Comments | dochermes: The Origin of Dr Doom, Part 1

dochermes

The Origin of Dr Doom, Part 1

Oct 11, 2012 16:06

This is from THE FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL# 2 in 1965, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the full bloom of their collaboration when one great story appeared after another, and new characters and wild concepts popped up all over each page each month. It was Spring for the Silver Age. Here, Dr Doom gets the stature and tragedy that elevates him to become one of ( Read more... )

dr doom, silver age, comics, jack kirby, fantastic four, stan lee

Comments 6

anonymous October 11 2012, 22:34:37 UTC

"It was Spring for the Silver Age. Here, Dr Doom gets the stature and tragedy that elevates him to become one of the all-time great villains on a level with the Joker or the Red Skull. Previously, he had been a free-lance criminal genius coming up with bizarre schemes on his own. His inventive flair and combination of science with sorcery made him a cut above the Bad Guy of the Month but it was here that his concept gelled. "

Spot on, Doc. It's always surprising to go back and read Doom's pre-FF Annual 2 appearances; he seems so much more pedestrian, more akin to, say,the Silver Age Lex Luthor than to the grandiloquent world conqueror that we know and love(?) today.This origin, though, was a game changer.

trajan23

dochermes October 12 2012, 07:32:59 UTC

Agreed. Not long earlier, Doom`s scheme involved getting a cabinet position in the US government (!?). It`s a throwaway line not followed up on, but it shows Stan wasn`t thinking of Doom as a possible head of state of his own country.

Probably by now Marvel has done a six issue series on Doom overthrowing the Latverian government but back then it was very cool that it was all behind the scenes and secret.

docsavage181 October 12 2012, 01:05:53 UTC

Classic stuff. Kirby & Lee could do no wrong during that stretch.

dochermes October 12 2012, 07:37:19 UTC

You are so right. The partnership had the golden touch in those years.

abqreviews October 13 2012, 00:08:43 UTC

>It's as if at this point, Doom is mischievous and roguish rather than utterly evil, as if he might still settle down and become a benefactor to mankind

I wouldn't mind seeing a mini-series actually explore what would have happened if he stayed that way. Keeping him a rogue wouldn't compromise his character.

dochermes October 13 2012, 20:04:13 UTC

Not a bad idea. In some of the early stories, Doom had a slightly puckish sense of humor. Remember those floating balloon robots he made to pester the Fantastic Four? He put decorative polka dots on Sue's because, you know, she's a girl.