Warning! Warning! Massive spoilers for One World Under Doom #8 ahead!
Marvel just killed off a major Fantastic Four character in a move that could legitimately shake the comic book world: in a jawdropping turn, Doctor Doom has killed Valeria Richards. Barring a last-minute twist, Valeria’s death will presumably set the trajectory for Doom and the Four for years to come.
One World Under Doom #8 is written by Ryan North, with art by R.B. Silva. It is the penultimate issue of the extended event series, and which has been a dominant Marvel storyline for much of 2025.
Readers expected something big to happen leading into the finale, but Doom killing his goddaughter Valeria Richards is something nobody predicted.
Doctor Doom Accidentally Kills Valeria Richards, In A Hardcore Twist That Has Marvel Fans Shook
One World Under Doom #8, Written By Ryan North; Art By R.B. Silva; Available Now From Marvel Comics
In One World Under Doom #8, Earth’s heroes have finally had enough of Doom’s rule over Earth and mount an all-out assault against him. The combined forces of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and more nearly succeed in taking Doom down, but in the end, he prevails. However, his victory comes at a truly horrifying cost.
Just as Doom is savoring his triumph, the issue ends with Valeria Richards staggers forward, mortally wounded by shards of Doom’s armor that he used as projectiles to defeat the heroes. In a particularly gruesome touch, Valeria’s head falls from her body just as she reaches out to touch Doom’s hand.
It is a gnarly death for Valeria, and for Doom, it undermines everything he has done. Earlier in the issue, Doom reiterates that Valeria is the only person he loves, and he just caused her to suffer a truly brutal demise. Now the question Marvel fans desperately want answered is how Doom can fix this.
Valeria Richards’ Shocking Death Might Not Be Long-Term, But It Stll Packs A Brutal Punch
Find Out Valeria’s Fate In One World Under Doom #9; Available November 19, 2025 From Marvel Comics
Valeria Richards has a complicated backstory in Marvel lore, but the short version is that she is the second child of Reed and Sue Richards, yet was raised for part of her early life by alternate versions of Dr. Doom and her mother. As such, she is at times presented as being closer to Doom than to Reed.
Valeria is the absolutely last person Marvel fans expected Doctor Doom to hurt, let alone kill. This represents a bold move by Marvel, which should reverberate greatly through the Fantastic Four franchise, and the wider Marvel Universe. That is, if Marvel doesn’t quickly backtrack and bring Valeria back from the dead.
A fake-out “death” can be great in its own right, but pull that trick too many times, and fans get weary of it. At the same time, Valeria’s death, assuming it stands, will be devastating for Fantastic Four fans. Reversing it in One World Under Doom #9 might be a mercy on Marvel’s part.
One World Under Doom #8 is available now from Marvel Comics.