Ever since the Hall-H reveal of Robert Downey Jr as Dr. Doom, the fandom has been frantically searching for any and all keys related to this reveal. There are many multiverse versions of the Tony Stark/Dr. Doom combo, and there isn’t much information to go on. Fan theories are running rampant, and, in this time of confusion, many misconceptions about certain keys are gaining popularity. Make sure to scroll through our entire Doom list below to get the most accurate information on what key event takes place in each book. Also, an awesome Wolverine and Baroness cover makes the cut!
Videos by ComicBook.com
Want to know what comic books are trending each week and why? COVRPRICE.COM uses live sales analytics to identify and compile the most robust market price guide, highlighting the weekly top trending comics. No opinions. Just data. Each week, they present a newly updated list of the TOP 10 COMICS trending in the aftermarket. These trends are due to rumors, fan-favorite covers, story-driven content, and content-related news.
1: The Uncanny X-Men Vol.1 #251 | Marvel | November 1989: Deadpool & Wolverine spoilers have been hitting social media at breakneck speeds. If you haven’t already seen the film, here’s a big spoiler for you. During the first act of the film, Deadpool searches for a Wolverine to bring to his universe. In the middle of his multiverse hopping, Deadpool runs into a version of the Wolverine that’s immediately recognizable to fans. The scene is ripped directly from this Marc Silvestri artwork, paying homage to this iconic Wolverine cover. Fans are still chasing this down in the aftermarket, looking to take a piece of movie magic home with them. We tracked it at a high sale of $313 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM+ raw of $125.
2: Infamous Iron Man #1 | Marvel | October 2016: Here’s another great key book from the multiverse of Dr. Doom. The cover is a great way to confuse fans into believing this book is the inspiration behind the casting choice for Doom. However, this book marks the first appearance of Victor Von Doom as Iron Man. Again, not much is known about what multiversal combination RDJ will embody. While we wait for more information, any and all theories are fair game! We tracked it at a high sale of $300 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw $67.
3: Iron Man Vol.2 #11 | Marvel | September 1997: Speaking of confusing covers, this cover is also a book that a fan can associate with the casting choice. RDJ has been so ingrained in our minds as Iron Man that we cannot fathom a universe where Iron Man doesn’t crossover as Dr. Doom. For all we know, RDJ’s Doom will have nothing to do with an Iron Man iteration. Until information is provided to fans, any and all crossover comics with the two characters are up for grabs on the aftermarket. This is a great cover by Whilce Portacio. While it doesn’t have any key appearances or significant events, it is still an awesome Dr. Doom/Iron Man cover to add to the speculation collection. We tracked it at a high sale of $54 for a CGC 9.4 copy and a current FN raw $3.
4: G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero #308 – Sozomaika – 2024 SDCC – KRS Comics / The Comic Mint – Virgin (Limited 300) | Image | July 2024: Among all the Doom stands the beautiful and dangerous Baroness. This Sozomaika cover has seen a late boom in the aftermarket, but it booms nonetheless. There isn’t any key significance behind this book; it’s just a highly desirable and gorgeous cover of a popular character. It is also a highly limited exclusive book, coming straight out of SDCC. The book was limited to a 300-copy print run. As original holders of this book start posting it on the aftermarket, it seems fans are willing to pay any price to add the Baroness to their collection. We tracked it at a high sale of $220 for an NM copy and a current NM raw of $212.
5: What If? Iron Man: Demon in an Armor #1 | Marvel | December 2010: Another interesting theory that is fueled by the RDJ casting for Doom. In this universe, Stark and Doom were college roommates. Doom, craving Stark’s access to resources and technology, tricked Stark into switching minds. Stark is left in Doom’s body with his memories wiped. As Doom builds a Stark empire, Stark is left to start over in Doom’s body… eventually building his own small empire. The two collide, leaving Stark, in Doom’s body, victorious over the imposter. The storyline is a simple one but who knows how well this would translate to the big screen. Still, this early in the game, any theory is a valid theory. Fans are putting their money where their mouth is, and this book is making waves in the aftermarket. We tracked it at a high sale of $165 for an NM copy and a current NM raw of $130.
