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Marvel Novel Series #5
The Fantastic Four: Doomsday
The Fantastic Four (Marvel Super Heroes Series #5)....good condition.
191 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1979
1 person is currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Marv Wolfman
2,302 books304 followersMarvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 12, 2022
Another "classic" Marvel novel published before I was born, now available as a streaming audiobook.
Definitely recommended either for fans of comics' First Family's arch-nemesis, or at the very least aficionados of choice epithets such as "dolt", "cretin", "oaf", and, naturellement, "fool!"
Definitely recommended either for fans of comics' First Family's arch-nemesis, or at the very least aficionados of choice epithets such as "dolt", "cretin", "oaf", and, naturellement, "fool!"
October 20, 2023
For some reason I remembered this story today. I bought the novel brand new at a book fair in elementary school, and devoured it. Must've been a suspenseful read, because the back cover deteriorated after suffering my sweaty grip.
I'm pretty sure my D&D campaigns liberally borrowed from Doom's awesome bespoke traps for each FF member: at some point the plot becomes a split 'em up and take 'em out one-by-one horror story. And of course Marvel's First Family learns once again that divided they fall, but united... well, at least Sue Storm can kick ass.
One thing that has always rankled me, however, is Doom's susceptibility to the Baxter Building's sonic countermeasures. Really, Doom? Install noise-cancelling circuitry in that helmet, bro! Still, I loved this book as a kid, so I'm rating it as he would have. Good times.
Postscript: my brother recently reunited me with my copy, crunkled cover and all. As our comment thread attests, unbeknownst to me, he had saved it from certain, er, doom. A little piece of my childhood has come home to roost. Thanks, Ben.
I'm pretty sure my D&D campaigns liberally borrowed from Doom's awesome bespoke traps for each FF member: at some point the plot becomes a split 'em up and take 'em out one-by-one horror story. And of course Marvel's First Family learns once again that divided they fall, but united... well, at least Sue Storm can kick ass.
One thing that has always rankled me, however, is Doom's susceptibility to the Baxter Building's sonic countermeasures. Really, Doom? Install noise-cancelling circuitry in that helmet, bro! Still, I loved this book as a kid, so I'm rating it as he would have. Good times.
Postscript: my brother recently reunited me with my copy, crunkled cover and all. As our comment thread attests, unbeknownst to me, he had saved it from certain, er, doom. A little piece of my childhood has come home to roost. Thanks, Ben.
April 22, 2020
The First Family of comics is well-portrayed in this novel by Marv Wolfman, someone who wrote both regular prose and comics scripts with skill and style for many years. There's a good amount of time spent explaining origins and back-story, but not really enough to seriously distract anyone other than the impatient. This appeared 1n 1979, when the group had already been through many upheavals and cosmic tribulations, but before the changes got so convoluted between infinite alternate worlds that no one could keep track of it all; Frankie Raye is a character, The Baxter Building is the base, and Latveria is where most of the story takes place, so it's comforting and familiar for long-time fans. It's a good, traditional story, too, with some unpredictable twists that are quite clever. When Dr. D. makes the scene, you know.... it's clobberin' time.
February 18, 2024
Marvel’s colorful heroes spilled into prose with the “Marvel Novel Series”: 11 books published in 1978-1979. These are long out of print, but copies remain as curious collectibles of their era. As a child of that era - and a major Marvel fan - DOOMSDAY gave me waves of nostalgia today, in 2024.
In many ways, DOOMSDAY is a late 1970s Fantastic Four comic without the art. In fact, Marv Wolfman, the book’s author, was writing the monthly comic at the time. The entire cast is completely in character and longtime FF readers would have recognized several tropes. The reading level is also the same as that of the contemporary comic (i.e., an average junior high school student could read it fairly easily), and Wolfman makes no attempt to court either a more sophisticated or a less sophisticated (i.e. more juvenile) audience.
Presumably, then, many who purchased a copy of DOOMSDAY in 1979 were already reading the FANTASTIC FOUR comic or at least somewhat familiar with it. Did anyone go into the book cold and then decide to check out the source material? There’s probably no way of knowing, but I wonder. The superhero genre is inherently visual (It’s more exciting to SEE Superman fly than to read a description of him doing it.), so my suspicion is that those inclined toward such stories would have been more likely to pick up a comic…plus, the comics were cheaper (The 1979 cover price on the novel is $1.95. That same year, a single issue of FANTASTIC FOUR sold for 40 cents.).
Marvel may have been hedging its bets on that, however. While DOOMSDAY references some events from the comics, it can easily be read as a stand alone story. In fact, I doubt that it’s considered part of the comic’s canon, as it doesn’t seem to fit within established continuity. Regardless, it’s a good introduction to the franchise (a word seldom used to describe intellectual properties at that time), introducing all the main characters, spotlighting the personalities and abilities of each and presenting a standard but exciting tale of them battling their most popular foe.
