The Road to Latveria
Doctor Doom #6
Skipping ahead a bit from last issue's conclusion, a re-armored Doom and Kang are on their way to some unknown destination in the Southwestern United States. They've been en route for several days and to pass the time they discuss whether or not they are blood relations. Then move on to the impending disaster on the Moon. Doom considers this a sufficient distraction to help pass the time
The pair encounter a fellow hobo and some good old boys in a pick-up and things do not go well. Doom will suffer no fools or Texans apparently. I suspect that writer Christopher and artist Sal Larroca were riffing on Planes, Trains and automobiles since all of these modes of transportation appear in the story. Yeah, I'm counting that pick up truck as the automobile . They encounter the mercenary pair of Paladin and the Orb (forgot all about this guy) but they are no match for Ultra Diode weapon. Kang merely incapacitates them as Doom's Ace in the Hole enters the scene in a plane bringing a surprise arranged by Zora and the Latverian underground. I sure would like to know where this guy got his hands on an Ultimate Nullifier.
As a bonus to this theme of modes of transportation , Doom rides off on a horse (minus Kang) as he crosses over the border to Mexico were he expects transport to Latveria to be waiting. It would be fitting if the name of this ship is the Poseidon.
I was disappointed to see Kang get greedy and attempt to take the Ultimate Nullifier for himself. He tries to use the same Ultra Diode that sapped the will of Paladin and the Orb but unfortunately for Kang he underestimated the iron will of Doom. Something tells me we've not seen the last of Kang and I expect him to pop up again in the future. At least I hope so.
We do see Adam Brashear and Reed make a last page appearance when Doom phones them (?) from Mexico with his solution for their problem with the black hole. I don't think they were too happy with it though.
I really enjoyed the way that Cantwell throws all these people in Doom's path and how he just plows his way through them. A self-confessed misanthrope, Doom just doesn't get along with others. The goal/dilemma of destroying the invincible is repeated a few times in the story to reference the growing crisis with the black hole. But it also applies to Doom here. Nothing is going to stop him from returning to Latveria.