Following the cataclysmic events where Doctor Doom became Sorcerer Supreme and Emperor of Earth, the world is left picking up the pieces. Doom sacrifice himself to save his goddaughter, Valeria Richards, leaving a power vacuum unlike any before. But Doom, being Doom, didn’t leave without a plan. Here is the full story breakdown of The Will of Doom #1.
The Soldier Returns
The story opens in the outskirts of Doomstadt, Latveria. A U.S. retrieval team has landed to extract General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. Ross has been a Prisoner of War under Doom’s reign for months. As he is loaded onto the transport, he asks about the situation back home. He learns that the world is uncertain and scared even after Doom’s fall.
Before leaving, we learn Ross did something controversial: he planted a U.S. flag on Latverian soil. When told that Washington wants the flag removed to avoid an international incident, Ross is defiant. He believes the U.S. needs to show strength and that Americans shouldn’t be “scared to be Americans.”
The Legacy of Doom
We get a brief recap of the “Fall of Doom.” Victor Von Doom had saved the world, enslaved it, and then died saving Valeria Richards. Now, his Last Will and Testament is the focus.
The scene shifts to the Baxter Building (now jokingly referred to as “Fantastic Tower” by some). Lawyers (Cole and others) are briefing the Fantastic Four. The revelation is staggering: Valeria Richards is the sole heir to Doctor Doom’s entire estate.
- The Assets: Over $5 billion in liquid assets, 20 properties, and hundreds of patents.
- The Letter: Doom left a personal letter for Valeria, telling her that “No man is an island, save for Doom. And now… Valeria Richards can be her own island as well.”
- The Reaction: Franklin jokes about getting her allowance, but Valeria is conflicted. She doesn’t want the “blood money,” but the legal transfer is already done under Latverian law.
Meanwhile, we see snippets of the world: Some citizens, like a coffee shop owner in Virginia, actually miss “Mayor Doom” (a Doombot administrator) because he made the trains run on time and fixed potholes efficiently.
Tensions in Washington
General Ross is back in uniform and meeting with Secretary Brooke at the White House/State Department. The tension is thick. Brooke reprimands Ross for the “flag stunt” in Latveria, calling it an act of occupation that complicates U.S. foreign policy. Ross argues that Latveria is unstable and a “Doom wannabe” will soon take over if the U.S. doesn’t step in.
Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) and Ben Grimm (The Thing) arrive. Secretary Brooke turns his ire on them. He accuses Reed of arrogance (“The Futurist who ignored the signs”) and blames the superhero community for letting Doom take over in the first place. He specifically calls out the danger of super-powered individuals (like Red Hulk) dictating foreign policy.
The Doombot Uprising
While the adults argue, Sue Storm is with Valeria. Valeria confesses her confusion: Doom was a monster who hurt her, yet she misses him.
Suddenly, a global alarm triggers. “Order 66” style, Doombots across the world activate.
- These aren’t just combat bots; they are administrative bots embedded in governments (Mayors, Prime Ministers).
- They declare that “Prime Minister Doom” or “Mayor Doom” is taking control to ensure order in the wake of Victor’s death.
- The White House goes into lockdown as Doombots attack.
Valeria realizes the truth: The Doombots are her property now. If she can find the master controls, she can shut them down. She suspects the controls are not in the looted Castle Doom, but somewhere else.
Global Chaos & The Hunt
The action explodes.
- At the White House: General Ross transforms into the Red Hulk to smash Doombots. Ben Grimm joins the fray, though he struggles against the bots’ advanced weaponry.
- Global Response: The X-Men (Wolverine, Storm) and Avengers are mentioned as dealing with Doombots in other capitals like Ottawa and Moscow.
- The FF’s Mission: Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben head to Latveria to search for the controls. They find Doom’s castle ransacked by looting factions. There are no energy readings for the controls.
Valeria, however, has a different idea. She takes a Fantasticar and heads to a secret location she remembers from her time with Doom. She flies into a supernatural storm, noting that Doom is still “protecting” his secrets even in death.
The Duel and The Choice
Back in Latveria/DC (the fight cuts between locations), Reed and Ben are battling a high-level Doombot. The bot is sadistic, using a toxin on Ben that targets his human lungs inside his rocky form. It taunts Reed, trying to make him beg. Reed refuses, stalling for time.
Meanwhile, Valeria lands on “Doom Island” (a secret private island Doom owned). She enters a pristine facility and finds the Master Control terminal. An A.I. Hologram of Doctor Doom appears. He welcomes her.
- The Offer: The A.I. tells her that the island and the entire Doombot network are hers. He encourages her to take her “rightful place” as his heir and ruler. “Real power isn’t given… it’s taken.”
- The Rejection: Valeria rejects the path of the tyrant. She tells the A.I. she will sell everything and start the Cynthia Von Doom Fund (named after Doom’s mother) to help the people Doom hurt.
Shutdown and Resolution
The Doom A.I., surprisingly, accepts this. He says he is proud of her, claiming that if she could be a different person, she wouldn’t be the Valeria he loves.
- The Shutdown: Valeria inputs the command. Across the globe, all Doombots deactivate instantly. The Red Hulk stands over a deactivated bot, confused but victorious.
- The aftermath: Reed finds Valeria. They share a quiet moment. Reed feels he failed to “save” Victor from himself. Valeria corrects him, saying only Doom could change Doom. She decides to keep Doom Island as a personal sanctuary, a place to think.
Epilogues
Epilogue 1: The General’s New War Secretary Brooke meets with General Ross again. Despite their earlier argument, Brooke admits Ross was right about the dangers in Latveria (hidden weapons of mass destruction). He asks Ross to serve as a “Consultant” on the region to hunt down these weapons. Ross smirks and agrees, saying, “God Bless America.”
Epilogue 2: The Secret Project On Doom Island, Franklin Richards visits Valeria. He comments on her giving away the fortune but is glad she kept the island for relaxation.
- Valeria reveals she isn’t just relaxing. She takes Franklin into a secret hangar.
- The Reveal: She has a massive, “Fully Operational” project stored there. It looks like a giant, advanced mech or perhaps a new iteration of a Doombot/Fantastic Four hybrid technology.
- The Final Line: As they look at the machine (labeled with a ‘4’ or similar iconography), Valeria says: “You never know when you’ll need a little backup.”
