It's Official - Doctor Doom Respects One MCU Genius, But You Will NEVER Guess Which One
Doctor Doom is both equal parts intelligent and egotistical, an iconic supervillain known for his high and mighty attitude, but in a delightful twist, Marvel reveals Victor von Doom respects an unlikely MCU superhero: the Guardians of the Galaxy’s very own Rocket Raccoon. Though an unconventional pairing, the two super-geniuses make a surprisingly stellar team-up despite their rocky hero-villain history.
In a preview to Doctor Doom & Rocket Racoon #1 – written by J. Michael Straczynski, with art by Will Robson – Doctor Doom is working on a project that he admits is nearly impossible, and even he himself is shown struggling, blowing up a Doombot in the process. In a moment of fate, Rocket Raccoon appears on Doctor Doom’s doorstep, setting up Doom to do something he so rarely does: ask for help.
This team-up is unpredictable and even more so when considering their overlooked history where Rocket Racoon was the unintended target of one of Doctor Doom’s body-swapping schemes.
Marvel’s Doctor Doom Does The Unthinkable & Asks for A Favor From The Most Unlikely Superhero: Rocket Raccoon
Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon #1 – Written By J. Michael Straczynski; Art By Will Robson; Color By Andrew Dalhouse; Lettering by Cory Petit
This isn’t the first time Rocket and Doom have come together, though their initial encounter was more literal, as in Guardians of the Galaxy #14 by Al Ewig and Juan Frigeri, Doom found himself body-swapped with Rocket Raccoon in a failed attempt to steal Excelsior the Star-Sword. While in Doom’s body, Rocket notes he admired Doom’s handy work on his armor, a brief but clear nod to their shared talent in technology. Rocket Raccoon and Doom are a fascinating new duo and it will undoubtedly be exciting to see what is possible when two of Marvel’s sharpest minds come together.
Doom requiring Rocket's help is evidence of Rocket’s true brilliance, earning him a spot as one of Marvel’s brightest.
When discussing Marvel’s most intelligent heroes Reed Richards and Moon Girl are often top contenders, but Rocket Racoon is the underrated genius of the Marvel Universe, as he is both an amazing tactical leader to the Guardians and a technological genius. In Annihilation: Conquest, it was Rocket who devised the plan to take down Ultron’s mind-control spire and he consistently designs insanely powerful high-tech weapons and gadgets. Doctor Doom bows to no one as a narcissistic yet intelligent scientist, but Doom requiring Rocket's help is evidence of Rocket’s true brilliance, earning him a spot as one of Marvel’s brightest.
Marvel Combines Two Super-Geniuses In An Unlikely Team-Up, Giving One Fan-Favorite MCU Hero Doctor Doom’s Respect
Doom Asking For Rocket's Help Is Proof He Respects The Hero's Work
Doctor Doom covets knowledge of both science and magic, even usurping Doctor Strange’s title as Sorcerer Supreme, and it’s not often he admits anyone is more capable than himself, signifying Doom now sees Rocket Raccoon as on his own level. Though Doom and Rocket may seem an unlikely pair with Rocket's careless nature and Doom’s superiority complex, the duo realistically share a lot in common as competent leaders and trailblazers in technology. As a cybernetically enhanced genius with a pension for engineering weapons, though shocking, it makes sense why Doctor Doomwould respect Rocket Raccoon.
Doctor Doom & Rocket Racoon #1 will be available on January 22, 2025, from Marvel Comics!
- Created by
- Kevin Feige
- First Film
- Iron Man
- Upcoming Films
- Blade, Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Avengers: Secret Wars
- First TV Show
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Upcoming TV Shows
- Marvel Zombies, Wonder Man, Vision Quest
- Cast
- Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Brie Larson, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Simu Liu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, Ma Dong-seok, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Jonathan Majors
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
