“Please, aged one. I have sworn to serve you. If you do not eat, you will die, and I will have failed. Take some food...do not doom us both!” he pleads.
“Food satisfies but one hunger, Acolyte. For one so young as you to invoke the spectre of Doom is most amusing! Why… you are hardly old enough to understand the true meaning of Doom. Doom… is a man! Yes… a driven man…”
-From Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment
Oh, it’s just you… welcome.
Yes, welcome everyone, to my first ever character analysis! For those of you who are wondering “Shade, why are you calling this your first character analysis when you've done research blogs on characters before?”, well, those were Death Battle predictions and Death Analysis blogs, whereas these will focus more on the background, ideals, and concepts related to the characters from a literary standpoint.
I feel it only necessary to discuss Doctor Doom first because nobody I know outside of the realm of the internet, besides my friends who read comics, seems to really know who he is. And the people who do remember him only recognize him from the movies and wonder why I like a character from such dumb films so much.
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Every day we stray further from God's light... |
Now, I will admit I do have a soft spot for the first two FF movies of the 2000’s (we don't talk about Fant4stic), and the general tone in the movies are actually pretty similar to the original comics that ran during the 60’s in the sense that they can be enjoyed from a fun and campy perspective, however Doom himself was terribly misrepresented. I would say he has never had an accurate portrayal in the movies, but his characterization in the 1970’s movie was actually pretty close to the comics. But nobody remembers that movie, aside from maybe people who follow Cinema Snob.
This of course isn't at all helped by the Marvel Cinematic Universe not being able to feature Fantastic Four characters due to legal reasons, and the f*ckery surrounding a certain fighting game featuring Marvel characters, and an awesome character like Doom deserves-no… DEMANDS more respect than this.
So, ladies and gentlemen, hailing from Earth-616, the man who started from nothing and became everything, I present to you Doctor Victor Von Doom.
You know, the funny thing about Doom is he was created to be the greatest supervillain of all time, and yet, while that may have succeeded on many fronts, he doesn't necessarily fit into category of “supervillain”, and yet...also does.
In fact, one might argue that he is actually a hero, if you simply believe that the ends justify the means. He does more than what the so-called Earth's Mightiest Heroes could ever do (and he never lets them forget it) by not concerning himself with things like moral obligations, overstepping boundaries, and being held back by attachments.
When I originally came up with the idea for this blog, I hypothesized that Doctor Doom’s life was split into three defining character arcs: The Definitive Supervillain Era (where he exhibits the traits of the classic supervillain archetype), The Humanization Era (where he became more down-to-earth and relatable, and you were meant to sympathize with him) and the Redemption Era (the current line of comics, the supervillain redemption story that is Infamous Iron Man), but after going back and re-reading all the source material, I realized that it's not quite that cut and dry. Since the beginning, nearly every comic featuring Doom has exhibited all three of these, to some extent. Doom has always been in that grey area, which sets him apart from your typical bad guy. He breaks the mold when it comes to comic book villains, and that is why he has always been such a fascinating character to me.
‘Doctor Doom does not fail’ indeed.
To truly understand Doom, one must understand that he simply sees himself as above all earthly things. And, well, for the most part, he's kinda right.
Doom possesses the most advanced man-made armor in the 616 Marvel Universe, making Iron Man’s armor seem like an inferior toy. He is a master sorcerer, and had it not been for Doctor Strange’s Eye of Agamotto, he would likely be Sorcerer Supreme. Even other feared entities such as Dracula are at Doom’s mercy due to holy relics such as a splinter from the cross that Jesus Christ was crucified on. Magneto, someone who actively hates humans, respects Doom for refusing to be merely human and striving to be something more. Marvel celestials such as Silver Surfer, Galactus and the Beyonder are subdued by his technology, and Thanos feels he needs to keep tabs on him.
However, while incredibly impressive that a non-powered human being, through sheer force of will and determination, can achieve all these things and become one of the most feared and respected entities in comics, this isn't necessarily what makes him above everything, and are just examples of his influence on the Marvel multiverse.
