It’s going to be a while before Doctor Doom is involved in another big storyline; he bounces around a lot in this period (as he will in 2023).
I’m gathering here several stories where Doom plays SOME part but where I’m not going to review the entire thing because he doesn’t have a big enough role.
Thing v3 #5 (2022)
by Walter Mosley & Tom Reilly
For some reason, the Thing hasn’t been able to sustain a long-running series since the 80s: this one only lasted 6 issues. Although it was definitely intended to always end like that.
The Thing has been protecting a woman who is the latest manifestation of Death, and Doom shows up with his own plans.
Doom’s reasons for being here go all the way back to the events of Triumph And Torment, when he finally managed to free his mother’s soul from Mephisto.
But this comic, COMPLETELY OUT OF NOWHERE, now adds that Doom’s mother didn’t actually move to heaven: her soul was captured by Death herself.
This is just wrong on SO many levels.
First and foremost, it completely ruins the ending of Triumph And Torment.
But it’s also COMPLETELY out of character for Death, whose embodiment has been consistently shown for decades to have no interest whatsoever in punishing the guilty… that’s a different department in Marvel’s cosmogony!
Also: while admittedly Death has a new avatar right now, it wasn’t so long ago that she boasted Doom was her greatest servant… but turns out that she also kidnapped his mom!?
And if “Death is better than this” sounds like a weird argument for why this is dumb… I can’t believe I’m saying, this, but Mephisto impersonating Doom’s mom during Infamous Iron Man was better than this.
That’s right: this is such a baffling move that THE BENDIS VERSION was a better concept!!!
And yet, even in a series with such a crappy concept, Doom manages to be awesome by invading DEATH’S HOME with an army of robots!!!
Too bad the Thing has been powered by some cosmic nonsense, so he manages to beat Doom pretty badly.
New Death finds this hot.
Thing v3 #6 (2022)
by Walter Mosley & Tom Reilly
The Thing eventually finds Doom, who has been tortured by New Death for ages.
At least he meets his mother again.
And after both Doom and Alicia have been rescued (she also ended up there looking for the Thing), we end Doom’s involvement by having him leave his mother back in New Death’s domain.
Aren’t you glad we butchered the ending of Triumph And Torment to get the same exact ending only infinitely worse?
Doom significance: 0/10
THIS BETTER BE WRITTEN OFF CONTINUITY. And it might already be, since Death’s current avatar isn’t even the same one anymore (I think? It’s a bit vague).
Silver Age-ness: N/A
Will it stand the test of time? N/A
The most infuriating thing is that this isn’t even a bad series, as there are a lot of good moments and the plot does make sense.
If only it didn’t, you know, RUIN THE LEGACY OF ONE OF THE BEST DOOM STORIES EVER.
Strange v3 #1 (2022)
by Jed MacKay & Marcelo Ferreira
cover by Björn Barends
I need a palate cleanser after that. How about one of the best Doctor Strange series in the past decade?
Doctor Strange was dead at the time, so his place as Sorcerer Supreme was taken by his wife Clea.
This series, and the following ones, really did a lot of amazing character work for Clea who is definitely one of the strongest parts of the Strange mythos right now.
Doom shows up to pay his respects.
Sorry, I meant he’s here to take Strange’s job.
You’re a couple of years early for that, Doom.
Doom’s ultimate rival: nepotism!
If you haven’t read the previous series, you might think that Clea’s reference to having been made a widow twice in the same week would mean that she had another husband who also died.
Actually, the other husband was ALSO Doctor Strange: two versions of him from two different points of his history died within the same week.
Man I love comics.
This turns into, what else, a Big Dumb Magic Shouting Fight.
Clea has a bigger weapon than magic in her arsenal: continuity!
Because Strange was quite busy before his death in several big magic crisis that Doom skipped.
Clea has been superhero-adjacent for the longest time, but this is the series that really put her in a superhero position. So this has been a long time coming, but:
Number of superheroes who have fought Dr. Doom: 152
Doom significance: 6/10
He’s going to remember this one for sure. Which is not a good sign for anybody else.
Silver Age-ness: N/A
Will it stand the test of time? N/A
Once again no real scores, but READ THIS SERIES, even if you’re not a Doctor Strange fan: it’s amazing.
Captain America: Symbol of Truth #3
written by Tochi Onyebuchi
pencils by R.B. Silva & Zé Carlos
cover by R.B. Silva & Jesus Aburtov
Somewhat confusingly, in this period there are TWO Captain Americas: Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson.
The latter was the only Captain America for a while, when Steve went back to being old, but instead of returning to be Falcon he just kept the name.
Technically, Doom showed up in the finale of the previous issue where Captain America and Deadpool ended up in Latveria.
Did they do a team-up because these two have the same last name?
With Deadpool, it just might be the only reason.
Sam, why would you tell the truth to Doom here!?
Why would Doctor Doom import “food and humanitarian supplies”? Even if Latverians were starving (which would go against most of what we typically see of the place), he would never admit to needing anyone’s help!!!
Well that was very helpful.
Great job Sam, no notes.
Doom significance: 0/10
Well that was a waste of everyone’s time.
Silver Age-ness: N/A
Will it stand the test of time? N/A
Nothing against Sam but…
A) I don’t like having two superheroes with the same name active at the same time (that’s the same problem I have with Miles Morales)
B) I don’t like the idea of a Captain America who can fly
Sam is already an awesome character on his own right, there’s no need to piggyback on another character to make him more relevant!!!
Number of superheroes who have fought Dr. Doom: 153
I was kind of surprised Sam wasn’t already in the list as Falcon.
X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 (2022)
written by Gerry Duggan
pencils by Kris Anka, Russell Dauterman, Matteo Lolli & Carlos Villa
cover by Russell Dauterman
Doom will interact with the X-Men later, but he does have an amusing cameo in the second Hellfire Gala. Which manages to at least not be as irritating as the first one.
The reason for this new celebration is that the X-Men have discovered the secret of immortality.
It should be noted that the process for resurrection only works on mutants for complicated reasons.
Yeah tell the widow with crazy magic powers who is also the niece of Magic Super-Satan that her dead husband sucked, Emma, that will certainly help your reputation.
This time EVERYONE shows up in absurd new outfits, not just the X-Men.
But the story does leave us with an important philosophical question.
Also: I just realized one of the many reasons why I find the X-Men of the last couple of decades truly insufferable. No matter how much they mess up, it’s never THEIR fault.
At least the easiness with which they erase memories is going to bit them in this storyline.
That’s the extent of Doom’s involvement, beyond a showcase of his Hellfire Gala outfit.
I think it’s called that because most of these outfits SHOULD be burned with hellfire.
And Doom’s is one of the best, so imagine the others.
Doom significance: 0/10
Silver Age-ness: N/A
Will it stand the test of time? N/A
Obviously not a real review. Doom will get SOME involvement with the X-Men soo, though.