Seems like that issue #4 of THE ULTIMATES by the great Deniz Camp was a big inspiration for DOOMSDAY

Way back in July 2024 the outstanding comic book writer Deniz Camp posted online

“If you want to understand Robert Downey Jr. as Doom, you MUST read Ultimates 4 on sept 4th. (or whenever it comes out)”

Now in December 2025 MARVEL Comics has announced there are special edition covers that Downey himself has signed of the highly anticipated “ULTIMATE ENDGAME Issue 1”.

With this announcement, Camp has once again doubled down how influential that 2024 issue was to the Doctor Doom we will meet in Doomsday.

For non-comic book readers here is a summary for that specific issue

****ISSUE SPOILERS BELOW****

We are given a new origin story for this Ultimate Universe's Doom who is…Reed Richards. The Fantastic Four from his world all suffer a very tragic end.

Johnny Storm burns up and dies during the cosmic ray exposure in space.

Ben Grimm, the pilot, is overcome by guilt and later commits suicide.

Sue Storm develops an aggressive cancer from the radiation exposure and dies years later.

Reed is the only "survivor," captured by the Maker (another very evil Reed from a different timeline) tortured for years, and disfigured (his flesh appears to be melting), which leads to him donning the iconic metal mask we are so familiar with seeing.

In the present, Doom has escaped The Makers imprisonment/torture is part of The Ultimates team of heroes trying to find and destroy The Maker but is obsessed with what he calls "Project 4": conducting experiments on lab mice to recreate the Fantastic Four's powers and potentially give them to humans without the tragic side effects.

****END OF SPOILERS****

If Camp has always been correct and knew this issue was a large inspiration for the Doctor Doom we meet in Avengers: Doomsday what parts of this story do you think Feige and the Russo brothers decided to adapt into the movies own story?

Commentaires

FewWatermelonlesson02025-12-30 09:11

He was joking.

TheMentatBashar2025-12-31 16:17

Everyone should still read the entire run though because it has been amazing!

marvelcomics222025-12-30 10:09

I don't think so. 6160 Doom is just a tortured Reed who takes the name Doom, and the Russos said that Downey was playing Victor von Doom.

Joshawott272025-12-30 11:20

You really had to be there at the time. It was obvious that Deniz Camp was joking, and he found great humour in the places that were writing about it as if it were serious. He just bought it up again (as a joke) because Marvel announced that the blind-bag version of “Ultimate Endgame Issue 1” includes variants signed by Robert Downey Jr. Multiple variant artworks of “Ultimate Endgame” have referenced the MCU, with the most notable being the homage variant taking inspiration from the *Avengers Endgame* poster.

There is no connection between this issue and *Avengers: Doomsday*.

PeterTingle6162025-12-30 11:38

[deleted]

ouroborosviii2025-12-30 12:21

I just thought it was desperate marketing, but I really enjoyed the art...

MarvelMind2025-12-30 15:39

I don’t think it’s a joke. Downey and Kevin have gone out of their way to sign new Ultimate Endgame issues with MCU drawings of Doom and Iron-Man. They haven’t done that for any other book. Deniz is one of the best writers in all of comics and it’s very likely his work was a big influence on the story that Doomsday became while being written and filmed.

Salvia-Hex2025-12-30 17:34

Camp *said* it is a joke. Whoosh.

MarvelMind2025-12-30 18:34

Both things can be true. His Doctor Doom story is certainly among the most creative and Kevin always picks and chooses lots of ideas from current/older comic book runs.

PeterTingle6162025-12-30 18:39

“Current/older” are not interchangeable terms 😭 this just encompasses all comics

unreasonable-frog2025-12-30 18:01

Interesting how none of the script writers, the directors, and the actor made this claim. In fact, no one working on the film *in any capacity* has made this claim.

Multiple people in this thread have told you that Camp was joking. Not a single comment agrees with you.

*Deniz Camp said it was a joke.*

MarvelMind2025-12-30 18:33

Both things can be true and it’s very likely Kevin would definitely look at the stories and ideas by one of not just Marvels best writers but one of the best writers period in comics.

unreasonable-frog2025-12-30 18:34

Ah, I see. You struggle with reading comprehension.

When the person who made the joke says it’s a joke, why don’t you believe them? *Why don’t you believe Deniz Camp?*

AlexitoPornConsumer2025-12-31 07:06

Delusion at its best. Keep it up!

QueenOfTremembe2025-12-30 13:13

Marketing stunt.

MarvelMind2025-12-30 15:39

More than that.

Wheattoast20192025-12-30 13:28

It was a lie told to get people to buy the comic, and they did.

Marvel/DC should do this stuff more often.

MarvelMind2025-12-30 15:34

I don’t think so. Downey has even signed upcoming issues for Ultimate Endgame and so has Fiege. The Ultimates version of Doom is going to be a big part of the character in the movie.

Wheattoast20192025-12-30 15:40

I don’t think that’s true. The Ultimates Doom >!Is Reed Richards that’s been lobotomized to the point he embraces the name Doom, as he’s responsible for the doom of his friends, not because of a name. Victor Von Doom’s status in 6160 is unknown.!< It’s been said up and down RDJ is playing Victor Von Doom.

But again, the actors and producers behind the movie signing merch is good press and sells comics because it makes people think it’s a scoop, it’s clever marketing, I assure you.

MarvelMind2025-12-30 15:50

The MCU adapts many different Marvel comics and there are few writers in the industry as talented as Deniz so I find it extremely likely some of his ideas were used in Doomsday.

Wheattoast20192025-12-30 15:58

Some yes, but I doubt they will steal the biggest mystery of their movie from this comic. Like I imagine that’s why millions of people want to see the movie, to figure out how he can play Doctor Doom. I imagine they aren’t going to actually tell us a comic that just spoils that mystery.

MarvelMind2025-12-30 16:09

I don’t thin it means Downey is playing Reed but the story in the film could be borrowing elements so maybe Victor was his worlds version of Reed and saw his own Fantastic Four die tragically.

Or one Victor was torturing another one and we get a heroic version helping other heroes defeat the evil Doctor Doom. For me Deniz being looked at for inspiration in anything makes total sense because he’s a next level writer not just in comics but for overall writing, just his work on Absolute Martian Manhunter is among the best writing anywhere this decade.

souledgar2026-01-01 01:01

Guy with the face of Tony Stark, being Doom who is actually yet another universe’s Reed while there is actual Reed who is also from another universe is too much, even for the MCU.

You gotta realize you read too much into it and recognize the thing for what it is, a joke at the time and a sales push.

ddanuu2025-12-30 13:46

Why are they rats

Joshawott272025-12-30 14:16

OP explains it on their post.

Tldr all of the Fantastic Four bar Reed are dead, and Reed has become Doom. He is experimenting on mice to try and recreate the powers of the F4.

unreasonable-frog2025-12-30 18:04

Try actually reading the post before commenting.

esar242025-12-30 14:29

Either 828 doom is just tortured stark or future reed that lost his team through freak accident because that is the main story of that issue.

Unstable_Bear2025-12-30 16:51

He was trolling

MarvelMind2025-12-30 18:33

Plus telling the truth.

BiffJerky092025-12-30 18:45

Don't let the fact he was joking keep you from reading it. One of, if not the best issue in the run.

MarvelMind2025-12-30 18:54

I read Deniz work all the time. The writing he does is one of the best things in comics, his own standalone stuff outside of Marvel and DC also just incredible.

jg6336632025-12-30 18:46

I know nothing about this story, nor do I have any idea about the apparent "joke" of this marketing attempt according to other commenters on this post.

However, if there was even a sliver of truth regarding the parallels between Doomsday and this comic/story run, I would assume it has to do with Dr. Doom in Doomsday being a variant of Stark (which is why RDJ is playing Doom?) and having gone through something traumatic in his timeline, similar to the Reed in this specific run

CaleBoi252025-12-30 19:03

That cover is actually very cool tho

cowpool202025-12-30 23:01

I wonder how many sales this issue made since he posted this 😅