The Last Time Doctor Doom Took Over the World (Part 1)

Super-Villain Team-Up #14
“A World for the Winning”
Story: Bill Mantlo
Art: Bob Hall
Inking: Don Perlin & Duffy Vohland
Letterer: Irv Watanabe
Colorist: Don Warfield
Cover: John Byrne and Terry Austin
Released: July 5, 1977

The latest crossover gripping the Marvel Universe is “One World Under Doom,” in which Doctor Doom has taken over the world. I'm excited about this primarily because the series is being written by Ryan North, the man who penned my unironically favorite comic book series, “The Unbeatable SquirrelGirl.” I was thrilled when he was given the reins of the Fantastic Four and looked forward to more of his take on Doctor Doom, especially since this limited series brings back not only Squirrel Girl, but also Brain Drain and Nancy Whitehead.

But I would be remiss if I didn't point out this isn't the first time Doom has taken over the world, in continuity. The first I discovered in the wonderful black-and-white pages of a Marvel Essential volume, which was some of the best bang you could get for your comics buck a few years ago, before digital comics were plentiful – and un-pirated.

I picked up “Essential Super-Villain Team-Up” Vol. 1* at a comic show years ago for less than its cover price of $16.99. It was strictly a volume purchase. I do appreciate Doom as one of Marvel's and comicdom's great villains, but it wasn't a series I had a particular hankering for or even knew existed. But ever since snagging “Essential X-Men” Vol. 1 with my employee discount as a seasonal worker at Waldenbooks, I'd known they were a great deal and gateway to comics I probably wasn't going to be able to obtain issue by issue.

It wasn't a rotating cast of villains, a la Marvel Team-Up or Two-in-One. Instead, Doom shared a lot of the featured issues with Namor, frenemy to both the bad doctor and his arch-nemeses the Fantastic Four. There were some Red Skull appearances, and two issues, released in 1979 and 1980, featuring the Red Skull and the Hate-Monger.

The 14^th issue was the only one to co-star Magneto, but what an issue it was.

It opens with Magneto pushing his way through a throng of Latverians celebrating because their monarch, Doctor Doom, told them to. Given that they live under Doom's shadow, the presence of the Master of Magnetism doesn't really impress them, at least not until he topples a statue of their ruler.

Magneto levitates right to Doom's castle, where he bursts in and informs the Doctor he thinks they ought to take over the world together. Doom is unimpressed with the suggestion, since, well, he already has.

Seems he's been pumping gas into the atmosphere for a while, which has unknowingly subjugated the world's populace to his will. Magneto's not buying it, but it's hard to argue once Doom forces him to kneel.

But, as it proved for James Bond or whoever that movie title was referring to, the world is not enough for Doom. Magneto's the only person who knows he's in control; not even the accursed Mister Fantastic realizes he's been beaten. Doom craves a challenge, and he decides Magneto is the guy to give it to him. He toasts his opponent with a drugged drink that not only knocks him out but renders him immune to the mind control.

Magneto decides his first move should be enlisting the aid of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, who are, unsurprisingly, not overly receptive when Mags bursts through the doors of their mansion. He pretty quickly defeats the team** without killing them or even really trying to, making Captain America give him the benefit of the doubt.

When he tells them why he's there, a holographic projection of Doom appears and orders the heroes to bow before him, which they do, including the Vision. I guess androids can not only cry but also breathe.

Doom, being a sporting fellow or perhaps just still bored, allows Magneto to choose one ally from the group. He picks the Beast, I presume for his intellect or banter skills, because there are definitely more powerful options in the room.

After Magneto uses his powers to reverse the mind control because there's iron in blood and blood in the brain and comic book science, the Beast decides they should … go enlist the aid of other heroes. I mean, it seems at this point pretty obvious that Doom wasn't kidding when he said he controlled everybody, but Hank McCoy's got more Ph.D.s than me.

Neither the Fantastic Four nor the X-Men are home, but Beast informs his erstwhile ally that there's a new team of heroes out on the West Coast, featuring X-alumni Angel and Iceman. Arriving in the Los Angeles, the unlikely duo find themselves face to face with not only Angel and Iceman, but the rest of the Champions – Darkstar, Ghost Rider, Hercules and Black Widow. And guess what? They're not eager to help them either.

A note at the bottom of the page informs us this is the last issue of Super-Villain Team-Up*** and this story will continue in “Champions” #16. That's where we'll pick up next week to find out why Doom had to take over the world again all these years later.

This issue is a blast. It encapsulates so much of what I love about Marvel comics: the shared universe, the history, the melodramatic dialogue, the brilliantly simple setup. Doom wins and doesn't have anyone's nose to rub in it, so he starts to undo his success.

I'm not sure how or why Mantlo settled on Magneto as his foil. It seems a natural role for Namor or the Thing – I love it when Ben Grimm faces long odds – but that doesn't take away at all from the fun of the story. Don't just take my word for it. If you have Marvel Unlimited or can find the issues or reprints, read them for yourself.

* - And also the only volume.

** - With nary a melodramatic thought bubble about the Scarlet Witch,
who probably hadn't been revealed as his daughter at this point.

*** - Though three more would be published over the next three years.