From: rawdon@colby.cs.wisc.edu (Michael Rawdon)
Subject: Re: Doom 2099 #3
Reply-To: rawdon@colby.cs.wisc.edu
Organization: University of Wisconsin Computer Sciences Dept., Madison, WI
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 03:42:00 GMT

In <C1ArDL.4z3@news.cso.uiuc.edu> pmm34393@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Paul M. Minutillo) writes:
>I find the Doom 2099 comic to be interesting and well written, but I agree
>that the character is not the same. I think it will be revealed that this
>is Victor vonDoom, but he seems to be much mellower than the original 
>article. 

While I'm willing to give the title allowances for the character having
evolved "off-camera" before Doom 2099 began, I've actually found that I
haven't had to.  I find the essence of the character to be basically the same
as the Doom I know.  Doom has shown himself (especially under John Byrne) as
being quite capable at playing the anti-hero instead of the villain, and
that's the tack that this book is taking, I think.

>Problems with the characterization:
>-The real Doom hates the scars on his face and would be willing to do anything
> to get rid of them. This Doom WANTED the scars left on his face.

I differ; I haven't seen much evidence that Doom has actively wanted to remove
the scars from his face.  (Indeed, according to Byrne's stories, the initial
scar was relatively minor, while the massive later scarring was voluntary!)

>-Doom is always interesting because his inventions are so incredibly far
> advance of his time. Now, it would be difficult for him to produce
> anything of wonder in the 2099 era that has not already been acccomplished.

Doom has shown a remarkable ability to adapt to the future and pick up its
technology quickly, given access to it.  I doubt this will be a problem.

>-Reed Richards is one of the primary motivations for Doom's actions. I
> doubt we'll be seeing anything of him

I think this has the potential to be one of the most INTERESTING facets of the
story:  If Richards is dead, what does Doom do now?  what's his purpose in
life?  Where the book goes in this area will be a major factor in its artistic
success, I think.

>-What about his mother? If the Triumph and Torment graphic novel was part
> of mainstream continuity then she was saved--if not, then she has been in
>  torment for over 100 years and this would surely be tormenting Doom

Doom clearly has other fish to fry at the moment.  This might pop up later on.
(The writer might be deliberately using the amnesia to cover this aspect, for
that matter.)

>-20th century Doom needed no one.

Not true.  Doom used an old friend and servant of his to escape from Zorba
after FF #200, and used the FF directly to retake Latveria from Zorba in FF
#247 (?).  He also later approached the FF to re-take Latveria from Kristoff.

Besides, desperate situations demand desperate measures.  Doom tried it
against Tiger Wylde once on his own, and lost.  Badly.

Moreover, the flashback scenes in Doom 2099 #3 hint that Doom is being
tormented by some new demons from some point in his life in the past.  This
could be a factor.

>				   This Doom is taking the gypsies as allies
> and using their help so I doubt they will be discarded. It's just not
> the same if you start giving the character friends!

Well, we'll see.  Doom has often shined a particular benevolent eye on the
gypsies of his land (since they're his own people), so this isn't too
out-of-character either.

>All in all, I like this title--possibly after Latveria is reclaimed we'll
>see the Doctor back in his original form.

Maybe.  I hope he doesn't go back to being an outright villain, though.  He's
more interesting as a protagonist when he plays the anti-hero.

-- 
Michael Rawdon				  rawdon@colby.cs.wisc.edu
University of Wisconsin Computer Sciences Department,  Madison, WI

"I am a cat, and I keep my own counsel."
					- "A Dream Of A Thousand Cats"
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc