Fantastic Four (1961) 200

Welcome to October.

The 10th month is the first of the big Trifecta leading to Thanksgiving and Christmas. To celebrate, we’re going down another rabbit hole like we did last December and February.

First, we’re gonna look at the costumes that defined our hobby. The costumes we begged mom and dad for each Halloween so we could represent the good and bad of the four-color universe we lived in.

Check out this Uber cool Doctor Doom costume from Ben Cooper. Yes, the mask may seem a bit flimsy, but that was part of the charm. Ben Cooper costumes were mass manufactured and marketed, filling Woolworth, Ben Franklin and other now defunct department store chain aisles.

The price tag was a mere $1.98. American. Not Latverian. Makes you wonder if Doom allowed Latveria to adopt the Euro.

Probably not.

Anyway, Ben Cooper was the answer to cheaply dressing children in masks that restricted breathing and costumes guaranteed to rip after the second wearing.

Ben Cooper costumes were more about anticipation. There was no subtlety with crude characterizations of who you were imitating drawn on the front along with the name of that choice.

With Doom’s ego, this isn’t a problem.

For those, if any, not familiar with Fantastic Four founder Reed Richard’s former college roomie, Doom was born Victor Von. A misadventure caused an explosion scaring his face. Doom would adopt his trademark mask to cover his shame. His armor would house his many defenses.

Over the past 60 years and into the next 60, Doom and the Fantastic Four have clashed. Theirs is the first big rivalry of the Marvel Universe.

My favorite throw down will always be the epic showdown that climaxed in issue 200. Len Wein and Marv Wolfman planned and penned for over a year to deliver the over-sized anniversary payoff.

Doom has had a huge impact on the Marvel U appearing in pretty much every title offered since his creation.