The universe of Marvel is not only full of powerful adults, but children also have a significant impact on the story. Among them is a child of the Fantastic Four, who has a special relationship with one of the worst villains.
Who is it about? Over time, other family members joined the Fantastic Four. Those who have seen the latest Marvel movie might know the name Franklin Richards. He is one of the most powerful figures in the Marvel universe. But he is not the only child of Sue Storm and Reed Richards.
Valeria Richards is the second child of the two. Although she is somewhat less powerful than her older brother, she has an interesting relationship with the arch-nemesis of the Fantastic Four: Dr. Doom, who will be the next major Avengers threat after Thanos in 2026.
Dr. Doom saved her and her mother
Even at birth, Dr. Doom was a relevant factor. The existence of Valeria is more complicated than one might think. Even in the womb, she emitted radioactive energy and no scientist could help her. Even the genius Reed Richards was baffled. Subconsciously, Franklin sent his yet-to-be-born sister to another dimension where Sue is married to Dr. Doom (a nice variant).
An older Valeria then returned, and during a conflict with the villain Abraxas, reality was altered. Sue was pregnant again with Valeria. But this time complications arose again. Valeria continued to emit dangerous energy in the womb, threatening Sue’s life. Johnny Storm, Sue’s brother, turned to Dr. Doom in his desperation.
Thanks to his magical abilities and intelligence, Doom was able to help the Fantastic Four bring Valeria into the world healthy in the comic Fantastic Four No. 54 (1998). But he demanded a price: He became Valeria’s godfather and named her after his great love (whom he once sacrificed to demons).
Despite his new role as Uncle Doom, he did not become any less evil. He manipulated Valeria with magic and even ensured that her first words would be his name. Although the magical connection was eventually severed, Uncle Doom
became an important part of Valeria’s life.
Valeria likes her nasty uncle
What is the relationship between Valeria and Dr. Doom? Although Dr. Doom is her father’s arch-nemesis, she likes her nasty godfather, who respects her for her high intelligence. She constantly tries to guide the powerful magician towards good.
In the 2014 comic series of Fantastic Four, she stayed with him in his country Latveria and tried to help the world with Doom’s power. At one point, she even formed her own Avengers group with him to defeat an evil Scarlet Witch.
However, despite his good deeds, the villain craved power. Even when her family fights Doom, Valeria always tries (even secretly) to keep in touch with her godfather. At the same time, she does not simply let him conquer the world or do evil. When necessary, she helps her family in the fight.
On the other hand, it also seems like this: No matter how much he wants to destroy and dominate everything, he would mostly do anything for his goddaughter Valeria. In the comic Fantastic Four No. 7 from 2023 (via Marvel), he wants to rescue a time-lost Valeria. He invests several years of his life for her. Just for another person. This does not fit at all with the Dr. Doom who would usually sacrifice others for anything.
Will we meet Valeria in the MCU? That is hard to say. Franklin Richards is alive after the events of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Dr. Doom apparently has an interest in him. If the next Avengers movie titled Doomsday involves different dimensions and timelines, that is quite possible. However, this has not yet been confirmed. In 2027, we could even expect a villain worse than Doom: Marvel may have spoiled the all-powerful villain from the new MCU, which could become a real problem for the Avengers
