Fantastic Four's most iconic villain, boasting a memorable design that even casual fans recognize. However, the mystery of what lies beneath his famous mask has plagued readers for decades. While it's known that Doom's mask conceals a scar, the extent of that scarring is inconsistent throughout Marvel lore. Now, one of the Fantastic Four's writers has offered an explanation of what Doctor Doom really looks like without his mask.

In an interview with One World Under Doom event - which debuted its first issue earlier this week - as it takes the Marvel Universe by storm. On the subject of Doom, he also shares his insights on what exactly it is that the villain's mask conceals.

For me, you take that mask off — I think it’s what Kirby drew. The perfect face with the one scar, the blemish that he just can’t accept. If he could accept that blemish, he could accept Reed Richards, but he can’t do either.

North abides by the same idea that Jack Kirby, co-creator of the Fantastic Four, originated back in the day. To him, Doctor Doom wears an elaborate mask as a means of hiding a tiny scar that most would shrug off, serving as a testament to his ego and his desperation to be perfect.

Doctor Doom Wears His Mask to Hide A Tiny Scar, According to Writers

Victor von Doom's Scar May Be Smaller Than His Dramatic Mask Suggests

Jack Kirby's vision of Doctor Doom having minimal scarring is alluded to in Fantastic Four Annual #2, in which he depicts Doom's reaction to his face without showing it. His perfectionism becomes evident in his insistence that he's become "ugly", and the blemish being insignificant would further the irony of the scene. Years later, Fantastic Four #278 by John Byrne and Jerry Ordway canonizes Kirby's idea by revisiting that moment with a glimpse at the minor scar on Doom's cheek. North expands upon the reason why he believes this to be an accurate take on the character:

I always liked [Kirby’s take]. To me, Doom is someone who has all these gifts, all these strengths. He’s smart, he’s driven, he’s brilliant, powerful. It was never enough. He’s never pleased. And I think the reason he is never pleased is because Reed Richards exists. I don’t think Doom thinks he’s smarter than him, but he’s damn close. And it frustrates Doom that he can’t prove once and for all that he is the better man here.

According to North, Doom is driven largely by a sense of perfectionism that has instilled within him a desire to be the best at all costs. Thus, his animosity towards Mister Fantastic stems from that same need. Reed's intelligence sures his, meaning he will always be second to the Fantastic Four hero, and that feeling intensifies when he ignores Reed's warning about the experiment that gives him his scar. The explosion being the result of his genius paling in comparison to Reed's fuels Doom's loathing, and he in turn associates that imperfection with his scar - however small it may be.

Doctor Doom's Scar Varies in Size, So Its Appearance Isn't Set in Stone

Different Creatives Offer Different Takes on Doom's True Face

Although many Fantastic Four writers agree with Kirby's idea for Doctor Doom, there have been plenty of other takes that venture beyond his original concept. For instance, in Secret Wars #3 by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić, Doom's face is revealed to be horrifically scarred to the point where he's missing most of his nose. Regardless of whether his scarring is intense or minimal, Doctor Doom remains equally infuriated by the result of his accident and keeps his visage hidden due to his vanity, which is the aspect of his characterization that matters more than his actual appearance.

One World Under Doom #1 is available now from Marvel Comics!

Source: Polygon