On May 10 in AVENGERS #7 from Mark Waid and Phil Noto, the Infamous Iron Man seeks to join the Avengers and help defeat a new mystical menace, but does he have what it takes? You decide! 

Name: Victor Von Doom

Aliases: Doctor Doom, Infamous Iron Man, etc.

Headquarters: Undisclosed

Position applied for: Team leader

Powers and abilities: Command of the mystic arts, mind transference, hypnosis, master martial artist, master swordsman, super-genius intellect.

Have you ever committed a crime? Many. However, as I am fighting for justice, picking up where Tony Stark left off as Iron Man, I do not see this as particularly relevant at this time.

Reason for seeking to join the Avengers: I have decided to focus my efforts on pursuing justice and leading the Avengers to achieve their fullest potential.

Education and Training: Given my track record I do not believe it necessary to elaborate on my capabilities.

Avengers #7 cover by Alex Ross

Qualifications: To better understand how to show the team I will be an invaluable asset I sought out chronicler Mark Waid, in an attempt to quell the team’s uncertainties. Waid has informed me that you’re, “never going to have a roll call vote where the team says, ‘Yay, we should let him in. Here’s an ID card, here’s the headquarters, make yourself at home.’” That is perfectly acceptable to me. I already posses a home and I do not wish to become friends; I only wish to better the team’s fighting abilities to ensure our world’s safety. Waid also believes my arrogance will be my downfall, saying that I view the team as chess pieces, moving them around at my will with no regard for their individual needs. To this I say, why is that problematic if I am an incredibly efficient and successful chess player? Remember that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Waid does admit that I posses a skillset the team needs, saying, “Nobody else has the mystical, magical connection that he does and that’s a big part of it; the strength, the flying, the armor, there are people on the team that can serve those functions, but Doom’s big skills are his command of magic and his scientific prowess.” Something the Avenger’s no longer have without The Scarlet Witch, and logically, I am the most qualified individual to fill that void. However, some believe I am, “a grenade that the Avengers have to leap on; his immediate instinct and solution to any problem is to blast it out of the way.” But when thought about logically, this is also a positive. It shows quick thinking, decisiveness and efficiency, all things needed to successfully lead a team in a combat situation.

Waid also told me what he believes is my only way to win some semblance of acceptance from the team: “I think they would have to hear genuine regret and compassion over past deeds, over a sustained period of time.” To this I will simply say that I am remorseful for past indiscretions, but my wallowing in regret does nothing to make up for these acts and so I will not waste more time explaining how I have changed. Instead, I will leave you with Waid’s opinion: “He genuinely believes he’s turned over a new leaf, he genuinely believes he’s a different person.”

References:

Mephisto, extra-dimensional demon – “Gives him a big thumbs up for his persistence, for his ingenuity and for his ability to act correctly under pressure.”

Magneto, mutant super villain – “One of his strengths is that he has the long game in mind, he’s always taking into consideration a world view, an idea of how things that he does affect the planet around him.”

Loki, Asgardian God – “Would definitely laud Doom’s cleverness and how he is a good problem solver.”

Will the Avengers come around to the idea of adding Victor Von Doom to their roster of heroes? Find out May 10 with AVENGERS #7, and June 7 in AVENGERS #8, both written by Mark Waid with art by Phil Noto.