Doctor Doom reigns as the Fantastic Four’s ultimate nemesis and perhaps the greatest Marvel Comics supervillain overall. As fans await his emergence in the MCU, they may want to consider the numerous Doom variants in the comics. Alternate takes on the Avengers inspired their live-action counterparts and the same may be true for the iconic villain.

  • Many fans speculate Doctor Doom could make his MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While that remains an open question, especially with rumors Doom may not even be the villain in the first Fantastic Four movie, his introduction is closer than ever. With a history that spans over sixty years in Marvel Comics, the MCU Doom likely borrows from multiple sources. The comics updated his origin and look across the decades, adding new layers each time that live-action may pick and choose from. With The Multiverse Saga unfolding through Phases 5 and 6, his endless variants from alternate realities also could inform how he finally appears on screen.

Doctor Doom always seeks power in any form, and in any dimension or reality. Some powerful variants exist in other realities in Marvel Comics, while others belong to Earth-616. His quest for power never ends, leading to more and more powerful Doctor Doom variants in the comics and beyond.

Otto Von Doom

Count Otto von Doom lacks the technological capability that makes the 20th-century Doom so potent. He makes up for that in ambition. He wreaks havoc in Marvel 1602, a comic book storyline set in Medieval times. This Doom applies his political ambition and intelligence to try and conquer the world.

He tries to obtain the trident from Numenor (a Namor variant) but ends up impaled on it, ending his bid to consolidate power in this strange alternate reality.

Deathwish

Deathwish proves a unique Doom variant. This Doom from Earth-11638 dresses up as Deadpool, though in a green costume, and goes by Deathwish. He lacks Deadpool’s superpowers, like his regenerative healing factor, but appears to retain at least Doom’s iconic attributes.

He may also share Deadpool’s proficiency with weapons and fighting techniques, though this doesn’t help him much. He dies rather quickly in Deadpool Annual #1 from 2013.

Earth-808

The Doctor Doom in Earth-808 took a very different path in life. He succeeds in rescuing his mother’s soul from the demonic being Mephisto and undoes the core tragedy in his life. Though he maintains Doom’s resources, cunning, and magical power, he applies them with kindness and justice.

This Doom proved powerful for the potential his skills achieved in serving good. He made only one appearance in What If..? #22, but he potentially inspires potential variants in the MCU.

Doom 2099

Doom 2099, the Earth-616 Victor Von Doom transported into a dark future timeline, maintains his intellect and inventive genius, and also gets some upgrades. Nanotechnology infuses his body, which increases his reflexes and strength considerably. His upgraded armor is made from adamantium and allows him to fly and phase, which the original Doom armor could not.

Doom stands alongside the most powerful magical beings in Marvel Comics, but this variant doesn’t. Due in part to memory loss, this Doom variant lacks his typical mystical skill and knowledge.

Ultimate Doctor Doom

In Earth-1610, the Ultimate Comics universe, Doctor Doom mastered the ability to control metal, transforming his entire body into essentially a living alloy. With this ability comes the power to alter his density and his skin, forming spikes or even throwing them at enemies. He also generates metallic insectoid swarms to overwhelm his enemies.

This Doom, known as Victor Van Damme, wields magic as a powerful sorcerer, placing the most powerful Doctor Doom variants in the comics.

Infamous Iron Man

The Infamous Iron Man wears highly advanced Iron Man armor, making him very powerful. In addition to Doom’s intellect and sorcery, which are near their limits during this period, the armor allows Doom to fly, generate energy blasts, and endure much more stress and injury from enemies than before.

Doom took over the Iron Man role for a brief time after Tony Stark was killed during the events of Civil War II, a more gracious period in the villain’s comic book history.

Dictator Doom

The House Of M comic book storyline inspired WandaVision and could serve to potentially inspire some Doom aspects in the MCU. This Doom variant uses magic to transform himself into a being of liquid metal who is virtually indestructible. Doom also commands the Fearsome Four, which includes Ben Grimm as It.

