Latverian Incursions: Dr Doom and Cold War Politics

Since it first appeared in Fantastic Four Annual #2 (1964), Doctor Doom's homeland Latveria has gone through many changes, having experienced various invasions, revolutions, obliterations and magical reconstruction. The way it has been portrayed within the Marvel comics universe has also changed, from initially appearing as a medieval land under the yoke of an evil King to its current complex status as an emergent Eastern European superpower. This paper will examine these changes as reflections of Western attitudes to Eastern European nations during the Cold War and beyond through a series of examples including Doom's revolutionary seizure of power, the Fantastic Four's recurring interventions, and Nick Fury's disastrous attempt at regime change in 'Secret War' (2005). Drawing on the work of Jason Dittmer around national superheroes and 'popular geopolitics', the paper will conclude that Doctor Doom's rule over Latveria represents a potent symbol of the nationalist 'other' in American popular culture - and perhaps offers a glimpse of future possibilities in the new world order of Trump and Putin.