Very few times has a villain of such caliber graced the pages of comic books since the dawning of time itself than Doctor Victor Von Doom. First appearing in The Fantastic Four issue number five in 1962, he has, for thirty-five years, enthralled the comic book reading field with his diabolical plots for world domination. Doctor Doom has lead a life through thick and thin, through life and, literally, death, and through the mists of time. He has been marveled as a criminal genius, most likely the greatest criminal mind of our time (in the Marvel Universe, anyway). Herein lies the tale of Doctor Doom.

 

Victor Von Doom was born, though no date of birth can actually be established as of this date, to Werner and Cynthia Von Doom, who were members of a nomadic group of gypsies wandering the Balkan mountain ranges of Europe. From the beginning of his life, he was accustomed to the perpetual torment suffered by all gypsies, Latveria being one of the harshest of the tormentors. His mother, Cynthia, was renowned for her abilities as a sorcerer and a healer, and was the democratic leader of the troupe. During Victor's youth, Cynthia, bearing witness to the hardships faced by her people, began to dabble in powerful magic, eventually conjuring up Mephisto, a demon of immense power, and entered into a pact with him to gain a safe homeland for her people. She did not know the price she would have to pay for this contract. She unleashed her newfound power on an unsuspecting town without a thorough realization of the control her new power required, and, as a result, every child in the village died due to her recklessness. Fearing the damage she could wreak, she renounced her power just as a guardsman thrust a spear through her heart. After his mother died, Victor became much more intense and serious, learning as much about science and sorcery he could. He continued to pursue a relationship with Valeria, a childhood friend, who later was killed. Victor's father was soon called upon by a Latverian Baron to use his gypsy skill and magic to heal his wife. When he failed, the Baron vowed revenge on Werner and his troupe. The gypsy troupe fled the steppes of Latveria with the Baron's troops close behind them. Werner and Victor fled separately from the rest of the group, into the mountains. They were soon caught up in a cold and harsh winter, and both nearly froze to death when the gypsy band found them. Soon thereafter, Werner died, his last words being, "You must protect . . . protect . . . oohhh . ." Werner's close friend, Boris, fully realized that Werner did not mean to protect his son from the world, but to protect the world from his son and his vengeful heart. On his father's death bed, young Victor vowed revenge against the rest of humanity for the deaths of his mother and father. Victor began to study the mystic arts of magic with the help of his mother's belongings, a chest of magical potions and tomes. Finding he had an affinity for the mystic arts, he set to work on deciphering his mother's magical tomes. Soon, he determined the fault in his mother's logic - she sought power from another being when all that was needed was power from within. He also learned that his mother's soul had been trapped by Mephisto, and had not actually died. Doom grew up to travel the Balkans, tricking people to buy magical objects, such as golden statues, that turned to dust after he had left the area. He continued to use his genius in this fashion, until the Dean of Science from State University heard of his scientific accomplishments, most notably creating complex weaponry and protective devices for the gypsies, and offered him a scholarship, which Victor gladly accepted.

 

Doom took his chance at State University to learn all he could about science and he quickly expanded his genius. While there, he met and cultivated his hatred for the other top student at the school, Reed Richards, later known as Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four, whom Doom himself proclaimed his intellectual equal. Doom began working on personal experiments in secret when Reed, who had come by Doom's home and noticed some false calculations in Doom's research. Doom dismissed Reed's observations, thinking that he could not make such a trivial mistake, and foolishly discounted the errors entirely. Doom continued on with his experiment, which merged science and sorcery into one powerful combination, when it suddenly exploded, permanently scarring his cheek. In shame, he was expelled from the University. He denounced the college and left the United States to go to Tibet to pursue the mystical arts. While there, he found the Aged Ghengis, who directed him toward a group of Tibetan monks, who Doom quickly sought out for their mystic awareness. While there, Doom became a master in the arcane arts as well as master of the monks themselves. He instructed the monks to construct him a suit of armor to strike terror in his enemies. When the armor was finished, the anxious Doom placed the red-hot mask onto his face, forever scarring and disfiguring it. He renamed himself Doctor Doom, though he held no degree in any field, and left Tibet for his final destination, Latveria. In Latveria, using his technologically and magically enhanced armor, he constructed a robotic duplicate of himself, which he would later use to his own ends. Using his genius, he infiltrated King Vladimir's castle as his royal science advisor. While there, he kidnapped and robotically duplicated Prince Rudolpho while tricking a rival of the King, a count of the Drassen family, that he would aid him in a coup for the throne. The count quickly assassinated King Vladimir, allowing Rudolpho to ascend to the throne. The now-king robotic Rudolpho, while attending the funeral of his "father," foiled an attempt on his life by the count and, having fulfilled its programming, abdicated to the "Stronger and more able" Doom. Doom quickly established a peaceful and powerful dictatorship, which he dubbed an "enforced monarchy." The capital was renamed to Doomstadt, and many of the other Latverian cities took on names such as Doomton, Doomsburg, and Doomwood. He had finally began his path to fulfilling his dreams of revenge against the world who had persecuted him and his people so ruthlessly, and Reed Richards, who had humiliated him.

