Published: February, 1966
“Enter…Dr. Doom!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Sam Rosen
I had christened last month’s issue of The Avengers “the most exciting, compelling and complex Marvel Comics story I have read to date.” So it may be unrealistic to expect this issue to be just as good. After all, everything can’t be “the best.” The moment another “best” comes along, the original “best” gets knocked out of place. But unfortunately, this issue left me more than moderately disappointed, and no disrespect, but I’m looking squarely at the credit “Stan Lee, Writer!”
Oh, how I hate to say that! I understand there are some in Marvel Fandom who credit Jack Kirby with a lot of the creative energy in these early comics that’s traditionally attributed to Stan Lee. I don’t know enough about the behind-the-scenes story to agree or disagree with this theory, but I do know that the name Stan Lee has endured for decades and in most circles he is considered the creative force behind Marvel Comics. I’m in that camp. And wouldn’t it be great to believe in a fairy-tale world where Stan could do no wrong? I would like to believe that, but I live in the real world, and all I’m doing here is calling it as I see it. This issue is not his greatest achievement.
Now. As everyone knows, when you have a bunch of bad news to deliver, you generally start with a couple of positive points to put your audience in a better frame of mind. So let’s begin with a couple of things this issue does very well.
A TORTUROUS RIDDLE
First, very early in the story, Dr. Doom revisits the question of whether Kang is his descendant, or if in fact they might be…the same…exact…person…Hmmmmmm… I can’t claim to understand this quandary, but I applaud Marvel for raising the question once 
again, not letting it die on the heap of loose plot threads. I anticipate that, with this dilemma now coming up twice, we will run into it again. And when that happens, it will be fun to see what Marvel does with it.
CAN OF WORMS
Next, when the Fantastic Four hears the Avengers are prisoners of their arch-enemy Doctor Doom, they spring into action—but are sidelined when government officials inform them, “We cannot allow private citizens to precipitate a new diplomatic crisis!” This situation so strongly reminds me of the dilemma at the heart of Marvel’s 2016 Captain America: Civil War. It’s amazing to see that as far back as 1966, 
Marvel was willing to contemplate the controversial question of the role of the superhero in organized society. Here, as in Civil War, I can heartily appreciate both viewpoints, and still can’t definitively say I come down on one side or the other. But I applaud Marvel for not shrinking away from this delicate yet very important issue.
Okay, I told you this was coming. As much as I would love to say everything about Marvel Comics constantly thrills me to no end, the truth is…it doesn’t always. And actually, philosophically, that’s a good thing, right? Because if everything were hunky-dory all the time, that would level the playing field so that no particular thing was ever any better than any other particular thing, which means it would all be the same, which means nothing would every really be “best,” it would all just simply…BE. You know what I’m saying. This is my roundabout way of apologizing up front for the negativity I am about to spew, but…sometimes, you just gotta tell the truth, no matter how much it might hurt. So. Now for the bad news…
NAIVETÉ
I’m not buying that Wanda and Pietro instantly take at face value a random letter from a supposed long-lost auntie. I understand a desire to reconnect with kindred souls from the Old Country might be clouding their judgement, but Cap and Hawkeye have no personal motivation for wanting to believe such a thing to be true. And both should be level-headed 
enough to recognize that as superheroes, they might be subject to the nefarious whims of no-good-niks, and can’t necessarily trust every incredible invitation that arrives in the mail.
But furthermore, I don’t understand why Cap and Hawkeye decide to accompany Wanda and Pietro halfway around the world to visit this mysterious person. Of course there has to be some plot point for getting them over there, but but I would have appreciated at least some background for this decision. Perhaps a Latverian journalist wants to do a full-length feature on the Avengers for the Latverian Times? Actually, it doesn’t even need to be that elaborate. It could have simply been mentioned that these hard-working superheroes all felt the need for a little rest and relaxation.
PLAN AHEA D…?
But even if that’s the case, this is the stupidest, most poorly planned trip I’ve ever heard of! Because AFTER the four Avengers are arrested, Cap suddenly remembers that Latveria is ruled by the infamous arch-villain Dr. Doom! Huh?? 
Did they all really travel to a foreign country without first doing at least a little research on their destination? I mean, Russ and I won’t even go to a new restaurant without first checking the website, the menu, reviews on Yelp and Tripadvisor, and also the state-issued Health Department rating! Now granted, the Avengers of the 1960’s do not have access to the wonderful conveniences of the internet, but surely it would have been easy enough to find out before you travel whether your destination is ruled by a benevolent statesman or a power-hungry despot!
UHHH…I FORGET…?
Okay, sorry about this, Stan, but I have another beef. When Hawkeye claims his arrows almost took down Iron Man, you editorially comment, “You’ll have to take our word for it…we forgot which ish it was in!” 
Hello! Was there no catalog of back issues to check? If there was scant time for research, couldn’t you put your Girl Friday on the task?
I’m choosing to believe this little comment is meant only as a joke. But if so, the joke falls flat. Does it hide a deeper truth, that perhaps the Marvel Bullpen does not respect their readers as much as they ought? Maybe because I live in an internet world of conspiracy theories and shameless falsehoods, I’m overreacting—but fact verification seems an extremely vital part of any story—journalistically, or creatively. Either do the work, or don’t mention it at all.
ONE WORD: PLASTICS
Doom covers his little country with a “plastithene dome” designed to protect from nuclear attack. I love the idea of a dome-covered city, but have a hard time believing any technology that contains the root word “plastic” could possibly be strong enough to do what Doom claims. Again, a moment or two of thought could have produced a more realistic alternative. How about…transparent Vibranium?
FROM THE RIDICULOUS TO THE SUBLIME
While Dr. Doom is the despot of a very small nation that he refers to as “this remote comic-opera kingdom,” he aspires to rule “all mankind.” I know he’s a formidable villain, and villains can’t help but want to rule all mankind, but I wonder if he’s overestimating his past work experience? Sort of sounds like me saying, “Hey! I have a smart phone! Why can’t I be the CEO of T-Mobile?”
IN CONCLUSION…
Finally, (and then I’ll shut up, I promise), the title of this adventure promises so much…yet delivers so little. In bright yellow letters: the unmatched AVENGERS! In a ragged red starburst: Enter DR. DOOM! With all these heavyweights, surely something exciting will happen. But once you get past the convenient naiveté and senseless attempts to make sense, there’s a bit of fighting (as one would expect) that ultimately ends with Doom sneezing inside his metal mask. What a mess! For him, of course, but also for the story.
Really. In the end, it’s a sneeze that saves the day. And the story is over. The Avengers go home, and Doom apparently goes back to dreaming up other ways to get back at the Fantastic Four. This was an opportunity to set up a whole new enmity between Doom and another powerful team of superheroes, but after this fiasco, I almost have to wonder…will that ever happen?
I’m choosing to believe Stan and his crew were so busy writing the epic multi-issue, multi-level story that came directly before this one, and also planning what will hopefully be another blockbuster on the other side. Maybe this one-shot was simply a space filler, hastily thrown in to provide more time for the more impressive stories that are sure to follow.
As a college football fan, I’m reminded of the “cupcake” your team plays right before the big rivalry game. Sure, coaches will talk the big talk about how important every game is, how no opponent should ever be underestimated, but honestly…? Cupcake Week is simply a time to focus on planning for the major rivalry game that inevitably follows. 
Nobody spends a lot of time and effort thinking and planning for the cupcake. This story feels like that. But it’s okay. Because Marvel Comics obviously didn’t go on to survive another 58 years by continuously baking cupcakes like this one.
| Want to read this comic on your computer? Marvel has a scan! Want to own the story? Buy the Masterworks! |
Hi Chrissy,
First, delighted to see you back! After nothing new showed up in September, I’ll admit I was a little worried.
As for this particular story … yeah, I think you about nailed it. The strongest memory I have of this issue is actually a trivia contest back in the summer of 2003. There had been a “Fan vs. Pro” trivia contest for about 5-10 years by then, and I was lucky enough to join the fan team this particular year. The question that’s relevant here was “In AVENGERS #25, the team decided to visit Latveria. Why weren’t they worried about encountering Doctor Doom?” I guessed that Doom was presumed dead at the time, since that seemed to happen quite a bit, but as you know, the answer is that they just plain forgot Doom was the ruler of Latveria. Pretty much everybody on both teams scoffed at Stan for that one. 🙂
As for the editorial comment you didn’t like … if I remember correctly, they actually *didn’t* have any sort of back issue catalog at the time. They didn’t start keeping one until a bit later down the line. I don’t know if that helps at all, but it’s more data.
Keep up the great work!
Tim, I love when you say “Pretty much everybody on both teams scoffed at Stan for that one.” It helps me feel I am not being exceptionally picky about details (which, I admit, I sometimes am…) Going back to my theme of restaurants, one of my pet peeves is when you call a restaurant to ask about their hours, and the person answering the phone says, “Uhhh….hold on a minute…” and gets someone else to come to the phone! WHY are you having employees who don’t know the most BASIC information answering the phone??!! I figure it’s sort of like that with superheroes—an essential requirement of their “profession” is to stay as up to date as possible on where all the world’s supervillains are located! Am I wrong??
Okay, now that I’ve got that off my chest, I want to say how sweet it was of you to be worried when I didn’t show up here in September. Frankly, sometimes I’m not sure anyone is reading this blog at all, so it’s nice to be missed.
But with that in mind, as I’ve now been retired over a year and a half, I am more and more enjoying a lifestyle largely outside the influence of clocks and calendars, living more by Inspiration rather than Obligation. So, though I remain committed to reviewing the Silver Age, these blog entries (which I’ve been doing pretty much for the last 12 years—except for a 3 ½ year Dark Age beginning in Fall 2016) may not crop up quite as regularly as before.
