Doctor Doom has been a monarch ever since he rose from his role as a poor child traveling with a Romani caravan to the man who conquered Latveria and became a ruler who helped his country rise from the ashes. He has had a few times when he was displaced, but he ended up bouncing back. He has also shown himself to be a ruler in other areas, including when he took over the entire planet in One World Under Doom and, of course, when he recreated the world in Secret Wars and became God Emperor Doom. This has happened again, as Doctor Doom just overthrew Mephisto to become the new ruler of Hell in the recent Captain America run.
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While Doctor Doom is one of Marvel Comics’ most powerful and dominating monarchs, he is not the most powerful. There are other rulers who have always had a rival relationship with Doctor Doom, and while Doom has always considered himself the smartest and most powerful man in the room, these other monarchs might have something to say about it. This includes at least one god and a woman who rules an entire empire.
5) Odin
Odin is a figure from Norse mythology who Marvel Comics has made a huge part of its universe. He debuted in Journey into Mystery #86 (1962) by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby after being mentioned in the previous issue. As the All-Father and king of Asgard, Odin is the son of Bor and the brother of Vili and Ve, and he has defended Asgard many times as a long-lived master tactician. While he has given up his role more than once, when he is in charge, he is nearly untouchable.
His power is a family inheritance, and the Odinforce formed when Vili and Ve died in the war with Surtur and their essences fused with Odin’s. His power is immense. At one time, he moved the entire human race to an alternate dimension to keep civilians clear of the giants Loki unleashed. As proof that he is more powerful than Doctor Doom, Dark Reign: The Cabal #1 (2009) showed that Doom actually feared Odin’s power, and it took Loki to convince Doom to continue on.
4) Namor
Namor is a character who predated Marvel Comics, originally debuting from Timely Comics in Marvel Comics #1 (1939). Namor began as the Prince of Atlantis and a warrior against surface-dwellers, then rose to rule as King of Atlantis. While he lost the title to Attuma during “Fear Itself,” he regained it. He was a villain before he was a hero. In 1940, he threatened to sink Manhattan under a tidal wave, setting up his fight with the original Human Torch. Overall, he ranked with Captain America and the Torch as one of Timely’s top three characters.
Marvel has relabeled him as the first mutant in comics, and he has often been called one of the company’s most powerful mutants. Doctor Doom showed Namor respect when they first met in Fantastic Four #6 (1962), when he asked Namor to join him in trying to beat the Fantastic Four, only to betray Namor. When this happened, Namor helped defeat Doom and proved to be the more powerful of the two.
3) Black Bolt
Blackagar Boltagon, better known as Black Bolt, first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 (1965) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Black Bolt is king of the Inhumans and rules Attilan, as the son of the previous King Agon and Queen Rynda. He rose to power when his sonic shockwave brought down a Kree ship and accidentally killed his parents. A single spoken word could bring down an entire city, and at full strength, a scream could destroy a planet.
Attilan is a hereditary absolute monarchy with a strict caste system, which means that a person’s stake in life is determined solely by their powers, and a person can never rise above their level. While this holds many people down and makes it easy for Black Bolt’s brother to help start an uprising, Black Bolt mostly serves as an honorable monarch. Black Bolt even set off a Terrigen bomb across Earth to unlock the powers of more Inhumans who were living on the planet. While Doctor Doom uses his power to conquer, Black Bolt uses his to protect.
2) Black Panther
Black Panther and Doctor Doom have always shared an intense and bitter relationship as monarchs of major Marvel countries. T’Challa debuted in Fantastic Four #52 (1966) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as the king and protector of Wakanda, a technologically advanced African nation built on its vibranium deposits. T’Challa has proven to be not only a powerful monarch, but also a very smart one politically, negotiating peace with Doctor Doom, Namor, and Magneto at the same time.
Their biggest battle came in Doomwar (2010) by Jonathan Maberry and Scot Eaton, where Doom tried to conquer Wakanda to steal its vibranium. Doom actually came out ahead here, and used the vibranium to unlock hidden magical powers. However, T’Challa proved to be his better by making all of Wakanda’s vibranium inert, stripping Doom of his powers, and then rebuilding Wakanda without the use of the metal. Both Doctor Doom and Black Panther have ruled their countries, but T’Challa has always proven to be more successful.
1) Lilandra
Lilandra debuted in X-Men #97 (1975) by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum. While Black Panther rules what is considered the most technologically advanced country on Earth, Lilandra ruled what is called one of the most advanced and expansive civilizations in the universe. She started out as a royal fugitive when her brother, Emperor D’Ken, tried to use the M’Kraan Crystal to take over the universe. Lilandra turned on him, and he branded her a traitor. The Shi’ar High Council eventually ruled in her favor, and she became Majestrix.
Her biggest show of power came in “The Dark Phoenix Saga.” After Phoenix wiped out the D’Bari, Lilandra ordered her put to death. Charles Xavier answered with a trial by combat against her Imperial Guard, and Phoenix took her own life during the fight. In “Operation: Galactic Storm,” her empire built the Nega-Bomb out of Kree artifacts, a weapon able to devastate an area the size of the Kree Empire. Doom rules one country, and every time he has ruled more, from Battleworld to Hell, he stole the power to do it. Lilandra ruled the most powerful empire in the universe through sheer will.
Who do you consider the most powerful monarch in Marvel Comics? Let us know if you think Doctor Doom deserves more respect in the comments below.
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