Doctor Doom is famously Reed Richards’ ultimate arch nemesis, as the two have been rivals since before they became a super-villain and superhero, respectively. However, that’s just in Marvel’s main continuity of Earth-616. In the newly-introduced continuity of Earth-6160 aka the Ultimate Universe, Reed Richards doesn’t have to worry about Doom, as his greatest nemesis is actually himself. Though, in the most tragic way imaginable, it’s not that simple.

In The Ultimates #4 by Deniz Camp and Phil Noto, readers are given the full backstory of Earth-6160’s Reed Richards, explaining exactly how he became Doom. In the Ultimate Universe, Victor von Doom is not Doctor Doom. Instead, the version of Reed Richards native to this universe is Doom. But, if Reed Richards is Doom, then who is the ‘Reed Richards’ in this scenario? Well, that would be the Reed Richards from Earth-1610 (aka the original Ultimate...