History Characters / DoctorDoom

!!Doctor Doom
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!!! '''Alter Ego:''' Victor Von Doom
!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' King Boss, Doombot, Rabum Alal, Infamous Iron Man
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 (July 1962)
->''"'''I am Doom'''... Destroyer of worlds... What gods dare stand against me?"''
-->-- '''Doctor Doom''', ''ComicBook/{{FF}} Vol. 1'' #13, written by Creator/JonathanHickman

Doctor Victor Von Doom, better known as Doctor Doom, is a {{supervillain}} that appears in comic books published by Creator/MarvelComics. Doom was introduced by Creator/StanLee and Creator/JackKirby in ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 (July, 1962) as the ArchEnemy of the ComicBook/FantasticFour.

Doom was born in the FictionalCountry of [[{{Ruritania}} Latveria]], the son of UsefulNotes/{{Romani}} witch Cynthia Von Doom and a medical doctor named Werner von Doom. His community was persecuted by the aristocratic regime of Latveria, which played a part in getting Victor orphaned. In her quest for revenge against Latverian soldiers, his mother made a deal for power with Mephisto, but her actions backfired and her use of magic led the people of a village to burn her for being a witch, with Cynthia's soul damned to hell. His father Werner, years later, was summoned to treat the nephew of the Baron, and when the nephew couldn't be saved, Werner was blamed, and father and son were chased out of home, often travelling in harsh conditions. Werner was frozen protecting Victor from the elements and after being rescued died shortly after. On his father's death, Victor came across his parents' effects, and found a trunk of artifacts belonging to his mother that included her occult books and instruments. Sympathetic to his father's scientific bent and his mother's mystical bent, Doom began to combine both from an early age and sought to master both magic and technology. As a teenager, he became a Romani guerrilla revolutionary, building gadgets of unusual sophistication, subverting and dodging the Latverian government and its secret police, protecting his community and always being a step ahead of everyone.

Word of his exploits attracted a sponsorship from the US Government, who perhaps in an aim to subvert the Latverian government and build up a new client in Eastern Europe, offered the dashing young rebel an opportunity to study in America. On his arrival, Doom had a fateful meeting with Reed Richards, the only man on the planet whose intelligence could even approach Doom's, to whom he took an immediate dislike. Wishing to resurrect his dead mother, Doom constructed a device that could build a portal to Hell, intended to communicate with the dead and allow him to free her soul. When he was working on his calculations, Reed Richards walked into his room and noticed that they were slightly off and tried to warn him about the flaw in the machine, but Doom, angered at what he saw as an invasion of privacy, continued to work with disastrous results: The device exploded and [[ScarsAreForever damaged his face]]. Expelled from the university after the accident, Doom traveled the world until he collapsed on a Tibetan mountainside. Rescued by monks from a mysterious order, Victor quickly mastered the monks' secret disciplines, as well as metallurgy. Doom then forged himself a suit of PoweredArmor, complete with a scowling mask, which he has used (with some modifications) since that day, and took the name Doctor Doom. Shortly afterwards, he led a revolution that toppled the reigning monarch of Latveria. Upon coming to power, he became a dictator and tyrant, ruling with an iron fist and using his status as head of state to expand his influence on a global scale. Doom's path was soon to once again cross that of Richards, this time along with Richards' family, who became his sworn enemies.

Starting from ''The Amazing Spider-Man #5'' however, Doctor Doom began appearing in stories with other heroes, because of both his considerable popularity and his versatility. As many writers and fans note, Doctor Doom's rich character and complex origins allow him to fit in, and play off, almost any genre and against any hero. As such he's been consistently a Marvel-wide villain from his inception, making notable appearances as a villain and {{Foil}} for the likes of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers, ComicBook/XMen, Franchise/SpiderMan, The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, ComicBook/IronMan, ComicBook/DoctorStrange, [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], ComicBook/LukeCage, ComicBook/SquirrelGirl'' and more. He is a unique figure who can inhabit multiple corners of the Marvel Universe whether it be the mystical side, the cosmic side, the political-national side, and even the street-level. Dr. Doom can slip in almost any genre and any hero's story no matter the power level and you can always find a good reason to work him in.

Doom should not be confused with [[https://sites.google.com/site/travisdoom/ Dr. Travis Doom]], or his cousin twice removed [[JokeCharacter Doctor Bob]] [[ComicBook/SheHulk Doom]]. Notably, he inspired the persona of the late, highly-influential cult rapper [[Music/{{MFDOOM}} MF DOOM]].

Read about him in his own voice [[SelfDemonstrating/DoctorDoom here]].
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!! Notable Dr. Doom Stories:
* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour''
** ''#5'' -- His first appearance. By Lee and Kirby.
** ''ComicBook/FantasticFourAnnualTwo'' -- His OriginsEpisode whose details are mostly set in stone here. By Lee and Kirby.
** ''#60'' -- Where Doom hijacks Silver Surfer's surfboard and Power Cosmic. By Lee and Kirby.
** ''#258'' -- A famous episode that shows Latveria from his POV that established a more gray perspective on Doom. By Creator/JohnByrne (story and art).
** "Unthinkable" -- (Vol. # 67-70) by Creator/MarkWaid and Mike Wieringo.
* ''The Amazing Spider-Man''
** ''[[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManLeeAndDitko #5]]'' -- Spidey's first confrontation with Dr. Doom. Doom's first appearance as a villain outside the ''Fantastic Four'' and the beginning of his status as a Marvel-wide villain.
** ''#349-350'' -- One of Spider-Man's greatest fights with Victor von Doom. By David Michelinie and Erik Larsen.
** "[[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManJMichaelStraczynski Doomed Affairs]]" (TASM V.2 #49-50) -- Captain America cameos when Peter and Mary Jane reunite at the Denver Airport where Dr. Doom is stranded and ambushed by anti-Doom Latverian terrorists, needing Spider-Man to save the day and his marriage at the same time.
** ''Superman and Spider-Man'' (1981) -- The Second Inter-Company Crossover between Spider-Man and Superman, has Dr. Doom play the main villain (teaming up with Parasite), and it was mainly envisioned by writer (and then EIC) Creator/JimShooter as an ExcusePlot for, in his words, pitting "[Marvel's] greatest villain" against "[[=DC=]'s] greatest hero."
* ''ComicBook/LukeCageHeroForHire'' (#8-9) -- Doom's chance meeting with Luke Cage, leads him to first employ him and then welch him, triggering a one-man invasion of Latveria when Luke comes to collect the $200 owed him.
* ''ComicBook/IronMan''
** ''#149-150'' where Doom and Tony travel back to the Middle Ages and tackle Morgaine le Fay. Written by David Michelinie.
** ''The Infamous Iron Man'': After ''Secret Wars 2015'', Dr. Doom decides to reform and adopts the mantle of Iron Man and try his hand at being a legitimate superhero for a while. Written by Creator/BrianMichaelBendis with art by Alex Maleev.
* ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'': He played a major role in the first crossover, serving in effect as the VillainProtagonist of the series as he manipulates heroes, villains, Galactus, all for a shot at godhood.
* ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'': The culmination of ''ComicBook/JonathanHickmansAvengers'' and Hickman's run on ''Fantastic Four'' where Doom had played a prominent but essentially background role all to set up his shocking and dramatic return to the center of all things Marvel, when he ascends to becoming GodEmperor of the Multiverse.
* Solo Doom Stories:
** ''Astonishing Tales'' # 01-08. A series of eight 10-page stories which portrays Dr. Doom as a VillainProtagonist and a gray figure. By Roy Thomas, Creator/GerryConway, and art by Wally Wood and Gene Colan.
** ''Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment'' -- Expanding on Astonishing Tales #8, Creator/RogerStern and Mike Mignola team up Strange and Doom in an adventure as they visit hell to free the soul of Cynthia von Doom from Mephisto.
** ''Emperor Doom'' -- Dr. Doom uses Purple Man's powers to finally TakeOverTheWorld as the Avengers watch helplessly. Written by David Michelinie.
** ''Books of Doom'' -- An updated retelling of Dr. Doom's origins which also expands on parts of it considerably. Written by Creator/EdBrubaker.
** ''ComicBook/DoctorDoom'' -- A 2019 solo series by Christopher Cantwell (showrunner of ''Series/HaltAndCatchFire'') and artist Salvador Larroca.

!! Adaptations
[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''Film/TheFantasticFour'' (1994), portrayed by Joseph Culp.
* ''Film/{{Fantastic Four|2005}}'' (2005 – 2007), portrayed by Creator/JulianMcMahon.
* ''Film/{{Fantastic Four|2015}}'' (2015), portrayed by Creator/TobyKebbell.

[[AC:Theme Park Attractions]]
* ''Ride/DoctorDoomsFearfall'' (1999)

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom''
** ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroes'' (1995)
*** ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroesWarOfTheGems'' (1996)
** ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2'' (2000)
** ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' (2011)
* ''VideoGame/MarvelNemesisRiseOfTheImperfects'' (2005)
* ''VideoGame/UltimateSpiderMan'' (2005)
* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' (2006)
** ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance3TheBlackOrder'' (2019)
* ''VideoGame/SuperHeroSquadOnline'' (2011)
* ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'' (2012)
* ''VideoGame/MarvelHeroes'' (2013)
* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes'' (2013)
* ''VideoGame/MarvelContestOfChampions'' (2014)
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight'' (2019)
* ''Marvel: Strike Force'' (2019)

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheMarvelSuperHeroes'' (1966)
* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Fantastic Four|1967}}'' (1967)
* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Fantastic Four|1978}}'' (1978)
* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManAndHisAmazingFriends'' (1981)
* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderMan1981''
* ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' (1994)
* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Incredible Hulk|1996}}'' (1996 – 1997)
* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' (1997)
* ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFourWorldsGreatestHeroes'' (2006 – 2007)
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'' (2009 – 2011)
* ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'' (2011; 2012)
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' (2012)
* ''[[WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012 Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' (2012 – 2013)
* ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'' (2013 – 2014)
* ''WesternAnimation/HulkAndTheAgentsOfSMASH'' (2013)

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!!Doctor Doom is the {{Trope Namer|s}} for:

* ActuallyADoombot: The name comes from the Doombots, the robotic decoys used by Doom to confuse heroes. Whenever a hero thinks they have defeated Doom, they will eventually discover it was simply one of his Doombots distracting them from what Doom was really doing. This is also used as an AuthorsSavingThrow whenever some writer has written Doom in a way that seems out of character, since it allows them to {{Retcon}} out those moments.

!!Doctor Doom provides examples of:
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[[folder:# to F]]

* TwentyFourHourArmor: Doom's armor includes built-in systems which sustain his vital functions, thus he is almost never seen without it.
* AdaptationalBadass:
** Doom was bestowed with superpowers in both of Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox's cinematic takes on the ''Fantastic Four'' property.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' and ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'' depict Doctor Doom as TheJuggernaut, the former having him defeat the Avengers and the Fantastic Four (who are in of themselves hit with AdaptationalWimp) with no difficulty.
* AdaptationalHeroism: ''ComicBook/Marvel2099'' still has Doom as a VillainProtagonist but he does develop into a better person who is actually concerned with helping people, in contrast to how [[EvilIsPetty petty his ussually written as]], successfully improves the world and [[spoiler:makes a HeroicSacrifice to defeat the [[AlienInvasion Phalanx.]]]]
* AdaptationalWimp: At the same time as AdaptationalBadass, no less! In both Fox universes, he has nothing even resembling the intellect, skills, resources, ambition, or SuperWeight of his comic counterpart.
* AdaptationOriginConnection: The Fox films give him a connection to the entire Fantastic Four team, not just Reed Richards.
* AgeLift: Much like ComicBook/MisterFantastic and ComicBook/TheThing, Doom in classic Marvel Universe is a middle-aged man. Also like them, some adaptions made him closer in age to the [[ComicBook/InvisibleWoman Storm]] [[ComicBook/HumanTorch siblings]]: Both the original ''ComicBook/HeroesReborn'' and the ''Film/FantasticFourDuology'' depict him as a younger man and both ''ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour'' and ''Film/FantasticFour2015'' depict all five of them teenagers or in their early 20s.
* AlternateSelf: Doom has several counterparts in TheMultiverse:
** The ''ComicBook/Marvel2099'' Doom, who took over the United States, and later [[spoiler:gave his life to save the world from the menace of the Phalanx]].
** The ''ComicBook/Marvel1602'' Doom, who [[spoiler:assassinated the Queen]] and was generally the BigBad of the entire first series. Later, he kidnapped Creator/WilliamShakespeare because he wanted him to write about his travel to the end of the world.
** Creator/PeterDavid's X-Factor Doom from the Summers Rebellion future - despite being somewhat weakened by age and circumstance, tied to a wheelchair and not completely in possession of his faculties, he was still more dangerous than the story's actual villains, and managed to evade capture by the mutants of that era when all was said and done.
** A version of Doom in the ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse happened to be director of Eurasian Security, fighting alongside that world's versions of [[ComicBook/IronMan Anthony Stark]], [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Donald Blake]] and [[Franchise/SpiderMan Gwen Stacy]].
** In an old ''ComicBook/WhatIf'' story, the experiment to rescue Doom's mother from Hell (which ended with the device exploding and giving him the scarred face that required his trademark mask) instead went without a hitch, resulting in a universe where Doom becomes Earth's greatest hero and marries the love of his life. However, because of his actions, Doom earns the ire of [[ComicBook/GhostRider Mephisto]], who imposes on him a stringent SadisticChoice...
** Another ''What If?'' shows what would have happened if Doom had managed to keep the Beyonder's power, which results in him winning the Secret Wars, acquiring Thanos' [[ArtifactOfDoom Infinity Gauntlet]], and [[GalacticConqueror dominating the cosmos]]. This attracts the attention of [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien the Celestials]], whom Doom eventually defeats in a war that [[ApocalypseHow destroys the planet]]. Using the last of his power, Doom [[FauxSymbolism recreates Earth and humanity with it before becoming mortal himself in order to lead them to greatness]].
** Yet another ''What If''[[note]]Issue #52 from the 1989 run[[/note]], Doom's travels in pursuit of mystic secrets in the Himalayas leads to him training under the Ancient One, which ultimately sees him become the Sorcerer Supreme (mostly due to lack of a better choice on the Ancient One's part). He is technically slain defeating Dormammu once and for all, but uses hidden technological devices to kidnap Dr. Strange and [[GrandTheftMe overwrite Strange's brainwaves with his own]]. The Watcher informs the reader that Doom will then become the Sorcerer Eternal by bodyjacking every potential replacement Sorcerer Supreme from then on.
** Master Menace from the original ''ComicBook/SquadronSupreme'' is a CaptainErsatz of Doom. Some would suggest that the archenemy of Franchise/{{Superman}} counterpart Hyperion would more accurately be regarded as a counterpart of ComicBook/LexLuthor, but Menace clearly apes Doom's costume style.
** Doom actually met the real Superman and ComicBook/LexLuthor in ''Superman & Spider-Man #2''. Being the MagnificentBastard that he is, Superman [[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fZ37jdy-g4M/SkUhSwW0v1I/AAAAAAAAAYQ/okocGHmZi64/s320/Spiderman%26Superman-2-28.jpg could do nothing to him]] since he resided in the embassy of Latveria and thus was under Latverian law. The magnificent part? He did it out in the open on the embassy's doorstep to Supes' face.
** In ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies'', Doom, '''alone of everyone in the entire universe without exception''', was able to resist the zombie infection by sheer willpower alone. Doom has more HeroicWillpower than that universe's version of ''[[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica CAPTAIN AMERICA]]''.
** ComicBook/UltimateMarvel's Doctor Doom is an aristocrat named Victor Van Damme, who meddles with the teleportation experiment being performed by Reed Richards. This created the ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour, and also transformed him into [[BodyHorror a demonic-looking being of living metal]] who is {{nigh invulnerab|ility}}le, can throw razor-sharp spines from his body and has a BreathWeapon of toxic fumes (which is supposedly based upon the fact his now-useless organs are ''rotting into liquid inside his body''). His greatest scheme was [[BodySnatcher snatching Richards' body]], only to end up transferring back and taking a one-way portal through the world of ''Marvel Zombies''. While it's unknown how he survived that fate, he did so, and is now part of the Future Foundation.
*** It's worth noting that [[ActuallyADoombot Mary Storm, mother to the Invisible Woman and Human Torch, pretended to be Doom for a while]], and that impostor's action led to Magneto executing his Ultimatum. The Thing then promptly killed off the impostor for his part in motivating Magneto into performing it.
*** A second Ultimate Doctor Doom has since reared his head; although also comparable to the Tomorrow Man in his motives, Ultimate Reed Richards has apparently taken Van Damme's place as the "Ultimate Doctor Doom." Naturally, it wasn't long before Richards tried to claim repentance, but this was in turn a ruse, as Richards soon revealed that he was a villain all along.
** An alternate future version of Doom appeared in ''Fantastic Four: The End'', where Doom had partially converted to a four-armed cybernetic form to make up for the wear and tear decades of battle had caused. Doom seemingly perished in a final confrontation that also claimed the lives of Richards and Storm's children Franklin and Valeria, finally leading to the destruction of the Fantastic Four. However, years later, it's revealed that Doom and the children had been pushed through a time warp with the powers of Franklin Richards, appearing in the midst of a massive alien invasion of Earth's solar system. Doom himself is drawn into the Negative Zone permanently, which he conquers after destroying Annihilus, and is greeted as a liberator by its inhabitants.
** In the Marvel Apes universe, Doom's counterpart was a baboon. Mainstream Doom probably wouldn't be amused. Zombieverse Doom wasn't and unleashed zombies upon that world out of spite.
** The modern Fantastic Four live action films had featured two very different versions of the Doctor Doom.
*** In the 2005 film, Doom was portrayed as a billionaire entrepreneur who has been a rival to Reed Richards ever since they were science colleagues in high school.
*** In the 2015 film, Doom was portrayed as an anti-social computer programmer and scientist that works for the Baxter Foundation and is mentored by Dr. Franklin Storm.
* AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome: Alternate Dooms tend to become cosmic beings, defenders of Earth, or both. [[spoiler:That being said, only mainstream Doom at one point managed to be the ruler of (what was left of) ''the'' entire multiverse.]]
* AlwaysSecondBest: To Reed Richards and ComicBook/DoctorStrange in the fields of science and magic, respectively. During the ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' event, Doom eventually conceded that Reed Richards could and would have used the Beyonder's power far more effectively than Doom. This admission caused a sudden reversal in Doom's fortunes, as Owen Reese then decided to gift Richards with the power, and confirming what Doom said, as a parting gift, [[http://www.comicbookresources.com/imgsrv/imglib/0/0/1/Secret-Wars-09-Doctor-Doom-Finale-77f79.jpg Reed Richards restored Doom's once ruined visage.]]
** Oddly, while Doom is definitely the weaker mage to Doctor Strange, he's never shown the same gnawing inferiority complex about it, and even seems to consider Strange something of a friend. This seems to be in large part because not only was their main story together (''Triumph and Torment'') a team-up where Strange helped to rescue his mother, but in general, he rarely goes into conflict with Strange unless it involves the universe as a whole, since Strange handles mystic threats and Doom tends to ignore that side of things except as a tool.
* AmazonBrigade: [[spoiler:The Black Swans, featured in ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'', are devout servants of Doom. Indeed, religiously so.]]
* AmazonChaser: Aside from the previously mentioned thing for Storm, Doom is also suggested to have a similar thing for Sue Storm, the Scarlet Witch and Morgan le Fay. Doom clearly has a thing for dangerous women.
* AndNowYouMustMarryMe: Has proclaimed on occasion that he finds ComicBook/{{Storm}} worthy of becoming his consort, and has tried to force her to marry him more than once. (Another time, he simply decided to [[TakenForGranite turn her into a trophy]]; one way or another, [[AbhorrentAdmirer he has an odd thing for her]].)
* AndShowItToYou: [[spoiler:During the ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' event, Thanos sought to instruct Doom on the true nature of Godhood, delivering a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to him. Doom offered his rebuttal by applying this trope.]]
* AndThenWhat:
** Doom faces angst about this in ''Emperor Doom'' where he conquers the world and builds an utopia but gets bored with how monotonous and mundane existence is, and then also in ''Secret Wars 2015'' where he became a GodEmperor and similarly found that boring too.
** Reed Richards asks this of Doom several times whenever Doom's captured him again and is gloating about how he's going to kill Reed and destroy everything he holds dear. Doom has no proper answer, because the be-all-end-all of his existence is to cause Reed Richards as much anguish as possible. Unlike, say, the Joker however, Doom can't admit this (having convinced himself that he's doing it because he's superior to everyone else and deserves to rule the world... and that he's doing the world a favor since he's obviously the most qualified for the job) and so whenever Reed mentions this, Doom usually just starts [[RivalTurnedEvil screaming about college grudges]] and beating the snot out of Reed. Doom is kind of nuts.
* AntiVillain: When he cares to be, he can be a NobleDemon or a WellIntentionedExtremist. Doom frequently does things for the "greater good", and also follows a code of honor.
* ArchEnemy:
** The wrathful vengeance of Doctor Doom will never be sated! Never -- until the earth runs red with the blood of that accursed '''REED RICHARDS!!'''
** The rest of the Fantastic Four as well, to a lesser extent. After he crushed Doom's hands, the Thing also jumped pretty high on his list. Doom also has a villainous crush on the Invisible Woman, but also fears her as the team's most powerful member.
** Doreen Green, AKA Squirrel Girl, is the only superhero that can consistently beat him, and ''actually'' beat him. It's more of a FriendlyEnemy, since he's resigned to just let her do what she wants. Fighting her isn't worth the embarrassment of getting beaten up by a college student.
* AwesomeMcCoolname: ''Victor Von Doom''. ComicBook/UltimateMarvel's Victor [[Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme Van Damme]] was less well-received. [[Film/FantasticFour2015 Victor Domashev]] was even less well received, and was [[OrwellianRetcon stricken from the record entirely]].
* BadassBookworm: Doom's intelligence is without question, and even without the PoweredArmor Doom is still a formidable (albeit [[BadassNormal completely human]]) combatant; Doom has even killed a lion with his bare hands on one occasion (when stranded in the wild on an alternate Earth). While completely naked. And then Doom skinned it for meat and for sinew to make weapons. Then Doom [[NemeanSkinning wore its carcass as clothing and used its face to make a new mask]].
* BadassBoast: Doom spews these in his sleep. It's his true super power. But a truly classic one comes from FANTASTIC FOUR #258:
-->'''Doom:''' No one rivals Doom! NO ONE! Doom is supreme! There is no power on Earth, no intellect in all creation to equal mine!!
** Another one, when cracking down on political malcontents in Latveria who have assembled to protest against his tyranny. Doom releases a superweapon on them, then shouts at the fleeing survivors:
--->'''Doom:''' Flee, you blind, gullible fools! Run for cover--but you shall find nowhere to hide! The power of Doom extends everywhere! ''' ''EVERYWHERE!'' '''
* BadassInANiceSuit: After ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', Doom took to dressing in a nice suit while under Bendis's pen in ''Iron Man''.
* BadBoss: While Doom loves his country and his subjects, he treats anyone who works for him as expendable, and has no qualms about killing them himself, if it suits his current needs. Supervillains who work with Doom might find that their lives are a bit safer, but he usually treats them with as little respect as he treats his underlings.
* BatmanGambit: Doom would have you believe all of Triumph and Torment was one. [[ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate Doom]] ''tried'' to engineer an example of this in regards to Magneto, but that led to ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'' and his eventual (temporary) demise.
* BeautyToBeast: Doom was once a handsome man until an explosion disfigured Doom into a hideous shape, forcing him to be forever hidden behind a steel mask.
* BelievingTheirOwnLies: Doom claims (and, seemingly, even believes) that his totalitarian rule is for the benefit of the governed.
-->'''Doom:''' My loyal subjects, I have always considered you close to my heart. Indeed, I have always put ''your'' welfare even before my own. Why else would I construct my [[KillerRobot Servo-Units]], if not to ''protect'' you? Why else would I make certain you are never permitted to stray beyond our borders, if not to help you avoid the possible ''perils'' that the outside world may bring? Too long has the world misjudged Doom. They have always considered me a ''despot''... a ''dictator''. But they do not know how I ''worry'' about you so.
* BenevolentBoss: DependingOnTheWriter, like always. When written as a NobleDemon, he is ''very'' protective of his people, and rewards those who show loyalty. For example, Doom's heir is Kristoff Vernard. Who's that? The son of one of Doom's maids who died protecting him.
* BerserkButton: A quick way to get on Doctor Doom's bad side would be to mention Reed Richards's name within Doom's earshot. Or to imply that Reed is intelligent, let alone more intelligent than Doom is.
* BetterTheDevilYouKnow: As much as Doom is a tyrant to the people of Latveria, whoever ends up taking his place ends up pulling a MeetTheNewBoss. A previous King of Latveria, Vladimir Fortunov, was a dictator who committed monstrous atrocities, including the murder of children and ethnic cleansing aimed at Roma. Doom, being descendant of Romani people, [[EvenEvilHasStandards didn't tolerate any of it]]. Furthermore, when the Fantastic Four helped Prince Zorba depose Doom, they were so horrified at his resulting destructively murderous tyranny that they had to help Doom depose him for the sake of the people of Latveria, and they couldn't get rid of Doom next because Victor prepared too well against them to prevent that. Even Spider-Man -- who accused Doom to his face of being a tyrant -- admitted once that Latveria is better under his rule than anyone else's.
* BeyondTheImpossible: Typically, the laws of time-travel dictate that one cannot change the events of their own timeline. Doom considers himself, and actually is, beyond such petty constraints, and has invented the technology known as the Doomlock to break this rule. Of course, only Doom may use this technology.
* BigBad:
** He could be considered this for the Marvel Universe as a whole; he's one of the setting's most prominent and iconic villains, and even though he usually is considered simply the Fantastic Four's nemesis, he has fought practically every major hero at one point or another, and is one of the few [[BadassNormal human villains]] in the Marvel Universe to be a major threat.
** [[spoiler:As it transpires, Doom is one of the main antagonists of ''ComicBook/JonathanHickmansAvengers'', the "Rabum Alal" responsible in part for the multiversal destruction Doom had sought to prevent.]]
* BigGood: [[spoiler:The willpower of Doom, and Doom alone, is the sole thing keeping Battleworld stable in ''Secret Wars''. Not even the Fantastic Four could accomplish that! Of course, then the characters point out Doom's brainwashed the populace, manipulates them for his own thrills, and doesn't bother restoring their universes, which he could do.]]
* BondVillainStupidity: Simply killing Richards is not Doom's true goal; ''only'' when Richards is humiliated enough after Doom has brought his entire world down around him and he recognizes Doom's superiority will he die. Needless to say, this more than once led to his downfall.
* BreakoutVillain: Doom went from being the main villain of only the ComicBook/FantasticFour to having battled virtually every mainstream hero in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, and has even been featured in media adaptions not about the Fantastic Four. Indeed, he's so well known that non-comic readers often haven't even heard of the other, lesser enemies of the Fantastic Four. Doom was even used in ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'' while the Four weren't, with his origins being changed to having his face scarred by an explosion he used to kill the Latverian royal family, but which also killed his mother and bride.
* BrokenAce: This is largely the point of Doctor Doom. He's a scientific genius to rival Reed Richards, a magical prodigy who approaches Doctor Strange in power, and physically fit enough that he can kill lions bare-handed; he rules a nation as semi-benevolent dictator, adheres to a code of always repaying his debts, has enough willpower to stare down the Purple Man without flinching, and wears a suit of armor on par with that sported by Iron Man. He could, in theory, be one of the Marvel Universe's greatest forces for good, because in power level you can pick almost any three superheroes and he's the equal of all of them. Unfortunately for the Marvel Universe, his egomania will never stop clouding his judgment. When Reed Richards pointed out a mistake in Doom's calculations, he spat in Reed's face, and when his experiment went wrong and scarred him, he blamed Reed rather than admit, even to himself, that he screwed up, and dedicated the rest of his life to a needless revenge for a nonexistent crime. His hideous scarring is his own fault because believing his good looks to already be ruined by the thin scar he had received, he donned the iron mask to his first suit of armor without waiting for it to cool first. His people fear him more than love him; he has no friends; most of his intellectual equals are superheroes who would be suspicious at an invitation to discuss something; he's a pariah on the international stage. All because of his swollen ego. Ultimately, deep down he’s an angry, bitter, petty little man who can never admit a mistake, devotes all his brilliance and talents to showing up his old college rival, and once killed the only woman who ever loved him for just a little more power.
* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Once, a misshapen creature attacked Doom, claiming he had once used him as the subject of an experiment and declared himself "the man whose life you destroyed." Doom simply responded by saying that he shouldn't expect Doom to remember every life he has destroyed.
* ButtMonkey: In ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'', where his plans almost never work out.
* ByronicHero: Dr. Doom fits all the tropes except for being a villain most of the time. In ''Infamous Iron Man'' where he goes legit and genuinely tries to be a hero, he plays it dead straight. Feared and rejected by society, an outsider, misunderstood, moody and yet dignified, principled and determined.
* TheCaligula: He's a comic book supervillain ''and'' the ruler of a country.
-->'''Servant:''' But -- what of my freedom, Sire? What of your ''promise''?\\
'''Doom:''' ''[grabs the man by the throat]'' You dare speak to ''me'' of promises? Have you forgotten that your very life is in my hands? Each breath you take -- each ''moment'' you live -- is only because '' '''I''' '' allow it!
* CaptainPatriotic: A rather twisted version of this regarding Latveria. The people of Latveria love him, and he won't let them forget it. '''''EVER'''''.
* CardCarryingVillain: Subverted. [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The name he uses]] and [[TinTyrant manner in which he dresses]] at first glance gives the impression that he's making no bones about the fact that he's a supervillain, but he's so egotistical that he actually thinks of himself as a fair and wise ruler.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn:
** During the Kirby/Lee era, Doom was often depicted as a raving operatic despot rather than the benevolent and beloved autocrat towards his people that can be seen in the works of Creator/JohnByrne and forth. Granted, raving operetta was Lee and Kirby's default style of characterization for villains, and going UpToEleven in this regard may have been the only way they saw of portraying Doom as the villain relative to the (in retrospect unusually) unsympathetic characterization that Reed Richards had in those days.
** To exemplify: In one case, where Doom had rendered the Fantastic Four powerless and allowed them to live in a sort of house arrest in a little Latverian village, Doom's reaction to them managing to recover their powers and attempting escape was attempting to remotely activate the self-destruct mechanism for the village, that would kill not only the Fantastic Four, but also all the Latverian citizens therein. Moreover, it is stated that such self-destruct mechanisms are installed under all Latverian villages. Nowadays Doom, who is depicted as caring to some extent about all of Latveria, would never contemplate such a heinous act.
* ClassicVillain: Pride/Envy/Wrath and Ambition in all of their forms. Convinced that he is superior to everything on earth, he is obsessed with proving himself more intelligent than his arch-rival, Reed Richards and also with destroying Richards because he blames him for scarring his face. Aside from his vendetta with Richards, Doom is obsessed with world domination. Perhaps one of the more obvious contrasts, Doom sports a BadassCape and PoweredArmor compared to the relatively simple designs the Fantastic Four have in their uniforms.
* ClosetGeek: Enough so to correct Spider-Man on an [[BeamMeUpScotty incorrect quotation]] of ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' as a bit of CasualDangerDialogue.
* ComplexityAddiction: Doom is notorious for this, to the extent that more often than not it seems as if any given scheme was carried out by somebody that was ActuallyADoombot and Doom himself almost appears to be in multiple places at the same time. Generally this does little to improve the overall results of his many conspiracies beyond giving the heroes (and sometimes other villains) a good workout. Doom's methods for killing Richards are perhaps not always the most... practical, but he certainly doesn't seems to see any point in defeating him in some mundane way that does not utterly and eternally prove his superiority over him.
** Doom's use of this trope is best demonstrated in ''Triumph and Torment''. He enters a contest for the title of Sorcerer Supreme against "Doctor Strange", which Strange of course wins. Something Strange didn't know is that [[SecondPlaceIsForWinners the winner owed the second place contestant a favor]], which in this case was Strange's help saving Doom's mother from Mephisto, something Strange would have helped with if Doom simply asked. But Doom was far too proud to ever '''ask''' someone.
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: In ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2020'', Doom, sensing some dangerous but unclear threat coming, attacks the team and beats the living daylights out of them, stealing Hulkling's body in the process. They defeat him by exploiting his ego, winding up with Doom stuck in Rocket Racoon's body (and vice-versa). Peter Quill notes they're in a bind. They can't kill him, because it probably wouldn't take, and they can't imprison him, because he'd definitely escape, so... Quill puts him on the team.
* CoolGun: He has in the past carried a Mauser C96 on his person to dispose of people that he considered not worth the energy from his armor's weaponry.
