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154-585: Latveria first appeared in Fantastic Four Annual #2 (1964), ruled by Victor von Doom . In Fantastic Four #536 (2006), he kills his own Prime Minister for claiming control of Latveria in his absence. Latveria is an isolated European country ruled by the fictional Supreme Lord Doctor Doom . It is located in the Banat region, where Hungary , Romania and Serbia meet. Its capital Hassenstadt has been named Doomstadt since Doom seized power, ruling

308-492: A futurist . Marvel restarted Iron Man's comic book run with Invincible Iron Man in 2008, written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Salvador Larroca . This series launched around the same time as the film Iron Man premiered, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe developed while this run was in publication. The Iron Man series reverted to the original numbering in 2011, when the overall 500th issue

462-408: A "soul-stirring...super sensational new villain" for the series. Looking for a name, Lee latched onto "Doctor Doom" as "eloquent in its simplicity — magnificent in its implied menace." Due to the rush to publish, the character was not given a full origin story until Fantastic Four Annual #2, two years after his debut. In a 1987 interview, Kirby commented on Doctor Doom's design. "Dr. Doom

616-542: A Bottle " (1979), " Armor Wars " (1987–1988), " Extremis " (2005), and " Iron Man 2020 " (2020). He is also a leading character in the company-wide stories Civil War (2006–2007), Dark Reign (2008–2009), and Civil War II (2016). Additional superhero characters have emerged from Iron Man's supporting cast, including James Rhodes as War Machine and Riri Williams as Ironheart , as well as reformed villains, Natasha Romanova as Black Widow and Clint Barton as Hawkeye . Iron Man's list of enemies includes his archenemy ,

770-455: A March 1963 cover date . Though the Iron Man armor was gray in its first appearance, Marvel changed it to gold because of issues with printing. Lee initially delegated the writing duties to other creators at Marvel, but he felt their work was substandard; as with his other characters, Lee reclaimed control of Iron Man so he could write the stories himself. Once Marvel's distributor allowed

924-417: A broader trend by Marvel Comics to substitute its main characters with a diverse cast of original characters in the 2010s, Iron Man was temporarily replaced by Ironheart , a teenaged African-American girl who reverse-engineered the Iron Man armor, in 2016. At the same time, the series Infamous Iron Man began publication with Dr. Doom as Iron Man. The series Tony Stark: Iron Man premiered in 2018 with

1078-478: A businessman, Iron Man stories often invoke themes of economic competition , seeing him face characters who try to develop better versions of the Iron Man armor. Many of Iron Man's challenges involve corrupt business rivals and corporate espionage . Technology and its influence on society are common themes in Iron Man stories, and various writers have portrayed him as a technological marvel since his earliest appearances. The character's use of technology, both as

1232-463: A car crash. Developing equipment for the U.S. military, he travels to a war zone to conduct a weapons test when he triggers a booby trap. His heart is critically injured by shrapnel, and he is captured by the communist Wong-Chu , who demands Stark build him a weapon. Stark instead builds a suit of armor that sustains his heart, becoming Iron Man. The war zone Stark visited was changed retroactively multiple times by different writers to correspond with

1386-588: A clean slate for new story arcs in a traditional superhero setting. The character was relaunched again in 2022 with Invincible Iron Man , written by Gerry Duggan and illustrated by Juan Frigeri . A new volume was launched in October 2024, written by Spencer Ackerman and illustrated by Julius Ohta . Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark was born in Long Island, New York . As a child, he inherited his family's business, Stark Industries when his parents were killed in

1540-491: A confrontation between Doom and the Hood, during which Doom's face is severely burned by a demon. After the villains' defeat, Victor retreats to the ruins of Castle Doom. A young woman named Zora Vokuvic breaks into Castle Doom, demanding to see Doctor Doom and insisting that Latveria needs its leader back amid turmoil. Initially resistant, Doom is persuaded when Zora hands him his iconic mask, prompting him to venture out and quell

1694-485: A dimensional tear caused by Mjolnir 's fall to Earth, though he focused on rebuilding his power base instead of lifting the hammer. These events were later removed from Marvel continuity in the 2015 Secret Wars . Later, a Doombot was defeated by Reed Richards, Hank Pym , Iron Man , and She-Hulk in New York City, raising questions about Doom's involvement. In the midst of the superhero Civil War , he sends

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1848-535: A feat Doom admitted he could not replicate. Additionally, Doom has leveraged his scientific prowess to steal or replicate the powers of beings like the Silver Surfer , the Beyonder , and even Galactus 's world-ship. Doom often uses " Doombots ," his robot doubles, to retroactively explain his actions or erase events from his history. This device was also used to depict Kristoff Vernard believing himself to be

2002-628: A founding member of the New Avengers . Iron Man volume four began in 2005, with Warren Ellis as the writer and Adi Granov as the artist. Its first story arc, " Extremis ", saw Iron Man upgrade his body directly through the Extremis virus, giving him direct control over a biological armor. The volume's first 14 issues carried the Iron Man title, while issues #15–32 (2007–2008) were titled Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Iron Man led

2156-525: A full-length dedicated series in 1968. Marvel combined the final issues of Tales of Suspense and the Sub-Mariner 's Tales to Astonish into a one-shot special, Iron Man and Sub-Mariner . Iron Man then began its run under writer Archie Goodwin . Goodwin reintroduced political themes slowly over the following years, with a focus on domestic issues like racial conflict and environmentalism rather than geopolitics. George Tuska started drawing

2310-631: A group of survivors challenge Doom, and with Molecule Man's help, they restore the multiverse. Reed chooses to heal Doom's face using the Beyonder's power. In the All-New, All-Different Marvel , Doom returns to Latveria and saves Tony Stark by using a sonic attack to incapacitate a group of rebels. He tells Tony he's a new man and gives him one of the Wands of Watoomb for protection against Madame Masque. When more rebels arrive, Doom teleports Iron Man to

2464-515: A guilt-ridden Doctor Doom, planning to abdicate his throne to Kristoff, is approached by Valeria, who asks for his help with her father. Noticing Doom's brain damage and memory loss from a previous battle, she offers to restore his mental faculties in exchange for assisting with the Fantastic Four, which he agrees to. Later, Doom attends Johnny Storm's funeral. Due to this agreement, Doom is recommended by Nathaniel and Valeria von Doom to join

2618-466: A hostage to force the Fantastic Four to travel back in time to steal Blackbeard 's enchanted treasure to help him conquer the world. However, Reed Richards tricks Doom by swapping the treasure for worthless chains. Doom then allies with the Sub-Mariner , who installs a magnetic device in the Baxter Building to pull them into space, aiming to eliminate the Fantastic Four. The Sub-Mariner returns

2772-519: A key villain in Fantastic Four throughout the 1980s, appearing in titles as Punisher , The Spectacular Spider-Man , and Excalibur . During Steven Englehart's run on Fantastic Four , Doom was exiled by his heir, Kristoff, but this storyline was left unresolved when Englehart departed. Walt Simonson 's Fantastic Four #350 controversially revealed that the Doom seen during Englehart's arc

2926-419: A machine to communicate with the dead, specifically his mother, but ignored Richards’ warnings about its flaws, leading to a catastrophic explosion that severely damaged his face. Unknown to Victor, Ben Grimm had sabotaged the machine. In hindsight, Grimm would privately blame himself for Doom's fall to villainy. Expelled after the incident, Victor traveled until he collapsed on a Tibetan mountainside, where he

