As I said before, this series really redefined who these characters were. There are just so many examples of this, so instead of going into detailed accounts of them, how about I just list some of the many great quotes from the series that says far more than I can:

Doom (after being swatted like a gnat by Galactus, Captain America extends his hand to help Doom to his feet): "Doom...needs the aid...of no man!"

Narrator (about Doom after being left in tatters after his tried assault on The Beyonder): "The agony, the nausea, and the horror are beyond imagining, utter death, only split-seconds away, offers an escape, which any other mortal would gratefully accept...But HE is Doom!"

Spider-Man: "He (Mr. Fantastic) cannibalized my Web-Shooters too! I know how you feel."
Hawkeye: "No, you don't! You're STILL Spider-Man, even without webs. But without arrows, man...I'm just a guy in a funny suit!"

Hawkeye: "From MY bow, at this range an arrow hits a lot harder than any bullet!"

Wolverine (to Captain America): "What you don't understand, Cap'n, is that we Mutants are at war! Always have been, always will be. You, with your high-falutin' ideals--You're the champion of the American Dream, fighting for Liberty and Justice--But only for your own kind! Only for HUMANS! For regular Americans. But you just stand by while MUTANTS are being persecuted, don't you? When have you ever fought for OUR rights?"

With a character driven-dialogue like that, I find it hard to comprehend how anyone can say this story was nothing but a pointless battle; but to each his own.

Personally, my favorite part of this entire series was just how perfectly Doom was portrayed. Jim Shooter KNOWS Doom! Doom saw an opportunity for power and schemed and planned for it immediately. He asserted himself as leader of the bad guys nearly as quickly. He then used whatever means necessary, including manipulating those that pledged their loyalty to him, to obtain that power, despite repeated failures.  And eventually, Doom was triumphant, and he wielded the power magnificently. Yet in the end it was his own ego that defeated him, not the heroes.

I could keep going on and on about this series. But I would fill page after page if I did that. So instead, I urge anyone who has not read this to go out and get yourself a copy. Read what Marvel had been trying to recreate for nearly a decade afterwards. This is some good old-fashioned, Marvel fun!

I also wanted to share with you all the opening to Issue #12, just an awesome moment in my opinion:

Talk about a helluva opening! If you were reading the story for the 1st time, how could you read that and not want to find out what the hell's going on?!

The Back-Issue Bin's Final Score: 9 out of 10 - A great read, for entertainment and nostalgia value, and a great moment in comic history.

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Be sure to come back next time for the biggest crossover of them all: