If there's one word to encapsulate the state of the Marvel Universe in 2025, it's "Doom." In February, Marvel launches an epic crossover event titled "One World Under Doom," where the infamous Victor Von Doom steps out of the shadows as the new Sorcerer Supreme and boldly proclaims himself emperor of the world. This gripping narrative unfolds in Ryan North and R.B. Silva's "One World Under Doom" miniseries, along with a host of tie-ins and spinoffs. Among these, "Thunderbolts: Doomstrike," penned by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, and illustrated by Tommaso Bianchi, stands out as a crucial addition.
IGN is thrilled to offer an exclusive sneak peek at "Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #3," slated for April. Marvel's teaser hints at an intense showdown: "Bucky, Songbird, Sharon Carter, and the Midnight Angels launch a daring plan to target Doctor Doom’s supply of vibranium. But standing in their way are – THE THUNDERBOLTS?! It’s THUNDERBOLTS VS. THUNDERBOLTS – ’NUFF SAID!"
Explore the preview in the slideshow gallery below, and delve deeper into insights from Kelly and Lanzing about the series, including how it marks the climax of a multi-year storyline involving Bucky Barnes:
Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #3 Exclusive Preview Gallery
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Is Bucky Barnes to Blame for Emperor Doom?
"Thunderbolts: Doomstrike" picks up where Kelly and Lanzing's 2023 "Thunderbolts" relaunch left off. This new iteration of the team, spearheaded by Bucky Barnes, was tasked with confronting the Marvel Universe's most formidable villains by any means necessary. Their successes against Hydra and the Kingpin inadvertently set the stage for Doom's ascent to power.
"In a single sweep, Bucky cleared the board of the Red Skull, the Kingpin’s finances, and the American Kaiju," Lanzing shares with IGN via email. "That leaves Hydra without a leader, the criminal underworld without financing, and the US Government without its most effective deterrence - all of which was supposed to help Bucky make the world a safer, better place and inspire other heroes to make big changes in the world around them. Unfortunately, he also inspired someone else: Victor Von Doom - who he used as a pawn to kill the re-emergent Red Skull. And no one makes a weapon out of Victor Von Doom without living to regret it."
Kelly elaborates that their initial "Thunderbolts" storyline, "Worldstrike," was always meant to lead to a Doom-centric sequel. The emergence of North's company-wide crossover event revolving around Doom was a fortuitous development.
"When we started planning what the follow-up series would be, we were introduced to the upcoming new status quo for the Marvel Universe: One World Under Doom," Kelly explains. "Spearheaded by the incredible Ryan North, we eagerly dove into the outlines…and to our shock, discovered that he was using Bucky’s manipulation of Doom as one of the key inciting incidents for Victor’s rise to world power. Which meant that this new Thunderbolts mission wasn’t just a crusade against evil - it was a referendum on Bucky’s choices. Doomstrike is Bucky’s chance to redeem his choices… but it’s going to push him harder than ever before."
"This new Thunderbolts mission wasn’t just a crusade against evil - it was a referendum on Bucky’s choices." Kelly emphasizes that Bucky's guilt, stemming from his actions as the Winter Soldier and his missions for the Outer Circle, has always been a central theme.
"Bucky’s guilt - whether from his actions as The Winter Soldier, or his missions for the Outer Circle - have been weighing him down all his life," Kelly notes. "And just when he thought he could put some of it down and turn the corner…he gets burdened with the responsibility of causing Doom’s rise to power. Worst of all, Doom understands that…and will use that guilt as his greatest weapon. After our first issue, that weight will be increased by a factor of 20,000…and even with his metal arm, Bucky might not be able to save himself from being crushed."
"The rest of the Thunderbolts are going to have varied motivations - as they often do, as a team of outsiders and mercenaries," Lanzing adds. "Songbird is joining the team out of loyalty to Bucky and her own sense of heroism - long gone are her days as Screaming Mimi, so when she sees a chance to be a hero in this world gone mad, Songbird takes it. But she’s also still hurting from the loss of her last love, Abner Jenkins (aka MACH-X), so there’s a certain amount of devil-may-care attitude to how far she’s willing to go."