But what did they mean exactly by “represent death itself”? Well, to put it simply in the words of Mistress Death, “Death is a promise, a promise that is kept by everyone…”. In Marvel Comics and in the real world, there comes a time in everyone's life when they must face doom, and Doom has confronted every significant figure in Marvel at least once. Of course, it extends beyond that, or else you could say that Spider-Man, Hulk, or Wolverine are allegories for death.
Exhibit A: The Doombots. I'm sure that most people are aware of the classic Doombot fakeout that Doom popularized. While far from the first character to fake his own death, he takes the concept to a new level via the Doombots, among many other tricks up his sleeve. The Doombots are the perfect mimicry of himself, right down to minute features such as the iris of his eyes. He programs each of them with his own personality and speech patterns, and gives each of them magical properties and spells to dissuade others from thinking they may be entirely mechanical. Not only do the Doombots preserve his legacy should he fall, they serve a much bigger purpose.
If Doom is ever killed or publicly executed, or otherwise should pass on, there is always that seed of doubt he planted by creating the Doombots, that lingering fear of “What if that was just a Doombot? What if the real Doom is still alive?” They would never know, because, as seen above, Doom programs each one with a specific algorithmic language that only he can understand. Even in death, Doom lives.
Doom is eternal.
To further explore this, let's look at one of the most highly regarded graphic novels featuring Doctor Doom: Emperor Doom.
Only through acceptance can one find peace with themselves, and Doctor Doom believed that the same must also be true for the entire world. Rather than fighting for global dominance, he would achieve it through acceptance.
To do this, he would use his technology to harness the power of one Zebediah Killgrave, aka the Purple Man, who has the ability to telepathically manipulate or deactivate human will (except for Doom’s, whose will is far too strong).
Freewill results in different ideals and philosophies, which leads to conflict. And so, Doom removed freewill from the equation, and created a world without conflict. There was no more war because people no longer disagreed with one another or fought over petty things like territory, which allowed the countries of the world to focus on snuffing out the world's real problems, like world hunger and poverty.
But there was one man who was not satisfied, who was not at peace: Doom. For the first of many times, Victor von Doom achieved his goal, and yet is haunted by a sense of discontent. It makes him wonder, is this really what he wants?
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| Daily reminder that Captain America is awesome |
It will always be something that will be at the back of their minds, proving once again, that Doom is eternal.
But what is the root of his discontent? What drives him to be more than a man? To answer that, we'll have to go back to the beginning.
Victor von Doom was the son of persecuted outcasts, his mother a master of the dark arts and his father a doctor. Cynthia von Doom sought vengeance on the baron of Latveria who condemned them to their fate. She turned to the most desperate of measures, making a deal with the devil himself. In exchange for her soul, she asked she be granted his power temporarily, for the future of her people and her son to be free from suffering and want. Mephisto’s end of the bargain would eventually be granted, just, as you can see, not in the way she expected.
With his mother killed as he was a child and his father now dead before him, Victor set out on a quest with a new purpose, not one of just vengeance, but to rise beyond anyone's oppression, to ensure this incident never happens again, to any of his people. I can put it to no better words than the comic: “He fell victim to no demons, save his own.”
Thanks to messing with his mother's box-I mean his mother's chest-AHHHH!
...he excelled in black magic. After mastering everything that was available to him thanks to his mom's… oh forget it… his next pursuit in rising to the top would be in the field of science, which he excelled in, which makes sense considering magic in Marvel is basically just super-advanced science (see the Thor and Doctor Strange movies).
Victor’s success in the scientific field would not go unnoticed. He was eventually admitted into a prestigious university in the United States, which just so happened to be the same college attended by Reed Richards, who would later become Mr. Fantastic. From the moment they met, Reed could tell that Victor was troubled, and made many attempts to try and help and befriend him. However, considering Victor’s background growing up under the rule of a ruthless dictator, genuine empathy and compassion were a foreign concept to him. He just couldn't wrap his head around Reed being nice to him without having some kind of ulterior motive, and he believed that making friends would only hold him back.
When the Heaven Breacher, for lack of a better term, blew up in his face, rather than admit he made a mistake, naturally there was only one man to blame in his mind.
