View source for Latveria

{{Short description|Fictional country in Marvel Comics}}
{{distinguish| Latvia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Primary sources|date=August 2020}}
{{In-universe|date=April 2023}}
}}
{{Infobox fictional location
| name = Latveria
| alt_name = 
| image = Latveria2.JPG
| caption = A rendition of the nation of Latveria (in green) and its capital Doomstadt. [[Symkaria]] borders along the south.
| image2 = Flag of Latveria.svg
| caption2 = Flag of Latveria
| ruler = [[Doctor Doom]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Faraci |first=Derek |date=19 August 2020 |title=Fantastic Four: 10 Things Fans Should Know About Doctor Doom's Country Of Latveria |url=https://www.cbr.com/marvel-fantastic-four-doctor-doom-country-latveria-facts/ |access-date=1 February 2024 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |language=en |archive-date=18 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218103641/https://www.cbr.com/marvel-fantastic-four-doctor-doom-country-latveria-facts/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| source = [[Marvel Comics]]
| creator = [[Stan Lee]], [[Jack Kirby]]
| first = ''The [[Fantastic Four Annual]]'' #2 (July 1964)
| located_in = [[Europe]]
| blank_label = Motto
| blank_data = 
| blank_label1 = Anthem
| blank_data1 = 
| locations = Doomstadt (capital)
| blank_label2 = Language(s)
| blank_data2 = 
| ethnic_groups = 
| people = [[Doctor Doom]]<br />[[Lucia von Bardas]]<br />[[Dreadknight]]
| type = [[Autocracy]]
| population = 
| blank_label3 = Currency
| blank_data3 = Latverian Franc
}}
'''Latveria''' is a [[fictional country]] appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[Marvel Comics]]. It is depicted within the storylines of Marvel's comic titles as a small, isolated European country ruled by the fictional Supreme Lord [[Doctor Doom]], supposedly located in the [[Banat]] region. It is surrounded by the [[Carpathian Mountains]], and also borders fictional [[Symkaria]] (home of [[Silver Sable]]) to the south. Its [[Capital (political)|capital]] is '''Doomstadt'''.

==Publication history==
Latveria first appeared in ''Fantastic Four Annual'' #2, which was published in 1964. [[Doctor Doom|Victor von Doom]] is the ruler of Latveria. Though he has been dethroned a number of times, Victor has invariably managed to return to the throne of his country within a matter of months.

Victor also has a Council who obeys him entirely. In ''Fantastic Four'' #536 in 2006, he killed his own [[Prime Minister]] for claiming control of Latveria in his absence and threatened to kill two other ministers if they failed to find the landing spot of [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]]'s hammer [[Mjölnir]].

Doctor Doom's style of rule can best be described as an [[absolute monarchy]], as it was revealed that there is no [[legislature]], and one minister boasted "Doctor Doom decides everything. His slightest whim is Latverian law!" It is shown Doom has devices throughout the Kingdom to [[Mass Surveillance|watch his people]] and even has hidden weapons to prevent them leaving without his consent. In one story he is able to activate a force field around Latveria which prevents anybody leaving, though apparently it can be a defense against nuclear attack.<ref>''The Avengers'' #21</ref>

==History==
Located in southeast Europe, Latveria was formed out of land annexed from southern [[Hungary]] centuries before, and possibly land from [[Serbia]] as well<ref>''Fantastic Four'' #504. Marvel Comics.</ref> as [[Romania]].<ref>https://maps.google.com/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724112018/https://maps.google.com/ |date=24 July 2011 }} {{full citation needed|date=November 2015}}</ref>

At some point, Doctor Doom had his army of Servo Guards invade Rotruvia where he was successful in its annexation.<ref>''All-New, All-Different Avengers'' #15. Marvel Comics.</ref>

===Latveria under the Fantastic Four===
Due to Doom's undertakings that drive him away from Latveria, the monarch is often absent. After Doom's descent into [[Hell]], the nation became a target for conquest by the neighbouring countries. This forces [[Mister Fantastic|Reed Richards]] to seize control of the country, attempting to pry the populace out from under the thumb of Doom, while at the same time disarming all of Doom's weaponry and technology, so if he ever returned, he would come back to absolutely nothing. In the process, Richards relocated Doom from Hell into a pocket dimension of his own design, and although Doom used his consciousness-switching abilities to escape, the death of his host body seemingly caused him to die as well, and the [[Fantastic Four]] pulled out of the country.

Doom survives this and rules Latveria for a time with a 'puppet' Prime Minister and robotic enforcers.

===Series of takeovers===
After the Fantastic Four left, the United States attempted to fill the void left by Doom by establishing a [[democracy]] for the nation. The Countess [[Lucia von Bardas]] was elected as Prime Minister. However, when it was revealed that von Bardas was employing the [[Tinkerer (Marvel Comics)|Tinkerer]] to use Doom's technology to arm various tech-based villains in the United States, [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]] Commander [[Nick Fury]] took action.

During ''[[Secret War (comics)|Secret War]]'', Fury and a number of superheroes invaded Latveria without permission of the US Government and attempted to assassinate von Bardas. While von Bardas survived, she was horribly disfigured and sought to destroy Fury and the heroes responsible. She was killed by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent [[Daisy Johnson (comics)|Daisy Johnson]] while trying to blow up New York with the armor of the various villains she employed.

===Country-wide disasters===
Much of Latveria was destroyed and the population severely reduced by an attack executed by the Marquis of Death (a.k.a. "Dooms Master").

S.H.I.E.L.D., under the leadership of [[Iron Man]] and his team of [[The Mighty Avengers|U.S. sanctioned Avengers]] invaded Latveria after discovering Doom's (unintentional) involvement in the release of a [[Symbiote (comics)|symbiote]] virus on New York. The country was yet again devastated and Doom was taken into custody for crimes against humanity.<ref>''The Mighty Avengers'' #7–12 (2007). Marvel Comics.</ref>

Doom is released from prison due to the influence of [[H.A.M.M.E.R.]] director [[Norman Osborn]]. He restores his nation with the use of his time travel technology.<ref>''Dark Avengers'' #4 (2009). Marvel Comics.</ref>

===Avengers Vs. X-Men===
During the ''[[Avengers vs. X-Men]]'' storyline, Spider-Man fights against a [[Juggernaut (character)|Juggernaut]]-empowered [[Colossus (character)|Colossus]] here.<ref>''AVX Vs'' #2. Marvel Comics.</ref>

==Statistics==
The common geographic description of Latveria places it as a small nation, around the area where [[Hungary]], [[Romania]] and [[Serbia]] ([[Vojvodina]]) meet in real life. To its south in the Marvel universe is the nation of [[Symkaria]], which is depicted as a benevolent [[constitutional monarchy]] in contrast to the dictatorship to its north. The capital city of Latveria is Doomstadt, formerly Hassenstadt, renamed when Doom seized power, located just north of the Kline River. The administrative center is Castle Doom.

* Population: 500,000 (This is an approximation since the government of Latveria has been fiercely secretive of its census activity)
* Type of Government: [[Dictatorship]] (Victor Von Doom prefers to call this an "enforced [[monarchy]]")
* Languages: [[German language|German]], [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]], [[English language|English]], Latverian (local dialect, derivative of Hungarian), [[Romanian language|Romanian]].{{citation needed|date=March 2013}}
* Ethnic Groups: Mixed European stock, [[South Slavs|Slavs]], [[Romani people|Roma]], Greek, possibly Bulgarians who migrated in Banat during the Ottoman rule in Bulgaria
* Major Business Centers: None
* Currency: Latverian [[Franc]]
* Public Holidays: Doom's Day, Christmas, New Year (Note: Doom's Day is an eclectic holiday, celebrated whenever Doom declares it. It is different from [[Doomsday event|Doomsday]] and independent of [[Doomsday rule|Doomsday]])
* Airports: The only airport for the country, Doomsport, lies on the southern outskirts of Doomstadt. It maintains two runways and a modern terminal, but flights into and out of Doomsport are quite limited. There have been no scheduled flights from Latveria to western European nations or the United States, due to a combination of Latveria's poor economy, international embargoes, and that no major airline has seen profit in establishing a route to Latveria.

