An MCU Villain Just Met their Magical Match

The next big villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have met their match from a burgeoning magical user. The MCU has been in a bit of flux after it decided to pivot away from Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror, but it found a more than suitable replacement in Robert Downey Jr. The former Iron Man actor is trading in his red and gold armor for the green robes and armor of Doctor Doom. The villain will be the antagonist in the next two Avengers films — Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars — and Doom is currently the ruler of the entire world in Marvel’s One World Under Doom. A tie-in to the event puts a new magic user in Doctor Doom’s crosshairs, and it’s safe to say that his interest is now piqued.

WARNING: Spoilers for G.O.D.S.: One World Doom #1 below.

G.O.D.S.: One World Doom #1 is by Ryan North, Francesco Mortarino, Raul Angulo, and VC’s Travis Lanham. It stars Wyn, the avatar for The-Powers-That-Be, and his apprentice Mia DiMaria. They’re characters from Jonathan Hickman and Valerio Schiti’s G.O.D.S. The-Powers-That-Be hold watch over magic, while their opposites, The-Natural-Order-of-Things, are focused on science. What you need to know about G.O.D.S. is that Mia was originally recruited to The-Natural-Order-of-Things by Wyn’s former wife, Aiko. This meant Mia would never harness her magic potential. However, Aiko sacrificed her eyesight to unchain Mia, allowing Mia to become Wyn’s protege.

You might wonder what all this has to do with Doctor Doom. Well, since Mia DiMaria walks between the worlds of magic and science, that puts her on a path very similar to the one walked by Doctor Doom.

Doctor Doom May Have Found a New Magical Apprentice

As part of Doctor Doom’s duties as Sorcerer Supreme, he’s in charge of safekeeping the sun from hellfire-loving demons. Sigils meant to keep the demons away are starting to deteriorate, meaning the sun could die. Wyn, Mia, and Doctor Doom have to travel to the sun’s core to repair the sigils. While there, Doom requests that Mia cast alongside him and even teaches her some hand formations.

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Mia is not confident in her magical abilities, which Doom points out. He says that her magic is stunted, and when Mia tries to explain that it’s due to her magic being clipped, Doom won’t hear any of the excuses. Doctor Doom is already acting like a far superior mentor to Mia than Wyn ever has. Wyn can’t even be bothered to remember Mia’s name, only referring to her as “Apprentice.” Doom tells Mia that she has to have faith in her spellcasting. Magic will only work if the caster believes.

Doctor Doom commands Wyn and Mia to keep the demons at bay while he finishes repairs on the remaining sigils. Doom already shows trust in Mia, and she repays that trust by fighting as if her life depends on it. The demons cast one last spell before they’re vanquished, crippling the protective balloon keeping the raging fire of the sun from burning them alive. Luckily, Doom built a device that will keep them alive for three minutes. Wyn and Doom use some of that time to argue, with Doom deciding to leave the immortal Wyn to burn alive while he teleports himself and Mia back to his castle.

Mia wants Doctor Doom to save Wyn, but all Doom wants in return is for Mia to ask him. She considers it but declines. Mia’s reason is that she doesn’t want to owe a favor to Doctor Doom. If you think about it, that choice by Mia makes a lot of sense. Doom would have a level of power and control over Mia if she were to ever owe him a favor. Instead, Mia uses her own magic to save Wyn. They then decide that if they’re going to work together, it’s going to be as partners, and not as mentor/apprentice.

While we don’t know how One World Under Doom is going to end, we do know that the fallout will involve a search for a new Sorcerer Supreme to replace Doctor Doom. Some of the early candidates are Storm, Gambit, Scarlet Witch, Nico Minoru, Shang-Chi, Captain Marvel, Agatha Harkness, Valeria Richards, Magik, and the Goblin Queen Madelyne Pryor. But you never know… Mia DiMaria may toss her name in as well.