The Marvel Adventures brand proved to be more successful than its Marvel Age predecessor, so there are multiple series… and Doctor Doom shows up everywhere, because of course he does.
There’s only a couple of issues of Spider-Man featuring him, though.
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #9 (2005)
by Sean McKeever & Mike Norton
Continuing the long tradition of Doctor Doom being a giant on the cover but not in the story.
We begin with Peter Parker’s school celebrating the Fantastic Four.
In case you’re wondering whether this incarnation does anything interesting with his civilian life… no it doesn’t.
Yeah sure, I’ll buy that THIS GUY is our obligatory bully.
Flash Thompson is, of course, the only other student who doesn’t buy into the FF hype.
Spidey then catches some sketchy people lurking around the school, and they prove to be more of a match than he imagined.
Following them through a portal brings him to Doom’s base.
I don’t think this series is particularly funny, but I did chuckle at this one.
You might have expected Doom’s base to be in Latveria, but it’s actually on a flying fortress…
…that is actually a giant magnifying glass. Not really sure what’s filming this.
Pretty simple as far as Doctor Doom plans go, but it’s not off-character for him to be simultaneously so petty and cruel.
Doom thinks fighting Spider-Man is beneath him (of course), and he hands him over to his Discount Doombots.
Okay, make it TWO funny moments. I can actually see the regular Spider-Man cracking this exact joke.
Still, this is anything but a fair fight.
Although I’m pretty sure this plan wouldn’t really work against the Human Torch.
Despite having no real way to defeat Doctor Doom, Spidey manages to annoy him enough.
It’s going to be hard for Spider-Man to find a way to stop the death machine in time!
The Fantastic Four don’t come off as particularly smart in this.
Does any of this show up in regular continuity?
Nothing comes to mind.
Silver Age-ness: 10/10
The giant red button that instantly stops the death machine is ALMOST too stupid for the Silver Age.
Does it stand the test of time? 2/10
Even a couple of decent jokes and passable artwork can’t salvage this one. This is one of the most bare-bones Spider-Man stories I’ve ever read.
Number of superheroes who have fought THIS Dr. Doom: 5
The Marvel Adventures brand continues; given its “all-ages” nature, it’s hard to tell whether this is still the same continuity of Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four.
But it doesn’t really matter, because we would still need to start with the FF and add Spider-Man.
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #39 (2008)
by Marc Sumerak & Ryan Stegman
cover by Patrick Scherberger
It took Doom over 300 issues between appearances on Amazing Spider-Man, but he’s already back.
Also, in the original continuity it took Peter Parker just 28 issues to graduate.
Here we are 39 issues in, and he’s still doing the Model United Nations.
Which is a perfect opportunity to introduce the latest exchange student: Kristoff Vernard.
I completely trust this book to handle this with the utmost complexity.
I’m not touching this more than I absolutely have to, but just one thing to highlight: this has a May 2008 release date.
I can’t speak for Latverians, but finding Europeans making this speech would not have been easy. The United States were not exactly popular.
Which is to say this is one of the most 2008 comics ever.
Come on, this is still the Marvel Universe, has anyone really not heard of Latveria at this point?
Then again, this is an American high school… so if even 1% of pop culture is right about those, I can believe it.
Peter brings Kristoff home, and we discover that in this reality Aunt May is REALLY into soap operas. If only she knew her nephew’s life is almost as complicated as one.
Peter gives Kristoff a tour of the city, and honestly this Kristoff is hilarious!
Love the deep cut about buildings being shot into space… something for readers older than the target demographic.
For a genius who was introduced in this story as being very interested in other cultures, Peter Parker is kind of an idiot in this one.
Also I’m calling crap on Kristoff talking about his people starving: if there’s one CONSISTENT thing about Latveria, is that whenever Doom is in charge they are never hungry.
Terrorized, enslaved and radicalized, sure, but not hungry!
Yeah I’m sure you can trust this guy, Pete.
It took you THIS LONG to figure it out, Peter? REALLY!?
Also, I know it’s really a nitpick, but there’s something seriously wrong with a Peter Parker with green eyes.
Did I mention this is an extremely 2008 comic? Yeah there’s a reason why the United States were not all that popular.
Spider-Man infiltrates the Baxter Building to free Kristoff.
Turns out that this is actually a story that explores profiling people just because of the country they’re from.
Specifically, to show that it’s the right thing to do.
Even in THIS continuity, Doctor Doom keeps one-upping himself when it comes to crazy tech.
Yes, how dare you make me question someone kidnapping a foreign kid based on vague talks about security without disclosing why they’re an actual threat!
Wait…
Reed then mindwipes Kristoff into forgetting everything he’s learned…
…and given that Kristoff was clearly sentient to some extent, you would expect him to be reset and given the chance to live as a normal kid.
Or perhaps allowing him to spread the truth among Latverians and break through the propaganda.
But no, instead they used Kristoff to troll Doctor Doom into listening to soap-opera plots.
Which, again, are not THAT crazier than the usual superhero stuff.
Does any of this show up in regular continuity?
Not exactly. There ARE a couple of robots built by Doom who gain sentience and are then given a proper chance at life in the PHENOMENAL Ryan North run of Fantastic Four, though.
Silver Age-ness: 8/10
Still plenty of stupid.
Does it stand the test of time? -2/10
It’s been a while since I’ve had to dust off negative scores, which I remind you are a special category reserved for stories with horrible messages… and while I’m absolutely certain this was by accident, this one does carry some unfortunate undertones.
None of the heroes care about the plight of the Latverian people, AT ALL, and Peter in particular doesn’t even seem to be listening to Kristoff’s sad stories.
The Fantastic Four are particularly stupid: I have to believe they must have figured out that Kristoff is a robot when they kidnap him, but they bring him to the Baxter Building despite knowing he was sent to America specifically to spy on them? And they threaten Peter just because he’s around him?
Also, what the heck was Doom’s plan? He didn’t give Kristoff any information about the Fantastic Four that isn’t already public knowledge in Latveria, drop him at a random high school, and just hope he eventually drops by the Baxter Building?
Or did he hope Kristoff would learn anything valuable just by talking to regular people? There’s absolutely no indication whatsoever that this Doom knows Peter is Spider-Man.
I’m definitely reading WAY too much into this, but it definitely left a bad taste in my mouth.
Number of superheroes who have fought THIS Dr. Doom: 5