Lanzing continues, "Black Widow is entirely concerned for Bucky’s safety - they only recently reignited their romance and it’s clear that his guilt is driving him to dangerous places. She’d rather play the long game against Doom, but Revolution waits for no man. Destroyer is already on-mission when we meet her; Sharon Carter destroys fascism and it’s basically everywhere these days. U.S. Agent is deep in his cups when Bucky arrives - disgusted by his country’s subservience to a foreign dictator. And our newest member, Ghost Rider ‘44, is an old friend of Bucky whose war just reignited in hellfire. We’re leaving some more members as surprises… but suffice to say, every one of them has a reason to stand against Doom… or worry for Bucky’s life."
But what about the enigmatic Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine? Kelly teases, "As for Val… that’s a more complicated question that readers will have to read issue #1 to uncover."
Thunderbolts vs. Thunderbolts
A major highlight of "Doomstrike" is the return of the original 1997 Thunderbolts lineup. While Songbird has aligned herself with Bucky, most of her former comrades are now in the service of Emperor Doom. The cover of issue #3 promises a thrilling confrontation between the two factions as the series progresses.
"We’re thrilled to invite the original Thunderbolts back into the mix and cross them over with Bucky’s new reimagined operation," Kelly states. "From the heartbreaking conclusion to Songbird and Abner’s relationship, beautifully brought to life (and death) by Jim Zub, to the disastrous return of Citizen V, it’s a real honor to return to these characters, and - more importantly - return them to their original core dilemma: is redemption even possible for a villainous life?"
Lanzing adds, "But it’s not Bucky who’s co-opting the name for his own ends - it’s Doom. See, the Thunderbolts aren’t self-organizing here; in a world under Doom, few heroes are as under his thumb as those he calls his “Fulgar Victoris.” But why are they organizing? And why is Bucky target number one?"
Songbird's pivotal role in "Doomstrike" cannot be understated. Caught between her loyalty to her old teammates and her new allegiance to Bucky's cause, her journey will be one of intense internal conflict.
"When Melissa returns, she does so with a style, excited and ready to aid Bucky on his mission," Kelly says. "But he’s not the only Thunderbolt she has a history with, and the return of her friends - serving someone as nefarious as Doom - will absolutely twist her heart. Unlike Bucky, the Thunderbolts are her entire world…so how she deals with this fallout is going to shake her to her core."
Kelly and Lanzing's work with Bucky spans several years, extending beyond their "Thunderbolts" run to include "Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty" and the "Captain America: Cold War" crossover. "Doomstrike" is billed as the culmination of their overarching Bucky storyline, making it a must-read for fans of their previous works.
"It’s the grand finale for our work on Bucky and we’re leaving it all on the field." Lanzing teases, "Here’s what we can say with confidence: this is our final Bucky Barnes tale for a while. We’ve been telling a single story with Bucky Barnes ever since we started at Marvel - we call it the 'Revolution Saga.' It began in Devil’s Reign: Winter Soldier, really exploded in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, motivated Captain America: Cold War, and then became fully centered on Bucky in Thunderbolts: Worldstrike. Bucky has discovered the secrets of his origin, he’s clashed with his best friend, he’s allowed love back into his heart, and he’s taken on a new identity as the Revolution - but it will all come down to this. I really cannot stress enough that fans of any of our work on those titles shouldn’t miss this - while the story is great for new readers, it’s also imbued with tons of meaning for those who’ve been on this ride with us. It’s the grand finale for our work on Bucky and we’re leaving it all on the field."
As "Thunderbolts: Doomstrike" unfolds, it coincides with the release of the "Thunderbolts*" movie in May. Kelly and Lanzing aim to attract MCU fans with their latest project, especially given the similarities in the team roster.
"Absolutely," Kelly affirms. "Fans of MCU Bucky - slightly more quippy, slightly less damaged - will find our Bucky very familiar…least, at the start. Though the details are different, this story will teach MCU fans exactly why The Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine is such a machiavellian threat. And for fans of Bucky and Natasha, their romance sits at the very core themes of the book. Finally, as we know Doom himself will soon be taking the spotlight in the MCU, this story - and the entire One World Under Doom era - is a terrifying introduction to one of the greatest villains in Marvel’s history. Our sincere hope is that, when fans of the movie come rushing into their local comic shop asking for more, the one-two punch of Thunderbolts: Worldstrike and Doomstrike are waiting for them to hook them into the incredible, wild world of Marvel comics."
"Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #1" is set to hit shelves on February 19, 2025.
For more insights into the future of the Marvel Universe, explore what to expect from Marvel in 2025 and discover our most anticipated comics of the year.
