Marvel Comics Completely Reinvents Its Greatest Rivalry in the Best Way Possible

Marvel Comics has officially launched its new Midnight Universe imprint, promising some of the most terrifying and visceral reinterpretations of the company’s greatest heroes. One of the first groups to be reimagined is the superhero team that revitalized Marvel Comics in the 1960s: the Fantastic Four. Midnight Fantastic Four is a terrifying comic that blends Marvel’s First Family with Lovecraftian horror. But no Fantastic Four story is complete without the greatest rivalry in comics history: Mr. Fantastic vs. Doctor Doom. And with the release of Midnight Fantastic Four #1, Marvel promises the best reimagining of Richard and Doom’s eternal feud.

The rivalry between Mr. Fantastic and Doctor Doom has shaped much of the Marvel Universe. Despite Doom’s claims that he wants to help the world by ruling it, almost all his schemes are meant to show off, directly or indirectly, his superiority over the leader of the Fantastic Four. With Avengers: Doomsday promising to bring this feud to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in December, Marvel is starting a new chapter in their bad blood.

Midnight Mr. Fantastic Created Doctor Doom

In the main Marvel Universe, Doctor Doom grew to hate his college classmate Richards when he warned Doom that his latest experiment was too dangerous. Doom ignored Richard’s warnings, and the experiment literally blew up in Doom’s face, not only scarring him, but also causing him to be expelled. Since then, Doom has blamed Richards for these injuries and has dedicated his life to proving his intellectual superiority over his former roommate. But where Doom’s motivations are laughably petty and nonsensical in Earth-616, the start of Doom and Richard’s feud is far more believable and tragic.

In the Midnight Universe, Richards is still a brilliant scientist who wants to unlock the universe’s secrets, but his methods are far riskier, and he’s addicted to mysterious pills. Most surprisingly, Victor isn’t Richards’ classmate, but instead a grad student and Richard’s assistant. Not only that, but Victor begs Richards to let him help with his newest experiment: a giant gateway to another dimension later named the Negative Zone. But in his hyper-focused and pill-induced state, Richards fails to notice Victor resetting the gateway’s connection. So, when Richards absentmindedly activates the gateway, Victor is all but incinerated and reduced to a charred skeleton. When asked what he saw, all Victor can say is “Hell.”

Whereas traditionally Richard is completely blameless in Doom’s accident, the Midnight Universe puts the blame squarely on his shoulders. Richard’s carelessness caused his young protégé to be traumatized both by the damage done to his body and the horrors he glimpsed in the Negative Zone. What makes this event even more tragic is that the two were close friends before the accident, with Victor believing in Richards when others didn’t. And instead of being an egomaniac from the start, Victor was originally a kind man before becoming a victim of Richard’s obsession. Victor’s newfound hatred will be charged not by envy, but by maddening rage and a desire for vengeance. Moving forward, Victor will embody Richard’s greatest shame and regret.

The Fantastic Four Now Faces Two Doctor Dooms

Richard’s responsibility in creating Doom isn’t the only major change the Midnight Universe gave the Fantastic Four’s archenemy. Sometime after the accident, Doom is brought to Latveria, where arcane magic and science bring him back to life like Frankenstein’s Monster. And the person responsible for his resurrection is none other than his mother, Cynthia von Doom. And like any mother, she’s more than interested in finding out what caused her son’s condition. Now, the Fantastic Four will face the wrath of two Doctor Dooms.

Ironically, Midnight Universe Cynthia looks more like traditional versions of her evil son, with her sporting a green cloak, a medieval-inspired suit of armor, and a mask. Her role in resurrecting her son is also a clever spin on her main universe counterpart. In the Earth-616 continuity, Cynthia was a witch Mephisto dragged to Hell. The experiment that Victor was conducting in college that led to his disfigurement was a teleportation device that would have allowed him to travel to Hell and save his mother’s soul. So, in both continuities, Cynthia played a role in creating Doctor Doom. With Cynthia’s mastery of the mystic arts, she herself has all the makings of a mighty Doctor Doom.

Obviously, the idea of a mother-and-son Doctor Doom duo is a terrifying concept that only adds to the unspeakable eldritch horrors the Midnight Fantastic Four will soon face. Victor working with his mother is a fascinating idea that’s never been explored in comics before, and it has a lot of potential for awesome, tragic, and heartfelt moments. Their hatred stems not from shallow pride and selfishness, but from the hurt and anger Richard’s carelessness caused. In trying to unlock the universe’s secrets, Richards introduced some of the greatest villains to the Midnight Universe.

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