily succeeded in attaining godlike power. In this case, Doom drained the Power Cosmic from the Silver Surfer, allowing him to wreak havoc on the world and nearly defeat the FF, until he was outsmarted by Mr. Fantastic. While there are currently no plans announced to bring the Silver Surfer into the MCU, this storyline could easily serve as the basis for a future Fantastic Four movie.
Doomwar
This 2010 miniseries by Jonathan Maberry and Scot Eaton doesn’t feature the FF as its main heroes, though they are present as supporting players. Instead, T’Challa takes center stage as the Black Panther wages war against Doctor Doom, with the fate of Wakanda hanging in the balance. Both Doom and T’Challa are wise and powerful kings who walk the line between science and magic, and seek to bring peace to the world. However, Doom’s idea of peace involves stealing Wakanda’s Vibranium supply to bolster his forces.
One memorable scene features Doctor Doom facing off against the Panther god Bast, who is forced to accept that Doom’s villainous schemes are driven by a truly sincere desire to save humanity. But the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and while Doom may share T’Challa’s noble goals, he believes the only truly peaceful world is one under his absolute control. So while it seems like T’Challa won’t be returning to the MCU after Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing, Doom would still be the perfect antagonist for a future Black Panther movie.
Triumph and Torment
Widely hailed as one of the greatest Doom stories ever told, this 1989 graphic novel was written by Roger Stern with art by Mike Mignola, better known as the creator of Hellboy. And unlike other comics on this list, Triumph and Torment features Doom not as a villain, but as a protagonist. In this story, Doom enlists the aid of Doctor Strange on a quest into the depths of Hell itself. Their mission: to free the soul of Doom’s mother from the clutches of the demon lord Mephisto.
By placing Doctor Doom in the role of anti-hero, Stern and Mignola shine a spotlight on the humanity hidden behind Doom’s mask — underneath his ruthless exterior, the armor-clad tyrant still deeply loves his family, and is willing to literally go to Hell and back to save his captive mother. Plus, the alliance between Doom and Strange allows the story to explore the unique dynamic between these two Doctors of the mystic arts. After Strange has braved the madness of the multiverse, Triumph and Torment could very well serve as the inspiration for his next film.
Emperor Doom
What happens when the bad guy finally wins? That’s the question at the core of the 1987 graphic novel Emperor Doom, written by David Michelinie with art by Bob Hall. The story begins with Doom creating his latest villainous machine — the Psycho-Prism, a mind control device powered by none other than a captive Purple Man, aka Kilgrave of Jessica Jones fame. In one unforgettable scene, Doom willingly deactivates his armor’s defenses against Kilgrave’s mental powers, only to still resist his control by sheer force of will.
Doom uses the Psycho-Prism to brainwash the entire world, becoming supreme ruler of the planet in only a day. Under Doom’s rule, war, crime, hunger, and prejudice become things of the past — but so does free will, with all humanity reduced to nothing but mindless puppets, extensions of Doom’s will. Before long, Doom’s victory begins to feel hollow and unearned. The Avengers eventually break free from Doom’s control and destroy the Psycho-Prism, and Doom allows them to do so. After all, Doom would rather let his plan be foiled than rule over a world that he hasn’t conquered fairly. Once the Avengers formally reform in the MCU, Doom would be an ideal enemy for them to join together against, hopefully in a movie that takes some influence from this story.
Secret Wars
The title Secret Wars has been used by two separate comic series — one from 1984 written by Jim Shooter, and one from 2015 written by Jonathan Hickman. While the latter series serves as a sequel to the former, both stories involve Doctor Doom achieving the near-infinite power of the otherworldly entities known as the Beyonders, then facing off against Earth’s heroes in a final battle on a patchwork planet called Battleworld. The 80s series is a straightforward battle of good vs. evil, with a team of heroes joining heroes against Doom’s legion of supervillains while he schemes to ascend to godhood.
Meanwhile, Hickman’s sequel takes a more mythic approach, exploring Doom’s regime on Battleworld in a story that’s equal parts science fantasy epic and political thriller, taking plenty of influence from Dune in the process. However, underneath all the cosmic-scale battles, both Secret Wars stories delve into Doom’s hidden insecurities. In both cases, Doom is ultimately defeated by his own self-doubt — despite his narcissism, Doom is keenly aware of his own imperfection, and that looming fear proves to be his undoing. Joe and Anthony Russo have stated that after the spectacle that was Avengers: Endgame, a Secret Wars movie is the only project that could bring them back to the MCU. And if any story can top the final battle against Thanos, it’s Doctor Doom’s finest hour.