===Cities and towns===
* '''Doomsburg'''
* '''Doomsdale'''
* '''Doomstadt''' – The capital of Latveria, replacing on the map the real-life Romanian city of [[Timișoara]]. The "City of Doom" (The suffix "-stadt" is German for "city")
* '''Doomsvale'''
* '''Doomton'''
* '''Doomwood'''
* '''Doomcity'''

====Points of interest====
* '''Boar's Vale'''
* '''Castle Doom''' – An ancient castle with modern-day technology, home to Victor Von Doom.
* '''Citadel of Doom'''
* '''Cynthia Von Doom Memorial Park''' –
* '''Doom Falls'''
* '''Doom Island''' – While not part of Latveria, Doom Island is a private island, located somewhere near the coast of Japan and cloaked from the world by an invisible shield. This island is where Doom keeps hidden the mutant citizens of Latveria and a legion of Doombot/Sentinel hybrids.
* '''Doomsport Airport''' – The only airport in Latveria which is located south of Doomstadt.
* '''Doomstadt Rail Station'''
* '''Doomstadt Rathauz''' 
* '''Doomwood Forest'''
* '''Folding City'''
* '''Lanzarini Temple'''
* '''Heroic Andrew Boulevard'''
* '''Kron Victory Swad'''
* '''Latverian Academy of the Science'''
* '''Latverian Southern Border'''
* '''Monument Park'''
* '''Mount Sorcista''' – A demon sorceress named Pandemonia lives here.
* '''Mount Victorum'''
* '''Old Town of Doomstadt''' – It is located in Doomstadt and overlooked by Castle Doom.
* '''St. Blaise Church'''
* '''St. Peter Church'''
* '''Werner Academy'''

===Demographics===
The population consists of mixed European stock and [[Romani people]], in whose welfare Von Doom takes a particular interest. Victor Von Doom, being Roma, has declared the Romani a [[protected class]] and attempts to shower them with benefits, however due to Latveria's poor economy and oppressive rule their lifestyles hardly outshine other ethnicities, and the Romani by and large live in the same fear of their own government as do fellow Latverians.

===Law enforcement===
Because it lacks a native [[superhero]] populace, Latveria relies largely on Dooms' [[robot]] sentinels called Doombots to keep law and order. One of the few known Latverian superhumans is [[Dreadknight]], whom Doom himself created by punishing Dreadknight's alter ego for hoarding ideas from him. Dreadknight has since tried to get revenge on Doctor Doom, only to be thwarted by various superheroes. Aside from superhuman activity, the Latverian military appears to function in multiple capacity; in addition to being responsible for defense of Latveria (or more accurately, keeping Victor Von Doom on the throne), they have been commissioned to make arrests and function as Latveria's [[secret police]].

===Economy===
Much of Latveria's economy depends on Doctor Doom's high-tech inventions. The country's official currency is the "Latverian Franc" – because Doctor Doom refuses to join the European Union or adopt the [[Euro]]. The Latverian Franc is still considered to be reasonably strong against the United States Dollar.<ref>''She-Hulk'' vol. 3 #3 (2014). Marvel Comics.</ref>

===State===
Latveria is generally depicted as a rural nation with a primitive economy and a population living an almost medieval lifestyle, likely enforced by Doom. Nonetheless, the state itself is consistently depicted as a global [[superpower]] on-par with or even surpassing any nation on Earth, including the [[United States]], and rivalled only by the likes of [[Wakanda]]. This is largely due to Doom himself being a scientific genius of the highest order, not only possessing but actually inventing numerous technological wonders, including time and interdimensional travel, personally creating a highly sophisticated robot army of myriad designs and capabilities, and frequently coming into possession of—or outright creating—various devices that could be classified as Weapons of Mass Destruction. Thus, despite the country being both extremely small and economically backward, it is a powerhouse in military and technological terms and therefore has a vastly disproportionate influence on global affairs relative to its size and [[GDP]]. Doom also proudly claims that the country is free of poverty, disease, famine and crime and while citizens of the nation are commonly shown to be oppressed and to live in fear of their monarch, they are also shown to be relatively well cared for, so long as they do not cross Doom. Other occasions suggest that Doom is at the centre of a self-propagated [[personality cult]] and is admired and worshipped by other segments of the populace in spite of his mistreatments and he is often demonstrated to be at least a more stable and less corrupt ruler than any other Latverian leader who has replaced him.

==Known inhabitants==
* '''[[Doctor Doom]]''' – The current Supreme ruler of Latveria.
* '''Alexander Flynn''' – The alleged mutant son of Doctor Doom and an unidentified Romani woman.
* '''Arturo Frazen''' – He was installed as Latveria's ambassador during the temporary reign of Prince Zorba Fortunov.
* '''Baron Karl Hassen''' – He was the ruler of Latveria during the 14th Century.
* '''Baron Karl Hassen III''' – He was part of Latveria's royalty sometime before Doctor Doom became Latveria's ruler.
* '''Boris''' – Doctor Doom's Zefiro guardian since childhood and closest confidant.
* '''Count Sabbat''' – He was part of Latveria's royalty during the 15th Century.
* '''Cristos Malachi''' – A one-time member of Doctor Doom's Zefiro Gypsy Clan. He served as the Zefiro Gypsy Clan's fortune-teller.
* '''[[Cynthia Von Doom]]''' – The mother of Doctor Doom.
* '''Daniel Kurtz''' – A one-time classmate of Doctor Doom. He lost an eye during Victor's experiment which involved contacting his mother.
* '''Djordji Zindelo Hungaro''' – The Zefiro mystic who trained Cynthia Von Doom in the mystic arts.
* '''[[Dreadknight]]''' – A Latverian scientist who had a skull-shaped cybernetic helmet bio-fused to his head by Doctor Doom and developed a vendetta against him.
* '''Editor''' – He was tasked with rewriting Latverian history to conform with Doctor Doom's world view.
* '''Fydor Gittrlsohn''' – One of Doctor Doom's chief scientists.
* '''Gert Hauptmann''' – One of Doctor Doom's chief scientists and the brother of Gustav Hauptmann. His attempt at betrayal led to his death at the hands of Doctor Doom.
* '''Gustav Hauptmann''' – One of Doctor Doom's chief scientists. He was a former Nazi that worked for [[Adolf Hitler]] and [[Red Skull]]. When the flamethrower that Gustav was using to attack Mister Fantastic with endangered his art collection, Doctor Doom reversed the sonic weapon he planned to use on the Fantastic Four and killed Gustav Hauptmann instead.
* '''Gustav von Kampen''' – A one-time member of Doctor Doom's Zefiro Gypsy Clan.
* '''Gustav van Erven''' – A Latverian refugee living on Brazil on Doctor Doom 2099 timeline.
* '''Hans Stutgart''' – A Latverian agent who is living in the United States.
* '''Jakob Gorzenk''' – He serves as the chief ambassador to the United States.
* '''King Rudolfo I''' – He ruled Latveria sometime before Doctor Doom became Latveria's ruler.
* '''King Stefan''' – He ruled Latveria sometime before Doctor Doom became Latveria's ruler.
* '''King Vladimir Vassily Gonereo Tristian Mangegi Fortunov''' – The tyrannical ruler of Latveria who was extremely harsh to the gypsies that lived on the borders. He was killed by Doctor Doom.
* '''[[Kristoff Vernard]]''' – The adopted son of Doctor Doom. His mother was killed by a robot that was used by Prince Zorba Fortunov.
* '''Kroft Family''' – A family of vampire hunters that existed from the 16th Century to the 19th Century.
** Kurt Kroftt
** Leo Kroft 
** Oscar Kroft 
** Pietro Kroft 
** Stefan Kroft 
** Wilhelm Kroft 
* '''Larin''' – A Tibetan Monk who helped to construct Doctor Doom's first armor.
* '''[[Lucia von Bardas]]''' – The Prime Minister of Latveria.
* '''Mengo Brothers''' – A pair of international mercenaries.
** '''Grigori Mengochuzcraus''' –
** '''Stanislaus Mengochuzcraus''' –
* '''Otto Kronsteig''' – One of Doctor Doom's chief scientists.
* '''Prince Rudolfo Fortunov''' – The former crown prince of Latveria before his family was ousted by Doctor Doom.
* '''Prince Zorba Fortunov''' – The former prince of Latveria and brother of Rudolfo. He once reclaimed the throne to Latveria when the Fantastic Four had defeated Doctor Doom. With the help of the Fantastic Four, Doctor Doom was able to reclaim his throne.
* '''Robert Doom''' – The distant cousin of Doctor Doom.
* '''Seven Daggers of Latveria''' – A group of Latverian mutants that are loyal to Doctor Doom.<ref>''X-Men'' Vol. 6 #29. Marvel Comics.</ref>
** '''Dreamer''' – Hugo is a Latverian mutant with dream-entering abilities.
** '''Ironcloak''' – Ramona is a Latverian mutant and the sister of Dreamer who can induce invulnerability on anyone for a certain amount of time.
** '''Nerium''' – A four-armed Latverian mutant with botanopathy.
** '''Slag''' – Szik is a Latverian mutant with rock-like skin and magma-like blood who possesses geo-thermokinesis.
** '''Volta''' – A Latverian mutant with electrokinesis who also wields a Vibranium spear to help her control her powers.
* '''Torvalt''' – A one-time member of Doctor Doom's Zefiro Gypsy Clan.
* '''Tristian de Sabbat''' – A member of Doctor Doom's inner circle responsible for holy propaganda.
* '''Valeria''' – The teenage love of Doctor Doom's life who is the granddaughter of Boris. Her life was sacrificed to the Haazareth Three (a group of demons) by Doctor Doom.
* '''Vlad Draasen''' – He was a member of Latveria's royalty during the 15th Century.
* '''Werner Von Doom''' – A talented doctor of the Zefiro Gypsy Tribe and father of Doctor Doom.

