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Welcome back, superhero enthusiasts, comic book collectors, fans of 1990s pop culture and fans of Marvel Comics! We return to The Fall of the Hammer crossover storyline of Marvel’s 2099 universe and this is my first time to review a comic book of Doom 2099 (note: this comic book marks the 4th chapter of the crossover).
Last time around, the X-Men of 2099 got involved in the events and their member Skullfire got reunited with them thanks to some help by Doom of 2099. The self-proclaimed Thor realizes that a powerful friend of his is down on the floor.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Doom 2099 #14, published in 1993 (cover dated 1994) by Marvel Comics with a story written by John Francis Moore and drawn by Pat Broderick.
Early story
The story begins in Valhalla where Thor sees his powerful friend lying down helpless. X-Men’s Bloodhawk, Krystalin, Meanstreak, Skullfire and the self-proclaimed Loki witness Thor’s curiosity. Loki, who is actually Meanstreak’s friend Boone in disguise, tells Thor to blame what he calls the spoiled children for conspiring against him. Meanstreak tells Boone to stop his act and reminds him that he was the one who caused the short-circuit.
Doom 2099 then tells them that none of the gods are real for they are the fabrication of science created to exploit the believers of Thor who have desperately awaited the return of their god. Doom points out that the real threat is not the Asgardian play actors but rather the flying city of Valhalla itself.
After hearing the ramblings of the others, Thor then makes his move to strike Doom 2099…
Quality
As expected, there is indeed pay-off executed in this comic book in relation to the gradual build-up that took place in the first three chapters (Spider-Man 2099 #16, Ravage 2099 #15, and X-Men 2099 #5). You must be wondering how was the pay-off…I can say it was executed good enough. Not only does this comic book reveal the truth about the so-called Asgardian deities, it also sheds light on who the pretenders really are and, more notably, who is the mastermind behind everything and why did all these unfortunate events happen in the first place.
Behind it all, there is subversion in the form of criticism and accusations against corporations, against people of faith and even against idolaters who don’t realize that idolatry is unholy and foolish. In a certain way, this comic book made its case in support of Marxism, socialism, Communism and atheism even though those four forms of evil were not explicitly emphasized.
When it comes to the characters, Doom 2099’s presence here is actually light but it should be noted that his civil discussion with a powerful figure behind the scenes gave the story a lot of weight. What I enjoyed about Doom 2099 is his Darth Vader-like way of talking and taking action.
The X-Men of 2099 surprisingly have a good share of the spotlight here while Spider-Man 2099 and Punisher 2099 finally stopped riding together and begin to get involved with the troubles of Valhalla. I should state that the first-ever meeting between Spider-Man 2099, Punisher 2099 and Doom 2099 is a short yet powerful scene.
Conclusion
Being the fourth chapter of The Fall of the Hammer crossover storyline, I can say that Doom 2099 #14 (1994) proved to be the most engaging chapter yet mainly due to its pay-off in relation to what was built-up before it. The revelations were quite strong and clearly this comic book was the tuning point of the storyline, and even set the stage for the concluding chapter. I caution you, however, that the anti-capitalist and anti-faith themes of this comic book can lead you to trouble if you decide to take them seriously. It is bad enough that American society today is being torn down by Marxist, socialist, Communist and atheistic forces. You have been warned!
If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Doom 2099 #14 (1994), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $60 while the near-mint copies of the newsstand edition and the signed-and-numbered edition cost $180 and $300 respectively.
Overall, Doom 2099 #14 (1994) is recommended.
+++++
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