Warning: Spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #60 ahead!
Out of Marvel's entire roster of characters, none are more arrogant or egotistical than Dr. Doom - meaning that readers take notice of the rare moments he expresses his esteem or approval of others. Case in point, it comes as something of a shock to hear Dr. Doom lavish praise upon one particular Marvel hero out of the entire list of geniuses, sorcerers, and accomplished warriors - especially when said hero is infamous for never staying on top of things.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #60 concludes with the story 'Ride's Over,' by Joe Kelly, Mark Buckingham, and Edgar Delgado, in which a mysterious narrator sings Spider-Man's praises while Spider-Man foils a high-stakes attempt to destabilize the world's finances. By the time Spider-Man succeeds, the narrator is revealed to be none other than Doctor Doom himself.
"His intelligence cannot be denied," Doom muses. "He engages far superior foes...often to unheralded success." This not only makes Doom one of the few people to acknowledge Spider-Man's intellect, but it also makes Spider-Man one of the few people Doom outright considers a genius.
Doctor Doom Respects Spider-Man As A Genius
Spider-Man Succeeds Where Other Marvel Luminaries Fail
Dr. Doom is widely regarded as one of the great intellects of the Marvel universe. A master of both science and sorcery, Doom frequently matches wits with figures of cosmic importance like Galactus, has an ongoing rivalry with the temporal tyrant Kang the Conqueror, and has even successfully stolen the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme from Dr. Strange. Doom's closest peer and nemesis, the Fantastic Four's Reed Richards, is frequently held to be one of the Marvel Universe's greatest intellectual minds - which makes it all the more surprising that a street-level hero like Spider-Man has risen so far in Doom's esteem.
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With that said, Spider-Man is admittedly no slouch when it comes to brains. Always a gifted student, Spider-Man's web shooters and iconic web formula were some of his very first inventions. His time at the head of Parker Industries placed Spider-Man as one of Marvel's burgeoning tech moguls; even after the company was dissolved, he teamed up with the reformed Norman Osborn at Oscorp to continue working in tech. While Spider-Man is often overlooked as one of Marvel's great thinkers, he is an incredibly innovative and clever computer scientist and engineer.
The MCU Suggests A New Beginning For Dr. Doom and Spider-Man
The Film Versions of the Characters Have Unique History
Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury The MCU promises to make the relationship between Spider-Man and Dr. Doom even more complicated upon Doom's debut in 2025's The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Doom is to be played by Robert Downey Jr., who carried the MCU through its early years with his portrayal of Iron Man. The films notably pushed Tom Holland's Spider-Man as Iron Man's protégé; while it is not yet known if there will be any connection between the MCU's Iron Man and Downey Jr.'s Doom, it will be fascinating to see how this change of roles changes the dynamic between the two actors.
Ultimately, this admission by Dr. Doom heralds a new age for him and Spider-Man alike. Spider-Man and Doom are to join forces in the '8 Deaths of Spider-Man' arc, starting in Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #61, and the two will share the MCU together soon after. It's difficult to say where Spider-Man and Dr. Doom's journeys will take them - but if it begins with the premise of mutual respect as teased, then it will be awesome to watch.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #60 is available now from Marvel.
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