Doctor Doom Appreciation 2022 - Scientist, Sorcerer, Romani, King

[Iron Maiden]

So begins the on again off again partnership of Doctor Doom and the Sub-Mariner. Eventually they would share the Super-Villain Team-Up series. But first there would be another meeting in Sub-Mariner #20 (December 1,1969) seven years after their meeting in Fantastic Four #6.

By this time Roy Thomas had taken on the writing on some of Marvel's titles and he's paired with John Buscema. Many think that Buscema's Doom was one of the best and it would be hard to argue the point. This was the period where Namor's gills were closed by some nefarious alien called The Stalker. He is in New York City being pursued by the U.S army but they dare not follow him into ......

We do see the first appearance of the embassy in Fantastic Four Annual #2 but Busema's gives us a more detailed look at the forboding exterior. It acts like Doom's New York castle with gates barring the entrance.

Namor doesn't realize whose building this is and once he's inside he dodges a few laser blasts from a robotic device on wheels before his unseen host reveals himself as his former ally Doom. This is their first encounter since Doom has acquired all the trappings of his station as ruler of Latveria. It's possible Namor didn't know of those developments since he obviously had more important things to deal with. But he shows no surprise at learning this. So it's probable he heard the news at some point before this encounter. Once again Doom tries to persuade Namor into joining him in an alliance with conquest as the goal. Of course in Doom's mind, this also means enslaving the Fantastic Four. Namor appears to be an equal here and it's one of my favorite scenes of them even if it's just Doom's vision of their future. Probably 10 minutes later he'd be plotting against him.

When Namor turns him down, Doom turns off all the water in the embassy and Namor gets weaker. He's able to escape when a fire starts during the fight and now Doom and his guards have to save the embassy from burning down. But of course that's not the end of their team-ups and break-ups.

This is the first time Namor encounters a fully empowered Doom. Since their first meeting, he reveals himself as ruler of Latveria in Fantastic Four Annual #2. Strangely enough, they were more or less on equal footing in Fantastic Four #6. In Fantastic Four 5-6 there is no mention of his rank. Namor was a man without a country/kingdom and perhaps so was Doom at this point. It's likely that at the time we see him in Fantastic Four #5 he had left Tibet and made his way to New York, perhaps to prepare for his takeover of Latveria. In this it's now Doom that outranks Namor since he has to retake his throne. Namor is of royal blood by right of his mother whereas Doom is the son of a Romani couple and his tribe were considered outcasts that consider Latveria their homeland even though much later in Mark Waid's Unthinkable arc it's mentioned that they sometimes camped in Hungary. But Doom was undoubtedly born in Latveria. From Doom's perspective at this point he would now consider himself equal to Namor since he now has Latveria firmly in his grasp. Knowing that Namor is now without a kingdom, he tries to press his advantage. But it fails spectacularly. Doom would have a little better luck in Super-Villain Team Up but eventually that alliance would end. SVTU will be something to cover for the 1970s. I will try to stick to some kind of chronological order but that's not exactly written in stone.

[K7P5V]

When Namor turns him down, Doom turns off all the water in the embassy and Namor gets weaker. He's able to escape when a fire starts during the fight and now Doom and his guards have to save the embassy from burning down.

OMG! I LOVE it!! Everything's going down in flames, but they're unable to stop it because Doom commanded that the water be turned off. Hilarity ensues.

[Iron Maiden]

Yeah, you'd think Doom would have a few fire extinquishers around the embassy. I would think NYC city ordinances would require them ! Maybe he wasn't familiar yet with American laws. In Latveria they probably had the bucket brigade system.

[Iron Maiden]

Preview page for next week's Fantastic Four #43.....apparently Squirrel Girl got defeated. That's too bad Isn't this sort of breaking the unspoken rule that Squirrel Girl is unbeatable? Most of her victories past her first appearance have been off panel like with Thanos IIRC. That's some strange looking additions to Doom's armor.