==Other versions==
===King Loki===
In the future depicted in ''Loki: Agent of Asgard'', Doctor Doom discovers Latveria completely destroyed after King Loki destroyed the Earth. Doom attempts to prevent this future by imprisoning the Loki of the present.<ref>''Loki: Agent of Asgard'' #6. Marvel Comics.</ref>

===''Marvel 1602''===
In the ''[[Marvel 1602]]'' storyline, Latveria is ruled by Count Otto von Doom, also known as ''Otto the Handsome''. It is inhabited by mythical beings, and Latveria experiments on intricate clockwork devices, one of which was used to kill [[Queen Elizabeth I]] of [[England]]. The native language appears to bear a close resemblance to modern [[Germany|German]].

===Marvel 2099===
In the alternate future called "[[Marvel 2099]]", various power struggles over the fate of Latveria end with most of the country's population destroyed by chemical weapons known as "necrotoxins".<ref>''Doom 2099'' #33 (Sept. 1995). Marvel Comics.</ref>

===Marvel Zombies===
In the ''[[Marvel Zombies]]'' storyline, Latveria is one of the last few outposts of humanity, as Doctor Doom gathers up the fittest and most fertile of the Latverian survivors in order to send them off to other dimensions. An army of super-zombies lay [[siege]] to Doom's castle and eventually break inside. Despite this and Doom himself being bitten, all the Latverian citizens successfully escape.

===Ultimate Marvel===
In ''[[Ultimate Marvel]]'', Latveria was introduced as a [[bankrupt]] [[peasant]] nation, but thanks to Doctor Doom it was made the ninth richest country on Earth. The townsfolk wear Doom's dragon tattoos, which incorporate microfibers that interfaced with the brain, acting as mind control devices. Where this Latveria lies is unclear but there are [[Belgium|Belgian]] Flags on display in the background in the one picture displayed of Latveria.

