If your only exposure to Doctor Doom was theMarvel cinematic movies, then you have been done a disservice. More so with the seemingly increased disappointment with the recent casting of the live-action version of the genius with a heart of cold steel. This disservice needs to be rectified immediately!
So, what’s the best way to do that? To get you pulled in and intrigued by varying levels of complexity when it comes to his ever-waving morality and the extreme ways he seeks to solve problems, no matter whose side he’s on. The entries below showcase his strength both in feet and in narrative, as he proves to be an excellent choice for both.
10Marvel Zombies
Released in: 2005
No one can say in times of crisis, Doctor Doom won’t look out for those beneath him. As long as it benefits his long-term goals at least. What better long-term goal than surviving an alien virus? Aside from his vast, top-of-the-line fortress holding out, he has cast a magic force field around the area for protection.
It fails, and he is ultimately captured and devoured. Even then, by sheer will of force, he holds off the virus long enough to ensure the survivors are safe. The virus took hold of him, but even then, he couldn’t be stopped and took Galactus head-on with the rest of the zombie heroes. He just doesn’t quit.
9Secret Wars
Released In: 1984
Pitting heroes and villains against each other in no-holds-barred fights? Sign us up! Several of your favorites from various Marvel Franchises come together unexpectedly and form alliances that wouldn’t normally happen. The doctor, though, has another, more ambitious goal in mind. Instead of fighting the others for a chance at power, he takes it for himself.
After a few setbacks, he succeeds in his quest and has ultimate power flowing through his body. However, harnessing the Beyonder’s power proves to be too much for him as he loses control. After taking a beating from the heroes, Doom gets his temporary power reclaimed by the Beyonder. Phenomenal cosmic powers, itty-bitty wield time.
8Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
Released In: 2010
Do you know how much of a badass you have to be to make a significant impact while only appearing in three episodes? He shows up, gives everyone a beatdown, including The Hulk, and then lets everyone leave, letting you know in so many words that they just aren’t worth his time.
The whole of the Avengers team couldn’t touch him! Hell, Doom threw Hulk into a brick wall without losing his breath. Doom tried to tell them that they weren’t ready for any kind of combat, but of course, they didn’t listen and had to lick their wounds. What were his goals? It’s none of our business, he makes that clear within these three episodes.
7Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Released In: 2006
If you were allowed to take the might of the Norse gods and claim it as your own, would you? Doom, being the logical opportunist that he is, allies with familiar names, such as Loki and Ultron to steal several articles of power, such as some super serum, a mutant amplifier, and a magical tomb to grant powers.
This boost of power isn’t enough, and now he has Odin in his sights. As we know from previous fights, Doom is nothing to play with, so with the help of the Twilight Sword, he stole from another dimension by the way, and takes Odin out of the picture, claiming that godly power for himself.
6Fortnite
Released In: 2020 Officially, Pre-released In 2017
Not exactly what you were expecting when talking about the many feats of Doctor Doom, is it? Fortnite having collaboration events is nothing new (Eminem, anyone?), but the teams at Epic Games and Marvel have done a good job with this iteration of the opportunistic genius. One step inside the Omniverse, and he instantly seeks out what power he can take.
Here, his powers are on full display. With dimensional travel, energy manipulation, and, of course, all of his technological prowess to boot. All of that is before he gets his hands on Pandora’s Box, the item that holds all of humanity’s horrors and hopes inside,which he promptly uses to defeat plenty of enemies, villains and heroes alike. No matter which dimension you find him in, Doom is near god-like in most of them.
5Doctor Strange And Doctor Doom: Triumph And Torment
Released In: 1989
Just as Secret Wars showcases Doctor Doom’s wit, the story Triumph and Torment shows up and fully displays his complexity and weakness. The doctor’s usual scheming is on full display, as per usual, with vowing to sacrifice the soul of the newly-minted Sorcerer Supreme himself, Doctor Strange. Together, they brave hell itself to release Doom’s mother from the devil Mephisto’s grasp.
Doom proves he’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Typically, a superpower of his in its own right, but this time it cost him the one person he loved most in the world, earning her disgust in the process. All of that power at his fingertips, and he still failed is crushing to witness.
4Fantastic Four, Number 5
Released In: 1961
What started as a slight against Doctor Doom’s lifelong, ambitious project, turns into a beef that spans over several decades with varying levels of severity. Though, as numerous as they are, one of the most memorable shows of power for the Doc was the first encounter with The Fantastic Four, post-space.
In this iconic clash, Doom gets the jump on the quad squad by encasing the whole Baxter building, trapping them, and carting them off to his castle to demand that they use his freshly built time machine to steal from the pirate Blackbeard. Sure, the story is a little…off, but the way he commands his power over the Four without skipping a beat shows his true strength. Now if only he’d bring back that tiger!
3Doctor Doom
Released In: 2019
It’s one thing when you own up to your own mistakes for the things you’ve done or any world domination plans that fell through. But when you’re accused of doing something you didn’t, like say, generating a black hole on the moon, that’s bound to ruffle your feathers. So, what do you do when you’re framed and on the run from people such as the infamous assassin Taskmaster?
Well, you beat them. For the Doc, it’s as simple as that. He went toe to toe with someone who could easily mimic and beat anyone down, and Doom never broke a sweat. If that isn’t enough, or if things seem useless to him, he’ll just pop off and teleport elsewhere. Overpowering aside, this story’s greatest strength is exploring Doctor Doom as more than just the megalomaniacal genius ruler that he is.
2Infamous Iron Man
Released In: 2016
Coming off the back of the second strenuous Civil War betweenfactions of superheroes that disagree on the morality of precognitive justice, the weight of each lost during the war is felt. Doctor Doom, after Iron Man’s death, is feeling particularly repentant and decides to pick up the mantle previously held by Tony Stark.
Just the idea of Doom turning over a new leaf has the villain community terrified and immediately seeking his death. Do you know how strong you have to be to strike fear into the hearts of your former, temporary, partners in crime?
1Secret Wars
Released In: 2015
While everyone else in the multiverse is understandably worried about the colliding of universes, Doom sees this as an opportunity to gain the power of the Beyonders in the 2015 modernized retelling of the Secret Wars storyline from 1984. The stakes are much higher, and so are the godly ambitions of Doom.
The threat to the doctor isn’t necessarily the malcontents looking to overthrow him from his rule over Battleworld, though that does exist, it’s more along the lines of whether he’s worthy of all the powers of creation and omnipotence. To balance those powers that ‘place’ him over others, and can still hold intact, his humanity becomes his biggest struggle. It’s not a fight he can win with power alone.
