REVIEW: Enemies Become Allies In 'One World Under Doom #3'
- Sarah Angelo-Haight
- a few seconds ago
- 3 min read
One World Under Doom is the flagship title of the sprawling comic event of the same name. As a refresher: Doctor Victor Von Doom has managed to declare himself not only Sorcerer Supreme, but also Emperor of Earth. With little public resistance, Doom extends his reign from his home country of Latveria across the globe. Entwining with titles such as The Insurgent Iron Man and Dr. Strange of Asgard, One World Under Doom brings together both heroes and villains to fight against Doom’s machinations.
Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for ‘One World Under Doom #3’.
It’s always entertaining to see the “enemy of my enemy is my friend” trope play out, and this issue is no different, the subtitle of The Devil We Know apt as the Avengers (consisting of Sam Wilson, Carol Danvers, Tony Stark, Thor, Storm, Wanda Maximoff, and Vison) team up with a cabal of villains including M.O.D.O.K., Otto Octavius, Arcade, Mysterio, Baron Mordo, and the Goblin Queen.
As expected, no one is particularly happy about this arrangement. The heroes’ egos are bruised by having to call in the morally questionable calvary. Thor in particular, perhaps expectedly, takes offense to Anthem’s taunts. This is exactly the kind of defeat that rankles Thor: the one that can’t easily be fixed. There is no easy answer of how to wrest control from Doom’s fingers, and part of his tactics is to get anyone who could oppose him fighting amongst themselves and simply ignoring anyone else attempting to take action.
Sound familiar?
One World Under Doom is a somewhat heavy-handed allegory, similar to 2016’s limited Vote Loki run. The message is clear: complacency has allowed Doom to ascend to ultimate power and now the populace is realizing the cost. The media is pro-Doom, and there is not as much push back from the global population as one might hope would happen when a tyrant takes control.
Of course, Doom has contingency plans in place in case the world leaders he holds under his sway are released. Forcing the team to decide whether to follow through with their plan or handle the breakout at the Raft is the ultimate catch-22. The Avengers and their villainous helpers will be held responsible no matter what. They failed to keep Doom out of power in the first place and now every attempt they make to usurp him is met with countermeasures.
It’s hard to parse the lies Doom has told from the truth of what is happening with his rule. It’s also difficult to keep track of all of the side missions and plots among those opposing him. What is easy to see, however, is how important it is to rise up against tyranny, especially when Doom, with the help of the media, is able to twist the actions taken on the Raft to make it seem as though it was the Avengers and their allies in the wrong the whole time. This spate of “alternative facts” is familiar and frustrating to see work both in-story and in the real world.
One World Under Doom #3 ends with a reminder that there are worse entities than Doom. The self-proclaimed Emperor has garnered the attention of the dread Dormammu and now the fate of all of the cosmos in the balance. It’s unclear how things will continue to play out, but undoubtedly there will be more lessons about fighting all forms of tyranny.
Rating: ★★★★☆
About One World Under Doom #3
Release Date: April 23, 2025
Written by: Ryan North
Art by: R.B. Silva
Cover by: Ben Harvey
Page Count: 25
Synopsis: The Avengers have faced Doom...and they LOST. But Earth still needs avenging - and it's not just the heroes who dislike having Doom in charge. And so heroes and villains unite against Doom, intent on taking him down once and for all! But that's not all: A simultaneous magic attack reveals the shocking truth of HOW Doom took over the world - with terrifying implications for how others might - or might not - take it from him. However, Doom's mind - vast and cool and unsympathetic - is not the only one regarding Earth with envious eyes...