DC's Dick Cheney and Marvel's Milosevic

Lex Luthor- Dr. Doom

This pairing breaks some of the rules stated below…but I think that it’s undeniable…

Victor Von Doom’s background has been consistent since the mid ‘60s: as it should be, since it’s perfect. But Luthor’s characterization has over almost 70 years pinballed from generic mad scientist, to a guy holding a major grudge against Superboy (holding the Boy of Steel responsible for his hair loss), to ruthless corporate baron, to POTUS, to renegade scientist again.

I think the prevailing history of Luthor works fine, with one caveat. He’s a self-made zillionaire who has conquered every scientific and economic discipline; cannot co-opt Superman and thus despises him with every fibre of his being; avoids the consequences of his perfidy for quite a while until he is disgraced; and finally becomes an outlaw (would that Richard Cheney meet a similar fate). Too bad that DC’s PTB have brought back the “Lex knew Clark as a teenager” bit, which I think is unnecessary.

Ultimately, these are two supremely intelligent and powerfully arrogant men who never, ever doubt their convictions that they alone know what’s best for humanity. Both also suffered mischaracterization in film adaptations: much respekk to Gene Hackman and Julian McMahon, tho’ (Clancy Brown, of course, got LL right).

Commonalities:
Both are the dominant ruthless super-geniuses of their respective diasporas, and both are obsessed with destroying their rivals. After years sporting prison greys, Luthor has been shown to wear combat gear —first the purple and green uniform in the 1970s, then the battle armor in the 1980s. And it wouldn’t strain credulity to posit that Luthor is of recent European descent.

Differences:
Doom is a central European despot, while the iteration that has endured for the last twenty years for Luthor has been that of a billionaire technocrat who becomes the President of the United States (I don’t think DC should have gone with this conceit). Doom is also more of a man or honor than Luthor.

Alternate histories:

LL: A child with incredible intellectual gifts from Central Europe sees his parents persecuted and killed. He comes to the United States to attend university, where he encounters fellow students Steve Dayton and Cliff Steele. An experiment on campus gone terribly awry results in his hair loss, and he returns to his country, which he eventually takes over and rules with an iron fist. In light of frequent attempts at global conquest, he is opposed by nearly every significant super hero on Earth—not least his former classmate and intellectual peer Steve Dayton, whom he despises with a white-hot intensity. As a head of state, he retains diplomatic immunity.

DD: An indomitably brilliant and incredibly wealthy aristocrat is outraged when the Mighty Thor appears in public— this “god” threatens his mostly unchallenged eminence. He resolves to marginalize and then to destroy his foe, marshaling his fortune and his vast command of dozens of scientific disciplines to this task. Although his machinations often involve attempted global domination and associating with various criminals, terrorists and despots, he retains a respectable facade and thus eludes arrest. He is finally disgraced and becomes an acknowledged and notorious leader of the outlaw fraternity.