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Before Doctor Doom takes over the MCU, he's taking over Marvel Comics with 2025's One World Under Doom

One World Under Doom is going to be the biggest story in Marvel's comic book line during 2025, and here's what you need to know about it

Guides by Graeme McMillan, Editor

Published on Thu Nov 21 2024

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Before Doctor Doom gets a chance to take over the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he’s doing the same to the comic book Marvel Universe in 2025’s One World Under Doom storyline. Spinning out of events in the big 2024 comic book storyline Blood Hunt, Victor Von Doom has officially become Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme — but if anyone hoped that the power and responsibility that theoretically comes with that position would bring a new sense of calm and heroism to the iconic supervillain, prepare to be disappointed. Absolute power, it seems, really does corrupt absolutely… especially when it comes to megalomaniacal despots from fictional European countries.

What is One World Under Doom?

One World Under Doom, teased at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, has one simple premise: the world wakes up one day to discover that Doctor Doom is suddenly in charge of everything… and, much to the surprise of the reader, everyone seems to be okay with this. Well, not everyone, of course — otherwise, there would be no story, and One World Under Doom is intended to be quite a story… one that Marvel is promoting with no small amount of hyperbole as its “biggest and most shocking event ever,” which is intended to run through the entirety of 2025, including in issues of ongoing comic books and all-new additional titles.

What are Marvel's One World Under Doom comics?

Officially, One World Under Doom begins in February 2025. (Unofficially, it’s been quietly going on for awhile, but we’ll get to that in a minute.) Here are the official comics that have been announced as being part of the event, as per Marvel:

February 12, 2025: One World Under Doom #1 (of 9)
February 19, 2025: Doom Academy #1 (of 5)
February 19, 2025: Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #1 (of 5)
February 19, 2025: Storm #5
February 19, 2025: X-Factor #7
February 19, 2025: Weapon X-Men #1
February 26, 2025: Fantastic Four #29
February 26, 2025: Red Hulk #1
TBD: One World Under Doom #2 (of 9)
TBD: Doom Academy #2 (of 5)
TBD: Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #2 (of 5)
TBD: One World Under Doom #3 (of 9)
TBD: Doom Academy #3 (of 5)
TBD: Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #3 (of 5)
TBD: One World Under Doom #4 (of 9)
TBD: Doom Academy #4 (of 5)
TBD: Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #4 (of 5)
TBD: One World Under Doom #5 (of 9)
TBD: Doom Academy #5 (of 5)
TBD: Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #5 (of 5)
TBD: One World Under Doom #6 (of 9)
TBD: One World Under Doom #7 (of 9)
TBD: One World Under Doom #8 (of 9)
TBD: One World Under Doom #9 (of 9)

These are only the issues released as part of the storyline in February 2025. We’re going to be updating this list when Marvel announces the next round of tie-in issues, so keep your eyes on Popverse as the story grows.

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Is One World Under Doom connected to Avengers: Doomsday or the MCU?

Officially, there’s no narrative crossover between One World Under Doom and what happens in the MCU… but it’s probably not escaped your notice that this storyline doesn’t just center around Doctor Doom before Robert Downey Jr. takes on the role in the MCU in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday — it also features all-new series for the Thunderbolts ahead of their May 2025 movie and the Red Hulk in time for his MCU debut in February 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World. There’s even a Fantastic Four connection ahead of July 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

So, officially, there’s no MCU connection to One World Under Doom. But it’s safe to say that Marvel is making sure that the big Marvel Studios players of the future are part of this storyline. (Does this mean we should start wondering if Marvel Studios is working on a Storm or X-Factor movie…?)

Comics to read before One World Under Doom

Again, while One World Under Doom officially begins in February 2025, it’s been building in Marvel’s comic book continuity for awhile. 2024’s Blood Hunt event sets everything in motion by transforming Doctor Doom into the Sorcerer Supreme, but he hasn’t been entirely absent from events since then. He showed up in October’s Avengers #19 with a test for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes that they failed, from his perspective — from anyone else’s, they simply demonstrated that they weren’t despotic — and, in the process arguably set the stage for his plan to take over the world.

Of course, that’s a plan that takes time away from the duties that traditionally come with being Sorcerer Supreme, but that’s okay; Doom has offloaded those onto Spider-Man, of all people, which is the basis of the current 8 Deaths of Spider-Man storyline that’s just started in The Amazing Spider-Man comic book series with The Amazing Spider-Man #61. That particular storyline continues through at least March… and it’s worth noting that February’s Amazing Spider-Man #68 is advertised by Marvel asking, “is this the FINAL death of Spider-Man”? Welp, that doesn’t sound good… but I’d be very surprised if this doesn’t play into later parts of One World Under Doom…

When does One World Under Doom happen?

The storyline begins February 12, with the first issue of One World Under Doom, a nine-issue main series by Ryan North and R.B. Silva that contains the biggest events. From there on, it’ll expand to take over the contemporary Marvel comic book universe… and by the time it’s over, the audience will be perfectly primed to see whatever the MCU’s Doctor Doom is going to be up to in Avengers: Doomsday, which is ready to hit theaters May 1, 2026. Really, it is Doctor Doom’s world, no matter which way you look at it. We just live in it. (And enjoy doing so.)

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Graeme McMillan: Popverse Editor Graeme McMillan (he/him) has been writing about comics, culture, and comics culture on the internet for close to two decades at this point, which is terrifying to admit. He completely understands if you have problems understanding his accent.