I: Feature Story: "Doomsday"

Pages: 20

Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek

Villain: Dr. Doom

Guest Appearance: Wyatt Wingfoot, Silver Surfer, Inhumans: Black Bolt, Medusa, Crystal, Karnak, Gorgon, Triton, Maximus

Gadgets & Technology: Portable Communi-Tel, Solar-Beam Gun, Satellite Scanning Device, Magna-Ship, Anti-Cosmic Flying Wing (Bat prototype)

Marvel Milestones: Inhumans' Council of Elders

Synopsis: (continued from FF #58)

Reed makes a televised plea to the governments of the world to prepare to defend themselves against Dr. Doom. The world authorities are nervous about what they must do, as well as the role of the Fantastic Four in their defense, and they nervously enact "Operation Build-Up" to set up defenses. Reed is despondent that he cannot find some way to stop the cosmic powered villain, but Thing goads him into a fight. Once Reed is good and enraged because of his friend, he finds the focus he needs to throw himself back into work.

An Eastern Bloc country tries to bomb Latveria, but Doom strips the metal from their planes as they fly into Latverian airspace. Once again, he returns to the Surfer's cell and gloats over him, kicking his weakened body to the ground. With the power cosmic at his disposal, Doom feels he is now unstoppable.

Wyatt Wingfoot sends an urgent message to Reed through the Portable Communi-Tel, informing him that Johnny has decided to tackle Doom alone. Reed tells Wyatt to order him to stand down, but Johnny is too focused on stopping the threat of Doom so he can turn his attention back to finding Crystal. He trains himself for facing Doom by flying through military test ranges and assumes he is prepared. Johnny tells Wyatt that, right or wrong, he is going to take on Doom. Wyatt tags along to make sure Johnny doesn't get hurt.

Black Bolt has finally decided to make the ultimate attempt at freeing the Inhumans from the barrier dome that surrounds the Great Refuge. He orders the entire population into a shelter beneath the core of the city. Maximus pleads with Black Bolt, babbling in his madness that he is afraid of what will come next. Black Bolt shelters his mad brother under his wing and lets loose his mighty scream. A sonic wave of unparalleled force ripples across the atmosphere, tearing to shreds all that is strong and firm around them. His scream destroys the entire city but finally, ultimately, shatters the barrier.

Dr. Doom tortures the world with his power, flying across the sky on the back of the Surfer's board. He blackens the skies, freezes the tropics and creates savage monsters, all to satisfy the ego running rampant in his cosmic-powered breast. But Reed has been working on a plan to take on Doom. He creates a small bat-like machine, and when Thing enters the room, he tosses it at him. It staggers the Thing onto the ground, and then when the Thing rises, he is filled with such anger that he strikes out at Reed. The device works! With such a device, to knock a foe off balance and engender overwhelming anger inside of them, Reed tells the Thing knows he can beat Doom.

The Inhumans breathe the free air again but now their home lies around them in wreckage. The people must rebuild their city, but first the royal family will go out into the world to try and reestablish contact with humanity, as well as reunite Crystal with Johnny Storm. As they depart, Maximus feels it is once more his chance to become king. But he soon finds that none of the Inhumans will pay heed to listen to a madman.

The Fantastic Four work feverishly in Reed's lab to finalize the plan to stop Dr. Doom, but they know this time is only the calm before the storm. And Doom himself is ready to make his final play to become master of Earth!

(continued in FF #60)

--synopsis by Jonathan Clarke, aka doesitmatter, with Gormuu

--letter pages provided by Crusher Creel