Reed Richards Just Exposed Doom's Darkest Secret - And it May Have Cost Him Everything

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Doctor Doom isn't the bad guy. At least, that's what he wanted everyone to think in One World Under Doom thus far. But that status quo got a major shakeup in this week's issue of the Marvel Comics event, which returned after a month-long hiatus, fresh off the heels of a show-stealing presentation at San Diego Comic-Con.

Marvel is conspicuously keen to put Doom in stories where he tries to defy his name ahead of Robert Downey Jr.'s debut in the role. One World Under Doom #6 saw this very debate—is the world better off under Doom's control?— take its most literal form. Reed Richards summons Doom for a public verbal contest, asking Doom to convince him, the smartest man in the Marvel Universe, of just that. With the event's conclusion coming up soon in issue #8, the pressure on the new Sorcerer Supreme is rising; his facade tumbling down. But as the storied rivals waxed philosophical, Doctor Doom's more recent history was coming back to haunt him.

Doctor Doom's Real Plan for the Marvel Universe Revealed

The entire One World Under Doom event kicked off with Doom achieving peace in Latveria and using that as proof of concept. This, coupled with his role in preventing a vampire apocalypse in Blood Hunt, would prove enough to earn the trust of the Avengers​​​​​. But an injured Maria Hill's return in One World Under Doom #5, promising the Earth's Mightiest Heroes to show them Doom's ugly secret, was just the thing to launch Doom's downfall.

Hill was last seen reforming SHIELD (this time the Super-Human Intelligence Extra-Legal Division) way back in Fantastic Four #7 (2023), ironically keeping tabs on the Richards family. In her One World Under Doom #6 comeback, she and Richards use the Doom debate as a distraction to infiltrate the "peaceful" Latverian nation, where they reveal its citizens are imprisoned, siphoned of life force to keep said "peace" and keep Doom powerful. Both Fantastic Four and One World Under Doom are by Ryan North, so it's safe to say he's had this SHIELD play in his arsenal for a while.

The plan works, but enrages the powerful Marvel villain. In a stunningly depicted moment by artist R.B. Silva, Doom, realizing he has been outed for the evil mastermind he is, seemingly rips open Mr. Fantastic's skull. The public broadcast of their debate—and the comic issue—ends before Reed's fate is confirmed. Doom's fate, however, as officially disqualified as the leader of Earth, seems sealed.

One World Under Doom #6 is available at all comic book stores now, with #7 dropping September 10, 2025.