Whether reciting rhymes from behind his metal mask or composing unconventional, sample-heavy beats, MF Doom is a rapper and producer of many minds. Influenced by the bold characters and fantastical worlds created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Doom assumed the persona of supervillain Doctor Victor von Doom—foil and arch nemesis of Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four. After the release of 1998’s Operation: Doomsday, his debut album on Bobbito Garcia’s label Fondle ‘Em Records, Doom received praise from peers and critics alike. The album’s lo-fi, rough-around-the-edges sound cemented Doom’s reputation as an emerging force in underground hip-hop.

Obsessed with comic books from a young age—The Uncanny X-Men, The Invincible Iron Man, The Fantastic Four, and more—Doom was attracted to the balanced nature of the storylines. “Doctor Doom was one of my favorite characters,” he says. “The way the storyline was always presented, it showed both sides. That’s something that, even growing up and reading at that little age, gave me a perspective on life.”