There’s a Marvel Comic Where Dr. Doom and Iron Man Switch Bodies

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will feature the return of Joe and Anthony Russo, who will helm their first pair of MCU films since Avengers: Endgame. In even more Earth-shaking news? It was announced at SDCC that Robert Downey Jr. will be playing Doctor Doom. Reactions to Downey’s MCU return have been mixed, especially with how he closed the book on his previous MCU tenure as Iron Man, but what many people don’t know is that Iron Man and Doctor Doom share a history throughout Marvel Comics. One issue even takes place on a world where the two switch bodies, and shows how differently their lives would have turned out — potentially hinting at the direction Downey could be taking as Doom.

When Iron Man: Demon in an Armor begins, Tony Stark becomes Victor Von Doom’s college roommate instead of Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards and an entirely different relationship is formed. Stark and Von Doom end up connecting over their passion for science, and eventually, Von Doom asks for Stark’s help with a device meant to bestow telekinesis upon a subject. But that was a mere ruse; Von Doom ends up switching bodies with Stark and wiping his memories, and Stark is kicked out of Empire State University. After all, this is a What If…? story and anyone who’s read the comics or checked out the animated series knows that things go far differently in these stories than Marvel fans expect.

Both Von Doom and Stark go on to live new lives in their bodies; Von Doom carves his way to the top of the world using murder, bribery, and other forms of coercion, while Stark manages to use his intellect to transform Latveria into a shining force for scientific progress. The two eventually clash when Von Doom tries to steal Stark’s arc reactor, and they don armored suits for the occasion. Von Doom wears an Iron Man exoskeleton that is colored green and silver with various rivets studding the face, while Stark dons a gold and red version of Doctor Doom’s trademark armor and cape. This simple, yet striking color scheme serves as a visual representation of how far both men have come, and how some aspects of their personalities haven’t changed with their body swap.

Iron Man: Demon in an Armor came from the writing team of David Michelinie and Bob Layton, who helped craft some of the most iconic Iron Man stories in comic book history. They were behind the original Armor Wars, which will be receiving an MCU adaptation in the future, and the “Demon in a Bottle” storyline, which introduced Stark’s struggle with alcoholism. But the Michelinie/Layton storyline that remains underrated is “Doomquest,” which took place during Iron Man #149-150 and features artwork from John Romita Jr.

After learning that one of his employees has sold technology to Doom, Iron Man ends up confronting the lord of Latveria and the two trigger Doom’s time platform, flinging themselves back in time to the age of Camelot. Not only did Iron Man earn Doom’s enmity by defeating the sorceress Morgana le Fay before she could rescue Doom’s mother from hell, but it also inspired a sequel titled “Running Knightmare” where the duo once again time travel to a future Camelot. Michelinie and Layton also drew parallels between Iron Man and Doom; they end up pooling their scientific minds together to get back to the present, and they both find companions in Camelot. Iron Man joins forces with the Knights of the Round Table, and Morgana would continue to ally herself with Doom.

Doctor Doom Took Up Iron Man’s Mantle in ‘The Infamous Iron Man’

In recent years, Brian Michael Bendis has explored the connection between Iron Man and Dr. Doom during his run on Invincible Iron Man. Following the events of the 2015 Secret Wars, Doom — now unscarred and lacking his signature armor — seeks out Iron Man to prepare him for an upcoming threat. But when Iron Man falls into a coma after he and Captain Marvel come to blows, Doom becomes a new suit of armor and becomes the “Infamous Iron Man,” determined to carry on Iron Man’s legacy. Eventually, Iron Man pulls himself from the brink of death and Doom winds up reclaiming the throne of Latveria.

Infamous Iron Man and Demon in an Armor could serve as the basis of Downey’s portrayal as Doctor Doom, especially if his Doom is one of those characters. A Tony Stark who uses his intellect to subjugate others rather than help them could be a shock to the Avengers, as could an Iron Man-esque figure who refers to himself as Victor Von Doom. There’s also the fact that alternate universes have become a part of the current Multiverse Saga. It’s been heavily implied that The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in its own alternate universe, and it wouldn’t be out of place to have this version of Doom come from an alternate world. Audiences are bound to learn more when Doomsday and Secret Wars get closer to their release dates, but they should look to the comics if they want to learn how it might play out.

Avengers: Doomsday premieres in U.S. theaters in May 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars will premiere in May 2027.

Avengers: Endgame is available to watch on Disney+ in the U.S.

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