Summary
- Doctor Doom outmaneuvers Doctor Strange to become Sorcerer Supreme, changing the Marvel Universe’s future.
- Doom’s long history as a scientist and sorcerer finally culminates in triumph over his magical rival.
- Victor von Doom’s true competition lies with Doctor Strange, setting the stage for a showdown in One World Under Doom.
Warning: contains spoilers for Blood Hunt #5For decades, the brilliant Mister Fantastic has been seen as the main rival to the villainous Doctor Doom, with the two fierce scientists clashing too many times to count. While Victor von Doom will always hate Reed Richards passionately, Blood Hunt #5 finally proves that Doom’s real competitive rival is Doctor Strange after finally outmaneuvering Stephen and claiming status as the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-616.
Doctor Doom’s new role as Sorcerer Supreme will change the future of the Marvel Universe, as Victor uses his newfound power to take over Earth this fall in the One World Under Doom event.
Blood Hunt #5, from writer Jed MacKay and artist Pepe Larraz, sees Doom manipulating Doctor Strange into giving up the title of Sorcerer Supreme, proving that Strange is Victor’s true rival since he has found his pathway to world domination by leaning into his magical side.
Doctor Doom Has Always Been A Scientist And A Sorcerer
Strange and Doom have a fascinating history with each other
Victor von Doom has long been considered one of Earth-616’s most brilliant minds and innovative scientists, going up against icons like Iron Man, Black Panther, and, of course… Mister Fantastic. Victor and Reed met while attending State University together, and immediately became rivals. This school rivalry escalated after Doom blamed Richards for the accident that caused his facial scarring, even though Reed had warned him away from it. Since then, Doom has been the archenemy of The Fantastic Four, which has often made his role as a sorcerer less prominent, as he was seen primarily using time travel and scientific tools to achieve his violent goals.
Victor has been practicing the mystic arts for years, having learned from his Romani mother as a youth and honing his skills with the dark sorceress Mordan Le Fay. It wasn’t until 2003 – still over 20 years ago – that Doom became a vastly powerful sorcerer, gaining magic abilities after sacrificing his lost love Valeria to demons in Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #67. The fascinating 1989 Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph & Torment saw Strange and Doom battling for the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme, with Stephen obviously coming out on top. Doctor Doom is not able to “trick” Reed Richards into giving him his brilliance, but Doom was able to manipulate Stephen into giving him the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme.
Victor Von Doom Has Finally Defeated His Magical Rival
Doom’s magical side is now stronger than ever as the Supreme
At this point, much of Doom’s rivalry with Reed Richards is based on petty childhood vengeance, and while Victor will always try to defeat The Fantastic Four, his unique relationship with Valeria Richards has softened the fierce man. With Doctor Strange, Doom was able to use their history to trick Stephen into giving him the powers of Sorcerer Supreme, finally allowing Doom to “defeat” a rival and gain the power he needs to rule the world. Interestingly, Victor applied a similar strategy in Time Runs Out, manipulating Doctor Strange and Molecule Man into allowing him to “save” the Multiverse by using the Beyonders’ power.
Victor von Doom will always hate Reed Richards, and perhaps see him as his rival, but Doctor Doom’s true rival is Doctor Strange. Rivalry is based on competition and a quest for superiority, and the upcoming One World Under Doom event will surely see Victor and Stephen competing once again to earn the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-616.
Blood Hunt #5 from Marvel Comics is available now in stores.