3080-502: A magical prison, but with Doctor Strange's help, Richards succeeds, causing Doom to be dragged to Hell. Doom remained there until the 2004 "Ragnarok" storyline in Thor , where Thor's hammer, Mjolnir , provided his escape. In 2005–2006, Doctor Doom starred in the limited series Books of Doom , written by Ed Brubaker . This retelling of his origin explored the early, less-seen parts of Doom's life and questioned whether his path to dictatorship

3234-590: A message to Storm and the Black Panther , inviting an alliance between Latveria and Wakanda. In Latveria, Panther spurns the invitation, detonating an EMP that blacked out a local portion of Latveria before Doctor Doom's robots could destroy his ship. It is later revealed that Doom is working with the Red Skull on a weapon, believing it would lead him to become the Baron of Iron, despite his disagreements with

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3388-607: A new reversed personality. A new Invincible Iron Man run written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by David Marquez began in 2015. A simultaneous Iron Man series, International Iron Man , ran for seven issues in 2016 under Marvel's All-New, All-Different Marvel branding, also by Bendis. This series was meant to ensure Iron Man's status as a major character as All-New, All-Different developed. A second Civil War event in 2016 portrayed Iron Man as an advocate of free will against Captain Marvel 's determinism . As part of

3542-468: A pocket dimension called Counter-Earth, where Doom later uncovered a secret power linked to Franklin and persuaded the boy to relinquish control of the world. When Susan Richards faced complications with her second pregnancy, Johnny Storm contacted Doctor Doom for help, knowing he couldn't resist the chance to outdo Reed. Doom saved Susan's daughter and cured Johnny's inability to "flame off" by channeling Johnny's excess energy into her. Afterward, Doom named

3696-409: A profit-sharing agreement. Lee and Liefeld were given charge of the " Heroes Reborn " branding that renumbered Marvel's long-running periodicals at issue #1. This new Iron Man series, labeled volume two, was set in an alternate universe created during the " Onslaught " event. It ran for 13 issues, written by Lee and Scott Lobdell and drawn by Whilce Portacio . The following year, Marvel introduced

3850-419: A run by Mike Friedrich , in which corporate reform of Stark Industries was a recurring subplot. Iron Man was one of several Marvel characters who declined in popularity during the 1970s, and the series went a period of time without a dedicated writer until Bill Mantlo took over in 1977. The following year, David Michelinie and Bob Layton took charge of the series, beginning with issue #116. While inking

4004-528: A self-serving way. For instance, while he may not harm someone directly, he won't stop others from doing so. His sense of honor has led him to save Captain America and spare Spider-Man's life, but he refuses to attack weakened opponents, preferring that any victory over the Fantastic Four come solely from him. Despite his flaws, Doom is devoted to his subjects. When judged by the Panther God of Wakanda , it

4158-535: A single being when he rewrites reality . Stark's company was bought out at this point, so he started a consulting firm, Stark Solutions. His secret identity is revealed to the public shortly afterwards. He is then appointed Secretary of Defense until the Scarlet Witch alters his mind, causing him to behave drunkenly at the United Nations and leave in disgrace. When Mallen becomes a threat through

4312-466: A space technology company, Stark Enterprises. When Iron Man learns Justin Hammer had acquired the Iron Man armor's technology, he seeks out all the other armors. The resulting fights leave Iron Man a fugitive, leading him to fake his death and then describe himself as a new Iron Man. When Iron Man is shot in the spine and paralyzed, he develops a new prosthesis that grants him mobility. This prosthesis

4466-494: A special berry juice to turn the Fantastic Four against each other. However, Richards outsmarts Doom with the hallucinogenic juice, leading Doom to believe he has killed him and depart. During the 1960s, Doom attempted to recruit Spider-Man into joining forces with him, and he came into conflict with the Avengers when Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch illegally entered Latveria to find a long-lost relative of theirs. He stole

4620-676: A superhero and as a civilian, engaging in courageous and selfless acts as Iron Man but morally ambiguous behavior as Stark. The character represents a traditional understanding of American masculinity as a businessman and a playboy, particularly as it was seen in the Cold War. This characterization also manifests in negative traits that were prominent in early Iron Man stories, including belligerence, negligence, and misogyny. Stark has several character flaws emerging from his impulsivity and arrogance, engaging in vices that include excessive drinking, partying, and womanizing. Iron Man's heart injury

4774-526: A supervillain, Doom has diplomatic immunity – allowing him to escape legal prosecution for most of his crimes he commits outside of Latveria. Doom also has total control of the nation's natural and technological resources, along with its manpower, economy, and military. Though from the outside it seems tyrannical, it seems the Latverian people really do adore Doom, as shown with two of his apprentices, Zora Vukovic, (aka, Victorious) and Kristoff Vernard . He

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4928-577: A symposium to defeat the Council of Reeds—alternate versions of Reed Richards trapped in their universe. Mister Fantastic , Victor, Valeria, and Nathaniel Richards meet with the supervillain geniuses and Uatu the Watcher about what to do with the Council of Reeds. Around this time, von Doom performed brain surgery on the Hulk to separate him from Bruce Banner, extracting the uniquely Banner elements from

5082-423: A technique he uses to frequently escape. However, he rarely employs this ability, as it can revert if his concentration breaks, and he is reluctant to do so due to his ego about his appearance. Doom's armor enhances his strength and durability to superhuman levels, allowing him to contend with powerful foes like Spider-Man and the Hulk, although he prefers long-range tactics against stronger opponents. The armor

5236-529: A technological component, giving this power to a man who created it himself in a transcendental fashion. Iron Man does not have any superhuman abilities. Instead, he derives his strength from a powered armor of his own design. The armor is equipped with various weapons, which include "repulsor rays" in each palm that project particle beams as well as a stronger "unibeam" on his chest. As of 2010, Marvel described Iron Man's armor as being able to lift 100 tons and to fly at Mach 8 . Marvel initially depicted

5390-550: A tempestuous temper, Doom occasionally shows warmth and empathy to others; he tries to free his mother from Mephisto and treats Kristoff Vernard like his own son. Byrne gave further detail regarding Doom's scarring: Byrne introduced the idea that the accident at Empire State University only left Victor with a small scar that was exaggerated into a more disfiguring accident by Doom's own arrogance—by donning his newly forged face mask before it had fully cooled, he caused massive irreparable damage. After his debut, Doctor Doom remained

5544-490: A threat, Reed took control of Latveria to dismantle his equipment, and planned to trap them both in a pocket dimension. This backfired when the team intervened, leading Doom to transfer his spirit into Sue, Johnny, and Ben. Reed was forced to kill Johnny to stop Doom. Doom returned to Hell, and Reed later used a machine Doom had once created to travel to Heaven and restore Ben to life. Doom remained in Hell until he escaped during

5698-429: A trap for their mutual enemy Feilong. We really thought about how we needed to give him a weakness. It wasn't hip to have him running out of energy and looking for a light socket every few pages, or having a heart attack every time Ultimo was fighting him. So we discussed it and we thought that we would give him the corporate man's disease [alcoholism]. Something that would always haunt him. Bob Layton Iron Man

5852-608: A vampire invasion, ordering border guards to maintain defenses while noting he will have new subjects to attend to. He later approaches Strange Academy students in Madripoor after the disappearance of Agatha Harkness and the Living Darkhold . At the Latverian embassy in Alberia, Doom saves Tatiana Keska from vampires, despite knowing she has grievances against him. Doctor Doom informs Doctor Strange and Clea that Blade

