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The Invincible Iron Man (1968) #149-150, 249-250
Iron Man: Doomquest
Iron Man and Doctor Doom at first find themselves in the time of Camelot, drawn into the rivalry between King Arthur and Morgan Le Fay, but then they are sent to the distant future to save Earth from death satellites with Merlin and a young Arthur.
134 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 6, 2024
The recent news from San Diego Comic Con where Marvel Studios revealed the actor behind Dr. Doom was an old face in Robert Downey Jr. Reaction was mostly positive, since the return of the popular RDJ would be an attempt by Disney to correct an unperforming Marvel ship.
Doom is a complex character, and I think RDJ has the acting chops to pull it off.
But I digress, since this is a book review, let us return to the subject at hand. This is a hardcover collection of Iron Man and Dr. Doom stories about time traveling to past and future Camelot.
Iron Man and Dr. Doom have surprising similarities. Both use armor of their design, integrating the very best of their engineering into their respective creations. Doom has the advantage of wielding magic in his arsenal, and Stark famously hates magic (Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #3).
Both have made Machiavellian decisions that have driven a wedge between them and the larger superhero community. Stark had that Civil War tussle with Captain America and Doom rules a country absolutely.
However, both of their most defining characteristic has to be their vanity. Doom originally wore the mask to hide a small scar on his face, and Stark gave his armor a paint job after his favorite sports car, as famously depicted in the first Iron Man movie.
I think it was inspired idea to pit Iron Man against Dr. Doom, because both are so similar in their skills and abilities that both can't help but see each other as rivals. It made for an interesting interaction for sure.
Doom is a complex character, and I think RDJ has the acting chops to pull it off.
But I digress, since this is a book review, let us return to the subject at hand. This is a hardcover collection of Iron Man and Dr. Doom stories about time traveling to past and future Camelot.
Iron Man and Dr. Doom have surprising similarities. Both use armor of their design, integrating the very best of their engineering into their respective creations. Doom has the advantage of wielding magic in his arsenal, and Stark famously hates magic (Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #3).
Both have made Machiavellian decisions that have driven a wedge between them and the larger superhero community. Stark had that Civil War tussle with Captain America and Doom rules a country absolutely.
However, both of their most defining characteristic has to be their vanity. Doom originally wore the mask to hide a small scar on his face, and Stark gave his armor a paint job after his favorite sports car, as famously depicted in the first Iron Man movie.
I think it was inspired idea to pit Iron Man against Dr. Doom, because both are so similar in their skills and abilities that both can't help but see each other as rivals. It made for an interesting interaction for sure.
September 13, 2019
Read this cuz it’s a classic in the Iron Man mythos, and the Shellhead himself is hugely shadowed by King Arthur in future storylines. And it didn’t fail to entertain. It’s an absolute cheesefest of time travel and Arthuriana. Doom and Tony, tumbling mid-fight into the past (and later, future), realizing “shit, we’re in Camelot!” But I lost it when the Lady of the Lake (previously buried under a parking lot) gave up Excalibur and Merlin sends her off with a “thanks, babe.” Bless urban fantasy, in all its wacky forms.
May 10, 2021
This book collects two separate time-traveling adventures involving Iron Man and Doctor Doom. The first series (from 1981) sends the two back to mythical Camelot where they must deal with the likes of King Arthur and Morgana Le Fay in order to find a way home. The second story has them jumping forward to the far-flung future of 2093, where they find they have been called into service of a young reincarnated Arthur by a reawakened Merlin in order to solve...a non-magical crisis.
The stories are campy in their own right, but are certainly a unique exploration of these two characters and having them well out of their element. Iron Man is particularly a little over his head since he lacks no magical abilities of his own while Doom is a formidable sorcerer in his own right.
At the same time, there's a reason I wasn't an avid Iron Man reader in the 80's - there's something about his 80's capitalist characterization that didn't really resonate with me and made him harder to appreciate. And Doom is Doom is Doom.
The stories are campy in their own right, but are certainly a unique exploration of these two characters and having them well out of their element. Iron Man is particularly a little over his head since he lacks no magical abilities of his own while Doom is a formidable sorcerer in his own right.
At the same time, there's a reason I wasn't an avid Iron Man reader in the 80's - there's something about his 80's capitalist characterization that didn't really resonate with me and made him harder to appreciate. And Doom is Doom is Doom.
September 5, 2018
Well, it was pretty fun .. Following Iron Man and Victor von Doom timetraveling to the time(s) of King Arthur ... Good times ^^
October 10, 2010
Unbelievably putrid. Over and over I sat in stunned amazement, asking myself "Did they really publish stuff this bad back in 1981?"
