Dr. Victor Von Doom

Villan #3

A brilliant but arrogant scientist, Victor Von Doom was disfigured when one of his early experiments went horribly awry. Now -- his scarred countenance masked by a metal faceplate, his body sheathed in nigh-impenetrable armor -- Dr. Doom rules the small European country of Latveria with an iron fist. Not content with one nation, his ultimate aspiration is world domination...and the destruction of the fabled Fantastic Four!

Real Name: Victor Von Doom
Occupation: Monarch
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: Latveria
First Appearance: Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #5 (1962)

Height: 6'2
Weight: 225 lbs.
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown

Powers: Dr. Doom possesses the ability, though not-often-used, to switch minds with others. Also, he commands a small amount of mystical knowledge.

Weapons: In his armor, Dr. Doom can lift about 2 tons. One of the world's most brilliant scientists, he has amassed a seemingly endless arsenal of high-tech weaponry. At the very least, his armor incorporates a forcefield and concussion beams.

History:

Hardened by adversity, Victor Von Doom knows all too well what it is to be misunderstood and forsaken, hunted and despised. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by gypsies in the small Balkan nation of Latveria -- constantly on the move, with no place to call home. Anguished by his parents' passing, the young Doom vowed to make the entire world pay for his loss. Through years of intense study, the determined youth amassed a wealth of scientific and mystical knowledge. Even as Doom's obsession with power and vengeance grew, his academic pursuits and astounding reputation earned him a full scholarship to State University in America. There, the brilliant but arrogant Doom first encountered Reed Richards, similarly gifted but humble to a fault. Richards represented a substantial threat to Doom's self-perceived superiority, and the two became bitter rivals.

Ultimately, Doom was undone by his ego, which prevented him from adjusting the schematics to one of his early inventions: a trans-dimensional projection device. The machine worked perfectly...for two minutes, 37 seconds. Then, Doom experienced the end result of his pride: an explosion that injured his face. Although Richards had pointed out his classmate's miscalculations prior to the mishap, Doom refused to acknowledge his own culpability. Instead, he blamed Richards for the accident. It was easier for Doom to believe his rival had sabotaged his work out of jealousy than admit to his own imperfection.

While convalescing, Doom discovered that the blast had left him with a long, thin scar. The vain Doom believed this slight injury had in fact totally disfigured his face. Expelled from college for his hazardous extra-dimensional experiment, he traveled the world swathed in bandages -- a kind of living mummy, searching for a miracle cure. Eventually, Doom discovered a village of Tibetan monks, who crafted a suit of armor and metal mask to hide his perceived deformity. In his urgent desire to proceed with his plans of conquest and revenge, Doom donned his newly cast faceplate before it has completely cooled, permanently damaging his entire face. His scarred countenance so concealed and his body sheathed in the monk's nigh-impenetrable armor, Doom returned to Latveria. Overthrowing the standing government, he installed himself as absolute monarch.

Ruling with an iron fist and an equally strong will, Doom established a nation of peace and prosperity. As Latveria thrived under Doom's reign, the megalomaniacal dictator began to believe he could extend his success to Earth's other nations. Consequently, he began to redirect the small nation's resources to help him realize his designs of world domination. To Doom, the world's leaders are as nothing, inferiors to be cast aside in favor of his global vision. Eventually, Doom's machinations brought him into conflict with Richards -- now well-known as Mr. Fantastic, leader of the Fantastic Four. Richards and his teammates have been Doom's most frequent opponents through the years. Now, Doom's dreams of world conquest are equaled only by his desire to destroy the Fantastic Four.

Despite countless attempts, Doom's defeats of Richards have been few and far between -- and never complete or lasting. Doom's belief in his own superiority frequently proves to be his undoing, as his overconfidence and hubris blind him to his own failings. He has, however, bested his bitter rival on at least one occasion, scoring a major psychological victory when he was called upon to save the life of Richards' wife Sue and their second child. Conceived in an other-dimensional realm, the unborn child had begun emitting high-intensity waves of negative energy. The Human Torch knew his sister and the baby would die without help. With Richards detained by outside forces, Doom was his best and only hope. Johnny Storm pleaded with his greatest enemy to put aside their past differences so Invisible Woman and her child would have even the smallest chance for survival. Seizing the opportunity, Doom saved both their lives through a combination of science and sorcery, inflating the armored autocrat's ego and sending his self-confidence soaring. Indebted to Doom, Sue agreed to let him name the child; he then placed Valeria under his royal protection. Now, every time Reed looks at his daughter and wife, he will remember that Doom saved them both when he could not.