We are greeted by a two page splash of the mole people (I forget their exact names) in a titanic, damned fight with four individuals. A fiery winged demon, a hulkish Thing like creature with a collar, a gaseous woman who can create telekinetic bubbles, and a metallic Doom.

A mole warrior confronts Doom and says they are not afraid. Doom bares a metallic clawed hand and says he should be. He then extends the hands and impales the warrior through his chest with several ‘stretched’ out fingers. Doom replies, ‘there is a reason after all, we are called… The Fearsome Four.’

That’s when we meet the others, the Invincible Woman, Inhuman Torch, and The It. Invincible and Torch are mother and son (and Doom’s the husband, it's later given). It is treated like a pet of sorts.

Finally, thanks to It, Doom meets with Mole King. Doom calls Mole King the unstable leader of a rogue nation. Mole King denounces Doom as a House of M flunky. Doom is peeved to be suggested he serves Magneto, he sees himself as serving with the mutant overlord. Mole king laughs saying that no matter how he alters himself and his lackeys, he is still a human in a world owned by mutants. ‘Your cage just happens to be nicer than most.’ They spar for awhile with words and then Doom kills Mole King without any effort.

Returning to Latveria, the foursome are greeted by an undoubtedly pre-arranged parade. However as Valeria (the Invincible Woman) and the Torch are on the Hummer’s roof with It being towed in a cage behind, a grumpy looking Doom is in the back seat sulking over something. Torch asked to be excused and Doom lets his young son, who's eyeing two bikini clad chicks, go off and "play." Kristoff orders the girls up to his room. Doom and Valeria watch and Doom comments that he needs to have a talk with his young ward. Too many of his parties end with his playmates recovering in the burn ward. His wife chides him to let the boy have his fun while he can. It’s a beautiful world, and it's all theirs!

We are then given a tour of their home as Doom leads It on a leash. A few portraits (him and his family, him and an older lady (his mother)). Servants are making a feast in the kitchen. A thirty foot statue on the courtyard lawn (yes, his only form of substance goes to his ego). And then finally It’s cage. He starts heaping treats on It and then remembers Mole King’ words and slinks off in a dark mood.

Next Doom visits his clerics and scientists who are working on upgrades for him and his family. Successes and failures are met alike, as if the successes were failures. (I suspect he keeps the folks in similar situation as Stalin would, fail and die, succeed and die). Metallic discoveries are obviously unacceptable, as they cannot be used against the House of M. Doom snaps, though, when Reed’s work on cosmic radiation is even brought up and flies out the room in a rage.

Then he visits his mother, and save for a rage regarding her treatment at the hands of her servents (they put her too close to the fire), he is soft and caring for her. She even manages to calm him down. Then they begin speaking about what he has done. She chides him for working for Magneto and then after he speaks about being content she seems provoke him further. He is then pulled away by a call from House of M. As he leaves, she has a strange smirk on her face.

Pietro has called and ‘requests’ Doom’s audience at Genosha. Doom blows them off and states other business. By the time he has turned around Pietro (who suspiciously is wearing what he was wearing in House of M #1) has arrived before him, stating the request was not a request.

A pissed off Doom arrives at Genosha and has no time for the guards' treatment of him, smashing them both through on route to seeing Magneto. Once inside, Erik greets him warmly and after brushing off Doom’s attack on the guards, ushers away an annoyed Pietro and It (whom he refers to as Thing briefly and Doom corrects him). Doom says he keeps It as a reminder of times gone by, enemies vanquished.

They then speak of the Mole King. After learning that Doom killed him (which slightly appalls Erik), Erik tries to warn Doom of the dangers of ego and temper, (as if trying to remind him that a winner take all fight between them could leave both with nothing; well that’s how I read it, Doom and others might take this as Mags putting Doom in his place).

Doom then leaves and on the way to the plane abuses It to the point of tears and then declares House of M must fall. The House of M will fall. And the House of Doom will rise.

Review: Great, not wonderful. But if each is as good as this, the series might be wonderful. So far I have found the best scenes and story in House of M to be the side stories. Spider-Man, Uncanny, and now Fantastic Four have been great (can’t wait to grab Iron Man and Hulk!)

Some down points would only be the lack of fleshing out of Valeria and Kristoff, but with luck #2 will bring that.

The It is cool thus far. I am only curious as to whether its Ben Grimm or a photocopy of him Doom keeps as a toy to break.

Some thoughts: each of Doom’s family is similar (if darker) to the true F4, suggesting that there was an F4 and while Doom claims they died in the accident, I suspect Doom killed them much later (note in HoM 2 Franklin is around, knew his parents, and enough to require counseling due to their deaths.) And dressed his Fearsome Four, as the true Fantastic Four. But considering Reed always seemed a few steps ahead of even Doom… I have to wonder if they are dead?

Notice that Wanda negated her three biggest threats: Xavier, Strange, Reed? Reed is dead, Xavier is nonexistent, and unless I read HoM #2 wrong Strange has no magic but is a psychologist (so he does have the skills needed to save her).

Okay, I know Doom’s mom traded her soul for her son to ‘be someone’ but why is she goading him to fight House of M?

Pietro’s outfit is unchanged, so was he really changed....??