6006-399: A weapons manufacturer and as Iron Man, explores problems that arise from progress and advancement, including misuse of technology and the implications of cybernetics . Iron Man's position within the suit allows for discussion regarding automation versus human oversight of technology, and it reflects the debate on how new technologies are incorporated into public and military use, including

6160-418: A world in which the ordinary laws of nature are slightly suspended"; characters such as Professor Moriarty , Count Dracula , Auric Goldfinger , Hannibal Lecter , Joker , Lex Luthor , and Darth Vader , also fit this description. Sanderson also found traces of William Shakespeare 's characters Richard III and Iago in Doom; all of them "are descended from the 'vice' figure of medieval drama", who address

6314-548: Is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby , the character first appeared in The Fantastic Four #5 (July 1962). In his comic book appearances, Doctor Doom is the monarch of the fictional European country of Latveria whose goal is to bring order to humanity through world conquest . He serves as the archenemy of Mister Fantastic and

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6468-430: Is a businessman and entrepreneur who seeks to innovate and improve his technology, both for society's benefit and his own. Iron Man is one of many Marvel heroes with a genius-level intellect, but his focus on societal application alongside hard science distinguishes him from other heroes. The character is a futurist, and he works to identify solutions for problems that have yet to emerge. This preemptive problem-solving

6622-469: Is also known to harbor fugitive supervillains within Latveria as means of protecting them from prosecution, although he only does this for villains who play a part in his schemes. After renouncing his rulership, it is likely he lost this status. Doom's primary weakness is his arrogance, which often blinds him to his own role in his failures. Layla Miller noted that he refuses to accept responsibility for

6776-486: Is decimated during an attack by the Marquis of Death . The Avengers later invade Latveria to confront Doom for his unintentional involvement in the release of a symbiote virus. Doom is imprisoned for crimes against humanity , but restores his nation using time travel, with the help of Norman Osborn . Latveria has largely been ruled by Doom after killing the tyrannical King Vladimir. Doom has Romani heritage, and declares

6930-504: Is framed for murder. These stresses cause him to begin drinking, and he develops alcoholism . Though he gets sober, he relapses due to a plot orchestrated by his business rival Obadiah Stane . Iron Man briefly loses his company to Stane, passes the Iron Man mantle to his ally James Rhodes , and becomes homeless. After Stark recovers, Stane adopts an armored suit and becomes the Iron Monger before being defeated. Iron Man then founds

7084-508: Is hacked and controlled remotely, causing neurological damage that appears for a time to kill him. Rhodes temporarily becomes Stark's chosen successor as Iron Man. After returning, Immortus places Stark under his control and turns him evil. The Avengers bring an alternate Tony Stark from another reality to help defeat him. Iron Man is killed and the alternate Tony Stark becomes the new Iron Man, but Franklin Richards merges both versions into

7238-401: Is key to his heroism, unlike other heroes who use engineering to supplement superhuman abilities. This makes it more plausible that something like Iron Man could exist in the real world, as it is only technological advancement that separates Iron Man from reality. Iron Man's power of flight is especially significant in the technology's symbolism, as it associates traditional heroic imagery with

7392-508: Is nearly indestructible, shielding him from various forms of manipulation and housing advanced weaponry, including lasers, a force field generator, and lethal electric shocks. Additionally, his armor supports him with air, food, water, and energy systems for extended periods in extreme environments such as outer space . Even without the armor, Doom is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, capable of defeating strong opponents due to his knowledge of pressure points and skill with melee weapons. As

7546-759: Is possessed by Varnae and declares they need mages to bring back the Sun, requesting the title of Sorcerer Supreme . After being temporarily granted the title, he casts a spell that removes the Darkforce surrounding Earth, which inadvertently allows vampires to walk in sunlight. However, he then betrays his promise and refuses to return the title, making Doctor Strange disappear. In the " Venom War " storyline, Doctor Doom encountered Flexo and provided him with tactics for dealing with Eddie Brock in his King in Black form. This proves useful when Flexo severely injured Eddie Brock at

7700-550: Is revealed that Doom truly wished for a utopian future where humanity thrived, albeit one where he was in power. Doctor Victor von Doom's genius in science and technology has allowed him to build numerous devices to handle enemies or acquire greater power. The most notable among them include: Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee , developed by scripter Larry Lieber , and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby ,

7854-484: Is sent to Hell, the nation is targeted by its neighbors, leading the Fantastic Four to intervene. The United States attempts to fill the void left by Doom by supporting Lucia von Bardas as the new Prime Minister. During the Secret War , S.H.I.E.L.D. Commander Nick Fury leads an effort to oust Bardas, after discovering that she worked with Tinkerer to sell Doom's technology to various supervillains. The nation

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8008-637: Is taken into captivity for his initial killing of Lang. As the final Incursion approaches in the Secret Wars storyline, Doom usurps the power of the Beyonders with the aid of Doctor Strange and the Molecule Man. He then creates a new Battleworld from the destroyed multiverse, claiming the role of God, and rewriting history to resurrect those he killed, while taking Sue as his wife and assigning roles to Franklin and Valeria. Ultimately, Reed and

8162-452: Is that we felt we'd done everything with it that we'd set out to do." Through the 1980s, writers for Iron Man focused on the character's role as a businessman, reflecting the economic changes associated with Reaganomics , and many of his challenges involved threats to his company. Denny O'Neil was put in charge of Iron Man beginning with issue #158 (1982). His run explored Stark's psychology, having him relapse into alcoholism and suffer at

8316-570: Is the setting for Doom's family history, including his parents Cynthia and Werner, his adopted child Kristoff Vernard , and his alleged son Alexander Flynn. Screen Rant describes that "Latveria has long been a thorn in the side of Marvel's heroes," with its location in the Banat region of Southeastern Europe adding potential political implications for future stories. 46°04′14.6″N 20°35′17.3″E  /  46.070722°N 20.588139°E  / 46.070722; 20.588139 Doctor Doom Doctor Doom ( Dr. Victor von Doom )

8470-437: Is unable to maintain romantic relationships despite his wealth and talents. Writer Dennis O'Neil described the Iron Man armor as "a psychological crutch preventing him from dealing with his own inner demons". He identifies with the Iron Man armor as an extension of himself, believing the image it presents is his own image, and he considers himself responsible any time someone uses the technology. Iron Man behaves differently as

8624-406: Is what I plan to do. Bill Mantlo , Iron Man #100 When Goodwin became Marvel's editor-in-chief, he assigned Gerry Conway as the writer for Iron Man . Conway was the first of several writers in a four-year effort to reform Iron Man, beginning in 1971, with stories that directly addressed the character's history as a weapons manufacturer. These stories were especially prominent during

8778-595: The Siege storyline, Doctor Doom initially supports Norman Osborn's attack on Asgard but later withdraws. He also stars in Doomwar written by Jonathan Maberry , where he allies with the isolationist Desturi to seize control of Wakanda. In Fantastic Four: Three , Doctor Doom seeks to be "reborn" and plans to abdicate his throne to Kristoff. Valeria von Doom visits him, notices his brain damage, and offers to restore his mental capacity in exchange for his help with Reed and

8932-540: The 2005 film and its 2007 sequel , and Toby Kebbell in the 2015 film . Robert Downey Jr. will portray the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), Avengers: Doomsday (2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). Like many of Marvel's Silver Age characters, Doom was conceived by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby . With the Fantastic Four title performing well, Lee and Kirby were trying to dream up

