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Saturday, February 8, 2025

Why Thunderbolts: Doomstrike Is an Essential Part of Marvel’s One World Under Doom Crossover


If there’s one phrase to explain the state of the Marvel Universe in 2025, it is “Doom.” In February, Marvel kicks off a brand new crossover occasion referred to as One World Under Doom, which sees Doom emerge from hiding as the brand new Sorcerer Supreme and declare himself emperor of the world. It’s a narrative that will probably be advised within the pages of Ryan North and R.B. Silva’s One World Under Doom miniseries in addition to quite a few different tie-ins and spinoffs. Easily some of the essential of these tie-ins is Thunderbolts: Doomstrike, by writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing and artist Tommaso Bianchi.

IGN can solely debut a brand new preview of April’s Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #3. Marvel’s solicitation teases, “Bucky, Songbird, Sharon Carter and the Midnight Angels launch a daring plan to focus on Doctor Doom’s provide of vibranium. But standing of their manner are – THE THUNDERBOLTS?! It’s THUNDERBOLTS VS. THUNDERBOLTS – ’NUFF SAID!”

Check out the preview within the slideshow gallery beneath, after which learn on to be taught extra in regards to the new sequence from Kelly and Lanzing themselves, together with why this sequence serves because the grand fruits of a yearslong Bucky Barnes storyline:

Is Bucky Barnes to Blame for Emperor Doom?

Thunderbolts: Doomstrike continues the story Kelly and Lanzing started in 2023’s Thunderbolts relaunch. That sequence established a brand new incarnation of the crew led by Bucky Barnes and with the mandate to tackle a number of the greatest villains within the Marvel Universe by any means obligatory. Bucky’s crew succeeded in taking up foes like Hydra and the Kingpin, although their victory introduced with it some main unintended penalties. The Thunderbolts wound up instantly paving the way in which for Doom’s rise to energy. Oops.

“In a single sweep, Bucky cleared the board of the Red Skull, the Kingpin’s funds, and the American Kaiju,” Lanzing tells IGN through electronic mail. “That leaves Hydra with out a chief, the felony underworld with out financing, and the US Government with out its handiest deterrence – all of which was supposed to assist Bucky make the world a safer, higher place and encourage different heroes to make massive adjustments on this planet round them. Unfortunately, he additionally impressed another person: Victor Von Doom – who he used as a pawn to kill the re-emergent Red Skull. And nobody makes a weapon out of Victor Von Doom with out residing to remorse it.”

Kelly reveals that their preliminary Thunderbolts storyline, Worldstrike, was at all times supposed to result in a Doom-centric follow-up. The undeniable fact that North was planning a whole compnay-wide crossover occasion revolving round Doom was only a handy growth.

“When we began planning what the observe up sequence could be, we have been launched to the upcoming new established order for the Marvel Universe: One World Under Doom,” Kelly says. “Spearheaded by the unbelievable Ryan North, we eagerly dove into the outlines…and to our shock, found that he was utilizing Bucky’s manipulation of Doom as one of many key inciting incidents for Victor’s rise to world energy. Which meant that this new Thunderbolts mission wasn’t only a campaign in opposition to evil – it was a referendum on Bucky’s decisions. Doomstrike is Bucky’s likelihood to redeem his decisions… but it surely’s going to push him tougher than ever earlier than.”

“This new Thunderbolts mission wasn’t only a campaign in opposition to evil – it was a referendum on Bucky’s decisions.”

Naturally, Bucky’s guilt over his position in establishing Emperor Doom will probably be a significant focus in Doomstrike. Though as Kelly reminds us, guilt has been half and parcel of Bucky’s story since his resurrection because the Winter Soldier.

“Bucky’s guilt – whether or not from his actions as The Winter Soldier, or his missions for the Outer Circle – have been weighing him down all his life,” Kelly says. “And simply when he thought he may put a few of it down and switch the nook…he will get burdened with the accountability of inflicting Doom’s rise to energy. Worst of all, Doom understands that…and can use that guilt as his best weapon. After our first situation, that weight will probably be elevated by an element of 20,000…and even together with his steel arm, Bucky won’t be capable of save himself from being crushed.”

“The remainder of the Thunderbolts are going to have assorted motivations – as they typically do, as a crew of outsiders and mercenaries,” Lanzing provides. “Songbird is becoming a member of the crew out of loyalty to Bucky and her personal sense of heroism – lengthy gone are her days as Screaming Mimi, so when she sees an opportunity to be a hero on this world gone mad, Songbird takes it. But she’s additionally nonetheless hurting from the lack of her final love, Abner Jenkins (aka MACH-X), so there’s a specific amount of devil-may-care angle to how far she’s keen to go.”

Lanzing continues, “Black Widow is totally involved for Bucky’s security – they solely lately reignited their romance and it’s clear that his guilt is driving him to harmful locations. She’d moderately play the lengthy recreation in opposition to Doom, however Revolution waits for no man. Destroyer is already on-mission after we meet her; Sharon Carter destroys fascism and it’s mainly all over the place as of late. U.S. Agent is deep in his cups when Bucky arrives – disgusted by his nation’s subservience to a overseas dictator. And our latest member, Ghost Rider ‘44, is an previous good friend of Bucky whose battle simply reignited in hellfire. We’re leaving some extra members as surprises… however suffice to say, each one in every of them has a purpose to face in opposition to Doom… or fear for Bucky’s life.”

But what in regards to the enigmatic Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine? Kelly tases, “As for Val… that’s a extra sophisticated query that readers must learn situation #1 to uncover.”

Art by Leinil Yu. (Image Credit: Marvel)

Thunderbolts vs. Thunderbolts

One of the large promoting factors of Doomstrike is that it options the return of the unique 1997 Thunderbolts lineup. While Songbird has thrown her lot in with Bucky, most of her former comrades are as an alternative siding with Emperor Doom. And as the quilt to situation #3 makes plain, the 2 groups are destined to come back into battle with one another as Doomstrike unfolds.

“We’re thrilled to ask the unique Thunderbolts again into the combo and cross them over with Bucky’s new reimagined operation,” Kelly says. “From the heartbreaking conclusion to Songbird and Abner’s relationship, fantastically dropped at life (and demise) by Jim Zub, to the disastrous return of Citizen V, it’s an actual honor to return to those characters, and – extra importantly – return them to their unique core dilemma: is redemption even attainable for a villainous life?”

Lanzing provides, “But it’s not Bucky who’s co-opting the identify for his personal ends – it’s Doom. See, the Thunderbolts aren’t self-organizing right here; in a world below Doom, few heroes are as below his thumb as these he calls his “Fulgar Victoris.” But why are they organizing? And why is Bucky goal primary?”

Naturally, Songbird will probably be a pivotal determine in Doomstrike. The sequence will see her caught in the midst of the battle and torn between her loyalty to her previous teammates and her new dedication to Bucky’s trigger.

“When Melissa returns, she does so with a mode, excited and able to help Bucky on his mission,” Kelly says. “But he’s not the one Thunderbolt she has a historical past with, and the return of her buddies – serving somebody as nefarious as Doom – will completely twist her coronary heart. Unlike Bucky, the Thunderbolts are her complete world…so how she offers with this fallout goes to shake her to her core.”

Kelly and Lanzing have been working with Bucky for a number of years at this level, even past the scope of their Thunderbolts run. Bucky was a significant part of their Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty sequence and the Captain America: Cold War crossover. Doomstrike is particularly billed because the fruits of their overarching Bucky storyline, that means Sentinel of Liberty followers will certainly wish to decide this one up.

“It’s the grand finale for our work on Bucky and we’re leaving all of it on the sphere.”

“Here’s what we will say with confidence: that is our closing Bucky Barnes story for some time,” Lanzing teases. “We’ve been telling a single story with Bucky Barnes ever since we began at Marvel – we name it the ‘Revolution Saga.’ It started in Devil’s Reign: Winter Soldier, actually exploded in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, motivated Captain America: Cold War, after which turned totally centered on Bucky in Thunderbolts: Worldstrike. Bucky has found the secrets and techniques of his origin, he’s clashed together with his finest good friend, he’s allowed love again into his coronary heart, and he’s taken on a brand new id because the Revolution – however it can all come right down to this. I actually can’t stress sufficient that followers of any of our work on these titles shouldn’t miss this – whereas the story is nice for brand new readers, it’s additionally imbued with tons of that means for many who’ve been on this journey with us. It’s the grand finale for our work on Bucky and we’re leaving all of it on the sphere.”

On the flip aspect, it is price remembering that Thunderbolts: Doomstrike will probably be unfolding even because the Thunderbolts* film his theaters in May. We have been curious if Kelly and Lanzing hoped to attract in MCU viewers with their newest venture, notably given the similarities within the crew roster.

“Absolutely,” Kelly says. “Fans of MCU Bucky – barely extra quippy, barely much less broken – will discover our Bucky very acquainted…least, at the beginning. Though the main points are completely different, this story will educate MCU followers precisely why The Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine is such a machiavellian menace. And for followers of Bucky and Natasha, their romance sits on the very core themes of the e book. Finally, as we all know Doom himself will quickly be taking the highlight within the MCU, this story – and the whole One World Under Doom period – is a terrifying introduction to one of many best villains in Marvel’s historical past. Our honest hope is that, when followers of the film come speeding into their native comedian store asking for extra, the one-two punch of Thunderbolts: Worldstrike and Doomstrike are ready for them to hook them into the unbelievable, wild world of Marvel comics.”

Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #1 will probably be launched on February 19, 2025.

For extra on the way forward for the Marvel Universe, see what to anticipate from Marvel in 2025 and skim up on our most anticipated comics of 2025.

Jesse is a mild-mannered employees author for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your mental thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.



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