There are two kinds of stories in comics. One tries to say something meaningful, or at least to present some sort of concept that the reader can be entertained by. The other is the visual equivalent of two three-year-olds trying to one-up each other. "My hero is a million times stronger than yours!" "Oh yeah? Well MY hero is a JILLION times stronger!" Over and over and over. There's no sense to it, and no point.
Which pretty much describes this "book".
Oh, and the authors completely abuse the Arthurian legend. In an incredibly lame "future Arthur" sequence, Merlin is "cool", saying things like - and I am NOT making this up - "Okee doke: One 'Return to Sender' spell, comin' right up!"
Merlin as Jar-Jar Binks. It made me want to beat the author with a club.
So to sum up, the only reason to read this thing is if you want to take a look back to see just how incredibly awful some comic books were, even as recently as 1981 (the art is pretty bad, too). And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to do something - anything - to drive the memory of that unbelievably idiotic writing out of my brain.
There are two kinds of stories in comics. One tries to say something meaningful, or at least to present some sort of concept that the reader can be entertained by. The other is the visual equivalent of two three-year-olds trying to one-up each other. "My hero is a million times stronger than yours!" "Oh yeah? Well MY hero is a JILLION times stronger!" Over and over and over. There's no sense to it, and no point.
Which pretty much describes this "book".
Oh, and the authors completely abuse the Arthurian legend. In an incredibly lame "future Arthur" sequence, Merlin is "cool", saying things like - and I am NOT making this up - "Okee doke: One 'Return to Sender' spell, comin' right up!"
Merlin as Jar-Jar Binks. It made me want to beat the author with a club.
So to sum up, the only reason to read this thing is if you want to take a look back to see just how incredibly awful some comic books were, even as recently as 1981 (the art is pretty bad, too). And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to do something - anything - to drive the memory of that unbelievably idiotic writing out of my brain.
January 7, 2009
typical of 80s comics (cornball dialogue) but a good read!
November 14, 2019
I feel like this could have been longer and established itself more properly. As it is, it's just two largely unconnected wacky wayside trips.
April 14, 2023
For me this was the golden age of Iron Man. You had two excellent writers working together David and Bob and JR JR working on the layouts and Bob doing an amazing job finishing them.
While I think the first run with David and Bob was superior to the second run (and we see examples from both here) they were both great runs.
First up: the two parter for Doomquest. A much beloved Iron Man tale and one I hadn't read in decades so I was curious if it lived up to my memories. It actually didn't. To backtrack. Issue 149 sets up the story and conflict between Iron Man and Dr. Doom and 150 is the big double sized issue that has them transported to Camelot and having to survive in the past and help King Arthur. I remembered it more as "using our wits to figure out how to survive without our technology" but it was less about that and more just an adventure tale set in the past. Still good but my memory of what the story was like was wrong. this was a fun story and it is no surprise it is a fan favourite.
Second up: Future doomquest where our heroes are teleported in the future to help King Arthur and Merlin. this story was not as good as the first one. I did love the idea of it. To revisit the story in issue 250 and set it in the future instead of the past. All very cool ideas. But...Merlin was weirdly a comedic figure, and setting it in the future loses the things that made the first story interesting. Although...IMO a better written story could have showed the parallels of the fish out of water story going both ways. One way - "we are like magic to them with our science" and one "THEY are like magic to US with their technology". However, as I write this, I realize the biggest problem is "there was actual magic (Merlin and Morgan) in these stories" so it is hard to make that point :).
Okay - my meandering thoughts aside. Two fine stories from masters of their craft. But the second one is way less memorable than the first one.
While I think the first run with David and Bob was superior to the second run (and we see examples from both here) they were both great runs.
First up: the two parter for Doomquest. A much beloved Iron Man tale and one I hadn't read in decades so I was curious if it lived up to my memories. It actually didn't. To backtrack. Issue 149 sets up the story and conflict between Iron Man and Dr. Doom and 150 is the big double sized issue that has them transported to Camelot and having to survive in the past and help King Arthur. I remembered it more as "using our wits to figure out how to survive without our technology" but it was less about that and more just an adventure tale set in the past. Still good but my memory of what the story was like was wrong. this was a fun story and it is no surprise it is a fan favourite.
Second up: Future doomquest where our heroes are teleported in the future to help King Arthur and Merlin. this story was not as good as the first one. I did love the idea of it. To revisit the story in issue 250 and set it in the future instead of the past. All very cool ideas. But...Merlin was weirdly a comedic figure, and setting it in the future loses the things that made the first story interesting. Although...IMO a better written story could have showed the parallels of the fish out of water story going both ways. One way - "we are like magic to them with our science" and one "THEY are like magic to US with their technology". However, as I write this, I realize the biggest problem is "there was actual magic (Merlin and Morgan) in these stories" so it is hard to make that point :).
