Doctor Doom’s new power sets the 1st character detail Robert Downey Jr. s version has to get right

Warning: Contains spoilers for Venom: Separation Anxiety #4! One of the most shocking reveals to come out of the MCU in recent memory is that Robert Downey Jr. Will play the live-action version of Doctor Doom. Given his stellar performance as Tony Stark aka Iron Man, it should come as no surprise that he will absolutely nail the role of Victor Von Doom. And when he does, RDJ has to get one character detail right — a detail that fans were recently reminded of with Doom’s all-new power.

In a preview for Poison: separation anxiety #4 by David Michelinie and Gerardo Sandoval Zebediah Killgrave aka the Purple Man is adding more unwilling soldiers to his personal army, and he’s using the power upgrade from a piece of Venom’s symbiote to do it. Bonded with a fragmented portion of the Venom symbiote, Kilgrave has become more powerful than ever, as anyone he touches with one of his tendrils falls under his control.

Even with the symbiote upgrade, Kilgrave still has the one device that will make him even more god-level: the Psycho-Prism. The Psycho-Prison is a chamber created by Doctor Doom that amplifies the Purple Man’s powers to the point where he can mind-control every person on the planet. Before it leaves, Killgrave recounts his time imprisoned in the chamber, when Doctor Doom tried to use his powers to take over the world – and how Kilgrave was powerless to stop him.

Doctor Doom is immune to the Purple Man’s mind-control powers (for 1 reason)

When Doctor Doom kidnapped Kilgrave to put him in the Psycho-Prism, the Purple Man tried to use his power of influence to fend him off. However, Killgrave’s ability has no effect on Doom, and the reason why is actually quite simple: Doom’s will is too strong. Doom’s willpower has always been strong, but seeing it on display to counter Kilgrave’s mind-control powers was truly something else. Doom even says himself that the Purple Man is strong enough to take over the world by himself if he wanted to, which speaks to how irresistible Kilgrave’s influence really is.

Not only that, but Dum respects the power Killgrave wields so much that he tries to use it for himself. Doom does not covet the abilities of others very often (save for extradimensional entities and literal gods), as – in his opinion – he is stronger, smarter, and generally better than any mortal alive. Doom wouldn’t try to steal Kilgrave’s power unless he thought it was on his level, but even then, Doom had the willpower to resist it, which only speaks to his own immense base-level strength.

Robert Downey Jr. Must bring Doctor Doom’s unparalleled willpower to the big screen

Doctor Doom resisting Kilgrave’s influence is impressive, but it’s only a reminder of a ‘power’ that Doom has possessed all along, which shows up in practically every story he’s in. Doom’s strength of will is one of his defining characteristics. Dum doesn’t bend, he doesn’t break, and he doesn’t join anyone unless it’s part of his plan. That’s why Doom could be angling to conquer the planet one day, and working with Reed Richards or the Avengers to save it the next – and that’s what RDJ needs to bring to the big screen.

Doctor Doom’s unshakable and unbreakable will power, and the feeling that he always plays his own game, and is ten steps ahead of his opponent, is the main thing that Robert Downey Jr. And that’s why the fact that Robert Downey Jr. Play the character is so exciting, because – based on what fans have seen of him before – it is safe to say that he is absolutely going to deliver with Doctor Doom.

Poison: Separation Anxiety #4 by Marvel Comics is available August 28, 2024.

Poison: Separation Anxiety #4 (2024)
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