[Ravin' Ray]

Alex Ross: https://twitter.com/thealexrossart/s...22608183291904

[DoomScribe]

So I've been perusing ebay today and come to discover that all of the Heroclix figures from the Future Foundations set from 2021 have now appeared on the site for sale. And what's amazing is the sheer number of figures ... just about every character, some quite minor, that's ever appeared in the FF in the last 15 years seems to be represented. There are a huge number of chase figures that feature Dr Doom, and they are getting quite pricey. These figures are very small, usually pretty well sculpted, and I've found if you're brave and can wait they might still be available in a few months for cheaper. But some are pushing $200 now (at least that's an asking price).

So the interesting Doom chase figures include a Doom as Sorceror Supreme, a vintage style Doom with a time platform, and the Annihilating Conqueror Doom from the end of the FF series. Also there is a Prisoner of Planet Doom (this is naked lion fighting Doom, but after he got clothes). There is also a Lord Doom from a very obscure appearance in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #8 (from 2008). And then there is Dr. Thing (still trying to figure out where that one came from). And also Valeria Von Doom and Victorious appear, as well as Kristoff. And there is a Doombot with four arms.

I don't play the game, I just collect the figures. Here's some others you will find in the set that I don't think have had an action figure before:
Marquis of Death
Diablo
Rama Tut
Dragon Man
Mad Thinker
The Wizard
Adolf Impossible
Nathaniel Richards
Lyja
Jim Hammond
Alex Power
Julie Power
Jack Power
Katie Power
Red Ghost
Puppet Master
HERBIE (may have had a figure before)
Valeria Richards
Ms Thing
Bentley
Artie
Leech
Tong
Wu
UATU
(he has an Ultimate Nullifier too)
She Hulk
Medusa
Terrax
A foursome of Skrulls in their Fantastic Four garb
and Susan as Queen of Atlantis.

So if you want to create a Fantastic Four universe on your shelf, they just about have it covered.

Heroclix Doom the Annihilating Conqueror #069 b.jpg

Heroclix Dr Doom #065 Sorceror Supreme w card.jpg

Heroclix Dr Doom #062 Future Foundation w time platform.jpg

[DoomScribe]

Here are three more of the Heroclix Doom figures:

Heroclix Doombot #067 w card.jpg

Heroclix Kristoff Future Foundation.jpg

Heroclix Prisoner of Planet Doom #067 Dr Doom.jpg

[DoomScribe]

And three more ...
Heroclix Dr Thing #066 Future Foundation chase.jpg

Heroclix Valeria Von Doom #068 chase.jpg

Heroclix Victorious #060 Future Foundation 2.jpg

[Iron Maiden]

Thanks for that Alex Ross art Ravin' Ray! I think that was in his collection of work in Marvelocity.

Moving on to Fantastic Four #10 brings us to the last of Doom's appearances in that inaugural year.

This issue was released on October of 1962 for a total of 3 appearances. Just as issue #5 introduced important parts of Doom lore with the time platform and his mastery of science and sorcery issue #10 introduces us to the Ovoid mind transfer. This is not so entrenched in Doom's skillset because there are some risks involved and it could work against him as we shall see.

When last we saw Doom in issue #6, he was clinging to a meteor hurtling through space. In this issue Doom returns by paying a visit to Stan and Jack. IIRC this is the first time that they would put themselves in one of their stories. Much later, Stan would appear in a one shot series of titles where he meets his characters. Now the trap is set as Reed is lured to the Marvel offices only to be captured by Doom.

Reed is then taken to an underground lair/secret laboratory whichis apparently in the castle first seen in FF #5. Doom tells him how he survived being marooned in outer space.

It's worth noting that at this point when Doom as Reed returns to the Baxter Building, the others don't see to notice much of a difference. But evenutally they become suspicious and the deception is revealed. Doom gets exposed to his own reducing ray that he planned to use on Ben, Susan and Johnny. He shrinks until he can no longer be seen.

This completes the first year of his publication history. We can see at this point that Stan and Jack had settled on Doom as the main adversary of the Fantastic Four. The Mole Man also makes his debut at this early stage but he never reaches the same degree of interest or importance. Today the Miracle Man is largely forgotten. The Skrulls would return from time to time and would become the focus of the Secret Invasion crossover in 2008.

[Iron Maiden]

So I've been perusing ebay today and come to discover that all of the Heroclix figures from the Future Foundations set from 2021 have now appeared on the site for sale. And what's amazing is the sheer number of figures ... just about every character, some quite minor, that's ever appeared in the FF in the last 15 years seems to be represented. There are a huge number of chase figures that feature Dr Doom, and they are getting quite pricey. These figures are very small, usually pretty well sculpted, and I've found if you're brave and can wait they might still be available in a few months for cheaper. But some are pushing $200 now (at least that's an asking price).

So the interesting Doom chase figures include a Doom as Sorceror Supreme, a vintage style Doom with a time platform, and the Annihilating Conqueror Doom from the end of the FF series. Also there is a Prisoner of Planet Doom (this is naked lion fighting Doom, but after he got clothes). There is also a Lord Doom from a very obscure appearance in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #8 (from 2008). And then there is Dr. Thing (still trying to figure out where that one came from). And also Valeria Von Doom and Victorious appear, as well as Kristoff. And there is a Doombot with four arms.

I don't play the game, I just collect the figures. Here's some others you will find in the set that I don't think have had an action figure before:
Marquis of Death
Diablo
Rama Tut
Dragon Man
Mad Thinker
The Wizard
Adolf Impossible
Nathaniel Richards
Lyja
Jim Hammond
Alex Power
Julie Power
Jack Power
Katie Power
Red Ghost
Puppet Master
HERBIE (may have had a figure before)
Valeria Richards
Ms Thing
Bentley
Artie
Leech
Tong
Wu
UATU
(he has an Ultimate Nullifier too)
She Hulk
Medusa
Terrax
A foursome of Skrulls in their Fantastic Four garb
and Susan as Queen of Atlantis.

So if you want to create a Fantastic Four universe on your shelf, they just about have it covered.

Heroclix Doom the Annihilating Conqueror #069 b.jpg

Heroclix Dr Doom #065 Sorceror Supreme w card.jpg

Heroclix Dr Doom #062 Future Foundation w time platform.jpg

Wow. Thanks for posting those. She Hulk just recently had a Marvel Legends figure from but it is the She Hulk that was in Aaron's Avengers which not many people liked. Medusa just had a Marvel Legends figure too. I almost bought the Diamond Select Medusa a few years back which was a bit larger than the one they recently did of Doom.

I think that four armed Doom might be the one from that mini series done by Alan Davis in Fantastic Four: The End



Dr. Thing is probably from this What If issue. I know I have the comics packed away somewhere.

[DoomScribe]

Ah, exactly so! Good research IM.

[Iron Maiden]

Glad to be of service, Doomscribe!

[Reviresco]

So I've been perusing ebay today and come to discover that all of the Heroclix figures from the Future Foundations set from 2021 have now appeared on the site for sale. And what's amazing is the sheer number of figures ... just about every character, some quite minor, that's ever appeared in the FF in the last 15 years seems to be represented. There are a huge number of chase figures that feature Dr Doom, and they are getting quite pricey. These figures are very small, usually pretty well sculpted, and I've found if you're brave and can wait they might still be available in a few months for cheaper. But some are pushing $200 now (at least that's an asking price).

So the interesting Doom chase figures include a Doom as Sorceror Supreme, a vintage style Doom with a time platform, and the Annihilating Conqueror Doom from the end of the FF series. Also there is a Prisoner of Planet Doom (this is naked lion fighting Doom, but after he got clothes). There is also a Lord Doom from a very obscure appearance in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #8 (from 2008). And then there is Dr. Thing (still trying to figure out where that one came from). And also Valeria Von Doom and Victorious appear, as well as Kristoff. And there is a Doombot with four arms.