In ''[[Ultimate Marvel Team-Up]]'', Latveria was presented as an impoverished dictatorial [[theocracy]], under "his holiness" President Victor Von Doom (wearing his traditional Marvel armor and cloak). They attempted, in collusion with the United States via [[Nick Fury]], to steal the [[Iron Man]] technology from Tony Stark; this fails, partly due to the intervention of Spider-Man. At some point, however, Doom declared a holy war on the United States, creating tensions between two countries.<ref>''Ultimate Marvel Team-Up'' #4. Marvel Comics.</ref><ref>''Ultimate Marvel Team-Up'' #14. Marvel Comics.</ref> Like most in this comic, this would be ignored and [[retcon]]ned away in later Ultimate Marvel titles.

===Ultimate Universe===
In [[Ultimate Universe|Earth-6160]], a world marked by [[alternate history]] due to the interference of the [[Maker (comics)|Maker]], Latveria is used as his seat of political power, as he reshapes the global status quo, eroding national identities and independence in favor of a new world order, creating a Council composed of leaders of regional power blocs and creating a permanent [[war economy]] between their territories, while they operate covertly as a group, keeping their local populations docile and controlled as a worldwide form of [[Shadow government (conspiracy theory)|shadow government]].<ref>''Ultimate Invasion'' #2. Marvel Comics.</ref>

It is shown through [[Howard Stark#Ultimate Universe|Howard Stark]]'s history files that the Maker arrived in 1963, establishing a futuristic enclave known as "The City" in Latveria, showcasing himself as a force of progress to the world and performing feats such as taking care of external threats such as [[Galactus]] and performing a moon landing. He is regarded as an Imperator, or the de facto ruler of the Earth, due to being the only one capable of keeping the public safe and disseminating technological advances on a regular base, using the organization H.A.N.D as a [[secret police]]. As Stark rebels against the Maker, he imprisons both of them and [[Kang the Conqueror|Kang]] inside the City, leaving two years before it opens.<ref>''Ultimate Invasion'' #4. Marvel Comics.</ref><ref>''Ultimates'' Vol.4 #2. Marvel Comics.</ref>

==In other media==
===Television===
* Latveria appears in ''[[Fantastic Four (1994 TV series)|Fantastic Four]]'' (1994).
* Latveria appears in ''[[The Super Hero Squad Show]]'' episode "Pedicure of Doom!".
* Latveria appears in ''[[The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes]]'' episode "The Private War of Doctor Doom."
* Latveria appears in ''[[Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series)|Ultimate Spider-Man]]''.
* Latveria appears in ''[[Avengers Assemble (TV series)|Avengers Assemble]]''.
* Latveria appears in ''[[Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.]]'' In the episode "Red Rover", [[Thunderbolt Ross|Red Hulk]] unknowingly drops off [[Devil Dinosaur]] in Latveria after mistaking the country for [[Transia]]. In the five-part episode "Days of Future Smash", the [[Leader (character)|Leader]] attacks the embassy to steal a belt that will let him travel through time.

===Film===
*Latveria appears in ''[[Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer]]''. The capital's name has been changed from Doomstadt to '''Hassenstadt''', likely because Doom is merely a native of the country in this continuity, rather than its leader.

*Latveria appears in the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] film ''[[The Fantastic Four: First Steps]]''. The country's name has a brief appearance in Susan Richards' Future Foundation conference, being the only country with their leader absent.

===Video games===
* Latveria appears in ''[[Ultimate Spider-Man (video game)|Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' (2005).
* Castle Doom appears as a level in ''[[Marvel: Ultimate Alliance]]''.
* The Latverian embassy appears in ''[[The Incredible Hulk (2008 video game)|The Incredible Hulk]]''.
* Latveria appears in ''[[Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2]]''.
* The Latverian embassy appears in ''[[Marvel: Avengers Alliance]]''.
* Castle Doom appears as a level in ''[[Lego Marvel Super Heroes]]''.
* Latveria appears as a level in ''[[Marvel Heroes (video game)|Marvel Heroes]]''.