Okay - my meandering thoughts aside. Two fine stories from masters of their craft. But the second one is way less memorable than the first one.
November 20, 2018
This set of stories was pure joy. Pure cheese. Watching Doom be himself--i.e., a big ol' meany face--is always a joy. There are splashes of inspired philosophy scattered about, and a few critiques on Contemporary Society (but, C.S. in the early '80s, so, you know, maybe not the most biting of appraisals), but mostly it just two armored dudes beating the crap outta each other, random baddies, and Earth's mystical timeline.
Come for the Doom; stay for the Doom. Ironman's in here too, and he's okay, but, I mean, he's no Doom.
Come for the Doom; stay for the Doom. Ironman's in here too, and he's okay, but, I mean, he's no Doom.
July 7, 2024
Excellent stuff by David Michelinie and the team of John Romita, Jr. and Bob Layton. Doctor Doom is a great foil for Iron Man, and the time travel aspect of each arc is great. I would love to see more '80s Iron Man collected in trade or hardcover. Janice Chiang does the lettering on 249 and 250, and it is horrible. Her hand lettering totally detracts from the reading experience. Aside from that, my only gripe is the fact that this book has perforated glued binding, which is total, utter garbage and has no place in hardcovers.
May 26, 2023
I know Dr. Doom is technically a FF villain but to me, the Dr. Doom vs Spider-Man newspaper comics are a high point in the classic Marvel world. Spidey's snark offsets Doom's bloviation perfectly.
(1980s) Iron Man's bloviation does NOTHING to offset it and I was disappointed but not surprised to find this book mostly insufferable. I guess at least it had King Arthur.
(1980s) Iron Man's bloviation does NOTHING to offset it and I was disappointed but not surprised to find this book mostly insufferable. I guess at least it had King Arthur.
January 29, 2022
Doomquest is a rather basic comic, but its interesting component comes from the juxtaposition between Fantasy Camelot and Science Camelot. The characters of Doom and Iron Man are interesting, especially in how they interact with others.
The art is nice as well.
The art is nice as well.
June 5, 2022
3.5 stars. Entertaining dumb fun. Just turn off the logical part of your mind and enjoy the ride
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2023
Not groundbreaking, but good fun with some classic characters. Decent art, but fashions have definitely dated.
October 22, 2023
First half was bonkers in a good way. Second half was terrible.
April 22, 2025
Cool as hell. I absolutely love these kinds of stories. The second half (the follow-up story in the future) is a little inconsequential but still fun.
November 27, 2016
Iron Man. Dr. Doom. How is it that these two classic Marvel characters didn't go head-to-head more than a handful of times over the years? Their run-ins in the ongoing Iron Man series were few and far between, but were memorable enough to warrant this deluxe hardcover collection, titled Doomquest.
The story for the first half of the book is the better of the two. It features Iron Man and Dr. Doom being transported back to Camelot and cast in the conflict between King Arthur and Morgana Le Fay. It's a story loaded with magic and treachery, and Doom really steals the show. The second story finds Iron Man and Dr. Doom summoned to the future by Merlin to aid King Arthur once more. Both Iron Man and Doom encounter future versions of themselves, and Iron Man even has a chance to wield Excalibur before the story ends. Both stories suffer from a measure of `80s cheesiness, though the first tale holds up much better than the second.
The artwork in this collection is a great representation of the `80s and early `90s Iron Man style. John Romita Jr. handled the first two issues with Bob Layton on inks. This was before Romita Jr. entered his ugly Lego figure style, so he had a really clean, classic look for Iron Man and Dr. Doom as well as a fantastic Camelot representation. Bob Layton handled the artwork in the second half, and while it's not as compelling as the earlier chapters, his shiny, stylized Iron Man remains one of my favorites. It's all the non-Iron Man stuff that looks dated, even in a futuristic setting.
It's also worth mentioning that the quality level of this collection is quite high. In addition to the hardcover binding, it features thick white pages and glossy, vibrant colors that go way beyond what the original issues could offer.
It's not an essential Iron Man story the way Iron Man: Armor Wars, Iron Man: Extremis, or the recent Invincible Iron Man Omnibus, Vol. 1 are, but Doomquest is a fun addition to the Iron Man bookshelf for any fans of the armored Avenger's `80s adventures.
The story for the first half of the book is the better of the two. It features Iron Man and Dr. Doom being transported back to Camelot and cast in the conflict between King Arthur and Morgana Le Fay. It's a story loaded with magic and treachery, and Doom really steals the show. The second story finds Iron Man and Dr. Doom summoned to the future by Merlin to aid King Arthur once more. Both Iron Man and Doom encounter future versions of themselves, and Iron Man even has a chance to wield Excalibur before the story ends. Both stories suffer from a measure of `80s cheesiness, though the first tale holds up much better than the second.
