MegaMorphs #4

Background

Last time Doctor Octopus (w/ Mega Morph) and a mind-controlled Hulk (w/ Mega Morph) revived the monstrous robot known as the Red Ronin (who's kind of like a Mega Morph.) To the surprise of ever reader under the age of seven, it turned out that it was in fact Doctor Doom behind the evil plot who now able to pilot the Ronin via Remote Control. Doom no longer needing help promptly wasted no time attacking his former pawns, apparently to destroying both Hulk and Dock Ock's STOMPY FUN MECHA ARMOR SUITS.

A looooong fight scene, The Mega Morphs managed to defeat the Red Ronin, where the not-destroyed, not-mind-controlled Hulk made a surprising return to aid our heroes. Regrouping at S.H.I.E.L.D's flying headquarters, our heroes come to believe that things aren't over yet.

Their hypothesis proves right, as an enraged Doctor Doom has enacted his back- up plan to launch dozens of self-destructing Doombots to destroy Washington D.C.! However Doom has a major league problem of his own; Doctor Octopus lives! Worse yet, Doctor Octopus's Mega Morph lives. As our prior episode came to a close, it appears that Doc Ock wants to commit some viscous acts of medical malpractice upon his fellow Doctor.

Story 'The Pawns and the Power'

Our final issue opens up to find the citizens of Washington, D.C. fleeing in shock from dozens and dozens Doombots flying over the city. A swarm of military fighter planes arrive to take them out, but Wolverine in his StarScream-esc robo-jet swoops in prepares to intercept them himself. James "Logan" Howlett thinks these smaller Doombots won't give him much trouble, but to his shock they all go BOOM upon getting close to his Mega Morph. Mr. Howlett tries to radio Spidey in his Mega Morph, but his signal cuts off just before Spidey-bot gets blasted by a Doom-bot. Or is that a Boom- bot!

Back at the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier Nick Fury and Tony Stark have come to the conclusion that the Doombots have been set to self-destruct in close proximity to the MegaMorphs and that they have to somehow somehow get them away from populated areas. Tony's going to try and hack into their signals, but the team is rapidly running out of time as Ghost Rider points out before two more go BOOM next to his robot.

Back at Castle Doom, Victor is running for his life as his guards try to take down Doctor Octobot with their puny little riffles. Doom can build an army of giant robots but won't give his castle guards anything better than hunting riffles. Too the credit of the Latverian royal guard they actually manage to shoot off one of the tentacles, but Dr. Octavious isn't impressed. "Do you think I'm less of a threat now that I only have five arms?" he says, easily swatting the guards away. Octobot smashes it's way through a wall to get at Doom, with Doc Ock vowing "I will find you, even if I DESTROY your castle brick by brick to do it! I swear, Doom! You'll regret leaving me for dead at the bottom of the ocean!" Meanwhile at the bottom of the ocean, off the coast of Ireland a strange craft lurks outside of the S.H.I.E.L.D base that the Red Ronin destroyed last issue.

Back in Washington, DC the Megamorphs are getting battered pretty hard by the Kamikaze Doombots, and Captain America doesn't know how much longer they can hold out. Tony Stark continues hacking away, but only the Hulk's still holding strong. Hulk's found a simple but effect means of dealing with these robots. "Hulk Clap! Dooms Fall! Hulk like this game!" Unfortunately a group of Doombots manage to sneak in behind him, knocking the Hulk out. Nick Fury looks grimly on from HQ while Spidey and Ghost Rider are looking to go out like Butch and Sundance. "I guess... Vengeance isn't everything... This is it Flamebrain... Brace yourself for..." And he waits for the end. We then cut to see Spidey nervously bracing for impact in his cockpit. "No "Boom?" There should have been a big "Boom!" He says, presumably doing his best impression of Marvin the Martian. Thankfully it turns out that at the last moment Tony Stark has managed to seize control over the Doombots and has decided to send them back home to their leader.

