Doctor Doom was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Originally, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four Vol. 1 (1962) #5.

Interviewed by leukemia survivor KJ Ricci, Stan Lee revealed Doctor Doom is his favorite supervillain. The legendary writer said he does not see Doom as a villain and would like to clear his name.

In 2009, IGN counted down the Top 100 Comic Book Villains Of All Time from both DC and Marvel comics. The list features some of the best villains in the two universes such as Magneto, Thanos, Black Adam and Joker. The list even ranks our own Doctor Doom.

On the list, Doctor Doom ranked number three. In 2019, IGN would rank Doctor Doom as the greatest Marvel villain of all time citing his supreme arrogance and lust for power. Let’s look at reasons why this is the case.

Doctor Doom’s origin story is one of tragedy and crime. Victor von Doom was born to gypsy parents. His mother dealt in the dark arts. Tragically, a bargain with Mephisto went awry and the demon claimed Victor’s mother’s soul. Victor studied magic in Latveria then science in America to reclaim his mother’s soul.

Victor Von Doom, Reed Richards and Ben Grimm studied at State University, New York. Apparently, Ben may have been responsible for Victor becoming Doctor Doom. Combining magic and science, Victor’s experiment failed and his face was scarred. Donning armor and mask, he became… Doctor Doom.

What makes Doom a great villain is the fact that he originally was not a villain. His dedication to saving his mother is understandable though the means he uses are abhorrent. In many respects, Doom is a product of his upbringing: tortured, lonely and violent.

Doom’s central motivation is his belief that the world can find peace only under Doomworld. In many respects, this is the belief of all tyrants which shows that Doom’s belief actually stems from those tragic circumstances that developed his lust for power. Why is Doom’s Marvel greatest villain? He has conviction and unmatched willpower.

Early stories showcase Doctor Doom as an exclusive Fantastic Four villain. IGN even considers him a fifth member of the Fantastic Four as its necessary antagonist. What makes Doom an interesting villain are his motivations. Ultimately, though he always seeks ultimate power as his goal, his purposes are always devious.

Of course, his final goal is world domination but his methods are infinite. As head of state of Latveria, Doom uses the vast resources at his disposal to do war against the Fantastic Four and Marvel Earth. In some portrayals Doctor Doom has allied himself with the forces of good to face a common enemy. In “Infinity Gauntlet,” Doctor Doom even allied himself to the heroes who banded together to fight Thanos. However, it is always for a devious purpose.

In a classic story from the ’60s, Doctor Doom proves his grandiloquence by trapping Silver Surfer and stealing the Power Cosmic.

In great Jack Kirby’s style, Doctor Doom utters his grandiloquent speech to challenge the Devourer of Worlds and world domination.

Respect Doctor Doom!