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Tweak says, "Queer as Tweak!!!"

zechs27 (zechs27) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-06-01 18:54:00

Entry tags:

char: dr. doom/victor von doom, char: human torch/johnny storm, char: invisible woman/susan storm, char: mr. fantastic/reed richards, char: the thing/ben grimm, creator: carlos pacheco, creator: karl kesel, creator: mark bagley, creator: rafael makin, group: fantastic four, publisher: marvel comics, series: week of doom, title: fantastic four

Week of Doom: A Choice of Dooms
Curses. I was working on scanning some more Doom 2099 and remembered something when reading the Unthinkable entry. We lost a great Doom moment from Fantastic Four vol. 3 #54 aka "A Choice of Dooms" that was posted awhile ago. Given it's a week of Doom, now is the perfect time to revisit it.

No commentary between pages, just letting them speak for themselves. This was an 80-page monster back in the day. I remember there was more posted, but on the safe side I'll just be posting just the best bits involving the good Doctor (seven pages max). But heck this was saved on my hard drive and I own the darn story myself and love it.

Just for those wondering where Ben and Reed are at and why the Inhumans are here. Well, a splinter faction of them called the Hidden Ones (think Skrulls and Secret Invasion with them always existing in leadership positions) have made life pretty much hell for Blackbolt and his race. Ben and Reed get tangled when the one targeting the Inhumans imprisons the pair in containment cells meant for villains and then sends a team of Vault Guardsman (all brainwashed to due their bidding) to the Baxter Building. Re-reading this made me wonder. What the heck happened to the Vault Guardsmen? This was like the last story I ever saw of them.

Anyway on top of this all, Sue is pregnant and about to give birth. The last time this happened alas, Sue lost the baby due to her powers and barely lived through the ordeal. As for how Franklin the first child survived, not easily as well. Something about Sue giving birth in the Negative Zone and more. Someone needs to repost that story.

Now with no Reed in sight, Johnny is so desperate, he turns to the one man he only knows who can save both mother and child:

(Post a new comment)

blake_reitz
2009-06-01 09:15 pm UTC (link)

This is one grade-A fantastic story. Art's not half-bad either. Such a great look at Doom, and I love his ever-so-slight expressions when Johnny asks him for help ("Show up Richards? You had to ask?"), and his not so slight expression when he's holding the baby in front of Reed (hell, he's practically glowing.")

I'm also a little sad he wasn't a complete jerk and went on with naming the kid "Dooma" or "Richardsisajerk-a."

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	ex_stig213 2009-06-02 02:44 am UTC (link)
	Even "Victoria" would have been just as good. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	fungo_squiggly 2009-06-01 09:17 pm UTC (link)
	Doom: "I would not be so crass as to name the child 'Dooma,' for instance. No. She shall be called... Reed Richards is an Dolt D. Richards. SO SAYS DOOM!" Reed: mutters "Hate you so much." Doom: "The 'D' stands for 'Doom,' you know." (Reply to this) (Thread)

tanetris
2009-06-02 07:16 am UTC (link)

Doom: "I would not be so crass as to name the child 'Dooma,' for instance. No. She shall be called... Isa."

Reed: "... Fine." Author's note: Reed has made the connection that it is a Teutonic female name meaning "iron" (at least that's what Wikipedia tells me)

Susan: "It's a lovely name, Victor. Thank you."

Blah, blah, blah, Doom's protection, Doom exits.

Reed is presented with the birth certificate which Doom has already had filled out. Reed then discovers that his daughter's full name is "Richards, Isa Failure". Reed mugs for the camera appropriately.

Exterior shot, Doom is walking triumphantly down the street as the speech bubble comes from the upper floors of the building behind him: "DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!"

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	longhairedlady 2009-06-02 02:43 pm UTC (link)
	Oh God, I can't stop laughing. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	lbd_nytetrayn 2009-06-04 02:45 am UTC (link)
	If it was a boy, it would be awesome if he named it "Reed Isa Richards." Think on that one. I figure Reed would either get it instantly, or perhaps never, until someone else caught it. Of course, the "s" kind of messes it up slightly... --LBD "Nytetrayn" (Reply to this) (Parent)

	thehefner 2009-06-02 01:38 pm UTC (link)
	laughing my ass off (Reply to this) (Parent)

fungo_squiggly
2009-06-01 09:27 pm UTC (link)

Also, this? This is perhaps the greatest victory Dr. Doom will EVER have over Reed Richards.

It would be awesome if a recurring thread in Reed/Doom interaction consisted of Doom rubbing Reed's nose in this every so often. "By the way... how is young Valeria doing? Still well, I trust? Good, good."

