Doctor Doom's Top 10 Triumphs Over the Fantastic Four: Ranked!

1961 marked the beginning of the Marvel era, where they introduced several characters that have since become legendary, including Galactus, Molecule Man, and the Silver Surfer. Among these characters and villains, none are as iconic as Victor von Doom, who has been a part of Marvel’s universe since its inception. Known as the Fantastic Four‘s greatest adversary, Doctor Doom has wreaked havoc on this superhero family for countless years.

Time and again, Victor von Doom’s thirst for power and desire to outshine Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, has led him into conflict with the Fantastic Four. Despite the Four often thwarting Doom’s schemes, he has managed to gain the upper hand on several occasions throughout their long history. The stakes range from personal grudges to battles for the fate of the universe – Victor is relentless in his pursuit of becoming superior to Marvel’s First Family.

One of Doom’s early plots almost took out the team

In one of the initial clashes between The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four #16 (penned by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers and Art Simek), the malevolent genius seized control over the micro-verse and transported the team to his newly established realm. There, Victor confined them alongside the previous King and Queen of the micro-world kingdom, intending to auction them off as slaves to the Tok lizard people. Eventually, Ant-Man intervenes and frees the team, but Doom manages to elude capture before they can apprehend him.

Even though Doom’s scheme ultimately failed at its conclusion, it doesn’t diminish his triumph over the Fantastic Four. Seated on his throne in the Micro-Verse, Doom skillfully enticed the Fantastic Four to him and effortlessly ensnared each of them. Had Ant-Man not intervened, this encounter might well have marked the end of their heroic journeys as a team.

The Fantastic Four’s family issues nearly cost them everything

In issue #23 of Fantastic Four, there’s a growing doubt about Reed’s leadership within the team, providing an ideal moment for Doctor Doom to make his move. As the FF engage in internal conflicts, Doom sets free a band of criminals and equips them with superpowers. This new band of villains manages to seize the Fantastic Four family. Delighting in his malevolent scheme, Doom captures the FF once more, planning to launch them into space using a Solar Wave device.

Eventually, the team managed to outwit Doom and evade his Solar Wave, but it was clear that he had the upper hand with his Terrible Trio. In their first encounter against The Fantastic Four, Doom’s band of villains effortlessly captured our heroes and transformed The Thing back into Ben Grimm. Furthermore, they managed to create a robot duplicate of The Thing that deceived Mr. Fantastic and even overpowered them once more upon their escape from his prison, using all of their combined powers. However, at the very end, the Fantastic Four were able to outsmart Doom, but this battle left a bitter taste of defeat in their mouths.

The first time Doom tasted true power was disastrous

Following their initial encounter with the Silver Surfer and Galactus in Fantastic Four #48 (penned by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Joe Sinnott, and Artie Simek), it didn’t take long before Doctor Doom, a recurring antagonist, entangled the Cosmic Sentinel in another plot. Luring the Surfer to his castle in Latveria, Doom sprung an ambush on the Silver Surfer. In Fantastic Four #57, he exploited the Power Cosmic to overpower his adversary. By freezing Johnny Storm, transforming the Thing into a statue, and imprisoning Sue and Reed, Doom effortlessly triumphed over the Fantastic Four.

In the climactic encounter of Fantastic Four #60 (written by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Joe Sinnott, and Sam Rosen), it was Doom who emerged victorious over the team once more. However, his triumph was short-lived as he was ultimately defeated not by the heroes, but by his own overbearing pride. A decoy ship crafted by Reed Richards served as a ruse to expose Doom’s insatiable desire for supremacy. Despite having the opportunity to eliminate the Fantastic Four permanently, Doom’s selfish ambition prevented him from seeing reason. The moment when he seized the powers of the Silver Surfer marked one of his first experiences with true power, and he was determined to outdo the Fantastic Four at any cost, even if it meant sacrificing the entire world in the process.

