Avengers: Doomsday is still weeks away from filming in London, but Marvel is already all-in on Doctor Doom in the pages of its comics.
The company is in the midst of its One World Under Doom storyline, in which Doctor Doom has taken over the Earth, and The Hollywood Reporter has the first look at the next chapter for the Fantastic Four as they try to unravel the machinations of their chief villain.
Marvel relaunches their adventures with July’s Fantastic Four No. 1, a time-traveling story in which amid a battle with Doom, the four are sent to different eras of Earth’s history. Their only chance to put things right is to reach something called the Forever Stone, a mass of granite that is also one of Earth’s longest-lasting rocks, and is accessible in all time periods. And yes, Ben Grimm fights a dinosaur in these pages.
Writer Ryan North has been training for this moment for awhile. The longtime Fantastic Four scribe has written a book on time travel and is behind Dinosaur Comics.
“But as much as this first story involves dinosaurs and time travel, it’s really about these four remarkable people and the depth of love they have for each other,” North notes. “People often think of the FF in terms of family, and they’re not wrong, but I think there’s something really beautiful about friendship too, and we get to see that with these characters. It’s high-concept science fiction with real emotion. What’s not to like?”
Artist Humberto Ramos adds, “I’ve been lucky to illustrate many of the most iconic superheroes in the universe, but this book felt different from the start. The weight of history and legacy of these characters lay upon your shoulders, no matter who you are or how you’ve worked in this industry.”
This new book follows June’s Fantastic Four No. 33, which is the conclusion of North’s current run.
Says North of what’s to come for the Fantastic Four title: “This book comes in the middle of our One World Under Doom event, so you can be certain that he plays a role in those first few issues – and after that we’ve got science mysteries, monsters, and trips into space.”
Marvel/Umberto Ramos