When discussing the best supervillain in comic book history,Doctor Doomis naturally going to be a character who dominates the conversation, just as he has been adominant force in the Marvel Universe for sixty-plus years. Now, the writer of Marvel’s currently-runningOne World Under Doomcrossover has explained why he thinks the longtimeFantastic Fournemesis is comics' greatest of all time.
In an interview with Polygon,Fantastic FourandOne World Under Doomwriter Ryan North discussed how he came to the conclusion that Doom is the GOAT while writing his 2022 bookHow to Take Over the World, a nonfiction examination of super-villainy in the comic medium.
According to North, “everything is peak” when it comes to Doctor Doom, from the character’s design, to his behavior, a trait thathas been remarkably consistent across decades of Marvel loreand many different creative teams.
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Ryan North originally discussed whyDoctor Doom is the greatest villain everin the introduction toHow to Take Over the World, where he noted how it’s a combination of different elements that makes Doom special. In his latest interview, North reiterated his perspective, stating:
So before I was writing Fantastic Four, or before I even knew I was writing Fantastic Four, I was working on a book called How To Take Over the World, which was nonfiction [about] supervillain schemes.
In the intro to that book, I talk about Doctor Doom, and I say he’s the best supervillain of all time. And the reason is that he’s got all the powers of science, he’s got all the powers of magic, and he dresses like a robot in a cape. Everything is peak. [Laughs] And, most impressively of all, he can speak in the third person and have it read as cool and not ridiculous.
North isn’t alone in his assertion, as Doctor Doom is often cited by many as the greatest villain in all of comic books. The villain simply works on every level, whether it’s his abilities, his lookm or his overall motivation.
As North notes, Doom has mastered both science and magic, making him a formidable foe whether he’s fighting the Fantastic Four or Doctor Strange. The visuals of Doctor Doom also loom large in the public imagination, as his robed, formidable presence would go on toinfluence the likes ofStar Wars’ Darth Vader.Yet perhaps what makes Doom stand out more than anything are the villain’s motivations, a mix of deeply personal, and deeply ideological, reasons for doing what he does.
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In addition to believing he could fix the world, if only he had total mastery over it, Victor Von Doom truly hates Reed Richards, blaming him for the accident that scarred his face in college. Doom would carry this hatred for the rest of his life going forward. Even though the scars on his face were only superficial, Doom was so vain that he couldn’t wait to cover his face.Doom wound up placing his metal maskover his face right after it was smelted, unwilling to wait for it to cool and thus burning himself beyond all recognition.
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The different aspects of Doom’s motivations are crucial to his longevity as a character, and to understanding him as a great villain, even when he toys with anti-heroism, just as his iconic visual design is important to what makes the character the best. In an interview appearing inJack Kirby Collector#7, the King himself described his approach to creating Doctor Doom, comparing the villain to death itself:
“Dr. Doom was the classic conception of Death, of approaching Death. I saw Dr. Doom as The Man in the Iron Mask, who symbolized approaching Death. It was the reason for the armor and the hood. Death is connected with armor and inhuman-like steel. Death is something without mercy and human flesh contains that element of mercy. Therefore, I had to erase it, and I did it with a mask.”
Kirby’s comparison of Doctor Doom to the very concept of Death shows the true depths of his villainy, representing an almost inhuman evil that transcends the comic book page.
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Ryan North further highlights how special Doom is during his Polygon interview, noting that the character remains timeless.“I can’t think of anything I would change with him to make him better,” North says,“which is great for a character and a character design.” The writer also attributes Doom’s habit of speaking in the third person as an excellent character trait:
“There are times when Doom starts talking about Doom in third person, and you’re like, Oh crap, things are getting serious now that he’s doing this. Everything just ties together with him, in this perfect bow of elegance and power and operatic… beauty, almost?”
It may be a cool affectation, but Doom’s habit of speaking in the third person further reinforces the notion of his vain selfishness. His role as the brutal dictator of Latveria acts as only a testament to himself, as everyone in Doom’s orbit comes second only to himself.
One World Under Doomcertainly continues the idea that Victor Von Doom is the greatest supervillain in comics, as Doom utilizes his position as Earth’s new Sorcerer Supreme to take power over the entire planet. Even though the event has only just begun, Doom has seduced the world with various promises, including universal healthcare, education for all and an end to wars between nations. Doom is a ruthless dictator, however, so it’s likely his promise to fix the world’s problems will only come at the expense of everyone else by serving himself first.
No matter how he turns out on the big screen, Doctor Doom will remain perhaps the greatest supervillain to ever grace the comic book page.
All of these aspects come together to make Doctor Doom one of the great comic book villains, although his depictions outside the four-color world haven’t quite lived up to the character’s storied legacy. WithRobert Downey, Jr. set to play Doomin the MCU in the forthcomingAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars, the villain now has the opportunity to shine on the biggest stage of all. No matter how he turns out on the big screen,Doctor Doomwill remain perhaps the greatest supervillain to ever grace the comic book page.
