Captain Universe is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden , the character first appeared in Micronauts #8 (August 1979). Captain Universe is the guardian and protector of Eternity . Rather than a character with a single identity, it is a persona that has merged with several hosts during its publication history.
151-621: Captain Universe first appeared in Micronauts #8 (August 1979) and was created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden . Captain Universe hosts have appeared in either special one-shots or short stories throughout the years, initially in the first series of the Micronauts in 1979. Captain Universe was the starring feature in issues #9–11 of the tryout series Marvel Spotlight . The series' editor Al Milgrom recalled being taken away by
302-529: A centaur and fire his fists like rockets) and his genetically-engineered army of vicious and obedient Dog Soldiers, the Micronauts triumph and Karza is apparently killed. Rann is able to claim victory due to the possession of the Enigma Force - a semi-sentient power source that bonded with him during his period of suspended animation and appeared in the form of floating, glowing green entities known as
453-408: 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
604-683: A Soviet nuclear missile). Previously believed to simply be one of Pym's theories, Lang's entrance into the Microverse is a key plot point and hints at the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's ventures into alternate dimensions and realities being largely explored in Doctor Strange (2016). Lang's escape from the dimension gives Pym hope that he may one day see his wife again. The realm appeared again in Ant-Man and
755-953: A brief appearance in Nextwave , he also made a "cameo" as Cosmic Spider-Man for the variant cover of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #3 and played an important part in the Death's Head 3.0 saga chronicled in Amazing Fantasy . Captain Universe made his return in Annihilation: Conquest : Star-Lord and then in Annihilation Conquest #3. Captain Universe later returns to stop the Juggernaut , in an attempt to fulfill his destiny, as seen in The Amazing Spider-Man #627–629. The Uni-Power
906-734: A combination of Captain Universe and Spider-Man powers. During the Abraxas Saga, a team of Avengers -esque super heroes called the Law Enforcement Squad appeared in Earth-616 . They were headed by an intelligent version of the Hulk who was not Bruce Banner. Joining this strange version of the behemoth were the World War II-era heroes Red Raven , Bucky , Namora and The Whizzer (Bob Frank) . Other members included
1057-597: A comic about themselves made for a fee. The comics were generally stock stories, with minor details altered based on information provided by the purchaser. Jeff Christiansen, then a veterinary student and who would later become the force behind the resurgence of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe in the mid-2000s, was written and drawn as the official Captain Universe of the comic so that it could be considered an in-continuity comic. The one-shot
1208-545: A completed Cosmic Conscience which revived the Perfect Knowledge of the Perfect Universe which had been destroyed countless millennia ago by The Celestials. Captain Universe later joined with Reed Richards to form the new Eternity. They were last seen preparing to save Franklin from The Celestials and The Elders of the Universe . An alternate universe variant of Peter Parker from Earth-13 who retained
1359-491: 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
1510-648: A cure for a Phalanx airborne virus and joined Star-Lord in battling the Phalanx. He was subsequently killed by the Phalanx select Blastaar during an attack on the Phalanx Babel Spire. During " The Gauntlet " storyline, a new Captain Universe makes himself known when he arrives on Earth with plans to kill Juggernaut . Spider-Man learns that Captain Universe is a man named William Nguyen, whose life had been ruined in one of Juggernaut's rampages. When Nguyen insists on trying to kill Juggernaut instead of fixing
1661-485: 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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#17327877116461812-535: 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
1963-631: 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
2114-515: 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
2265-641: A heroic version of the Spider-Man villain The Rose , Doctor Druid , Living Lightning , the Shroud and a male Captain Universe. The true identity of this Captain Universe was never revealed but the host had more than likely had the Uni-Power for several years. During the battle between the Law Enforcement Squad and the Fantastic Four; Captain Universe and Dr. Druid ganged up on Reed Richards to destabilize
2416-525: 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
