To what lengths will Victor von Doom go to maintain his hold on power? Your Major Spoilers review of One World Under Doom #8 from Marvel Comics awaits!

ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #8

Writer: Ryan North
Artist: R.B. Silva
Colorist: David Curiel
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 15, 2025

Previously in One World Under Doom: Doom has curtailed the world’s freedoms (and its press) in an attempt to hold on to power. He’s attacked on multiple fronts, including Mr. Fantastic battling him magically on the Astral Plane, but it isn’t enough. Doom has won there, and if he continues to win elsewhere, the world will stay under Doom forever.

This is the last chance for the heroes of Earth, and the whole world is watching… including Doom’s beloved goddaughter, Valeria Richards.

THE WINNING OF HEARTS AND MINDS

After the brutal defeat of Mr. Fantastic on the Astral Plane, the assembled forces of The Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four continue to fight against an irritated Emperor Doom. At the same time, Valeria Richards makes a last-ditch attempt to contact “Uncle Doom,” astrally communing as he continues his fight on the physical plane. She tries to talk him off the metaphorical dictator ledge, asking him why he continues to fight when he knows that he can no longer claim the moral high ground. When asked if he wants to prove that he’s the best and the smartest, Doom responds, “Everything has a cost… and everything truly great costs MORE.” Using the magic at his command, Doom turns off the mutant gene in every one of the attacking X-Men. But the remaining heroes pull off their inevitable last-second Hail Mary save, channeling all of their energies into Beta Ray Bill’s hammer and placing that hammer in the hands of The Thing, who strikes with world-shattering force. It’s the kind of moment that has ended many a giant universal crossover, and it should be enough to fell even the Sorcerer Supreme.

Still, the heroes lose. To add insult to injury, Doctor Doom creates a fixed point in time, making the events unchangeable. Doom has won. Doom will always have won.

A LOSS INTO A DRAW INTO A WIN

Of course, everything has a cost, and the horrifying last page reveal of the cost of this victory is as upsetting to Doctor Doom as it is to me as a reader. It’s the one thing that could have caused Victor to reconsider his actions, and he himself has cemented it as a permanent fixture of Earth-616. It’s a cruel twist worthy of Rod Serling, and one that I’m sort of surprised to see done as subtly as it is. The entire issue is a tricky balance of extensive philosophical dialogue and tremendous explosion-y battle sequences, and overall, it reads pretty well. Perhaps the biggest downside is the fact that this is the third consecutive issue that is more than half made up of the ol’ fighty-fighty, which makes it feel a bit like we’ve been in limbo since issue #7 came out.

Silva once again delivers strong visuals, especially the full-page splash of The Thing with a magic hammer, but the real MVP of the art team is Curiel. The coloring and effects are outstanding, and the sight of The Human Torch and Storm combining their powers into a fire hurricane is twice as impressive thanks to the coloring. Thankfully, there aren’t as many real-world metaphors and parallels as last issue, where we found Doom’s supporters arguing in bad faith, his pet cable channels flooding the world with disinformation, and people responding based on political tribalism rather than any truth.

BOTTOM LINE: THE FALL HAS COME

The genre-savvy script of One World Under Doom #8 tries to cover all the usual weaknesses of would-be conquerors, proving that Doom can out-think the likes of Thanos, The Magus, and The Beyonder while still forgetting one very important human element, leaving the issue with 4 out of 5 stars overall. As penultimate issues go, it’s out of the ordinary and well worth a read.

Dear Spoilerite,

At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.