The artwork in this collection is a great representation of the `80s and early `90s Iron Man style. John Romita Jr. handled the first two issues with Bob Layton on inks. This was before Romita Jr. entered his ugly Lego figure style, so he had a really clean, classic look for Iron Man and Dr. Doom as well as a fantastic Camelot representation. Bob Layton handled the artwork in the second half, and while it's not as compelling as the earlier chapters, his shiny, stylized Iron Man remains one of my favorites. It's all the non-Iron Man stuff that looks dated, even in a futuristic setting.
It's also worth mentioning that the quality level of this collection is quite high. In addition to the hardcover binding, it features thick white pages and glossy, vibrant colors that go way beyond what the original issues could offer.
It's not an essential Iron Man story the way Iron Man: Armor Wars, Iron Man: Extremis, or the recent Invincible Iron Man Omnibus, Vol. 1 are, but Doomquest is a fun addition to the Iron Man bookshelf for any fans of the armored Avenger's `80s adventures.
September 12, 2025
The stronger half of this book is easily the first. Romita Jr. and Layton working together looks better than Layton alone, and the story feels much more planned-out and genuine. The fantasy elements are depicted exceedingly well, and the themes Michelinie wanted to infuse are evident on the page.
The second half is certainly weaker, but a lot of fun. A goofier, more cynical sci-fi bent makes this portion a quicker-paced but somewhat less satisfying one. Regardless, the art is solid enough and the simpler narrative entertaining enough that it doesn’t detract too much from the overall quality of the volume.
The second half is certainly weaker, but a lot of fun. A goofier, more cynical sci-fi bent makes this portion a quicker-paced but somewhat less satisfying one. Regardless, the art is solid enough and the simpler narrative entertaining enough that it doesn’t detract too much from the overall quality of the volume.
August 3, 2015
Oh my God, this is amazing. Among other things, Tony and Doctor Doom go to future Camelot where Merlin takes them to a mall so Tony can buy parts for his suit from Radio Shack. Yes, really. It's glorious.
They also go to Camelot of the past, and Doom and Morgana Le Fay bring zombies. Like you do.
How can you not think this is the best thing ever? It is the best thing ever.
(Also I now understand that page of The Confession -- you know, the Civil War issue where Tony explains his point of view to Steve's corpse -- about Doom and Camelot a lot better now.)
They also go to Camelot of the past, and Doom and Morgana Le Fay bring zombies. Like you do.
How can you not think this is the best thing ever? It is the best thing ever.
(Also I now understand that page of The Confession -- you know, the Civil War issue where Tony explains his point of view to Steve's corpse -- about Doom and Camelot a lot better now.)
June 23, 2012
This is a fun Iron Man/Doctor Doom story. I read the first part a while ago, but it still holds up. Any story where you can say "Doom travels back to Camelot and starts a zombie war" is a good one. The future story is good as well, though it's wackier being an 80's story. One thing I like about Marvel 80's is that a lot of fun stories were being written fully aware of their own zaniness. Good fun!
June 15, 2011
Don't expect a lot. It is 4 comic books collected, so it is not meant to be anything else than entertaining.Truthfully that is all you need sometimes. If you want great literature or deep meaning,try Shakespeare and a philosophy book.
April 1, 2017
Iron Man and Dr. Doom go back in time to Camelot. There are undead soldiers and flying beasts and it's pretty awesome. A fun story with same great Doom dialogue. The follow up story which takes place in the future is also a lot of fun with Iron Man wielding a legendary weapon in space.
April 10, 2014
Nei numeri 150, 250 della serie regolare Micheline si è divertito a portate Iron-Man a Camelot, del Re Passato e Futuro, insieme a Destino. L'autore si è divertito a scrivere queste storie, e io mi sono divertito parecchio a leggerle.
May 30, 2012
A fun, but very 80's, romp. If you're looking for highclass literature you'll be disappointed, but then, it's not trying to be anything other than a fun time travelling adventure.
August 17, 2012
Old time art, old time story telling, almost juvenile. Today, the stories within would be a lot more involved and a six parter.
July 10, 2013
Fun combination of super heroes and sword and sorcery. Makes me want to play some D&D! It doesn't take itself too seriously.
October 23, 2014
Super goofy, but entertaining.
May 17, 2015
Iron Man #149-150 (August-September 1981) and #249-250 (mid-November 1989 "The Doctor's Passion" and December 1989 "Recurring Knightmare"). Amusing.
July 20, 2015
Not much versus here, but isn't that usually the case?
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews