DID I THINK THAT OUT LOUD?!? #33: FIVE

[Jim Lemoine]

By Jim Lemoine, jimlemoine@comixfan.cjb.net

Five

Suppose you had the chance to live in a fairy-tale kingdom, one that its residents almost unanimously consider to be the greatest place to live in all the world. Walking down the streets of its capitol city is like taking a step back in time; happy people in simple clothes greet you as you pass, the architecture of the buildings and monuments is a beauty to behold, and you can walk freely, even down dark alleys at night, without fear of crime... because there isn't any. The schools in this kingdom provide competitive education, unemployment is virtually nonexistent, and everybody is recognized (and promoted) for their talents. To make things even better, there is no pollution in this land, little disease, no risk of war or internal strife, and the government is like an open book - the ruling class is always available to personally speak with citizens. Outside the city you'd find a beautiful forest flanked by a grand mountain range, within which several other villages exist, all filled with happy people. There's no racism, either; the very concept of bigotry seems virtually unknown to the residents of this country.

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

But what if there were a price? Just one payment to make, a small thing, really... in order to live in this utopian community, you'd have to give up your freedom.

Oh, you'd still be pretty much free to go wherever you wanted - you could wander the country, and you could freely travel outside its borders. However, you couldn't speak out against the ruling class, under pain of death. You couldn't dispute any laws or judgements that you felt were unfair. And you couldn't expect a free press, elect your own leader, assemble publicly, or propose any kind of real change in the way the country is.

So... would it be worth it to you?

The concept of freedom is an intangible thing, and people lived without it for centuries. How easy would it be to give it up, especially considering the vast wealth of benefits offered in exchange? And how much easier would it be to simply appreciate what you had, if you never even knew what freedom was?

Now let's take it a step further. Let's say that you're the ruler of your country - you're the President of the United States or Russia, or the Prime Minister of Britain, or whatever: the important part here is, you're in charge. And let's say that, for argument's sake, the country's huge military LOVES you, and would do anything for you. And let's further say that by implementing some immediate form of martial law in your country, you knew for a fact that you could significantly reduce violent crimes - especially murders, rapes, and the like. You would be abridging some of the "freedoms" (there's that word again) of your citizens, but you would save lives. People that would have died, otherwise, would live under your more authoritarian policy. Would it be worth it?

Too hard? Here's an easier one, then. Let's say that you're a citizen of a democracy (or a republic, which is what most countries considered to be democracies actually are), and you have a chance to vote for an unprecedented, outrageous new proposal. Under this proposal, popular elections for President (/Prime Minister/Premier/Whatever) would be eliminated. No more voting for the lesser of two evils, no more obsequious pandering for votes, no more lies and distortion, no more selling out an entire country for business profit and/or special interests (note how the proposal's worded, of course). Instead, one new "Ruler For Life" would be installed, who would serve the country up until his death. And this ruler, though no politician, has a guaranteed track record of making his constituents happy by significantly reducing crime and taxes, and significantly increasing benefits and security. You know for a fact that if you vote for this proposal, you'll see those kind of immediate benefits under this new ruler... all you'd give up would be your right to choose a better leader. Would you vote for the proposal?

What, exactly, is freedom? Does it mean so much to people because we're conditioned to treasure it, or because we actually value it? How many of us have actually fought for our freedom? How much is freedom really worth to the average global citizen?

(What's that? You thought this was a column on comic books? You're right, it is... and here comes the payoff, true believer....)

Every leader has a choice to make about how he or she will lead. Most leaders go with the tried and true, staying similar to what's come before and not rocking the boat in a revolutionary way. But one world leader who's never been afraid of change or rocking the boat is Victor Von Doom... absolute monarch of Latveria, bane of the Fantastic Four, Penultimate Prestidigitator (since he scored second place in the competition to select a new Sorcerer Supreme), and arguably one of the greatest comic book villains of all time. Doom made his decision, and he would argue that he placed the good of his people over the frivolous desire for freedom. Reed Richards would argue that the citizens of Latveria are brainwashed and naive; Doom would counter that they're simply happiest with what they've been given, and that Reed is biased against him. So who's right?

From the moment when he was first created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Doctor Doom was earmarked for a very special place in the history of graphic literature. Sure, Marvel had thrown colorful villains at us before: the evil Mole Man, the nefarious Skrulls from outer space, and the conflicted Sub-Mariner among them, but never had there been one so villainous... so diabolical... so scheming... as the man most appropriately named Doom. Lee and Kirby meant for Doom to be the arch-nemesis of not only Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four, but also of the Marvel Universe entire. Between his constant battles with the Richards clan, he would sneak out to attack the likes of Spider-Man and the Avengers.

The original Doctor Doom of the early Fantastic Four was a multi-layered villain: a genius megalomaniac with a tragic past and an almost unbelievable sense of honor. We all know the story by now - Victor Von Doom's parents died when he was young. He went to college, got involved in the dark arts, and tried to contact the netherworld. As his one-time roommate Reed Richards had warned him, his calculations were off and the experiment blew up in his face. A scarred Von Doom was expelled from university and set out alone into the wilds of the Far East to learn a greater power. Monks found him, taught him their secrets, and helped him forge his armor. Doom swore vengeance on those who had opposed him, usurped control of Latveria from its rightful rulers, and became the ultra-villain Doctor Doom.

That's his whole back-story... or at least, as much of his backstory as we originally got from Lee and Kirby. Sounds like your pretty standard comic-book-villain origin sequence - at least until you peel back a few layers of the onion and get to the real story behind the story. Yes, Doom's parents died when he was young; but as Victor knew (and he respected them for it), they died so that he could live. Yes, he was power-hungry and ruthlessly ambitious; but it's painfully obvious that he used all of his knowledge to help his people, the ceaselessly persecuted wandering gypsies of Latveria. Yes, he learned Black Magic and tried to contact the netherworld; but he only did it to save his mother, who he'd learned was imprisoned and tortured in Mephisto's Inferno. Yes, he usurped control of Latveria; but this was only after he learned that his own family had once been the rulers of Latveria, and that the current ruling class had originally usurped power from the line of Von Doom.

Doesn't seem so black and white anymore, does it?

Now let's say that you read an independent comic (or even a novel, heaven help us) where a child prodigy wanted to use his talents to give something back to the world. Despite the fact that his parents were taken from him at a young age, and despite the fact that he was horribly scarred by an accident, he wanted to overthrow the despotic rulers of his home country. What's more, he wanted to use his mastery of science to eliminate disease, war, and strife, and he wanted to share these blessings with the entire world. Oh, and he would use any means necessary to make that happen.

Good guy or bad guy?

These are the kinds of questions that make Doom so interesting. One of the best character studies of Doom that I ever read was in Jim Shooter's Secret Wars #10. In it, the Beyonder pulled back the layers of Doom's psyche to better understand his desire - to learn what it was that really drove Doom. Evil was not a fundamental part of Doom's being, it turned out, but three desires were: freedom for his mother, restoration for his ravaged face, and a quest for power, to extend his rule. The first two driving needs obviously aren't evil in the slightest, and as for the last - well, it's been firmly established that Doom really did believe that the world would be a better, happier place with him in charge, and a lot of people agreed with him. So would that really make him evil?

Doom's only ever had two real problems that have made him seem like the bad guy: his "the ends justify the means" philosophy (which isn't really all that different from what real-world leaders practice, now is it?), and his maniacal fascination with making Reed Richards and Benjamin Grimm suffer. So yes, the guy's got character flaws, obviously. He still blames Reed for the accident which originally scarred him (although according to Doom co-creator Jack Kirby, that accident only gave him a small scratch on the cheek; Doom's vanity was the only real casualty), and he blames Ben for his most humiliating defeat during the Battle of the Baxter Building (which, by the way, is probably one of the greatest comic stories ever created, and can be found in Fantastic Four #39-40).

We can then infer that vanity is Doom's Shakespearean "tragic flaw," the one thing that's really held him back all of these years. He's vain about his appearance, he's vain about his battles, and he's most vain of all about his intelligence. It's not enough that he knows deep down that he's the most intelligent human being on the face of the earth; he needs everyone else to admit it, too. It doesn't matter that there's so much evidence to back up his claim of superiority (witness the technologically advanced Latverians, or his dual mastery of both Magic and Science, or perhaps most telling: the fact that after Reed had been trying for years and years to find a way to change the Thing back into a human, Doom accomplished this easily, in the span of one issue, in Fantastic Four #350!). Doom is a great, great man, admittedly; but he has a deep-seated need to be acknowledged, by everyone, as a great, great man. And therein lies his downfall.

Some of the most enjoyable Doom stories are the ones where he manages to get past his vanity, the ones where the Doom he keeps locked within gets a chance to show just why this character's been so successful. One of my favorite Doom stories is the Doom/Strange graphic novel Triumph and Torment, in which Doom enlists the help of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme in freeing his mother's soul from Mephisto. It's a genuinely touching story, showing what kind of man Doom really is when he's not fighting superheroes. In the end, Doom's triumph comes, surprisingly, from his ability to not be vain, to not need the love of others... even those whose love he truly desires more than anything else. Writer Roger Stern turned in one of his very finest works in this graphic novel, and it's worth hunting for in your comic shop.

Where are Doom's successes? They have, almost universally, come from the times when he's thought of others rather than himself. He succeeded in taking control of Latveria (and later, retaking Latveria in both Fantastic Four and Doom 2099) because he saw his friends, family, and countrymen abused and exploited by tyranny and bigotry. As head of Latveria, the people were happy, and injustice simply ceased to exist.

Doom succeeded in becoming a master of the magical arts, second only to Doctor Strange. He did this not out of his own need for power, but because he wanted to rescue his mother.

Doom succeeded in protecting Latveria from numerous dangers. It was established that this protection (both in Doom 2099 and books like Fantastic Four #381) was not so much to protect his own power base as it was to serve his citizens. Even when Doom was at his most one-dimensional (DeFalco's otherwise-mostly-enjoyable run on FF), his love for his people and need to serve as their protector remained.

Doom succeeded in taking over the entire planet, and later saving it from extinction, in the alternate future portrayed in Marvel's old 2099 line, in stories by Warren Ellis and many others. In this alternate future, without a need to strike at a Fantastic Four or deal with an immense number of superheroes, Doom was portrayed as a hero, though a flawed and arrogant one. And he took over the world, and later saved it, first and foremost to protect his beloved Latverians.

So Doom is, in many of the ways that really count, a hero. Sure, there are lots of villainous moments in his past that would make one doubt that assessment - for instance, his hand in the Acts of Vengeance affair, or his partnership with Arcade to destroy the X-Men just after Phoenix died. However, it has since been proven that the real Victor Von Doom was not present at either of those events - these were examples of his nearly indistinguishable Doombots acting independently (and yes, that means that in Uncanny X-Men #145-147 when Storm had the hots for him, she was attracted to a robot). There has been a great deal of evidence (most especially in Fantastic Four #350 and #352) that the vast majority of Doom's standard, one-dimensional "villainous" appearances in the Marvel Universe were actually his Doombots. And while it's true that the real Doom must share responsibility for the acts of his creations, one could argue that it at least partially excuses him from many of their nastier deeds.

John Byrne's Doom Magnum Opus, Fantastic Four #248, also went a long way toward establishing Doom as a flawed but basically well-meaning man. Byrne showed Doom as a caring ruler and even a devoted father... but a man whose vanity could stir him to unspeakable acts (such as striking his adopted child). All very consistent with what else we know about Doom.

Victor Von Doom even served as a member of the Fantastic Four, although unofficially, in two separate occasions. The first time, Sue asked him to lead the team when Reed was the mental thrall of the Overmind, and Doom did indeed serve and battle the FF's enemy. Later, he hitched along with Ben Grimm's Fantastic Four, just after Crystal left the team, and guided them on an otherdimensional odyssey. In both instances, Doom acted with honor, if not with a true love for his teammates.

It's a fact that Doom seeks power and dominion because he feels he can do a better job than current world leaders, that he can make the world a better place and help people live happier, more productive lives. Would the world be better off with Doom in charge? Depends on who you ask; Reed Richards and the citizens of America would say no, but Victor Von Doom and the citizens of Latveria would say yes. But the question isn't quite as black and white as most think it would be.

