Epiphany; Noun: A sudden intuitive leap of understanding, especially through an ordinary but striking occurrence.
My dilemma...
As I sit here, in my castle in my homeland of Latveria, I muse over my most recent realization. It is an unpleasant one, and I wish so much that it were not so. It is a new piece of knowledge, not one that I desire but by the same token not one I can deny.
The knowledge that I need my most hated rival, Reed Richards, the one the general public also knows as "Mr. Fantastic"
Bah. What is so "Fantastic" about him? NOTHING! He is a fool. Jealous of my talents, overly-idealistic, always looking to prove himself to the world. He claims he wants to help it, but he cannot. Only I know what needs to be done to save the world, and only I can make it so.
But Richards and others would deny me my divine right to rule. And for this and other such reasons, I hate him. And for years, a bitter war has been raged between us, with neither one of us ever truly able to outdo the other for any real length of time. And now, I have come to a realization. My epiphany. And that is that I need this rivalry.
As an individual of such amazing and incomparable intelligence as Doom, I require my mind and intellect to be challenged sufficiently on a regular basis, otherwise, the brain goes out of practice and loses potency. In layman's terms, it needs stimulation. Upon realizing this, I also found that most things did not provide a sufficient enough challenge. Reading, chess playing, puzzles of the mind, nothing could provide that sufficient challenge that I require every now and then.
But one thing could: My battles of the mind with Reed Richards and his accursed "Fantastic Four". My concocting schemes to overwhelm, defeat, and disgrace them, and their attempts to counter my actions. In a sense, a game of chess, but far more engaging and intellectually challenging.
At first upon realizing this, I was incredulous, but quickly the more rational part of my mind prevailed. But my denial still existed. I could not need Reed Richards. I thought. He is my most hated enemy, and I would gladly see him burn in Mephisto's realm in place of my beloved mother. But at the same time, I thought back to our previous engagements, and indeed, looking back on it, I always felt more...alive, invigorated, whenever I locked horns with him.
But surely, I thought, there where others besides Richards who could provide a sufficient challenge for Doom? One or two confrontations every few weeks would suffice. I thought of others who's intellect was up to the challenge...
Anthony Stark, AKA Iron Man, was the first choice. We had fought before, and he was generally considered Richard's only true rival intellectually. But alas, Stark is now quite high up in the S.H.I.E.L.D. hierarchy, and now takes everything much too seriously. The slightest affront on my part could prompt a series of skirmishes that might prove too costly in the long run. Doom never gambles unless absolutely necessary, and only when he thinks he has a strong chance of winning said gamble. I was forced to look for other candidates until when or if Anthony became a feasible option...
Professor Charles Xavier, head of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, a school for mutant children, was my second choice. He is another great mind, and his ever-changing team of lackeys known as "The X-Men" would certainly keep things interesting. But unfortunately, I found that the fool has resorted to using his telepathic power to keep unwanted nuisances out. And unfortunately, as loathe as I am to admit it, I am considered such a nuisance. Only a rival telepath of great power, or some serious threat to mutantkind can get his attention, and I have no desire to resort to forms of terrorism motivated by racial prejudice...
Pathetic, hiding behind the shields of telepathy or brute military force instead of actually using their intellect to survive, as I do...
Dr. Stephen Strange, sorcerer supreme of Earth's dimension is, was, a skilled a surgeon, but his expertise lies in sorcery, not science, and Doom needs no such challenge there. He too then, was unfit...
I had had many confrontations with Peter Benjamin Parker, the vigilante known as Spider-Man. I considered Parker for a time, but while well-versed in science, his intellect is not quite up to par, and he is certainly in no position to challenge me as regularly as I need, instead confined to his crude city of origin. His two greatest enemies, Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, and Otto Octavius, Doctor Octopus, were also possibilities, but they too did not work. In the latter case, I see Octavius as a possible ally, and so I would not want our relationship to be too antagonistic in the event I ever do seek to pursue an alliance in the future...
As for Norman Osborn, I found, that he, like Stark, takes everything far too seriously and relies on his money and brute force to solve all of his problems. Like when I hired Mr. Abner Jenkins, the Beetle, to steal weapons schematics of his, Osborn immediately put out a reward for their return, causing countless super-powered criminals to come out of their stink-holes looking for it. Having no quarrel with these imbeciles, I destroyed the damned schematics. I had hoped that this would elicit a vengeful response from Osborn, but it seems he has already forgotten about the schematics, or perhaps he is presumptuous enough to think I am not worth his time...
And so, with all of these possibilities considered and rejected, I found to my horror, revulsion, but not exactly my surprise, that Reed Richards is truly the only one who can sufficiently challenge me on a regular basis.
To say this knowledge vexes me to my core is a gross understatement, but Doom has never been one to surrender, and certainly not to something like this. If I must have Reed Richards continue to live if only to continue to challenge me on an intellectual basis, then so be it. I am Doom. I will find a way to overcome my dilemma, I will...
I think, I think of anything and everything that might free me from my curse. Objects and failed ideas drift through my head until I finally hit on something: The Cosmic Cube. A device of great power, that will allow me to retain my intellect while elminating the need for a rival in Reed Richards. But the cosmic cubes are not a common device. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, only Reed Richards currently possess one...
I sigh. It seems that it is inevitable that my war with Richards must continue. Unless I can get that cube...
Finally, I get up off my throne, and walk to my lab, already forming half-a-dozen plans on how to steal the cosmic cube as I go.
And with this, the game begins again.