Issue - 1

Title - Doom if you do, doomed if you don't!

Writer - Paul Tobin

Art - Patrick Scherberger & Jacopo Camagni

 

Summary:

In exchange for making improvements to powers of Mysterio, Kraven, and the Vulture, Doom convinces the Sinister Six to break into Stark Industries and steal a component vital to his own plans. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issue - 2

Title - What is Doom after?

Writer - Paul Tobin

Art - Patrick Scherberger with Jon Buran & Scott Koblish

 

Summary:

Accompanied by the Circus of Crime, Doom explores a recently uncovered Sumarian temple which he believes holds the key to eternal life. Doom has hired the Circus because the Masters of Evil have also learned of the temple and are also after the same key he is. Two days later, the Enchantress manages to capture one of the Circus and learns of Doom's destination. While she guards their prisoner, the other Masters attack Doom and the Circus of Crime. With Doom's leadership and powers, the Masters of Evil are defeated. The Executioner returns to the Enchantress, but he is filled by Doom and the Circus. Doom then reveals that it was in fact all a test. He wanted to see which of the two teams was stronger, and the Masters of Evil were the winners. He also reveals that he has already gained immortality from a stone which he destroyed back in the temple. Now he needs the Masters of Evil to aid him in an even more difficult quest. Doom prepares to leave with the Enchantress, but offers Princess Python the chance to join them. She accepts and together they disappear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issue - 3

Title -

Writer - Paul Tobin

Art - Patrick Scherberger & Esoras Cristobal

 

Summary:

On a distant planet, Doom has the Masters of Evil battles an army of spider-like aliens. His goal is to release an ancient being called Quinn. Quinn knows where the Infinity Gems once traveled. In their wakes, the gems left concentrations of power, power which Doom means to use to defeat his greatest enemy. Using the modified illusion gas he created for Mysterio, Doom manages to stand before the three Watchers and the army of spider-aliens guarding Quinn and release him. However his release sends shockwaves throughout all of reality. Powerful beings such as Thanos, Dormamu, and the Destroyer all sense that Quinn has been released. Doom and the Masters of Evil hurry back to their ship in order to be gone before any of those beings arrive, but are too late. Blastarr arrives and attacks them. He demands Doom to release Quinn to him. Doom refuses and a battle ensues. While Blastarr is occupied with the Masters, Doom attempts to escape with Princess Python, but she convinces him to stay and fight with the others. Using the last of the illusion gas, Doom tricks Blastarr into believing that he has surrendered Quinn to him. Doom and the Masters of Evil escape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issue - 4

Title - All for this

Writer - Paul Tobin

Art - Patrick Scherberger & David Baldeon

 

Summary:

The final phase of Doom's quest nears with his teaming up with Magneto. Together with Princess Python, Doom and Magneto travel to Scotland and the home of the witch Selene. Accompanying them is a quartet of Sentinels which they reveal they have programmed into witch hunters. Selene's manor is built right above the location of one of the ley lines which have been infused with the power of the infinity gems. Doom tries to ask Selene politely to be allowed to make his wish, but she refuses. She transports them to Pompeii, the former location of another ley line until it was drained. The battle moves to Antarctica as Selene taunts Doom by showing him all the locations of drained ley lines which once had power. Finally they return to Scotland where Doom orders his Sentinels to attack, but instead of targeting Selene they target Magneto. Doom planned for the Sentinels to attack Magneto because all he needed him for was to weaken Selene. Finally Selene agrees to let Doom make his wish and she reveals the temple hidden beneath her grounds. Doom steps into the temple and to Selene's surprise, he does not die. The temple is guarded by a spell which means instant death to whoever enters. Doom is saved by his recently gained immortality. However the cost is that the spell has made him mortal again. Standing in the temple, Doom asks that Princess Python to stand before him as he makes his wish. Expecting him to wish for the death of Reed Richards, Selene and Python are surprised to hear him wish to be free of any sense of guilt. Princess Python asks what he role was, and Doom explains that the image of a woman with a snake was to remind him of temptation so that he would not waste his wish upon killing Richards. His greatest enemy is in fact his conscience, which he is now free of.

 

 

 

 

Comments:

Doom is in this series remarkably little, except for the final issue. Overall the series is a fun read. It gives us a glimpse of how villains work together....or don't. The series really should have been called Super-Villain Team-Up as that is what it really reads like, right down to Doom's constant betrayals. The inclusion of Magneto in the final issue here also reminded me of SVTU. The title as is, is a bit of a misnomer if you ask me. Doom only teams with the Masters of Evil in #3. Something like Super-Villain Team-Up: The Quest or some rather would have been more appropriate and perhaps have helped sell it better. The mystery of Doom's ultimate goal helps to keep one's interest in reading the next issue. The story is very much an odyssey as we are taken on a trip to Paris, Scotland, Antarctica, and even an alien planet. I especially like the idea of taking Doom out into space. Doom's characterization is spot on, although his wish to be rid of guilt is both puzzling and yet also makes one want to look at previous Doom stories in a new light. I myself am somewhat puzzled as to whether this is meant to be in the Marvel Adventures continuity or in the 616 mainstream. Tobin mostly writes for Marvel Adventures, and a Q&A which you can read below from Newsarama sort of hints that this is meant to be 616. But if this is the case, then it would need to be 616 of the past since the presence and appearance of some characters is somewhat incongruous to current continuity (the line up of the Sinister Six looks like the original one, minus Electro and with Chameleon in his place, can't be a later one because Kraven died). So I'm leaning to the theory that this is Marvel Adventures. Bottom Line: *** out of 5

 

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