Marvel’s next big event is final year, and it comes at a time when Doctor Doom is hotter than ever. One World Under Doom #1 is the start of a nine-issue event where Dr. Doom has taken over the world thanks to ingenuity and harnessing the power of the Sorcerer Supreme. While smaller events have transpired in the last few months, not since July has there been an event that affects every Marvel title. Is it worthy of your time, or is it an event worth skipping?
When it comes to scope, One World Under Doom #1 has all the ingredients you’d want in an epic event:
- A heaping amount of big-name heroes
- High-level stakes, so all of Earth is affected
- A dusting of a good villain
- A drizzle of strong moments and twists
- A pinch of a climax that makes you want more
On top of all those ingredients, the creative team thoroughly bakes this first issue to perfection. The concept is fairly simple: Doctor Doom is taking over the world, and he needs to do it so his reign works on all fronts. That includes public opinion, which is the most fascinating thing about this event. But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.
Squirrel Girl fans, rise up!
Credit: Marvel
One World Under Doom #1 opens with Doom speaking to the world and saying that he will save them. He’s commandeered every phone, monitor, and radio to inform them every leader in the world has willingly sworn fealty to Doom. When you consider superheroes certainly can’t fight an enemy world leaders gave power to, you begin to see the problem. It seems Ryan North has approached this not as your stereotypical superhero vs. supervillain story but as a story about ideas and controlling the narrative in people’s minds.
That isn’t to say this is a think-piece issue, as there’s plenty of conflict. The heroes don’t like what Doom is selling and aim to take the fight to him. This leads to the first twist of the story involving Baron Zemo, and I’ll say no more. With the heroes knowing full well Doom is up to something, they fight, but are they fighting for the right reasons?
R.B. Silva draws excellent chaotic fight scenes, with multiple heroes punching their way to victory through shattered rubble and flames. The detail is gorgeous and, at times, shockingly high. As is customary in event comics, Silva packs panels with multiple heroes, giving us a sense of their mood at a given moment or how they’re contributing.
This leads to Doom acting as the hero, armed with the Doom tyrannosaurus emblazoned across the covers, and a quite compelling twist. It seems the heroes need to rethink how they fight Doctor Doom, who is a few steps ahead of them.
If you’re looking for superhero awe, Silva delivers on a special plane that’s quite cool. This scene leads to a nice moment with Spider-Man and the very real weirdness of invisible powers being used on you.
If there’s any weakness to this issue, Doctor Doom is fairly absent from a genuine perspective. He gives a speech, and he acts the hero, but we don’t get in his head at all. This is by design to keep the reader on their toes, but for an event focused on Doom, it’d be nice if he was more present via internal monologuing or behind-the-scenes moments.
One World Under Doom #1 successfully kicks off an ambitious, nine-issue event by balancing high-stakes superhero action with a deeper narrative about control and propaganda. Ryan North’s thoughtful approach to Doom’s power play and R.B. Silva’s dynamic artwork elevate the issue. This is an event worth following for both its scope and its fresh thematic underpinnings. Doctor Doom’s greatest power isn’t magic or science—it’s the ability to make you question who’s really the villain in One World Under Doom.
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