In anticipation of the Fantastic Four's 700th issue, writer Ryan North just confirmed why Reed Richards' Mister Fantastic and Doctor Doom have the best feud in Marvel Comics. Having appeared together since Fantastic Four #5 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the two have over 60 years of publication history together, and the title's current creative team plans to honor that legacy in the title's historic milestone issue.
In a Q&A hosted by CBR, current Fantastic Four writer Ryan North answers fan questions on the book so far, along with hints at what's coming next for Marvel's First Family. When asked specifically about Reed and Doom's feelings toward each other, North explains they are "two halves of the same soul," and that while the two may hate each other, they also share an unbreakable bond. North says:
It's such a great dynamic! At their best, Reed respects Doom, and Doom has some kernel of - he'd never call it RESPECT - but there's something there for Reed, too, something that makes him see him as a worthy adversary. There are times when they both hate each other, truly despising the other for what they've done, and there are times when they look at each other and see a kindred spirit - almost two halves of the same soul that have made wildly different choices. That's intense! It's an intense relationship and a fascinating one. I said before that Doom is the greatest supervillain, and I think Doom and Reed's rivalry is the greatest rivalry, too. There's so much history [and] so much variation in how they've approached each other over the years, and it all counts. Doctor Doom and Reed Richards simply wouldn't swordfight while playing chess with anyone else, you know?
Doctor Doom Returns Like Never Before
Fantastic Four #7, set to release May 17 and written by North alongside artist Iban Coello and colorist Jesus Aburtov, will be the team's 700th legacy issue since their debut in Fantastic Four #1 in 1961. In previewing plans for the double-sized story, North gives some insight into the team and their connection to their longtime foe Doctor Victor von Doom, promising the issue's battle with the villain will have a huge, unprecedented twist.
Doctor Doom & Reed Richards Are Family
With Fantastic Four #700 approaching, the Q&A promises an emphasis on Doom and his place in the Fantastic Four's legacy. Reed and Doom are two of the only people who can fully understand each other's achievements, and in a twisted way, this binds them together - even when he got married, Doom found an underhanded reason to invite Mister Fantastic along as his best man. But Doom's relationship with the rest of the family can show just as much of his complex motivations, even infamously going as far as usurping Reed's place in the family after the reality-altering events of 2015's Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic.
In responding to another question, North cites Doom's relationship to Valeria Richards, daughter of Reed and his wife and teammate Sue Storm Richards (AKA the Invisible Woman), as one of his most fascinating developments. Not only did Doctor Doom deliver Valeria when no-one else could, but he also chose her name, becoming her godfather while still battling her parents on a regular basis. Reed may hate Doom as a villain, but he owes his daughter's life to the intervention of her "Uncle Doom."
Doom Needs Reed... But He'll Never it It
This kind of depth is uniquely possible in stories that stretch across this many issues of comics, spanning decades with countless creative teams with their own takes on iconic heroes and villains, all of which is combined as official canon. Not much has been revealed about exactly what's in store for the team's 700th issue. However, North made sure to confirm that Doom will be a key player. There is no Reed Richards without Doctor Doom, and vice versa, making the Fantastic Four's nemesis a twisted part of their family.
Fantastic Four #700 is available May 17 from Marvel Comics!
Source: CBR