But it wasn't the fact that he was hurt by the explosion, it wasn't the fact that he was expelled that caused him so much pain. It was the fact that the accident scarred his face, a permanent reminder of his failure. So obsessive of this, rather than just letting such a minor contusion be healed by a doctor, he would earn himself a new face, one that can never be damaged. And rather than be in despair of the sight of his own face, the world would instead.
“Look upon me and tremble, for my face is the last you shall ever see. I am Doom.”
-Doctor Doom in Ultimate Spider-Man
While vengeance is the catalyst that drove him to become Doctor Doom, he didn't let it consume him. After all, that is beneath him. He is calm, charismatic, and there is an air of royalty and civility in the way he carries himself.
However, that isn't to say that he's satisfied.
“That would be beneath me. Such chores are what people like you are for.”
*mic drop*
Of course, an analysis of Doom would not be complete without bringing up his trademark ego. While people who are full of themselves irritate the hell out of me, Doom doesn't, and I'll try my best to explain why.
See, most people brag due to a high level of insecurity they feel they need to bury, but not Doom. You won't see him acting like hot shit when other people are around and then crying himself to sleep at night, nor is he so blinded and delusional in his narcissism that he can't see his own flaws. Everything he says about himself is truth.
And rightfully so, he wouldn't stop training in any discipline until he surpassed his masters, be it the Tibetan monks or the most prestigious college professors in higher education. He has created what modern scientists couldn't dream of inventing, such as time travel, antimatter bombs, forcefields, devices that harness cosmic power, etc. He is ahead of his time, and is waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.
He does not believe others are beneath him due to sexism, racism, or any other petty prejudice, he is above you because he's Doom, and you are not.
And he doesn't let the world forget it. Paraphrasing his own words, a brilliant mind does not need to catch up with the world, he forces the rest of the world to catch up with him.
So in other words, his bragging is his way of challenging the rest of the world to get on his level.
Perhaps it is because he struggles with discontent. It's much like the premise of One Punch Man: He feels as though no one can be considered his equal, so his life is rife with boredom.
Or, perhaps there is yet one thing he could do to help alleviate this dissatisfaction in his life.
If he has struggled his entire adult life to free his mother's soul from the clutches of Mephisto, then surely that would be the closure he has been looking for...right?
Wow… I posted more scans than I thought. Well, back from awesome comics to reading my boring words.
Honestly, I really don't have much to add. The comic already says all it needs to say that I can't really say anything more that would do it justice.
I can, however, bring up another scan from a comic (torture, I know).
Ah yes, Secret Wars. Often regarded as the first event comic, predating DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths by one year, Secret Wars is one of my favorite Marvel stories due to how well-balanced all the stories of each of the characters are, which is impressive considering it has over fifteen. It's also where the Beyonder is first introduced, and it's where Spider-Man gets the black suit which would later become Venom.
Here, Captain America surmises that the desire to release his mother from damnation (this was before Strange and Doom) is part of what makes him who he is, perhaps the only part of him left after absorbing the Beyonder’s power that keeps him human.
By becoming the leader of Latveria, Doom avenged his father. By facing Mephisto, his mother as well. And after the Beyonder regained control through Doom’s own internal conflict and desires, returning to his previous state, only Doom’s scar remains.
Now that he understands others, in hindsight, perhaps he would have dealt his meeting with Reed Richards a little differently. Maybe he would not have let his own pride get in the way and let him help with his work, maybe he wouldn't have been scarred in the first place.
Maybe Victor would be a hero like him had it not been for his upbringing.
Or maybe it's just him. Maybe his days of conquest were not quite over. At least, not before something nobody saw coming.
Doom is God.
In the events leading up to this, the 616 Marvel universe and the Ultimates universe were merging with one another. The Beyonders of both universes, as well as others beyond their own, were going to collide in a cataclysmic war, destroying all that exists. But Doom and Strange had a plan, and teamed up once more.
They began collecting duplicates of Molecule Man from all the dimensions they could, forming a multiversal bomb that would kill the Beyonders. But all the energy left over, if left unchecked, could reform on their own. There was only one candidate who absorbed a Beyonder’s power before.
