In this feature, I spotlight five scenes/moments from within comic book stories that fit under a specific theme (basically, stuff that happens frequently in comics).

Today we look at five times that the Fantastic Four were sure that Doctor Doom was dead.

Enjoy!

I'm only counting those issues where there was a real good faith basis that Doom was dead. To wit, in Fantastic Four #17 and Fantastic Four #60, Doom plummets from a great distance (the barrier that Galactus put into place to keep Silver Surfer on Earth is a lot higher than the air ship he falls from in #17, but still, they're both a great distance), but the dude has a personal jet pack! So I don't think those "deaths" really count. Heck, when Doom shows up again in FF #23, Reed doesn't even react like "Oh, Doom survived that fall?"

Similarly, since John Byrne made it pretty clear that Doom sent his mind into the body of a bystander, I'm not counting Doom's "death" in Fantastic Four #260.

Now here's five examples that I AM counting!

In Doom's second appearance, he teams up with Namor and he sends the Fantastic Four's own home, the Baxter Building, into outer space with the intent of them burning up in the sun. In the process, he dooms Namor along with the rest of the FF. Namor does not take kindly to this...

In Fantastic Four #10, after switching bodies with Reed, Doom is forced back to his own body, but he still tries to take out the FF...

In Fantastic Four #23, Doom suffers perhaps his goofiest death ever...

Solar waves.

Lordy.

In Fantastic Four #144, Doom seemingly suffers death by lackey...

In one of the more noteworthy "deaths" of Doom, in Fantastic Four #381 he appears to take Reed out with him...

If you have suggestions for future installments, e-mail me at bcronin@comicbookresources.com!