* CrazyPrepared: Doom has learned to prepare for anything when carrying out his plans, including backup plans not working the way he intended them to, though this is hardly "crazy" since such preparations [[ProperlyParanoid often prove necessary]], and if Doom's plan fails, you [[ActuallyADoombot know the real reason why]]. Examples include rising a mystical barrier after his return from the ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', knowing that Tony Stark would lash out at him for past grievances, and, should Doom ever expire, having his Doombots designed and programmed to continue his works in his stead. He even prepares for those from another continuity, as [[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-easV2yayOww/VKSFDFwkN0I/AAAAAAAAIAw/hepNwz53hBk/s1600/img094.jpg the Parasite]] discovered the hard way.
* CultOfPersonality: Doom's loyal subjects love and worship their ruler, complete with great statues erected to his honor in every Latverian city and festivals in celebration of him. A lot of them are brainwashed, some prefer the devil they know, others fear him, but yes there are genuinely Latverians who do think Dr. Doom is a good ruler, and support his policies and ideas without any coercion whatsoever from Victor.
* CurbStompBattle:
** One of his fights with ComicBook/BlackPanther, when Doom easily OutGambitted and crippled T'Challa, requiring his sister Shuri to take the mantle up in his stead, though T'Challa paid Doom back for that in "Doomwar".
** He delivers a brutal one to Spider-Man in ASM #350, unleashing all his magic and tech on him, shredding his costume and making him bleed. All Spider-Man could do to convince Doom to stave him off is to bargain with him (both of them were after a jewel thief who stole a valuable gem, which happens to be a Latverian artifact and a heirloom belonging to Doom's mother). Doom relented and gave Spidey 24 hours to find the thief, recover the artifact or he would kill both him and that thief. Spider-Man has fought and won against Juggernaut, Firelord and many other heavy-hitters but Dr. Doom is someone Spidey has yet to defeat in a straight fight.
* CutLexLuthorACheck: He's one of the smartest men in the world, but he wastes his resources on fighting a quartet of superheroes (among others) because he's angry that one of them is better than him.
** It's repeatedly mentioned, though, that Doom's various high-tech inventions with more practical applications generate so much profit that Latveria's entire national economy would collapse without them. The problem is he's not satisfied with just that.
* {{Cyberbullying}}: One especially {{Narm}}tastic PublicServiceAnnouncement had ''Doom'' of all people resorting to this, to cause strife among the Avengers. As the cops (presumably the same ones who booked ComicBook/{{Thanos}}) haul him off, he mwah-ha-ha's over how many ''more'' he'll get to corrupt if he ever gets his hands on a computer in prison.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: As mentioned above, his life has not been pleasant.
* DeadpanSnarker: DependingOnTheWriter, Doom either has clever remarks at hand or has NoSenseOfHumor.
* DealWithTheDevil: Mephisto and Doom had a specific deal that allowed Doom to attempt to rescue his mother from Hell once a year, but each time he failed, the people of Latveria would hate him more and more. He eventually succeeded with some slight assistance from Doctor Strange, [[DidYouJustScamCthulhu beating him at his own game!]] Though admittedly, with a [[PyrrhicVictory very heavy price]].
* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: The death of his mother, and the untimely demise of Doom's father, persecuted and hounded unto death by a local baron, persuaded Doom further down the path he has chosen.
* DemonicPossession: Not quite, but close. When Doom was dead ([[DeathIsCheap temporarily]]), he managed to use his Ovoid mind trick[[note]]see down for FreakyFridayFlip[[/note]] and take over the bodies of the ComicBook/FantasticFour, forcing Reed Richards to kill his best friend.
* DependingOnTheWriter:
** Does Doom care for his people, or are they simply mere implements of Doom's will, to be abused and discarded as Doom desires? Likewise, do the people of Latveria care for Doom, or do they merely fear his wrath? It is not entirely impossible to see examples of both at the same time.
** Is Doom a man of honour and principle, or a posturing maniac who merely plays the part of a NobleDemon?
** How scarred is his face? For example, an unofficial drawing by Kirby himself showed Doom only having the thinnest of scars. John Byrne's version clearly was more egregious just from the eye openings in the mask. ''ComicBook/EarthX'' hypothesized that Doom's scars are only mental. ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' finally revealed a canon version of his face which looked akin to leprosy. Additionally, Byrne also created a compromise that's often used - namely, the accident gave him a small scar, but when he put on his mask for the first time, it hadn't cooled yet, and it gave him actual severe burns - Doom would rather be maimed under his mask than spend even a few more seconds with a tiny flaw for all to see, and it dovetails with the idea that most of Doom's problems are self-inflicted.
** In general, Doom's general voice ranges from [[TheSociopath reserved, calculating, and articulate]] to [[LargeHam ranting, mercurial, and pretentious.]] Consensus is that the first one is more intimidating, while the second is more fun.
* {{Determinator}}: The only thing more impervious than Doom's armor is Doom's ''will''.
* DiplomaticImpunity: As the rightful sovereign of Latveria, superheroes hesitate to act against Doom when he is in the USA on diplomatic business; being the legitimate ruler of Latveria, he cannot be arrested for his crimes without causing a diplomatic incident.
* DisabilityAsAnExcuseForJerkassery: Doom uses the excuse that he finds Reed Richards responsible for the accident that caused his scarring as justification for hounding him. What's worse is that not only is Richards not guilty, but he actually tried to warn Doom, and Doom didn't listen.
* DisintegrationChamber: Doom has these in his castle in Latveria, which he uses to execute anyone who violates Doom's law or irritates their liege. A throwaway line mentions these actually replaced the iron maiden that formerly did the same job for Doom's predecessors.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Keep in mind that all of his supervillain career is due to holding one man accountable for an accident that left him heavily scarred. In this case, however, the yearned-for retribution is ''really'' disproportionate, in that Reed didn't even do what Doom blames him for; in fact, not only is Reed not guilty, but he actually tried to warn Doom of flaws in Doom's calculations which had the potential for disaster if they weren't fixed. Doom went ahead with the experiment anyway, and when disaster happened as Reed predicted, Doom's ego couldn't let him admit fault and that Reed, in identifying Doom's error, was smarter than him. In response, he has attempted to kill/destroy/crush/annihilate/insert-grandiose-verb-here Reed and his entire family in various over-the-top ways on numerous occasions in vengeance, at one point possessing his daughter and trapping his son in Hell.
** The disproportion is enhanced further in some tellings of this origin, which state that Doom was not even injured that seriously in the accident to start with. His injuries amounted to [[MinorInjuryOverreaction a small scar on his cheek]], but Doom's vanity could not tolerate even such a minor blemish. He himself caused the horrific injuries by putting on his iconic metal face mask immediately after it had been forged without ''waiting for it to cool down first''. So not only did Reed not cause the accident in the first place, he apparently had no connection with Doom's horrific injuries at all.
** In ''Books of Doom'', one of the tellings of said origin from [[UnreliableNarrator Doom's perspective]], Reed didn't even do that. He looked at Doom's notes and couldn't even make sense of them because Doom was blending magic and technology. He got the scar from Mephisto, the machine being designed to send him to Mephisto's realm so he could find his mother. Why he blames Reed isn't explored.
** Matt Fraction's ''Fantastic Four'' revealed that Reed wasn't even responsible for Doom's accident. Ben Grimm, later the Thing, didn't like Doom's attitude, and he decided to purposefully sabotage the machine. So Doom's hatred of Reed is even more disproportionate.
* DisappearedDad: One of Doom's romantic dalliances with Morgan le Fay wound up producing a daughter. It's unclear if Doom knows this. Certainly, Morgan hasn't yet come after him demanding child support.
* DomesticAbuse: In the sense that he's seen abusing his domestic servants.
* DontYouDarePityMe: Try to show pity towards Doom and be ready to receive one of his bombastic rebuttals, at best. For example: in ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment'', Doom takes advantage of a contest to put Strange in his debt and get his assistance in rescuing his mother's soul from Hell. While they are successful, Cynthia von Doom witnesses her son being a ManipulativeBastard, [[WhatTheHellHero dresses him down]], and escapes to Heaven without any chance of reconciliation. Strange, moved by pity, reaches out to Doom, but Doom coldly rebuffs him.
* DoomyDoomsOfDoom: It is right there in Doom's name, conveniently allowing him to claim that's what he shall bring to those that oppose him.
* DoppelgangerSpin: Doom has an Image Projector that can create a lifelike projection of himself nearby, which he uses as a decoy to befuddle his opponents.
* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: Reed Richards once called Doom a slaver, and Doom's subjects, slaves. Doom, of course, understood why this comparison is not relevant in his own way.
-->'''Doom:''' He dares compare ''me'' to a slave-owner?! History teaches us that slaves have been known to ''escape!'' But here, in my kingdom, ''none'' can escape! I am the master -- they are the subjects -- '''forevermore!'''
* TheDreaded: Doom is a foe rightly feared, though not to the degree of more destructive menaces like the Red Skull, Galactus or Ultron, but since he can keep toe to toe with them, still rightfully dreaded. Even ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}, the Man ''Without'' Fear, had to muster his courage before an audience with the Doctor.
* DrivenByEnvy: Although he'll never admit it, the reason Doom hates Reed Richards as passionately as he does is that he can't stand the fact that Reed is smarter, better, and more admired than him, and always manages to foil his schemes through superior intelligence. Doom finally does admit it in ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015''. No sooner does he concede the point than Molecule Man strips Doom of his godlike powers and grants them to Reed.
* DroitDuSeigneur: [[DependingOnTheWriter Some writers]] have depicted Doom practicing the ''ius primae noctis'' with regards to the maidens of Latveria.
* DubNameChange: In Spanish-speaking translations, Doom's name is changed to "Doctor Muerte" (''Doctor Death''). Other translations give him Doctor Destino (Doctor Destiny), which at least keeps the alliteration.
* EastwardEndeavor: A rare villainous example. He travelled the world after getting expelled from university, ending up in Tibet, where he learnt the monks' secret disciplines and got his PoweredArmor. The experience [[AccidentalPun forged]] him into one of the most powerful and effective supervillains in the world, allowing him to conquer Latveria and eventually unleash his schemes on the Fantastic Four.
* {{Egopolis}}: When Doom seized control of Latveria, the name of its capital was changed from Hassenstadt to Doomstadt, and other major towns followed suit.
* EmperorScientist: Almost as soon as he gained his advanced knowledge in science and wizardry, he conquered Latveria, and Latveria is an unparalleled technological utopia as a result.
* EnemyMine: The ComicBook/FantasticFour and many other heroes have allied with Doom in order to save the world. On one occasion the Four even helped him reclaim Latveria, because his replacement was ''worse''.
* EntitledBastard: In the famous "Unthinkable" arc of ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'', Dr. Doom used demonic possession to seize control over Reed's infant daughter Valeria, captured and tortured his family for days, and opened a portal to hell and threw his son into it. After Reed managed to save the day, he was able to trick Doom into insulting the demons who granted him his power boost, causing them to grab him and drag him into hell. After all this Doom ''still'' asked Reed to save him from an eternity of torment and claim he'd changed his ways but... it says a lot to how much suffering Doom had caused that Reed felt no guilt or shame at all in leaving him there to rot.
* EqualOpportunityEvil: All people, regardless of sex or class or color or creed are welcome in Latveria, so long as they first acknowledge Doom as their master.
* EscapedFromHell: He fought his way out of Hell once, through he had help from the unexpected appearance of a certain [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor hammer]].
-->'''Doctor Doom:''' There is '''Doom''' enough for everyone!
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Doom may be a bonafide supervillain, but his willingness to do whatever is necessary to free his mother from the clutches of Mephisto was a fundamental life-defining trait for decades, until Doom was finally victorious.
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** Like ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, he refuses to have any association with the ComicBook/RedSkull due to Red Skull's Nazi ideology and Doom being of Romani descent.
** ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'' featured a storyline where Doom took possession of the Asgardian Destroyer, lost his mind, and went on a rampage in which several Latverian citizens were killed. This was a treated as [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone a very unpleasant]] turn of events for him, as Doom considers himself Latveria's ruler, not a mindless murderer of its citizens.
** During the Acts of Vengeance crossover event (where villains switched opponents in the belief that facing unfamiliar foes would be to their advantage), Doctor Doom is enraged when he learns that his lackey Typhoid Mary planned to murder the father of prepubescent heroes the Power Pack. He specifically notes he's aware of what such a loss can do to a young child, even admitting he sometimes wonders how he might have turned out if his own father had not died saving his life when he was still a child.
* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: Doom attended the same university as Reed Richards and Ben Grimm, both of whom would become members of the ComicBook/FantasticFour. They didn't like each other as classmates. Likewise, Doom studied sorcery with the Aged Genghis, one of Doctor Strange's colleagues and instructors in the Mystic Arts.
* EvilBrit: The 90s Fantastic Four cartoon strangely depicted Doom as having a British accent.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Doom gets hit with this in the storyline where he saves Reed and Sue's second child. His price is that the baby girl must be named after his lost love, Valeria. Doom, a hardcore egotist with a compulsive need to be the best, thinks this reminder of inferiority will constantly grind away at Reed. Reed, for his part, doesn't give a crap, and is simply happy that his daughter is alive.
** Doom gets hit with this again in Creator/GrantMorrison's mini-series "1-2-3-4", when he attempts to use an alien computer called the Prime Mover to play a four-dimensional chess game against Reed, thinking he can destroy the team's familial bonds. The key to Reed's outplaying Doom lies in that family connection:
--->"My family are an equation. Alter one part of the equation and it no longer tells the truth. You failed from the start. You can no more change our essential nature than you can change E=MC[[superscript:2]]."
* EvilIsHammy: '''''TREMBLE IN FEAR BEFORE DOOM'S [[EvilGloating TITANIC MONOLOGUES]]!''''' Doom's ham-acting actually stems ''directly'' from the {{Pride}} that is at the root of his villainy: not only does he have to be the centre of attention at all times, but he's ''recording his words for posterity'' on top of that.
* EvilIsPetty: A defining trait. Doom may act exactly like a MagnificentBastard of an EvilOverlord with delusions of grandeur and adhere to the [[AffablyEvil appropriate conventions]] of [[NobleDemon nobility and respectability]] to go with it, but it doesn't change the fact that he's still an arrogant prick who's spent half his life obsessively trying to kill his old college pal Reed Richards [[DisproportionateRetribution for being smarter than he is]] and whose attempts to TakeOverTheWorld, overthrow governments, and gain supreme powers are all motivated by the desire to prove that he's smarter than Reed and rub it in his face. He's a SpoiledBrat who wants the chance to yell "nyah nyah nyah nyah!" at the object of his jealousy. This is directly contrasted to his bombastic, overblown persona as an aristocrat because that's how he ''imagines'' a great man to be.
* EvilOverlord: Doom is a supervillain and overlord of Latveria, who plans to someday be overlord of all the Earth.
* EvilPlan: Doom's schemes to rescue his mother may or may not be evil, his other schemes to conquer Earth are less ambiguously evil.
* EvilVersusEvil: Doom must often duke it out with certain criminals, lunatics, and cosmic beings. These have included the ComicBook/RedSkull, the underwater warlord Krang, the demented Onslaught, and higher beings such as the Over-Mind and the Celestials. Virtually his first serial strip, published in ''Astonishing Tales #1-8'' has Doom as a VillainProtagonist battling a bunch of villains as bad and often worse than him.
* EvilVirtues: Ambition (wants to TakeOverTheWorld for its own good), Determination (stronger willpower than ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica''), Valour (responds to hordes of demons attacking him with "I will not go easy, and I will not go alone"), and Responsibility (when he's the reasonable and just ruler of Latveria).
* EvilWillFail: Doom is motivated by an intense egomania that drives him to attempt to conquer the world and kill that blasted Reed Richards, but that very egomania prevents him from recognizing his own mistakes and frequently leads to his own defeat.
* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: Doom has stated that he thinks his destiny to eradicate what he perceives as the chaotic foolishness of mankind and [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans create a perfectly ordered world]] under his iron-fisted rule.
* ExactWords:
** Doom prides himself on always keeping his word, but those he deals with had better pay ''very'' close attention to his phrasing, as he will keep his ''exact'' word. He may promise that ''he'' won't kill you, but that does not mean he can't order one of his Doombots to do it. However, Doom has had considerable character development of late, and didn't really have a good argument when someone pointed out that he was supposed to be above playing such silly word games. Now he adheres to the spirit of his promises and genuinely keeps his word...unless you're an asshole like the Red Skull, in which case he will keep his word in whatever way screws you over the most.
** When Nancy Whitehead watched Doom betray Squirrel Girl this way (he promised to return her to her own time but neglected to mention whether she would be alive or dead), she was shocked that the great Dr. Doom would resort to "stupid baby word games" to get his way. (This was a time-traveling Doom from well before the above-mentioned character development.)
** A good example comes from the 'Unthinkable' story-arc, where Doom has [[spoiler:trapped Franklin Richards in Hell itself, and is clutching the infant Valeria Richards in his arms. He offers Reed a deal, surrender to him and he will 'release the child'. Reed agrees, thinking he means Franklin (with a magic television portal showing Franklin in Hell to convince Reed further), only for Doom to place Valeria on the ground in front of himself,]] as the cruel realisation sinks in for the heroes
* TheExtremistWasRight: During ''ComicBook/JonathanHickmansAvengers'' and ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' Doom's actions of [[ApocalypseHow/ClassX4 destroying entire universes]] was actually meant to prevent a [[ApocalypseHow/ClassZ total reality collapse]] and he succeeded by taking it to a "mere" ApocalypseHow/ClassX5 and creating a Battleworld where he rules the survivors as a God Emperor.
* TheFaceless: Doom had a long habit of remaining masked whenever possible, and [[TheUnreveal happening not to face the readers]] when he was forced to unmask. In ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' #3, Doom's scarred and ruined visage is shown to the audience. This was done in a tender moment between Doom and Susan Storm. However, it is suggested by some that such a display is merely an illusion, crafted by Doom to better gain sympathy from onlookers. When confronted with this, Doom, while finding this theory interesting, chooses not to comment further, either to confirm or deny the accuracy of it.
* FairestOfThemAll: Doom is a rare male example of this trope, although it's only one aspect of the many-layered GreenEyedMonster that drives his hatred for Reed Richards.
* FantasticRacism: It doesn't come up often, and varies DependingOnTheWriter, but Doom is indicated to be prejudiced against mutants. In ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', he dismisses mutants seeking help for their domain and calls them a blight on his world once they're gone. It's also made clear in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'', where upon defeating any of the X-Men characters, will disparagingly refer to them as "mutant scum". On the other hand, in ''ComicBook/OldManLogan'', Doom is stated to have created a safe haven for mutants in the far future, and other stories indicate that Latverian mutants are treated equally in his nation. During ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'' when the different groups suspect that Magneto would obviously support Doom, he reminded everyone that he would never support Victor simply for the fact that he knows that all Doom cares for is himself, leave alone fellow people or oppressed mutants.
* FatalFlaw: {{Pride}}. Although Doom is a {{Chessmaster}} and ManipulativeBastard extraordinaire, his obscene arrogance always ends up being the one flaw in his plans. This even extends to his origin story, where the freak accident that disfigured him was due to him refusing to believe he made a miscalculation. And even then, [[NeverMyFault Doom didn't learn a lesson and instead blamed Reed Richards]].
* AFatherToHisMen: He loves his subjects as a father would love his children and, so long as they are loyal and obedient, be willing to lay down his life to protect them. For them he would even forgo his vengeance against Richards, if only momentarily. Every Latverian is literate, healthy, educated, and financially secure, after all, how can Doom be worthy of a tyrant's throne if he cannot even look after the ''basic'' welfare of his people, much less build a strong country?
** This does not however extent to any outside help Doom recruits. To them he is a BadBoss who will sacrifice them on a whim when it suits him.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Doom can be generous, respectful and honorable, but that's just him behaving the way he thinks a great man is supposed to be like.
* TheFettered: Again and again, Doom has been forced to choose between his final and total victory and his principles. Doom has chosen to remain true to his own principles.
* Fiction500: Even for a dictator, his resources seem limitless, and in real life, the economy of any first world country should have plummeted from all his expenses on his numerous ventures, let alone Latveria.
* FieryRedhead: Dr. Doom had a head of red hair as a young man and still does in the occasions when his face briefly repairs itself. And he's a man of rather hot temper and strong passion.
* FirstNameBasis: He's on first name basis with each member of the Fantastic Four, except, naturally, for Reed Richards. He naturally uses the proper forms (i.e. "Susan", "Jonathon", "Benjamin") rather than the friendlier short forms ("Sue/Susie", "Johnny", "Ben").
* {{Foil}}: ComicBook/RasAlGhul might be considered an AlternateCompanyEquivalent. Doom is less magnanimous in defeat, however.
* FondMemoriesThatCouldHaveBeen: During the ''ComicBook/ActsOfVengeance'' crossover event, Doom admitted occasionally wondering how his life might have turned out if his father had not frozen to death in a valiant attempt to save Doom's life as a child. Perhaps he might have become a great healer like his father, happily married to his childhood sweetheart Valeria. In the end, he dismisses such thoughts because they're pointless: what's done is done, and [[IHaveComeTooFar Doom can only go forward]].
* ForgotAboutHisPowers: Many, '''many''' times, Doom has lost fights because he didn't bother using his magic.
* FreakyFridayFlip:
** Doom once devised a plan (the exact details of which end up being [[TheUnreveal unrevealed]]) to kill the Fantastic Four by switching bodies with ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}. In hindsight, this was not the most... elegant of his plans, [[VillainBall trading his armor and vast resources for the body of a man whom he easily subdued on his own, and then putting him in a position where he could have easily killed him in turn]]. Fortunately (if unsurprisingly) for Doom, his clutch on the IdiotBall was far firmer than Doom's.
** Doom has since dominated this power spiritually, taught to him by the Ovoids, and managed to avoid being KilledOffForReal by requiring a noble sacrifice of a local man. However, his ego prevents him from using that particular trick too often as he dislikes the idea of discarding his own body in favor of another unless absolutely necessary, and takes steps to return to his true form as soon as possible.
** One of his earliest appearances involved him pulling this on Reed Richards, and then trying to dupe the rest of the Fantastic Four into letting him zap them out of existence with a ShrinkRay.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: From a man of humble origins spent among simple Romani to the ruler of his home country and somebody who can go toe to toe with {{Physical God}}s.
* FutureMeScaresMe: Subverted in that in various encounters with his future selves, he was less scared of them rather than he found them lacking. However, in one incident, Doom learned he was fated to travel to medieval Europe, where he'll establish himself as the Baron of Iron, producing anachronistic technologies with ease. Doom was suitably impressed by his future-self's resourcefulness.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:G to L]]

