After a month-long hiatus that kept everyone on our toes, ULTRAMAN: Along Came a Spider-Man is now back on the Viz Manga app and website, with newest chapters 19 and 20 available for free!
Our moments with Alien Meflias and Doctor Doom up until now have been brief, but their devious dynamic always left us ready for more. Now the two giants must face each other head-on and contend with their mutual hunger for control; this planet’s not big enough for the both of them.
In chapter nineteen, we pick up with Alien Meflias admitting his truest desire is humanity’s willful submission to his reign. He doesn’t want to simply win by brute force. Meflias postures himself as a moralistic antagonist, one who places great value on honoring vows and respecting balance.
At this point, Dr. Doom has denied Meflias dominion over Earth, leaving us last time with the cosmically beautiful and deeply existential reminder that, “Every Earth belongs to humanity. Not one of them will ever be yours.”
While Doom defends liberty, Meflias defends honor, almost like extreme manifestations of their respective countries of creative origin. Both villains are nuanced, holding objectively strong values close, while allowing themselves to be corrupted by power.
Meflias is furious that Doom was originally an ally, but retracted his warmth once his end of the bargain was fulfilled. He marks Doom as a traitor for undermining his scheme. There is nothing worse than a renegade whose word is worthless, especially not to someone who covets the sacred bond.
Needless to say, things get rough quickly. Almost as quickly as Meflias can threaten him, Dr. Doom goes on the attack, blasting through mountains, rendering the local terrain a wasteland.
The two giants lunge to continue their battle of epic proportions, but Meflias stops short, reminding Doom and himself that they are more than capable of destroying an entire planet if reckless enough with their power. Out of shared understanding, they reach a point of détente, but it’s no less tense.
As a man of merit, Meflias offers another gentleman’s deal: defeat the Kaiju, keep the Earth. Now, we are forced into Doom’s side of the ring, rooting for our enemy as he defends us from alien conquest.
Meflias summons Gomora, Antlar, and Red King, eliciting a multitude of natural disasters in the process. Humans watch in horror as the land around them is destroyed in so many ways. The three beasts rise and attack, crashing through the ocean in great waves, tackling Doom with all their force.
Meflias watches from above as he rises above the atmosphere, facing Earth as he floats back to his home. He admires our beautiful blue planet and laments its potential destruction. It is easy to underestimate the resilience of people when you keep yourself far away from them.
Can Doom hold back Gomora, Antlar and Red King? Will Earth be sacrificed for the sake of a game? Will humanity be compromised in the crossfire? We’ll find out next week in ULTRAMAN: Along Came a Spider-Man on the VIZ Manga app or website!