===Miscellaneous===
Latveria appears in the ''[[Spider-Man]]'' newspaper strip.

==Reception==
''[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]]'' published a humorous article about how to convince people that Latveria is a real place, saying "Latveria doesn't ''sound'' made up [...] in this case, Latveria is very much fake — which doesn't mean you can't still have fun convincing people it's real, though."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bustle.com/articles/102244-is-latveria-a-real-place-the-fantastic-four-country-home-of-doctor-doom-is-about|title=Is Latveria a Real Place? The 'Fantastic Four' Country & Home of Doctor Doom is About as Legit as a Land Called Genovia|date=7 August 2015|website=[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]]|first=Sage|last=Young|access-date=27 February 2020|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815141202/https://www.bustle.com/articles/102244-is-latveria-a-real-place-the-fantastic-four-country-home-of-doctor-doom-is-about|url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[Screen Rant]]'' writes that ever since ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 was published in 1962, "the tiny country of Latveria has long been a thorn in the side of Marvel's heroes", noting that it was long established as a country located in Southeastern Europe, and as of 2020 its location was firmly identified as the [[Banat]] region, so that "This fixed location for Latveria grounds the nation more fully in readers' understanding of the real world, suggesting realistic political tensions and even geographical factors which can play into future stories."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/marvel-confirms-the-location-of-their-most-infamous-country/|title=Marvel Confirms the Location of Their Most Infamous Country|website=[[Screen Rant]]|date=17 November 2020|first=David|last=Lanzafame|access-date=24 November 2021|archive-date=9 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209200203/https://screenrant.com/marvel-confirms-the-location-of-their-most-infamous-country/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[MJ_Hibbett|Mark Hibbett]] of [[Central Saint Martins]] notes that Latveria in 1964 was described as a small country in East Europe "nestling in the heart of the Bavarian alps", and he explains that "Right from the start Latveria is presented as a very strange place, like a fairy tale village transplanted into the real world, with Jack Kirby's illustrations showing an almost medieval world of peasant cottages and gypsy caravans."<ref>{{cite conference |url=https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/id/eprint/14126/1/LatverianIncursions.pdf |title=Latverian Incursions: Dr Doom and Cold War Politics |last=Hibbett |first=Mark |conference=Eighth International Graphic Novel, Comics Conference and Bandes Dessinées Society Conference |date=26–30 June 2017 |location=Dundee, United Kingdom |access-date=24 November 2021 |archive-date=31 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531055911/https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/id/eprint/14126/1/LatverianIncursions.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last=DiPaolo |first=Marc |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K8uZGWxFtC0C&dq=latveria&pg=PA214 |title=War, Politics and Superheroes: Ethics and Propaganda in Comics and Film |publisher=McFarland |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-7864-8579-6}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kahan |first=Jeffrey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r3dp4WR1F64C&dq=latveria&pg=PA49 |title=Caped Crusaders 101: Composition Through Comic Books |last2=Stewart |first2=Stanley |publisher=McFarland |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7864-2532-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Tapon |first=Francis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GlbAmn_cajYC&dq=latveria&pg=PA50 |title=The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us |publisher=SonicTrek |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-9765812-2-2}}
* {{Cite web |last=Weiss |first=Josh |date=1 April 2019 |title=Latveria's Place in Marvel Geopolitics |url=https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/latveria-s-place-in-marvel-geopolitics |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227174949/https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/latveria-s-place-in-marvel-geopolitics |archive-date=27 February 2020 |website=[[Marvel.com]]}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Latveria}}
* [http://marvel.wikia.com/Latveria Latveria] at Marvel Wiki
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050209121120/http://www.ffplaza.com/commcenter/articles/Latveria.shtml Article on History of Latveria]

{{Doctor Doom}}
{{Fantastic Four}}
{{Stan Lee}}
{{Jack Kirby}}
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[[Category:Doctor Doom]]
[[Category:Fantastic Four]]
[[Category:Fictional elements introduced in 1964]]
[[Category:Fictional European countries]]
[[Category:Latverians]]
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