WARNING: The following contains spoilers for S.W.O.R.D. #6, by Al Ewing, Valerio Schiti, Marte Gracia and VC's Ariana Maher, on sale now. 

Doctor Doom respects very few of Marvel's heroes, let alone the Avengers. Recently, however, Doctor Doom revealed that he greatly respects Captain America of the Avengers.

Doom and Captain America had their most recent conversation at the end of the Hellfire Gala in S.W.O.R.D. #6. After the mutants of Krakoa reveals that they've terraformed Mars, Doom asks Captain America what he thinks. Initially, Steve Rogers says that he's feeling shell-shocked, which he assumes that Doom will call weakness. Yet Doom doesn't think so, saying that he actually has great respect for Captain America.

Doom says that the two of them have a lot in common, since they're both the faces of their respective nations. This sense of understanding allows Steve to open up to Doom, expressing both his hopes and his doubts about the mutants' claim of Mars. Afterward, Doom suggests that Rogers will soon need his help, hinting that the two adversaries might become uneasy allies against mutantkind at some point in the near future.

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Doctor Doom Telling Captain America He Respects Him in SWORD #6

It's possible that, at some point, Captain America and Doctor Doom could be compelled to join forces against Krakoa. The growing unease around the mutant nation seems to be a common factor between Steve and Doom. Considering how Krakoa has claimed Mars for Arakko, made Mars the capital of the solar system and declared Storm as the Regent of Mars, the mutants have done a great deal without including the rest of humanity.

Doom is outraged by this entire ordeal and bursts onto the mutant space station, S.W.O.R.D.'s the Peak. Demanding answers. Captain America, on the other hand, isn't exactly sure what to think. The Sentinel of Liberty has his reservations about Krakoa's plan, connecting him to Doom a little more.

As things change even further, it's possible that Captain America and Doctor Doom will share more in common than they originally thought. Of course, it's also possible that Doom is manipulating Captain America by showing him such respect. In doing so, Doom may be trying to engender some sort of empathy from the Avenger. It's possible that Doom may actually respect Steve, even if he is trying to manipulate Captain America for his own purposes.

Related: Doctor Doom's Greatest Achievement Was Foiled by His Weakest Enemy

Doctor Doom Hellfifre Gala x-emn

While they've fought plenty of times, previous encounters between Steve and Doom perfectly capture Doom's respect for the captain. One of the most famous battles between Captain America and Doctor Doom took place during the 1985 Secret Wars mini-series, by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck and Bob Layton. During this event, Captain America and Doom were on opposite sides, leading two opposing forces on the patchwork planet called Battleworld. When Doom stole the powers of the omnipotent Beyonder, he approached Captain America and the other heroes, wishing to make peace for a brief period.

During this time, Doom opened up about his mother and how she was held captive by Mephisto. In this way, Doom showed a great deal of trust and respect for Captain America. By the final battle, however, Captain America directly confronted Doctor Doom, demonstrating their diametric opposition as forces of good and evil, respectively.

In 2020's Avengers #40, by Jason Aaron and Javier Garron, Captain America and Doctor Doom faced off in a tournament to wield the Phoenix Force. After a hard-fought battle, Doom forfeits after realizing that Captain America's resolve made him a better candidate for the Phoenix Force than he, and resigned from the competition.

This move showed immense respect for Captain America, since Doom rarely, if ever, forfeits. Both of these cases highlight Doom's begrudging respect for Captain America, even as they fight on opposite sides. In the future, if Captain America and Doctor Doom form an uneasy alliance, this foundation of respect will serve as a great starting point.

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