As all Marvel fans know, said foe is Dr. Doom, scientific genius and megalomaniac dictator of a fictional European country. He’s also a college classmate and rival of Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, the FF’s leader. Wolfman gives Doom great attention, to the point where DOOMSDAY is arguably more a Dr. Doom story than a Fantastic Four story. Mind you, the titular four - superheroes Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Girl (later renamed “the Invisible Woman”), the Human Torch and the Thing - get plenty of “screen time,” but Doom is the only character who receives an actual arc. What’s more, Wolfman covers Doom’s backstory and origin in great detail, whereas the FF’s origin is mostly just referenced.
Much of the Doom origin sequence- right down to the dialogue - is taken from the classic comic issue FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #2 by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Throughout the novel, in fact, Wolfman apes Stan Lee's scripting style, and he does this quite well. Like Lee, he’s not afraid to go big and corny, with Dr. Doom and Mr. Fantastic, in particular, often delivering overly dramatic, purple dialogue (I particularly love Doom’s insults. “Cretin,” “dolt, “clod,” “doltish clod” and “ludicrous, moronic dolt” are among the epithets that he utters.). Lee knew how to make audiences feel like participants in the fun (The Thing, for example, was often an audience identification character who would comment on formulaic proceedings as they occurred.), and Wolfman manages to capture much of that feel. It’s not an easy balancing act to pull off, and not every Fantastic Four writer has done it.
As noted, the superhero genre often comes with a strong visual component. An artist would certainly bring something to the table with DOOMSDAY, which would lend itself pretty easily to a comic adaptation. In a prose novel, however, Wolfman can - and does - more easily put us in the character’s minds and shift points of view. In comics, some of the same information can be conveyed through captions, but too many captions bog down the pace.
While DOOMSDAY isn’t superior to contemporary Marvel comics, then, it does present a different reading experience. If you’re already a fan of 1970s Fantastic Four comics and of writer Marv Wolfman, then that will likely be enough for you. If you don’t care for the FF or for Wolfman, then this won’t change your mind. If you’re new to both, then you might want to start with some comics. DOOMSDAY wouldn’t exist without them, after all.
In many ways, DOOMSDAY is a late 1970s Fantastic Four comic without the art. In fact, Marv Wolfman, the book’s author, was writing the monthly comic at the time. The entire cast is completely in character and longtime FF readers would have recognized several tropes. The reading level is also the same as that of the contemporary comic (i.e., an average junior high school student could read it fairly easily), and Wolfman makes no attempt to court either a more sophisticated or a less sophisticated (i.e. more juvenile) audience.
Presumably, then, many who purchased a copy of DOOMSDAY in 1979 were already reading the FANTASTIC FOUR comic or at least somewhat familiar with it. Did anyone go into the book cold and then decide to check out the source material? There’s probably no way of knowing, but I wonder. The superhero genre is inherently visual (It’s more exciting to SEE Superman fly than to read a description of him doing it.), so my suspicion is that those inclined toward such stories would have been more likely to pick up a comic…plus, the comics were cheaper (The 1979 cover price on the novel is $1.95. That same year, a single issue of FANTASTIC FOUR sold for 40 cents.).
Marvel may have been hedging its bets on that, however. While DOOMSDAY references some events from the comics, it can easily be read as a stand alone story. In fact, I doubt that it’s considered part of the comic’s canon, as it doesn’t seem to fit within established continuity. Regardless, it’s a good introduction to the franchise (a word seldom used to describe intellectual properties at that time), introducing all the main characters, spotlighting the personalities and abilities of each and presenting a standard but exciting tale of them battling their most popular foe.
As all Marvel fans know, said foe is Dr. Doom, scientific genius and megalomaniac dictator of a fictional European country. He’s also a college classmate and rival of Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, the FF’s leader. Wolfman gives Doom great attention, to the point where DOOMSDAY is arguably more a Dr. Doom story than a Fantastic Four story. Mind you, the titular four - superheroes Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Girl (later renamed “the Invisible Woman”), the Human Torch and the Thing - get plenty of “screen time,” but Doom is the only character who receives an actual arc. What’s more, Wolfman covers Doom’s backstory and origin in great detail, whereas the FF’s origin is mostly just referenced.
Much of the Doom origin sequence- right down to the dialogue - is taken from the classic comic issue FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #2 by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Throughout the novel, in fact, Wolfman apes Stan Lee's scripting style, and he does this quite well. Like Lee, he’s not afraid to go big and corny, with Dr. Doom and Mr. Fantastic, in particular, often delivering overly dramatic, purple dialogue (I particularly love Doom’s insults. “Cretin,” “dolt, “clod,” “doltish clod” and “ludicrous, moronic dolt” are among the epithets that he utters.). Lee knew how to make audiences feel like participants in the fun (The Thing, for example, was often an audience identification character who would comment on formulaic proceedings as they occurred.), and Wolfman manages to capture much of that feel. It’s not an easy balancing act to pull off, and not every Fantastic Four writer has done it.
As noted, the superhero genre often comes with a strong visual component. An artist would certainly bring something to the table with DOOMSDAY, which would lend itself pretty easily to a comic adaptation. In a prose novel, however, Wolfman can - and does - more easily put us in the character’s minds and shift points of view. In comics, some of the same information can be conveyed through captions, but too many captions bog down the pace.
While DOOMSDAY isn’t superior to contemporary Marvel comics, then, it does present a different reading experience. If you’re already a fan of 1970s Fantastic Four comics and of writer Marv Wolfman, then that will likely be enough for you. If you don’t care for the FF or for Wolfman, then this won’t change your mind. If you’re new to both, then you might want to start with some comics. DOOMSDAY wouldn’t exist without them, after all.
August 27, 2024
I enjoyed these books as a kid, but they don’t hold up as an adult. This one was way too repetitive.
October 22, 2018
Not bad, but not great. I never found the Fantastic Four to be super interesting, and this book suffers from the same things their comics do - they're boring. The plot moves very slowly and when something interesting does happen, it's over quickly, but overall the storytelling is decent, pacing is good, and filling in the backstory (while awkward a bit at the beginning) goes pretty smoothly.
March 16, 2025
When Doctor Doom shows up at Empire University's class reunion, everyone expects trouble. But Doom claims he's come to simply invite everyone to Latvaria and tour the country.
Reed Richards (who is also at the reunion) figures its a trick, so he and the rest of the Fantastic Four tag along to keep an eye on things.
Their alertness doesn't keep each of them from falling into individually designed death traps in Latvaria, while Doom heads back to New York and the Baxter Building. He needs something from there to carry out his latest ultimate plan.
Marv Wolfman comes up with an entertaining plot and he, of course, knows the characters well, keeping them all in character throughout the novel. The four heroes use their powers, brains and experience to escape individual death traps in Latvaria, then later work in concert to escape the Negative Zone after Doom traps them there. This is the Fantastic Four acting like the FF should.
I'm a little torn by the ending. The FF, despite repeatedly avoiding getting killed by Doom, spend the novel reacting without ever really being proactive. Doom succeeds in his masterplan, only to be brought down by his own arrogance and lust for power. On the one hand, the FF should save the day in an FF novel. On the other hand, Doom's downfall is completely within character for him and the climax does generate the proper emotions. Besides, its kind of cool when Doom gets a stern talking too from his dead parents.
Reed Richards (who is also at the reunion) figures its a trick, so he and the rest of the Fantastic Four tag along to keep an eye on things.
Their alertness doesn't keep each of them from falling into individually designed death traps in Latvaria, while Doom heads back to New York and the Baxter Building. He needs something from there to carry out his latest ultimate plan.
Marv Wolfman comes up with an entertaining plot and he, of course, knows the characters well, keeping them all in character throughout the novel. The four heroes use their powers, brains and experience to escape individual death traps in Latvaria, then later work in concert to escape the Negative Zone after Doom traps them there. This is the Fantastic Four acting like the FF should.
I'm a little torn by the ending. The FF, despite repeatedly avoiding getting killed by Doom, spend the novel reacting without ever really being proactive. Doom succeeds in his masterplan, only to be brought down by his own arrogance and lust for power. On the one hand, the FF should save the day in an FF novel. On the other hand, Doom's downfall is completely within character for him and the climax does generate the proper emotions. Besides, its kind of cool when Doom gets a stern talking too from his dead parents.
February 8, 2020
Sure, it's of it's time, and you've got to love the first family, but this story has kick of you get to the end. The journey for Doom is worth the price.
December 16, 2024
This felt dated in a not fun, not charming kind of way and that’s separate from my continued disdain for Reed Richards.
July 14, 2020
Marv Wolfman, I wish you'd written a better book, man. As it is, it's sort of yeah, okay, by the numbers kind of stuff. Nostalgia brought me there.
January 4, 2011
In turning a comic book series into a novel, Wolfman felt the need to fill in non-comic readers on the characters and their world. The result is constant asides, especially in the first half, that halt the narrative to give background. Even if Wolfman had written a brilliant story, and he did not, it would be diminished by this. Were these removed, the novel would be novella length, in other words, there is not a lot of story there. The blustery ego of the villain also is tiresome. This is strictly for FF fans and people who study adaptation.
April 2, 2013
This is book #5 in the Marvel Novel Series based on the famous Marvel comic book superheroes. This book features The Fantastic Four and Dr. Doom and is mostly geared to a young adult audience, although anyone that has been reading Marvel comics may enjoy the book. Although I love The Fantastic Four and their nemesis, Dr. Doom, I was disappointed in this novel. I found the story weak and the characters not portrayed well.
March 10, 2012
This story takes me back to the good old days of my youth (as it should seeing how it is only slightly younger than I am). Wolfman scripted a fast paced little story that pits the Fantastic Four against the might that is Dr. Doom. This is a great little read for fans of Wolfman or the Fantastic Four.
July 16, 2007
Okay, so this was my favorite book in the fourth grade. I must have read it ten times. I haven't read it in nearly 30 years. I'm sure it's absolute drivel. But hey -- Doctor Doom! A maze slowly filling with acid!
February 10, 2016
Very good novel adaptation of the comics. if you are a comic super hero fan these are Very recommended.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews