Who would win in a battle between Doctor Doom and Doctor Strange? Stephen Strange is Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, the sworn protector of this dimension. In spite of that, he’s always treated Doctor Doom with respect - and not a little fear. The two sorcerers have crossed paths several times, but surprisingly they haven’t actually come to blows all that often.
In theory, the very fact Strange is considered Sorcerer Supreme should mean he is Doom’s superior; after all, he holds that title and Doom does not. For all that’s the case, though, it’s important to stress Doom is more than just a sorcerer; he is also a scientist, with a mastery of advanced technology equaled only by the likes of Reed Richards. Furthermore, there have been some hints Doom deliberately forfeited his own attempt to become Sorcerer Supreme, in order to force Strange to grant him a boon in the 1989 graphic novel Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment.
Curiously enough, Doctor Doom has seldom chosen to take on Doctor Strange in battle. One exception was in Mark Waid’s “Unthinkable” arc in 2003, in which Doom struck a Faustian bargain for additional mystical power. Enhanced by demons, his first act was to ambush Strange and defeat him; as Strange reflected at the time, “The surprise more than compensated for [Doom’s] lesser skills.” Since then, however, Doom has continued to grow as a practitioner of the mystic arts, to the point where Strange considered him potentially the next Sorcerer Supreme. Doom appears to have spent a great deal of time studying Strange’s favorite spells, and as a result has been able to effortlessly deflect common incantations and break the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. Scarlet Witch came to believe Doom’s growing mystical power exceeded both her own and Doctor Strange’s, and she fled to Doom for help controlling her powers.
In spite of all Doom’s magical skill, however, it seems likely Strange would triumph if the two ever fought one another in the modern Marvel Comics. Recent comics have seen Strange forced to learn whole new approaches to magic, establishing a mystical forge where he constructs new relics of untold power. This effectively means Strange’s weapons and abilities are growing by the day, whereas Doom only seems interested in learning the spells he deems necessary for his own protection. Doom has once again fallen behind.
Perhaps the most interesting point, however, is that Doctor Doom has never made a serious bid to become the Sorcerer Supreme. Doom is nothing if not an egotist, and the idea of anybody else having the title “Supreme” should annoy him a great deal. It’s possible Doom understands the responsibilities that come with the role, and doesn’t want them; alternatively, another possibility is that, in his heart of hearts, Doctor Doom knows Strange is the better man.
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