So at this point, rather than checking the blog at the beginning of each month, it might behoove those who wish to follow along to Subscribe by using the link on the right at the bottom of the “widgets.” And if you do that, you may need to inform your email program to accept emails from chrissy@fantasticzone.net.
Yes, that might be a lot to do, so actually, I would have no problem with anyone continuing to check on a monthly basis. If I don’t have any new content, there’s always plenty of old favorites to revisit!
Thanks, Tim, for being a loyal reader, and thanks also to anyone else who has read and supported me over the years! 😊
Thank you Tim for subscribing, and also for implying that I should trademark the phrase “Living By Inspiration,” but I just checked and someone already has that website. In fact, I’m sure multiple people do, under various headings. Right now I’m not looking to document my life…simply to live it. And as for there being more time to do Marvelous Zone, right now I have too many other things on my plate to fall back into this headfirst. Lots going on, I need to catch my breath a little first. But when inspired, I’ll be posting! Thanks again! Chrissy
Thanks, Chrissy — the subscription is a wonderful idea, and something I just signed up for. Enjoy Living By Inspiration (™ pending), and maybe consider taking advantage of your retirement to do these MORE often. They’re fun, right? 🙂
(And while I don’t think I get as peeved about the restaurant example you gave as you do, I certainly agree that it’s showing crazy poor judgement on the restaurant’s part.)
Frankly, sometimes I’m not sure anyone is reading this blog at all . . .
Andrew “Captain Comics” Smith, on whose site my blog nestles, once observed about one of his own commentless posts, “No response at all is worse than a host of negative comments. Even with critical replies, at least you know that people are reading your stuff.”
Having done my own blog for seventeen years now, I’ve been there, too.
I read your articles, ma’am. Every one. And I look forward to the next one. I comment only infrequently because you usually have covered the subject so well, anything I might add would be superfluous. And I’ve never been fond of small talk.
When I discovered your blog a few years back, I was captivated by the premise: someone looking at the Silver-Age Marvel Comics for the first time, viewing its evolution with fresh eyes. That was the hook. It’s a bonus that you express yourself well and entertainingly.
And there’s a lot more of us out there than just Mr. Lynch and myself, I’d bet my pension on it.
Thanks Commander Benson, your comments make me feel better. And “betting your pension on it” gave me a little chuckle! Since you’ve done your own blog for 17 years, I feel quite confident that you completely understand how there are ups and downs in the process. I appreciate your support over so many years. Thanks again so much! Chrissy
In seventeen years, as I said, I’ve been there—at both ends. I’ve posted columns to nothing but crickets chirping. And I’ve posted columns that resulted in ten or twelve pages of discussion. Those are the fun ones.
Over the years, I’ve come across instances where something I wrote has been cited, on sites I’ve never seen before. Most of the time, the author has credited me in the quotation; a few times, I wasn’t, and the writer passed it off as his own work. I’ve seen myself hailed as a “Silver-Age expert” by posters with whom I’ve never exchanged so much as a “Hello”. And on one occasion, DC expert Mark Waid came to me with a Silver-Age question.
While it’s enjoyable to be a minor (very minor) celebrity, the real reason I’ve maintained my blog for seventeen years (and have been a major contributor to another site for fourteen years) is simply because I enjoy writing. It’s the only field in which I possess any inspiration. There’s nothing more satisfying to me than to sit down with just a germ of an idea for a Deck Log entry, and then watch it grow and develop into a solid article.
Occasionally, I’ll go back through those hundreds of articles, and when I find one that’s particularly creative, I can’t believe that I was the one who wrote it. And I never stop polishing and revising. I’ve looked at old stuff I’ve written and find a grammatical mistake or come up with a way to write a passage better, and I’ll make the changes—even though nobody will likely ever see them but me.
Recently, on the Captain Comics site, I discovered that all of the art from my 2010-to-2018 columns had dropped out. (Some glitch in the server, I’m told.) And I’ve spent the last few weeks restoring it. It’s not difficult, but it is labourious. Yet, it’s had a left-handed benefit. I’ve learnt much about the sizing and placement of art in these last ten years or so. So the restored columns are improved. And in re-reading them, I’ve been able to polish my writing. So, while it’s a pain, it’s also gratifying.
I’ve blathered on about this because I sense that you have the same feeling about writing. That the main reason you’ve produced your blog is because you enjoy writing. The creativity, the process. And that’s why your stuff is so enjoyable to read. It makes a difference. Case in point, I’m more entertained by a performer of mediocre talent who’s obviously having a good time on stage because he loves what he does than I am by one of incredible talent but who is only going through the motions for a paycheque.
I would encourage you not to let the lack of response cause you to quit writing, but somehow, I don’t think it will.