It’s all been leading to this: America first watched as Doom began to mess with the multiverse. Then she tried to warn. Then she interfered. Now she’s downright fighting him. But she can’t do it alone. She’ll need to pull a team together. And what a weird team it is. America turns to the very Nexus beings that Doom tried to destroy for help. They’re…skeptical at first, of both her plan and her. But America knows the stakes, and she’ll give anything to make this work because if it doesn’t, they’re all doomed. Catch the epic conclusion to the What If… saga in What If…The Multiverse Was Doomed? by DaVaun Sanders.
[Note: While I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Random House Worlds for the purpose of this review. Warning: My review of What If…The Multiverse Was Doomed? contains some spoilers!]
America’s finally broken her silence, but is it too late
Okay, technically she broke her silence a couple books back, and she did join the fight in What If…Kitty Pride Stole the Phoenix Force? But now she’s really committed. America knows the danger Doom poses, and she’ll stop at nothing to make up for her inaction. She has Kitty and the Phoenix Force, but they’re not enough. So they decide to go looking for Nexus Beings to help them. Surely these heroes will see the importance of defeating Doom and join them. But they strike out at their first stop. Loki doesn’t just turn them down; he tries to attack Kitty as they leave! He has his reasons, but that’s not a good excuse in America’s eyes. As the two try to decide what to do next, tragedy strikes.
No, not tragedy; Doom strikes! He attacks them at America’s secret hideout, and Kitty is killed! What is America to do? She was starting to see Kitty as a friend, and maybe something more; now she’s gone. And so is America’s only ally. But she won’t let Kitty die in vain, so she sets off to see if any other heroes want to help her. She’s still convinced that Nexus powers are the key to defeating Doom, so she heads off to ask Moon Venom and Wanda Parker for their help. They agree, but warily. The team is small, and they’re having trouble coalescing into something that will work at all, let alone against Doom. But America knows they have to. She doesn’t have her teammates’ powers, and she’s awful at explaining her plans (as Wanda loves to point out), but she knows how to keep them focused and motivated, and that has to count for something!
The team gains a small advantage. They learn that Doom is fixated on Franklin Richards from one particular reality. Not only is this little kid a Nexus being, but he’s an incredibly powerful mutant. Probably the most powerful being in all of reality. They don’t know why Doom is so fixated on him, but history suggests it’s to steal his powers, so they decide that protecting Franklin from Doom is their number one priority. Or maybe destroying Doom is; they’re not in great alignment on their main objective. And that’s even clearer after their first (failed) attempt to save Franklin. Not only do they not find him or destroy Doom, but they also break down into squabbling during their mission. Things are looking bad. But America’s not about to give up. She keeps looking for help, and she finds it.
And she keeps feeling like they’re missing something very important about Doom and Franklin. If she can just figure it out, it might save everything. And she’s right. Because this Doom is different from all the other Dooms. He’s driven by a different need than the rest. And that’s exactly what makes him so dangerous. If the team can’t pull it together and figure him out, then the multiverse is doomed. The whole multiverse. Because this Doom isn’t going to stop at one reality; he’s already proven that. He wants them all.
An epic end to an Avengers-worthy tale
It’s taken us five books to get here as we’ve traipsed across the vast multiverse, but we’re finally here. The quality of this series has gone up and down with What If… Loki Was Worthy? being a high note, and others not hitting quite as well. But DaVaun brings the series home well in What If…The Multiverse Was Doomed? His exploration of each character’s inner universes is deep and insightful. And the way he humanizes them is both unexpected and refreshing. Periods are rarely mentioned in books, and I’ve never read about one in a superhero book. But it made Wanda and America feel like real people to know that they too have to deal with that mess (always light and never late indeed!), and to commiserate because their male counterparts don’t even think about them. And the food! These guys are always eating. It makes sense; I mean, it must take a colossal amount of energy to do what they do. But it’s usually not focused on so much, especially for the female superheroes. It was nice to have a male author who seemed so in sync with his female characters.
Of course, food and periods aren’t the focus of What If…The Multiverse Was Doomed? There are epic battles for the multiverse. Doom is a formidable foe, and he’s not as alone as Doom usually is this time around. It looks like it might be too much for America and her team. But Doom is fighting for the future that he wants, and they’re fighting for a future that everyone wants. Family is driving both groups, but they’re coming at it from different places, and that matters. Will it matter enough? Or is the multiverse doomed?
Rating: 9/10
What If…The Multiverse Was Doomed? by DaVaun Sanders is available now!
Learn more about the book on the title’s official website.
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