• Written by: Ryan North
• Art by: R.B. Silva
• Colors by: David Curiel
• Letters by: VC’s Travis Lanham
• Cover art by: Ben Harvey (cover A)
• Cover price: $5.99
• Release date: February 12, 2025

One World Under Doom #1, by Marvel Comics on 2/12/25, presents Doctor Doom’s arrival on the world stage when he announces all world leaders have given their loyalty to him. What are the Avengers supposed to do now?

---

Is One World Under Doom #1 Good?

Recap

At the end of last year’s Blood Hunt event, Doctor Strange was foolishly tricked into turning over the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme to Doctor Doom, hoping the perennial villain would stop the Vampire Apocalypse. Doom stopped the vampires, but he decided to hold onto the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. This is his story.

Plot Synopsis

After six months sequestered inside an impenetrable shield around Latveria, Doctor Doom emerges to deliver a press conference to Earth. All world leaders have agreed to cede authority to Doctor Doom as the absolute ruler. In exchange for their loyalty, the countries will become city-states under a global United Latveria and continue to rule as they see fit as long as two edicts are immediately implemented.

First, all wars stop. Second, all city-states will implement universal healthcare and education for all.

So sayeth, Doom.

The Avengers decide a response is needed, but before they can mount an offensive, Black Widow reports Baron Zemo and the Forces of Hydra have already arrived on the border of Latveria to stage an attack. The Hydra army penetrates the force field and disappears. A short time later, Doom begins another transmission with Baron Zemo to proclaim Doom was right and that all Hydra agents will peacefully cooperate in implementing Doom’s plans for building schools and hospitals.

The Avengers can’t believe it’s not a trick, so they head to Latveria to stage their attack against a flying Doom city hovering above Latveria. When they bust through the defenses, kill multiple Hydra agents, and finally attack Baron Zemo, they find Zemo is a Doombot in disguise. Iron Man taps into the same global broadcast signal to warn the citizens that Doom is a liar.

Unfortunately, the plan backfires. Without a leader, the Hydra agents run wild and kill indiscriminately. Doom arrives atop his Doom T-Rex from another dimension to destroy the Hydra agents and restore order. He uses the incident to explain he lied to get Hydra armies to cooperate with his peaceful plan, but thanks to Avengers interference, the peaceful transition is shattered, and Hydra must be put down by force.

The issue ends with Doom extending the magnanimous hand of peace in the face of the Avengers violence.

First Impressions

When this title was first announced, and Ryan North was named the writer, my first reaction was, “Oh, no.” After reading One World Under Doom #1, it appears those concerns were justified. North has an earned reputation for latching onto an idea, concept, or message with the tenacity of a dog on a bone while frequently missing silly little things like plot holes. To get the obvious out of the way, this issue is a clear statement on authoritarianism in politics, Nazis, and all the grating talking points you can’t turn left, right, or center without getting smacked in the face with. Is One World Under Doom #1 about President Trump? Maybe… Probably, but that depends on your interpretation. Either way, this issue is, in a word, annoying.

How’s the Art?

Regardless of the content, R.B. Silva delivers a pristine set of visuals for the plot’s mix of dramatic dialog, Nazi-killing action, and explosive demonstration of powers. Some of the finer details look odd (e.g. Captain America’s helmet and human faces in the wide shots), but on the whole, this issue looks great.

What’s great about One World Under Doom #1?

The high point of this issue is the fake-out that eventually puts the Avengers back on their heels. When the Avengers unmask Baron Zemo, they believe they’ve got Doom in a corner, but it turns out to be part of Doom’s plan all along. Ryan North’s clever twist almost makes this issue worth the cover price… almost.

What’s not great about One World Under Doom #1?

The big letdowns of One World Under Doom #1 fall into two buckets.

First, there’s a shocking lack of setup, introduction, or pretext. Doom simply arrives out of the blue to explain the world is different, but you never see how any turnover would be possible or at least reach a point of plausibility. It would have worked better with a montage of the world leaders announcing their agreement to cede to Doom. Instead, the beginning, and some of the following aspects like a floating city and the arrival of T-Rex Doom, come out of nowhere.

Second, the political overtones of current year events are delivered with all the subtlety of getting smacked in the face with a brick wrapped in sandpaper. North likely had an early draft that depicted Doctor Doom appearing on camera wearing a green cap embossed with the words Make Latveria Great Again. Truly, you’ll lose count of the number of times the dialog includes the word Nazi or makes references to WWII, and it’s even more obnoxious than it sounds. If this is the most creative North can get, this series is in for a rough time.

---

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Final Thoughts

One World Under Doom #1 elevates Doctor Doom, the current Sorcerer Supreme, to Emperor of the World with an action-packed script and an impressive Doom twist by the end. Unfortunately, Ryan North’s lack of a plausible setup and obnoxiously blaring allusions to current-day politics kill the enjoyment factor.

5.5/10

---

We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media: 

Connect With Us Here: Weird Science DC Comics / Weird Science Marvel Comics

If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.

Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com

---

As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.