* DR. DOOM Appearance

Reed Richards flies the Fantastic Four's pogo plane into Latverian airspace knowing that he owes his restored stretching power to his greatest enemy, Dr. Doom. This time, vows Reed, only one of them will survive their meeting. He pilots the craft below the radar and lands out of sight of the patrols. Heeding to the capital city, he tests his newly restored stretching power and is pleased that he can extend a greater distance without becoming fatigued and that his repertoire of shapes seems wider. When Reed approaches the castle, Doom's robot guards attack. He has brought a Jammer in his backpack, but unfortunately it proves useless. Not only are the robots unaffected, their override mechanisms cause them to attack whoever is trying to jam them. Reed dodges the robots' ionic laser beams, wondering why Doom would go to the expense of equipping the robots with them.

Ordinary lasers would surely suffice, he thinks, unless Doom is planning something really important. As Reed starts to shatter the robots one by one, he wonders about Doom's lieutenant and about the still secret device built in upstate New York. Suddenly, when he tries to deactivate a robot and accidentally touches its backplate, a powerful shock knocks him unconscious. His body snaps backward into a small lake, where he floats until a group of Latverians pulls him out and take him to their `leader.' In his castle, Doom tells his three manacled prisoners, Ben, Sue, and Johnny, to contemplate the magnificent art treasures it contains. Such art, he declares, is meant not for the masses but for himself alone. Alicia is sequestered away completing his statue, which he will present to the United Nations as a gift when they vote not to condemn Latveria for its aggressive policies. Then Doom's "son" enters to report that the statue is almost finished. Doom is pleased, for the statue must be ready by the time he hands the monarchy over to his heir. What an historic day that shall be, says Doom. Sue says that she cares nothing for Doom's plans and wants to know why Doom has not sent anyone out to look for Reed.

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