2567-513: A human rights activist. When the robot killed a UN researcher, the power brought him back to life. The researcher then confronted the robot, forcing it to acknowledge the conscience. Afterwards, Death's Head began working for the UN as an anti-terrorist hit-man. After finally freeing himself of a circular orbit in an imploding dimension, the superhero known as Quasar returned to the site of a major battle between himself, Doctor Strange, The Thing, Thor, and
2718-519: 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
2869-419: 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
3020-502: 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
3171-581: A member of the alien Badoon race, a Doombot and Quasar . Because of its never-ending supply of energy it has been the target of many individuals, terrorist groups and peacekeeping agencies such as AIM , the Psycho-Man , Doctor Doom and even S.H.I.E.L.D. The first human Captain Universe was an astronaut named Captain Ray Coffin. He battled Baron Karza and sealed the Prometheus Pit between
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#17327877116463322-590: 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
3473-480: A new Micronauts animated series, but the project was delayed indefinitely as Hasbro sold Boulder Media to Australian media company Princess Pictures in 2022. According to writer Eric Rogers, 52 episodes of the series were produced, and confirmed the series received a tax write-off. The Micronauts' homeworld the Microverse makes a featured appearance in the film, Ant-Man (2015). The dimension appears in
3624-604: A new comic based on the figures. In 1998, AGE, Annex Entertainment, Gribouille and Kaleidoscope Media Group planned to produce a Micronauts animated series starting with a five-part miniseries to air on the Sci Fi Channel in Fall of 1998, followed by a syndicated 26 episode Micronauts animated series for 1999, with action figures and a Marvel tie-in comic announced. The project appears to be shelved or canceled. Boulder Media (then-subsidiary of Hasbro ) planned to develop
3775-513: A new present, a line of the Mego Corporation 's Micronauts action figures. Seeing the toys, Mantlo was instantly struck by inspiration to write their adventures. Convincing then Editor-in-chief Jim Shooter to get the comics license for these toys, Mantlo was hired to script their series. The Micronauts were integrated into the wider Marvel Universe and often met heroes and villains from other Marvel properties. The first series of
3926-517: A noble armor-clad warrior prince and the other a wisecracking insectoid thief - the two become best friends and staunch allies of all Micronauts. The last member of the original team is Microtron, Mari's robot tutor. Although small, Microtron is a very resourceful R2-D2 -style character and very supportive of all team members. Warping through the Spacewall, an energy barrier between the Microverse and our much larger universe, and becoming trapped for
4077-468: 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
4228-530: A psychic awareness of imminent danger. It possesses the ability of molecular rearrangement of organic and inorganic matter, transmutation of elements, the ability to fire bursts of energy and concussive force, and hypnosis (using the Uni-Vision energy). The character can also use telekinesis . The abilities of Captain Universe can vary from host to host. The comic entity enhances their partner's powers if they possess one or more similar abilities. The power of
4379-492: A scene in which Scott Lang / Ant-Man goes subatomic in order to defeat the villain Darren Cross / Yellowjacket . Lang manipulates his suit to sabotage Darren's suit, and accidentally begins to continuously shrink into what Hank Pym calls the " Quantum Realm ". While within the microverse, Lang sees glimpses of Pym's long-lost, presumed to be dead wife Janet van Dyne / Wasp (who had previously gone subatomic to destroy
4530-528: 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
4681-638: A solo one-shot and together with cosmic hero Star-Lord , as part of a new incarnation of the Guardians of the Galaxy . In June 2002, a new series by Image Comics was published for eleven issues before its cancellation in September 2003. The same year saw a four-issue limited series featuring Baron Karza's origin and his relationship with the Time Traveler entity. In March 2004, a new series
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4832-494: 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
4983-478: A starry apparition that enabled Laura to throw off the influence of a demon attempting to coerce her into serving it, when the star-shaped mark left on Laura's palm after that encounter is recognized by the Whirldemon King as associated with the Enigma Force. Laura then uses the Uni-Power to wound the Whirldemon King and seal him back in his prison dimension, before returning her to Earth. During these events
