“Avengers 25 p 11 ‘Enter… Dr. Doom!” (February 1966)
by Don Heck (1929-1995) and Dick Ayers (1924-2014)
13 x 22 in., ink on paper
Coppola Collection

In honor of the astoundingly wonderful success of “Avengers: Infinity War,” which I saw the other night in Italian, in a movie theater in Parma, Italy, and more or less did not miss anything significant except, I suppose, a few of the quips.

Dr. Doom, at this point in the 5-year old Marvel Comics universe, was the arch-nemesis of the Fantastic Four. He decided to attract and trap the Avengers, thinking that defeating them would lead to fear in the F.F. about their own ability to take on Doom in the future.

Super-villains. Whatever.

On this page, the Avengers come face to face with Dr. Doom.

I guarantee that no one in 1966 could ever imagine the cinematic Marvel Universe if 2018, and even if told about it, could never, ever imagine that a movie about The Avengers would blow past one about the Justice League in 3-4 days’ time.

You would have to be a true believer.