Fantastic Four #156

FANTASTIC FOUR #156 (1975)
Writers: Roy Thomas & Len Wein
Pencils: Rich Buckler

This is one of the best Doctor Doom covers.

Silver Surfer is still fighting the Fantastic Four following last issue’s cliffhanger, while Doctor Doom is playing with his action figures fancy chessboard.

Admittedly a bit silly, but it goes back to Doom’s first appearance.

He even gets a splash page out of it, but I can’t help but think that it’s not enough for him: he looks extremely uncomfortable!

However Silver Surfer doesn’t kill the Fantastic Four, and Doom doesn’t take it kindly.

He’s also unhappy when Silver Surfer brings the Fantastic Four to him, even if they’re brainwashed. Doom isn’t very happy throughout this story.

Doom is so offended by Silver Surfer showing mercy that HE B*TCH SLAPS HIM (!!!)

This gets on Silver Surfer’s nerves, and he makes a point to show off just how powerful he is by… breaking a few rocks.

And damaging one of the decorative armors laying around.

However Doom is not impressed, easily rebuilding everything with “the awesome energy sources” within his armor. Awesome indeed!

You just know that Doctor Doom put on his resumé that Silver Surfer once admitted they are evenly matched.

Now you might be wondering: “are there any Fantastic Four in this Fantastic Four comic”?
They’re here. Only they’re having a rough day.

The traps are interesting.
Medusa gets the crappiest one… just a transparent bubble covering her hair.
The Human Torch gets a flameproof cage; while appropriate, we will soon see how this shows how little Doom cares for him.
The Thing gets chains that turn his strength against him, something that will be used A LOT.
But the most interesting trap is for Mister Fantastic… he just keeps him sedated at all times, which really shows how Doom feels threatened by him.

I don’t really like the Silver Surfer of this period, but this part was absolutely brilliant:

THAT is how you write a compassionate hero who likes to ponder on big themes, NOT by having him constantly complain how much humanity sucks.

Here’s what I meant with Doom not caring about the Torch: the cage is flameproof, but he didn’t even bother to prevent him to shoot fire through it.

Here’s another part that I really liked. Reed can’t be the one to come up with the plan because he’s unconscious, and typically Susan is to the one to cover this role whenever that happens… but she’s not here, so it’s the Thing to figure out how to escape.

Once he’s free, however, Reed suspects that this was a little too easy.

They fight a small army of androids until they reach Doom himself.

Or not.
Hey, it’s been AGES since we actually saw a Doombot!

All Doom wanted was to keep the Fantastic Four distracted while Silver Surfer was sitting on a chair being emo.
No, seriously, THAT’s the plan.

To be continued!

Fantastic Four significance: 0/10
There’s some minor attempt at character development, but it’s easily skippable.

Doom significance: 0/10
Just like part 1, it doesn’t really have an impact on Doom.

 Silver Age-ness: 4/10
Doom playing with his dolls is just hilarious. And while it’s hard to show it in a review, but there’s something very Silver Age-y by the way the characters are constantly describing what they are doing. That tends to happens with Roy Thomas.

Does it stand the test of time? 6/10
A little better than the previous issue, especially because the Fantastic Four finally DO SOMETHING. The dialogues are a bit of a chore to read, with the dueling windbags of Doctor Doom and Silver Surfer sharing most scenes.

It was a Doombot all along
No indication if the one behind everything is the real Doom, but we have the first try Doombot in a loooong time!

Take over the world & Destroy the FF!
Still just trying to kill the FF, for old times’ sake.

Crazy tech
I have no idea what specific device Doom was using to undo the damage caused by Silver Surfer, but it was really impressive!

Interesting letters: actually a note from the editor, explaining why this is both written&edited by both Roy Thomas & Len Wein.