And so, to save the multiverse, Doom must become God.
I know this is off topic, but let's take a minute to consider something. It's never shown what happens to FemThor, but either she now serves Doom, or he doesn't consider her worthy. Mmm, head canon is a wonderful thing, isn't it?
Anyway, Doom recreated the Marvel multiverse in his own image. All of time and space was at his whim. Or at least, in the context of Marvel this is as powerful as one can get (without being The One Above All). He took all of the Marvel characters, including all of the multiple universe duplicates, and put them all on one GIANT-ASS PLANET with pieces of planets from each of those dimensions, while giving each of them their own territories with appointed monarchs who would rule over each of them. He littered the sky with countless stars, only to collapse thousands of them to form hammers for the Thors, his police force to keep all of the kingdoms in check. Even Odin, under God Emperor Doom’s influence, believed he was the eldest of the Thors sworn to serve Allfather Doom. He rewrote history to where no other being existed before Doom, and Sue Storm, Franklin, and Valeria Richards where his children, simply so Reed Richards could not have them. He even made Galactus their family pet.
However, Doom’s oversight became his downfall once again. His own “daughter” Valeria began carbon dating the soil, and found that some of it was millions of years older than when Doom was said to create all reality as they know it. There were survivors of the Incursion who remembered their lives before then. Word quickly spread that Doom was a false god and well…
Let's just say things got messy.
Imagine that, from the moment you first met, there was always one person conspiring against you to destroy everything you created. This person would always be there to impede on your greatest dreams from being realized.
But in reality, that person only ever wanted what was best for you, and was always trying to reach out to you. And deep down, you always knew that, but never wanted to admit it because you had always been alone.
In a twist of irony, that person had always wanted exactly what you wanted, and felt the exact same way, that you were always in that person’s way.
It just took losing all the power in the world to finally realize it.
That angry child from Latveria had accomplished everything he set out to do. And with that, Doctor Doom has served his purpose. It was time for the man behind the mask to become something else.
Interestingly enough, Iron Man’s motivation creates a parallel with Victor’s new revelation. Tony Stark became Iron Man because bad people were using the weapons he created, so he uses the persona of Iron Man to undo what he did in his life before he was Iron Man, and hunts down the men who abuse that power. As Doctor Doom, Victor allied himself with the most wicked people on Earth. And now, as the Infamous Iron Man, he has become their worst nightmare (while giving those he believed could be converted a shot of redemption).
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Hey! I'm gonna get you too! Another one bites the dust! |
Now, everyone who knows me well enough would know that I despise deconstruction stories that ruin the concept of a character. However, as I said before, Doom has always been in a gray area, so this isn't really a drastic change.
He still wants to make the world a better place, but for a greater cause. He still has his pride, but he has respect for others and is more humbled now.
You might think of it like how Vegeta and Piccolo became good guys, but Doom just went through a much longer transition.
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This was a nice throwback. It's always nice when they acknowledge old classics. |
Doom may not be perfect, but in the words of his mom (she's back, by the way), he's on the right track.
I'm really thrilled with where this series is heading, and I'm excited to see what happens next. Unfortunately, it's not selling well, so who knows if this will last. That's a shame, because Marvel is still making good comics like this. It's just that they're not getting as much attention. At least, I can be happy that Doom’s legacy is not tainted by the current SJW sentiment going on in the comics right now (nor would he allow it to). I can only hope that more people support this comic, because I'd hate to see it given up on.
I would find it only fitting if Victor von Doom lived as both the greatest Marvel villain of all time and one of its greatest heroes.
While DC Comics may inspire people to be greater than themselves, Marvel is more down to Earth and represents the human struggle. I would argue that Victor von Doom is the best example of both, and of all the things I've found for this blog, I found this to be the perfect sendoff:
I certainly hope the readers of this have more respect for my favorite Marvel character now, and I thank you all for joining me.
I am Hero’s Shade, and I'll see you all…
NEXT TIME!
Hello.
ReplyDeleteI would much appreciate if you could list the specific issues/sagas from which you have extracted those pages. I'm familiar with only a portion of them.
Also, thank you for this detailed analysis.
ReplyDelete