A truly terrible vacation

In issue 86 of Fantastic Four (1969), penned by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Joe Sinnott, and Sam Rosen, the Fantastic Four were tricked into believing they had lost their powers and attacked a village. Following Doom’s attempt to obliterate the entire village, Sue Storm intervened, leading the Fantastic Four to charge Doom’s castle where they fell victim to another one of his traps. In issue 87, while trapped within Doom Castle, Reed, Johnny, and Ben battled their way through the fortress as Sue and Crystal were invited for dinner with Doom, serving as spectators. However, Victor’s aide, Hauptman, sought to impress his master by attempting to eliminate Reed himself.

This situation resulted in Doom killing Hauptman and allowing the Fantastic Four to leave freely, as his plan was foiled. Although Marvel’s First Family managed to escape from Doom Castle, this was ultimately a success for Doom. Their time in Latveria demonstrated how easily Doom could capture the team if not for his own mistakes. Despite Hauptman’s interference, Doom had the team right where he wanted them and survived only because he didn’t want anything to mar his victory.

Doom traded technology for magic

Following the birth of Valeria Richards in issue #54 of Fantastic Four, inspired to regain world domination and eliminate the Fantastic Four, Doom struck a pact with a band of demons. In the year 2003’s Fantastic Four #67, he made the heart-wrenching sacrifice of his only beloved woman, gaining magical wisdom that he would have acquired if he had dedicated his life to sorcery instead of science. Utilizing her skin to craft a fresh suit of enchanted armor, Doom embarked on a destructive journey against his adversaries. He sent Franklin Richards to the underworld, imprisoned Reed within a magical library, and tormented Johnny, Sue, and Ben inside Doom Castle, as depicted in Fantastic Four #70.

In the “Unthinkable” saga, Doom’s conquest against his longtime adversary reached a peak of success. Not only did he inflict torment upon the imprisoned Fantastic Four, but he also humiliated them in combat, with the team suffering an almost effortless defeat. Moreover, Doom managed to subdue Doctor Strange and even endured a full punch from The Thing, causing his head to rotate a complete 360 degrees before Victor swiftly restored it to its original position. This comprehensive victory over the Fantastic Four in the “Unthinkable” storyline showcased Doom at the zenith of his villainous prowess and left lasting impacts on his subsequent attempts to annihilate the team through magic.

The Doombot gets a cosmic upgrade

In the year 1973, during issue #157 of Fantastic Four (written by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler, Joe Sinnott, P. Goldberg, and Joe Rosen), Doom seized the Silver Surfer and employed a brainwashed Shalla-Bal in the process. He then utilized a device to infuse the Surfer’s Power Cosmic into an upgraded version of his formidable robot, Doomsman. Equipped with this newfound strength, Doomsman 2 attacked the Fantastic Four once more. The Thing managed to overcome the android’s immense power, but when Doom personally intervened and engaged the team, they ended up in a standoff where neither side emerged victorious. Both parties eventually retreated from the battle.

In this latest scenario created by Doom, he managed yet again to overpower his team, but in the last breaths of time they managed to flee. The sole motivation for Doom allowing their departure was to protect Doom Castle and the rich history of Latveria it contained. As a final act, Doom boasted that he had been controlling them like marionettes all along, until the very end. He also hinted that the battle could have continued indefinitely.

Reed became his worst enemy

Following their apparent demise in combat against the Celestial Dreaming, Reed reappeared, ensnared within Doctor Doom’s armor (in Fantastic Four #26 by Chris Claremont, Salvador Larroca, Art Thibert, Mark Pennington, Liquid, Richard Starkings, and Comicraft). As Reed and the Fantastic Four attempted to liberate him, the head of Marvel’s First Family slowly transformed into his most formidable adversary. By employing his sorcery, the genuine Doom informed Sue about the events that transpired and disclosed that the longer Reed remained in the armor, the more he would transform into him. Eventually, when Reed attempted to seize control of the world under the guise of protecting it, Sue opened a portal to summon the real Doom back. In a one-on-one confrontation, the authentic Doom defeated Reed.

In issue #30 of Fantastic Four, written by Chris Clarmont et al., it was revealed that Doom’s armor served as an extension of himself, essentially making him victorious over the Fantastic Four in various ways. Reed Richards’ control and manipulation of his own team can be interpreted as a victory for Doom, but the literal defeat of Doom by his rival was also a significant win. In fact, Susan Storm acknowledged that Doom had finally bested Reed in a fair fight, underscoring Victor Von Doom’s complete triumph over Reed and the Fantastic Four.

Doom becomes part of the family

2002’s Fantastic Four #54 had me on the edge of my seat as Sue went into labor with Valeria. The situation was critical, and it seemed like both her life and the lives of her unborn babies were at stake. Meanwhile, Reed and Ben were held captive by the Hidden Ones, and Johnny was left with no choice but to appeal to Doctor Doom for help.

In a twist of events, he agreed and managed to save Sue and Valeria. As a token of his gratitude, I was honored to be named her Godfather. In return, I bestowed upon her the name Valeria.

After Reed managed to break free and reunite with us, Doctor Doom made sure to remind him that he had outsmarted him this time. He said that every time Reed looks at Valeria, he’ll remember that it was Doom who saved them when they couldn’t. What a powerful reminder!

In a twist of events, Doom’s help in delivering Valeria might be viewed as Victor momentarily setting aside his feud with Reed to save Sue. However, this act can also be considered one of Doom’s triumphs against his arch-nemesis. The fact that Reed was imprisoned at the time prevented him from saving Sue, and even if he hadn’t been, Doom’s use of sorcery as well as science made it impossible for Reed to intervene. This seemingly selfless act by Doom not only gave him a stronghold over The Fantastic Four but also demonstrated that despite their intellectual parity, Doom’s expertise in magic grants him an upper hand over Reed.

Reed is forced to do the unthinkable

Following Doom’s banishment to Hell after assaulting the Fantastic Four in “Unthinkable,” Reed resolved to prevent the villain from escaping and imprisoned both of them within a confined dimension. When Sue found this hidden realm while searching for Reed, Doom managed to move his spirit into the other team members, causing internal conflict. Eventually, The Thing was able to resist Doom’s influence sufficiently to plead with Reed to end his life, leaving Mister Fantastic with no choice but to fatally shoot his longtime friend.

On this occasion, Doom transformed a loss into a triumph by driving Reed to the very brink of collapse, ultimately managing to eliminate one member of the Fantastic Four. Not only did Doom shatter the team’s spirit like never before when his soul was sent back to Hell, but he also inflicted physical damage upon them by making them battle each other and defeating each individually while taking control of their bodies.

Doom makes himself the hero

In Marvel’s Blood Hunt event, when vampires seized control of the world, one individual, seeking to save it, agreed to become Sorcerer Supreme. As the new Master of the Mystic Arts, Doom swiftly took over the world and formed a United Latveria with himself as its ruler. Despite repeated efforts by the Fantastic Four and the Avengers to challenge him, Doom managed to convince the public that he could accomplish what the heroes had failed to do. The world, thus, supported him. During a gathering of the new United Latveria, the Fantastic Four attempted to expose Doom’s deceit. However, their actions were perceived as aggressive, and in a show of mercy, Doom restored The Thing back into Ben Grimm.

At the moment, the story in “One World Under Doom” (written by Ryan North, R.B. Silva, David Curiel, and Travis Lanham) is revealing a significant setback for the team. In this instance, Doom orchestrated one of his most effective and harmful victories against the Fantastic Four. Unlike previous battles where Doom typically emerged victorious through brute force, this time he managed to sway public opinion against them. Although Doom’s triumphs over the Fantastic Four have been predominantly physical, this defeat was unique because it also represented a psychological victory for Doom – one that Reed Richards has struggled with for years: curing Ben Grimm of his rock form. Despite ongoing attempts, Reed has not succeeded in transforming Ben back to human form. As the story progresses, it remains uncertain if Doom’s dominion will ultimately prevail; however, this defeat could potentially mark one of several challenges the Fantastic Four might face during the event.

2025-05-13 08:09

Doctor Doom’s Top 10 Triumphs Over the Fantastic Four: Ranked!