Iron Man and Dr. Doom vs. Santa Claus

King in Black: Iron Man/Doom #1
Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Colorist: Guru-eFX
Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham
Assistant Editor: Martin Biro
Associate Editor: Alanna Smith
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski
Released: Dec. 30, 2020

What says Christmas better than Iron Man and Doctor Doom teaming up to stop a symbiote-possessed Santa Claus?

Lots of things: nativity scenes, stockings hung by the chimney with care, chestnuts on the proverbial open fire (so I've heard). Even so, this one-shot from the King in Black crossover is an enjoyable holiday diversion.

In terms of the overall story of heroes banding together to save the world from the primordial god Knull, the source of Eddie Brock's infamous Venom symbiote and all its gooey offspring and ilk, it's not required reading. But it does reward you for taking the detour.

(Spoilers for early portions of King in Black follow.)

The story opens on a young Tony Stark receiving the gift of real estate from Santa Claus. Well, really, it's his dad, but he cautions the skeptical youngster against letting go of all the magic in the world, lest it turn cold and gray. Flash forward to the present, when Stark looks out on a New York City rendered cold and gray by Knull's attack on Earth, which has blotted out the sun. Iron Man is wearing his newest suit of armor, which combines Extremis tech with a symbiote – a mash-up that apparently cost Eddie Brock's life to make.

Doctor Doom, who has joined forces with the heroes, questions Stark's concern over Brock's passing. Their back and forth is interrupted when what to Tony's wandering scanners should appear, but a Venomized sleigh and eight slimy reindeer. Plus, a symbiote Santa mangling Christmas carols.

Unsure whether it's the genuine article, Iron Man flies to investigate, a skeptical Doom right behind him.

The singing symbiote Santa attacks, and Tony responds by testing out his new hybrid tech in an effort to free the not-so-jolly old elf. It takes some doing, but he finally manages to do so. The stunned Santa staggers off, declaring Iron Man has always been a good boy while calling Doom “one of the naughtiest to have ever lived.”

A scan of the man's driver's license reveals he's a Christmas shop owner from New Jersey, though Doom seems unsure whether there's more to him than that. But the mystery will have to remain as the two armored geniuses head back to rejoin the other heroes and try to defeat Knull.

Cantwell, the regular Iron Man writer, delivers some terrific dialogue, especially from Doom. He refers to the Santa-like figure as “some soulless perversion of the chimney'd one” and describes Latveria's bizarre Christmas lore in a manner that makes him seem like the Dwight Schrute of the Marvel Universe. It does go a bit far, though, when Doom muses that Santa Claus might be a Sorcerer Supreme.

The issue manages to be lighthearted without ignoring the darkness of the overall story. The tones are played off each other, though at times the dichotomy is a bit forced. Yes, the odds are against them, but it's hard to believe Iron Man finds straits this dire in the second Marvel invasion of our calendar year, let alone the compressed in-story timeline.

Still, this made it onto my short list of favorite Christmas comics, a few more of which I hope to share with you this month. You can check out the #HolidayComicsMonth hashtag on Twitter to explore even more yuletide comic offerings.