The Code of Doom
Doctor Doom is a villain. He's conquered nations, battled heroes, and pursued power with ruthless determination. But he's not without principles. He has a code — a set of lines he will not cross, standards he holds himself to even when no one is watching. And one of those lines involves children.
Franklin Richards is the son of Reed and Sue Richards, the offspring of Doom's greatest enemy. In many villain's hands, Franklin would be a target, a hostage, a weapon against his parents. But Doom refuses to harm children. It's not strategy — it's principle. Even his hatred of Reed Richards doesn't extend to Reed's innocent son.
The Villain with Honor
What makes Doom fascinating is that his villainy coexists with genuine principles. He's not chaotic evil, not a monster who does harm for its own sake. He has goals, methods, and limits. Understanding those limits is key to understanding the character.
The protection of children fits Doom's self-image as a noble ruler rather than a common criminal. He sees himself as a king, as someone who operates by a higher code than ordinary men. Harming children would be beneath him, would make him no better than the petty villains he despises.
This code also connects to Doom's own history. He lost his mother as a child, was orphaned and alone in a hostile world. That experience shaped him, gave him a particular sensitivity to the vulnerability of children. When he protects Franklin, he's perhaps protecting the child he once was.
Franklin Richards: The Ultimate Power
Franklin Richards is no ordinary child. He's one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe, capable of reality manipulation on a cosmic scale. His potential exceeds that of virtually any other character. Doom, with his vast knowledge, surely recognizes this.
Yet Doom's protection of Franklin isn't about cultivating a future ally or neutralizing a future threat. It's about principle. Even knowing what Franklin could become, Doom treats him as what he is now: a child, innocent of his parents' conflicts, deserving of protection rather than exploitation.
This restraint is remarkable given Doom's usual approach to power. He pursues it relentlessly, seizes every advantage, exploits every opportunity. But not this one. Franklin represents a line Doom won't cross, a principle that overrides his ambition.
Byrne's Nuanced Villain
John Byrne understood that the best villains are those with depth, with contradictions, with moments that challenge our expectations. His Doom is capable of terrible things, but also capable of unexpected nobility. These contradictions make him feel real.
Fantastic Four #245 is part of Byrne's extended exploration of the Doom-FF dynamic. By showing Doom protecting Franklin, Byrne complicated the simple hero-villain dichotomy. Doom isn't just an obstacle to be overcome — he's a person with his own values, some of which are actually admirable.
The visual of Doom with Franklin is striking precisely because it's unexpected. The armored tyrant and the innocent child, together in a moment of protection rather than threat. It's an image that stays with readers, that changes how they see the character.
MCU Character Depth
The MCU's best villains have been those with understandable motivations and personal codes. Thanos believed he was saving the universe. Killmonger fought for his people. Zemo sought justice for his family. Doom's code of honor fits perfectly into this tradition.
A scene where Doom protects a child — perhaps Franklin Richards, perhaps another innocent — would do more to establish his character than any amount of exposition. It would show audiences that this villain operates by rules, that his evil has limits, that there's something almost admirable in his consistency.
Robert Downey Jr. could bring tremendous depth to such a moment. The slight softening of posture, the careful handling of a child, the glimpse of humanity beneath the armor — these are the kinds of subtle performances that elevate villains from obstacles to characters.
Collector Value
Cards that show Doom's complexity — his code, his principles, his unexpected moments of nobility — have particular appeal for collectors who appreciate character depth. Card #45 represents something rare: Doom as protector, as someone whose villainy has limits.
For collectors building comprehensive sets, this card fills an important thematic role. It's not just another battle scene or threatening pose — it's a window into who Doom really is, beneath the armor and the ambition.