I don’t hate it, but then the hatred just feels less justified to me. Like there’s so much ego that way, which I get is very much in keeping with Doom. Buy I’d rather that ego come from actually being right that from a perceived sense of superiority stemming from an age difference. I can just see the “OK boomer” memes lol.
I just like the idea that Doom is actually better. That he really is the guy that can save us all, but the one thing he fails to see is that it isn’t up to him to make that choice. That feels like it’s made more clear when there isn’t like a generational gap if that makes sense.
This shows how much we all bring to these mythological tall tales we all love.
See, cuz my take has always been that Doom of course believes he's in the right and that his way is in the long run the correct one and that he will be shown by history to have been the hero of the story all along.
But he's not right. He will never be the true savior of humanity. People will never praise the "Greatness of Doom". Ultimately he can never beat Reed and the FF or the other heroes. He's absolutely a most impressive and amazing man. Like his peers, a marvel, a miracle. But that power and intellect is in the service of a personality that despite all the scientific accumen Victor has, can't fathom the universe
objectively. Reed might have only a hare's breath mores self awareness than Doom to a certain degree... But it's what makes all the difference.
The dialog by Reed when he puts Valeria to bed sums it up (Waid nailed it here):
"Once upon a time there was a genius who... A very bright man who...
...
...
...
Once upon a time there was a very arrogant man who did something very stupid. Without proper preparation or shielding he took his friends through a wave of radiation that made them all something other than human.
His guilt was unbearable. And... Deserved.
These were the people he loved. And he destroyed their lives. Thanks to him, they were fated to be freaks. Lab specimens... Or worse, unless he changed that somehow.
Unless... He made the world see them for what they were. Three of the best and bravest people anyone could hope to meet.
So he refused to let them operate in secret. He gave them home in a city of 8 million. And he gave them costumes, and a flying car... And encouraged them to parade around with some pretty outlandish names... "Mister Fantastic"? Does that sound like something anyone would really want to call themselves? No. But that's the kind of name that makes headlines. And T-shirts. And action figures. He knew that would keep people from fearing them.
You see... Glamour and fame, weren't options. They were necessities. Because maybe by turning his friends into celebrities, he could be... forgiven, for taking their normal lives away.
...
...
...
Someday."
And in nutshell there's the difference between Doom and Reed. That self analysis, that self awareness, the ability to see beyond oneself as indeed a part of a grander whole in the universe... Doom for all his towering intelligence is utterly dumbfounded by that kind of introspection and thus incabpable of learning the important truths one might find by doing so.
Doom's ego is this massive thing... Because it has to cover up an inner life that is far more fragile than he cares to let on. Because honestly what's Doom's vendetta based on?
"Hey dude... I think your math is wrong."
That's it. That's what he HATES Reed over. And Reed was right. And Doom basically ****ed himself over by not listening. And that type of guy?
That guy?
He'll never be the savior of the world/humanity. For all his iron will (seriously... Doom would eat Batman for breakfast, pick his teeth clean with the Darth Maul's lightsaber and then on a whim start to **** around with Doctor Who just for ****s and giggles... ) he can't possibly perceive that he has blindspots, flaws or can miscalculate.
I often think, and this is just my head canon, that is why in stories you have Reed refer to him in such an informal, even collegial way. To Doom, Reed is always "Richards". Said with a snear under that mask. "Who will save your family now,
RICHARDS?!"
How does Reed refer to Doom though?
"
Victor... Please... What do you hope to accomplish with all this?"
To Reed... No matter the armor, no matter the power, no matter the honorifics of titles and international diplomacy, no matter what god-like ability Doom creates, subordinates to himself or that which he steals from others... To Reed, Doctor Doom is still just... Victor. A fellow brilliant student who couldn't fathom that somebody else might be right, and was too foolish to realize how his own actions would affect himself. And who, unlike Reed, will never learn his lesson. And when you can't learn from a mistake... You are fated to repeat it again, and again.
