Warning: contains potential spoilers for Namor the Sub-Mariner: Conquered Shores #3!Although Doctor Doom and Reed Richards' Mister Fantastic are the bitterest of enemies, Marvel just showed there's a future where the two finally unite as a team. The rivalry between the two is the stuff of Marvel legend, having been the driving force behind many classic stories. Now, in a preview for Namor the Sub-Mariner: Conquered Shores #3, readers learn just what Doom and Mister Fantastic could have accomplished if they had only put their differences aside earlier. The issue goes on sale in print and digital December 21.
The series is set in an apocalyptic future where a Kree invasion force created an environmental catastrophe - one that raised Earth's sea levels. As the preview opens, Namor and Luke Cage travel to Doom’s castle in Latveria, now underwater. On the way there, Namor tells Cage that after the Kree devastated the planet’s climate, Doom and Mister Fantastic called a truce - and between the two of them fought to solve the climate crisis the Kree caused. The issue was written by Christopher Cantwell, drawn by Pasqual Ferry, colored by Matt Hollingsworth and lettered by Joe Caramagna.
Although it may seem hard to believe, Doctor Doom and Mister Fantastic were once good friends. Doom and Reed Richards were roommates in college, and were best friends until Doom’s accident, which left him bitter and with a deep-seated hatred for Reed Richards, who he blamed rather than face his own mistakes. This anger led Doom to drop out of college and travel the world, learning both dark magic and forbidden science - and ultimately becoming one of comics’ greatest villains. At times, Doom and Richards have been uneasy allies, but their relationship is almost always antagonistic. Despite this, if any two people could work together to save the world, it's Doom and Mister Fantastic - something the Kree realized, sending assassins to cut them down before they could fully bring the world back from the brink.
Mr. Fantastic & Doctor Doom Are the Ultimate Team
But now, in a future where all hope is lost, Marvel shows just what Doctor Doom and Richards are capable of if they put their heads together. In this timeline, the Kree devastated Earth’s climate, but Doctor Doom and Mister Fantastic put their differences aside and fixed it. It seems amazing and a little unbelievable this would even happen - a fact Luke Cage acknowledges. It also raises the question: what if, in the main Marvel timeline, Doom and Mister Fantastic could do the same? How could they change the world? They solved a serious climate crisis in one timeline, and it stands to reason they could do the same in others - and they would not stop there. If Doctor Doom could swallow his pride and admit Mister Fantastic means him no harm, the two would be capable of so much.
Yet, in the main timeline, this is not the case, and instead Doctor Doom and Mister Fantastic’s rivalry has caused a great deal of grief and suffering. Both of them are equals in intellect and both have their pride - but Doom’s pride is greater, which ultimately led to their rift. The gulf that exists between Doctor Doom and Mister Fantastic is a big one - and a tragic one as well - but now fans at least know what it would take for them to work together.
Namor: Conquered Shores #3 is on sale December 21 from Marvel Comics!