* GadgeteerGenius: Long before Tony Stark constructed his armor, Doom did fashion his own in a cave, from ''less'' than scraps, along with a fully functioning nuclear-powered jetpack.
* GainaxEnding: The "What If Doctor Doom Became a Hero?" Elseworld ends with Mephisto, annoyed with Doom successfully rescuing his mother's soul much earlier than in the normal canon, forcing him into a SadisticChoice between him taking the soul of his lover, or the entirety of Latveria's populace. Doom reluctantly chose the former, arguing that he could not let the vast good he had done for the world be erased, and vowed to rescue his lover from Mephisto. The story then ended at that moment.
* TheGeneralissimo: As ruler of Latveria Doom is effectively a tinpot dictator, albeit one capable of backing up all of his threats and boasts.
* GenuineHumanHide: In Doom's darkest hour, he made a pact with a cabal of demons to give him unlimited magical power, at the cost of his lover Valeria's life and soul, crafting a new suit out of her flesh.
* GoKartingWithBowser: During one of their many battles, he and Richards managed to finish their last, unfinished chess game, which they had ''memorized since college''.
* AGodAmI: Doom is the unsurpassed master and monarch of this trope. Even when he is not empowered, Doom's pride has him see himself above gods, and that even they should show him respect. Consequently, Doom seeks out such beings so that he can usurp their powers. "I want that power. By right, it is mine. For ultimate power is the ultimate destiny of Doom!" And, in fact, Victor von Doom has come within a fraction of a hair's width of securing Real Ultimate Power[[{{Tradesnark}} ™]] several times in the past. He has built a siphoning device that has allowed him to successfully steal not only the Power Cosmic of the Silver Surfer and ComicBook/{{Galactus}} but also The Beyonder's apparently omnipotent abilities in the course of the ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'' story arc, as well as that of a renegade watcher. Naturally, [[StatusQuoIsGod he is beaten in the end once again]], but still...
---> '''Doom:''' ''No one rivals Doom! There is no power on Earth, no intellect in all creation, to equal mine!''
** After Creator/MarkMillar's run he gained god-like powers at a level strong enough to kill a Watcher. Still, it's possible that all writers will quickly forget about it.
** In the Chaos Engine series of novels, Doom rebuilt the siphoning device and used it on Roma, Guardian of the Omniverse to try to claim her throne. The titular Chaos Engine itself was a (faulty) Cosmic Cube that granted Doom whatever he wished within its power -- he used it to TakeOverTheWorld, rewrite history[[note]][[AlternateUniverse Or so he thought]][[/note]], and secretly use MindControl on ComicBook/{{Magneto}} to make him into a genocidal monster to be his new ArchEnemy (after he finally defeated that accursed Richards) because VictoryIsBoring. He did not quite claim godhood... but, apart from making himself King of the Earth, he ''did'' think he had the right to kill everyone on the planet when he realized that the Cube was ''killing'' him.
** And ultimately, all of that was just a warmup for ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', where Doom succeeds in the biggest, most absolute way possible: [[spoiler:saving the entire Marvel Multiverse from falling into oblivion, putting all the broken pieces together into one sole existence, and placing himself at its head as its God-Emperor. Forget ruling just a single universe, Doom now rules literally EVERYTHING EVER that exists in Marvel.]] Kneel before Doom, indeed.
** Doom's God complex is impressive enough that [[InsanityImmunity he can use it to]] NoSell mind control. Other people exist for Doom to order about, not the other way around.
** When Doom is perceived as "mistaken" in his godhood, Doom stated that [[MovingTheGoalposts being a God is simply beneath him]].
* GodEmperor: In ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', Doom gains god-like power and [[spoiler:makes his ''own'' world, Latverion, better known as "Battleworld". Further, he rescues virtually everyone who had perished by the Incursions, something the greatest minds failed to do. Even Richards had to admit the success.]]
* GodhoodSeeker: Victor von Doom has an ego worthy of a god, but he's aware that -- while he may be one of the most-powerful sorcerers in the world -- he is still only human. However, he is more than happy to steal the power of cosmic entities for himself whenever the opportunity presents itself.
* GrandTheftMe: One of Doom's many abilities, which he learned from aliens and have used to escape death and imprisonment on occasion. Richards speculates the reason he does not use this more often is because of his vanity.
* GreenEyedMonster: This is the reason Doom hates Mr. Fantastic. He can't stand the fact that Reed Richards is smarter than him, and has beaten Doom every time he has tried to kill Reed and/or TakeOverTheWorld. In addition to those few extra IQ points, Reed also has everything else Doom doesn't have, from worldwide respect all the way down to unmarred good looks.
* HappinessIsMandatory: Doom's rule in Latveria has him taking a personal interest in the happiness of ''every one'' of his loyal subjects.
-->'''Doom''' ''[to a servant]'' But, why so glum, my loyal one? You know the ''penalty'' for looking discontented!\\
'''Servant''' ''[quickly assumes a big, albeit slightly sickly-looking smile]'' Y-Yes, Excellency!
* HardWorkHardlyWorks: Doom devoted much of my life to the study of sorcery, only to find Doctor Strange, who only studied it for a few months, far surpass him. As you might expect, Doom did not take this information well.
* HeelFaceMole: Doom has used agents, such as Laszlo Chaloupek, who would pretend to be a "resistance fighters" and discover other people against Doom. A favorite tactic would be Laszlo setting a "trap" for Doom that would actually turn out to be on a resistance leader. However, during a time when Doom was [[ComicBook/{{Axis}} not quite himself]], he exposed Chaloupek to his "allies" and then had him executed.
* HeelRealization: Has one twice; first when he destroys the Beyonders, realizing that he doesn't have what it takes to rebuild the multiverse and that Reed could have done it better, and a second time after Reed restores everything and heals his face.
* HellBentForLeather: In the sequel film from 2005, Julian [=McMahon's=] version of Doom wears a long black trenchcoat before donning garb similar to what appears in the comics.
* HellHasNewManagement: When Doom was dragged down to Hell, Richards was desperate to revive him because he knew that he would become its new lord. Let's just say that he inadvertently insulted Doom's competence by saying it would've taken weeks for Doom to do so.
* HerrDoktor: Much like ComicBook/DoctorOctopus, Doom was given a Germanic accent in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries''. Still, in the same continuity, Doom was not only also able to harness enough power to repair his own face and return it to its original, handsome appearance, but finally outdo Richards by curing Ben Grimm. Plus, Doom ''does'' come from Latveria, which is somewhere in Eastern Europe.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:In Marvel 2099, he gave his life to save the world from the menace of the Phalanx.]]
* HeterosexualLifePartners:
** Boris, an old friend of Doom's parents and Doom's [[UndyingLoyalty most loyal servant]], is one of the handful of people to have earned Doom's genuine trust. And this is even after Doom skinned Boris's granddaughter...
** [[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2 When Doom was summoned by Ruby Heart to save the universe]] (and he accepted so he could conquer it himself), he made quick friends with Strider Hiryu. [[Memes/CapcomVs They were never seen fighting apart.]]
* HijackedByGanon: When Doom's 'master', the Marquis of Death, seemingly deposed him and attempted to defeat the Fantastic Four himself, he did not realize that his new 'apprentice' was actually Doom, having survived his attempts and prepared vengeance. In the end, it was Doom who dealt the final blow to the ill-fated Marquis.
* HisOwnWorstEnemy: Frequently the greatest obstacle to Doctor Doom's victories is Doom himself. His ComplexityAddiction means that many times he might defeated his enemies, his desire to prove his own superiority lets them grasp victory from the jaws of defeat. On top of that his desire for enemies to battle means he can't be satsified if he does beat all his enemies.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard:
** When he stole the ComicBook/SilverSurfer's power, he only lost due to Richards tricking him into running into the barrier Galactus set up to keep him from leaving Earth.
** During ''Unthinkable'', when Doom made a deal to gain the level of sorcerous skill he would have attained if he'd spent the last few years studying magic rather than science, he decided to taunt Reed by sticking him in a library of magic books, certain that Reed would never be able to get his head around magic to do anything to him. While Reed needed lessons from Doctor Strange to do anything, the fact remains that he only made contact with Strange because of the books Doom had provided for him.
*** In the same story, the demons that gave Doom his enhanced magical powers made it clear that such abilities were given only by their whims, and that Doom's power was ultimately theirs; Doom dismissed the notion that was he was subservient to anyone and spun it so that the demons might be considered his "partners", which they seemed to accept. In the ensuing battle with Mr. Fantastic, Reed was able to admit how little he knew about magic, and that he was only holding his own in the fight because he had accepted help from Dr. Strange; Doom sneered at this and claimed that he was superior because he didn't accept help from anyone. Turns out that demons don't like it when someone takes credit for their work, and they quickly took back that which they had given; if Doom had held back the gloating for just a little longer, he might have actually won.
** ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', [[spoiler:Doom finally admitted that Reed could have done a better job putting reality back together than he did. It caused the Molecule Man to take away the power Doom was using.]]
* {{Hologram}}: Doom's Hologram Projector can project images transmitted from a Doombot or other minion, allowing Doom to watch his opponents from afar.
* HonorBeforeReason: A large part of Doom's character. He will never destroy a weakened opponent (he considers such tactics beneath a mind such as his) and will always repay a debt to people who helped him, even heroes (he owed ComicBook/CaptainAmerica for saving his life, so he saved his).
* HonoraryUncle: His god-daughter Valeria Richards calls him "Uncle Doom".
* HumongousMecha: Doom once created one, [[http://marvel.wikia.com/Doomsman_II_(Earth-616) The Doomsman]], to destroy the Fantastic Four.
* IconicOutfit: The Mask, the green surcoat hood and cape, the metal armor, complete with golden clasps and chain, is one of the most famous, stylish, and enduring costume designs in comics. One that has been changed and altered little since his first appearance.
* IconicItem: That goblet Doom always keeps on hand, adding to his medieval shtick. Doom's Time Travel Platform is also quite an iconic gadget and device and frequently used in later stories by writers in the wider-verse.
* IGaveMyWord: He ''always'' keeps his word, though one should [[ExactWords pay crucial attention to the exact words.]]
** DependingOnTheWriter. Sometimes Doom will break his word like he did with Namor in ''Emperor Doom''. Doctor Doom promised Namor rule of the oceans in exchange for helping with his scheme to mind control the planet. Doom would later turn on Namor and reduce him to a mind controlled slave like the rest of the world for no reason other than because he felt like it.
* IgnoredEpiphany: The same willpower that allowed Doctor Doom to resist the ComicBook/RedSkull's Hate Wave in ''ComicBook/{{AXIS}}'' also meant he was able to deny the revelations about himself the Truth Wave that was unleashed to counter the Hate Wave forced upon him (in the Axis tie-in issues of ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard''). The literal bonafide Truth smacked Doom in the face... and he refused to accept it. That's either impressive or sad. Maybe both.
* IJustWantToBeLoved: It seems that one of the first things Doom tends to do when ascending to new heights is set himself with one fetching wench or another (Scarlet Witch in ''ComicBook/TheChildrensCrusade'', Morgan Le Fay in ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'', and [[FoeRomanceSubtext Susan Storm]] in...well, countless {{Alternate Universe}}s and adaptations), to the point that it wouldn't be a surprise if some character finds Doom on a dating website.
* IJustWantToBeYou: It does not go uncommented on by Reed during ''Secret Wars'' that, after installing himself as God-Emperor of his own world, Doom married a version of Sue Storm. Resentment? Jealousy? Whatever do you mean?
* ImmortalitySeeker:
** As Thanos treats Death as a person he can court, Doom seems to treat age as a person he can defeat.
---> '''Doctor Doom:''' As Doom will defeat all enemies, even age itself.
** There are times where he seems to be in a melancholy mood regarding it, though, DependingOnTheWriter, but he'll snap out of it soon enough.
---> '''Doctor Doom:''' My years already feel like eons. I fear the eons themselves cannot be endured.
** It should be pointed out that Doom himself is also very, very wary about the price of immortality. During one adventure with Iron Man when they were sent to the future, he encountered his future counterpart. Seeing the decrepit figure who'd resorted to keeping himself alive by replacing much of his body with machines and wired to a life support system, Doom slew his future self and swore that while he did seek power, he'd always be careful of the price he'd have to pay.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: This has often been suggested about Doom. Creator/MarkWaid wondered if his need to be a ruler who's feared and revered is just trying to forget that as a boy he was penniless and miserable. And that his bitterness and hatred toward Reed Richards comes from the fact that he knows, deep down, that the machine that exploded and burned his face really was due to his own miscalculation and he's just bitter Reed spotted the flaw that he missed (and also that he was too stubborn to listen to his advice). [[spoiler:At the end of ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', he finally got over it and admitted that Richards was smarter than him. And then immediately tried to kill him for it, so there really would be no one superior to Doom.]]
* InformedAttribute: Moments where the audience is told [[CharacterShilling Doom's motives for world domination are completely selfless]]. The number of times Doom has shown he's more interested in pursuing his grudge against Reed Richards than actually helping people undermines that.
* InsanityImmunity: It seems that Doom's belief that he has an innate right to rule means that he needs neither technology nor sorcery to protect himself from any effort at mind control, as Doom considers that he cannot be made to obey: that is the function of all ''other'' beings. He's looked Killgrave in the eye and ignored his mind-control powers with no ill effect.
* InsufferableGenius: Doom is renowned for his villainous arrogance. His original enmity with Reed Richards came about because he refused to consider the possibility that he could make an error, then, when the machine blew up in his face (literally), he concluded that Richards had sabotaged it.
** On several occasions, it's been plainly stated that Doom is more than smart enough to easily figure out the secret identities of every hero in the Marvel Universe. Fortunately, his arrogance means he doesn't give a crap who any of them are under their masks and isn't going to waste time on it.
* InTheHood: To be frank, a hood ''over'' a helmet does not help Doom's peripheral vision. Still, Doom seems to have grown used to it.
* IntrinsicVow: Doom's Hypnoticon device can put hypnotic commands in the minds of others. If a command goes against the victim's morals they'll try to resist it and thwart Doom's will, but they will fail.
* InvincibleVillain: When you start in the Silver Age with the ability to make undetectable robot duplicates and believably justify always having a successful escape plan, then add in a rather sketchy form of diplomatic immunity, and then give decades to amass raw PopularityPower amongst comic readers and writers, the end result is this. The willingness with which Doom authors will {{retcon}} away any defeat of Doom's as being either ActuallyADoomBot or JustAsPlanned has resulted in Doom having one of ''the'' biggest string of victories of any Marvel villain, and an appropriate reputation as a MemeticBadass InUniverse and out. One of the reasons ComicBook/SquirrelGirl has such a cult following is the fact she managed to be one of the few people to ever hand Doom a defeat that ''wasn't'' retconned.
* IOweYouMyLife: Doom is not without gratitude to those who have managed eliminate a threat to Doom before he could. On one occasion, Doom was visiting the United States, and despite being personally protected by ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, he came under attack, yet was saved by ComicBook/SpiderMan. Of course, when he told Spider-Man that he would repay him for saving his life one day, he rejected the offer, and they had this exchange:
-->'''Doctor Doom:''' It is my understanding that you took it upon yourself to prevent harm from befalling me.\\
'''Spider-Man:''' You mean did I save your sorry butt? Yeah. I did. I'm not happy about it, but I did it.\\
'''Doctor Doom:''' Nonetheless, I owe you a debt, and--\\
'''Spider-Man:''' Keep it. The reason those guys came after you, the reason all this happened, is that you ''are'' a tyrant, and I can't wait for the day when I can turn on CNN and watch you trying to defend yourself in front of a jury in The Hague. So take your thanks and stick it.\\
'''Doctor Doom:''' It is well that I owe you a debt, because I would kill anyone else who spoke those words to me.
* IRejectYourReality: Doctor Doom lives in a world in which he is the hero and Reed Richards is responsible for nearly everything bad in his life, starting with his scarred face. It was Doom's own fault that the machine exploded scarring his face, but admitting that would mean admitting that Reed (who tried to warn him about the calculation errors) is smarter than him. Doom's ego is too huge to ever allow that, so he came up with [[NeverMyFault the delusion that Reed "sabotaged" his machine]]. Case in point: in ComicBook/{{Axis}} the bonafide truth smacked him in the face thanks to the truth wave, created by Valeria Richards and Loki to combat the Red Skull's HatePlague, and he ''[[IgnoredEpiphany rejected both!]]'' Which is either impressive or sad. Maybe both.
* IrislessEyemaskOfMystery: In all its forms, Doom's mask constantly averts this trope. His mask has a heads-up display both within the lenses and surrounding them. Not only are his irises visible whenever he's roughly facing the viewer, but also some of the damaged tissue around his eyes, an allusion to the horrific accident that left his face badly disfigured.
* IrrationalHatred: Doctor Doom has built his entire career as a supervillain around spiting his old college pal Reed Richards for a freak lab accident that left him disfigured. Reed didn't actually ''cause'' the accident or anything. In fact, he actually tried to warn Doom that his calculations had errors that could lead to disaster before the experiment began. Doom just ignored him out of arrogance. Doom's subsequently decided that Reed ''obviously'' sabotaged the experiment, and spends every waking moment since then trying to destroy Reed, his friends, and family because, otherwise, [[InsufferableGenius he'd have to admit Reed was simply smarter than him]] and that [[NeverMyFault he made a mistake]].
** That said, he may be closer to the mark than he knows. Ben Grimm admitted (in a sort of last will video, played when he was thought dead) that he messed with the wiring of Doom's device because he was upset with Doom's treatment of his friend Reed. He has since harbored a secret fear that he may be responsible for Doctor Doom's becoming a scarred villain.
* ItsAllAboutMe: The man even goes as far as to rename the capital of Latveria after himself. Heck, when he was in control of Counter-Earth, [[UpToEleven he renamed the planet after himself]]. Doom firmly believes that the world functions as Doom says it does and anyone who claims otherwise is a liar or a fool.
** And [[ThirdPersonPerson refers to himself in the third person.]] And thinks that every single thing wrong with his life is Reed Richards' fault, because the great DOOM is infallible, and [[ArchEnemy that accursed Richards]] is [[{{Hypocrite}} obviously jealous of his intellect and wants to destroy him.]]
** It's even been revealed that Doom's armor records ''every word he says'', and these are transcribed to multiple different storage methods (paper, microfilm, flash drives, hard drive, etc.) so that they will be preserved for posterity.
* {{Jerkass}}: While being a villain makes this a given, at times he's also this even to other villains. For example, he once called the Leader to gloat that Stark and Richards sent the Hulk into space, thus cheating him of the chance to finally defeat Banner, just for the sake of being a {{Troll}}.
* JetPack: Doom deploys either a Jet Pack or rocket boots, depending on his whim.
* JokerImmunity: Partly justified in that Doom actually has diplomatic immunity due to being ruler of a country. At times on official visits to the United States, he has been escorted by ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, even though he battled him many times in the past. However, there have been numerous instances where Doom has seemingly been KilledOffForReal only to return later. Once subject to LampshadeHanging during a time when Doom was trapped in Hell: Richards knew it was only a matter of time before he ended up running the place, and plotted to transport him to a prison of his own making before he inevitably escaped on his own (which he did, of course).
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Doom is no fool. To quote an old maxim, "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day." This is one of the major factors that makes him such an effective villain for the Marvel universe as a whole: he generally avoids unnecessary risk.
** One fine example is his very first battle with Spider-Man in the fifth issue of Spidey's original series. He had the wallcrawler on the ropes and came close to killing him, but then caught sight of the Fantasticar approaching. Realizing he couldn't fight both Spider-Man '''and''' the Fantastic Four (especially when he was unprepared for them), he fled.
** Another example is when he battled the Avengers over a powerful supercomputer. Vision, realizing the risk of letting either Doom or the US Government (who'd tasked the Avengers with recovering the computer in the first place) have the computer, destroyed it instead. When he realized what had happened, Doom disengaged from his battle with the other Avengers to confirm the loss of the computer, then cursed the Vision and swore revenge before simply flying away. Further battle no longer served any purpose.
** However, even Doom can forget this when dealing with matters of the heart: following a fight with the Hulk, he refused at the time to admit that he had lost, even though the only thing keeping Hulk from killing Doom was Doom's childhood sweetheart Valeria, as she reminded him of Betty Ross.
* LargeHam: Doom not only refers to himself in the third person, he can also speak '''IN CAPITALS''' when necessary. Doom can also speak with '''''[[BoldInflation BOLD STYLIZED ITALICS]]''''' when the situation warrants it. Which is to say, whenever Doom pleases to do so. '''''TREMBLE IN FEAR BEFORE DOOM'S [[EvilGloating TITANIC MONOLOGUES]]!''''' Surprisingly averted in ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'', where his hamminess is of [[ColdHam the cold variety]].
* LightIsNotGood: In ''ComicBook/TheChildrensCrusade'', Doom becomes the perfect white-robed savior with holy powers after the life energy is transferred during an "accident" in the spell to restore mutantkind's powers. And again as God-Emperor Doom, where he's willing to destroy entire lives on a whim.
* LivingLegend: Doom is one, having enforced a nebulous image of himself using his exploits and robots. As he notes to Loki in ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'':
--> '''Doom:''' "If I am ever '''defeated''' or '''dishonored'''-- If I ever act in ways '''unworthy''' of myself... If I ever '''die'''... The word goes out: 'It must have been a '''Doombot''''...Doom cannot '''fit''' in such '''small''' containers. I am '''not''' my body. '''Not''' my '''mind'''. I am... I am the '''old trunk''', filled with ancient '''mysteries'''. I am the '''explosion''' in the '''college laboratory'''. I am the '''mask''' that '''burns''' with the fires of '''vengeance'''. I am the '''legend''' that unites this '''nation'''. I am the '''story''' of '''Doom'''."
* LoopholeAbuse: Doom is fond of doing this. His pride generally prevents him from breaking his word outright, but breaking the spirit of it is fair game. Once, Dr. Doom trapped poor Franklin in Hell, and while holding baby Valeria, promised Reed he'd release his child if he surrendered. Reed complied, and Doom promptly... put Valeria down.
* LoveMakesYouCrazy: This trope came irresistibly when he found himself pausing to rescue his lover Valeria during a confrontation with the Hulk. [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished And because he was thus distracted, the Hulk was able to grapple him and nearly crush him]] before Valeria, who reminded the brute of Betty Ross, convinced him to let him go.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:M to R]]
* MadScientist: A scientist that uses his profession to try to conquer the Earth, and then some.
* MagicalRomani: He's the son of a Romani woman and a SorcerousOverlord. Apparently, he took after his mother in that respect.
* {{Magitek}}: Doom is one of the few residents of the Marvel Universe who possesses the skill and genius required to combine sorcery and super-science. This is sometimes used to emphasize his AlwaysSecondBest status[[note]]he isn't as good with technology/sorcery as a specialist character in that field, so he makes up for the difference by "cheating" through the melding the two[[/note]], and other times used to emphasize just how amazing Doom really is, by demonstrating how it allows him to find solutions that a specialist wouldn't be able to use or even conceive of[[note]]in "What if: Dr. Doom was the Sorcerer Supreme", Doom subdues Mordo early on by using a robot double to implant a nanite-bomb in Mordo's brain; the Ancient One thinks that this is just an elaborate bluff on Doom's part, rather than the deadly serious threat it really is, which is why the Ancient One doesn't dismiss Doom[[/note]].
* MakeMyMonsterGrow: Doom assumed giant form in ''Secret Wars'' and ''Avengers: The Children's Crusade''.
* MeaningfulName: The name "Victor" means "conqueror" in Latin, which Doom no doubt would find quite apropos.
* MinorInjuryOverreaction: One ComicBook/FantasticFour comic alleged that the disfigurement that Doom received in trying to rescue his mother from Hell was actually a relatively minor scar, but he saw it as horribly devastating due to his vanity. What ''truly'' damaged Doom's face was when he had his original suit of armor forged and impatiently decided to put the [[NightmareFace still red-hot metal mask on]].
* MisplacedRetribution: Often there are those who blame Doom for their own failings or flaws. Morgana Le Fay, whom Doom once courted, found cause to blame Doom for his regrettable absence from her chambers, believing Doom had willingly spurned her company. In truth, Doom had been waylaid and arrested by Iron Man.
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Doom himself will somewhat lampshade this by conceding that he has never completed an academic doctorate, but awarded himself the title once he took over Latveria, considering himself the smartest man on the planet (and he is indeed one of the smartest), and of course, he cares little for anybody else's opinion.
* MoralPragmatist: In the AlternateTimeline of Earth-1191, Doom had become older and unsound in mind and body--by ''Doom's'' standards. He was still vastly superior to all other beings. Still, Doom chose to help the heroes simply because it allowed him to stretch his still-impeccable intellect and retain mental lucidity for greater periods of time. It was made known in no uncertain terms, however, that if he ever became healthy again, Doom would once again put the world under his iron fist.
* MoralSociopathy: Doctor Doom subscribes to a personal code of honour that concerns [[IGaveMyWord always keeping his word]], repaying any debt he owes to another, [[TheGoodKing looking after the welfare of the people of Latveria]], [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans working to eradicate poverty, famine, disease, and war]] via [[TakeOverTheWorld world domination]], and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick ruthlessly avenging any and every insult to his character, real or imagined]]. Depending on his mood (and, thus, DependingOnTheWriter), he can abuse the hell out of all of these — ExactWords, RevengeBeforeReason, DisproportionateRetribution, EvilIsPetty, UngratefulBastard, ItsAllAboutMe, and a serious LackOfEmpathy are all characteristics of the man that his code doesn't get in the way of, and Latveria is sometimes depicted as a brutally efficient PoliceState. As his worst, ColdBloodedTorture, WouldHurtAChild, and mass-murder are all fair game.
* MoralityPet: Valeria is certainly the only person to have a calming effect on Doom. Though even that can have its limits.
* MundaneSolution: Once, Tony Stark used a special program to make the world forget he was also Iron Man. In a later confrontation, Doom revealed he still remembered, causing Stark to demand to know what sort of mystical spell or incredibly advanced technology Doom used to retain this memory. Doom stated that he simply wrote it down on a piece of paper.
* MyGreatestFailure:
** When attempting to activate a machine that would hopefully allow him to communicate with his dead mother, it instead exploded and horribly burned his face. Doom quickly but incorrectly pinned the blame on Reed Richards, arrogantly believing that he sabotaged Doom's machine through his "spite" and "incompetence."
** Retconned so that the exploding machine just gave Doom a medium scar on his cheek, which he saw as a huge blemish. When he later had the mystic monks forge a suit of armor for him, he was too impatient to wait for the faceplate to cool before putting it on, and the red-hot metal against his face caused its disfiguration.
** Retconned again to say that the machine functioned exactly as intended, and the demon Mephisto (who held his mother's soul) lashed out at Doom, causing the device's catastrophic malfunction. Doom could always feel the demon's claws on his face as was constantly plagued by taunting nightmares, and was eager/impatient to put on the armor because he had it enchanted to block those feelings.
* MyopicConqueror: He once successfully conquered the entire planet. After a little while, he grew bored and allowed old governments to restore control. Then he took it all over again.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Well, for what else would somebody name themselves "Doctor Doom"?
* {{Narcissist}}: Doom holds his own value to an unhealthy degree and sees himself as perfect. Reed became his nemesis because [[IRejectYourReality he blamed him for the accident]] which scarred his perfect face. Taken even further in some versions of his origin, where the scarring is fairly minor, but he insists on putting on his famous mask before it's finished cooling, due to his need to "conceal" the imperfection.
* NeverMyFault: The entire basis of Doctor Doom's vendetta against the Fantastic Four is that he is unable to accept that Reed Richards was actually right when warning him of a critical error in his calculations during an experiment Doom was conducting. Doom dismissed Reed's warnings as [[YoureJustJealous jealousy]], only for the experiment to blow up in his face. The idea that Richards was correct -- and therefore, in Doom's eyes, smarter than him -- was so abhorrent to Doom that he concluded that Reed had deliberately sabotaged Doom's experiment, and so [[DisproportionateRetribution has attempted to creatively kill Richards and his family on numerous occasions]]. Even more jarring is that the retcon shows that Doom really was right and Richards was indeed wrong: the machine worked perfectly. It blew up because Doom used it to take a peek into {{Hell}}. With Doom it's more "Always Reed Richards' Fault".
* NeverRecycleYourSchemes: Doom thinks that only lesser minds repeat themselves to accomplish their goals. His incarnation in the 90s Fantastic Four cartoon subverts this as both season finales of the show end with a plot revolving around him stealing the powers of the ComicBook/SilverSurfer. One can forgive the show for [[RecycledScript using the same plot twice]] since the creators themselves [[CreatorBacklash admitted their first attempt was a butchered]] {{adaptation|Decay}} of one of Doom's storylines in the comics.
** Considering that one of the reasons he's actually given up rule of the world is because he actually enjoys the challenge, it could be seen that his preference for not rehashing his schemes is an extension of this. Sure, he ''could'' improve on an old plan and correct whatever weak point caused it to fail before, but that's not as challenging as making a brand new one.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot:
** His costume and aesthetic is a mix of medieval and modern. He wears a Renaissance cape and hood, green surcoat, golden clasps and medieval belt over futuristic armor and tech. He lives in a medieval castle and a Mitteleuropean country that looks like a land from the Middle Ages but is actually technologically advanced beyond many first world nations. He combines the medieval, with the modern, and the cosmic.
** A storyline involving ComicBook/TheMightyThor had him upping the ante by creating zombie cyborg Asgardians, and creating a suit of armor from Asgardian magic that he modeled after the Destroyer, though it proved a poor imitation and was destroyed by Thor. Luckily for him, Doom had a teleportation device set up in case of that outcome.
* NobleDemon: DependingOnTheWriter, but he usually is depicted as having redeeming qualities and a sense of honor. [[IGaveMyWord Doom is a man of his word]], and keeps his promises, ''even to his enemies''. For example, when talking with ComicBook/SpiderMan in "Doomed Affairs" (ASM #50, V.2) after the latter has assisted Doom in dealing with an assassination attempt, he told Spider-Man that he would repay him for saving his life one day, and when he rejected the offer, Doom stated that he immediately repaid the debt by ''not'' killing him for his ingratitude. It is not surprising then that he does make few promises, or that he [[ExactWords very carefully words]] those promises which he does make.
* NoChallengeEqualsNoSatisfaction: Ran into this ''Emperor Doom''. His plan to mind control the Earth succeeded, and Doom found that a plan that allowed him to take over the world so easily with no resistance to his rule left him feeling that VictoryIsBoring.
** Similarly, in Supervillain Team Up he successfully takes over the world without anyone even realizing it, but frees Magneto to oppose him because he feels someone of Magneto's caliber at least deserves the chance to challenge him.
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He's been accused of this, since for all his talk about making the world a better place, he's more interested in his vendetta with Reed Richards and propping his own ego. On top of this Doom has [[VictoryIsBoring abandoned uncontested rule of the world because it leaves him with no challenges left]] both times he's achieved it. While he did save reality in ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' the world he created and ruled over afterwards was [[CrapsackWorld plagued by the myriad of supervillains from the different universes]] and Doom did nothing to stop them unless they directly challenged him or his authority, even though his infinite power would allow him to do so easily, all while enforcing his rule with an iron fist. Doctor Doom saved reality, but the comic points to there being nothing noble about his intentions to do so for world conquest.
* NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine: Doom has been known to show mercy to his guests. In fact, he provides the page image (from ''Fantastic Four'' #87, 1969). In that scene, Crystal and Sue are trying to escape Doom's castle, only to run right into the dictator's personal dining room. Despite the fact that he was trying to kill them before, he now treats them as honored guests. EvenEvilHasStandards, especially when it comes to getting three square meals apparently.
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: He's Romani, but adaptions often give him an American accent, and in one instance [[EvilBrit a British one]].
* NotQuiteBackToNormal: Julian [=McMahon's=] version of Doom got to thank Silver Surfer in the sequel for zapping him with his energy attack that healed him of his electric scars, but he still had his electric powers.
* NotSoDifferentRemark:
** When he can put aside his irrational jealousy of him, he and Richards occasionally have moments such as this. As the two most intelligent people on Earth, they find it a relief to engage in a conversation without having to simplify their discourse.
** In his famous confrontation with Luke Cage, Dr. Doom notes that Luke is just like Victor was when he was young, a poor struggling minority kid pushing back against a prejudiced world that was oppressing him.
** Doom's last confrontation with ComicBook/IronMan revealed an interesting fact -- their armors use the same (or almost identical) software. Stark is not the only one who can achieve such feats of technological innovation, though even Doom has to grant Stark some credit for that.
* NotThatKindOfDoctor: It should probably be pointed out Doom's title of 'Doctor' is one he gave himself. He is not a medical doctor of any kind. Most of his expertise lies in magic and technology.
* ObviouslyEvil: Seriously, his ''real, legal'' surname, is '''Doom'''.
** But hey, he was born with that. Of course, there's also his skull-esque facemask, his green cloak, SlouchOfVillainy, and tendency to go on long-winded rants. And it’s not just that his surname is Doom... ''[[ThirdPersonPerson he constantly refers to himself as such.]]'' Doom clearly does not care how evil he appears, sounds, or acts.
* OddFriendship: With Namor the Sub-Mariner, the King of Atlantis. In addition to being allies who both fight the Fantastic Four, they are both rulers of powerful nations, both have similar attitudes to who they consider beneath them, and both desire the same woman, Susan Storm. [[spoiler:This is why Doom was so offended by Namor neglecting to invite him into his Illuminati when the [[ComicBook/SecretWars2015 2015 Secret Wars]] incursions started to destroy the Multiverse.]]
* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: Of course. Doom has taken part in part nearly every form of science one can think of, and many one could not.
* OneWingedAngel: Doom has assumed extra powerful forms on occasion.
** Doom stole the Beyonder's power in ''Secret Wars'', briefly [[MakeMyMonsterGrow becoming a giant]].
** During the "Unthinkable" storyline, Doom gained a new, mystical armor.
** In [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor the "Latverian Prometheus" arc]], Doom modifies and controls [[AnimatedArmor the Destroyer]] to battle Thor.
** An alternate future in "Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine" shows Doom [[BodySurf gaining control of]] [[GeniusLoci Ego the Living Planet]].
** In the "Doomwar" miniseries, Doom builds a larger, mystically-enhanced suit of armor out of Vibranium.
** In "Avengers: The Children's Crusade", Doom stole the Scarlet Witch's chaos powers, repairing Doom's face and gaining a [[LightIsNotGood white cloak]].
** In FF volume 2, a BadFuture shows Doom [[FusionDance combining with Kang the Conqueror and Annihilus to become Doom, the Annihilating Conqueror]].
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Doom considers himself the only one worthy of destroying Richards. Though he couldn't care less about the rest of the rest of the Fantastic Four.
** In ComicBook/{{Onslaught}} we see this extends to kidnapping Franklin. Doom initially doesn't care about Onslaught's rampage, but he does care that he kidnapped Franklin. Doom feels that only he is allowed to kidnap Reed's son.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: An incident involving the musclebound [[ComicBook/LukeCage "Hero for Hire" Luke Cage]] saw Luke lay hands upon Doom over a mere two hundred dollars, that ended with Doom not only ''thanking'' Cage for rendering some small assistance with another matter, but also bemused Doom enough to laugh.
** When Doom escaped Hell by grabbing onto the passing Mjlonir, he took it as a sign he was worthy to wield the mighty weapon. He succeded in reaching it despite the Fantastic Four trying to stop him, only find that he wasn't worthy to lift the hammer. This caused Doctor Doom, the villain who is infamous for [[NeverMyFault blaming everyone but himself]] to '''''admit he was wrong''''' about being worthy to lift it.
* OpeningACanOfClones: Any defeat – or anything else that someone wants to consider FanonDiscontinuity – of him can be handwaved as ActuallyADoombot. There have even been claims that the real Doctor Doom has never actually appeared in Marvel Comics.
* OrbitingParticleShield: The ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' series of {{Fighting Game}}s portrayed Doom's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1E_KPqekvE#t=29s Molecular Shield]] SpecialAttack, in which he levitates rocks and cause them to surround him as a defensive barrier, before [[SpamAttack flinging them]] at his opponent.
* PapaWolf: Doom was vital in helping Susan Storm give birth to her and Richards's daughter, the condition being that he'll be able to name her. Doom christened her Valeria, and announced that anyone who tried to hurt her would have to answer to him. Nobody dares. He's like this to his adoptive son, too.
* TheParanoiac: Doctor Doom is the archetypal paranoid narcissist, and his creator Creator/JackKirby has even occasionally referred to him as a paranoid. The absolute monarch of the tiny nation of Latveria where he has fostered a cult of personality around himself, Doom frequently [[ThirdPersonPerson refers to himself in the third person]], accepts [[NeverMyFault zero responsibility]] for any of his mistakes and failures, and is completely convinced that the reason the Fantastic Four are fighting him is because their leader Reed (and everyone else, but especially Reed) is and always had been insanely jealous of Doom's own "superior" brilliance. Doom is, at the heart, ''terrified'' of the idea he's not as good as he thinks he is, and desperately covers it up with blustering reaffirmation of his own superiority. ''"Do not question Doom! Do not gaze upon the face of Doom! Do not dare to slander Doom out of your petty jealousy! Doom is superior!"'', etc. In ''Astonishing Tales #2-3'', when meeting Ramona who reminds him of his beloved Valeria, Doom reflects to himself that a good part of his life is pretending to be tougher and smarter than he really is, and always making sure he can back up the boast.
* PetTheDog:
** Master artist Creator/JackKirby once painted a poster depicting Captain America, Spider-Man and Thor giving toys to impoverished children. However, it has surfaced that the original sketch for the poster depicted Doom himself, dispensing toys alongside the others.
** As a show of benevolence, Doom once raised the young Cassandra Lang from the dead. As to why Doom had not done so sooner, only Doom knows.
** When his defenses accidentally shot down Santa Claus, Doom delivered presents in Santa's stead.
* PhysicalGod:
** Doom has been a god, creating an entire universe via an Infinity Gauntlet, recovered from a deceased counterpart of Richards. However, he soon found being a god ''beneath'' him.
** In ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', Doom has become a God again, to save the shattered fragments of TheMultiverse. Serving in this capacity for eight years, Doom admitted a degree of doubt and uncertainty.
* PlanetBaron: Doom has successfully conquered Earth twice using MindControl both times, subjugating all governments and instituting healthcare and income equality for everyone, then gave it up out of boredom and let the former governments take over again. He has also conquered an alternate version of Earth created by [[RealityWarper Franklin Richards]]. Such feats technically allows him to lay claim to such a title, and he could easily do it again if he desired.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain:
** There have been events in the past where Doom's dialogue relates racist and sexist sentiments. Of course, [[FanonDiscontinuity one can chalk it up]] to malfunctioning Doombots.
** There was one instance where a younger Doom used phrenology to insult Ben Grimm.
* PopularityPower: As powerful as he is, Doom can still be an example of this. As once such example, Doom was once shown defeating '''ComicBook/GhostRider''' with a single punch -- when such mundane attacks are normally meaningless to a spirit.
** Indeed, Doom himself has been the beneficiary of this, as the character's sheer popularity has resulted in him being steadily upgraded and presented more positively over the years. The ultimate effect has been to take Doom from a TooCleverByHalf tyrant with a god-complex to him being presented as actually being ''right'' that he would make a better ruler for the world.
* PowerCreepPowerSeep: The depiction of his skills in the mystic arts was initially presented as rudimentary, but later depictions escalated it to where he has bested magic-based characters including Morgan La Fey - no rank amateur, mind you - using only magic. Some sources have stated that he would have taken the title of Sorcerer Supreme if Doctor Strange hadn't gotten it first.
* PowerFantasy: In ''ComicBook/DarkReign'', right after the first meeting of The Cabal, he imagines how he will inevitably kill or enslave all his new allies in the near future. Showing to be no stranger to kink either, he was also shown intending to enslave Emma Frost and the female avatar of Loki.
* PowerParasite: Doom [[ComicBook/SecretWars1984 once held the power of the Beyonder in his hands]]. Indeed, he wrestled it from his grasp with his single remaining hand, after being dismembered in his one-man assault against the entity. However, Doom was forced to relinquish the power in order to prevent the destruction of the universe due to his servant Klaw and the interference of Captain America.
* PoweredArmor: His battlesuit and its full array of {{Magitek}} capabilities. Needless to say, it makes for an interesting showdown when he's fighting Iron Man. Indeed, while the armor was one of Doom's first inventions (aside from Stark's, it's arguably the most famous example of this trope), it has been upgraded and improved several times over the years; no matter how powerful its technology is, it can ''always'' be better. Doom also has other versions, including armor for underwater and outer space combat.
* {{Pride}}: Pride is the defining trait of Doctor Doom. The accident that damaged his face happened because he was too arrogant to believe Reed Richards had found an error in his calculations. The minor scar Doom received he saw as horribly disfiguring due to his vanity, and in desperation to hide it he ended up really messing his face up. He was unable to even admit to himself of his mistake in either instance. His supervillain-sized lust for power is rooted in his belief that he should be second to no one, particularly Richards. This is also why he always rebuffs others' attempts to rehabilitate him. He just can't accept the pity and sympathy of others. Doom views himself as insuperable, and many setbacks have occurred as a result of letting that belief get in the way of more immediate concerns.
* PsychopathicManchild: Is sometimes portrayed as this, especially when Richards is concerned.
* PyrrhicVictory: Regarding Doom's mother's soul. He saved her from Mephisto's grip, but sacrificed her love to do it.
* RagnarokProofing: Doom's designs are built to withstand the ravages of time. In at least one potential future, the last of his Doombots endured beyond his own passing, hundreds of years into the future.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil:
** He once rescued Sue Storm from this fate at the hands of a duplicate of himself from another world.
** In other stories, Doom is depicted as abusing his royal station to [[DroitDuSeigneur legally take advantage]] of the young women of Latveria against their will, and in such comics this is obviously portrayed as an especially vile act of villainy.
* RasputinianDeath: The Marquis of Death burned Doom, delivered a serious MindScrew to break his will, turned his blood into acid and his heart to stone, and sent him back in time, right into the jaws of a giant, prehistoric shark. Doom survived.
* ReedRichardsIsUseless:
** With the [[TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed massive number of threats to destroy all live on Earth, or the Earth itself]], once could think that Doom could be more proactive in trying to stop them, both because he's shown to care about Latverians and because if the Earth is destroyed, there wouldn't be anything to conquer (not to mention that it would finally finish him off), including such instances as Ultron wiping out a nearby European nation. He could have responded to him faster than the heroes did, Latveria being a neighboring country.
** Some, like the Invisible Woman, have also [[YouCouldHaveUsedYourPowersForGood said that there are far better things that Doom could be doing that than trying to kill Reed Richards]], ComicBook/{{Storm}} herself has pointed this out when he was helping her friend Shadowcat.
** He was once on the giving end of one when he pointed out to Tony Stark that if he truly wished to help the infirm children at the hospital he was visiting, he would do better to simply find cures for their ailments. He's a scientist. Granted, a roboticist, but still.
* RelatedInTheAdaptation: Doom's ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'' counterpart, Victor van Damme, is a descendant of UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler. ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' added to this by making ComicBook/{{Morbius}} Vlad's brother, meaning, in the ''Ultimate'' universe, Dr. Doom is a distant relative of Morbius's.
* RepressiveButEfficient: Latveria may be ruled by the iron fist of Doom, but it ''is'' prosperous. There is no crime, no poverty, no disease, and some stories imply nobody even needs to ''work'' (for anyone other than Doom, of course) as Doom has robot servants do everything. There are also no prisons save for a small shack, because all prospective prisoners are executed by beheading and the remains are sent to a crematorium. [[VetinariJobSecurity Latveria also tends to go to hell anytime Doom is removed from power]], and the Fantastic Four have even helped him return to his throne -- even if they helped remove him in the first place -- because they agree that he is a better ruler than his replacements.
* TheResenter: Doom greatly resents his Arch-Enemy Reed Richards. The reasons for his blinding hatred of Reed are numerous, twisted, personal, and all-around [[InsaneTrollLogic batshit insane]], but what has kept it running for two decades in-universe (and ''five'' in real life) is a constant dose of this trope. Reed has everything Doom doesn't ''quite'' have: a family, loyal friends, public acknowledgement, admiration from people who aren't brainwashed subjects of his own dictatorship, good looks (which Doom once ''had'', and blames Richards for their destruction), acknowledgment as a hero, and most important of all, a handful more IQ points, which he has used to defeat Doom and foil his plans time and time again. In short, Doom cannot stand the fact that Reed is always just one teensy bit better than him at ''everything''.
* TheRival: Reed Richards. Sometimes ComicBook/IronMan, sometimes ComicBook/BlackPanther. Sometimes ComicBook/{{Magneto}}.
* RivalTurnedEvil: Doom and Reed Richards are probably one of the most straightforward examples of this trope. The catalyst for Doom turning evil was an incident where Reed pointed out a flaw in one of Doom's projects when they were both classmates in grad school rivaling for the spot of top student, and Doom, thinking [[YoureJustJealous Reed was just jealous]], ignored him, only for the project to blow up in his face, disfiguring him and getting him expelled. Doom was so infuriated by the idea that that ''infernal'' Richards had bested him that he [[SelectiveObliviousness rejected that version of reality]], [[NeverMyFault blamed Reed for the accident]], and [[{{Revenge}} dedicated himself to destroying Reed's life in "revenge".]][[note]] Apparently, accidentally brusing the ego of the great Victor von Doom makes you deserving of [[DisproportionateRetribution constant stalking, murder attempts, targeting of your wife and friends, forced duels, repeated physical and psychological torture, mind rape, attempted genocide of your country, kidnapping your kids, screwing with your head and ill-handled guilt complex until you almost lose your mind/fly into a homicidal rage, and turning your life into one long, exhausting, never-ending hell.]][[/note]]
** The "rivalry" part of their relationship (in addition to the blinding, obsessive vendetta) is still in full force, as the reasons for all of Doom's evil plans to TakeOverTheWorld, gain cosmic power, topple governments, decimate the superhero community, and rain death and destruction upon all oppose him can eventually be traced back to his desire to get one over on his old college pal. (He'll even [[BondVillainStupidity delay killing Reed to make him admit Doom is better than he is.]])
* RobotMaster: The Doombots may be the most elaborate and complex robotic creations of Doom, but he has made others over the years, including entire robotic armies. Far more reliable and easier to replace than human soldiers (who can be prone to be cowardly when facing enemies of the superhuman variety). Doom has also made robotic duplicates of others, including a super-strong android in the shape of Ben Grimm. (''This'' one followed Doom's commands.)
* RoguesGalleryTransplant: Has fought so many of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse's major heroes that he practically ''inverts'' the trope. At first, he was the ArchEnemy of the ComicBook/FantasticFour, but over time he has become a major thorn in every major Marvel hero's side. ComicBook/SpiderMan, ComicBook/TheAvengers, ComicBook/IronMan, you name them. Dr. Doom's first appearance as a villain outside the FF was in ''[[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManLeeAndDitko The Amazing Spider-Man #5]]'' where he tries to recruit Spider-Man only to accidentally, and in Peter's view hilariously, kidnap Flash Thompson in a Spider-Suit instead.
* RoguishRomani: He's a Romani, and before he graduated to an OmnidisciplinaryScientist and SorcerousOverlord (and a MagnificentBastard), he made a living as a con-man.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Indeed, as ruler of Latveria, even if what Doom usually does is evil.
* RuleOfThree: Three goals have defined Doom's career: One, utterly defeat his rival Reed Richards; two, conquer the entire world; and three, rescue his mother's soul from Mephisto. (Doom has completed the third goal after gaining aid in the mystic arts from ComicBook/DoctorStrange. Vengeance against Mephisto is still pending - the demon is... problematic.)
* {{Ruritania}}: Latveria is the most notable example of one in Marvel Comics.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:S to Z]]

* ScarsAreForever: They're not. He could heal the scars on his face if he wanted to, but he keeps them as a reminder of his vendetta against Richards. Also applies in ComicBook/Marvel2099, in which his face initially healed to build a mystery as to whether or not he's the real Doom [[spoiler:(of course he is, and his face being healed is later explained)]] before being marred again by Tyger Wyld, and he again turns down the option of repairing the damage again to remind himself of what he did to him. As of ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', that is no longer the case.
* ScienceWizard: Doom can rival if not match Reed Richards in just about any form of science and is also a powerful sorcerer.
%%* Scientist Of The Supernatural: He's long treated magic as just another science for him to conquer. - Rogue Launched Trope
* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem:
--> ''The Law of Latveria is Doom.''
** A specific example comes to mind when, in one story, his subjects demanded that he obey an ancient law and step down as ruler of Latveria in favor of Prince Zorba. Doom's reaction was less than gracious:
--->'''Doom:''' You believe laws written on paper are more powerful than my ultimate weapons? To think I've wasted my energies trying to be '''''fair''''' with you savages! But no more! You've brought your destruction upon yourselves!
* TheScrooge: He's so tight-fisted he refused to give Luke Cage payment for services rendered, a mere two hundred American dollars. Luke was pretty upset about that.
* SecondaryColorNemesis: Doom wears a deep green cloak and hood, in contrast with the blue bodysuits of the Fantastic Four.
* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: This is basically Doom's fatal flaw. Yes, he's a brilliant scientist, a powerful sorcerer, and the ruler of a successful nation... but because there's always ''someone'' who is [[AlwaysSecondBest better than him]] at each of those things (Reed Richards, Dr. Strange, [[ArchNemesis Reed Richards]], Black Panther, and ''especially'' [[RuleOfThree Reed Richards]]) his ego does not allow him to leave well enough alone. Never mind that his rivals only best him in one field each, being merely a MasterOfAll just isn't good enough for him. (Though he does seem broadly content to accept a silver medal from Strange.)
* SecretPublicIdentity: Everyone knows who he is (what with him being European royalty and all), and considering his status as an OmnidisciplinaryScientist, he more than earns his title. Although since he was expelled from college, so it's more like an honorary degree.
* SelfImposedExile: Doom began as a foreign student at New York University, where his research into arcane transdimensional physics blew up his dorm room, for which Doom was expelled. He returned in shame to Europe, trekking to a lonely monastery, where he studied mysticism and forged his iconic armor. Doom then returned to his homeland of Latveria, deposed the ruling monarchs, and became the most dangerous man on Earth.
* SelfMadeMan: From Latverian peasant to Latverian ruler. Really, Doom ascended from the lowest of low, and became one of Marvel's most prominent, dangerous and feared villains to ever live, and did so through hard work and intensive studying of every field imaginable. Even when it comes to his powers, ''none'' of them are inherent to his body, but everything from his advanced science to powerful sorcery are things that he ''learned'', not received.
* SeriousBusiness: It is Doom's desire for all the children of Latveria to receive a Good Night's Sleep. And Doom's will is law.
* ShadowDictator: In the very early days of his reign, the fact that Doom ruled Latveria was a secret, with Latverian diplomats dismissing any investigation as rumor and hearsay. Of course, once the Fantastic Four found out, this secret no longer mattered.
* ShootTheShaggyDog: After she finally [[spoiler:brought her father back and got reunited with her former lover]], Doom [[spoiler:killed Cassandra Lang, Kristoff Vernard's former best friend.]]
* SilenceYouFool: ''ALL THE TIME''!
* SkywardScream: '''''"RICHAAAAARDS!!!"'''''
* SinisterSurveillance: Sometimes implied to have covert as well as overt observation within Latveria. In ''Doomwar'' T'Challa exposits how Doom spied on his country to organize a coup by bugging his people with nanotech through their food. This turned every citizen and confidant into a spy, and T'Challa couldn't examine them closely because of self-destruct mechanism that activated when the feed is cut.
* SlouchOfVillainy: Doom has a tendency to engage in this ''many'' times throughout the years.
* SorcerousOverlord: Considered something around the third most skilled wizard in the Marvel Universe, ComicBook/DoctorStrange being one of the few to outrank him.
* TheStarscream:
** To ComicBook/NormanOsborn during ''ComicBook/DarkReign''.
** Doom himself had employed a certain [[HerrDoktor Doktor Hauptmann]] who bore a grudge against Doom for killing his brother.
** There was also Dr. Bram Velsing, a Latverian scientist Doom employed many years ago, with the nerve to refer to him as "a grotesque mockery" and plot to usurp his throne. Doom spared his life, but he paid for his insult dearly; he had an iron mask much like Doom's own permanently grafted to his face to conceal his good looks forever. He later became known as the Dreadknight, and spent most of his time opposing Iron Man. (Although, his desire to rule Latveria was never slaked, apparently; Doom learned that when Doom was absent due to the crisis with Onslaught, he attempted to take over, but he and his loyalists were foiled by Franchise/SpiderMan and ComicBook/SilverSable.)
* StrongAsTheyNeedToBe: Even putting aside popularity power, Doom's power varries depending on the plot. Sometimes he's been able to easily knock out the Hulk, while when fighting the Fantastic Four he's generally shown to be physically weaker than The Thing.
* StupidEvil: Despite being a widely recognized MagnificentBastard, Doom frequently suffers from this, especially in his feud with the ComicBook/FantasticFour. Doom's [[EvilIsPetty petty vendetta]] with [[ArchEnemy Reed Richards]] means that he can never be content to simply kill the Fantastic Four and has to win in a way he feels proves his superiority over Reed, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard which inevitibly leads to him losing a number of confrontations he would have otherwise won]].
** ''Emperor Doom'' sees Doom successfully TakeOverTheWorld by harnessing the mind control powers of the Purple Man. He is aided in his goal by [[ComicBook/SubMariner Namor]] in exchange for giving him rule of the seas. Rather than keeping his end of the deal, Doom reduces Namor to a mind controlled slave for no reason other than because he felt like it. This means that later when some of Franchise/TheAvengers manage to break of Doom's mind control, they free Namor in the assualt on the machine that controlled humanity and he turns on Doom as well. Not that that mattered because at the last minute Doctor Doom [[VictoryIsBoring realized how bored he was as the uncontested ruler of the world]] and let the Avengers break his machine. In essence Doom showed if he succeeds in any of his goals he will [[MeaninglessVillainVictory render his victories meaningless]].
* SufficientlyAdvancedAlien: In ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures''. Doom is still human in this series, but qualifies since his armor, rather than being {{Magitek}}, instead works by manipulating quantum fields. The series for some reason felt the need to [[DoingInTheWizard abandon any supernatural explanations for powers]] with both him and the Mandarin.
* SuperheroPackingHeat: While Doom wields powers both vast and manifold, he still carries a regular gun, for dispatching whom he considers nuisances not worthy of his full attention.
* SupermanStaysOutOfGotham: When it comes to threats to the entire world, Doom prefers to let the heroes justify their name, which is probably why in many a BadFuture he's depicted as being deceased.
* SurroundedByIdiots: It is inevitable, when his intelligence eclipses that of everyone around his.
* StevenUlyssesPerhero: He's called ''Victor Von Doom''. It has been joked that he never had a chance of journeying down a different path in life due this. The 2005 film lampshaded this; according to Ben Grimm, he changed his name to Doom in order to intimidate people.
* TakeOurWordForIt:
** Marvel never showed his face in the comics. However, many [[DiscretionShot horrified reactions]] are shown.
** Finally averted during ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015''. The horror of Doom's scarred visage have been shown in a tender moment between Susan Storm and him.
* TakeOverTheWorld: He has in fact succeeded at least twice. To say nothing of the time he essentially took over the ''universe'' during ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015''.
* TaughtByExperience: Doom learns from his mistakes. For instance, Iron Man once tried to trespass into his castle with stealth armor making him invisible, not realizing that he had long equipped his security systems to detect such intruders such as Susan Richards with her invisibility powers.
* TautologicalTemplar: Doom is always right. '''''ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!''''' This, in a nutshell, sums up everything about Doctor Doom's character; he sincerely believes he's the smartest man in the world, a veritable god, and that his brilliance means he deserves to rule over the world. DependingOnTheWriter, sometimes, the authors seem to [[RunningTheAsylum agree]] with him.
* TemptingFate: Doom once held the Hulk in a field of force which he claimed ''nothing'' in the cosmos could possibly penetrate. Once he stated this to his face, he tore it asunder readily.
* TheoryOfNarrativeCausality: Doom ascribes to this theory. Doom's life is the story of Doom, and if one day Doom's story should end? Then it shall be because Doom wishes it to end.
* ThereWasADoor: Seems that being a supervillain in a powered armor made Doom stop caring about doors.
* ThinkingOutLoud: He does this a lot. In ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'', Klaw calls him out on it, asking if Doom is taping himself. Doom then reveals that he actually has a recording device in his armor because "Every utterance of Doom must be recorded for posterity!"
* ThirdPersonPerson: Doom does have a habit of indulging in this. However, in recent years he has since ceased with this particular habit.
* TimeTravel: Doom was the first Earthling to invent a working device that could accomplish time travel.
* TinTyrant: Encases himself within armor and is the ultimate master of Latveria.
* ToHellAndBack: One of Doom's great victories was the rescue of his mother's soul from Mephisto's realm.
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: It amuses Doom to watch Richards squirm in the fetters of international law in regards to Doom's DiplomaticImpunity.
* TomatoInTheMirror: In the ComicBook/Marvel2099, though ultimately subverted. It's implied initially that the Doom there might not be the real Doom, given he doesn't recall how he ended up in the future and his face was healed when he first appeared [[spoiler:but that was later explained that he was really Doom, and what happened with his memories was a trick to mess with him.]]
* TooCleverByHalf: This is Doom's original, definitive flaw. Make no mistake, Doom's intelligence is truly great... but his ego surpasses even that. The core of his rivalry with Richards lays in Doom's ego causing him to be scarred by a mistake he made in his calculations, which he refused to double check even after Richards commented that it didn't look right, leaving him with a permanent reminder of one time that he had been ''wrong''. More than once, Doom's ego has sabotaged his plans, although he always claims that his defeat was actually a case of JustAsPlanned. Unfortunately, years of {{Memetic Badass}}ery has led to biased authors trying to downplay this aspect.
* TookALevelInKindness: Trying to maintain an entire world in the role of God Emperor seemed to have softened Doom's demeanor. However, don't believe for a moment that Doom has lost any of his ruthless prowess for this change. When it became apparent that Jonathan Storm was going to oppose him, he was made to be the Sun for his world.
* UncertifiedExpert: He attended college in upstate New York alongside Reed Richards. Doom's experiments in transdimensional shifting blew up his dorm room and got him expelled before he'd attained a degree. Nevertheless, Doom's raw intellect has transformed feudal Latveria into a showpiece of Europe. Further, Doom studied the arcane arts, seeking to free his Roma witch mother's soul from the lower netherworld. He has accomplished this with help from ComicBook/DoctorStrange, who privately conceded that Doom is qualified to become a Sorcerer Supreme, despite never having trained under a master mage.
* UngratefulBastard: Doom has often lashed out at people saving him because Doom ''refuses'' to admit he ever needed assistance from ''anyone''. Such weakness is beneath Doom! For example, during ComicBook/DarkAvengers vol 2., he's saved from a pack of sharks by the Thunderbolts (who don't recognize him since he's also been set on fire). As soon as he's recovered enough, he sabotages their base to send them into the far future because he doesn't want anyone to know such a bunch of lowly criminals saved him. He's even the page image -- after a hypnotist accidentally causes Doom to realize he's been brainwashed into thinking he's killed Reed Richards, the hypnotist expects a reward. Doom's response:
-->'''Doctor Doom:''' '''Gratitude??''' Such weak words are not for '''Doctor Doom!''' '''Here''' is your reward! ''[slaps him]'' Be grateful I do not put you to death for knowing how I have been '''tricked!'''
* UnreliableNarrator: [[spoiler:In the ''Books of Doom'' story, due to it being one of his many Doombots]].
* TheUsurper: Doom replaced certain members of the royal family and had others killed in order to take the throne from the Duchy it was under. The fact that the Duchy was a repressive dictatorship considered by the populace to be worse than Doom's, makes it hard for TheRemnant to pull off RightfulKingReturns. Indeed, the Latverian Underground when dealing with Prince Rudolfo in ''Astonishing Tales'' realize bitterly that he will likely be just as bad, if not worse than Dr. Doom who at least tries to justify his tyranny by claims of merit rather than birthright.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Doom has a moral imperative to TakeOverTheWorld; he genuinely believes that he can solve all of humanity's self-made problems and made them all things of the past once he is recognized as the sole sovereign ruler who alone has the wisdom to create such a paradise. In ''Doomwar'', the '''[[ComicBook/BlackPanther Panther God]]''' recognizes that Doom's cause in this is just.
* VetinariJobSecurity: Most Latverians actually support Doom's rule over their country - some because they're hardcore loyalists, many because he's the best ruler they've got, and switching to anyone else would be disastrous. In a longrunnning storyline in the early 1980s, Doom was even overthrown by Zorba Fortunov, scion of the old deposed royal family - who then promptly ran the country into the ground. The only thing that elevated Latveria's economy out of Third World status were Doom's high-tech inventions, which generated so much profit that the Latverians stopped paying taxes at all. As soon as Doom was deposed the national economy collapsed, taxes skyrocketed, and mass street protests broke out demanding that Doom be restored to power.
* VictoryIsBoring: At least twice has Doom suffered this, both in the ''Emperor Doom'' graphic novel with the Purple Man, where Doom finds that ruling the entire world involves too much paperwork; and upon seizing control of the false Earth created by Nathaniel Richards (by using Doom's unmatched willpower to override the world-computer at its heart) Doom willingly returned to ruling his native Latveria after conquering an entire planet.
* VillainBall: Though Doom is one of the most competent and intelligent villains in fiction, he is occasionally prone to this.
** While Doom could have simply used the cosmic cube in Fantastic Four World's Greatest Comic Magazine to wish for all the power that Doom needed (perhaps even internalizing the Cube's might as lesser intellects like Thanos and ComicBook/RedSkull had done), he preferred to use it to steal Galactus' cosmic might... which also caused him to inherit Galactus' hunger, which caused him to devour a planet that he sought at first to rule.
** There was also that FreakyFridayFlip mentioned above.
** The other FreakyFridayFlip story mentioned above also involved a firm grasp of the ball, by Doom, but more so on the part of the Fantastic Four themselves. Doom's way of getting them to willingly [[ShrinkRay shrink]] themselves? Promising it would give them a [[SquareCubeLaw power boost]]... even after they have been regrown back to full size. He compares it to how the dinosaurs would have survived extinction, and become the dominant lifeforms on the planet (meaning [[TechnologyLevels "perform the moon landing"]]) if their bodies hadn't grown so big in comparison to their brains. [[InsaneTrollLogic This is accepted as an explanation by everyone else on the team]].
* VillainExitStageLeft: In the event that a story makes it clear that is truly Doom in it and not ActuallyADoombot, be sure that he'll have an escape plan ready if events do not transpire exactly as originally envisioned.
* VillainOpeningScene: The buildup to the arc leading into the [[MilestoneCelebration 500th issue]] is a single issue dedicated to Doom.
* VillainousVow: Doom, has made two solemn oaths: 1) to destroy Reed Richards and his teammates for having sabotaged Doom's college project (Reed did no such thing); and 2) free the soul of his Romani witch mother from the infernal realm. Doom has actually succeeded in the latter, having bested Mephisto and his hellish horde in combat (he had help from Doctor Strange).
* VillainProtagonist: Occasionally, Doom has been thrust into such a role, most notably his short-lived feature ''Astonishing Tales'', published in the early [[TheSeventies 1970s]], where in the first eight issues 10-page stories (published as a double feature with ''Ka-Zar''), writers showed Dr. Doom ruling Latveria while battling political enemies, Red Skull, and Mephisto. Most of these stories rank with the hook of Doom being ALighterShadeOfBlack next to royalists like Rudolfo, scary aliens like the Faceless One, Mephisto who ran hell, and Red Skull who was a Nazi. The one instance where Doom fought a good guy was T'Challa, the ''ComicBook/BlackPanther'' who was the HeroAntagonist.
* VillainTeamUp: Doom has made countless alliances with lesser villains who thought themselves Doom's equal. Discrediting or destroying them is generally part of Doom's plan from the beginning - after all, they are ''villains''.
* VillainousRescue:
** When Shadowcat, a member of the ComicBook/XMen, was very grievously injured and on the verge of death after a battle with the villainous Marauders, the X-Men asked Reed Richards to heal her. When Richards was unable to do so, Doom restored Shadowcat to life. Although Doom stated that he didn't care whether such a meager being to his eyes such as Miss Pryde lives or dies, it was worthwhile simply to demonstrate Richards' chronic inferiority.
** On another occasion, an alternate universe Doom rescued a Fantastic Four formed of ComicBook/GhostRider, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} and Franchise/SpiderMan from being slain by their enemies. Again, Doom didn't care whether they lived or died: the issue is that ''Doom alone'' has [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou the right to destroy the Fantastic Four]], whoever they may be.
* VillainousValour: As noted above, Doom will depart when the odds aren't in his favor, but Doom is no coward: if flight is not an option, he will fight to his last breath against even the most powerful foe.
* VisionaryVillain: From Doom's perspective, the heroes' struggle only delays the day of Doom's worldwide utopia - even if others would decry it as a tyranny.
* TheVonTropeFamily: His name is Victor '''''Von''''' Doom, which incidentally is either pure Lee-Kirby HollywoodHistory or Doom's grandiloquent DelusionsOfEloquence. As a Roma, Victor has no actual aristocratic lineage leave alone a family that merits inclusion in the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almanach_de_Gotha Almanach de Gotha]].
* WantingIsBetterThanHaving: Occurs in the ''Emperor Doom'' graphic novel, where Doom conquered the world, only to relinquish it '''back''' after considering that ruling it would waste his time with mundane details.
* WeakButSkilled: Though one of the most prolific geniuses in Marveldom, he is still lacking compared to scientific powerhouses like Reed Richards and has been called a mid-tier sorcerer compared to the likes of Doctor Strange, limited by his unwillingness to submit to supernatural powers over his own pride. To compensate, he uses both in tandem to overcome his shortcomings in both fields while using guile to get the drop on superior practitioners.
* WeCanRuleTogether: He has tried to offer this to some heroes and other. Never to Richards of course:
** He originally tried to recruit Spider-Man to his side and still offers it to him from time to time. Peter, being an anti-totalitarian, always tells him to get stuffed. In ''Spider-Man [=/=] Human Torch'', Peter uses this to distract Doom so that Torch can escape.
** He has also extended offers to Luke Cage, to Doctor Strange, and Black Panther. And of course in a Marvel[=/=]DC crossover with Superman:
-->'''Doctor Doom:''' You and I are THE MIGHTIEST beings on this planet! I choose TO EXERT my power to impose my will upon the world. You choose not to! And yet, even THAT choice does indeed AFFECT the lives of every man, woman and child on earth, CONDEMNING them, in fact, to POVERTY, DISEASE, FAMINE... AND to the hideous suffering they inflict upon one another! You cannot escape it, Superman! YOU Dictate the fate of mankind... one way or the other.\\
'''Superman:''' I know! But what can I do? Seize power and try to remake the world into a utopia? That would put me in a class with men like Hitler ... and you.\\
'''Doctor Doom:''' You misjudge me, Superman. I am no raging Fuehrer, wringing hatred from misfit followers! My kingdom is a place of peace and contentment! You must visit Latveria - [[BlatantLies you are always welcome!]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist:
** In another reality, when Doom has conquered Earth, Doom has rid the Earth of all hunger, disease, war, poverty and inequality, and united the world as one in peace and prosperity under Doom's rule.
** Best summarized by this quote:
-->'''Doom:''' Imagine--I now possess the power to end hunger! To abolish disease! To eliminate crime! To establish a perfectly content, perfectly ordered world--all under the benevolence of my iron will!
* WhamEpisode: In the final pages of ''Invincible ComicBook/IronMan'' #1, [[spoiler:he was revealed to have survived the [[ComicBook/SecretWars2015 2015 Secret Wars.]] Readers could be forgiven, this time, for not understanding the significance of this, as the finale of the Secret Wars was still pending when his survival was made evident. Also, the readers, and Iron Man, could be forgiven for not recognizing Doom right away, as it has been some time since Doom was outside of his armor and whole.]]
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: A vicious example shows up in "What If Dr. Doom became a SuperHero?" Denied his StartOfDarkness when he actually listens to roommate Reed's advice concerning his astral projection machine, Doom becomes a much more benevolent man. Freeing his mother's soul, liberating his country and becoming its King, achieving renown as an international hero, and even reuniting with his childhood love Valeria, this version of Victor seems in every way the gleaming savior mainstream Doom has always said he'd be if life hadn't dealt him so bad a hand. And then Mephisto interrupts his wedding by kidnapping the people of Latveria and hands Doom a CurbStompBattle after toying with him. Given the choice between [[HeroicSacrifice dying at Mephisto's hands]] or surrendering the soul of his bride to be, Victor declares "The World must not be denied Doom!", sacrificing Valeria to save himself. To his credit, he does spend the rest of his life doing a yearly battle with the forces of Hell to save Valeria, but the fact remains that even in a world where he has suffered no tragedy he could not overcome, Dr. Doom is still a selfish egomaniac who will put himself ahead of those he claims to protect.
** ''Emperor Doom'' presented that for all of Doom's talk about how much better the world be under him, he cares far more about conquering the world than actually ruling it, ultimately deciding to allow the Avengers to overthrow him because of [[VictoryIsBoring how dull being the uncontested ruler of the world was]].
** ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' once again saw Doctor Doom rule the world and despite his infinite power, he chose to be an uncaring tyrant who only values maintaining his own rule and did nothing to stop the myriad of supervillains plaguing Battle World unless they challenged him like Thanos did.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: He has emerged triumphant from conflicts with {{Physical God}}s - yet he possesses no method of defeating ComicBook/SquirrelGirl, and his most viable tactic against her is an escape pod.
* WickedCultured: Truly, Doom is [[Music/TheRollingStones a man of]] [[ManOfWealthAndTaste wealth and taste]]. He once owned five Rembrandts. Then he had one burned because he didn't like it.
* WithFriendsLikeThese: Doom counts [[ComicBook/SubMariner Namor]] among the few beings worthy of his friendship. They find themselves frequently allying with each other. Many find this strange since their team-ups often end with one of them betraying the other, but Doom said that he had his ''friendship'', not his ''trust''. Doom doesn't need to explain his tastes... especially if the writers are too lazy to explain them.
** As an example of this strange friendship, on one occasion when Namor had to lead his Atlanteans to seek refuge, Doom not only offered safe haven in Latveria, he made it a point to personally greet the refugees. He even addressed Namor as, "old friend."
* WolverinePublicity: Thanks to his status as the BreakoutVillain of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, Doom would frequently appear not just in the ComicBook/FantasticFour, but other heroes' titles and even his own series.
* WorfHadTheFlu: As Doom loathes to admit it, he too suffered from the accursed Orthomyxovirus known as influenza before he could get a chance to face the one called Solarman before he [[RetGone disappeared under mysterious circumstances]].
* WorldsSmartestMan: Aside from his ArchEnemy Reed Richards, Doctor Doom is the other contender for this title. Even when he isn't, Doom will be repeatedly trying to prove himself worthy of this claim but tends to get foiled by Reed.
* WorthyOpponent:
** In addition to Richards, there is also his wife, Susan, whom recognizes that nowadays has to be dealt with carefully considering [[SwissArmySuperpower her formidable mastery of the various applictions of her powers]].
** In an alternate future where mankind had been invaded by Martians, Doom cast the shield of Captain America into space, out of respect for his skills, as well as a desire to ensure such a weapon did not fall into Martian tendrils.
* WouldHurtAChild: Doom showed no hesitation in trying to murder the Hulk's young son, Skaar, and at the end of ''Avengers: ComicBook/TheChildrensCrusade'', [[spoiler:Doom killed young [[ComicBook/YoungAvengers Cassie Lang]]]]. On the other hand, [[{{Pun}} doom]] shall fall on anyone who, while in the presence of Doom, attempts to harm one of Latveria's children (or Reed Richards' offspring. ''Especially'' Valeria).
* WrestlerOfBeasts: Doom once fought and killed a lion while unarmed and naked. The moment provides the page image for the trope.
* XanatosGambit: His plans are designed to benefit him regardless of whether they succeed or fail, due to a hidden plan that is fulfilled by the foiling of the first.
* {{Yandere}}: He's this to the entire population of Latveria. Doom protects his people from all oppression and exploitation, even from their own. However, should any of them wish to leave his protection, he will NOT be happy.
-->'''Doom:''' ''[to a would-be Latverian defector]'' Have I not told you how I dearly ''love'' my subjects? Did you think I would [[EntitledToHaveYou allow a single one]] to ''leave'' this realm?
* YouCouldHaveUsedYourPowersForGood: Doom could have been anything he wanted to be: globally respected Nobel Prize winning scientist; billionaire entrepreneur; internationally renowned superhero; wise, all-powerful [[TheArchmage archmage]]; the heroic rebel who freed Latveria; or even all of them. He chose not to. It's been pointed out that if Doom really wanted to prove he was better than Mr. Fantastic and be beloved the world over, he could just solve all the problems [[ReedrichardsIsUseless Reed hasn't been able to]].
* YouFool: Expect him to call his enemies this ''a lot''.
* YoureJustJealous: Reed Richards tried to warn Doom about a mistake in an experimental setup; Doom decided that Richards was trying to hold him back out of jealousy and ignored the warning. The experiment proceeded to literally blow up in Doom's face, scarring his features (and his ego). Unable to [[{{Pride}} admit that he could have possibly been wrong]], Doom decided that it must have been [[NeverMyFault someone else's fault]]; namely, Reed's. His entire vendetta against the Fantastic Four [[DisproportionateRetribution started with this]].
** As for what keeps it going, Doom continues to blame Reed Richards for ''everything'' that has gone wrong with his life. He justifies his belief by insisting that [[PsychologicalProjection Reed is envious of Doom's genius]]. It is, of course, ''Doom'' who is bitterly envious of ''Reed'', and Reed mentioning this usually sends Doom into an UnstoppableRage involving a lot of stretchy torture, since deep down, Doom knows it's true too.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Doombots]]
!!Doombots
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6e8e6bae_0b7d_4939_a67e_fb03d8791204.jpeg]]

!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 (July 1962)

The Doombots are robots created by Doctor Doom (above). Usually show up singly to impersonate Doom but are sometimes used in multiple numbers as armies for Doom.
----
* ActuallyADoombot: TropeNamer, of course.
* ConfusionFu: Doom is well aware of the confusion that the previous trope causes in his enemies, and encourages it. It's a handy way to cover any of his actual defeats, for one thing.
-->'''Doom:''' My robots often confuse my foes - I may be a robot now, speaking these words. How would you know? How would ''I''?
* CrazyPrepared: Fun fact - Doom has prepared it so that if, by some unthinkable circumstance he should actually die for real ([[JokerImmunity bah!]]), his Doombots are programmed to carry on in his stead.
* LargeHam: They're programmed with copies of Doom's inimitable personality, bombast included.
* {{Mooks}}: Often, they'll serve as Doom's soldiers.
* {{Retcon}}: They have traditionally been used as a retroactive escape clause for some of Doctor Doom's more humiliating defeats. Or just appearances that an author disagrees with (for example, the fight between Chris Claremont and John Byrne over whether Arcade really got away with lighting a match on Doom's armor, or it was a Doombot. Which was it? Only Doom alone will ever know).
[[/folder]]
----

** "[[ComicBook/JMSSpiderMan Doomed Affairs]]" (TASM V.2 #49-50) -- Captain America cameos when Peter and Mary Jane reunite at the Denver Airport where Dr. Doom is stranded and ambushed by anti-Doom Latverian terrorists, needing Spider-Man to save the day and his marriage at the same time.

* {{Fiction 500}}: Even for a dictator, his resources seem limitless, and in real life, the economy of any first world country should have plummeted from all his expenses on his numerous ventures, let alone Latveria.

** ''Emperor Doom'' sees Doom successfully TakeOverTheWorld by harnessing the mind control powers of the Purple Man. He is aided in his goal by [[Comicbook/SubMariner Namor]] in exchange for giving him rule of the seas. Rather than keeping his end of the deal, Doom reduces Namor to a mind controlled slave for no reason other than because he felt like it. This means that later when some of Franchise/TheAvengers manage to break of Doom's mind control, they free Namor in the assualt on the machine that controlled humanity and he turns on Doom as well. Not that that mattered because at the last minute Doctor Doom [[VictoryIsBoring realized how bored he was as the uncontested ruler of the world]] and let the Avengers break his machine. In essence Doom showed if he succeeds in any of his goals he will [[MeaninglessVillainVictory render his victories meaningless]].

* IJustWantToBeLoved: It seems that one of the first things Doom tends to do when ascending to new heights is set himself with one fetching wench or another (Scarlet Witch in ''ComicBook/TheChildrensCrusade'', Morgan Le Fay in ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'', and [[FoeYay Susan Storm]] in...well, countless {{Alternate Universe}}s and adaptations), to the point that it wouldn't be a surprise if some character finds Doom on a dating website.

* FauxAffablyEvil: Doom can be generous, respectful and honorable, but that's just him behaving the way he feels a great man is supposed to be like.

* AffablyEvil: Doom can be generous, respectful and honorable when he's not a megalomaniac, cruel despot.

* ''ComicBook/LukeCage: Hero for Hire'' (#8-9) -- Doom's chance meeting with Luke Cage, leads him to first employ him and then welch him, triggering a one-man invasion of Latveria when Luke comes to collect the $200 owed him.

** Doom once devised a plan (the exact details of which end up being [[TheUnreveal unrevealed]]) to kill the Fantastic Four by switching bodies with ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}. In hindsight, this was not the most... elegant of his plans, [[WhatAnIdiot trading his armor and vast resources for the body of a man whom he easily subdued on his own, and then putting him in a position where he could have easily killed him in turn]]. Fortunately (if unsurprisingly) for Doom, his clutch on the IdiotBall was far firmer than Doom's.

** The other FreakyFridayFlip story mentioned above also involved a firm grasp of the ball, by Doom, but more so on the part of the Fantastic Four themselves. Doom's way of getting them to willingly [[ShrinkRay shrink]] themselves? Promising it would give them a [[SquareCubeLaw power boost]]... even after they have been regrown back to full size. He compares it to how the dinosaurs would have survived extinction, and become the dominant lifeforms on the planet (meaning [[TechnologyLevels "perform the moon landing"]]) if their bodies hadn't grown so big in comparison to their brains. [[InsaneTrollLogic This]] [[WhatAnIdiot is accepted as an explanation by everyone esle on the team]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: During the Acts of Vengeance crossover event, Doom admitted occasionally wondering how his life might have turned out if his father had not frozen to death in a valiant attempt to save Doom's life as a child. Perhaps he might have become a great healer like his father, happily married to his childhood sweetheart Valeria. In the end, he dismisses such thoughts because they're pointless: what's done is done, and [[IHaveComeTooFar Doom can only go forward.]]

* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: This is basically Doom's fatal flaw. Yes, he's a brilliant scientist, a powerful sorcerer, and the ruler of a successful nation... but because there's always ''someone'' who is [[AlwaysSecondBest better than him]] at each of those things (Reed Richards, Dr. Strange, [[ArchNemesis Reed Richards]], Black Panther, and ''especially'' [[RuleOfThree Reed Richards]]) his ego does not allow him to leave well enough alone. Never mind that his rivals only best him in one field each, being merely a MasterOfAll just isn't good enough for him.

* TheDreaded: Doom is a foe rightly feared, though not to the degree of more destructive menaces like the Red Skull, Galactus or Ultron, but since he can keep toe to toe with them, still rightfully dreaded.

* DarthVaderClone: Inverted. If created today, he would be called one; but of course, Doom precedes Vader by more than a decade. In fact, Creator/GeorgeLucas based ''Vader'' on Doom, making ''him'' (and, by extension, all of his "clones") the Doctor Doom clone.

* GainaxEnding: The "What If Doctor Doom Became a Hero?" Elseworld ends with Mephisto, annoyed with Doom successfully rescuing his mother's soul much earlier than in the normal canon, [[MoralEventHorizon forcing him into a]] SadisticChoice between him taking the soul of his lover, or the entirety of Latveria's populace. Doom reluctantly chose the former, arguing that he could not let the vast good he had done for the world be erased, and vowed to rescue his lover from Mephisto. The story then ended at that moment.

* MisBlamed: In-universe, often there are those who blame Doom for their own failings or flaws. Morgana Le Fay, whom Doom once courted, found cause to blame Doom for his regrettable absence from her chambers, believing Doom had willingly spurned her company. In truth, Doom had been waylaid and arrested by Iron Man.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see him as]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3133300_0binfamous_iron_man_1_ribic_variant.jpg The Infamous Iron Man]][[/labelnote]]

** ''[[ComicBook/LeeDitkoSpiderMan #5]]'' -- Spidey's first confrontation with Dr. Doom. Doom's first appearance as a villain outside the ''Fantastic Four'' and the beginning of his status as a Marvel-wide villain.

* RoguesGalleryTransplant: Has fought so many of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse's major heroes that he practically ''inverts'' the trope. At first, he was the ArchEnemy of the ComicBook/FantasticFour, but over time he has become a major thorn in every major Marvel hero's side. ComicBook/SpiderMan, ComicBook/TheAvengers, ComicBook/IronMan, you name them. Dr. Doom's first appearance as a villain outside the FF was in ''[[ComicBook/LeeDitkoSpiderMan The Amazing Spider-Man #5]]'' where he tries to recruit Spider-Man only to accidentally, and in Peter's view hilariously, kidnap Flash Thompson in a Spider-Suit instead.

* AgeLift: Much like ComicBook/MisterFantastic and ComicBook/TheThing, Doom in classic Marvel Universe is a middle-aged man. Also like them, some adaptions made him closer in age to the [[ComicBook/InvisibleWoman Storm]] [[ComicBook/HumanTorch siblings]]: Both the original ''ComicBook/HeroesReborn'' and the ''Film/FantasticFour2005'' film series depict him as a younger man and both ''ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour'' and ''Film/FantasticFour2015'' depict all five of them teenagers or in their early 20s.

** ''ComicBook/DoctorDoom2019'' -- A 2019 solo series by Christopher Cantwell (showrunner of ''Series/HaltAndCatchFire'') and artist Salvador Larroca.

* BrokenAce: This is largely the point of Doctor Doom. He's a scientific genius to rival Reed Richards, a magical prodigy who approaches Doctor Strange in power, and physically fit enough that he can kill lions bare-handed; he rules a nation as semi-benevolent dictator, adheres to a code of always repaying his debts, has enough willpower to stare down the Purple Man without flinching, and wears a suit of armour on par with that sported by Iron Man. He could, in theory, be one of the Marvel Universe's greatest forces for good, because in power level you can pick almost any three superheroes and he's the equal of all of them. Unfortunately for the Marvel Universe, his egomania will never stop clouding his judgment. When Reed Richards pointed out a mistake in Doom's calculations, he spat in Reed's face, and when his experiment went wrong and scarred him, he blamed Reed rather than admit, even to himself, that he screwed up, and dedicated the rest of his life to a needless revenge for a nonexistent crime. His hideous scarring is his own fault because believing his good looks to already be ruined by the thin scar he had received, he donned the iron mask to his first suit of armour without waiting for it to cool first. His people fear him more than love him; he has no friends; most of his intellectual equals are superheroes who would be suspicious at an invitation to discuss something; he's a pariah on the international stage. All because of his swollen ego. Ultimately, deep down he’s an angry, bitter, petty little man who can never admit a mistake, devotes all his brilliance and talents to showing up his old college rival, and once killed the only woman who ever loved him for just a little more power.

** During the Kirby/Lee era, Doom was often depicted as a raving operetto despot rather than the benevolent and beloved autocrat towards his people that can be seen in the works of Creator/JohnByrne and forth. Granted, raving operetta was Lee and Kirby's default style of characterization for villains, and going UpToEleven in this regard may have been the only way they saw of portraying Doom as the villain relative to the (in retrospect unusually) unsympathetic characterization that Reed Richards had in those days.

** Doom's use of this trope is best demonstrated in ''Triumph and Torment''. He enters a contest for the title of Sorcerer Supreme against "Doctor Strange", which Strange of course wins. Something Strange didn't know is that [[SecondPlaceIsForWinners the winner owed the second place contestent a favor]], which in this case was Strange's help saving Doom's mother from Mephisto, something Strange would have helped with if Doom simply asked. But Doom was far too proud to ever '''ask''' someone.

* EqualOpportunityEvil: All people, regardless of sex or class or colour or creed are welcome in Latveria, so long as they first acknowledge Doom as their master.

** Doom has since dominated this power spiritually, taught to him by the Ovoids, and managed to avoid being KilledOffForReal by requiring a noble sacrifice of a local man. However, his ego prevents him from using that particular trick too often as he dislikes the idea of discarding his own body in favour of another unless absolutely necessary, and takes steps to return to his true form as soon as possible.

* GadgeteerGenius: Long before Tony Stark constructed his armour, Doom did fashion his own in a cave, from ''less'' than scraps, along with a fully functioning nuclear-powered jetpack.

** In the Chaos Engine series of novels, Doom rebuilt the siphoning device and used it on Roma, Guardian of the Omniverse to try to claim her throne. The titular Chaos Engine itself was a (faulty) Cosmic Cube that granted Doom whatever he wished within its power -- he used it to TakeOverTheWorld, rewrite history[[note]][[AlternateUniverse Or so he thought]][[/note]], and secretly use MindControl on ComicBook/{{Magneto}} to make him into a genocidal monster to be his new ArchEnemy (after he finally defeated that accursed Richards) because VictoryIsBoring. He did not quite claim godhood... but, apart from making himself King of the Earth, he ''did'' think he had the right to kill everyone on the planet when he realised that the Cube was ''killing'' him.

* IOweYouMyLife: Doom is not without gratitude to those who have managed eliminate a threat to Doom before he could. On one occasion, Doom was visiting the United States, and despite being personally protected by ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, he came under attack, yet was saved by ComicBook/SpiderMan. Of couse, when he told Spider-Man that he would repay him for saving his life one day, he rejected the offer, and they had this exchange:

* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Doom is no fool. To quote an old maxim, "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day." This is one of the major factors that makes him such an effective villain for the Marvel universe as a whole: he generally avoids unneccesary risk.

** Another example is when he battled the Avengers over a powerful supercomputer. Vision, realising the risk of letting either Doom or the US Government (who'd tasked the Avengers with recovering the computer in the first place) have the computer, destroyed it instead. When he realised what had happened, Doom disengaged from his battle with the other Avengers to confirm the loss of the computer, then cursed the Vision and swore revenge before simply flying away. Further battle no longer served any purpose.

* LivingLegend: Doom is one. As he notes to Loki in ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'':

** His costume and aesthetic is a mix of medieval and modern. He wears a Renaissance cape and hood, green surcoat, golden clasps and medieval belt over futuristic armor and tech. He lives in a medieval castle and a Mitteleuropean country that looks like the Middle Ages but is actually technologically advanced beyond many first world nations. He combines the medieval, with the modern, and the cosmic.

** Similarly, in Supervillain Team Up he successfully takes over the world without anyone even realising it, but frees Magneto to oppose him because he feels someone of Magneto's caliber at least deserves the chance to challenge him.
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He's been accused of this, since for all his talk about making the world a better place, he's more interested in his vendetta with Reed Richards. On top of this Doom has [[VictoryIsBoring abandoned uncontested rule of the world because it leaves him with no challenges left]] both times he's achieved it. While he did save reality in ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' the world he created and ruled over afterwards was [[CrapsackWorld plagued by the myriad of supervillains from the different universes]] and Doom did nothing to stop them unless they directly challenged him, even though his infinite power would allowed him to do so easily, all while enforcing his rule with an iron fist. Doctor Doom saved reality, but the comic points to there being nothing noble about his intentions to do or for world conquest.

* RepressiveButEfficient: Latveria may be ruled by the iron fist of Doom, but it ''is'' prosperous. There is no crime, no poverty, no disease, and some stories imply nobody even needs to ''work'' (for anyone other than Doom, of course) as Doom has robot servants do everything. [[VetinariJobSecurity Latveria also tends to go to hell anytime Doom is removed from power]], and the Fantastic Four have even helped him return to his throne -- even if they helped remove him in the first place -- because they agree that he is a better ruler than his replacements.

* TookALevelInKindness: Trying to maintain an entire world in the role of God Emperor seems to have softened Doom's demeanor. However, don't believe for a moment that Doom has lost any of his prowess for this change. When it became apparent that Jonathan Storm was going to oppose him, he was made to be the Sun for his world.
* UncertifiedExpert: He attended college in upstate New York alongside Reed Richards. Doom's experiments in transdimensional shifting blew up his dorm room and got him expelled before he'd attained a degree. Nevertheless, Doom's raw intellect has transformed feudal Latveria into a showpiece of Europe. Further, Doom studied the arcane arts, seeking to free his Roma witch mother's soul from the lower netherworld. He has accomplished this with help from ComicBook/DoctorStrange, who privately conceded that Doom is qualified to become a Sorceror Supreme, despite never having trained under a master mage.

** While Doom could have simply used the cosmic cube in Fantastic Four World's Greatest Comic Magazine to wish for all the power that Doom needed (perhaps even internalizing the Cube's might as lesser intellects like Thanos and ComicBook/RedSkull had done), he prefered to use it to steal Galactus' cosmic might... which also caused him to inherit Galactus' hunger, which caused him to devour a planet that he sought at first to rule.

* VillainousVow: Doom, has made two solemn oaths: 1) to destroy Reed Richards and his teammates for having sabotaged Doom's college project (Reed did no such thing); and 2) free the soul of his Romani witch mother from the infernal realm. Doom has actually succeeded in the latter, having bested Mephisto and his hellish horde in combat (he had help).

* {{Yandere}}: He's this to the entire population of Latveria. Doom protects his people from all oppression and exploitation, even from their own, should any of them wish to leave.

* UncertifiedExpert: He attended college in upstate New York alongside Reed Richards. Doom's experiments in transdimensional shifting blew up his dorm room and got him expelled before he'd attained a degree. Nevertheless, Doom's raw intellect has transformed feudal Latveria into a showpiece of Europe. Further, Doom studied the arcane arts, seeking to free his gypsy witch mother's soul from the lower netherworld. He has accomplished this with help from ComicBook/DoctorStrange, who privately conceded that Doom is qualified to become a Sorceror Supreme, despite never having trained under a master mage.

* VillainousVow: Doom, has made two solemn oaths: 1) to destroy Reed Richards and his teammates for having sabotaged Doom's college project (Reed did no such thing); and 2) free the soul of his Gypsy witch mother from the infernal realm. Doom has actually succeeded in the latter, having bested Mephisto and his hellish horde in combat (he had help).

* ScientistOfTheSupernatural: He's long treated magic as just another science for him to conquer.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ultimate Spider-Man}}'' (2012 – 2013)

* NotSoDifferent:

** ComicBook/BlackPanther, who shares Doom's twin burdens of rulership and brilliance. They have very little difficulty working together if the need arises (though usually it's part of some scheme on at least one party's side).

* FatalFlaw: {{Pride}}. Although Doom is a {{Chessmaster}} and ManipulativeBastard extraordinaire, his obscene arrogance always ends up being the one flaw in his plans. This even extends to his origin story, where the freak lab accident that disfigures him was due to his refusing to admit he made a miscalculation. Despite that, he never realized it was his own fault, [[NeverMyFault believing Reed Richards sabotaged his invention]].

Starting from ''The Amazing Spider-Man #5'' however, Doctor Doom began appearing in stories with other heroes, because of both his considerable popularity and his versatility. As many writers and fans note, Doctor Doom's rich character and complex origins allow him to fit in, and play off, almost any genre and against any hero. As such he's been consistently a Marvel-wide villain from his inception, making notable appearances as a villain and {{Foil}} for the likes of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers, ComicBook/XMen, Franchise/SpiderMan, The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, ComicBook/IronMan, ComicBook/DoctorStrange, [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], ComicBook/{{Luke Cage|HeroForHire}}, ComicBook/SquirrelGirl'' and more. He is a unique figure who can inhabit multiple corners of the Marvel Universe whether it be the mystical side, the cosmic side, the political-national side, and even the street-level. Dr. Doom can slip in almost any genre and any hero's story no matter the power level and you can always find a good reason to work him in.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: An incident involving the musclebound [[ComicBook/LukeCageHeroForHire "Hero for Hire" Luke Cage]] saw Luke lay hands upon Doom over a mere two hundred dollars, that ended with Doom not only ''thanking'' Cage for rendering some small assistance with another matter, but also bemused Doom enough to laugh.

** In addition to Richards, there is also his wife, Susan, whom recognizes that nowadays has to be dealt with carefully considering [[SwissArmySuperpower her formidable mastery of her powers' various applications]].

* AndThenWhat: Doom faces angst about this in ''Emperor Doom'' where he conquers the world and builds an utopia but gets bored with how monotonous and mundane existence is, and then also in ''Secret Wars 2015'' where he became a GodEmperor and similarly found that boring too.

* BadassInANiceSuit: Post-''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', Doom has taken to dressing in a nice suit.

* BigGood: [[spoiler:The willpower of Doom, and Doom alone, is the sole thing keeping Battleworld stable in ''Secret Wars''. Not even the Fantastic Four could accomplish that!]]

** During the Kirby/Lee era, Doom was often depicted as a raving operetto despot rather than the benevolent and beloved autocrat towards his people that can be seen in the works of Creator/JohnByrne and forth. Granted, raving operetta was Kirby's default style of characterization for villains, and going UpToEleven in this regard may have been the only way he saw of portraying Doom as the villain relative to the (in retrospect unusually) unsympathetic characterization that Reed Richards had in those days.

** He's also taken to wearing [[BadassInANiceSuit a finely tailored suit]] instead of his more familiar armor, no longer refers to himself [[ThirdPersonPerson in the third person]], and while [[ManOfWealthAndTaste he once had one of the finest French chefs on his staff]], he waited for Tony Stark at a children's hospital while consuming a bag of potato chips. He also proclaimed that he no longer wishes to rule over Latveria, as he's seen his true calling ahead of him. And when Tony Stark lobbed several insults at him and lashed out at him with repulsor blasts and his Hulkbuster armor, he calmly waited for him to finish before explaining to him that he would benefit working with him, instead of rebuking him with force.

** Doom's use of this trope is best demonostrated in ''Triumph and Torment''. He enters a contest for the title of Sorcerer Supreme against "Doctor Strange", which Strange of course wins. Something Strange didn't know is that [[SecondPlaceIsForWinners the winner owed the second place contestent a favor]], which in this case was Strange's help saving Doom's mother from Mephisto, something Strange would have helped with if Doom simply asked. But Doom was far too proud to ever '''ask''' someone.

** His last fight with ComicBook/BlackPanther, when Doom easily OutGambitted and crippled T'Challa, though T'Challa paid Doom back for that in "Doomwar".

** Does Doom care for his people, or are they simply mere implements of Doom's will, to be abused and discarded as Doom desires? Likewise, do the people of Latveria care for Doom, or do they merely fear his wrath?

** A more recent comic revealed that Reed wasn't even responsible for Doom's accident. Ben Grimm, later the Thing, didn't like Doom's attitude, and he decided to purposefully sabotage the machine. So Doom's hatred of Reed is even more disproportionate.

** Boris, an old friend of Doom's parents and Doom's [[UndyingLoyalty most loyal servant]], is one of the handful of people to have earned Doom's genuine trust.

* LightIsNotGood: In ''ComicBook/TheChildrensCrusade'', Doom becomes the perfect white-robed savior with holy powers after the life energy is transferred during an "accident" in the spell to restore mutantkind's powers.

* MoralityPet: Valeria is certainly the only person to have a calming effect on Doom.

* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He's been accused of this since for all his talk about making the world a better place, he's more interested in his vendetta with Reed Richards. On top of this Doom has [[VictoryIsBoring abandoned uncontested rule of the world because it leaves him with no challenges left]] both times he's achieved it. While he did save reality in ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' the world he created and ruled over afterwards was [[CrapsackWorld plagued by the myriad of supervillains from the different universes]] and Doom did nothing to stop them unless they directly challenged him even though his infinite power would allowed him to do so easily, all while enforcing his rule with an iron fist. Doctor Doom saved reality but the comic points to there being nothing noble about his intentions to do or for world conquest.

** ComicBook/BlackPanther, who shares Doom's twin burdens of rulership and brilliance. They have no difficulty working together if the need arises.

* RivalTurnedEvil: Doom and Reed Richards are probably one of the most straightforward examples of this trope. The catalyst for Doom turning evil was an incident where Reed pointed out a flaw in one of Doom's projects when they were both classmates in grad school rivaling for the spot of top student, and Doom, thinking [[YoureJustJealous Reed was just jealous]], ignored him, only for the project to blow up in his face, disfiguring him and getting him expelled. Doom was so infuriated by the idea that that ''infernal'' Richards had bested him that he [[SelectiveObliviousness rejected that version of reality]], [[NeverMyFault blamed Reed for the accident]], and [[{{Revenge}} dedicated himself to destroying Reed's life in "revenge".]][[note]] Apparently, accidentally brusing the ego of the great Victor von Doom makes you deserving of [[DisproportionateRetribution constant stalking, murder attempts, targeting of your wife and friends, forced duels, repeated physical and psychological torture, mind rape, attempted genocide of your country, kidnapping your kids, screwing with your head and ill-handled guilt complex until you almost lose your mind/fly into a homicidal rage, and turning your life into one long, exhausting, never-ending hell.]][[/note]]\\