Doctor Droom

History: Travelling to Tibet to treat an ill lama, Dr. Anthony Droom was taken to a temple in a remote part of the Himalayan Mountains. Once in the temple, Droom was made to walk barefoot across red-hot coals, then faced the menace of a gorlion (part gorilla/part lion). Finally meeting the aged lama, Droom learned everything had been a test by the lama to see if Droom was worthy. Passing the tests successfully, Droom was given the lama's mystical powers.

Doctor Droom went on to fight the menaces of The World Below, Zemu, What Lurks Within?, and Krogg.

Height: 6 ft.
Demonstrated Powers: Doctor Droom had various mental powers, which included telepathy, hypnotism, and the levitation of ropes (which he would use to climb). Doctor Droom could tighten the muscles of his body to make himself bulletproof, and had great skill in the martial art of Judo.

Comment: In Fin Fang Four # 1, Anthony Droom's name was seen on a poster for the documentary film “Where Monsters Dwell!” where he was credited as the director.

Comment: Doctor Droom should not be confused with Droom, the Living Lizard from Tales to Astonish # 9.

Comment: All reprints were retconned, redrawn, and relettered to make “Dr. Droom” into “Dr. Druid”. In truth, no “pure” Dr. Droom stories have ever been reprinted, with the recent exception of the first story which was reprinted in Marvel Visionaries: Jack Kirby (Vol. 1).

Dr. Druid has had numerous appearances (including membership in the Monster Hunters, the Avengers, the Shock Troop, and the Secret Defenders) but is considered a different character than Dr. Droom, so his appearances are not covered in this index.

When the lead story from Tales to Astonish # 12 was reprinted in Weird Wonder Tales # 21, Dr. Druid was retconned to be the man who discovered Gorgilla in the jungles of Borneo.

Ah, Dr. Droom. Because of the early date of his first appearance ( June, 1961 ) , Doc is thought by many to be the first Marvel Age super hero. I think of him more as a prototype of Dr. Strange.

In Batman #78, a green “manhunter from Mars” named Roh Kar appeared, pre-dating J'onn J'onzz by a couple of years. I see the relationship between Doctors Droom and Strange in the same way. Dr. Strange is the continuity-shackled super hero, while Droom will, for me, always be a pure pre-hero concept. He belongs here with Xemnu and Colossus ( who both showed up more than once in pre-hero Marvels ).

There's something undefinable about these wonderously innocent, wildly imaginative Kirby stories. Whatever it is, Doctor Droom has it.

Wow, I never expected to see this character. This is a find! The prototype for Dr. Strange and just by dropping the r…you can see where Stan and Jack just generated characters (Dr. Doom) and see which ones would stick and be popular.

I can remember in an issue of “Doctor Strange” a few years back, Dr. Strange met a revitalized Dr. Druid- where it was also revealled that Strange's “Ancient One” and Druid's “Great Lama” were one-and-the-same.

I remember that story. The closest comparison Druid could make, between himself and Dr. Strange, was John the Baptist and You-Know-Who! Talk about a super ego!

I like to think of Drs Droom and Druid as 2 distinct individuals. I would go further to propose that the entire Marvel Monster-verse is a whole different universe then the regular Marvel universe.

Sure, there is some overlap - but there are just too many variants (and retro-conning) for both to be the same world.

It was established in Fantastic Four #'s 10 & 11 that there is a “Marvel Comics Group” in the Marvel Universe. Maybe “Doctor Droom” is actually a comic-book character from THIS Marvel Comics who is based on the whispered rumors of Doctor Druid and THAT Marvel couldn't do an actual “Doctor Druid” comic for legal reasons.l
And maybe all of the monsters “really” existed in the Marvel Universe, but were done by THAT Marvel Comics in embellished stories using THAT Stan Lee's usual hyperbole; for example, maybe the “real” Sserpo didn't crush the Earth (just made a heckuva mess in a few city blocks), but it sure sounds like a more dramatic title.

I think you have something there. There was a similar situation depicted in one of the volume 1 issues of INVADERS, back in the 1970's. That issue established that Cap's “real-life” adventures, during WWII, were semi-fictionalized by Timely Comics (Marvel's corporate predecessor) as “Major Victory.” Hence, the adoption of that name, as an alias, by the Vance Astro of 31st-century Earth-Killraven!

So you think that the Atlas Monster Universe is really sort of a comic-within-a-comic.. interesting. It would account for things like Peter Parker's nightmares of Marvel monsters and the Droom/Druid connection.

I sort of like the explination used to introduce DC's Earth-Two universe.. that certian writers on Earth-One were somehow “in tune” with the happenings if Earth-Two and fictionalized them in comic books (as explained in FLASH #123).

Maybe Lee, Kirby and Ditko (who clearly existed in the Marvel Universe) were in-tune to a alternate universe populated by monsters, aliens and those odd little characters of interest.

CORRECTION: Actually, it was if FF # 2 that it was first established that there was a Marvel Comics in the Marvel Universe (Remember Reed scaring away the Skrulls with story panels from “Strange Tales” and “Journey Into Mystery”?)

The first Dr. Droom story, “I am the Fantastic Dr. Droom,” from Amazing Adventures #1, will be reprinted in Marvel Visionaries: Jack Kirby (volume 1).

If I remember correctly, one of the Official Handbooks of the Marvel Universe listed Dr. Druid's birthplace as Boston, Massachusetts. Whey did they retcon it to England?

fantastic four movie is geart upcomeing went guys play actor who is dr droom on movie going be geat good movie on spaderman 3 comeing becuse harry is green gonie who one of his father death is going geat movie i love the fantastice four maybe play in fall on any tv station has better that abc tv i hope is going be geart in future

Here's something worth noting. In the “Fin Fang Four” one-shot we catch a glimpse of Googam's living space (after his introduction into human society), a ratty apartment decorated with pictures of his father Goom. One of these is a poster for a documentary titled “Where Monsters Dwell,” directed by an Anthony Droom.

By either name Dr. Droom or Dr. Druid he is an early version of a “Ghost Buster”
and a great charactor.

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