WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Doctor Doom #3 by Christopher Cantwell and Salvador Larroca, out now.
Doctor Doom is widely considered to be one of, if not the, best villains in the Marvel Universe. Everything about him, from his name to his appearance and hatred of Reed Richards, makes him look like a really bad guy. However, as Christopher Vogler wrote, “every villain is the hero of his or her own story,” and nowhere is that sentiment more true than in Marvel's Doctor Doom comic. In fact, in the third issue, the good doctor proclaims that he is not only the hero of his own story, but everyone else’s as well, when he compares himself to none other than Jesus Christ.
This series kicked off with some scientists thinking it would be a good idea to create a black hole on the moon in order to cure global warming and failing to heed Doom’s warning that this will go horribly wrong. His predictions prove to be correct, but not in the manner he expected. Instead, terrorists destroy the technology on the moon, claiming thousands of lives, and make it look like Doom was the one responsible by using his own country’s missiles and holding up the flag of Latveria.
The world retaliates by having Doom arrested, but he manages to escape with the help of the time-traveling Conqueror Kang and finds refuge with the sorceress Morgan le Fay. He confesses to Morgan that he has been having visions of a future where he is a happily married father and ruler of an eternally peaceful Earth. Kang has already visited that timeline and confirmed its existence.
When le Fay fails to divine if this future is his true destiny, they seek out the assistance of the Witness, a man capable of seeing one’s death by gazing into their eyes. Witness, in awe, tells Doom that his death is the saddest day on Earth -- just before someone shoots Doom through the head and he is killed.
The parallels with Christ are woven all through the series, with Doom’s determination to save the world, but issue three spells it out for readers by sending Doom to Hell, having him tempted by the demon Mephisto, and rising again. It is in his confrontation with Mephisto that the comparison to Jesus Christ is made explicit.
Doom tells Mephisto that he can’t have his soul just yet because this is not his fate. Mephisto remarks, “Scientist, sorcerer, Clairvoyant? You must be a god.” To which Doom replies, “It is you who say that I am.”
This is a direct reference to chapter 22 of the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus is asked, “Are you then the son of God?” Christ says, “You say that I am.”
By quoting a figure that millions of people around the world have worshiped and considered to be their savior for thousands of years, Doctor Victor Von Doom, ruler of Latveria, sworn enemy of the Fantastic Four, has told us in no uncertain terms that he sees himself as the only person who can save mankind from itself and as a messiah.
Really, the comparison couldn’t be more perfect. This is a man who warned the people of Earth that their actions would condemn them. He is then persecuted for his words, murdered and comes back from the dead all in the service of his one, true, "villainous," goal -- world peace.
Doctor Doom #4 goes on sale January 1, 2020.