In this review of One World Under Doom #9, the reign of Emperor Doom is no more, but at what cost? What comes next, and does anyone actually win in this story?
ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #9
Writer: Ryan North, Steve Orlando
Artist: R.B. Silva, Bernard Chang
Main Cover: Ben Harvey
Variant Covers: INHYUK LEE, NETHO DIAZ, R.B. SILVA, MARTÍN CÓCCOLO, MATTEO DELLA FONTE, MARK BAGLEY, STEVE RUDE, KEVIN WADA
Page count: 32 pages
Release Date: November 19, 2025
This review contains spoilers
One World Under Doom #9 picks up in the aftermath of the devastating final battle between Emperor Doom and the Marvel heroes, where Doom has triumphed after repelling a coordinated attack by dozens of superheroes, but young Valeria Richards became unexpected collateral damage. Doom has prevailed, but at too great a cost, and he will sacrifice anything to bring his goddaughter back.
Doom’s master plan also included a spell to cement his victory moment as a fixed point in time that cannot be undone, so he has outsmarted himself. This will not stand.
Doom and Valeria’s close bond is shown in flashback as a devastated Doom “reassembles” Valeria’s shattered body as he uses the ancient practice of storytelling to keep her soul intact. Doom’s power is vast but he requires more if he is to restore Valeria, and his quest takes him across time and space to seek an audience with unimaginably powerful beings that are older than time itself.
Doom’s journey first takes him to the Vishanti, but despite his attempts to bring them to heel and do his bidding, they resist, so his quest continues to into the distant past, as Doom reveals himself fully to the being called The Living Tribunal, who find his noble sacrifice worthy. Valeria returns to her family, fully restored. In the days and weeks to come, things begin to return to normal across the globe, but Doom’s sacrifice and his legacy endure.
Sometime later, Doom appears in Reed Richards’ lab where the pair debate freedom vs fascism, and progress vs the status quo. Richards argues that Doom’s reach exceeded his grasp, and the fallout from Doom’s foolish gambit corrupted even the former Emperor himself. Doom counters that the only obstacle were heroes like Richards.
One World Under Doom #9 ends with Doom accepting the consequences of his actions (for saving Valeria, not taking over the world), and the despot vanishes, leaving his faceplate for Richards’ which contains Doom’s last will and testament.
Analysis
One World Under Doom #9 is a fitting end to an unsettling story, an emotional rollercoaster and a meditation on modern superhero storytelling. In the early days, superhero comics pitted dashing heroes against sinister villains with the fate of a city or the world at stake. Marvel Comics flipped the script on this by imbuing both heroes and villains with flaws and relatability (see the riveting origin of the Vulture in Amazing Spider-Man #241 for example).
For modern creators and audiences, the concept of “the bad guy has a point” goes hand-in-hand with the good guys maintaining the status quo (for good or for ill). One World Under Doom #9 continues this practice as neither the “good guys” nor the “villain” of the story are on solid footing. Emperor Doom trounced the heroes at every turn with not only in battle but by his ability to affect hearts and minds around the world.
Doom did good things as Emperor: funding schools and hospitals for instance, but to achieve his power he sacrificed the citizens of his country. Misguided and willing to suffer for the cause shows a cult-like mentality in the people of Latveria, but after the events of OWUD, Doom’s influence is growing. Writer Ryan North ends the series the only way it could, with Doom calling a time out.
Exploring Doom’s character solely through the lens of this series still exposes his major flaws: the arrogance and need for total control, the stripping of personal liberties, and the violent crushing of dissent. His previous crimes against humanity not withstanding (all documented in various Marvel comics), Doom still has a point in his final discussion with his lifelong nemesis Reed Richards.
The heroes’ role in the present-day Marvel Universe is of course to protect people and maintain order, but most importantly they are to uphold the status quo. With One World Under Doom #9, the governments, corporations and other power players all reverted to their previous status, while those people who embraced the possibility of a more level playing field under Doom’s rule in a lurch.
In OWUD, North reflects recognizable elements from our own chaotic world, complete with an unfair system that benefits a few by exploiting the many. The heroes are first responders that can’t or won’t affect real change in the Marvel Universe, because where is the drama in a utopia? What stories could even be told? in One World Under Doom #9, the bad guy is evil for certain, but he does have a point about that status quo, where the supposed good guys are much more comfortable with getting things back to “normal”.
As One World Under Doom #9 begins, the Emperor is on the cusp of absolute victory, but instead sacrifices everything including his own life in order to resurrect Valeria Richards. This is not just because of guilt but because he truly loves his goddaughter. Reed Richards is right about one thing regarding Doom, the former Emperor offered a supposed “easy” solution to fix the world, and many people suffered for it.
Artist R.B. Silva provides his usual stunning work, imbuing the various quiet scenes with intensity and emotion. From the astral plane to Reed Richards’ workshop, from the battlefield to the farthest reaches of creation, Silva’s art immerses the reader in every setting. From the gentle care Doom displays for his fallen goddaughter, to his mix of grief, arrogance and rage as he attempts to dominate existence itself to bring her back shows through on the pages of One World Under Doom #9.
Final Thoughts
One World Under Doom #9 is a heartfelt wrap-up to an unsettling series, that rattles the status quo of the Marvel Universe and leaves the future up in the air. The narrowed focus to several core characters allows Doom’s final act to resonate throughout the finale.
