Doom Used the Craziest Magic Ever (But Will It Really Work?)

One World Under Doom #5 is a wild issue, but that’s par for the course for this book. Doctor Doom was able to become Sorcerer Supreme at the end of Blood Hunt, and that power gave him the chance to finally fulfill what he sees as his destiny. Doom has taken over the world, and gotten civilians on his side by forcing the governments of the world to actually take care of their people. Doom has been able to stop the heroes every time they’ve tried to depose him, but he met his match in issue #4 when Dormammu attacked the Earth. One World Under Doom #5 kicks off with the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men teaming with Doom to battle the lord of the Dark Dimension, leading to him to using magic that should be impossible.

The battle against Dormammu sees the heroes take the brunt of the villain’s attention, giving Doom the time he needs to rebuild himself after Dormammu nearly killed him in issue #4. Readers had already learned that Doom allowed the spells that Doctor Strange set up to hold back Dormammu to lapse, but he changes all of that in issue #5. However, Scarlet Witch immediately recognizes the kind of magic he’s using and questions Doom’s use of it. That leads to the most Doom moment ever, as Doom reveals how he’s succeeded in getting rid of Dormammu forever.

Doom Uses Forever-Magic to Get Rid of Dormammu

Doom was basically completely destroyed by Dormammu in issue #4. Dormammu separated him from the Eye of Agamotto, taking away Doom’s best weapon against Dormammu. He destroyed Doom’s armor, and broke nearly every bone in Doom’s arms and legs. Doom cast three spells to use against Dormammu before the fight began, the most important of which sent his Doombots to the Dark Dimension to free the heroes Dormammu imprisoned there. The heroes’ return gave Doom the chance to convalesce and quickly regain his strength, which led to Doom using the powers of the Sorcerer Supreme to get rid of Dormammu. The heroes immediately think that Doom must have killed Dormammu, but that wasn’t the case at all. Doom created a spell that would hold Dormammu in the Dark Dimension for all of eternity. Scarlet Witch, a rather accomplished student of magic, points out that this is Forever-Magic, and that it shouldn’t be possible for Doom to cast such a spell. Then, Doom reveals the truth behind his spell, showing the reasons behind this whole situation.

From what Scarlet Witch says, Forever-Magic isn’t actually possible for mortals to use, since mortals aren’t forever. However, Doom has gotten around that, because he’s based the spell on whether or not he rules the Earth. Basically, Dormammu can never leave the Dark Dimension as long as Doom rules the Earth. Now, there are definitely a few problems with this. Doom isn’t going to live forever — well, he’s probably not going to live forever but I’m sure he has a plan for that — so the moment he dies, Dormammu can attack. If Doom is deposed, then Dormammu can escape. Suddenly, the revelation that Doom let Strange’s anti-Dormammu spells lapse in One World Under Doom #3 makes completely sense. Doom wanted Dormammu to attack, because he knew that he was the only one who could stop him. He knew exactly what kind of spell he was going to use, and he wanted the heroes there so that he could tell them about his spell. Doom planned this entire situation. He knew that at some point, Dormammu would attack the world. He knew what he would do to stop such an attack, and he knew that he could use this against the heroes. It’s all masterfully played, and shows that Doom’s plan is much more complicated than the heroes could have possibly imagined.

The Heroes Have Played Right into Doom’s Hands

From the moment I read One World Under Doom #3, where Dormammu revealed that the spells that kept him from Earth were allowed to wane to nothing by Doom, I knew it was a part of Doom’s plan. Doom is a master planner, so he engineered this entire situation for several reasons — to show the world that he is their protector, to trick the heroes into helping them again so the civilians would trust him more, and finally to create this spell that would allow him to point to his rulership of the Earth as a good thing. As long as Doom is in change of the world, Dormammu will forever be trapped in the Dark Dimension.

Doom knows that the heroes will never just allow him to rule the world, so he’s put another insurance policy in place. If the heroes want to depose Doom, they can go about it, but it will be an event that rock the world in more ways than one. Dormammu will invade the world, and it will be all the heroes’ fault. It’s a masterful play on Doom’s part, showing that he’s thinking at levels that the heroes can’t even fathom.

One World Under Doom #5 is on sale now.

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