Doomsday nears! Seven things we'd like to see from the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Doctor Doom

Over the years, I've developed a bit of a love of comic books, something you may be familiar with if you read Gamereactor's Lifestyle section or even saw past articles like '10 comics or graphic novels every Marvel fan should read'. The point is, this adoration for the medium has led me to become even more invested in adaptations, as I really tend to hope the various characters and storylines are offered up in a way that honours the source material. For some of the smaller-scale characters and events, a slip-up isn't the biggest worry and can be rectified in future adaptations, but for the big names and icons, it's vital these figures are depicted correctly out the gates. At the end of the day, we should avoid a Supergirl situation at all costs...

This brings me to the purpose of this article, as with Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, I thought I'd put together a bit of a checklist of things I'd like to see reflected in Robert Downey Jr.'s version of Victor Von Doom, all to ensure the legendary character is more of the fearsome God Emperor-type and less of the weird golem-looking creature portrayed by Toby Kebbell in the frankly awful 2015 adaptation of Fantastic Four.

For starters however, both the naming convention and comments from Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has made it clear on several occasions the end goal of Avengers: Doomsday and 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars will be to adapt Jonathan Hickman's Secret Wars comic series. For those unaware, Secret Wars is a major storyline that basically tidies up the messy Marvel multiverse into a more coherent singular entity sharing elements from the various universes and realms prior. This happens first through a collapse of the multiverse, all before Doctor Doom, using stolen Beyonder powers, pieces various elements together to create his own twisted kingdom known as Battle World, all before the surviving heroes team up, unravel Doom's master plan, and reshape the universe into something more natural and recognisable. It's not really a spoiler to say the heroes eventually succeed (this is a comic book story at the end of the day), but the process does come at a cost and also requires an all-powerful version of Doom known as God Emperor Doom.

If this is the direction we're eventually heading, likely by the end of Doomsday to set the precedent for Secret Wars, then it's clear we need to have a very authentic version of Doom as a baseline. So, here are seven Doctor Doom traits I'd like to see become a reality, based on existing Doom-heavy comic book stories (Secret Wars, different Fantastic Four runs, One World Under Doom, the list goes on).

1. Doom must not show his face... under any circumstance

To begin with, let's focus on the mask. Doom does not show his face unless someone is prying the mask off his defeated and lifeless body. This is a non-negotiable. Unless it's a flash-back or origin scene delving into how Victor Von Doom became Doctor Doom, I don't want to see Downey Jr.'s face without the mask hiding it from view. Anyone who has seen Doom in comics will know one of his key weaknesses is the shame he feels from his scarred appearance, with the mask protecting his immense ego and ensuring no one sees the broken man underneath. To this end, if we get a Doom who frequently removes his mask despite the consequences, the adaptation has failed. When he is in Doctor Doom form, the mask stays on... at all times.

2. Doom does not have an intellectual match (even if Richards thinks he is), and is a master of both magic and science

The second point is Doctor Doom must be one of the smartest people in the room at all times. One of the most frightening aspects of Doom is how he has very few competitors when it comes to sheer intellectual capacity. There is a reason the Fantastic Four and Doom are so closely aligned, and it's because the smartest man in the universe (Reed Richards) needs to have a worthy adversary, and this is Doom. He's a remarkably intelligent villain, a character who can fight on multiple fronts, will hide his true intentions behind layers and layers of tricks and plans, and all while being a master of magic and science. Doom must be near impossible to best in singular combat, be that physical warfare or in a game of wits, and having an army of well engineered and lethal Doom Bots goes a long way to ensure even teams of heroes pale in comparison.

3. Layers upon layers: Doom's motivations and methods must never be evidently clear

On that front, Doom must never make his intentions clear. From the moment we meet Doom, it's vital we never really know his motivations or secrets. He'll almost certainly masquerade as an ally, someone for the heroes to align with, only to betray them when it suits him best, and it's with this in mind that Doom must not be a single-dimension villain, he must have layers and layers of intrigue, plotting, planning, and traps laid out, all so nobody truly knows where he stands.

4. He must fight for a cause that is somewhat admirable...

And another similar point, one of the things that makes Doom so intriguing as a character is how he is somewhat admirable. Doom is a nefarious and egotistical villain without question, a being driven by a lust for power, but he also has good ideas and often a cause you can somewhat get behind. Similar to Thanos, whose mass-murdering plans were rooted in an understandable cause, Doom must also be a conflicting personality to adjust to. You'll want to hate him, you should hate him, but at the same time there will be times where you can't help but wonder, 'does he have a point?'

5. ...But still has moments where he shows his violence, brutality, and true nature

But here's the thing, as admirable Doom can be at occasions, he is a villain, one of the most powerful there is, and this must be proven. A show of force is required at times, and you may have heard the tale of Doom ripping Thanos' spine out, something like this iconic Secret Wars moment will work wonders for proving the true power and strength of Doom, particularly if he reaches the God Emperor state, as we truly hope he does if Secret Wars intends to be as authentic as possible. Another interesting example could come in the form of human sacrifice, as Doom is not beyond trading lives for power, so to prove his brutally, sacrificing Franklin Richards, for example, could be a striking and horrifying way to gain the power necessary to reach God Emperor status and to create Battle World, especially since the Beyonder hasn't yet been introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As long as Valeria Richards isn't touched, of course, as Doom's goddaughter is his greatest treasure.

6. Doom is not just Latveria's leader, protector, and saviour, Doom is Earth's too

Doom is not Doom without people to laud his power over. Doom needs an audience to gloat to, a people to celebrate him (largely out of fear of repercussions), and it should be made clear this population isn't just Doom's nation of Latveria, but the entirety of Earth. Doom regards Earth as his planet and his domain, so it should go without saying while the powers that be may see Doom as simply the leader of Latveria, in his mind he is the rightful ruler, leader, protector, and saviour of Earth as a whole, a planet he should be allowed to shape in his own vision.

7. A T-Rex steed wouldn't hurt...

Lastly, and this probably a bit of a stretch, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe does love to embrace the wacky and wild. Wouldn't it be fun if during Doom's conclusive fight against the heroes, he introduces a rogue partner, a Doom variant in the form of Tyrannosaurus Rex? It may seem ridiculous, but in the latest Fantastic Four series, the legendary Doomasaurus made an appearance to aid Doom in his battles against Marvel's First Family, all before the two turned on each other due to a clash of egos. Doom eventually dominated Dinosaur Doom, bending the reptile's will to his control and eventually used the deadly beast as a steed during hectic combat. So again, wouldn't it just be a little bit fun to see Dino Doom pop up?

Have we missed anything? Are there any other key traits you'd like to see reflected in Downey Jr.'s version of Doom? If so, don't forget to let us know.