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Doctor Doom’s successful reading of the Darkhold is a reminder that he is a unique power within the Marvel Universe never to be underestimated.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers from Darkhold: Alpha #1 on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Doctor Doom has spent his entire life trying to separate himself from the herd, and in fact, superior. This mentality, while arrogant and petty, has ultimately served him well, enabling him to become king of a country that worship’s him like a god and one of the most powerful and feared beings in the Marvel Universe. But for Doom, enough is never enough.
He recently unearthed the true Darkhold and performed a feat that no one had ever accomplished before in Darkhold: Alpha #1, by Steve Orlando, Cian Tormey, Jesus Aburtov and VC’s Clayton Cowles. Doom figured out how to read the Darkhold without losing his mind. But this could only be done through Doom’s unique blend of science and magic.
After having his Doombots unearth the ancient tome, Doom set his plan into action. He intended to read the Darkhold, the collected knowledge of the elder god, Chthon, who was Earth’s first black magician. The trick? Everyone who reads the true Darkhold goes completely insane. This is why the Scarlet Witch arrived, trying to prevent Doom from doing so, fearing what an unhinged Doom would be capable of. To her horror and utter surprise, Doom had already beaten her to the punch. The reason he wasn’t there in person was to prevent the scenario the Scarlet Witch feared. Rather than risk his mind with a direct reading of the book, Doom read through the eyes of his Doombot while sat safely at home.
It was a brilliant move and one that cost no lives. The Doombot was destroyed, its head melting the further along Doom got into the book, but when Doom finally appeared in person he seemed very much as sane as ever. He was still arrogant and pompous, but he, thankfully, retained all of his mental faculties. But Doom admitted that only he could accomplish this feat through his own unique blend of powers.
Most see Doctor Doom as a cerebral villain, one who relies on his intellect to succeed. And in their defense, they are right. Doom treasures his mind above all other things because it is what enables him to find greater heights to reach. But aside from having incredible scientific knowledge, Doom also possessed a talent for magic. So much so that at one point, Doctor Doom was the sorcerer supreme. He just doesn’t rely on it as often because to him, science is the more reliable tool to use for the job.
And this highlights what he thinks of both disciplines. Science and magic are just tools for him to use to achieve his goals. And this time around the tool happened to be an ancient magical book of unimaginable evil. But this book had confounded every magic user in the Marvel Universe until Doom. But because of his desire to be a master of every kind of power, Doom was uniquely equipped to handle and then quickly overcome the dangers of the Darkhold.
And it is this blend of powers that makes Doom such a threat to the Marvel Universe. No other character can actually claim to have similar abilities. There are beings like the Maker or Dormammu who are masters of one of the disciplines, but not both. Doom in contrast has devoted his life to bettering himself in every conceivable way.
It’s what makes him the enemy of people like the Fantastic Four or the Avengers. They seek to either improve or protect the world. Doom seeks only to improve and protect himself. Through that goal, he can better help the world reach his ideals. Having command over science and sorcery is just one path he can take.
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