Doctor Doom is dead post One World Under Doom, and now it’s up to the Fantastic Four and Valeria to pick up the pieces. In a kind of extended epilogue, The Will of Doom reveals what has happened to Doom’s estate, and more dangerously, his thousands of Doom bots littered across the planet!
Pegged as the “lead” into Marvel’s next summer event, “Armageddon,” The Will of Doom is a quieter and much more character-focused one-shot. Key characters explored include Valeria, who learns she is now the sole heir to Doom’s wealth, and Thunderbolt Ross, who is recovering from Doctor Doom’s imprisonment. If one were to guess, these two characters are going to play a big part in future developments.
It’s also made quite clear that they have different ideas of ownership. Ross wants America to be the leader of the free world, while Valeria is more passive, though she isn’t stupid. What’s abundantly clear when you put this comic book down is that Doctor Doom’s various secret bases and castles will play a role in Valeria’s focus going forward, while Ross may be leading the charge in keeping America on top.
Along the way, Invisible Woman takes center stage as a mother who lost her child and has become a bit overprotective. Valeria died in One World Under Doom, and writer Chip Zdarsky does a good job giving her a relatable point of view on keeping Valeria safe. She’s not frantic per se, but she’s deeply concerned, and when danger strikes, scared beyond belief.
How much does Reed really know about psychology?
Credit: Marvel
The plot is pretty simple: Doom bots attempt to create fiefdoms wherever they may be. One Doom bot is near the White House, where Thing and Mr. Fantastic are coincidentally, and they are reeled in to help protect the president. Meanwhile, Johnny, Sue, and Valeria rush around the globe to find Doom’s device and use it to control these bots and shut them down for good. A key detail to remember is that every Doom bot is about as powerful as Doctor Doom himself, giving the story in this issue ample stakes.
Although most of this issue is very heavy on dialogue and exposition, there’s a smattering of action. Cafu well draws a nice montage of heroes across the globe fighting Doom bots, while Reed and Thing have the more intense action scene involving the White House Doom bot attack. The latter is a little less action-packed, since the Doom bot subdues them both quite quickly and does a lot of talking. All told, it’s surprising how light this issue is on action, and even extra-sized, it reads like a character piece with hints at what’s to come, rather than a highly entertaining solo read.
The Will of Doom is less a blockbuster spectacle and more a deliberate chessboard reset for Marvel’s next era. Chip Zdarsky prioritizes character, consequence, and political tension over explosive action, using Valeria, Sue Storm, and Thunderbolt Ross to explore who gets to inherit power after Doom’s fall. While the issue may frustrate readers looking for nonstop thrills, it succeeds as thoughtful groundwork, quietly unsettling, emotionally grounded, and clearly positioning Doom’s shadow as the defining force of what comes next.
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