5134-526: 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
5285-577: 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
5436-423: 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
5587-550: 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
5738-490: 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
5889-483: A time on Earth where they enlarge to the size of action figures , the team encounter the to-them giant-sized Florida teenager Steve Coffin, his ex-astronaut father Ray (who is briefly transformed into the first Captain Universe ), the Man-Thing and the evil cyborg scientist Professor Prometheus before returning to the Microverse. After a series of battles against Karza (who, among his many other powers, can turn into
6040-692: A toddler called Eddie Price to battle Gart and Rath. When the Guardians of the Galaxy traveled to the 20th century on a mission to destroy the Badoon , the Uni-Power possessed a Badoon worker named L'Matto to prevent the planned genocide. L'Matto's newfound knowledge was able to keep the Guardians from attacking but the Brother Royal then used the Badoon Captain Universe as his champion in a gladiatorial challenge which he had coerced
6191-608: 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
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6342-550: A woman who remained in a coma for ten years after a car crash. During a talk with Nightmask , she translates his language and announces that not only is the universe dying, but the White Event is coming. During the " Spider-Geddon " storyline, the Spider-Men summoned the Enigma Force to aid them in their fight. The Enigma Force chose to make Miles Morales the new Captain Universe, which he used to help defeat them. Using
6493-418: 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
6644-548: 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
6795-469: 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
6946-523: Is an epic war across the Microverse pitting Rann and his allies against Karza. In addition to Biotron, Rann's team of "Micronauts" includes Princess Mari of Homeworld, who, with her brother Prince Argon, are the only survivors of the slaughtered royal family of Homeworld. Known to the team as Marionette, she falls in love with Rann and leads the team on occasion. The alien gladiators Acroyear and Bug also join Rann's cause, and although completely different - one
7097-407: Is an extra-dimensional force that possesses an individual (or on one occasion, twins) in a time of crisis, transforming that person into Captain Universe. As Captain Universe, the transformed person typically retains his or her original personality and appearance, though with Captain Universe's costume and heroic traits superimposed over the original. The Uni-Power itself emanates from the Enigma Force,
7248-508: 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
7399-759: 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
7550-637: 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
7701-595: 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
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#17327877116467852-618: 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
8003-539: 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
8154-650: 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
8305-462: The Micronauts ran from January 1979 to August 1984 and included 59 issues and two Annuals. The series was written by Bill Mantlo and featured art by Michael Golden . Other artists on the series included Howard Chaykin , Steve Ditko , Rich Buckler , Pat Broderick , Val Mayerik , Keith Giffen , Greg LaRocque , Gil Kane , Luke McDonnell , Mike Vosburg , Butch Guice , and Kelley Jones . Micronauts , along with Moon Knight and Ka-Zar
8456-482: 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
8607-472: 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
8758-436: 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
8909-459: 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
9060-567: 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
9211-409: 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,
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#17327877116469362-413: 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
9513-476: 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
9664-410: 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
9815-470: 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
9966-681: The Big Screen" list. Matthew Jackson of The A.V. Club included Captain Universe in their "15 Marvel superheroes and villains we want to see in the MCU" list. Marc Buxton of Den of Geek ranked Captain Universe 11th in their "Guardians of the Galaxy 3: 50 Marvel Characters We Want to See" list. "Guardians of the Galaxy 3: 50 Marvel Characters We Want to See" list. CBR.com ranked Captain Universe 1st in their "Marvel's Strongest Cosmic Heroes" list, 1st in their "Marvel Comics: The 20 Most Powerful Female Members Of The Avengers" list, and 12th in their "20 Powerful Female Marvel Characters We Hope To See In The MCU's Phase Four" list. In one possible future of
