Warning: Contains spoilers for Fantastic Four #43
If there is one Marvel character that constantly proves he can best even the most powerful beings in the universe, that's Doctor Doom, and he just did it again. Doom defeated the Cormorant, a mysterious alien hailing from a "higher dimension" who had previously proved to be unstoppable, showing once again that no one is better than Victor Von Doom.
Considering that he is a mortal human born without special powers, Victor Von Doom could feel out of place in a world full of gods, super-soldiers, mutants, and cyborgs. Victor's greatest power has always been his intellect supported by his unbelievable willpower, that over the years made him capable of defeating opponents that were much stronger than him. Most famously, Doom stole the Power Cosmic from Silver Surfer and even from Galactus. In the original Secret Wars, he did much better, and took the power of the Beyonder for himself, defeating the most powerful creature ever to appear in the Marvel Universe until that moment. In the second Secret Wars, he put his previous feats to shame, defeating the entire race of the Beyonders, creatures so powerful that they had just destroyed the entire Multiverse. Months ago (in Fantastic Four #25) a mysterious alien creature known as the Cormorant appeared on Earth in search of a powerful artifact. His quest put him against the Fantastic Four, who were simply swatted away, including Franklin Richards, who burned the last remnants of his god-like power and merely knocked the Cormorant back, without causing any damage.
In Fantastic Four #43, by Dan Slott, Rachael Stott, Andrea Di Vito, and Jesus Aburtov, the Cormorant has returned, but Doom moved first and found the object the creature sought: the Tactigon, one of the most powerful weapons in the universe. Using that, his own powerful magic, and most importantly his unmatched intellect, Doom wins his battle against "one of the most powerful beings in this or any reality".
Compared to Doom's other victories, this one might seem trivial, but the Cormorant is actually one of the strongest creatures that ever appeared in Marvel Comics. It was unfazed by Franklin Richards' reality-shaping powers and, according to Mr Fantastic, his strength defied all known laws of physics. Considering Franklin could dismantle Mephisto in seconds, that's saying something. In his previous appearance, the Cormorant was described as a "beyond Omega-Level threat" that could threaten all life in the universe, and Doom correctly deduced that the source of his powers is the technology of the Watchers, meaning that the creature is at least on the level of these god-like cosmic beings. And yet, all it took to Doom was some preparation, a clever spell, and the inhuman willpower needed to wield the Tactigon.
It seems that every time a near-omnipotent creature from another dimension is threatening Earth, Doom is the person to rely upon. Time and time again he proved that, no matter how powerful his opponent is, be it Galactus or the Beyonders, Doctor Doom always triumphs in the end thanks to his intellect and indomitable will, and he showed it once again by beating the Cormorant, one of the most powerful creatures in the Marvel Multiverse.
Look for Fantastic Four #43 now available from Marvel Comics!