Fantastic Four #32: Bride of Doom Part 1 - Rule of Engagement with SPOILERS

[Iron Maiden]

Or subtitle: Is this the way to celebrate 60 years of the Fantastic Four??


This month's story with the farcical romantic escapades makes Three's Company look prestigious. For me the only highlight was that Crystal didn't directly take part in the story. Smart lady. It was also nice to see Slott bring Luna into the story, even if it was a small role

Quite honestly, I stopped reading Slott's Fantastic Four around issue 12 or 13. I was planning to catch up a bit for getting this but never got around to it. Maybe that is for the better. As far as I am concerned, Sky can be dropped from this series and I doubt anyone will miss her. Even though Lyja is not getting treated very well by Slott, I'd rather she hang around a bit.

For drama we get a new (to me anyway) terrorist group called Ultimatum. At first I thought they might be part of a Latverian resistance group but it turns out they don't like monarchies in general . Maybe they should have started smaller and gone against Monaco instead. Their only role in the story appears to be just to fill a couple of pages.

So after the boring brawl is over Sky leaves in a huff after seeing Johnny help Lyja get back on her feet after she got knocked back Skye's blast. Johnny in turn brushes off Lyja. The next thing we know Johnny is in the sack with Zora/Victorious when they get interrupted by the astral form of Doom who tells her he must go off to see about a grave dangers facing the universe (see Guardians of the Galaxy). Doom tells her that he wants her to become the Bride of Doom and watch over Latveria in his place. Victorious accepts enthusiastically which probably will deflate Johnny.

On a side note, it has to be said: The way things are going, Ben and Alicia are a bit of a bore as a couple.

Although I do like Zora/Victorious as a new character, this marriage thing is a bit weird IMO. It's amost incestuous to me since Doom had stated in last year's solo series that he thought of her as the daughter he never had. Maybe Slott is harkening back to medieval times when some royal marriages were closely related, cousin marrying cousin and so forth. Knowing how comics work these days I doubt this will be permanent anyway. Or there will be a catch.

The second story with Reed and Victor dueling each other with swords was a bit more interesting even if iy only serve the purpose of Doom getting Reed to be his best man. It would be beneath Doom to simply ask...he has to have Reed lose a duel so he is forced to comply.

Well, let's hope next issue is an improvement. and Slott does something worthy of the occasion of the 60th anniversary

[Thundershot]

spoilers:

Oh god. What if he knocks up Victorious? Then she marries Doom. Then has the baby and Doom thinks it’s his. But it’s Johnny Storm’s baby. LOL Now THAT is a soap opera!

end of spoilers

[Spiderfan001]

spoilers:

Oh god. What if he knocks up Victorious? Then she marries Doom. Then has the baby and Doom thinks it’s his. But it’s Johnny Storm’s baby. LOL Now THAT is a soap opera!

end of spoilers

The thing is Dan Slott would do that too.
Man imagine johnny's kid being the heir to latveria.

[Thundershot]

I posted this in the other thread, but had to spoil block it...

Oh god.

What if he knocks up Victorious?

Then she marries Doom.

Then has the baby and Doom thinks it’s his.

But it’s Johnny Storm’s baby.

LOL

Now THAT is a soap opera!



Also.... Alicia uses the Puppet Master’s clay to control Lyja. I totally didn’t see that coming.

[SuperiorIronman]

If Doom gets a baby it'll just go in the bin with all the other plot threads that got ignored or dropped when it comes to Doom having kids. I really don't even know why they bother with that given Doom has a few kids or potential kids that are just ignored by other writers.

[Hypestyle]

Doom has seemingly never had much of a personal animus against Johnny. He's mainly been dismissive of him. He grudgingly (and privately) respects Reed's intellect, he admires Susan's beauty and tenacity, he grudgingly respect's Grimm's physical strength and loyalty. This development could make him really heated (pun intended), to find out his consort "has a past", and a very recent "past" at that.. heh. heh.

[Iron Maiden]

I posted this in the other thread, but had to spoil block it...

Oh god.

What if he knocks up Victorious?

Then she marries Doom.

Then has the baby and Doom thinks it’s his.

But it’s Johnny Storm’s baby.

LOL

Now THAT is a soap opera!



Also.... Alicia uses the Puppet Master’s clay to control Lyja. I totally didn’t see that coming.

