Marvel Officially Names Doctor Doom's Hero Nemesis, And It Isn't Reed Richards

Published Nov 2, 2026, 3:00 PM EST Shaun Corley has been with ScreenRant for over 5 years, and is currently the Coordinator for PR and Outreach for the Comics Team. Warning: contains potential spoilers for Challenges of Doom: Doctor Strange #1! Marvel officially names Doctor Doom’s true nemesis in the superhero community, and it is not Reed Richards. This statement may seem to run counter to established Marvel lore, as the rivalry between Doctor Doom and the leader of The Fantastic Four is the stuff of legends, and has been the driving force behind some of Marvel’s best stories. The tension between Doom and Richards began early, when the two were roommates in college. Both were prodigiously gifted intellects, but Doom’s rough and tumble childhood sent him down a dark path. Whereas Reed was interested in science, Doom was intrigued by magic as well. Doom saw using a combination of science and sorcery as the only way to liberate his mother from Hell, and an experiment to do just that disfigured Doom, earning him an expulsion from the university. Doom would blame Richards for the accident, thus kicking off decades of conflict. Truthfully, Doctor Doom has tangled with nearly every hero in the Marvel Universe at some point, ranging from Spider-Man to Luke Cage to even Squirrel Girl, yet through it all, he has never lost sight of his hatred of Reed Richards. Yet now, as Doctor Doom fights to restore his pride after Doomquest, fans learn that Reed is not Victor’s true nemesis, but instead another classic Marvel hero who has been a thorn in Doom’s side. Doctor Doom's True Nemesis Is A Former Sorcerer Supreme In a preview for Challenges of Doom: Doctor Strange #1, written by Al Ewing and drawn by Christian Rosado, fans learn that the Latverian tyrant’s true heroic opposite is Doom’s long-time rival in magic, Doctor Strange. The preview opens shortly after the Ancient One has accepted Doctor Strange as his pupil, and the teacher is giving Stephen one of his first glimpses into the magical realm. The Ancient One then summons a vision of Doctor Strange’s future, including the many foes he would face as Sorcerer Supreme. Fans see classic Doctor Strange villains such as Baron Mordo, Dormammu, Nightmare and others. Yet the Ancient One maintains that, despite the power of these villains, Doctor Strange’s true opposite in the cosmos is Doctor Doom. However, Doom is still not a major player at this point in Marvel history, and thus the Ancient One does not name him, instead saying Victor will “wear a cape.” Yet the Ancient One maintains that, despite the power of these villains, Doctor Strange’s true opposite in the cosmos is Doctor Doom. The Challenges of Doom miniseries sees Doctor Doom fight his way back to the present day, facing down many of his key opponents along the way. As the preview for Challenges of Doom: Doctor Strange #1 winds down, the two magic users have a seemingly friendly chat in the present day. However, it is most likely Doom wants something from Doctor Strange, and fans will have to wait until the issue hits stores to find out what. Doctor Doom And Doctor Strange Have A Long History Doctor Strange Has What Doctor Doom Wants While some may find it hard to believe that Doctor Strange is Doom’s true opposite, Marvel history is littered with incidents showing that Stephen and Victor’s rivalry is just as Earth-shaking as his with Reed Richards. Doctor Doom is a perpetual runner-up for the title of Sorcerer Supreme, and his desire for the title has led him into conflict with Doctor Strange several times. One of the first examples of Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom’s rivalry came in the 1989 graphic novel Triumph and Torment. Written by Roger Stern and drawn by Mike Mignola, Strange helped Doom to free his mother from Mephisto’s realm. While successful, Doom double-crossed Doctor Strange during the battle, alienating his mother as he did. The recently concluded Doomquest crossover event was perhaps the pinnacle of their rivalry, as Doom tricked Doctor Strange into relinquishing the title of Sorcerer Supreme. When Doctor Doom finally did win the title, he proved unworthy of it. He tried to use the power to force his will on the people of Earth, but the heroes turned him back. As a result, Doom was thrown back through time, as chronicled in the Challenges of Doom miniseries. When Doctor Doom inevitably makes it back to the present day, his brush with being the Sorcerer Supreme will no doubt fuel even more anger and resentment towards his true opposite: Doctor Strange. Challenges of Doom: Doctor Strange #1 is on sale November 4 from Marvel Comics!