9086-539: The Fantastic Four , though he has also come into conflict with other superheroes in the Marvel Universe , including Spider-Man , Iron Man , Doctor Strange , the Black Panther , the X-Men , and the Avengers . While usually portrayed as a villain, Doom has also been an antihero at times, working with heroes if their goals align and only if it benefits him. Doctor Doom was ranked #4 by Wizard on its list of

9240-487: The Fresh Start branding, written by Dan Slott and drawn by Valerio Schiti . In 2020, Iron Man was relaunched in a new series, written by Christopher Cantwell and illustrated by CAFU, following the " Iron Man 2020 " event. This series moved away from the developments and deviations made to Stark's character introduced over the previous years—including the more extravagant science fiction and soap opera plots—creating

9394-650: The Future Foundation . Despite an angry attack from the Thing, Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman welcome him. Valeria learns that Kristoff Vernard is Doom's backup for restoring his memories, so they all head to Latveria, where a brain transfer machine successfully restores Doom's knowledge. Although Kristoff offers to return the throne to Doom, he declines, citing a promise to Valeria to help her defeat Mister Fantastic when needed. Doom then plans

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9548-631: The Mandarin , various supervillains of communist origin, and many of Stark's business rivals. Robert Downey Jr. portrayed Tony Stark in Iron Man (2008), the first film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe , and continued to portray the character until his final appearance in Avengers: Endgame (2019). Downey's portrayal popularized the character, elevating Iron Man into one of Marvel's most recognizable superheroes. Other adaptations of

9702-601: The Silver Surfer 's powers in 1967, but lost them after breaching a barrier Galactus had set for the Surfer on Earth. During the 1970s, Doctor Doom expanded into more Marvel titles, featuring a battle for the Latverian throne against Prince Rudolfo in Astonishing Tales . In August 1981, he appeared in Iron Man , where Stark thwarted Doom's time-travelling plan to enlist Morgan le Fay to defeat King Arthur 's forces with an army of revived warriors. Stranded in

9856-624: The Tiannamen Square Massacre in 1989. The absence of Cold War politics was not immediately replaced by another theme, and post-Cold War Iron Man stories often explored different ideas regarding technology for a short time before moving on. When terrorism became more prominent in the public mind, writers shifted Iron Man's symbolism from anti-communism to anti-terrorism. As part of a company-wide reorganization in 1996, Marvel's major characters, including Iron Man, were given to former Marvel writers Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld in

10010-472: The absolute monarch of Latveria , Doctor Doom rules the country with an iron fist and has frequently used his political power for his own personal benefit. Doom has reshaped the country in his own image, renaming both the capital city Hassenstadt and Castle Sabbat to Doomstadt and Castle Doom respectively. Doom frequently monitors the citizens of Latveria from Castle Doom and uses his Doombots to maintain order within his nation. Despite his infamous reputation as

10164-607: The confrontation between the Avengers and the X-Men , Doom allies with Magneto and others against Red Skull 's Red Onslaught form. In an attempt to atone for past misdeeds, Doom absorbs the Scarlet Witch reality-altering powers and resurrects the dead Cassie Lang , whom he had accidentally killed. He subsequently makes a Faustian deal with an unspecified demon to resurrect Brother Voodoo . After returning to normal, Doom

10318-459: The " King in Black " storyline, Doctor Doom confronts Iron Man during Knull 's invasion. Iron Man is bonded with an Extremis-powered Symbiote, and they are attacked by a Symbiote-possessed Santa Claus, revealed to be Mike Dunworthy. Doom seeks to learn from Iron Man's new armor, but is turned down, leaving him to ponder whether Santa Claus could be a Sorcerer Supreme. During the " Blood Hunt " storyline, Doctor Doom puts Latveria on high alert amidst

10472-538: The "Heroes Return" event to bring the characters back from the alternate universe, which again reset characters such as Iron Man to issue #1. Kurt Busiek became the writer for volume three while Sean Chen was the artist. When the Ultimate Marvel imprint was created with reimagined versions of Marvel's characters, an alternate Iron Man appeared in 2002 with the Ultimates , the imprint's adaptation of

10626-676: The 101 Greatest Villains of All Time and #3 on IGN 's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time. In a later article, IGN would declare Doom as Marvel's greatest villain. The character has been substantially adapted from the comics into several forms of media, including television series , video games , and merchandise such as action figures and trading cards . Most notably, Doctor Doom has been portrayed in licensed Fantastic Four live-action feature films by Joseph Culp in Roger Corman 's unreleased 1994 film , Julian McMahon in

10780-470: The Aged Genghis, and after Doctor Strange relinquished the title of Sorcerer Supreme, he acknowledged Doom's potential to assume that role. This mastery of magic gives Doom a unique advantage over his intellectual rival, Reed Richards, who lacks knowledge of sorcery. The alien Ovoids inadvertently taught Doctor Doom how to psionically transfer his consciousness into another being through eye contact,

10934-563: The Avengers. Marvel released a five-issue limited series, Ultimate Iron Man , featuring this character in 2005. Iron Man represented an attempt to define what a superhero was in the 21st century, following the September 11 attacks , implicitly likening the fear of terrorism to the fear of unregulated super-powered beings. In 2004, Iron Man was a major character in the Avengers Disassembled event and subsequently became

11088-527: The Baron. As Victor grew, he became a brilliant inventor, merging sorcery and technology to defend the Roma people. His exploits attracted the attention of the dean of Empire State University, who offered him a chance to study in the U.S., prompting Victor to leave his homeland and his love, Valeria, behind. Upon arriving in the United States, Victor von Doom met Reed Richards , his future rival. He built

11242-535: The Baxter Building to New York, leaving Doom stranded on an asteroid. After learning the secrets of the advanced Ovids, Doom swaps consciousnesses with Mister Fantastic but accidentally switches back, ending up trapped in Sub-Atomica when hit by a shrinking ray he intended for the Fantastic Four. Doom takes over this micro-world but is ousted by the Fantastic Four and thrown into space while trying to send them there. Saved by Rama-Tut , he returns to Earth and uses

11396-527: The Beyonder to reclaim it. When Franklin Richards was kidnapped by Onslaught , Doctor Doom joined forces with the Fantastic Four , Avengers and the X-Men to battle him in Central Park . During the fight, Doom was forced to sacrifice himself alongside others to contain Onslaught, which allowed the X-Men to destroy him. Though believed dead, Doom and the heroes were saved by Franklin, who created

11550-582: The Beyonder's power to heal Doom's face and purify his soul. Doom returns to his kingdom, saving Tony Stark from Latverian rebels and claiming to be a new man. He relinquishes his dictatorship, entrusting Tony with a Wand of Watoomb to defeat Madame Masque. When more rebels appear, he teleports Stark to the Bronx Zoo, and they later confront Madame Masque in Chicago. After discovering she's possessed, Doom helps Tony trap her in his armor and exorcises

11704-596: The Bronx Zoo, then to the Jackpot Club in Chicago to confront a Masque. Realizing she is demonically possessed, Doom has Tony trap her in the Iron Man armor while he exorcises the demon. He disappears before Tony regains consciousness, then later interrupts Tony's breakfast date with Amara to prove he has changed, but Tony remains distrustful and Doom leaves again. After Tony Stark's defeat by Captain Marvel in Civil War II , Doom discovers his calling to heal

