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The liminal space between the known and the unknown can be thrilling; what comes next can be surprising or disappointing. In the past year, the 'Blind Bag' phenomenon came to comics in a big way; although Marvel Comics wasn't first to do it, they have quickly made it a key part of their method to increase excitement and sales of comics by exploiting the collectible component of the medium with the high of possibly getting something more than you expected. But as Marvel's Blind Bag programs have increased, they've increased so much that they are having trouble keeping up.

In celebration of '616 Day' this year, Marvel has created a Doctor Doom-themed blind bag for $14.99. While it's a blind bag, some of the contents are known and standard: a black-and-white edition of the recent Doomquest #1 with a new variant cover, a reprint of one of six past Doctor Doom-centric comics, and a Doctor Doom paper mask using art by original co-creator Jack Kirby. What they're teasing you could get is "ultra-rare" surprises such as hand-drawn, one-of-a-kind covers for one of the comics. In the past, it has featured superstar artists, up-and-coming artists, and even illustrations by Marvel boss Kevin Feige and Iron Man/Doctor Doom actor Robert Downey Jr.

The trouble is, Marvel Comics can't get them ready in time for retailers to release on June 16 (aka 616 Day). They have a plan to get most of them out to stores in a few days, but it's stopping there, to the point that it has canceled orders from stores that don't have good credit with Marvel's distributor, as well as any orders placed after its original order deadline of May 4.

So, if you're a fan or store owner, what can you expect? Marvel estimates it has been able to ship out "on average, around 24%" of initial orders, with a plan for the rest to get on the shipping trucks next week.

"We would like to thank retailers for their patience and understanding," a Marvel spokesperson writes in a letter to retailers. "We apologize for any inconvenience this delay may cause to you or your customers."

Elon Musk inspired RDJ's Iron Man... and could be the perfect person to inspire Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.