Some would argue that the longest lasting effect of Secret Wars is Titania and Absorbing Man's romance. They're still married.

KLAW: You narrate your life as you go along don't you? Are you being taped? DOOM: Why yes! Every utterance of Doom must be recorded for posterity! One of countless examples of why Doom is a villainous treat.

this is a side of Galactus I don't think i've ever seen before. When he's not hungry, he's just a giant who doesn't really give a shit about anything.

You left out the most titanic, most startling revelation of all: that Doom actually has a voice recorder in his armor! "Every utterance of Doom must be preserved for posterity!"

*DOOM CAN FEEL ALL! DOOM KNOWS ALL! DOOM CAN FEEL THE ETERNAL VOID! DOOM CAN FEEL THE INFINITE PRESSURE OF CREATION ITSELF! AWARENESS HAS BECOME BUT A TOOL; MY WHIM HAS BECOME LAW! NONE IS BEYOND DOOM'S COMPREHENSION! BOUNDLESS KNOWLEDGE! CEASELESS POWER!* ...Doom still does not understand how movies keep screwing Doom up.

"Doom feels this deserved after how *crappy* a day Doom has had until now." Everyone has those days Vic...

" DOOM KNOWS why kids love the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch!!!" - Can we get YOU to be Doom in a movie? That had me laughing hysterically for hours.

Oh man, when Wasp betrayed Magneto it must have really... stung.

"The Beyonder is dead!" Nietzche, eat your heart out.

Between this and Emperor Doom, the argument can really be made that Doom really doesn't want to rule the world or even want ultimate power. He sabotages himself.

Do Hawkeye and Galactus ever sit down and talk about their shared sense of style?

17:50 Captain America: "Dr Doom...I've come to bargain."

14:43 This line "In any other circumstances I would help him." Reminds me why I love Doom. See, what a lot of the movies forget is that Doom is a very nuanced and developed character. That taking things like his country, his dramatics, and backstory removes Doom's worth. He is supposed to have a motivation that says, "Well, gee...if you only weren't the scum of the earth I would help you."

No wonder Galactus wants to eat battle-world, it’s made of other planets, SO MANY FLAVORS.

Love all instances of Linkara as Doom.

Did anyone read the miniseries Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars? It explains that Deadpool actually was among the heroes during the event, but everyone forgot about him because Wasp willed it that way.

I'm just picturing Spidey telling everyone "yeah, I guess the machine made my suit like Spider-Woman's because I was subconsciously thinking about it! ...I was just thinking about *her suit*, I swear, nothing else."

This series is why Doom went from an antagonist to the main threat in the Marvel Universe. Because HE IS DOOM!

We all know Spider-man's costume turned black the same reason the F4's did... Marvel didn't want to buy anymore Blue Marker pens

*_DOOM KNOWS HOW MANY LICKS IT TAKES TO GET TO THE TOOTSIE ROLL CENTER OF A TOOTSIE POP!_*

A love story? I don't know, Linkara. To review something like that would be... like courting death. *Thanos turns around and smirks*

Damn, this story is basically "Doom fails at everything" follows galactus towards the beyonder and gets his ass kicked, tries to contact the heroes and his ship gets blown up, tries to talk to galactus and gets swatted like a fly, tries to board his ship and gets thrown out, then manages to get his powers and goes to fight the beyonder and loses, then somehow manages to steal his power too. just to lose it one day later after being bamboozled by his own assistant after almost going crazy with the weight of his own power

The Beyonder being an Inhuman/Mutant hybrid was stupid (a stupid Bendis retcon? Shocking, I know) and *was* undone, as Jonathan Hickman's Avengers run established that there's an entire race of Beyonders.

So you are in a room full of bizarre alien equipment you have no idea the function of, and your first instinct is to stick your head into one instead of just ASKING THOR which one is the clothes machine. Then when he finds out it's not the right machine and no one else's new clothes work like his, he brings it back to Earth with him. This is the guy who's allegedly SOOO responsible!? What's next? A deal with the dev...?

"Energy that responds to strong desire or force of will?" So... the Beyonder's power is just Spiral Energy? Huh.

I know that Secret Wars came out decades before it but Doom's absorbing the power of what is basically a god reminds me of what he did in the game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance when he stole all of Odin's power and became a god. I guess they decided it was a good enough idea to use twice.

Drunk Enchantress is my favorite part of this review.

Something to point out -- the one and only reason Colossus fell in love with that alien girl was because Jim Shooter wanted to break up him and Kitty Pryde, because he thought their romance was creepy. Also, something you forgot to mention -- at this point in cannon, Doom was *dead* as a doornail. It took some serious continuity re-jiggering to explain how the hell a dead man ended up alive and well on Battleworld.