11858-635: The Extremis project, Iron Man has Maya Hansen inject him with the Extremis virus, giving him a biological armor he can control with his mind. Iron Man serves as the Superhero Registration Act's enforcer upon its enactment, creating a schism between superheroes, with Iron Man leading proponents of registration against a group of resistors led by Captain America . After the conflict, Iron Man becomes head of S.H.I.E.L.D. The government dismantles S.H.I.E.L.D. after it fails to prevent an alien invasion , but Iron Man refuses to turn over

12012-761: The Fantastic Four had fought various villains such as the Mole Man , Skrulls , the Miracle Man , and Namor the Sub-Mariner , Doom managed to overshadow them all and became the Fantastic Four's archnemesis . During the 1970s, Doom branched out to more Marvel titles such as Astonishing Tales , The Incredible Hulk , and Super-Villain Team-Up (1975). Beginning with issue #42, he also had appearances in Marvel Team-Up (February 1976). Doom's origin

12166-651: The Fantastic Four's powers, Doom follows them into parallel universes to assist an alternate Reed Richards against a version of Doom who has merged with Galactus. Meanwhile, Gwenpool , unaware of Doom's reformation, tries to attack him using an AI Doombot named Vincent. Doom easily captures her but is amused by her taunts. Gwen escapes, believing Doom is still a threat, and attacks again, releasing an earlier version of Doom. Doom defeats his doppelganger to save Gwen, who realizes her mistake and hopes for reform. Later, she enlists Doom, Vincent, Doctor Strange, and Terrible Eye to help her friend Cecil regain human form. Doctor Doom

12320-477: The Fantastic Four. A humbled Doom later attends Johnny Storm's funeral, and is recommended for the Future Foundation. Leading up to Secret Wars , Doom usurps the power of the Beyonders , creating a new Battleworld where he assumes the role of God. However, Reed Richards and a group of heroes challenge Doom, and with the Molecule Man's help, they restore the multiverse. Reed ultimately uses

12474-606: The Grand Garden Arena. Doctor Doom is a polymath and inventor with genius -level intellect, renowned for creating doomsday machines and robots, particularly his Doombots, which he can control technopathically. Throughout his history, he has been depicted as one of the most intelligent humans in the Marvel Universe , notably restoring the Thing's human form—though Reed Richards also achieved this, he struggled to maintain it. However, Richards managed to process complex calculations to save Kitty Pryde from disintegration,

12628-571: The Hulk's brain and cloning a new body for Banner, in return for a favor from the Hulk. This clone is killed soon afterward. Later, Doom is apparently killed by the Mad Celestials. With no knowledge as to how he survived, Doom awakens in the ruins of the Interdimensional Council of Reeds, where Valeria had left him a present: the full army of lobotomized Doctor Dooms from alternate realities who were previously captured by

12782-558: The Life Force to resurrect her children, which ultimately overwhelmed her. With Wiccan's help, they sought to use the entity possessing Wanda to restore mutant powers, but the Young Avengers intervened, concerned about the consequences. Doom aimed to transfer this entity into himself, gaining god-like powers, but accidentally killed Cassie before Wanda and Wiccan could reclaim those powers from him. In "Fantastic Four: Three,"

12936-466: The Skull's principles. At the end of the first chapter of the X-Men event " Endangered Species ", Doom is contacted by Beast to help reverse the effects of Decimation but rejects the offer, admitting he lacks talent in genetics. In Spider-Man: One More Day , Doom is approached by Spider-Man for help in saving Aunt May. Additionally, he transforms Latveria into a refugee camp for Atlanteans after

13090-456: The Starks so their biological son could be hidden from an alien threat. While fighting Red Skull , a spell cast by Victor von Doom and the Scarlet Witch temporarily inverts the personalities of several heroes. The new morally corrupt Iron Man protects himself from the counterspell and takes over San Francisco to augment the residents with Extremis. When a man is discovered who can see

13244-564: The United States and becomes a superhero, convincing the public Iron Man is Stark's bodyguard. When he is called to stop the Hulk and learns Loki is behind the Hulk's attack, he joins forces with the Hulk, Thor , Ant-Man , and the Wasp to defeat Loki, and they agree to form a superhero team, the Avengers. He also helps found the intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D. , providing the organization with equipment. Iron Man then undergoes surgery to replace

13398-498: The accident that scarred his face, instead blaming Reed Richards. While Doom typically views himself as superior, he occasionally listens to heroes like Mister Fantastic when it benefits him. Even when allied with others, he often seeks personal gain, as seen when he attempted to steal Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet during a confrontation with the Titan. Doom adheres to a strict code of honor, keeping his word but often interpreting promises in

13552-470: The actor Errol Flynn 's physical appearance in the design. When first designing the character, Lee wanted to create a modernized Arthurian knight . Kirby initially drew the Iron Man armor as a "round and clunky gray heap", and Heck modified the design to incorporate gadgets such as jets, drills, and suction cups. The Iron Man character was created at a time when comic book characters were first depicted struggling with real-life problems, and his heart injury

13706-488: The android body he used to monitor them. During John Byrne's 1980s run, Doctor Doom attempted to steal Terrax the Tamer 's cosmic powers, leading to a fight that destroyed his body. He survived by transferring his consciousness to another human and was later restored to his original body by the Beyonder . On Battleworld, Doom briefly succeeded in stealing the Beyonder's power, but it was too vast for him to control, allowing

13860-413: The armor as powered by transistors , but this was replaced with integrated circuits as real-world technology advanced. New designs have further miniaturized the technology, ultimately incorporating nanotechnology . Developments in the armor's design often reflect real-world advances in technology and trends in science fiction. The changing nature of the armor allows artists to make frequent changes to

14014-926: The armor, trusting only a few close allies. In the 2008 story "The Five Nightmares", Iron Man narrates his five greatest fears: relapse into alcoholism, reproduction of the Iron Man technology, other people becoming Iron Man, the technology becoming disposable, and that someone else would be distributing this technology. Besides the danger such scenarios pose, they all represent fear of losing power over himself or his technology. Iron Man finds machines easier to interact with than humans, believing machines can be more easily controlled and repaired. This leads him to engage in self-destructive behavior, giving his relationships as Tony Stark lower priority and failing to be accountable for his creations as Iron Man. His isolation comes to him from two directions, with both his celebrity status and his role as Iron Man making personal relationships difficult. Through both poor decisions and bad luck, he

14168-568: The audience in monologs detailing their thoughts and ambitions. In 1976, Marvel and DC Comics collaborated on Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man , and seeking to replicate that success the two companies again teamed the characters in Superman and Spider-Man in 1981. Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter co-wrote the story with Marv Wolfman , and recalled choosing Victor von Doom based on his iconic status: "I figured I needed

14322-427: The baby "Valeria" and plotted to make her his familiar, seeking to sacrifice his long-lost love for magical powers equivalent to years of sorcery study. With this power, he trapped Franklin in Hell, immobilized Doctor Strange, and neutralized the Fantastic Four. However, Reed freed Doctor Strange's astral self, allowing them to outsmart Doom and provoke his demonic benefactors to take him to Hell. To eliminate Doom as

14476-452: The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #39 in 1962 ( cover dated March 1963) and received his own title with Iron Man #1 in 1968. Shortly after his creation, Iron Man became a founding member of the superhero team, the Avengers , alongside Thor , Ant-Man , the Wasp , and the Hulk . Iron Man stories, individually and with the Avengers, have been published consistently since

14630-476: The character anyway. Iron Man was created in the years after a permanent arms industry developed in the United States , and this was incorporated into the character's backstory. The character was introduced as an active player in the Vietnam War . Lee described the national mood toward Vietnam during Iron Man's creation as "a time when most of us genuinely felt that the conflict in that tortured land really

