Part One - Nowhere Man
By
Shane Luttrell
Victor Von Doom sat in a dark, dreary chamber in his Latverian castle. The armored and green-cloaked lord of the small country stared silently at a small monitor. The blank screen gave off the only light in the room. Slowly, deliberately, Doom slid a video tape into a slot in the device. A sputtering black and white image appeared on the screen, and Doom's eyes narrowed as he watched the recording of a recent American newscast.
"The amazing adventurers known as the Fantastic Five triumphantly returned from Latveria today!"
the reporter exulted.
"The Five reported that after a pitched battle, Doctor Doom was driven to the brink of madness by the sight of his own hideous face!"
Doom squeezed his armored hand into a fist.
The reporter continued. "We have an exclusive interview with Mary Richards, otherwise known as Miss Fantastic! According to her teammates, she is the one responsible for Doctor Doom's total defeat! Miss Richards, to what do you attribute your success against the maniacal Doom?"
"To the fact that we are the Fantastic Five!" the girl on the screen beamed.
"Doom, on the other hand, is simply a raving lunatic who has never, and will never stand a chance against us! The next time he shows his old nasty face near me, I will personally give him the wedgie of death...like THIS!" She then playfully demonstated the move on the startled reporter, grabbing the top of his boxers and pulling them up as hard as she could.
Doom furiously crashed his fist into the monitor, crushing it into oblivion. The room was plunged into total darkness. Doom preferred it that way. Thirty minutes later, Doom was regally striding down the dank, smelly, rat-infested halls of his dungeon. He was escorted by two of his deadly Doombots, and his High Executioner. The pitiful, ragged prisoners gasped in terror as they saw the four approach. Doom never came down to the dungeons unless he was on a mission of death. Doom scanned the prisoners. Finally, his eye fell on what he was looking for. He walked over to a young, thin teenage girl. Her matted hair was brown.
"What is your name, child?" he asked her.
She was terror-stricken.
"G...Gretchen, my lord!" she gasped.
Doom reached out his armored hand and ran his fingers through her brown hair. "Not today, my child. Today, your name is....Mary."
She screamed as the Doombots seized her and took her to the execution chamber. Afterwards, Doom sat alone once more. The killing of the girl had been a foolish, childish thing to do, he decided. It had provided only momentary satisfaction, as he envisioned that the girl who's head was on the block was actually the daughter of his most hated enemy. His servants had already cleared away the monitor he had smashed, and replaced it with a new one. He slid the tape in again.
"Doom, on the other hand , is simply a raving lunatic who has never, and will never stand a chance against us!" the girl on the screen said with a gleam in her eye.
No, he decided. There would be no more killing of simple lookalikes. It was time to put his brilliant plan into motion. It was time to deal with...the real Miss Fantastic.
By
Shane Luttrell
Victor Von Doom sat in a dark, dreary chamber in his Latverian castle. The armored and green-cloaked lord of the small country stared silently at a small monitor. The blank screen gave off the only light in the room. Slowly, deliberately, Doom slid a video tape into a slot in the device. A sputtering black and white image appeared on the screen, and Doom's eyes narrowed as he watched the recording of a recent American newscast.
"The amazing adventurers known as the Fantastic Five triumphantly returned from Latveria today!"
the reporter exulted.
"The Five reported that after a pitched battle, Doctor Doom was driven to the brink of madness by the sight of his own hideous face!"
Doom squeezed his armored hand into a fist.
The reporter continued. "We have an exclusive interview with Mary Richards, otherwise known as Miss Fantastic! According to her teammates, she is the one responsible for Doctor Doom's total defeat! Miss Richards, to what do you attribute your success against the maniacal Doom?"
"To the fact that we are the Fantastic Five!" the girl on the screen beamed.
"Doom, on the other hand, is simply a raving lunatic who has never, and will never stand a chance against us! The next time he shows his old nasty face near me, I will personally give him the wedgie of death...like THIS!" She then playfully demonstated the move on the startled reporter, grabbing the top of his boxers and pulling them up as hard as she could.
Doom furiously crashed his fist into the monitor, crushing it into oblivion. The room was plunged into total darkness. Doom preferred it that way. Thirty minutes later, Doom was regally striding down the dank, smelly, rat-infested halls of his dungeon. He was escorted by two of his deadly Doombots, and his High Executioner. The pitiful, ragged prisoners gasped in terror as they saw the four approach. Doom never came down to the dungeons unless he was on a mission of death. Doom scanned the prisoners. Finally, his eye fell on what he was looking for. He walked over to a young, thin teenage girl. Her matted hair was brown.
"What is your name, child?" he asked her.
She was terror-stricken.
"G...Gretchen, my lord!" she gasped.
Doom reached out his armored hand and ran his fingers through her brown hair. "Not today, my child. Today, your name is....Mary."
She screamed as the Doombots seized her and took her to the execution chamber. Afterwards, Doom sat alone once more. The killing of the girl had been a foolish, childish thing to do, he decided. It had provided only momentary satisfaction, as he envisioned that the girl who's head was on the block was actually the daughter of his most hated enemy. His servants had already cleared away the monitor he had smashed, and replaced it with a new one. He slid the tape in again.
"Doom, on the other hand , is simply a raving lunatic who has never, and will never stand a chance against us!" the girl on the screen said with a gleam in her eye.
No, he decided. There would be no more killing of simple lookalikes. It was time to put his brilliant plan into motion. It was time to deal with...the real Miss Fantastic.