10117-450: The Body Banks, which combined him with his horse Oberon. Although the organization S.H.I.E.L.D. and several representatives of the races of the Microverse help the Micronauts finally defeat Karza, the battle is costly. Biotron is destroyed by Dagon, who is revealed to be an agent of Karza; the Queen of Kaliklak, Bug's home planet, dies in battle; Rann is rendered comatose and Acroyear's traitorous albino brother Prince Shaitan dies summoning
10268-476: 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
10419-428: The Earth. When the Captain Universe power next appeared, it possessed Spider-Man to stop the Tri-Sentinel (although the power was initially weaker than usual, causing Spider-Man to assume that his own powers had merely increased). The latently cosmic-powered Spider-Man battled the Trapster , Titania , Magneto , Brothers Grimm , Goliath , Hulk, TESS-One , Dragon Man , and the Tri-Sentinel itself. It next possessed
10570-415: The Enigma Force appears in Spider-Verse . He attempts to protect the other Spider-Men before being killed by the Inheritors' father Solus. Micronauts (comics) The Micronauts are comic books featuring a group of characters based on the Mego Micronauts toy line. The first title was published by American company Marvel Comics in 1979, with both original characters and characters based on
10721-430: The Enigma Force is and frees it from the symbiotes, leading to it choosing Eddie Brock as the new Captain Universe. The cosmic entity possesses superhuman attributes, such as superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, durability, and senses. Its Uni-Vision power is a form of cosmic consciousness, granting microscopic vision, X-ray vision, telescopic vision, and an individual to tell the truth. The cosmic being owns
10872-676: The Enigma Force is tied to the dimension of its origin. The wielder will lose their powers if they travel to other realities. (Dec. 1989) Over the years, the various hosts of Captain Universe have faced many enemies from across the Marvel Universe. The most formidable of them have proven to be Baron Karza, Dr. Doom, Magneto , the Gray Hulk, Terminus , the Tri-Sentinel , Division U, S.H.I.E.L.D. , A.I.M. and Knull . Jasmine Shanelle of The Mary Sue included Captain Universe in their "6 of Marvel’s Most Powerful Women Who Have Yet to Hit
11023-527: The Enigma Force once again when the Whirldemon King, a powerful entity once defeated by the time-traveling Prince Wayfinder of Ithaca and creator of the Enigma Force itself, escapes imprisonment. When X-23 sacrifices herself to save Valeria Richards from possession by the King the Uni-Power bonds with her a second time. While trapped in the Whirldemons' prison dimension, a connection is explicitly made between
11174-400: The Enigma Force tells Laura that she has been designated the future heir to its power. An African-American woman acting as the newest Captain Universe joins the Avengers in the fight against Ex Nihilo , his sister Abyss , and a Builder named Aleph on Mars. Captain Universe vaporizes Aleph when he does not agree to stop transforming or destroying planets. She is revealed to be Tamara Devoux,
11325-761: 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
11476-443: The Fantastic Four's cohesion as a team. With only seconds to spare, Reed convinces Captain Universe that something is out of place and that the Fantastic Four are not his enemies. Captain Universe reveals to Druid that Reed is telling the truth, but before he can convince the others to stop fighting, he is struck down by Nova . Reed and Druid travel into a portal left by Captain Universe's "death" only to find him alive and well within
11627-651: 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
11778-477: 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
11929-606: 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,
12080-497: The Guardians into accepting. L'Matto easily overpowered Charlie-27 and was about to kill him when Vance Astro and Dr. Strange arrived and joined in the battle, with Nikki and Talon pitching in as well. Despite this, it was not until Aleta (who had become the new Starhawk ) arrived and attacked alongside Doctor Strange that L'Matto was finally defeated, enabling Strange to exorcise the Uni-Power which L'Matto had abused and return it to Earth. Captain Universe later returned, and
12231-571: 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
12382-544: The Larval Zooniverse, Peter Porker (who was secretly the superhero Spider-Ham ) was working on an experiment that went awry and bestowed upon him the cosmic power of Captain Zooniverse. With this new power he defeated all of his enemies and trapped them in orbit around Earth. He returned home a bit later and began a new villain-free life with his girlfriend Mary Jane Waterbuffalo. An issue of What If? asks
