Fantastic Four and Archnemeses

[Michael Watkins]

Stack up the best Dr. Doom stories and the best Wizard stories and I think I know which ones most people would prefer, how many great Wizard stories are there?

what's a bad Wizard story? I've only read one decent Doom story.

Except what makes his motives compelling in the first place?

his belief in himself. and the Frightful Four's belief in him.

You rag on Doom's back story,

you rag on the backstories of anyone who isn't Doom. remember the Trapster discussion?

but what's Wizard's back story

he doesn't have one. he's completely unexplored with limitless potential. meanwhile, who gives a crap about another retelling of Doom's origin? he was disadvantaged but not really when you factor in that he just knew stuff from jump and had inherited sorceror ability. how many times can I roll my eyes at him having a grudge against Reed because of a math mistake? how is Latveria relevant to anyone?

''decided to throw away a comforable life and become a public super villain who will be hated by the public and will be in and out of jail for the rest of his life, because he was bored''. That is a crappy motive and if they can't give him something better after over 50 years, it makes him a crappy villain.

that's not his backstory. that was his second arc. the real story is about an extremely impressive individual who had to evolve when the world suddenly became flooded with superhumans and super-celebrities. he's fighting for a spotlight. your mistake is in thinking that there's a difference between being loved and being hated to an egomaniac. there is no such thing as bad publicity to the Wizard. we've seen that he has a cult following within the Marvel Universe; people who just interested in him because he's smart, confident, and notorious from his exploits as a supervillain. his life is twice as exciting as it would be if he were to go straight. this isn't someone who has to worry about imprisonment. escape is a mild challenge. to fully appreciate these characters you have to at least attempt to see from their points of view.

His character motivation might as well be ''Mwa, ha, ha I am an evil villain who hates the Fantastic Four because.....Mwa, ha, ha!''

what's Doom's motivation again? why'd he make a small child his pawn, skin the only woman who has ever loved him, and burn Reed's face?

I don't hate Wizard, but I am bored with him

you haven't read enough Wizard to be bored of him. it's why you always have to ask what makes him interesting.

and would be interested in a story where he is the main villain if the writers put so little effort into his motives. He is too evil to sympathetic,

he was a hero not too long ago and helped fight the Psycho-Man. and I'd say that the existence of Bentley demonstrates that there are levels to the man. he created life. and that life is a member of the extended FF family.

but not evil enough to be scary or creepy or truly menacing.

you might want to reread that Superior Carnage mini.