There’s a very interesting five-issue mini-series coming from Marvel starting in September, and it will feature the Black Panther, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and Doctor Doom.
WHAT’S COMING?
Yes, Doctor Doom had control of the world for a while before he died. Now, Doom is in Hell, and he’s meeting two other important Marvel characters there—Black Panther and Namor.
Here is the solicitation for this book:
>>BLACK PANTHER/NAMOR: DOOMED #1 (OF 5)
Written by ETHAN S. PARKER & GRIFFIN SHERIDAN
Art by STEFANO NESI
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
On Sale 9/2
BLACK PANTHER AND NAMOR JOIN FORCES TO DEFEND THEIR KINGDOMS FROM DEMONIC INVASION IN BLACK PANTHER/NAMOR: DOOMED! BLACK PANTHER AND NAMOR TRAPPED IN HELL…WITH DOOM!!! Black Panther and Namor must investigate Hell when Wakanda and Atlantis are attacked by demons! But once there, these rival kings discover they aren’t alone, as they cross paths with the wandering soul of Doctor Doom!<<
All of this will be coming out of the Avengers: Armageddon event, proving that you just can’t keep a good villain down. Also, this is yet another example that death is only temporary in the comic books!
Here’s a little more about the book from a Marvel news release:
>>”The saga spins out of Avengers: Armageddon, where the pair (Black Panther and Namor) take part in the Avengers’ explosive battle with Red Hulk, and Captain America, where Doctor Doom was recently revealed to be in Hell following his death in One World Under Doom. Testing their uneasy bond like never before, T’Challa and Namor embark on a supernatural quest to the underworld to confront Doom after their respective kingdoms are attacked by demonic forces. What the two proud leaders discover about the nature of the threat—and about themselves—will topple the monarchies of the Marvel Universe forever.<<
“Truly, we feel like the most fortunate writers on Earth to get to tell stories with any of the iconic heroes from the limitless sandbox of the Marvel Universe, let alone icons as monumental as T’Challa, Namor, and Victor Von Doom,” Parker said recently. “Black Panther is one of the coolest and most inspiring figures in all of fiction, and the Sub-Mariner’s iconic rivalry with him as one of the founding members of Marvel dating back to 1939 is the most hilarious and compelling dynamic we could hope to put our own personal spin on. We can’t wait to show readers the unimaginable dangers that lie ahead in this bold new era.”
Sheridan also has said, “T’Challa, Namor, and Doom are among the richest characters comics have to offer. Not only are all three of them iconic in their own right, but the interpersonal relationships they have with each other seem to be an endless wellspring for enthralling stories. These are colossal characters, so we’re throwing a story with colossal stakes at them – a story that finds Black Panther, Sub-Mariner, and Doctor Doom all in unique, new roles within the Marvel Universe. For those reasons and many others, working on DOOMED has been a real privilege.”
A DIFFERENT TEAM-UP
At times, all three of these characters—I don’t think they should be called “heroes”—have had their times in the sun. Namor, from World War II, has been up and down, been a ruler to a nomad to a foe of the Fantastic Four. He’s even been like a millionaire Lex Luthor, clad in a dark suit, just to name another incarnation.
I’ve always been a fan of Namor, often supporting his occasional mini-series where he has been in the future or in the past. He’s been noble, he’s been uncertain, he’s been in love (with Lady Dorma), and he’s been lost in New York City where the Human Torch found him and gave him a shave so we could all recognize him. He also has only worn his green trunks to his black tights, among other costumes.
I would still like to see him finally get a comic that works for him and brings him back to his original status as a powerhouse in the Marvel Universe. Will this comic do that? Only time will tell.
Then, too, the Black Panther has been going through his own ups-and-downs in the MCU. He started out as a ruler in Wakanda, then he was an Avenger, then he was fighting a weird version of the Black Knight who, somehow, became some kind of Christian apologist who used his sword to take down people who didn’t agree with his beliefs. These days, he’s stepped mostly into the shadows and also, like Namor, needs are revitalization in Marvel.
Doctor Doom, who is probably THE biggest villain in the House of Ideas, actually got to live out his fantasies of running the entire world. Now, I’m no predictor of the future, but even I was able to see that this couldn’t last long. I get a kick out of the fact that, even in Hell, Doom apparently has to wear his metal facemask. I guess that’s what makes Doom, well, Doom, after all.
Speaking of being in charge, Doom was the ruler of Latvia for decades in the MCU. Victor now faces that weird time in a comics character’s life—you got what you always wanted, now what?
Will Doom go back to wanting to run the world after he had all that and lost it? Will he decide to “go good” now that he’s seen the results of his ambitions? Will he actually JOIN the Fantastic Four instead of fighting them? Hey, it’s comics—anything can happen!
What intrigues me most is that these three have something in common—they have been large and in charge in their own respective realms. Namor ruled Atlantis, the Panther in charge of Wakanda, and Doom over Latveria and even the world. Are they going to be among the “common people” since they’ve lost their “lordship” over their people?
Of course, having experience at being a ruler can be something of value in the MCU. Did they do it well? Probably not, but they can have learned what NOT to do as well as what they should have done. Maybe they can switch places, putting Namor in charge of Wakanda and Panther over Atlantis could be something interesting to see. Doom? Well, he’s had it ALL, literally, so he just might end up running Hell, given his previous ambitions.
Now, their being in Hell usually implies that they have some payment to make because of their previous “sins,” as it were.
IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW TEAM?
Since they have so much in common, maybe they will find that they actually have a certain amount of understanding with each other. If that’s the case, and they know how to get along, could this be a new version of the Defenders or some such group?
It would make sense to me since they do have quite a lot of shared experiences in their pasts. Also, the Defenders are not functioning at this time, and Marvel is always a place where revisiting the past can work. Look at the “New Avengers,” once the Thunderbolts. They could turn their abilities into strengths and help their own statuses in the MCU.
Of course, this is all speculation on my part, but I wouldn’t mind seeing it take place. I’m a team-book kind of guy, loving it when characters work with each other while revealing aspects of their own personalities. Three huge egos competing for who is running the Defenders and deciding what challenges to take on? I’d like to see that!
Still, it looks like most of this book will take place in Hell, so I’m not exactly sure what this will all mean. Will they travel the various levels of Hell? Will they actually run into the Devil? Has Doom already taken over this Lower Place? Hey, give him a chance, and he’ll be running the place, after all!
So, let your local comics shop know if you want to see what these three will be up to in the months ahead! I’ll be there, for sure!
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