Marvel's Most Powerful Armor Just Debuted - But It's Not Iron Man's

It seems every month, Marvel is introducing a new set of armor that's the most powerful yet — from giving Iron Man his own Sentinel Buster armor that's his strongest ever in the pages of "The Invincible Iron Man" to introducing armor designed specifically to stop the universe's strongest symbiotes during the "Carnage: Reigns" event. In a new "Doom" one-shot (by Sanford Greene, Jonathan Hickman, and Rachelle Rosenberg), Doctor Doom suits up in armor that deserves consideration for one of the most impressive upgrades of all time.

"Doom" #1 takes place in an alternate Marvel reality, where Doctor Doom's attempts to stop Galactus from destroying the galaxy have left him in shambles. Valeria Richards, the daughter of Reed Richards and Sue Storm, saves his remains following an intense battle with the Devourer of Worlds — as despite having Galactus-sized armor built to take down his cosmic opponent, Doom barely survives. After the fight, Galactus feeds on numerous planets, including Earth, killing its greatest heroes. Valeria shares she has a plan to defeat the villain once and for all; she gives Doom the blood of a Celestial with a Super-Soldier Serum, allowing him to withstand the great power. She then shows Doom the armor she's been working on — a composite of Uru and Vibranium powered by three Cosmic Cubes. With the new armor, Doom begins his quest to save the universe and try to kill Galactus.

Doom learns Galactus' sole mission is to end the Eighth Cosmos in an attempt to jumpstart his purpose to witness the end of the universe and see it reborn. Wearing his new armor, Doom searches for the horrifying threat. First up, he takes on Galactus' Molecule Men, defeating the powerful cosmic warriors. After Valeria Richards sacrifices herself to destroy the machine Galactus intended to use to wipe out the current reality, Doom charges up his powers and prepares for his final battle against the hunger-crazed cosmic juggernaut. Galactus readies himself for the fight as the comic comes to a close.

Readers don't see the second round of Doom and Galactus' battle for the universe. However, with his considerable power upgrades derived from Celestial blood, mighty metals, and multiple Cosmic Cubes (all architected by one of the galaxy's brightest minds in Valeria), Doom stands as good of a chance as anyone against Galactus. The potential of Doom winning even being up for discussion illustrates how much power he now wields with his newest suit. So, while Marvel may never follow up on the fight, the story shows even though Doom is a villain, he's also a worthwhile savior of the universe under the right circumstances.

"Doom" #1 from Marvel Comics is in comic book stores and available at online retailers now.