Right now, MCU fans everywhere are waiting in anticipation for the release of forgotten Iron Man plot in Marvel Comics.

The Iron Man plot in question is What If? - Iron Man: Demon In An Armor by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, and Graham Nolan. In this one-shot What If? story, Tony Stark and Victor von Doom are college roommates. Stark is a source of constant annoyance for Doom, but Victor can’t deny that Tony is a genius - and he’s rich. So, Victor tricks Tony into helping him build a device that will swap their minds, and when Doom activates it, he becomes Tony Stark.

Demon In An Armor introduces a version of Doctor Doom who ‘wears the face’ of Tony Stark. As Stark, Doom quickly murders Howard Stark, takes control of his company, and aggressively expands while also eliminating any and all forms of competition. Doom makes it his mission to amass as much global power and influence as possible, and with Tony Stark’s face, that mission is easier than ever. However, there is one misstep in Doom’s plan: he lets the original Tony Stark live.

When Doctor Doom took over Tony Stark’s body, the reverse also happened. Stark’s mind becomes trapped in the body of Victor von Doom. However, Tony Stark proves just how brilliant he is while in Victor’s body, as he becomes just as successful as ‘Tony Stark’ without any of the advantages. This inevitably leads to a final battle between ‘Doom’ and ‘Stark’, where good prevails over evil. But, what if it didn’t? What if Doom stole Tony Stark’s face and life, and suffered none of the consequences? That’s a question the MCU should ask - and then answer.

MCU’s Doctor Doom Should Steal Tony Stark’s Face Before Taking to the Multiverse

The MCU Should Follow Demon In An Armor, but Let Doctor Doom Win

It’s all but been confirmed that the version of Doctor Doom that fans are getting in the MCU is from another universe separate from the main continuity of the MCU. Whether he’ll be from the same universe the new Fantastic Four will be from or not remains to be seen, but it’s clear that this Doctor Doom hails from another reality. It’s also no coincidence that the new Doctor Doom looks exactly like Tony Stark, and there has to be a more substantial reason than Marvel Studios simply wanting to bring back Robert Downey Jr.

Perhaps in whatever universe the new Doctor Doom is from, events played out similar to what fans saw in Demon In An Armor. Tony Stark was rich and arrogant (just like he was in the MCU), and Victor von Doom saw an opportunity to steal everything he had by tricking Stark into switching bodies. At that point, perhaps Doctor Doom didn’t allow the original Tony Stark to live in his old body, and decided to kill him right after the switch was a success.

Doom’s ruthless brilliance merged with Stark’s influence and wealth meant Victor would be free to take over the world in his home-universe. But, perhaps that isn’t enough for Doom. This sets up Doom’s obsession with the multiverse, and with acquiring real power - not just the wealth and influence he got from Stark. Tony Stark could be the first person whose ‘power’ is stolen by Doctor Doom, but as comic fans know, he wouldn’t be the last. And, with that, the MCU has itself a perfect new villain while making sense of RDJ playing Doctor Doom in a satisfying (and comic-accurate) way.

The MCU Could Also Look to the New Ultimate Universe for Doctor Doom Inspiration

Reed Richards is the New Ultimate Doom, Mirroring the Potential for Tony Stark to Be the MCU's Doom

While Demon In An Armor would be the perfect source of inspiration for the MCU’s version of Doctor Doom (with the aforementioned tweaks to the story, of course), that’s not the only place Marvel Studios can look to craft a story around Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. In the new Ultimate Universe of Earth-6160, fans are introduced to an all-new version of Doom - one who is not Victor von Doom, but Reed Richards.

Obviously, the circumstances surrounding Reed Richards taking (or, rather, being forced into) the role of Doom in the Ultimate Universe has nothing to do with Tony Stark, but it does introduce the idea that Doctor Doom doesn’t necessarily have to be a variant of Victor von Doom. Even in Demon In An Armor, Victor von Doom is still his villainous self, he’s just wearing the face of Tony Stark. In the Ultimate Universe, however, Victor von Doom has nothing to do with the ‘Doom’ moniker, as Reed adopted it without Victor’s influence.

Perhaps the same could be true for the MCU. Maybe (again, in another reality), Tony Stark is simply evil. Perhaps he uses his standing as one of the wealthiest and most influential people on Earth, mixed with his natural brilliance in technological advancement, to basically take over the world. He could suppress the rise of other superheroes, snuff out villains before they become a problem, essentially buy SHIELD and control Hydra, and - of course - craft his iconic armor to ensure that his physical form matches his standard of power - armor with a more striking resemblance to what fans associate with Doctor Doom.

The Ultimate Universe Could Offer Inspiration, but the MCU Should Look To Demon In An Armor

Demon In An Armor is Still the Best Potential Piece of Source Material for the MCU’s Doctor Doom

The Ultimate Universe introduces the idea that a version of Doctor Doom can exist without Victor von Doom, which could be translated in the MCU by introducing a version of Tony Stark who is evil, and who takes the moniker of Doom for himself. However, if the MCU went that route, it would have to offer a pretty convincing explanation as to why Tony Stark would just become Doctor Doom with zero influence, as opposed to simply being an evil version of Iron Man (like what fans saw with Superior Iron Man).

No, the best option is still firmly the story shown in Demon In An Armor. It would stay true to the origin of Doctor Doom by allowing Victor von Doom to still be the man behind the mask, it would explain why Robert Downey Jr. will be playing Doctor Doom in the MCU, and it would be a perfect adaptation of a forgotten Marvel Comics story. Sure, some tweaks would be needed, but for the most part, this Iron Man plot should be the MCU’s source of inspiration for Avengers: Doomsday.