Darth Vader Wasn’t the Only Star Wars Character That Was Inspired by One of the Best Marvel Villains

Commander Doom from Star Wars: The Clone Wars is inspired by Marvel’s Doctor Doom.

Apart from real-life events and people, it is no secret that the huge world of fictional characters and stories often ends up being the inspiration behind other fictional worlds and characters. Whether the creators acknowledge it or not, several similarities can be found among different fictional characters from different fantasy worlds.

While the similarities do not diminish the fame and love for the characters, the similarities, whether intentional or not, establish a special connection between them.

And Marvel supervillain Doctor Doom seems to be a popular inspiration as far as George Lucas’ Star Wars mythos is concerned. Apart from being the alleged inspiration behind the iconic Darth Vader, there is another Star Wars character that seems like a rip-off of Doom.

Star Wars Character Inspired By Marvel’s Doctor Doom

Commander Doom in a still from Clone Wars

The Star Wars universe may be huge, but when it comes to the Marvel Universe, there exists an endless number of characters thanks to its multiversal concept. Yet among the many Marvel characters, the supervillain Doctor Doom remains one of the most iconic and revered of all time.

Known for his ego and desire to achieve greatness, the character is one of the most ferocious and villainous ones with exemplary powers and intelligence. Apart from being said to be an alleged inspiration behind Darth Vader, Doom also reportedly inspired a character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

As per the official Star Wars website, one clone named Commander Doom is based on Doctor Doom. Appearing only briefly in the season 6 episode, The Unknown, the character’s appearance unmistakably is like the Marvel villain.

Although we fail to see whether he shares similar ego problems as his Marvel namesake, the character wears a full-body suit armor in green and silver colors, like an ancient knight and the iconic Star Wars helmet. Looking strikingly similar to 1602’s Doctor Doom, Commander Doom looks as iconic as the Marvel antagonist.

Darth Vader is Supposedly Inspired by Doctor Doom

Darth Vader in a still from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Doctor Doom is among the most evil and hateful characters in the Marvel Universe. The iconic villain is known for his intelligence and wit and is also a master of the Dark Arts. Not only can his creation rival that of Tony Stark, but he is among the most cunning villains of the superhero verse.

Darth Vader, on the other hand, is equally ferocious and formidable and is well-versed in the ancient ways of The Force. Apart from their similar looks and personalities, both are among the fan-favorite villains of their respective mythos.

While there is no evidence that Darth Vader is inspired by Doctor Doom, the Marvel villain did make his debut 15 years prior in Fantastic Four #5 in 1962. The two seemingly similar characters have now become part of popular culture. Whether George Lucas accepts it or not, fans unanimously believe that Vader is the Star Wars equivalent of Doctor Doom.

Both the MCU and Star Wars franchises can be streamed on Disney+.