And hell, he could send her a present on her birthday every year. Always something totally harmless and suitable for a child... and which Reed would have to spend hours studying and disassembling, just to make sure it wasn't boobytrapped. Which it never would be, but always could be.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	starwolf_oakley 2009-06-01 09:51 pm UTC (link)
	A podcast once said that Doom is smarter than Reed Richards and the question is, is Doom only a little smarter than Reed or a lot smarter than Reed. Of course, Doom would say he's a LOT smarter. IMO, Doom is only "smarter" than Reed because Doom isn't hesitant about heading into "man was not meant to know" areas of science and magic. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	aaron_bourque 2009-06-01 09:57 pm UTC (link)
	Actually, I think Reed is smarter than Doom at SCIENCE! but Doom is smarter at EVERTHING ELSE. Reed could never be a sorcerer, nor rule a country, etc. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	thandrak 2009-06-01 11:10 pm UTC (link)
	Reed is, however, ever so slightly wiser than Doom. He knows when to listen to other people. Usually. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	arilou_skiff 2009-06-02 01:58 am UTC (link)
	In essence, Reed has a higher INT and WIS score, but Doom has more class levels? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	aaron_bourque 2009-06-02 10:52 am UTC (link)
	Nah, they could be the same level. Reed has just min/maxed Int/Wis to the exclusion of almost all else. Doom rolled well for all of his stats. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	unknownscribler 2009-06-02 05:20 am UTC (link)
	I don't think Doom is smarter, but that he knows more, for those reasons. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

(Anonymous)
2009-06-04 02:06 am UTC (link)

Reed Richards is the smartest man in the Marvel universe.

There was a gorgeous sequence now lost on s-d that explained why. It was a sequence with Reed speaking quietly to infant Franklin, a sort of bedtime story about how his life came to be this way. He says that in the immediate aftermath of the accident that turned them into freaks, he realized that they would be seen as monsters and hunted down. Instead of hiding, he went public. They wear no masks, they use their real names, they slap a giant logo on the side of their home. He even gave them goofy nicknames like "Mr. Fantastic." It works. Once New York gets to know that giant orange rock monster as Ben Grimm from Yancy St., they're not afraid. That was something he was able to give his family -- if not normalcy, then at least acceptance.

(citing my source: http://kalinara.blogspot.com/2006/01/on-charles-xavier.html)

Doom inspires fear no matter how weakened he might be. Richards inspires trust no matter how much SCIENCE! power he's stumbled into. The latter is harder to do. Richards makes it look easy, which is all the more impressive.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	starwolf_oakley 2009-06-01 09:40 pm UTC (link)
	IIRC, wasn't Valeria supposed to be the same baby from the John Byrne story? It was implied Franklin had somehow used the last vestiges (cool word, vestiges) of his powers to save the baby so Sue was suddenly 8 and 1/2 months pregnant again. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	aaron_bourque 2009-06-01 09:47 pm UTC (link)
	This is why Byrnes must be stopped. I know he had nothing to do with THIS story, but . . . he leads to kids impregnating their mothers. And that's terrible. Aaron "The Mad Whitaker" Bourque; I mean, screw those 40 cake, man. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	starwolf_oakley 2009-06-01 09:55 pm UTC (link)
	I was going to use a "Franklin got his mother pregnant" joke but didn't. Huh. Yeah, technically Franklin just "moved" the baby in time and space. I'll have read FANTASTIC FOUR (vol 3) 49 to check the details. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	sinisterlink 2009-06-01 10:22 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, that's basically how I remember it happening. Very odd. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	kitty_tc_69 2009-06-01 09:48 pm UTC (link)
	IT'S NOT A DOOMA! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	proteus_lives 2009-06-01 11:36 pm UTC (link)
	I just have to say: GO! GET TO THE CHOPPA!!! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	One of the top 5 Doom moments. proteus_lives 2009-06-01 11:37 pm UTC (link)
	Richards can never deny this: He owes the life of his wife and daughter to Doom. (Reply to this)

	angelophile 2009-06-02 04:17 am UTC (link)
	I said it before when I read this and I'll say it again: Damn this is good. (Reply to this)

	joseph_k101 2009-06-02 07:13 am UTC (link)
	Second-to-last panel... Just... man... That sent shivers down my spine when I read it the first time and it still does now. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	sir_mikael 2009-06-02 08:46 am UTC (link)
	Kind of makes u wanna see what happens to the bullies that tries to pick on her in school yes? And any miscreant who dare to not show her proper respect when taking her out on a date. Doom shall put the fear (and possibly spikes) in them. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	sir_mikael 2009-06-02 08:44 am UTC (link)
	What an awesome story. It goes to show how Doom doesn't need to take over the world (which let's face it is never gonna last) in order to win. "Smaller" personal battles are the best and should be more common. Is this collected anywhere by any chance? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	xdoop 2009-06-02 06:54 pm UTC (link)
	http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?id=6815 (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	sir_mikael 2009-06-02 06:59 pm UTC (link)
	Ooh thank you! Going on my to-buy-list. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	eldabe 2009-06-02 10:09 am UTC (link)
	Ooooh, I've always wanted to read this story. Thanks! (Reply to this)