Symkaria is the most internationally accepted government of the three countries. King Stefan has, in the past, been generally sympathetic to Latverian people, but, Silver Sable, leader of a government organization called the Wild Pack constantly hounds the King of Latveria. Since the death of his fiancee, King Stefan has started cracking down on crime in Symkaria, which, unfortunately includes some Gypsies. Transia is a forbidding country, shunned by most travelers because of it's legends of Wundagore Mountain. Latverians usually are welcome in Transia and spend much time there because the people don't say much to outsiders and don't tend to venture anywhere near Mt. Wundagore. The legends often tell of a cow-woman who steals children away at night who return and tell stories of being fed cookies. Other legends include strange lights seen on the top of the mountain, flying knights, and, on a most extraordinary occasion, the mountain exploded into a showed of silver shards and reappeared minutes later.

 

 

"I will not lower myself to performing parlor tricks for the rabble, any more than you yourself would. For in my own country, I am also a King! As witness, the royal seal of Latveria!"
Doom addressing King Arthur in Iron Man #150

"So you would deign to know the secrets of Doom. Very well, it is good that you would read of the majesty and power of Doom; the rabble must always glean knowledge from their betters. Take care that you dare not to use the knowledge enclosed in these pages against our person. To do so would invoke the wrath of Doom, and such a thing should not be invited lightly. Learn well of Doom and his lands, for the world will soon fall before them."
Doctor Victor Von Doom

"The King of Latveria is no common murderer. If I cannot magnificently win a victory . . . it affords me no pleasure to merely slay a foe."
Daredevil #38

"Though Dr. Doom is capable of many things, the Master of Latveria does not lie!"
Fantastic Four #87

"A Renoir. I have three myself. I had four, but ordered one burned . . . It displeased me."
Doom discussed art with Tony Stark in Iron Man #249

"I want that power. By right, it is mine. For ultimate power is the ultimate destiny of Doom."
Spectacular Spider-Man #159

"No, madman! Whatever you may see there -- it is not fear! Fear is for lesser men . . . Never for Doom!"
Super Villain Team-Up #12

"Doctor Doom wears a sophisticated suit of nuclear powered, micro-computer-enhanced body armor containing various offensive weaponry, including concussion beams (particle beams) and other devices subject to change; defensive weaponry including a force field (invisible kinetic energy/dimensional shunt) and the ability to charge the surface of his armor with 30,000 volts of electricity; and a self-contained air supply for 4 hours.  He has been known to carry a molecular-expander pistol in a belt holster."

 

Specifications Include:

Linear armature motors - flat,individually shaped to mimic motions of specific muscles.

Endo Skeleton Frame.

Thermonuclear power generators (2).

Gauntlet blasters - with energy discharge mixing chamber.

Force Field Generator array.

9 mm Broom Handle Mauser - handgun.

Man Amplifier Motors at hip, knee and elbow, ankle

Communications Pod.

Nuclear Jet Engines - for jet flight.

Other Specifications :       CLASSIFIED

Directed by Roger Corman

Right side, Actor Jay Underwood (The Human Torch, Johnny Storm)

Bottom Middle, Actress Rebecca Staab (Invisible Girl, Susan Storm)

Directed by Tim Story