SECRET WARS
Chapter III

This episode is a meditation on power — its allure, its responsibility, and its inevitable corruption. Doctor Doom, having seized the Beyonder’s paradise, briefly demonstrates what a benevolent ruler could achieve. He dethrones Octavius, builds a peaceful empire, and even grants Ben Grimm the gift he has long craved: the ability to return to human form at will. For a moment, Doom seems to understand the responsibility that comes with power.

But true to his nature, he cannot resist reaching further. His hunger for control drives him to absorb the Beyonder’s essence, believing he can enforce eternal peace. In doing so, Doom throws away the responsibility he had glimpsed, consumed instead by ambition. His downfall is inevitable, as the demons of his own mind rise to undo him.

Against this backdrop, Ben Grimm’s yearning to fit in and reclaim his humanity adds poignancy, reminding us that power can be used to heal as well as to dominate. And at the centre stands Spider‑Man, whose leadership qualities shine through. He rallies the heroes, tempers their doubts, and proves that cooperation and humility are stronger than domination.

The conclusion is fitting for an adaptation of Marvel’s first great epic. Doom’s corruption, Ben’s longing, and Spider‑Man’s steady hand combine to deliver a finale that affirms the series’ central truth: good is superior not because it conquers, but because it endures.

After the defeat of the Red Skull, Spider‑Man and his team set out to rendezvous with the Fantastic Four. Instead, they discover that the group has been ambushed and that Doctor Doom has kidnapped the Thing. Determined to rescue their ally, the heroes infiltrate Doom’s domain — only to be stunned by what they find.

Rather than the tyrannical empire they expect, Doom has transformed the Beyonder’s planet into a peaceful paradise. Using its advanced technology, he has dethroned Doctor Octopus and established a new Latveria built on order and prosperity. In a gesture that shocks the heroes, Doom even provides the Thing with a device that allows him to switch back to his human form at will — an achievement Mister Fantastic himself had never been able to accomplish.

But Doom’s ambitions extend far beyond benevolence. Learning of the Beyonder’s limitless power, he resolves to absorb it, believing he can enforce eternal peace by banishing the other villains back to Earth. For a time, his plan seems successful, but as he sleeps, the darkness within him manifests. Demons born of his own subconscious rise to torment him, revealing that even Doom cannot escape the corruption of absolute power.

The heroes rally, with Spider‑Man at the forefront, and together they defeat Doom, proving that good — rooted in cooperation and humility — is stronger than domination and control. In the aftermath, the Beyonder erases the memories of the assembled heroes and returns them to Earth, leaving only Spider‑Man aware of what has transpired.

It is then that the Beyonder reveals the true purpose of the ordeal: this entire conflict was a test, designed to determine whether Spider‑Man was worthy of facing the ultimate challenge that lies ahead.

This episode is specifically based on the end of the Secret Wars storyline, particular #10-12. The mountain was dropped on the heroes in #4, although not by Doom.

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