Fantastic Four #157

FANTASTIC FOUR #157 (1975)
by Roy Thomas & Rich Buckler

The conclusion of Doctor Doom’s second meeting with Silver Surfer.

Rich Buckler’s art is growing on me, especially in this reaction shot of Doom recapping the previous issue.

We discovered why Doom has manipulated Silver Surfer: he has absorbed his power to create a new Doomsman.
No clue on why he doesn’t just absorb the Surfer’s power and use it himself.

Shalla-Bal insists that she doesn’t remember being Silver Surfer’s alien love interest, and also informs us that her marriage to Doom is “in name only”.

Any suspense about this being an impostor is shattered once she calls Silver Surfer by his real name, however.

I don’t want to be the one who tells Doom that his wife is cheating on him with a guy who doesn’t even need to wear pants.

The Fantastic Four manage to escape from Doom’s dungeon when they are ambushed by Doomsman and by Roy Thomas trying to be funny with his captions.

Roy… you’re trying too hard. You’re not Stan Lee; this is just sad.

Also: Zugzwang is a chess term for a move that the player must do even if it will be a disadvantage.
Why exactly is it used here? What move are the FF, Surfer or Doom compelled to do? I don’t think it works at all.

While the FF fight Doomsman, Shalla-Bal reveals that she’s actually a random Latverian girl.

If that is the case, how the heck does Doom know who Shalla-Bal even is!? I know he’s Doom, but come on, this is ridiculous!

This is the final push that Silver Surfer needed to join the fight. So we have a team-up with a giant bald android with the Power Cosmic; this should be fun!

It’s not. Doomsman goes down IN TWO PANELS.

Also: this is why I hate your dialogues, Roy.
THIS SHOULD NOT BE A REED RICHARDS DIALOGUE.

So we have a team-up of the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer against Doctor Doom. Should be fun!

Aaaand Not-Shalla-Bal stops the fight to save the artwork kept in Castle Doom.

You guys are just DETERMINED to ruin this story, aren’t you?

Yep. Everybody just leaves because fighting would cause too much trouble.

Basically EVERYONE involved in the story just lost interest and went home.

Even Doom agrees that this sucks.

The surprise ending is that Mephisto has been manipulating everyone behind the scenes…

…and Not-Shalla-Bal was actually the real Shalla-Bal all along.

Then how did Doom know about Shalla-Bal? Did Mephisto install that idea in Doom’s mind only to… what, manipulate Doom to mind control an amnesiac Shalla-Bal into thinking she was the real one? What kind of sense does that make?
And is Doom leaving his “wife in name only” just walk away? Don’t the FF care about this poor girl being used and manipulated? Doesn’t Silver Surfer, since he’s always preaching how he’s better than everyone else?

No wonder Doctor Doom hates you guys. You all suck.

 

Fantastic Four significance: 0/10
I envy the Invisible Girl for having missed this one.

Doom significance: 0/10
I totally understand if Doom chose to forget this embarassment.

 Silver Age-ness: 8/10
This can only be enjoyable if you turn off your brain, considering how many plot holes and forced coincidences are necessary.

Does it stand the test of time? 0/10
I don’t like to be so hard on Roy Thomas: he’s a fantastic scripter and a good plotter… usually. But this story brings out the worst of his traits: relying more on continuity than characterization, heroes rationalizing bad decisions, forced humor where it doesn’t belong and isn’t even funny, and of course his Achilles heel of awful dialogue.
The art is pretty good, with just some awkward poses here and there, but it’s not enough to salvage this one.

It was a Doombot all along
Oh how I wish that this was a Doombot…

Take over the world & Destroy the FF!
Last time Doom stole the powers of Silver Surfer it was for both. This time he’s only after the FF.

Crazy tech
The first Doomsman was a powerhouse that defeated the forces of the Latverian resistance and was so dangerous that Doom had to exile it in another dimension. The second one… has the powers of Silver Surfer and goes down in 2 panels. So the original is still VASTLY superior.