Doom leverages his political power and cunning to its extreme here. As Latveria’s ruler, among the most important Marvel Comics fictional countries, he walks a fine line between ally and antagonist with the House of M.

Dr. Juggernaut

A powerful Doom variant emerged in the 2021 Heroes Reborn crossover, where Victor Von Doom obtained the Gem of Cyttorak. With it, he gained The Juggernaut’s tremendous powers. The Juggernaut stands out from the most powerful X-Men villains in the comics thanks to his tremendous strength and vaunted imperviousness to just about anything.

Combined with Doom’s intellect, sorcery, and limitless ambition, Dr. Juggernaut presents a fearsome challenge for a world without Avengers in Heroes Reborn.

Doctor Doomsday

Doctor Doomsday fuses Doom’s already considerable power with Doomsday, among Superman’s most powerful comic book villains. He gains Doomsday’s invulnerability, effective immortality, and unimaginable strength. When taken together with Doom’s supernatural power, this variant packs a serious punch.

This variant appeared in X-Patrol #1 from the Amalgam Comics crossover between DC and Marvel Comics in the 1990s. He likely never appears on screen, though superhero movies have shown it’s best never to say never.

Sorcerer Supreme

In What If? #52, Doctor Doom becomes Sorcerer Supreme after he seeks out the Ancient One as a young man. Armed with the Eye of Agamotto, he gains extreme magical power. This Doom variant possesses all the magical sensibility and capabilities Doctor Strange does, including the ability to travel between dimensions.

Doom’s interest in magic likely factors in the MCU. This variant could inform the live-action Doom in intriguing ways, especially as his potential terrifies the Ancient One enough to dispatch him to Mephisto’s demonic realm.

Doom The Living Planet

The Doctor Doom from Earth-TRN157 fuses Doom and Ego The Living Planet, giving him the ability to travel through space at the speed of light and manipulate matter on a cosmic scale. In this reality, Doom transferred his consciousness into a planet as he was getting older and sought to cheat death.

This Doom variant stood with the most powerful cosmic beings in Marvel Comics. While he may not appear in the MCU, Doom’s ambition to acquire greater and greater power certainly will.

The Power Cosmic

In Fantastic Four #60, Doctor Doom steals the Power Cosmic from the Silver Surfer and for a brief time, gains the incredible power conferred on him from Galactus. With this power, Doom could fly through space, manipulate matter, and generate enormous energy bursts.

He also possessed cosmic awareness, which allowed Doom to perceive time and space on a god-like level. He wasn’t omnipotent, though. When he tried to leave Earth, the cosmic barrier Galactus erected to trap the Silver Surfer stripped his powers away.

Secret Wars (1985)

In the original Secret Wars from 1985, Doctor Doom steals The Beyonder’s cosmic power, who ranked among the most powerful beings in the universe. Armed with truly cosmic capability, Doom kills Captain America among other heroes, Kang The Conqueror (only to bring him right back), and for a moment, is a god.

His hubris and crippling self-doubt eventually conspire to undermine him and The Beyonder reclaims the power by the mega comic book crossover’s earth-shattering end.

What If? Secret Wars

What If? Secret Wars from 2009 imagines if Doom returned from Battleworld in the original 1985 storyline with The Beyonder’s powers. This Doom pushed his ambitions even farther, expanding his cosmic reach to confront the Celestials and assemble the Infinity Gauntlet that allowed Thanos to snap away half the universe.

Doom ultimately destroys the Celestials, though it takes centuries. He rebuilds and reshapes the Earth to his liking with the Infinity Stones, cementing his power and legacy.

God Emperor Doom

The second Secret Wars in 2015 delivers the most powerful Doctor Doom ever. God Emperor Doom doesn’t just steal The Beyonder’s cosmic power, he steals the power of all The Beyonders, making him insanely powerful. Doom collapses the entire universe and remakes a single universe in Battleworld, a reality where he alone is god.

He rips Thanos’ spine out with his bare hands, alters reality on a scale that pales the Scarlet Witch’s efforts in the comics so far, and makes himself the sole ruler in the Marvel Universe.