6: Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars Vol.1 #10 – Direct | Marvel | February 1985: Whether Dr. Doom is successful in taking over the MCU is still left to be found out. One thing is for certain: he has taken over the aftermarket! Iconic Dr. Doom covers are the second most popular buys, right behind Dr. Doom/Iron Man covers. This cover would be hard to pass by if you’re a fan of Doom. This fan-favorite Mike Zeck cover has been a staple in many fans’ collections for years prior to the MCU announcement. It just got a spike in interest thanks to the news, but it has always been a hot book to track down! We tracked it at a high sale of $215 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current VF raw $29.
7: The Avengers Vol.1 #25 | Marvel | February 1966: This is a great book to see back on everyone’s radar! The first battle between Dr. Doom and the Avengers, story by Stan Lee, and art by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers… this book has it all! If you ever give this a read, this book is a fun, campy adventure. The Avengers are lured to Latveria by snail mail from Wanda and Pietro’s auntie, who was secretly Dr. Doom orchestrating his evil letter-writing campaign. This leads to the heroes falling for Dr. Doom’s trap to defeat them. We can only hope the MCU follows a similar storyline. If it does, many aftermarket speculators will rejoice as this book has seen decent interest growth. We tracked it at a high sale of $1,800 for a CGC 9.4 copy and a current VG raw $88.
8: Exiles Vol.1 #23 | Marvel | May 2003: As seen by the onslaught of Doom-related books, the market is all over the place when determining what book to focus on in terms of MCU speculation. The current approach for collectors is to pick up anything and everything related to Doom, especially if it has an Iron Man connection. What makes this issue interesting, as well as the next two for Marvel Team-Up, is that Tony Stark’s appearances as the Iron Monarch and Iron Maniac highlight issues where Tony has adopted elements of Dr. Doom’s temperament and elements of his costume. Tonally, Tony became Doctor Doom in these issues, but not at all in name. That’s an important fact, as Robert Downey Jr. was announced to play Victor Von Doom specifically. Not Tony Stark playing the role of Doom. Granted, there’s most likely some misdirection from the creative team as play. So, this issue and the Marvel Team-Up issues could be valid in the future. But for clarity, Tony Stark does NOT become or play the role of Victor Von Doom in this issue or Marvel Team #3 & 4 (we’ll get into that). We tracked it at a high sale of $75 for an NM+ copy and a current VF raw $7.
9: Marvel Team-Up #3 | Marvel | February 2005: We’ve had several users reach out asking us to update this book as “the first appearance of Tony Stark as Dr. Doom.” However, we always like to dig into these requests and confirm firsthand by researching all the issues in question to confirm those claims. After reading this run (up until the end of Kirkman’s run on this series), we can confidently state that there is no appearance of Tony Stark as Dr. Doom or Victor Von Doom in any capacity. This is simply an evil variant of Tony Stark, who later becomes known as “The Iron Maniac.” In this full first appearance as The Iron Maniac (though not named until issue #22), Stark displays a mask and suit that somewhat resembles Dooms. In fact, the Fantastic Four mistake him for the Latvarian ruler. However, Tony quickly reveals himself and claims no relation to Victor Von Doom. We’ve added references to this appearance below. We tracked it at a high sale of $23 for a VF copy and a current VF raw $20.
10: Marvel Team-Up #2 | Marvel | January 2005: Included is the first cameo appearance of The Iron Maniac. Clearly, writer Robert Kirkman wanted the reader to believe that this was Dr. Doom by highlighting his classic silver suit and green cloak and showing a close-up of his disfigured face under the mask while hiding the Iron Man-style elements revealed in issue #3 on the ears, mouth, chest, and repulsors. Tony Stark is not known for wearing a cloak, except in Exiles above, when he first debuted this look after he defeated Dr. Doom in an alternate reality. If this page was all you would see circulating the internet, then it’s easy to understand why this is being misrepresented as the first appearance of Tony Stark as Dr. Doom. With all this laid out, what do you think? Do you feel this is the first appearance of Tony Stark as Dr. Doom? Let us know. We tracked it at a high sale of $250 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current VF raw $29.
Related Posts
-
Image Credit: Marvel Comics