14784-449: The character appear in animated direct-to-video films, television series, and video games. Following the success of the Fantastic Four in 1961 and the subsequent revival of American comic books featuring superheroes , Marvel Comics created new superhero characters. Stan Lee developed the initial concept for Iron Man. He wanted to design a character who should be unpalatable to his generally anti-war readers but to make them like

14938-432: The character in Iron Man #5 (1968) and intermittently served as artist for much of the 1970s. In total, he drew over one hundred issues for the character. I don't feel Tony Stark is a dinosaur, a creature unable to change before the weight of time crushes him aside. Yeah, it is hard in 1977 to praise a millionaire industrialist, playboy and former munitions-manufacturer—but it isn't impossible to change that image. Which

15092-498: The character's age, which is explained by a "sliding scale of continuity" in which the timing of significant events in the world of Marvel may change. This conflict was the Vietnam War for the first decades of Iron Man's publication history. This was changed to an unnamed Southeast Asian country in the 1990s, and a conflict in the fictional country Siancong was ultimately created to justify the inconsistency. Iron Man returns to

15246-510: The character's appearance without controversy. Iron Man has also created specialized models for specific purposes, including space armor, stealth armor, and deep sea armor, as well as the Hulkbuster armor to engage in combat with the Hulk. Prior to Iron Man's surgery, the armor's primary function was to produce a magnetic field that protected his heart from the shrapnel in his body. His efforts to keep it charged and to keep it secret drove

15400-437: The character's creation. Iron Man is the superhero persona of Anthony Edward " Tony " Stark , a businessman and engineer who runs the weapons manufacturing company Stark Industries . When Stark was captured in a war zone and sustained a severe heart wound, he built his Iron Man armor and escaped his captors. Iron Man's suits of armor grant him superhuman strength, flight, energy projection, and other abilities. The character

15554-520: The character's primary image. Iron Man's recurring nemesis, the Mandarin , first appeared shortly after in Tales of Suspense #50 (1964). By this time, the science-fiction and horror stories were phased out from Tales of Suspense , and the series ran only Iron Man and Captain America stories. Gene Colan became the artist for Iron Man in January 1966, bringing with him an expressionist style. For

15708-422: The character's superhero and businessman aspects more directly when Stark sought legal recourse against his rivals. Michelinie and Layton returned to the series with issue #215 (1988) through issue #232 (1989). Again, they experimented with variations on the Iron Man armor and focused on down to Earth stories with realistic situations. In 1990, Michelinie and Layton handed the series over to John Byrne , one of

15862-493: The civil war, vowing to restore the nation with his own strength. Doctor Doom is framed for the destruction of the Antlion space station by Symkarian rebels and is killed while on the run, only to be sent back to Earth by Death as her "greatest servant." After fending off assassins including Taskmaster and MODOK , he sends Reed Richards his solution to the black hole threatening Earth and sets off to regain his power. During

16016-401: The company more monthly releases, The Avengers (1963) was developed as a new comic book series. Iron Man was one of the five characters who formed the titular superhero team . By 1965, the difficulty of maintaining continuity between The Avengers and the members' solo titles prompted Lee to temporarily write the original cast out of The Avengers , including Iron Man. Heck continued as

16170-579: The council, along with two Infinity Gauntlets from alternate universes. With these resources, Doom created the Parliament of Doom, an interdimensional council charged with maintaining peace across the multiverse. He later returned to again rule Latveria, upon ruling the council for a millennium. An ill-fated excursion into the alternate universe of the one of Infinity Gauntlets resulted in Reed and Nathaniel Richards rescuing Doom from his own council. During

16324-405: The damaged portions of his heart, eliminating the need for his prosthetic chest plate. As he came to regret his involvement in weapons manufacturing, Stark Industries is changed to Stark International, an electronics company that emphasizes environmentalism and ending world hunger . S.H.I.E.L.D. attempts to take over the business and return it to weapons manufacturing. At the same time, Iron Man

16478-496: The demon. He then vanishes before Tony wakes up. Doom later interrupts Tony's breakfast with Amara, trying to prove he has changed, but Tony remains distrustful. Following Stark's coma caused by Captain Marvel , Doom takes up the Iron Man mantle, faces Mephisto disguised as the Maker , joins the Avengers , and eventually conceives a child with Dr. Amara Perera. When Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm seek their teammates to restore

16632-585: The destruction of their kingdom, and allies with Loki to manipulate his brother into unwittingly releasing his Asgardian allies. Doctor Doom later defends Latveria against the Mighty Avengers after it is revealed that one of his satellites carried the 'Venom Virus' released in New York City, a result of hacking by one of Doom's enemies. During a battle with Iron Man and the Sentry , the time travel mechanism in his armor overloads, trapping them all in

16786-426: The examination of both the perspective of an individual inventor and that of the bureaucracy of governments and corporations, respectively. His business Stark Industries is depicted as a force for good that advances scientific knowledge through capitalist innovation. The Iron Man persona itself, as well as the technology Iron Man uses, are proprietary assets owned by Stark Industries. Reflecting his characterization as

16940-521: The first five years of publication, Iron Man represented the United States in Cold War allegories. Growing opposition to the American involvement in Vietnam prompted a shift in Iron Man's characterization, which was part of a larger push by Marvel in the late 1960s to be more apolitical. Over the years, the letters to the editor column in several issues saw extensive political debate. Lee shifted

17094-496: The future, the superhero community undergoes another schism , and Iron Man leads a team of heroes opposed to a predetermined justice system based on his ability. The battle ends with Iron Man in a coma. A reformed Victor von Doom becomes Iron Man, while an artificial intelligence backup of Stark's mind guides a new armored superhero, Ironheart. Stark resumes his work as Iron Man after the technology in his body allows him to heal. He then allies with Emma Frost and marries her to set

17248-429: The hands of Mephisto when Victor was young. His father, Werner von Doom, a renowned medicine man, kept her sorcery a secret to protect Victor. After Cynthia's death, the Baron's wife fell ill, and when Werner failed to save her, he was labeled a murderer and forced to flee with young Victor. Werner ultimately died of exposure on a mountainside, leaving Victor to discover his mother's occult instruments and swear revenge on

17402-470: The hands of business rival Obadiah Stane . O'Neil wrote Stark out of the role entirely beginning with issue #170 (1983), having him temporarily retire as Iron Man and replacing him with his ally James Rhodes . Stark was relegated as a side character until he returned to heroism in Iron Man #200 (1985). The 1987 " Armor Wars " story arc followed Iron Man as he reclaimed his technology, which Justin Hammer distributed to several villains. This story blended

17556-508: The heaviest-duty bad guy we had to offer — Doctor Doom. Their greatest hero against our greatest villain." In 1981 John Byrne began his six-year run writing and illustrating Fantastic Four , sparking a "second golden age " for the title but also attempting to "turn the clock back [...] get back and see fresh what it was that made the book great at its inception." Doctor Doom made his first appearance under Byrne's tenure with issue #236. Whereas Kirby had intimated that Doom's disfigurement

17710-472: The kingdom from Castle Doom. It is a largely rural nation that is dependent on Doom's scientific pursuits, free of disease and crime, but severely oppressed. Doom has surveillance devices planted throughout the country and has hidden force fields to prevent its residents from leaving without his consent. Latveria relies largely on Doom's robotic sentinels, the Doombots , to keep law and order. When Doctor Doom

17864-555: The kingdom's Romani people a protected class. However, the nation's oppression and primitive economy affects them mostly the same. The nation includes figures loyal to Doom, including scientists, political leaders such as Lucia von Bardas , and henchmen such as the Seven Daggers of Doom. In one story, the scientist Dreadknight turns against Doom. In the distant past, Doom is supported by his Zefiro guardian Boris, whose granddaughter Valeria becomes Doom's teenage love. The kingdom

18018-480: The lesser of two evils, whereas Captain America held an idealist approach, and both held these positions at great personal cost. While Marvel was neutral between the characters, readers overwhelmingly saw Iron Man as the villain, being the stronger force that the underdog had to overcome. Iron Man appeared with the Mighty Avengers in 2007, and his characterization in this era leaned into his identity as

18172-518: The list of registered heroes to its corrupt successor agency H.A.M.M.E.R. This agency is dismantled as well, and Iron Man organizes the Avengers to replace these agencies. He founds a clean energy company, Stark Resilient, and fakes his death so his enemies will not threaten it. He joins the Guardians of the Galaxy for a time, and upon returning to Earth, he discovers he had actually been adopted by

18326-417: The most highly regarded comic book writers at the time. He wrote three story arcs across 20 issues: "Armor Wars II" (which had already been announced by Michelinie and Layton), "The Dragon Seed Saga", and "War Games". Byrne revisited Iron Man's opposition to communism but portrayed it as less of a threat, and he rewrote Iron Man's origin to remove references to communism and the Vietnam War. He lost interest in

18480-575: The onset of " Dark Reign ," Doctor Doom joined the Cabal with Norman Osborn , Emma Frost , Namor , Loki 's female form, and the Hood , seeking revenge for his tarnished reputation. Soon after, he allies with the isolationist Desturi to seize control of Wakanda. Doom severely injures T'Challa, the Black Panther, aiming to take Wakanda's vibranium for his own enhancement. However, T'Challa destroys

18634-575: The past due to this interference, Doom vowed revenge, but he had to postpone it to return to the present day. Doctor Doom later allies with the Puppet Master to trap the Fantastic Four in the miniature city of "Liddleville," using cybernetic copies of their bodies. However, he sabotages the plan to disrupt Reed's focus, but the Puppet Master ultimately aids the FF in escaping, trapping Doom in

18788-432: The past. Iron Man's use of his vast resources as a protector was reframed as a cautionary tale, in which these resources could be co-opted to do harm. His motivation for providing weapons to the government was retroactively changed so Stark only got involved because he believed it would end the war more quickly. Over time, writers portrayed Iron Man as a philanthropist . The dual role of Iron Man and Tony Stark allows for

18942-571: The past; Doom continues his relationship with Morgan le Fay using his time machine. Although he and Iron Man eventually return to the present, Doom leaves Iron Man in his exploding castle and is falsely incarcerated at The Raft. He later escapes the Raft in the " Secret Invasion " storyline, thanks to a virus was uploaded into the prison's systems by the Skrulls . After the Secret Invasion and

19096-580: The press and politicians, whose attempts to keep him accountable hamper his efforts as a superhero. He is conflicted between his support for the rule of law and his moral beliefs in doing what he feels must be done for the greater good. When he engages in unsanctioned attacks against those who co-opted his technology in the "Armor Wars" story, he describes it as "a tough decision; perhaps the toughest in my life". The character's morally ambiguous nature can make him more accessible to readers relative to other superheroes who are more inherently virtuous. Iron Man

19250-399: The primary Iron Man artist until 1965, as Kirby had obligations to other Marvel properties. As part of a shuffling to match artists with the characters they were most suited for, Steve Ditko briefly became the artist for Iron Man. He was responsible for only three issues in late 1963, but in this time he redesigned Iron Man's suit from fully gold to the red and gold color scheme that became

19404-550: The pro-registration faction during the 2006 Civil War crossover event by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven . In an allegory for the Patriot Act and government surveillance , Iron Man's pro-registration faction represented conservative support for government surveillance in the name of security and stood against Captain America's anti-registration faction that represented individualism and liberal opposition to government surveillance. Iron Man believed in pragmatically choosing

19558-402: The real Doom for a time. In addition to being a genius scientist and inventor, Doom is a powerful sorcerer, initially trained by Tibetan monks and later enhanced by his lover, Morgan le Fay . He possesses abilities such as energy absorption, lightning manipulation, dimensional travel, healing, and summoning demonic creatures. Doom placed second in a magic tournament held by the ancient sorcerer

19712-542: The series by 1992 as his collaborators John Romita Jr. and Howard Mackie had moved on to other projects. Iron Man's supporting character War Machine was spun off into his own comic book series in 1994. The Iron Man series rejected broader ideological themes by the 1990s, and individualist values replaced Stark's allegiance to American democracy for its own sake. He remained anti-communist , reiterating his support for democracy and refusing to do business in China following

19866-400: The series' run: they removed Iron Man's romantic interest Whitney Frost and Stark's robotic Life Model Decoy doubles, and they had Stark move to a different home. They introduced Iron Man's new romantic interest, Bethany Cabe , as a feminist character who worked as his bodyguard. Their goal was to push the character toward a more grounded, realistic portrayal. The largest change they made

20020-501: The series, Layton used issues of GQ , Playboy , and electronics catalogues as visual references, which he and Michelinie used to stay informed on developments in real world technology so the Iron Man armor would always be a more advanced version of what existed. Layton was inspired by the vast collection of specialized outfits used by Batman when designing Iron Man's various armors. In Iron Man #117 and #118 (1978), Michelinie and Layton replaced many elements that developed over

20174-417: The stories' focus to espionage and domestic crime, incorporating Marvel's fictional intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D. He also incorporated the villains of other Marvel heroes, avoiding Iron Man's primarily communist rogues' gallery and rewriting some of Iron Man's communist villains to have personal motivations independent of their communist allegiances. Iron Man was one of several characters whom Marvel gave

20328-516: The supervillain group Intelligencia but is betrayed and captured during their plan. He escapes with Bruce Banner's help and returns to Latveria, seemingly damaged by the experience. At the start of the " Siege " storyline, Doom, working with the Cabal, demands that Osborn reverse his actions against Namor, but Osborn refuses. After a violent attack by the Void, it's revealed that the "Doctor Doom" present

20482-485: The use of exoskeletons and battle suits. These technological themes are explored through a modern lens during the "Extremis" story arc, which incorporates the idea of human enhancement through biotechnology . Depictions of technology in Iron Man stories have often endorsed its use to alter the natural world. This is in contrast with Silver Age Marvel stories, where radiation and other technological advancements were portrayed as dangerous. Iron Man's engineering talent

20636-483: The vibranium stockpile, believing his people can survive without it. In Fantastic Four #566-569, written by Mark Millar , Doctor Doom receives a power upgrade after being thrown back in time by the Marquis of Death. He fights through time to seek revenge, claiming to have rebuilt himself to destroy the Marquis. However, later issues ignore this arc, suggesting it was merely a dream of Valeria von Doom. Doom then joins

20790-412: The whole world to be like him. Kirby went on to say that "Doom is an evil person, but he's not always been evil. He was [respected]...but through a flaw in his own character, he was a perfectionist." At one point in the 1970s, Kirby drew his interpretation of what Doom would look like under the mask, giving Doom only "a tiny scar on his cheek". Due to this slight imperfection, Doom hides his face not from