I gotta say Secret Wars 2015 was actually pretty good and had a few really fun tie ins.

The Tower of Doom? IT'S DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS! I KNEW IT!

Lewis, you need to review more Marvel books with Doctor Doom in them. I honestly loved every single Doom joke in this!

The symbiote was not just feeding off of Spider-Man, but attempted to bond itself to him both physically and mentally.

Kind of disappointing how you didn't talk about the fact that being taken prisoner by Galactus drove Klaw insane and the hilarious, absurd dialogue that results from that. All in all, though, loved the review. Secret Wars was one of the first comics (or rather, series of comics) that I read. I was already familiar with most of the characters through supplementary material like the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, but it was one of the first genuine comics that I read. And it still has my favorite Dr. Doom moment and quote of all time. Facing the Beyonder, Doom is outmatched in every conceivable way, even with the power of Galactus. He's fighting the single most powerful being he's ever encountered, with truly god-like power, but he's defiant to the end. When the Beyonder says no one can approach him, Doom replies: "Then approach ME, coward, on your knees, if you have knees! Come! Cringe before your master! Grovel before DOOM!"

The Linkara-doom was great, I hope to see it again in later episodes.

Oh man, I remember loving the animated Secret Wars episodes as a kid...especially seeing the Lizard, my all-time favorite Spidey villain, joining the heroes. I'm going to Barnes and Nobles next weekend to pick up some reading material for a vacation and I will definitely try and pick up the original Secret Wars collection if I can find it.

A love story that kills half the universe... And only one planet was close enough to view the cosmic rays without also being destroyed by them; and that planet was Earth...

What is it with great, world-conquering, terrifying despots and comfy furniture? I feel like one of these days we're going to see Darkseid in the background of a panel set at a Jordan's.

That "sowing machine" gag was perfect.

You got to use that Doom costume more often. It's like one of the most goofiest things I ever seen you wear XD

why was the "hiding under a rock" joke so funny to me?

17:50 Dormammu, I've come to bargain.

Spider-man Animated Series had one of the most satisfying final seasons of the action shows of my childhood with the secret wars/spider wars multi-parters. Even with not actually seeing Peter and mary jane reunited knowing that he was on the way to rescuing her felt like a good way to seal off all plot holes. I know the series animation was bad pretty often but i still think it was an, ahem, amazing series.

The symbiote actually didn't make him any stronger or faster, it didn't even originally feed on him or make him more aggressive either. Spider-Man's entire problem with the symbiote was that it would use his body to go out and fight crime and save people while he was sleeping. That's it. Needless to say that made Spider-Man look like a huge dick when he decided to get rid of it. After all, it was only trying to help! Most adaptations try to make the symbiote a little less innocent. But ultimately the symbiote in the mainstream universe is kind of a tragic figure and its turn to evil was entirely a result of Spider-man abandoning it without explanation and leaving it trapped in Reed's lab.

In rewatching this, I just had a thought that is equal parts awesome and terrifying. What if Dr. Doom became a Green Lantern?

I just can't stop wondering, what would happen if Doomkara and SNOWFLAME met...

I am of two minds on Secret Wars. Some definitely sloppy writing, but this is also a very fascinating take on a topic that has been handled a couple of times, what Doctor Doom does if he wins, what is next for him. I like Crisis more, but there's some gold in here once you get past the Hitler namedropping and sketchy behavior of some of the characters

Linkara: You're one of my favorite people to watch on a relaxing Monday afternoon while working on homework or eating a delicious waffle tower. For me these last few months have been stressfull and hard on my anxiety but having you as a part of the internet I can go back to really heals me inside. Keep doing what you're doing. You're saving lives, man.

SEWING MACHINE!

I have this crossover to thank for the existence of the Black costume, and the eventual existence of my favorite villains for Spider-Man, Venom and eventually Carnage.

Something to add: Deadpool was recently put in this retroactively.

2:49 Klaw striking a pose like he's a JoJo character.

"You address omnipotence. Tread carefully." - Thanos, Infinity Gauntlet

I was so happy when he got the black costume. For a bit Spider-Man was easy to draw.

Man, if Marvel ever got back around to making animated movies based on their comics, I'd kill to see Secret Wars adapted. I know that they won't do it now, I mean what would be the point with all the stuff from the MCU, but conceptually I think making animated versions of a lot of Marvel's old events without having to worry about canon or timeline placements for characters. They already did it for Planet Hulk, so I don't know why they have never done that again.

Doom on a Comfy Chair. Sign that the best (and worst) events and crossovers all feature villains lounging around?

Another result of Secret Wars was the creation of Titania and her eternal hatred of She-Hulk. She even briefly became the wielder of the Infinity Gem of Power.

