# How was Doctor Doom the "rightful ruler" of Latveria? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 25, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121 "2005-12-25T00:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121/1 "2005-12-25T00:16:49Z")
In Marvel’s _What If?,_ issue #22 ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What\_If\_(comics)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_If_%28comics%29)), Doctor Doom becomes a hero instead of a villain. The point of divergence: In his college days, listened to Reed Richards’ advice on redoing his calculations on the device he built to contact the netherworld – with the result that he concluded the experiment without scarring his face and going mad. Another difference: He contacted his mother in Hell (i.e., Mephisto’s realm), and she told him he was the rightful ruler of Latveria! Which the country’s ruling prince confirmed when Doom led (actually, single-handedly executed) a rebellion against him. Doom then became the (very popular) king of Latveria. Now, since this story depends on only the one moment of divergence, presumably Doom’s heredity in the main, canonical Marvel Universe is exactly the same. But nothing else I’ve read seems to support that. The Wikipedia article – [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor\_Doom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Doom) – states he was a gypsy – the son of Roma heal Werner von Doom and his wife Cynthia, a witch. So . . . ? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121/2 "2005-12-25T01:12:02Z")
Doom overthrew the incompetent King Rudolfo and become king that way. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121/3 "2005-12-25T01:14:58Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Doom overthrew the incompetent King Rudolfo and become king that way. Yes . . . but that ducks the question. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121/4 "2005-12-25T01:30:03Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Another difference: He contacted his mother in Hell (i.e., Mephisto’s realm), and she told him he was the rightful ruler of Latveria! Which the country’s ruling prince confirmed when Doom led (actually, single-handedly executed) a rebellion against him. Doom then became the (very popular) king of Latveria. I don’t recall the ruling prince confirming anything, but my feeling about his mother’s statement is that she was speaking of destiny, not biology. Also, since What If stories are outside Marvel continuity, that particular Doom could simply have some blood connection to the “legitimate” royal family which mainstream Doom lacks. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121/5 "2005-12-25T03:22:14Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Also, since What If stories are outside Marvel continuity . . . Yes . . . but only with respect to one particular point-of-divergence. I.e., if Doom was of royal blood, and that plot element did not **depend** on that particular POD, then he should still be of the same blood in the canonical Marvel Universe. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121/6 "2005-12-25T04:43:13Z")
Yeah…well. he’s not, so there. Anyway, what’s the quote by which the ruling prince supposedly confirms Doom’s claim to the throne? Until I see that, I’m still going with the destiny explanation. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121/7 "2005-12-25T04:51:45Z")
I can’t find my OHOTMUDE, alas. But if I recall correctly, he has blood relationship to the _previous_ rulers, who were overthrown by the current ones. [http://members.aol.com/doomscribe/faq.htm#9](http://members.aol.com/doomscribe/faq.htm#9) Faq confirmation of memory. Issue citation still missing. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121/8 "2005-12-25T05:55:25Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Anyway, what’s the quote by which the ruling prince supposedly confirms Doom’s claim to the throne? Until I see that, I’m still going with the destiny explanation. Here’s the text: > [@](#): > > Prince Rudolfo: I take to the grave… the richest secret of all… concerning you, gypsy! > > Doom: That Victor von Doom is the rightful ruler of Latveria? > > Prince Rudolfo: Y-You know…?!? Nothing in OHOTMU - Deluxe Edition, or the more recent OHOTMU - Fantastic Four 2005 implies that he had any legitimate claim to the throne, btw. I haven’t read through any of the on-going Books of Doom mini yet, though. If he had some kind of lineage, it would definitely be mentioned there. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121/9 "2005-12-25T22:00:45Z")
My memories date from Marvel Saga/mid 80s, so I can’t say for sure if it’ll be in Books of Doom, or if it has been retconned. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121/10 "2005-12-25T22:43:07Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > Nothing in OHOTMU . . . Sorry, I’ve been out of comic books for a while now. OHOTMU? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121/11 "2005-12-25T22:53:05Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Sorry, I’ve been out of comic books for a while now. OHOTMU? [Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Official_Handbook_of_the_Marvel_Universe) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-doctor-doom-the-rightful-ruler-of-latveria/337121/12 "2005-12-26T02:52:08Z")
The Deluxe Edition was… '86? Trivia! Mark Waid’s first editing job was the DC equivalent, Who’s Who in the DC Universe. There are many foreshadows to his Flash work in there, including an obscure hero known as Quicksilver.