Doctor Doom #8 (2020)
by Christopher Cantwell & Salvador Larroca
After a couple of definitely necessary detours, Doctor Doom is ready to take back Latveria.
This issue is going to be very difficult for me to review because it’s entirely made of splash pages, sprinkled with Doctor Doom narration; that makes my style of review awkward.
Doom’s narration comes from the fact that he’s writing about these events on his diary, although I question that Doom would ever put it in writing that he collapsed in anguish FOR SEVERAL MINUTES after the vision of his children mutilating themselves.
It is interesting to note that Doom is already trusting Victorious THIS much, considering what will later happen on Fantastic Four.
But I should also point out that the subplot of Doom handing her the Ultimate Nullifier WENT ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE.
Also: I thought I had terrible handwriting, but even I can write better than Doom apparently.
There’s still the lingering problem of the black hole growing on the Moon, which the world governments are asking Doctor Doom to solve…
…while giving him permission to invade and annex the country of Symkaria.
Back in the 90s when the United Nations allowed Magneto to take over Genosha, I considered it the dumbest thing I had seen governments in the Marvel Universe to take.
This is up there in terms of idiocy… but sadly it’s not exactly unrealistic.
Doom is quite enthusiastic about this.
Doom doing a bunch of war crimes is a given, but I’m surprised he goes as far as killing livestock… what, did Symkarian sheep fail to swear loyalty to him?
Usually when you see a dumb vehicle like this in comics, it’s to sell a pre-existing toy.
I don’t think that’s the case here.
Although that’s apparently a pre-existing thing?
The only reason the atrocious Kang issue had any usefulness is that Doctor Doom retrieved the Ultimate Nullifier there.
But not only it didn’t explain HOW it ended up in the hands of S.P.E.A.R… not only the subplot about Doom giving the Nullifier to Victorious went nowhere… the device itself is ALSO immediately lost, because Galactus just takes it back!
As pointed out in the comments in the previous issues, the Ultimate Nullifier that Doom will eventually use in this series… is not even the same one he took!
WHAT WAS EVEN THE POINT???
The only good thing I have to say about that is that at least Doom’s reaction to losing the Ultimate Nullifier… “I didn’t even want it in the first place”… is 100% something he would convince himself was true.
And once in Symkaria, Doom takes on the person responsible for the coup.
That would seemingly be Countess Karkov of Symkaria.
Who is a VERY minor character: she’s from 2017’s Amazing Spider-Man v4 #25; she was introduced as selling Osborn technology in Symkaria.
And who in 2019 had already made an attempt at stopping Doom, and Spider-Man had to interfere.
I didn’t even get to talk about that arc because there’s so much time travel happening that I’m not entirely sure the real Doom even shows up of if it’s a Doombot.
In hindsight I should have reviewed that one, but:
A) I didn’t know about that saga when I completed the 2019 reviews
B) I can’t stand that period of Spider-Man
C) again I’m not sure how much of it actually happens
D) all you really need to know is that the Countess had already made an attempt to infiltrate Doom’s systems.
BUT ALSO: turns out the Countess wasn’t even the real mastermind!
No, the person who came closest than arguably anyone to stopping Doctor Doom for good is… Ionela Novotny, a character WE NEVER SAW BEFORE.
Who is actually the mother of Victorious (!!!) and who worked undercover for decades to one day usurp Doctor Doom.
That sounds like a fascinating plot that WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO READ, instead of being relegated to a narration box!!!
This is also a HUGELY important revelation for Victorious… which also doesn’t get her full story.
WHY DID WE WASTE TIME WITH KANG WHEN WE COULD HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS PLOT???
This is especially frustrating because this would have been a good plot!!!
Doom’s super-loyalist discovers that she’s the daughter of the woman who deposed him! We couldn’t we read THAT!?!?
Victorious, who I remind you was given a fraction of the Power Cosmic, makes a brief stop at Galactus’s mothership. Where I’m guessing Nova is currently hanging out?
It is questionable whether Victorious has learned ANYTHING by this whole ordeal.
For the first time since the country was created in 1985 on Spider-Man, Symkaria is fully annexed by Latveria.
With the entire superhero community doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, I might add.
On the plus side, we get a surprisingly detailed confirmation of where Latveria is.
While also confirming once again that, in the Marvel Universe, Transylvania is a fully independent country and not a region of Romania.
Meanwhile, Blue Marvel is inside the black hole’s event horizon (don’t ask) and he’s naked (definitely don’t ask).
And he’s talking to the Doctor Octopus of a different timeline who is… also naked.
I’m particularly confused by Otto because he’s escaped from a timeline where Earth has been conquered by the Brood. And would YOU want to stay naked around THESE GUYS???
And so we end the issue with the final reflections of Doom.
Including that he thinks of Victorious as a daughter, which… given an upcoming Fantastic Four storyline… is VERY problematic.
It’s not the end of the series though: we still have 2 issues where Doctor Doom vows to save the world and turn into a good guy.
Don’t hold your breath on one of those two.
Doom significance: 7/10
As of 2026, Symkaria should theoretically still be part of Latveria.
You would think this would have a bigger impact on Victorious, but it can easily be ignored.
Silver Age-ness: 2/10
Doom rides a so-call Blaster Buggy™… just because.
Will it stand the test of time? 2/10
I didn’t think it was possible, but this one irritated me even WORSE than the Kang issue.
Because while that one was entirely pointless and a waste of everyone’s time, this one completely wastes MULTIPLE storylines that could have been developed!!!
What happened??? It’s not like the series was cancelled and a long-running plot had to be condensed in half a story at the last minute… as far as I can tell this was always supposed to be 10 issues.
Bad Cantwell, bad, go sit in the corner and thing about what you’ve done.
Adding insult to injury: what does it say about the superhero community when Doctor Doom can just invade a country and do all the war crimes he wants, just because the world goverments gave him permission?
The Fantastic Four and Iron Man have the excuse of being busy on the Moon the whole time… WHAT IS EVERYONE ELSE DOING???
Times Latveria has been conquered: 20
Doom takes back the throne. At this point Latverians don’t even acknowledge any new government until at least a couple of weeks have passed.
Crazy tech
The Blaster Buggy™ needs no introduction. It also needs to never be shown again.