Reed Richards being Reed Richards in the scene beneath the mountain is one of my favorite parts of the story. Overall it's a decent read. I like Crisis more but looking back it was a fun story and Shooter playing around with factions and inter-team conflicts was fun.

Next week on "Atop the Fourth Wall" - "FINE, I'LL DO IT MYSELF"

I love that Dr. Doom "costume" of yours. You need to use it more often.

We have the best spider woman costume till spider Gwen, the intro to the black suit, hulk holding the mountain, it’s just such an incredible culmination of marvels greatness and the history is hero’s and villains, I remember having the issue with the hulk mountain cover as a kid that’s sadly since been ruined by years of love but it was truly so incredible to see, what an awesome review for an awesome comic

I wish Linkara spoke about the cover for issue #10 of Secret Wars. I remember having that book and both its cover and what was inside stayed with me despite still being very young. The sight of Doom battered, broken, and on one knee yet still defiant in the face of death speaks volumes of who Doom is and what he is capable of. Oh, and blame the Beyonder's retcon on Bendis. Aside from a few good solo series, the man sucks at everything else.

"He eventually ditched it." "Eventually" = whilst Secret Wars was still being released.

5:49 Man, I wasn't expecting a throwback to that gag. Well done, 90's Kid.

Gotta love Dr Doom, he’s like a villain molten lava cake, a decadent treat for all

To be honest, I liked the Secret Wars (2015) concept, and it made for some great stories. Basically it was a world of "What if"-Stories

Klaw is a villain from Black Panther. In the comics, he is responsible for killing Black Panther's father and T'Challa, of course, becomes the ruler of Wakanda and the Black Panther.

I love this review, as I usually love them. However, one thing I feel the need to point out is that Spider-Man's black suit did NOT originally enhance his speed and strength. It only provided him with camouflage, the ability to turn into any clothing he desired, "unlimited" webbing, and a "dimensional aperture" that allowed him to carry small object and such without adding extra mass to his person.While talking to his symbiote, Eddie Brock/Venom later explained that, because Spider-Man already had super-strength, the black suit did not try to enhance it (or something along those lines. Admittedly, that explanation seems kind of dumb, but what can you do.) The black suit did not start enhancing Spider-man's powers until Spider-man, The Animated Series, and has since become a staple of the costume.

I remember the 90's Spiderman show pretty well, it was one of my childhood staples. and yes the Secret Wars Arc was Pretty Darn Good. It felt like Spidey was having to jump through hurdles by taking on the biggest and baddest of the Marvel Universe while proving his worth to the Good Guys- A sort of Coming of Age sort of feel to the whole arc.

The art by Mike Zeck & Bob Laton is awesome. And that black Spidy costume is also awesome! This series was more or less responsible for getting me into comic book collecting. It was a great way to get introduced to a wide variety of marvel characters in one place. I still wish the gallery of villeins had been slightly better than it was tho.

Sooooo, do Molecule Man powers include interstellar GPS?

Doom using raw willpower to pull himself together is a weirdly heroic move

No mention of Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars?

Claw-possessed by the Beyonder looks like he's doing Jojo poses at 16:18.

This comic is unrealistic because Reed Richards does something that helps people.

Absolutely delighted by the panel of Captain America holding his fixed shield like :D

Claw? Still waiting for the Inspector Gadget/Marvel crossover.

5:54 Oh 2090s Kid, we have missed you 😂😂

Sounds like Doctor Doom was channeling Christopher Walken.

Notable Quotes Pt 2: Spiderman: "I wonder if I could sue her for infringing on my schitcks! I should have gotten a patent or a trademark or something..." Enchantress: "FiE! No OnE aTtEnDs! I sHaLl HaVe To CoJuRe My OwN mEaD aGaIn!...Or An InNkEePeR!" Spiderman: "That glob just...Just spread out and became a costume...and dissolved away the tatters of my old ones in the process!" Doom: "BY THE DARK GODS! My least whim alters the world around me!" Also Doom: "I...I feel every cell...Every Atom...Their Textures...Their Quivering Movements...The dance of Infinity! Doom Again: "Is there no end to his strength?! He doubles and Redoubles his onslaught with each passing second! I must draw nearer still! And Yet...All my power is Not Enough! My thrust has been blunted! My Energy Ebbs!! MY DEFENSES CRUMBLE!!!" holy crap Doom: "What is Pain to one such as I?! I-I will shut it out!" Doom shut up: "THE BEYONDER IS DEAD! NOW THE SUPREME BEING IN THE UNIVERSE *IS DOOM!!!* " Doom please: "Absorbing the Beyonder's vast energies caused my form to swell to enormous proportions." YOU ARE SUMMONED TO THE TOWER OF DOOM AT DUSK TOMORROW Hawkeye: "Count Good Ol Hawkeye in!...but could somebody PLEASE help me make some arrows first?..." (thank you...) Cap. America: "Keep in mind by the way, that if we DO decide to confront Doom, it's possible that we may be annihilated on the spot by a bolt from the blue!" oh no Doom's back: "I must let the power rise! DESTROY THEM AGAIN!" Mr Fantastic: I believe that this... "wish fulfillment" phenomenon we've been experiencing is an after-effect of the battle against doom. The planet itself seems to have been charged with residual energy which seems to respond to strong desire or force of will!" Thing: "Nice Guy, Reed...A little bit of a worry wart though...I'm gonna be fine...a little lonesome mebee...but what's that whut FDR said once? 'There aint nuthin ta fear?'" Bonus: Lizard: "Disssturb our gamesss and the Lizard will Dessstroy you! Once we finisssh our gamesss we will do as you sssay!" Doom: "Every utterance of Doom must be recorded for Posterity!"

Ok those Dr. Doom cut-a-ways are great. Me gusta!

Little tidbit. Doom was technically "dead" when Secret Wars came out. His body had been disintegrated and his robots had downloaded his memories and personality into his ward, Kristoff, a child. The real Doom had managed to transfer his mind into a passer by. This was resolved in a Secret Wars II tie in of Fantastic Four. It ended with The Beyonder reconstituting Doom's body, transferring his mind back from the poor schlub, and sending him off to this mini-series. From what I remembered about Professor X's legs, he'd already gotten over the psychosomatic paralysis of his new body before the mini-series started, or at least before the X-Men issue where they entered Secret Wars. However, the explanation is The Beyonder just put him in the wheelchair because that's how he'd seen him in his observations. Most probably, it's like the thing with John Stewart in Crisis #1. They didn't want to give away something in the mini-series that the main series hadn't caught up to. However, it's been a while since I read Secret Wars and don't remember if they showed Xavier walking in issue 1.

One of the best running gags from this is Titania being afraid of Spider-Man, because he beat her early on.

Heeey now, I really like the 2015 Secret Wars! A worthy end to the universe with amazing tie-ins and truly epic storytelling!

Lewis, would you ever review JLA/Avengers?

Doom loves talking about himself in the third person! Doom figures that if Mr.T and Bob Dole can do it, Doom can as well only 100 times more frequently and irregularly!

22:14 Technically, there were two sequels to Secret Wars, with Secret Wars 3 being The Fantastic Four #319, concluding with, if I recall, the Beyonder becoming a woman because "men are too violent". Yup.

"DOOM NOW KNOWS WHY KIDS LOVE THE TASTE OF CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH! DOOM KNOWS EVERYTHING!" Best. Quote. Ever.

Yaaaas Infinity Gauntlet next week! One of the few trades I actually own! I can follow along at home! Woot! Thank you, Linkara!

the dance of infinity sounds like a crazy musical number with Thanos at the helm

11:46 - "Form swelling" is probably the most alien and random way for anyone to say "I got really big".. but then again "form swelling" is probably a niche term used in some /chan site somewhere.

Awesome Infinity Gauntlet next! Holds up so well!

There was also a 'Secret Wars III' which appeared, en masse, in Fantastic Four 319. According to the writer, Steve Englehart, it happened after Jim Shooter left Marvel. FF Editor Ralph Macchio (not that one) had appaerntly always hated the Beyonder and asked Shooter to write him out.

Not sure if anyone here mentioned it, but the X-Men were supposed to appear in that Secret Wars episode of Spider-Man (I've read conflicting accounts that either Mister Sinister or Magneto were supposed to appear as villainous counterparts). However, due to the expense of getting ALL the Canadian based X-Men cast to fly to Los Angeles meant their episode was shelved, and only Storm's (whose voice actress lived in LA) ended up showing up.

One outcome was Cap screwed up putting his shield back together and nearly destroying the world a decade later in the _Heroes Return_ Cap comic. Fortunately Klaw hit his shield and dues ex machina the problem away, giving Steve his shield back.

And thus the evnetual Venom debuts!

"Ha Beyonder! Even Doom's removed spleen is more powerful than you, you have fallen into Doom's trap!"

When you've just turned black/And you can't switch back/Well you gotta go and find out the rules - Spiderman

For some reason I've never read the Secret Wars, but it was easy to see that this had Dr Doom in his finest. I fondly remember how Dr Doom once helped the X-Men pro bono to save Kitty Pryde's life just to get a chance to prove that he's more intelligent than Reed. (But also the story of Dr Doom joining with Arcade to trap the X-Men was quite awesome.)

I've recently been watching the 90's Spiderman. Finished up the series today, so I just got to watch the Secret Wars episodes only a few hours ago.

This by far is the best video on the internet.