20944-415: The world, but from himself. To Kirby, this is the motivation for Doom's vengeance against the world; because others are superior due to this slight scar, Doom wants to elevate himself above them. Stan Lee's writing typically showed Doom's arrogance as his constant downfall, and how his pride leads to von Doom's disfigurement at the hands of his own machine, and to the failures of many of his schemes. While

21098-440: The world, reflecting on his dissatisfaction as a God. Inspired by Stark, he establishes Stark's legacy, fights for his brand of justice as the third Iron Man , and later conflicts with Mephisto disguised as Maker . Doom joins the Avengers and conceives a child with Dr. Amara Perera, prompting a group of villains led by the Hood to target him. The final battle occurs when the Hood tries to take over Stark Industries, leading to

21252-472: Was a driving force in his organization of the Avengers and later in his support for the Superhero Registration Act during the Civil War event. Stark's intelligence and engineering skills allowed him to construct the Iron Man armor, and he believes this justifies his authority over the armor and who uses it. While Iron Man sometimes develops equipment for other superheroes, he is selective about who can use

21406-624: Was a robotic imposter, with the real Doom returning in new armor to reclaim Latveria. Simonson's retcon suggested the last true appearance of Doom was in the "Battle of the Baxter Building," but later writers often disregarded his interpretations, leading to further revisions of Doom's character and history. Mark Waid began to redefine Doctor Doom in the 2003 "Unthinkable" storyline ( Fantastic Four vol. 3, #66-70 and #500), where Doom forsakes technology for mysticism. He kills his first love, Valeria, to gain powers from demons and imprisons Franklin Richards in Hell. Doom challenges Reed Richards to escape

21560-407: Was a simple matter of good versus evil". Larry Lieber developed Iron Man's origin and wrote the first Iron Man story, while Jack Kirby and Don Heck were responsible for the initial design. Lee modeled Iron Man after businessman Howard Hughes , invoking his physical appearance, his image as a businessman, and his reputation as an arrogant playboy. Kirby and Heck then incorporated elements of

21714-464: Was actually a Doombot, which releases nanites that destroy Avengers Tower and force evacuations. The real Doom warns Osborn not to strike him again, threatening further consequences. It's revealed that the Scarlet Witch at Wundagore Mountain is a Doombot, indicating that the real Wanda was captured by Doom after the House of M event. Wanda's enhanced powers resulted from her and Doom's attempt to channel

21868-529: Was also a feature in Astonishing Tales when his ties to the villain Mephisto were revealed. In the book Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre , Peter Coogan writes that Doom's original appearance was representative of a change in the portrayal of "mad scientists" to full-fledged villains, often with upgraded powers. These supervillains are genre-crossing villains who exist in adventures "in

22022-500: Was an early example of a superhero with a physical disability. Iron Man's earliest stories were published in the monster-themed anthology series Tales of Suspense . Marvel premiered several superheroes this way in the 1960s as superhero comics became more popular than traditional science-fiction and horror comics. Iron Man's first appearance, "Iron Man is Born!", appeared in Tales of Suspense #39, released in December 1962 with

22176-552: Was created in response to the Vietnam War as Lee's attempt to create a likeable pro-war character. Since his creation, Iron Man has been used to explore political themes, with early Iron Man stories being set in the Cold War . The character's role as a weapons manufacturer proved controversial, and Marvel moved away from geopolitics by the 1970s. Instead, the stories began exploring themes such as civil unrest, technological advancement, corporate espionage, alcoholism, and governmental authority. Major Iron Man stories include " Demon in

22330-406: Was fated or due to personal faults—a nature versus nurture debate. Brubaker's portrayal was influenced by the original Lee/Kirby version, and he chose not to show Doom's face, following Kirby's example. In Spiderman/Fantastic Four Volume #4, the Mighty Avengers invaded Doom's kingdom of Latveria due to his involvement in a chemical bomb plot, which was actually orchestrated by Kristoff Vernard. In

22484-579: Was featured in his first solo series in 2019. Doom is framed for a Moon space station explosion he had warned about, while also experiencing random encounters with rival supervillain Kang the Conqueror due to a theorized quantum entanglement. Victor von Doom was born in Latveria to a tribe of Romani people under the rule of an unnamed nobleman, the Baron. His mother, the witch Cynthia von Doom, died at

22638-488: Was more a figment of Victor's vain personality, Byrne decided that Doom's face was truly ravaged: only Doom's own robot slaves are allowed to see the monarch without his helmet. Byrne emphasized other aspects of Doom's personality; despite his ruthless nature, Victor von Doom is a man of honor. Returning to Latveria after being temporarily deposed, Doctor Doom abandons a scheme to wrest mystical secrets from Doctor Strange in order to oversee his land's reconstruction. Despite

22792-418: Was more overtly political than other Silver Age Marvel characters. Lee wrote the character to represent liberal capitalism , fighting against communism and other anti-democratic forces. Though anti-communist sentiments were present throughout Marvel Comics, they appeared most prominently in Iron Man stories. After Marvel shifted away from addressing foreign conflicts toward the end of the 1960s, Iron Man

22946-403: Was portrayed as a liberal who was skeptical of the U.S. government, yet also opposed radicalism ; at the time associated with 1960s counterculture . Marvel portrayed Iron Man as more self-doubting, questioning when the use of force is justified against communism. By 1975, Iron Man opposed the Vietnam War, which gave the character a new motivation in making up for his promotion of violence in

23100-590: Was prominent in his early characterization, causing him to isolate himself so as not to reveal his injury or his secret identity . This weakness was a threat to his autonomy and his masculinity. As real-world medical technology made heart injuries less fatal, writers introduced neurological damage and alcoholism as other medical weaknesses. Despite this, Iron Man considers himself lucky and believes he lives "a good life", attributing this to his money, friendships, engineering skills, and recovering health. Iron Man's belief in progress sometimes manifests as opposition to

23254-596: Was published as Iron Man #500. A concurrent series, Iron Man Legacy by Fred Van Lente , was launched in 2010 leading up to the release of the film Iron Man 2 . Iron Man was then one of several characters whose series was relaunched at issue #1 with the Marvel Now! branding following the 2012 Avengers vs. X-Men event, written by Kieron Gillen . The 2014 " AXIS " event led into the Superior Iron Man series by Tom Taylor , featuring Iron Man with

23408-494: Was rescued by monks . Mastering their disciplines, he forged an iron mask that permanently bonded to his skin, adopting the identity of Doctor Doom. As Doom, he sought revenge on those he held responsible for his accident, particularly Reed Richards, and successfully led a revolution to take over Latveria, focusing on the welfare of the Roma. In his first appearance, Doctor Doom captures the Invisible Girl , using her as

23562-528: Was the classic conception of Death , of approaching Death. I saw Dr. Doom as The Man in the Iron Mask , who symbolized approaching Death. It was the reason for the armor and the hood. Death is connected with armor and inhuman-like steel. Death is something without mercy and human flesh contains that element of mercy. Therefore, I had to erase it, and I did it with a mask." Kirby further described Doom as being "paranoid", wrecked by his twisted face and wanting

23716-427: Was to make Iron Man an alcoholic , an unprecedented move for a major comic book hero, which led to the " Demon in a Bottle " story arc that ran from issues #120 to #128 (1979). At the same time, they introduced the character Justin Hammer , who provided financial backing for several Iron Man villains. Michelinie and Layton remained on the series until Iron Man #153 (1981). Michelinie later said, "The reason I quit

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