Fantastic Four #5, cover-dated July 1962, is the first appearance of Doctor Doom, the villain who would become Marvel's greatest antagonist and the ruler of Latveria. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, in the first year of the Fantastic Four's run.
Stan Lee at San Diego Comic-Con in 2010. Photo by Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Jack Kirby in his home studio in 1992. Photo by Susan Skaar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A page from Fantastic Four #5. Art by Jack Kirby. Source: Earth's Mightiest Blog
The story
Doom arrives as a figure out of the Fantastic Four's past: Victor von Doom, a brilliant scientist whose arrogance led him to a disfigured face and a suit of armour. He lures the team with a time machine and a promise, and the issue ends with the first of many escapes that would define him. Lee and Kirby gave him a full backstory in a single issue, and a motivation, wounded pride, that made him more than a costumed criminal.
Why it matters
Doctor Doom went on to anchor the Fantastic Four's rogues gallery for six decades, and to carry his own stories as a ruler, a sorcerer, and a scientist who believes he alone can save the world. Fantastic Four #5 is his origin and his debut in one book, and it is one of the key Silver Age first appearances. It is also an early Kirby showcase, with Doom's armour and the time-travel sequence drawn at full power.
Prime City Comics copy
Our copy is graded CGC 7.0 and is listed at $45,000. Please contact us first before purchasing, as noted on the listing, as we may require additional client information for high-value items. You can view it here: Fantastic Four #5 CGC 7.0.