Issue - 9
Issue - 9
Writer - Brian Michael Bendis
Art - Mark Bagley / Marko Djurdjevic
Summary:
After sojourning for 3 days in the medieval past with Morgana Le Fey, Doom prepares to return to the future. Before leaving however, Morgana warns Doom not to return to her unless he brings her something from the future. Upon his return, Doom finds that the Avengers and SHIELD are assaulting his castle. Doom learns this is in retaliation for his alleged release of a symbiote virus on New York. While the Avengers take on Doom's army of Doombots, Iron Man confronts the monarch directly. The two battle to a stand still when the Sentry intervenes. The battles takes them to Doom's time platform which malfunctions and transports them into the past.
Notes:
Pages depicting the medieval past
are drawn by Marko Djurdjevic.
It is revealed here for the first
time that Doom has continued to study under and maintained an intimate relationship with Morgana
Le Fey. The two first met in
Iron Man #150 [vol.1].
This is the first time that
SHIELD has invaded Latveria with the intention of arresting/deposing Doom,
despite a history of battles in the US and against US nationals. SHIELD
director Nick Fury once sent the Fantastic Four to investigate rumors that
Doom was amassing a dangerous robot army, see
FF#84 v1. After Doom disappeared in the battle with Onslaught, the UN
took jurisdiction of Latveria. SHIELD, under Director GW Bridge, attempted
to safe-guard Doom's technology, see X-Force #62-64. Later, after Doom was
trapped in Hell, Fantastic Four leader Reed Richards essentially took over
Latveria until SHIELD was called in to depose his illegal occupation, see FF
#505-508. Most recently, Nick Fury infiltrated Latveria and attempted to
assassinate the Prime Minister Lucia von Bardas, see Secret War #1-5.
The fact that Rocky is in theatres would seem to indicate that they have landed in the year 1976. However given the Marvel "sliding time" effect, its also possible that Rocky did not come in 1976 in the Marvel Universe.
Issue - 10
Title - Time is on No One's Side
Writer - Brian Michael Bendis
Art - Mark Bagley
Summary:
Unknowingly thrust into the past by Doom's malfunctioning time platform, the Sentry is shocked to find himself back in New York, his Watchtower back in place, and seeing himself fight the Void. Meanwhile, Iron Man convinces Doom to halt his attacks as any action they make could alter the future. After the Sentry joins them, the two conclude that neither has the necessary components in their armors to facilitate their traveling back, they need a time machine. Doom suggests that they use the one in the Baxter Building. Since the world his wiped of its memories of the Sentry and he is present in this time period, Iron Man has the Sentry attempt to gain access to Reed Richard's. However the Thing catches on that something is amiss and the two eventually end up fighting one another. The Sentry easily brushes Thing aside and soon Iron Man, Doom, and he are traveling back to the future. When they return, Doom has mysteriously vanished and a massive explosion engulfs the castle.
Notes:
When the Time Platform is
activated, Iron Man's armor readout mentions a "Flux Capacitor." This is
likely a reference to Back to the Future whose famed Delorean time machine
was powered by a flux capacitor.
All of the ads at the bottom of
the page are for real issues. Daredevil did join the Defenders in Giant-Size
Defenders #3 (1974), Marvel Premiere #20 did feature Iron Fist vs.
Batroc (1975), Ghost Rider fought Hulk in Ghost Rider #11 (1975), etc.
When Doom and Iron Man were
previously stranded in the past (see Iron
Man #150) they cannibalized parts from their armors to create a device
which would return them home. Apparently their current armors lack the parts
to do the same.
Doom, Iron Man, and Sentry use a Time Platform which Doom created but Reed Richards removed from one of his castles. Reed's removal of the platform was established in FF #23. The fact that Reed still has Doom's time platform places this post FF#5 and before Marvel Super-Heroes #20, since in that issue Doom returns to his New York based castle and finds the time platform back in place.
Issue
- 11
Writer - Brian Michael Bendis
Art - Mark Bagley / Marko Djurdjevic
Summary:
Using magic, Doom manages to separate from Iron Man and Sentry on the way back and travel back in time to Morgana's castle. He asks her to teach him how to build an army. Once more, she asks for something in return, this time Doom agrees. In the present day, shortly after he disappeared with Iron Man and Sentry, Doom arrives with an army and captures the remaining Avengers. He holds them in a mountain base away from the castle and awaits Iron Man's and Sentry's return. Spider-Woman manages to use her powers to break the team out of their bonds. The Avengers begin to battle Doom while Ms. Marvel flies to warn Iron Man and Sentry who have just appeared within the castle. An explosion engulfs Iron Man, draining his armor, but Sentry catches him and recharges him using his own powers. Back in Doom's hideout, Doom is beginning to cast a new incantation but is cut short when the Sentry covers his mouth and then rips his mask and chest plate off. Bereft of his armor, Doom is taken into custody. After returning to the helicarrier, both Iron Man and Black Widow become suspicious of Spider-Woman's sudden display of power. Back in the distant past, Morgana Le Fey awakens and senses something...
Notes:
Morgana has taught Doom how to
conjure an army using magic.
Doom is unaware and unfamiliar
with Iron Man's latest changes since being infused with Extremis.
This is the first time that Doom has been taken into custody by SHIELD.
Comments:
Doom has been sleeping with Morgana Le Fey for years...wow. Interesting. I suppose this could explain why Doom didn't seem to mind sacrificing Valeria to demons in Unthinkable. The idea is certainly a logical progression spinning from events in Iron Man #150, however I must admit that I had always held onto the romantic belief that Valeria was the only woman for Doom. But, then there is Unthinkable...thanks for popping my balloon Mark Waid. And thanks Brian Michael Bendis for stomping on it after it was already deflated on the ground. Never mind, that's just me. In reality, the scenes between Doom and Morgana are probably the best in the whole arc. I think the strongest issue is the first, with its massive battles in the castle courtyard. The trip back to the 70's has really nice art. Personally, between the three art styles on display in this story, the retro style was my favorite followed closely by Marko Djurdjevic's work. I wouldn't mind seeing a whole story drawn by Djurdjevic ala Masks from Marvel Knights Double Shot.
As arguably Doom's biggest appearance since his return in FF #536, it's (to use a favorite Bendis phrase) 'okay.' The battles are nice, and it is good to see Doom put up a fight. I suppose the fact that Doom is only finally subdued by the Sentry, with the power of a thousand exploding suns, should be viewed as a compliment to Doom's own powers and abilities. Problems I have with the story...first I find the explanation for Doom and Iron Man being unable to pull their armors together and get home, weak. I'm not sure how having more advanced armors can stop two of the world's greatest technical minds. Second, Doom's behavior towards Ms. Marvel in #11, it's downright uncharacteristic of Doom. Fat, cow-mouth, and whore are three adjectives which I've never seen Doom use...ever. Quite honestly it took me out of the issue. It didn't seem like Doom's voice. In fact that is one of the main problems I find with the story. At times, Doom's voice does not come across as his own. Its almost as if Bendis is writing someone else.
Also significant is that again Latveria has been "liberated" from Doom. We will need to wait and see how this will be addressed. Its almost becoming a cycle. Latveria is getting liberated almost as frequently as SHIELD Helicarrier's crash. Hopefully this time around, the idea of a Latveria without Doom and a Doom without Latveria will be more fully and better explored than in the past. Bottom Line: *** out 5