SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #10 (1977)
by Bill Mantlo & Bob Hall
Cover by Gil Kane
If a title is “Super-Villain Team-Up” you might expect supervillains to team up between themselves.
Instead, this time Doctor Doom teams up with Captain America against another villain.
We begin with Captain America being welcomed at the Latverian embassy in New York.
While defending himself from the automated defenses, Cap monologues for a couple of pages about being spied by someone who killed himself before revealing anything.
None of this is actually shown, by the way. Talk about “tell, don’t show”…
Cap finds Doom in his throne room, slouching as always because Doctor Doom absolutely cannot sit down like a normal person.
Specifically, Cap is here because the spy dropped a scepter that has been manufactured in Latveria.
He suspects that Red Skull is behind all this for rather obvious reasons.
I’m surprised that Cap thought Doom was working with Red Skull. Apparently he doesn’t know what happened in Astonishing Tales #5.
Meanwhile, Namor is angry about the fact that the subplot about the Atlanteans being in suspended animation has been completely forgotten throughout the entire series.
He’s disturbed by some humans trying to drill beneath Atlantis, and one of the henchmen reveals that “some third world country called Latveria” is behind it.
I’ve never seen Latveria described like that.
We also check on Prince Rudolfo, still masquerading as Dr. Doom.
The fact that Rudolfo is impersonating Doom is supposed to be a secret, so of course he makes the colossally stupid mistake of being seen without his mask by Doom loyalists.
At least he has Batman homage ripoff the Shroud to help him, with his trusty I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-a-Batarang (patent pending).
Also note that the “bombarang” is not a bomb.
The Shroud is just insufferable in these stories, and at least Rudolfo agrees with me.
I can see why in later stories the castle is defended by robots, because Doom’s guards suck.
Rudolfo and the Shroud reach the throne room, where an unknown enemy is waiting for them.
Well, unknown if you didn’t look at the cover.
Back to this issue’s team-up: Doctor Doom and Captain America flying together towards Latveria.
And Cap didn’t bring the Avengers with him because… I’ve got nothing.
Doom’s ship is targeted by Latveria’s defenses, including its greatest weapon: the Rainbow Missile ©. No, seriously, that’s what it’s called.
I can see why it’s called that, but really, “Rainbow Missile”?
And we reach the cliffhanger, where the mastermind that has taken over Latveria turns out to be… the Red Skull!
Shocking, I know.
Doom significance: 2/10
This storyline will end up having a significant impact, but this issue? Not so much.
Silver Age-ness: 4/10
Just for the ridiculousness of Rudolfo taking off his mask right before coming across Doom loyalists and for the Shroud’s corniness.
Does it stand the test of time? 4/10
Doom’s dialogue is very Doctor Doom, but Captain America dumping two pages of exposition feels weird. As always the Shroud is extremely disappointing.
It was a Doombot all along
No clear indication, but I find it interesting that Doom is consistently shown with bright red eyes.
Take over the world & Destroy the FF!
No mention of the FF and Doom is almost preventing someone from taking over the world.
Crazy tech
The Rainbow Missile, which does… something. I don’t know what, but it’s colorful!