The fall of Doctor Doom in One World Under Doom left a power vacuum in Latveria. In the pages of Chip Zdarsky and Valerio Schiti's Captain America, Steve Rogers suffered a near-fatal injury amid the ensuing struggle for control.
While Cap's body fell into a coma, his consciousness was dragged to Hell by Doom, who needed the protection of Steve's noble soul to overthrow Mephisto's tyrannical rule and replace him with a more benevolent demon named Veratok. Steve reluctantly agreed to help.
Doom led the rebels to the Antidivine, a weapon capable of slaying angels, where his scorned love, Valeria, attempted to stop them. However, she switched sides when Doom appeared genuinely remorseful. Steve defeated Mephisto's other agent, Red Skull, but the Antidivine was shattered during the battle. Undeterred, the rebels pressed on towards Mephisto's throne, only to find themselves hopelessly outmatched.
Rather than destroy Steve and Doom, Mephisto offered them both a deal. He promised to restore Doom to life in exchange for being allowed to torture Valeria for eternity. Doom accepted, betraying Valeria once again. Steve, meanwhile, was offered freedom for everyone on Earth except himself. He agreed to the terms, willingly surrendering his soul to the Devil.
In today's Captain America #16, the battle with Mephisto culminates with Doom wrestling control of Hell from the Devil to remain in the afterlife as its new ruler. Steve, meanwhile, is returned to the land of the living, as is the Red Skull.
However, before that happens, Doom reveals that all of Mephisto's deals have been nullified. That should extend to "One More Day," the controversial Amazing Spider-Man storyline from 2008, which ended with Peter Parker and Mary Jane agreeing to give up their marriage in exchange for Aunt May's life (she'd been gunned down by an assassin hired by The Kingpin).
Reality was subsequently rewritten to make it so that Peter and MJ lived out their relationship without ever having married, and it was hinted that Mephisto wanted to stop their future daughter from ever being born because she'd eventually defeat him as Spider-Girl.
There have already been hints that Zdarsky intends to address "One More Day" in his new Avengers series, as that will pit Spider-Man's new team against the villain with New York seemingly on the line. Is the door finally being opened to Spidey and MJ resuming their romance? There's been nothing in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man to suggest that's the case, meaning it may fall to Zdarsky to finally end this hated status quo.
Check out some pages from Captain America #16 below, and be sure to pick up a copy wherever you get your comics.
WHO WILL RULE HELL? As the battle for Hell's throne reaches its dramatic climax, Steve Rogers realizes he may have chosen the wrong side. The effects of the war spill out into the living world, bringing the Marvel Universe to the edge of ARMAGEDDON!
CAPTAIN AMERICA #16
Written by CHIP ZDARSKY
Art & Cover by VALERIO SCHITI
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