Most comics readers call Doom the greatest villain of the Marvel Universe, if not the greatest villain of the entirety of comics. There's a reason why we love to see this guy in action; he's a deep, multi-layered character with complex motivations and emotions. Within the Marvel Universe, some see him as the most evil villain; others see him as a benevolent savior.

So which is really the truth?

---

A few months ago, Jim Lemoine (ComiX-Fan's Columns Editor) completed the manuscript for his first book, an examination of business leadership. Oddly enough, his second book is being published this summer, while his first book is still delayed by guys in expensive suits. He's still waiting for Victor Von Doom to join the Avengers.

---

The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and are not reflective of ComiX-Fan or its other staff in general.

[Steve]

Great article. Doom is one of the greatest Marvel creations. I thought everyone had all but forgotten all those cool Fantastic Four issues you mentioned.
Whoo-hoo, First Post!

[Alphabet Pet]

My thoughts on this...

Originally posted by Jim Lemoine
[B]Lee and Kirby meant for Doom to be the arch-nemesis of not only Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four, but also of the Marvel Universe entire. Between his constant battles with the Richards clan, he would sneak out to attack the likes of Spider-Man and the Avengers.

It's too bad Marvel is keeping many of their characters limited to where they appear. Doom (and many other villians) should be interacting with a wider range of heroes and appearing in many books. When I was young, I thought of Doom as being a Marvel villian, not an FF villian. He symbolized the link between the books in the Marvel Universe better than anyone else IMO.

Doom's only ever had two real problems that have made him seem like the bad guy: his "the ends justify the means" philosophy (which isn't really all that different from what real-world leaders practice, now is it?), and his maniacal fascination with making Reed Richards and Benjamin Grimm suffer. So yes, the guy's got character flaws, obviously.

Character flaws? What an understatement. His vendetta against Reed and Grimm has shown a side to Doom so cruel, that it's pretty hard not to call him evil. Just look at Unthinkable. Explain to me how gaining magical power by bartering away Valeria's soul accomplished anything for his people? Power he could use to help them? Nothing he couldn't do through his science. The only thing he could accomplish through magic that he couldn't with science is get the upper hand on Richards. I fail to see any selflessness in that action.

It's not enough that he knows deep down that he's the most intelligent human being on the face of the earth; he needs everyone else to admit it, too. It doesn't matter that there's so much evidence to back up his claim of superiority (witness the technologically advanced Latverians, or his dual mastery of both Magic and Science, or perhaps most telling: the fact that after Reed had been trying for years and years to find a way to change the Thing back into a human, Doom accomplished this easily, in the span of one issue, in Fantastic Four #350!).

I don't think Doom's use of magic does anything to prove he's smarter than Reed. If anything it might be an admission that he's not as smart. It seems to me that Doom's use of magic is an admission that he can't beat Richards in science. And the reason Richards hasn't used magic is because of his stubborness and dislike of it. If he had been exposed to magic at a young age like Doom to prevent the development of his bias against it who knows how far he'd have gotten with it.


Well, great article Jim. Very thought provoking. Doom might not be simply the best villian in the Marvel Universe or comics as a whole, but the best character all around period.

But if I'm allowed one more comment, if this is an extension of your earlier "four" series, you skipped one. I'd love to see a 4 1/2 article talking about Franklin. He's one of the few children of super-parents to not be killed off (permamently anyways) or aged magically. I'd love to hear your thoughts on him.

[DiamondPaladinX]

Thank goodness...I've been waiting for "Five" for the longest time. Once again, a outstanding article...but I must ask with what regards do you consider his most recent actions? He comletely abandoned technolgy, forced Reed to acknowledge his arrogance of magic, tortured the others and put Franklin into Hell. Despite his multi-layered personality and generally "good" actions, the things he did to the Four, and especially Reed, is unheard.

[Threespot]

I like this, I really do. I hope to see one about Magneto or some other arguable villain later on.......

[Jim Lemoine]

Originally posted by DiamondPaladinX
Thank goodness...I've been waiting for "Five" for the longest time. Once again, a outstanding article...but I must ask with what regards do you consider his most recent actions? He comletely abandoned technolgy, forced Reed to acknowledge his arrogance of magic, tortured the others and put Franklin into Hell. Despite his multi-layered personality and generally "good" actions, the things he did to the Four, and especially Reed, is unheard.

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to bring that up.

Honestly, most of this was written a bit before the Unthinkable arc began, so I made the decision not to include it. Waid's take on Doom is a little different than mine, I think. Still, the only thing in Unthinkable that really doesn't gel with this view of Doom is his treatment of Franklin... I had a lot of trouble with that one (of course, I assume that it was a Doombot who left Franklin to die in FF Annual #20). But see, I'm a continuity-heavy fanboy type when it comes to Doom and the FF, so maybe I shouldn't explore this.

Doom's all about change, and he's not afraid of it, so it's not too surprising that he should try a purely magical route once in a while. Forcing Reed to acknowledge his ignorance of magic, torturing the FF... that's pure Doom, trying to prove himself their betters in a very diabolical fashion. One could even argue that Doom saw an "ends justifies the means" rationale for his murder of Valeria.

I'm not trying to excuse his actions, of course... he's done some very, very bad stuff. Just trying to get in his head a bit, wrap my mind around all aspects of his character.

[Toga]

Jim i greatly enjoyed each of your articles about the Fout, even though they're technically the five, cause whats the FF without victor. Doom is just an extension of most of us...without the villiany...

[Cannonball1138]

Very good article Jim, I really agree with your sentiment that Doom is, in many ways, a hero. "The end justifies the means" applies perfectly to Doom, because while he might do some bad things (Franklin to hell in Unthinkable comes to mind), ultimately he has good intentions. He doesn't want to conquer the world because of petty want, he wants the world because he knows he is the best person to lead it, and your article really highlighted that part of him. It would be easy to think of Doom as Marvel's version of Saddam Hussein, an insane tyrant, but he is really so much more than that. Great job!

[DiamondPaladinX]

Honestly, most of this was written a bit before the Unthinkable arc began, so I made the decision not to include it. Waid's take on Doom is a little different than mine, I think. Still, the only thing in Unthinkable that really doesn't gel with this view of Doom is his treatment of Franklin... I had a lot of trouble with that one (of course, I assume that it was a Doombot who left Franklin to die in FF Annual #20). But see, I'm a continuity-heavy fanboy type when it comes to Doom and the FF, so maybe I shouldn't explore this.

Doom's all about change, and he's not afraid of it, so it's not too surprising that he should try a purely magical route once in a while. Forcing Reed to acknowledge his ignorance of magic, torturing the FF... that's pure Doom, trying to prove himself their betters in a very diabolical fashion. One could even argue that Doom saw an "ends justifies the means" rationale for his murder of Valeria.

I'm not trying to excuse his actions, of course... he's done some very, very bad stuff. Just trying to get in his head a bit, wrap my mind around all aspects of his character.

In typical fashion, you answer with informative sytle Jim. And the comment part about Doom putting Franklin in hell is rather baffling, especially since his mother is condoned in the same fashion.

[Wolverine]

great article. Dooms a great character with toness of interesting stuff about him

[Blake]

Two small points.

A republic has a figurehead appointed through the people's voice, a monarchy has their figurehead apointed through birth.

A democracy has all decisions cast to the people. A representitive democracy has a selected few chosen to represent the masses. England for example does have a ruling figure head but still has representitives for the people.

They question of good and evil can often be as simple as what side of the fence you are on, I even if everyone percieved you as the bad guy, you would never call yourself evil.

[seth_raditz]

wow. thats some heavy philosophical reading for an early tuesday morning. seriously tho' i thought it was a great article. i never realised how deep Doom goes!

[Mightiest_mortal]

Dooms not evil
hes been my idol since I was twelve

[bmack]

It's nice to see an actual GOOD article!

Great job!

Doom has always been an interesting character. Hopefully we doesn't have any "rape rooms" or "wmds" like some other dictators we know.... then we would have to stick with labeling him a villain. :p

~ The Mack

[Radiate]

Jim i worship you:p

Every article you post are both concise and well thought out and i just God damn love them!

I'm not a huge FF fan but these articles are clearly showing me the error of my ways.

Keep up the good work man

RADIATE!

[Zeb Aslam]

Fantastic Article. I've always loved the character of Doom for his rich history and incredibly wide range of emotions. For someone who started off so one-dimensionally, Doom has grown into one of the most under-rated, misused characters in comics today. I hate the fact that Doom is now restricted to FF only, he belongs to the entire Marvel U, and should be utilized more. Heck, just recently I re-read my all time favourite X-related mini, FF vs. The X-men, Doom is at his best there, imho, using his intellect to prove himself the better of Reed, and the plan with the diary...only Doom could pull something like that off. What I'm curious about Jim is what do you think about the new "Doom" in Ultimate FF? Or should I say Damme...

[Anthony Lucynski]

Doom is my second favorite Marvel creation next to Deadpool.

And much of it is for reasons mentioned in this column.

Anthony L

[Roberto Polanco]

the inherent problem about the Latveria situation is that even though it makes sense, it doesn't have any points of reference in the real world. Doom is basically communism done right (something rather impossible in the real world), and seen under that light, EVERYONE in the planet would give up said freedoms. people are forced to fight for their rights when they're not treated right. Eliminate that and a state like Latveria could exist . . .

[Threespot]

Originally posted by Roberto Polanco
the inherent problem about the Latveria situation is that even though it makes sense, it doesn't have any points of reference in the real world. Doom is basically communism done right (something rather impossible in the real world), and seen under that light, EVERYONE in the planet would give up said freedoms. people are forced to fight for their rights when they're not treated right. Eliminate that and a state like Latveria could exist . . .

A world where people can gain super-human powers has to follow the rules of the real world? Just remember that all men are equal, but some men are more equal than others...........

Great article, Doom never fails to entertain me and neither do you Jim. Thanks

[Dragon]

i can say this only simply DOOM will rule you all so speaks DOOM nuff said

[Anthony Lucynski]

Hey Jim, what did you think about the Chuck Dixon doom minis?

Anthony L

[Sage4ever]

Congratulations Jim on another great read!

Jim,

What an insightful and well-written analysis. Many thanks for posting this (I just found it thanks to a fan on comicboards.com). I've tended to notice that Doom has a rich history of literary antecedents, the few that come to mind immediately are Richard III, Oedipus, Professor Moriarty and Captain Nemo.

Despite the medium in which he appears, I'd argue that he can rightfully take his place as one of literature's most complex and fascinating "villains."

Thanks again for your post. I look forward to perusing the archives for your other essays and seeing what you come up with in the future.

Cheers,

John

[pdm]

Well, it's quite interesting, I feel that Doom's basic limitation in the Marvel Universe is that he has been obsessed with vengence against Reed Richards & Company----this was borne out in Mark Waid's "Unthinkable" and "Authorative Action" storylines in the FF. In his book, Mystery Train, rock critic Greil Marcus cited a segment on the DICK CAVETT SHOW in the early 70's where rocker Little Richard screamed that he'd written a book called "He Got What He Wanted, But He Lost What He Had." That supposed book' name applies to Doom in Waid's tales----Doom got what he wanted (to put a serious hurt on the FF, even making Reed Richards look like the Batman villian Two-Face.), but he lost what he had (a farytale kingdom, power and influence in this world).

When Marvel brings Doom back (c'mon, ya just KNOW he is coming back), I think they ought to have him stop trying to rip the FF a new one---and start using his genius to try and take over the world.( Maybe he could rig an election in Florida...) He could try to win over the hearts and minds of people all over the world by crusading against mutants, for instance (claiming his OWN acts of terrorism in early FF issues was a case of his robo-duplicates running amuck)----given the fact that the mutant Stryfe once raped Latveria when Doom was in the Franklinverse during the Heroes Reborn event.

Originally posted by Zeb Aslam
Fantastic Article. I've always loved the character of Doom for his rich history and incredibly wide range of emotions. For someone who started off so one-dimensionally, Doom has grown into one of the most under-rated, misused characters in comics today. I hate the fact that Doom is now restricted to FF only, he belongs to the entire Marvel U, and should be utilized more.

Absolutely. In fact, if I were a Marvel writer, I would make Doom an enemy of Iron Man as well as the FF---much the same way the Kingpin was both the arch-foe of Daredevil and Spider-Man.

There was once a plan for a Marvel Universe crossover in the late 90's about Doom returning from the Heroes Reborn world. For some reason, that fell through.

And I also feel the same way about Magneto....