10 Inappropriate Stories You Won't Believe Marvel Comics Published
8. Doctor Droom
Before Steve Ditko co-created Doctor Strange, he devised a similar character two years earlier called Doctor Droom in Amazing Adventures #1. Anthony Ludgate Droom was a psychiatrist who overheard the Dalai Lama requested a doctor from the United States. Fascinated by Asian culture, Droom headed to the Dalai Lama's residence at the peak of the Himalayas.
He informs Droom that the Lamas have used their knowledge of mysticism for centuries to battle occult forces and wielders of black magic. Since the Lama is dying of old age, he asks Droom to be his successor.
As Droom accepts his role as a mystic, his eyes become slanted and he grows a Fu Manchu-esque moustache so he resembles a racist depiction of an Asian. Not only is this absurdly inappropriate, it's never explained why the Dalai Lama needs an American to be his successor in the first place. Why didn't he choose one of his followers? Unsurprisingly, this entire story was perceived as a typical example of white-washing.
Several years later, Droom was tweaked into a white man called Doctor Druid to avoid upsetting Marvel's readers - and humanityin general.