Major Villain Makes Surprising Return To Marvel Universe

Things seemed bad enough for Victor Von Doom when he believed he was fighting an evil version of his archenemy Reed Richards, but the truth just turned out to be much, much worse.

Spoilers for Infamous Iron Man #11 follow.

In recent issues of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev’s Infamous Iron Man, Victor Von Doom’s attempt to take over Tony Stark’s mantle has put him up against someone who looks and acts like Reed Richards, who hasn’t been seen since Secret Wars, and has been spending time with Doom’s apparently resurrected mother.

No one questioned the appearance of this new Reed Richards. It was easy to assume he was just another manifestation of the Maker, the evil Reed Richard from the Ultimate Marvel Universe whose consciousness was spread across the multiverse in the aftermath of Secret Wars.

It turns out that’s not the case. In Infamous Iron Man #11, Doom finds himself in SHIELD custody. Doctor Strange pays him a visit and the two try to get to the bottom of what has been happening with Richards, Doom, and Doom’s mother. What they discover is much worse than they expected.

This supposed Reed Richards isn’t the Maker or any Reed Richards at all, but Mephisto, the lord of hell and essentially the devil of the Marvel Universe.

Here’s Mephisto’s big reveal:

Mephisto and Doom have been long been rivals, ever since Mephisto captured the soul of Doom’s mother. For years, Doom issued an annual challenge to Mephisto in order to win his mother’s soul back but always lost. He managed to free his mother’s soul with the help of Doctor Strange (in Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment) but now it seems that its time for a rematch, as Mephisto is determined to make sure that Doom does not redeem himself and avoid a trip to hell.

The story will conclude in Infamous Iron Man #12, releasing on Sept. 27.

Infamous Iron Man #12
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(W) Brian Michael Bendis (A/CA) Alex Maleev
• The epic climax to one of the most critically acclaimed stories of the year! With enemies on all sides, how can Victor Von Doom continue to carry on the legacy of Iron Man…especially when the legacy of Doctor Doom still haunts him at every turn?
• Don’t miss this very special issue, as its events will have massive repercussions for the rest of the Marvel Universe!
Rated T+
In Shops: Sep 27, 2017
SRP: $3.99