Yeah, she's starting to worry me. Is she turning into her Dad? I don't mind if she shows some spunkiness, like Audrey Hepburn in "Wait Until Dark" (that's an oldie, kiddies)

I really thought it was weird for Zora to allow Johnny in her bed. How about Johnny hiding under the bed when Doom showed up? That's a bit cowardly but then I don't think he can take Doom one on one and he knows it.

[CaptCleghorn]

Yeah, she's starting to worry me. Is she turning into her Dad? I don't mind if she shows some spunkiness, like Audrey Hepburn in "Wait Until Dark" (that's an oldie, kiddies)

I really thought it was weird for Zora to allow Johnny in her bed. How about Johnny hiding under the bed when Doom showed up? That's a bit cowardly but then I don't think he can take Doom one on one and he knows it.

As little as I can give Johnny credit for this issue, Zora did tell him to get out of sight and when Doom calls, time is of the essence. Johnny's options were to create a scene by making himself known or to go along with the wishes of his host.

[jackolover]

Yeah, she's starting to worry me. Is she turning into her Dad? I don't mind if she shows some spunkiness, like Audrey Hepburn in "Wait Until Dark" (that's an oldie, kiddies)

I really thought it was weird for Zora to allow Johnny in her bed. How about Johnny hiding under the bed when Doom showed up? That's a bit cowardly but then I don't think he can take Doom one on one and he knows it.

I thought Johnny can’t have sex with women because he flames on at the appropriate moment. So I don’t get how Victorious and Johnny are naked in bed without having sex.

[Kurolegacy]

I’ve got to say that after this issue, I really hope that this isn’t how Slott plans to just leave things off with Lyja because that was deeply unsatisfying that not only does Johnny just outright reject her and have Alecia act completely out of character in controlling her to leave Earth but Slott treats her as though her entire existence and relationship with Johnny was solely defined by her impersonating Alecia despite there being a complex relationship between the two beyond that single part of her history. So at that point, Slott seems to be ignoring everything that came after that as if he’s putting her down so he can make his creation Sky look better and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[Iron Maiden]

I’ve got to say that after this issue, I really hope that this isn’t how Slott plans to just leave things off with Lyja because that was deeply unsatisfying that not only does Johnny just outright reject her and have Alecia act completely out of character in controlling her to leave Earth but Slott treats her as though her entire existence and relationship with Johnny was solely defined by her impersonating Alecia despite there being a complex relationship between the two beyond that single part of her history. So at that point, Slott seems to be ignoring everything that came after that as if he’s putting her down so he can make his creation Sky look better and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I agree with you. I guess Slott has forgotten that she was forced into impersonating Alicia. Eventually Lyja was accepted by the rest of the FF. IIRC Ben was interested in her for a while.

[CaptCleghorn]

I agree with you. I guess Slott has forgotten that she was forced into impersonating Alicia. Eventually Lyja was accepted by the rest of the FF. IIRC Ben was interested in her for a while.

Does anything about Ben and his history with Alicia suggest that an interest by him in Lyja isn't totally out of character?

[Iron Maiden]

Does anything about Ben and his history with Alicia suggest that an interest by him in Lyja isn't totally out of character?

Be that as it may, it actually happened in Tom DeFalco's FF...it was very brief and he never asked her out. But it shows that at that point in time that she was accepted. Besides, I think she's the only cute Skrull

[Oberon]

I’ve got to say that after this issue, I really hope that this isn’t how Slott plans to just leave things off with Lyja because that was deeply unsatisfying that not only does Johnny just outright reject her and have Alecia act completely out of character in controlling her to leave Earth but Slott treats her as though her entire existence and relationship with Johnny was solely defined by her impersonating Alecia despite there being a complex relationship between the two beyond that single part of her history. So at that point, Slott seems to be ignoring everything that came after that as if he’s putting her down so he can make his creation Sky look better and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

It is possible that Alicia knows more than is shown. Maybe something else the child told her about her abduction and stuff

So Alicia has powers too, when you think about it. I think revenge and care for Your Stuff and related, is good enough cause for her to do this.

But I don't think it is over by a long shot either.

[Digifiend]

It is possible that Alicia knows more than is shown. Maybe something else the child told her about her abduction and stuff

So Alicia has powers too, when you think about it. I think revenge and care for Your Stuff and related, is good enough cause for her to do this.

But I don't think it is over by a long shot either.

Yeah, Alicia could call herself Puppet Mistress if she wanted to... the only issue is her blindness, doesn't she need to feel someone to know what they look like? That must make it hard for her to get an exact likeness. So she can make perfect sculptures of her friends and family all day long, but the same can't be said for the villains. And she can't control them if it's not a perfect likeness.