I don't play the game, I just collect the figures. Here's some others you will find in the set that I don't think have had an action figure before:
Marquis of Death
Diablo
Rama Tut
Dragon Man
Mad Thinker
The Wizard
Adolf Impossible
Nathaniel Richards
Lyja
Jim Hammond
Alex Power
Julie Power
Jack Power
Katie Power
Red Ghost
Puppet Master
HERBIE (may have had a figure before)
Valeria Richards
Ms Thing
Bentley
Artie
Leech
Tong
Wu
UATU
(he has an Ultimate Nullifier too)
She Hulk
Medusa
Terrax
A foursome of Skrulls in their Fantastic Four garb
and Susan as Queen of Atlantis.

So if you want to create a Fantastic Four universe on your shelf, they just about have it covered.

Heroclix Doom the Annihilating Conqueror #069 b.jpg

Heroclix Dr Doom #065 Sorceror Supreme w card.jpg

Heroclix Dr Doom #062 Future Foundation w time platform.jpg

OMG. This is a great set! Some characters I've never seen and of course, all the DOOMS! You could have your own Parliment of Dooms!

The only negative, is not a single Namor????

[Reviresco]

Thanks for that Alex Ross art Ravin' Ray! I think that was in his collection of work in Marvelocity.

Moving on to Fantastic Four #10 brings us to the last of Doom's appearances in that inaugural year.

This issue was released on October of 1962 for a total of 3 appearances. Just as issue #5 introduced important parts of Doom lore with the time platform and his mastery of science and sorcery issue #10 introduces us to the Ovoid mind transfer. This is not so entrenched in Doom's skillset because there are some risks involved and it could work against him as we shall see.

When last we saw Doom in issue #6, he was clinging to a meteor hurtling through space. In this issue Doom returns by paying a visit to Stan and Jack. IIRC this is the first time that they would put themselves in one of their stories. Much later, Stan would appear in a one shot series of titles where he meets his characters. Now the trap is set as Reed is lured to the Marvel offices only to be captured by Doom.

Reed is then taken to an underground lair/secret laboratory whichis apparently in the castle first seen in FF #5. Doom tells him how he survived being marooned in outer space.

It's worth noting that at this point when Doom as Reed returns to the Baxter Building, the others don't see to notice much of a difference. But evenutally they become suspicious and the deception is revealed. Doom gets exposed to his own reducing ray that he planned to use on Ben, Susan and Johnny. He shrinks until he can no longer be seen.

This completes the first year of his publication history. We can see at this point that Stan and Jack had settled on Doom as the main adversary of the Fantastic Four. The Mole Man also makes his debut at this early stage but he never reaches the same degree of interest or importance. Today the Miracle Man is largely forgotten. The Skrulls would return from time to time and would become the focus of the Secret Invasion crossover in 2008.

Look at "Reed's" face on that cover!!!

I also love that panel, "Did someone mention my name?" LOL

This is awesome work, Iron Maiden! Thank you for reminding everyone of the greatness of DOOM!

[Iron Maiden]

Thanks Rev! Glad to see you're enjoying it

and now to revisit the Ovoid Mind Transfer again. This is an ability that seldom is touched upon in the comics but there was one memorable case that lead to quite a tangle in the MU. John Byrne was always a master at using Fantastic Four lore and in his #260 Doom's latest plot to destroy the Fantastic Four involved infusing Terrax with the Power Cosmic and have him attack the Fantastic Four. But in the middle of the battle the Silver Surfer appears and evens the odds with a some cosmic power of his own. Doom tries to get Terrax to return to the task at hand but Terrax turns on him and uses his cosmic power to attack Doom. This causes his armor to become fused and Doom is now immobilized...essentially trapped in his armor while the battle rages between Terrax and the Silver Surfer. Without mentioning what is happening, Byrne leaves it up to the reader to figure out what is happening. There is no indication to the reader as to what is going on here and only fan with a long memory would know about the Ovoid Mind Transfer trick. One shudders to think what would have happened if Doom missed and ended up switching bodies with Aunt May!

In the meantime Terrax becomes consumed by the Power Cosmic and the three of them are caught in the effect...



This all happens just before Secret Wars gets underway and left readers wondering .....how Doom seemingly came back from the dead in Secret Wars #1 and get in his own body again?