Back at the undersea S.H.I.E.L.D base the mysterious submarine craft carves its way into a vault with a laser as a mysterious diver emerges from it to retrieve something. Back at Castle Doom, Doctor Doom is waiting for Doctor Octobot with a BIG SHINY PHALLIC CANNON OF DOOM, but Octobot fires an energy blast knocking him away. "From One Doctor to another tell me, are you ready for some invasive surgery?" Otto taunts, as Doom continues to put up a pretty good fight firing back some energy blasts of his own. Just as Doom appears to have him on the ropes one of Octavious' clawed tentacles grabs ahold of him. Dock Ock gloats in his cockpit as he holds the defenseless Doctor Doom vowing to remove Doom's mask before squeezing the life out of him. He pauses looking SHOCKED to discover that in fact he's been fighting a human sized Doombot all along. The real Doctor Doom is in fact under the sea opening up a metal case to reveal something PINK and GLOWY.

Doctor Octobot emerges to the roof of Castle Doom looking infuriated trying to call out Doom. Right on cue the Kamikaze Doombots arrive to great him. Octobot goes down swinging vowing "Bring them on Doom! Bring them all!" Just before they all go "BA-WHOOOM!" Our heroes arrive sans Mega Morphs in a S.H.I.E.L.D jet. "I guess we missed all the fun, huh Wolverine?" Spidey laments upon seeing the trashed remains of Octobot. "Seriously kid, you gotta stop talkin'." Wolverne complains. Captain America points out that the Doombots, must have been set to explode near any Megamorph... including Doc Ock's. Doctor Doom walks out SHOCKED to discover what has happened on his soil and demands an explanation. Tony Stark explains that the gig is up for Doom and that he's going to pay for breaking Doctor Octopus out of prison, mind controlling The Hulk, Sinking a S.H.I.E.L.D base, unleashing the Red Ronin, sending Doombots to attack Washington, and canceling ABC's Nightstalker remake during a 2-part episode. Doom however insists that Fury in fact has no evidence, and that Fury's presence in the country in fact actually violates several UN resolutions. Fury grumbles powerless do anything against this logic. Wolverine threatens to handle doom himself, but Fury holds him back. Sadly this version of Nick Fury is still more competent than the one from Daniel Way's Venom. Spidey wants to bring Doctor Octopus back to jail with them, but Doom insists that Octavius is now his prisoner and will have to pay for the damage he did to his castle. Our heroes begrudgingly leave, with Tony Stark vowing that this isn't over...

In our epilogue we fade in to see Doctor Octopus shackled to the ceiling of a dark room and helpless vowing revenge. "I promise you, Doom Everything you hold sacred, I will DESTROY." Doom doesn't seem to be too worried though as it turns out the glowing trinket he swiped from that sunken S.H.I.E.L.D base is infact none other than The Power Gem (just what was S.H.I.E.L.D doing with that anyway) which he's planning on placing in... you guessed it... an EVEN BIGGER BADDER MORE STOMPY-FUN GIGANTO BIG BIG DOOMBOT! As we come to a close looking at the biggest baddest giant Doombot which appears to be armed with GIANT GLOWING NIPPLES. Yes Doom is so evil he's got Joel Schumacher to design a robot for him.

General Comments

You know it's a good thing this is only a four issue mini-series as well, let's face it the longer you stretch this book out the more glaring the logistical problems of the book stick out. As much fun as Kirkman has with this ridiculous concept, alas this is the kind of novelty book that can only be amusing for so long.

Granted in about a year or so from now when DC and Marvel are hyping their next batch of over-serious mega events like House of M. and Infinite Crisis, I'll probably be craving for something silly and good natured.

Anyway all four of these issues along with the mini-comics that were packed with the toys are now collected in an easy to afford digest comic. This might make a fine gift for a younger comics fan, or just one with a warped sense of humor.

Overall Rating

Hmmm on the plus side there's lots of exploding doombots... and on the downside we have a non-ending and significantly less comedy than earlier issues. That and as much affection as I have for this ridiculous concept and for the creative team, the novelty is pretty much gone.

Footnote

Will the Mega Morphs return? Will Doctor Doom unleash his Mega Morph With Giant Glowing Nipples? Will Mckeever win an Eisner for this book? All will be determined by Digest and Toy Sales True Believer.