Warning: Spoilers ahead for Avengers: War Across Time #2!Marvel has seemingly confirmed that Doctor Doom is smarter than Iron Man. In Avengers: War Across Time #2, the team visits the Fantastic Four’s headquarters in the Baxter Building, seeking a way to travel through time–and there they find Doctor Doom’s infamous time platform. Time travel is a complex and dangerous topic, but the mechanics of it elude even Iron Man–showing that Doom, at least in this instance, has outdone him.
Avengers: War Across Time #2 is written by Paul Levitz, illustrated by Alan Davis, colored by Rachelle Rosenberg and lettered by Cory Petit. The issue is set in the early days of the Avengers' history and features the classic lineup of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, the Wasp and Giant Man visiting the Baxter Building, the then-home of the Fantastic Four. The team is seeking a way to travel forward in time to fight Kang, who recently dispatched a robot clone of the Hulk to the present day. After fighting their way through the Baxter Building’s various defenses, the Avengers find Doctor Doom’s time platform, as seen in his first appearance in Fantastic Four #5. Thor comments the platform has the “stink of evil” on it, but Iron Man assures him technology is neutral. The Wasp asks her husband Hank if he or Iron Man, the “science guys,” could fix it. The world does not know Iron Man was Tony Stark at this time, and Iron Man reminds her he is just Tony Stark’s bodyguard–and the mechanics of the Doctor Doom’s platform would elude even Tony.
Doctor Doom Got One Up on Iron Man—At First
The Marvel Universe is home to a number of brilliant minds, including Mister Fantastic, Iron Man and Doctor Doom. Doom has had intense rivalries with both heroes and Doom’s run-ins with Iron Man over the years have been the stuff of Marvel legends. Both Iron Man and Doctor Doom, beyond wearing suits of armor, control their own empires as well–Doom the country of Latveria and Iron Man his company Stark Enterprises. Finally, both are super arrogant and proud, and this hubris has been their downfall on more than one occasion. And now, at the dawn of Iron Man’s career, he is getting a glimpse at Doctor Doom’s genius–and he admits it is beyond even him.
It's stunning for Iron Man to admit that anyone is able to out-think him, let alone a villain like Doctor Doom. Tony is incredibly proud, and he must have to swallow some of that pride when looking at Doctor Doom’s time platform. At this point, Doctor Doom is new on the world scene, and Iron Man and the Avengers have yet to fight him, so examining Doctor Doom’s time platform is a harbinger of things to come; it’s Iron Man's first hint at Doom’s genius–and his evil.
Iron Man and Doom go on to tangle many times over the years and while Doctor Doom is never able to defeat the Armored Avenger, he still takes him down to the wire. Both Iron Man and Doctor Doom have been responsible for some of the greatest technological advancements in the Marvel Universe, and the fact is Doom beat Iron Man to building a functional time machine, showing that Doctor Doom is the smartest.
Avengers: War Across Time #2 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!