Marvel Age Fantastic Four #5 (2004)
by Marc Sumerak & Dax Gordine
cover by Makoto Nakatsuka
Even in the “All Ages” book, Doctor Doom couldn’t miss showing up in a Fantastic Four series.
This is mostly based on Fantastic Four #5 of course, but while it’s comforting to see Doom is still playing with FF figurines…
…I’m disappointed that he doesn’t keep the awesome vulture from the original.
Come on, what’s the point of doing a “more kid-friendly” version if you’re not even giving him the animal sidekick!?
1962 version: 1 point
2004 version: 0 points
This is a VERY classic Fantastic Four scene, but I can’t get into him when all characters look like children.
Doctor Doom shows up to trap the Baxter Building into a net, but he swapped the awesome Shark-Faced Helicopter™ for a generic ship.
1962 version: 2 points
2004 version: 0 points
But at least the shockingly small-headed Thing comes up with “Doctor Goon”.
2004 version: 1 point
You know the rest.
I’m disappointed that Doom STILL decides to keep Susan hostage and send only the others into the past. But at least he still has his pet tiger, so I’m considering this a tie.
In the original, Doctor Doom just gave 48 hours to the Fantastic Four Three to find Blackbeard’s treasure. Herehe provides them a Chronal Beacon© that will allow him to know exactly WHEN they find it, which makes a lot more sense.
2004 version: 2 points
Another nice added detail: the Thing didn’t inexplicably find a fake beard, he stole a wig from a bald guy and wore it as a beard!
2004 version: 3 points
They also changed the reason why the Fantastic Four Three are taken prisoner by the pirates: it’s just part of Reed’s plan, instead of them being drugged like in the original.
The new version makes more sense, but the original was much more interesting so it takes the point.
1962 version: 3 points
I realize it’s INCREDIBLY unfair, but the original also gets a point for the artwork on the fight scenes.
1962 version: 4 points
I mean they ARE making it a point to follow all the major points of the original story, so they’re just asking to be compared.
The original made it very clear that Reed was NOT expecting the Thing to be the inspiration for Blackbeard, while the remake makes it seem like it’s not a big deal for him.
Another point for the original version.
1962 version: 5 points
Also the remake COMPLETELY skips the part where the Thing decides to stay in the past and imprisons Reed and Johnny; he doesn’t even try here!
1962 version: 6 points
Like in the original, Reed tricks Doom with a fake treasure and Susan has to save the others…
…but in the new version, she does this by dropping wine on his instruments.
I could excuse her limited role in the original since at the time she didn’t have her force field, but she already has it in this version so it’s VERY lame use of the character.
1962 version: 7 points
The retelling finally gets one more point, because I find Johnny’s assault on Castle Doom II more believable as a threat.
2004 version: 4 points
Both stories end with the Fantastic Four swearing they will dedicate their lives to find Namor and Doctor Doom… and both times, they show up in the next issue.
Final score for the comparison:
1962 version: 7 points
2004 version: 4 points
Marvel Age Fantastic Four #6 (2004)
by Marc Sumerak & Eric Vedder
cover by Makoto Nakatsuka
That is one of the most generic covers I have ever seen.
We have changed the penciler, and if you thought the previous issue had bad artwork… this is somehow worse.
As I hinted, this is the first meeting of these versions of Namor and Doctor Doom like in the original.
Namor brings Doom to his throne room, which in the original looked like the private office of a weird fish-king and in the retelling looks like a dump.
1962 version: 1 point
In the original, Namor had a picture of Susan… something he could easily obtain since she’s a celebrity. Here he has a bust of her.
1962 version: 2 points
This is a fantastic (pun intended) example of how much great artwork elevates a scene and bad artwork absolutely sinks it.
The scene where Doom convinced Namor to follow him was a MASTERWORK of subtle storytelling by Jack Kirby, who managed to have Namor speak volumes without saying a single word, just with his facial expression.
Eric Vedder’s version, despite working on basically the same dialogue… it’s not just that he’s not in the same league of Kirby: this scene just sucks with this artwork.
1962 version: 3 points
In this version, we’re not told where Namor keeps Doom’s gravity device.
Mostly because Susan would DEFINITELY have noticed if he kept it in his pants.
You know that making an “all-ages” book doesn’t mean all characters have to look like they’re 12, right?
You already have atrocious artwork, but now also you make mistakes in assigning speech balloons?
This is so bad that I’m giving TWO points to the original, for having artwork that doesn’t suck AND not making such sloppy mistakes.
1962 version: 5 points
The retelling gets a whole splash page to showcase the Baxter Building being shot into space…
…while the original managed to do SO MUCH MORE with just 3/4ths of a page.
1962 version: 6 points
The original is just slaughtering the retelling. There has to be something… let’s see… well Johnny wears a full spacesuit when he survives jumping into space instead of just the helmet.
That’s… not nothing. Which is the best the issue has managed so far.
2004 version: 1 point
Like in the original, Namor sides with the FF and attacks Doom… by mimicking an electric eel.
OF ALL THINGS TO KEEP!!!
Final score for the retelling:
1962 version: 6 points
2004 version: 1 point
Marvel Age Fantastic Four #10 (2004)
by Marc Sumerak & Alitha Martinez
cover by Makoto Nakatsuka
This is the last appearance of Doctor Doom in THIS version of the Marvel Age continuity. Can he make it not suck?
Well I’m not hopeful, considering the artwork IS EVEN WORSE.
As in the original, Johnny manages to accidentally activate a lock that will NUKE THE PLACE if they try to leave.
OF ALL THINGS TO KEEP!!!
Speaking of weird things to keep: Doctor Doom tricks Reed into visiting him at Marvel Comics… but this time he doesn’t interact with Lee & Kirby, or with anyone except Reed.
1963 version: 1 point
The Ovoids get a complete redesign I don’t care for, but it’s fine so I’m not detracting points… but it’s missing the angle that they are SO trusting they give Doom anything he wants.
1963 version: 2 points
After Doom switches his mind with Reed, the retelling manages to score ONE point on the plot.
I like both the fact that Reed was prepared for a kidnapping AND that Doom was counting on his solution.
2004 version: 1 point
Once the rest of the FF show up and Doom (in Reed’s body) has them in the palm of his hand, we completely skip their brutal ideas for how to contain Doom.
1963 version: 3 points
Shockingly, however, the retelling comes up with a VERY good idea: a somewhat believable reason why the FF buy Doom’s con.
Granted, the fact that being shrunk and then enlarged changes the concentration of the radiation in their bodies IS still ridiculous, but at least it’s better than talking about dinosaur brains.
2004 version: 2 points
Once Reed (in Doom’s body) escapes, using exactly the same method of the original, he walks back to the Baxter Building instead of dropping by Alicia’s apartment.
Which means “Doctor Doom” (it’s actually Reed) is defeated by the fact that the Fantastic Four are waiting for him, instead of being knocked out by a vase.
2004 version: 3 points
Doom’s bluff is called by the Human Torch here too… but with a callback to the first scene with the nuclear-powered door, instead of randomly being able to create illusions!
2004 version: 4 points
Both stories end with Doctor Doom, now back in his real body, being shrunk out of existence.
Which leaves the total score to… holy crap!
1963 version: 3 points
2004 version: 4 points
Wait. I forgot to give a point to the original for having artwork that doesn’t suck.
1963 version: 4 points
2004 version: 4 points
But make no mistake: even if this had better artwork, it cut MANY subplots from the original and rushed through the plot, so it still wouldn’t make it a better story.
Does any of this show up in regular continuity?
Well it IS the original story… just told badly.
Silver Age-ness: 7/10
I gave the original #5 a 9/10 and a 7/10 to the other two. Overall, giving SOME explanations for the weirdest parts evens it.
Does it stand the test of time? 0/10
There is no reason to read these instead of a reprint of the originals. Even the “all-ages” thing sounds absurd to me… I was like 12 when I first read these stories.
At least #5 makes SOME attempt at both story and artwork, and #10 even comes up with a couple of good changes.
By comparison the originals had a 9/10 , a 7/10 and a 6/10.
Number of superheroes who have fought THIS Dr. Doom: 5
-the Fantastic Four
-Spider-Man
The Marvel Age series lasted only up to issue 12. Next time we’ll have a look at a slightly more successful successor, with a new Marvel Age dedicated to the Power Pack that does feature Doctor Doom… and which is not in continuity with THIS version.