12533-558: 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,"
12684-663: The Macroverse. It then possessed Bruce Banner for the first time, to defuse a nuclear missile, and wound up battling Banner's own alter ego the Hulk . Captain Universe was then next among the heroes summoned by the Grandmaster for the Contest of Champions . The Captain Universe power next possessed Delayne Masters to defeat schoolyard bullies. It then possessed Evan Swann to stop the Quantum Mechanic from destroying
12835-549: The Marvel Universe, Advanced Idea Mechanics has examined the Uni-Power and attempted to duplicate it with the Captain Universe Initiative. The duplicate, referred to as the 'Alias-Power' or 'Uni-Alias', has the ability to animate the Death's Head 3.0 robot. While resident in Death's Head, it took the form of a conscience. On one occasion, when asked to rescue an evil scientist from a jail, it instead rescued
12986-488: The Micronauts was in development by Hasbro Studios and Paramount in 2015. In May 2023, Marvel re-acquired the licensing rights to publish The Micronauts . In the Marvel Cinematic Universe , the Microverse of The Micronauts is adapted as the Quantum Realm . The Micronauts began life as comic book characters thanks to a fortuitous accident on Christmas 1977. Marvel Comics writer Bill Mantlo's son Adam opened
13137-470: The Micronauts' new vessel, the Bioship. Argon is finally revealed to be controlled by the spirit of Baron Karza, who returns once more. Karza kills Argon and deals the Micronauts a crushing defeat by killing Devil, Pharoid, Slug and Margrave. After regrouping and a series of skirmishes, the remaining Micronauts confront and defeat Karza once and for all. Weary of war, the surviving Micronauts leave behind
13288-469: The Micronauts, and eventually sends a special alien Death Squad to kill them. The Micronauts defeat the unit, and then encounter the mutant Nightcrawler and battle a new foe called Huntarr. Huntarr had been genetically engineered into a virtually indestructible living weapon by Argon to destroy the Micronauts, but Marionette makes him see that Argon is simply using him. A war against Argon and his forces follows, with several beings from various locations in
13439-640: The Microns. They aid the mutant Cable when the scientist Psycho-Man abducts the shape-changing Copycat . They battle Microverse inhabitant Baron Zebek of Aegyptus alongside the visiting super-team Alpha Flight and later assist Rick Jones and Captain Marvel during their adventures in the Microverse. In another largely untold tale, they also reteam with the X-Men against Baron Karza, who had recently been reborn, and his ally Thanos who seek to merge several of
13590-511: The Microverse - including Argon's ex-fiancee, the beautiful lowborn rebel leader Slug, and Prince Pharoid of Aegypta and his faithful lieutenant Margrave - joining the team in a bid to stop Argon. After several more encounters with beings such as the tyrant Doctor Doom the heroine the Wasp , and the villain Arcade , Microtron and Nanotron sacrifice themselves to reanimate Biotron's consciousness in
13741-417: The Microverse and Earth. Years later, the Uni-Power would possess his son Steve Coffin to battle Mister E and his shadow slaves. It next possessed identical twins Ann Stafford and Clare Dodgson to capture Nemesis, and then possessed small-time cat burglar Monty Walsh to stop mafia don Guido Carboni. It then possessed Doctor Strange and Commander Arcturus Rann to reinforce the space-wall between the Microverse and
13892-581: The Microverse. The team embarks on a new quest across three new regions of the Microverse: Oceania, Polaria, and the Dead Zone. The Micronauts are eventually successful, and also acquire several teammates, including the bestial Devil and his companion Fireflyte and the robot Nanotron. A new problem arises when Prince Argon, turning tyrant after donning the sacred white armor of the legendary Force Commander, begins displaying paranoia regarding
14043-651: The Savage , became one of Marvel's first ongoing series to be distributed exclusively to comic book stores beginning with issue #38 (Feb. 1982). In the United Kingdom, The Micronauts was first included as a supporting strip in Marvel UK 's Star Wars Weekly comic in January 1979 for several months and then in the first nine issues of Star Heroes Pocketbook , alongside Battlestar Galactica , before joining
14194-466: 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
14345-640: The Spaceknight , both formerly popularized by Marvel as licensed properties. IDW released the first issue of their Micronauts series in April 2016, with scripts by Cullen Bunn and art by David Baldeon. The comic ran for eleven issues from 2016 to 2017. It was followed by two five-issue miniseries Micronauts: Wrath of Karza and Rom & the Micronauts which were released between 2017 and 2018. IDW also featured Micronauts prominently in their crossover epic - Revolution . Released from September to November 2016,
14496-476: The Sword Vigor from Leopardon, Miles was able to defeat Solus, Brix, Bora, and Daemos. The Enigma Force left him after the battle was won. During the " King in Black " storyline, the Enigma Force is revealed by Jean Grey to be the "God of Light" of the Marvel Universe, with properties similar to those of symbiotes and counterpart of the malevolent, darkness-based deity Knull . Silver Surfer arrives to where
14647-495: The Time Travelers - which enables him to perform incredible feats. The team then encounters the superhero team the Fantastic Four , who have traveled to a different region of the Microverse to battle the villain Psycho-Man . Bug's love, Jasmine, is killed during the climax of the battle. It is shortly after this encounter that the Micronauts again become trapped on Earth, at a greatly reduced size. After encounters with
14798-480: The Uni-Power other than that the suit given to all users is actually a molecular shell and not spandex as was previously believed. Eventually, Gabriel is released from prison and put into a highly aggressive session of training by the Kree Military as he and several other prisoners prepare for a mission that will halt the Phalanx's technophage virus from spreading further. Gabriel lost the Uni-Power after finding
14949-489: The Uni-Power possesses various heroes (the Hulk; X-23 ; Daredevil , who regained his sight while possessed; the Invisible Woman ; Gladiator ; and the Silver Surfer ); all in a mission to restore its power which has been severely weakened from a mysterious force emanating from the darkest corners of the Microverse. Using the copied powers of each hero, it took paraplegic war veteran Gabriel Vargas as its host to face
15100-494: The Wasp (2018) where Hank Pym finds his wife again and is successful in his mission. In Avengers: Endgame (2019), Lang along with the team use the realm to travel back in time to get all 6 Infinity stones to reverse the effect from Thanos ' snap. In the series finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2020), Leo Fitz uses the realm to retrieve the S.H.I.E.L.D. team from the alternate timeline they are trapped in. In Ant-Man and
15251-640: The Wasp: Quantumania (2023), Lang, Hope , Janet, Hank and Cassie are sucked into the Quantum Realm upon finding inhabiting beings, ruled by Kang the Conqueror . The 2002 Image Comics relaunch was followed the same year by Micronauts: The Time Traveler Trilogy , a collection of three paperback novels published by Byron Preiss Visual Publications and written by Steve Lyons . Doctor Doom Doctor Doom ( Dr. Victor von Doom )
15402-504: The Worldmind - the parallel power to the Enigma Force that sustains their own home planet of Spartak. In desperation, Acroyear bonds with the Worldmind to defeat Karza, but in doing so destroys his world. While trying to awaken Rann, the remnants of the team have an encounter with the demon Nightmare and accidentally discover that the Microverse is unraveling. A warning left in Rann's mind reveals that three keys will restore balance to
15553-498: 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
15704-488: 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
15855-568: 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
16006-427: 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
16157-518: The body of Earth-616's Eternity . Captain Universe explains to the two superheroes of the creation of the Multi-Eternity that ensures a boundless multiverse . Afterwards Captain Universe vanishes without a trace while Reed and Druid return to their respective realities after a confrontation with Abraxas, the antithesis of Eternity and Galactus. Captain Universe's history in the Earth X series
16308-493: 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
16459-444: The concept of a Captain Universe serial: "You could come up with three issues, three disparate individuals — each one very different from the other — and see how they use their powers. They wouldn't necessarily be superheroic types; they'd be regular people who fell into the powers for just one issue. ... But Captain Universe never got his own title, so I'm guessing it didn't sell terribly well." The character appeared sporadically through
16610-579: 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
16761-574: The creation of the Body Banks, where life-extending brain transplants are performed on the rich and inhuman genetic alterations on the poor. Commander Arcturus Rann returned from a thousand-year deep space voyage in suspended animation with Biotron, his robot co-pilot on the HMS (Homeworld Micro Ship) Endeavor , to discover Karza has slain the royal family, descendants of Rann's parents Dallan and Sepsis who are now worshiped as virtual gods. What follows
16912-435: The crossover featured characters from various licensed toy lines IDW held the right to such as Transformers and GI Joe. The main line featured a preview issue and five regular issues, plus eight one shot tie-in issues across the various lines, one of which was Micronauts: Revolution . In May 2023, Marvel renewed their license with Hasbro. Starting with a line of Marvel Omnibus collecting the original Marvel run of Micronauts,
17063-552: 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
17214-585: 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
17365-433: The evil Elder God Set. Shocked to find his comrades dead, Quasar screamed into the heavens as a glowing red light consumed him. It changed him and infused him with the powers of Captain Universe. After merging the Uni-Power with his own Quantum Band, Quasar took Doctor Strange's Eye of Agamotto and left the imploding dimension. When he arrived, most of the remaining heroes had been murdered by either Set's fearsome power or at
17516-459: The exact nature of which, naturally, remains an enigma. It is believed, however, to be connected to the Microverse , home of the Micronauts . Although the Uni-Power typically empowers normal, non-super-powered humans, it has in the past empowered Doctor Strange , Spider-Man , Commander Arcturus Rann of the Micronauts, a toddler, and a dog, among others. Its counterparts in various alternate timelines have also possessed Mar-Vell , Mr. Fantastic ,
17667-504: The first 29 issues, two annuals & material from Micronauts Special Edition featuring restored artwork, letter pages, house ads & bonus material, was revealed for a May 2024 release: Marvel Comics, May 2024 From 2005, AGE gave permission for SOTA (State of the Art) Toys to produce redesigned Micronauts action figures as Micronauts Evolution , with concept art by Randy Queen. SOTA president Jerry Macaluso expressed interest in
17818-534: The first was released in May 2024. The Micronauts originate in the Microverse , a microscopic universe full of strange planets like the human-inhabited Homeworld which is made up of diverse spherical habitats that are linked together in the fashion of a molecular chain . The original team comes together in response to the threat posed by Baron Karza, former bearded and balding academic turned murderous immortal black-armored dictator, who gained control of Homeworld through
17969-429: 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
18120-526: The hands of his seven mind-controlled brides. Quasar found The Silver Surfer attempting to keep the creature at bay. Filled with an immeasurable amount of rage, the Quasar/Captain Universe entity summoned the Eye of Agamotto and pulled himself and Set into the Eye's pocket dimension where they would do battle for all eternity. Later on, Quasar of Earth-616 viewed his counterpart facing Set. In
18271-508: 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
18422-405: The known Microverse (which they discover looking back resembles a galaxy shaped like a DNA Helix ) and embark on a journey of exploration. They eventually discover the true nature of the Microverse and, in a final act that restores their ruined world, sacrifice themselves in order to repopulate the planets. Years later Arcturus, Marionette and Bug (all Marvel properties) reappear as a team called
18573-482: The new Future Tense reprint anthology. Unlike the U.S. version, these strips were printed in black and white. The Micronauts Special Edition five-issue limited series (December 1983-April 1984) reprinted issues #1–12 and a back-up feature from #25. The X-Men and the Micronauts four-issue limited series (January 1984–April 1984) was co-written by Mantlo and Chris Claremont and drawn by Butch Guice. The second volume of Micronauts , subtitled The New Voyages ,
18724-619: The one responsible for its weakening. At some unknown point, Captain Universe's latest host Gabriel Vargas is arrested by the Kree Government for accidentally attacking a group of Kree who were killing people who he thought were innocents but were actually sympathetic to the genocidal actions of the Annihilation Wave. For months, he was studied by the Kree who, despite their highly advanced technology, could not learn much about
18875-575: 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
19026-575: 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
19177-571: 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
19328-488: The question "What If Spider-Man Had Kept His Cosmic Powers?" Spider-Man becomes corrupted by power when the Captain Universe energies decide to stay with him. He ends up battling his Avengers friends when they don't agree with his methods. A confrontation with a rogue Doombot leaves an innocent hostage dead. Peter manages to give up the entirety of his powers, including his spider-ones. Later, Peter's child manifests
19479-402: 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
19630-403: The remainder of the 1980s in titles such as Marvel Fanfare and Contest of Champions . His appearances became even scarcer in the 1990s, appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy , What If? , The Amazing Spider-Man , Marvel Comics Presents and Cosmic Powers Unlimited . In 1994, Captain Universe appeared in a one-shot, coinciding with a promotion, with the claim that readers could have
19781-513: The sub-atomic universes. Arcturus Rann and Princess Mari became involved in the Psyklop invasion of K'ai, Jarella 's homeworld. The first five-issue story arc of the Image series have been collected into a trade paperback : In May 2023 Marvel renewed the licensing with Hasbro in order to be able to publish Micronauts again. To commemorate the announcement a Volume 1 Marvel Omnibus , containing
19932-516: 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
20083-482: The tectonic plates beneath New York City, the Uni-Power leaves him and enters the Juggernaut. The Juggernaut as Captain Universe repairs the damage to the tectonic plates that was caused by him during the same rampage that had ruined Nguyen's life. After the "healing" of the tectonic plates, the Uni-Power subsequently departs. Three former hosts of the Uni-Power (Susan Storm, Spider-Man and X-23) are all contacted by
20234-445: The toys. Marvel published two Micronauts series, mostly written by Bill Mantlo , until 1986, well after the toy line was cancelled in 1980. In the 2000s, Image Comics and Devil's Due Publishing each briefly published their own Micronauts series. Byron Preiss Visual Publications also published three paperback novels based on the Micronauts. In 2016, IDW Publishing published a new comic book series. A live-action film version of
20385-483: 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
20536-523: The villains Plantman and Molecule Man , the team battle Mentallo and the Fixer , who have allied themselves with the organization HYDRA . Joined by one of Acroyear's people - Dagon - the team discovers that the villains and HYDRA are secretly under the control of Baron Karza, who is able to resurrect himself by placing his mind in Prince Argon's body. Argon was also converted to a cyborg centaur by
20687-412: 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
20838-415: 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
20989-440: 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
21140-680: 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
21291-527: 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
21442-529: 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
21593-471: 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
21744-522: 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
21895-413: Was launched by Devil's Due Publishing , mixing new characters with those based on the toy line. The series ran for three issues and featured art by former Micronauts artist Pat Broderick . More issues were solicited, but never appeared on shelves despite some cover art being released. In 2015, IDW Publishing acquired publishing rights from Hasbro to produce new comic books for the Micronauts and Rom
22046-488: 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
22197-473: Was published from October 1984 to May 1986 and ran 20 issues. The series was written by Peter B. Gillis and featured early-career artwork by Kelley Jones. After this series the Marvel-owned license lapsed. From the late 1990s the characters Marionette, Arcturus Rann and Bug (all Marvel properties) have appeared in various Marvel titles (without referencing the Micronauts label). Bug has appeared in
22348-574: Was relatively the same as it had been on Earth-616 up until the Infinity Gauntlet Saga , where an unknown Captain Universe fought alongside Kismet , the Silver Surfer , Comet Man , Carol Danvers , Nova and Star-Lord . Years later Arcturus Rann died in a battle against the Psycho Man and took the Enigma Force with him to the afterlife. Captain Universe was transferred into the Kree superhero Mar-Vell and eventually became part of
22499-545: 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
22650-471: 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
22801-553: Was titled X-Men/Captain Universe: Sleeping Giants . In 2005, after a four-year break from comic appearances, Captain Universe returned in the second series of Amazing Fantasy. Also in 2005, a series of one-shot specials were released featuring different characters from the Marvel Universe as the Uni-Power each imbues them with power of Captain Universe. These titles were Captain Universe/Hulk , Captain Universe/Daredevil , Captain Universe/X-23 , Captain Universe/Invisible Woman and Captain Universe/Silver Surfer . The Uni-Power made
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