I: Feature Story: "The Return of Dr. Doom!"
Part 2: "Back From the Dead!"
Part 3: "The End of Mr. Fantastic?"
Part 4: "No Place to Turn!"
Part 5: "The Real Dr. Doom!"

Pages: 23

Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Artie Simek

First Appearance: Ovoids, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Villain: Dr. Doom

Guest Appearance: Alicia Masters, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Cameo Appearance: Mole Man, Miracle Man, Skrulls, Sub-Mariner (as Alicia's sculptures); Thor, Ant-Man, Hulk, "False-Face" (as Jack Kirby drawings)

Flashback Cameo: Ovoids

Marvel Milestones: first indication of romance between Reed and Sue, Johnny Storm creates "heat-mirage"

Gadgets & Technology: Electronic X-Ray Camera, Mental Teleporter, Reducing Ray, Sub-Miniature Transistor-Powered Atomic Blast Gun

Synopsis: Reed is trying to learn more about Sue's invisibility using an Electronic X-Ray Camera. His vibra-light process captures the slight outline of her invisible image. Suddenly, they see the FF flare outside the window. They rush into action but the nuclear lock on the door won't open and they're stuck inside. It's tremendously sensitive to heat so Reed tries to stretch his hand under the door and send the Fantasticar to get them. But he accidentally turns his arm the wrong way and reaches the pogo plane before he gives up. Johnny concentrates his flame to pinpoint accuracy and opens the door without setting off the nuclear lock.

They dash out into the street and are mobbed by admirers. Johnny flies over the crowd while Reed winds his way through the crowd using his powers of elasticity. Sue turns invisible to avoid a man who is making the moves on her, but then she's almost run over by a car! They arrive at Alicia's apartment to find Thing has called them only to look at Alicia's new sculptures. She has made models of the Fantastic Four's entire rogues gallery, including Dr. Doom, the Skrulls, Mole Man, the Miracle Man, and Namor. Sue is disturbed by Namor's placement within them, saying she doesn't think he's a villain. Reed hears this and is prompted to question her womanly desires, saying he always thought that when the time was right, that he and Sue would....But Sue stops him from continuing any further.

Meanwhile, at the offices of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby are trying to create a new villain when Dr. Doom walks into the room! He removes his mask and reveals his face, which disgusts the creators, and then hands the phone to Stan. He forces Stan to call Reed and bring him to the office to discuss the next FF issue's plot. Thing hates Lee and Kirby, twisting a giant barbell while he rants about how ugly Jack makes him look every month. Reed gets dressed while Ben and Johnny stretch out his rubber clothes. When he finally arrives at Marvel, Doom takes him by surprise and gasses him. Then he teleports Reed's unconscious body away by means of his Mental-Teleporter.

When Reed awakes, Dr. Doom explains how he survived his last encounter with the Fantastic Four. After he was carried into space on a passing meteor, he was spotted by a passing spaceship and rescued by the alien race known as Ovoids. They welcomed Doom and gave him a tour of their advanced technology, including their teleporter, and a method of switching bodies. Doom demonstrates this knowledge by switching his own body with Reed Richards! Reed, in Doom's body, attacks him but Doom now has the powers of Mr. Fantastic. He casts Reed aside as the Fantastic Four come to the rescue.

The team attacks the "Doom." Despite "Doom's" protests, "Reed" shows the team the diabolical weapons concealed underneath the Doom armor. That's all they need to know. They decide to imprison "Doom" forever. Doom, as Reed, shows them a glass prison within the castle that will serve perfectly. They lock Reed within it and after the others leave, Doom tells Reed his cell only has one hour of oxygen. Doom leaves, expecting Reed to suffocate.

When they return to the Baxter Building, the team finds "Reed's" experiments to have taken a sinister turn. For one thing, he has stolen zoo animals and reduced their size, leaving them free to roam the halls. They demand "Reed" explain himself, and he smiles. He explains that his Reducing Ray can concentrate the powers of anyone he uses it on by making them smaller and then enlarging them. Further, he says, if he used it on the Thing, he could change from Thing to Ben Grimm at will. Sue and Johnny's powers would also be increased tenfold. They all agree to have the ray turned on them and "Reed" tells them to return in a few hours. When they leave, he laughs knowing he will really shrink them into nothingness!

Meanwhile "Doom" (remember, it's really Reed!) smashes some oxygen canisters together and the explosion shatters his cage. He staggers to Alicia's apartment but Sue ambushes him. Thing rushes in to kill him but something holds him back. Perhaps "Doom's" story is true. Perhaps he is really is Reed Richards.

They take "Doom" back to the Baxter Building where "Reed" outlines his plan. He will shrink the team and increase their powers so they can handle "Doom" more easily. "Reed" protests and confuses the team further. The Torch tests them both by conjuring a heat image of a stick of dynamite. "Doom" jumps on top of it, to sacrifice his life so that his friends may live, but "Reed" uses his stretching powers to slither up a vent to save himself. Now they know who's who.

Thing grabs "Reed" and yanks him out of the ventilation duct. In the confusion, "Reed" loses his concentration and he and "Doom" switch back to their original bodies. In desperation, Doom accidentally runs into the reducing beam and shrinks into nothingness.