Namor and Black Panther Battle Hell's Forces
A Scarlet Witch spell empowers the two rival kings as they confront Doctor Doom in Marvel's Doomed #2.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Comic Books
In Black Panther/Namor: Doomed #2, the Scarlet Witch casts a spell that enhances the powers of Namor and Black Panther, giving Namor golden armor, a winged coronet and a trident. The spell also grants both kings immunity to some of Marvel's darkest forces as they invade Hell to confront Doctor Doom.
Why it matters
The issue reveals that Doctor Doom is not behind the demonic attacks on Atlantis and Wakanda, pointing instead to the Kingkiller as the source. The series sets up a conflict that could reshape the status of two long-running Marvel characters.
Marvel's Doomed #2 is the second issue in the series, and the characters' history dates to Fantastic Four #1 in 1961, making them 88 years old. The Doomed #5 summary states only one king will survive, leaving open which character is written out.
The players
Doctor Doom
A Marvel supervillain and ruler of Latveria who is among the most recurring antagonists in the Fantastic Four mythos.
Namor
The Sub-Mariner, a mutant ruler of Atlantis first introduced in 1939, who has long been a rival to the surface world's heroes.
Black Panther
The king of Wakanda and a Marvel hero who debuted in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966, later becoming a central figure in the Marvel Universe.
Scarlet Witch
A Marvel mutant sorceress and member of the Avengers whose reality-altering powers have made her one of the franchise's most powerful characters.
The details
Namor and Black Panther, who began as rivals, now fight side by side after Doctor Doom revealed that the Kingkiller sent the infernal forces attacking their kingdoms. Doctor Doom is killing demons that stand against him in Hell, where the two kings now battle their way to him.
Timeline
1961: Fantastic Four #1 began the modern Marvel Universe.
A few months before Marvel Comics #1: Namor first appeared in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1.
Recent issues: Doctor Doom usurped Mephisto in Captain America.
Upcoming: Doomed #5 will pit Namor and Black Panther against each other.
Culture Shift
The Doomed storyline reflects a long-running pattern in Marvel comics of pitting Namor and Black Panther against each other, and this alliance departs from that history. Their current teamwork against Doctor Doom marks a turn that fans of the decades-old rivalry will read as a notable change.
Readers following the Doomed series will need to track individual issues to see how the Namor and Black Panther storyline resolves. The projection that one king will not survive means the outcome could affect which characters remain active in future Marvel stories.
The takeaway
Long-running rivalries in comics can be reshaped by shared threats, and the Doomed series shows how an alliance can emerge from decades of conflict. Readers who follow the series should watch the upcoming issues to see whether the projected loss of one king holds true.
What happens next
Doomed #5 is scheduled to pit Namor and Black Panther against each other, with the series stating only one king will survive.
Further reading
Explore more on Comic Books for background on Marvel's long-running characters and series.
