History of the Latverian Flag

 

Thanks to my delightful younglings and extended family, I have recently been indoctrinated into the cult known as Fortnite. For those who don’t know on the 16^th of August 2024, the popular video game Fortnite’s Battle Royale released its latest narrative update, Chapter 5: Season 4 called ‘Absolute Doom’, which focuses on Marvel’s premier villain and the Fantastic Four’s most fearsome foe, the self-appointed Monarch of Latveria himself, Victor Von Doom aka Doctor Doom.

 

In terms of plot, Doctor Doom has seized control of the current formation of the Battle Royale Island, known as Helios, remaking much of it to resemble his beloved home country of Latveria as his ‘Kingdom of Doom’. This includes new landmarks such as Doomstadt, Doom’s Courtyard and Castle Doom, all adorned in Latverian Flags. Which finally brings me to my extremely belaboured point, the topic for today: the History of the Latverian Flag.

 

The Kingdom of Latveria first appeared in Fantastic Four Annual #2, which also presents the first time we see what could be considered a national flag, emblem or regal symbols. We’ll see a few reoccurring motifs in later stories, such as Doom’s stylised capitalised ‘D’ and the emblem with an eagle.

 

Following this is in Fantastic Four #85-#87 we glimpse various more banners and designs with the most notable this time an eagle on a sceptre, and the return of the ‘D’ logo, the latter of which may simply be Victor’s personal mark.

 

Oddly, Incredible Hulk #143 is the first time we get a clear look at what is unmistakeably a flag for Latveria outside their embassy in New York when Doom brings the Hulk there, and it’s also very different from what has come before. Depicted as a red flag with a completely different black eagle-like design in the centre, with a nighttime exception inverting this colour scheme (presumably a simple case of artistic licence) and on the issue’s final page we see the bird as simply a lighter red, notably alongside other flags.

 

In the 1987 Marvel Graphic Novel Emperor Doom, we again see various stylised capital ‘D’ insignia adorning various items after Doctor Doom uses the Daredevil villain Purple Man’s mind control powers to become ruler of the entire planet Earth.

 

In the graphic novel Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment the eagle and sceptre design returns, helping create something of a throughline across the decades.

 

I’ve discussed the significance of both the Onslaught and Heroes Reborn events to the MC2 in the past, and here we have another situation where it might apply as Doctor Doom was among those who apparently perished saving the world from the psychic entity known as Onslaught. It's revealed that Franklin Richards used his amazing abilities to create a pocket dimension to save his parents and all the other heroes. The reborn heroes would awaken in this pocket dimension to live out new lives, unaware of their pasts. In this new world, Doctor Doom again rules Latveria and we see an assortment of flags on display in Fantastic Four (vol. 2) #4, including the ‘D’ and eagle designs.

 

We get the first iteration of what has become the most iconic Latverian flag on the covers for Doom: The Emperor Returns #1 and #2. It may be argued this is not a national flag at all, but a flag symbolising the sovereign himself, Doctor Doom. This one is a bit questionable as it first appears on the Counter-Earth created by Franklin Richards at a point after the MC2 branches off or diverges from the Main Marvel Universe. Doctor Doom finds himself back on this Counter-Earth and sets about conquering it, dubbing it ‘Planet Doom’.

 

We’ll see versions of the above design continue to crop up back on the regular old Marvel Earth in Secret War #5, Penance: Relentless #4, Books of Doom #6 and Captain America (vol. 5) #23 right up until the date of this writing. A version of this flag is what appears in the video game Fortnite and sparked the idea for this post, which speaks to its popularity.

 

However, it’s worth mentioning we do get at least one more markedly different Latverian flag in the Marvel Atlas #1 from 2007. This depicts an armoured gauntlet grasping lighting bolts. This design does not appear to have caught on however as I haven’t seen it reused anywhere.

 

There may be many more examples of possible Latverian flag designs I am unaware of, but hopefully this has proven informative. With all this context in mind, I wonder what the MC2’s Latverian flag looks like? The war between Namor, the Sub-Mariner and Doctor Doom left Atlantis destroyed and Latveria’s former capital city Doomstadt in ruins, and in it’s wake Doom was presumed dead for 12 years. We do not know much about its political situation, but the nation’s flag may well have changed to reflect it’s new status. Just something to think about.

 

A huge shout out to the classic Doctor Doom fan site, Doom2099.com for the much-needed obscure fictional vexillological information. I miss discovering such places online and I would encourage you all to seek them out and support them whenever possible while they remain! Major props to arias-98105 as always for the constant support.

 

Until I rescue my beloved mother’s soul from the grasp of the dreaded demon Mephisto, I remain

 

frogoat

 

Namor in the MC2

 

The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in cinemas and with it we mark the big screen debut of Namor the Sub-Mariner. As has now become a tradition for this blog, today we will be taking a look at his MC2 counterpart. This is Namor the Sub-Mariner in the MC2.  

 

The Main Marvel Universe’s Namor McKenzie was created by comics Bill Everett for Motion Picture Funnies Weekly but the character went unpublished until 1939’s Marvel Comics #1. The Sub-Mariner made his MC2 debut in A-Next #3 where we first learn that his Kingdom of Atlantis was long ago destroyed by Doctor Doom and (most of) his people killed. Namor’s actions left him an ‘international criminal after what he did to Latveria’ following the war with Doctor Doom. Found on a small islet off the coast of Molokai, Hawaii, Namor was recruited by Doctor Strange alongside the Incredible Hulk as part of a re-formed Defenders team.

 

Having apparently foreseen a world-threatening tragedy that will unfold in the near future, Doctor Strange takes matters into his own hands in an apparent attempt to save the day using extreme measures. Doc Magus attempts to warn off Strange and when this fails, he takes his mentor Deacon’s advice and approaches the newly formed Avengers team for help. Soon enough the two teams clash in Arizona until Dormagus uses the Eye of Agamotto to uncover Doctor Strange’s true motives were three-fold: to ensure the Hulk is able to fulfill his destiny, provide the team a ‘baptism by fire’ and to make Namor proactive once more (A-Next #3, J2 #3).

 

We next catch glimpses of the war between Namor the Sub-Mariner and Doctor Doom in both A-Next #5 and later Fantastic Five #5 and learn a few details of the events that transpire. More on this later.

The Sub-Mariner appears again when Doc Magus summons Zane Yama aka J2 and informs him he has found his father being held in a small, unexplored pocket dimension for years. Ignoring a warning from Doctor Strange to wait for reinforcements, Dormagus and Zane make their way to the pocket dimension to rescue Cain Marko aka Juggernaut. Despite reuniting Zane with his father, the villainous Nemesus appears and reveals Doc Magus had fallen into his trap and closed the heroes gateway home, trapping them. Fortunately, Doctor Strange appears alongside his fellow Defenders the Hulk and the Sub-Mariner and aid in escaping from Nemesus’ dimension before they are all swarmed by legions of Darklings (J2 #12).

 

Namor does not appear for quite some time, only making a cameo appearance on a screen in Avengers Headquarters which provides a perhaps curious ‘STATUS: UNKNOWN’ (Spider-Girl #71). Following this, the Sub-Mariner is again teamed with the Incredible Hulk against Apox the Omega Skrull, but does not fare well (Spider-Girl #86).

Shortly afterwards, the Sub-Mariner is again glimpsed with the Incredible Hulk, however this time it they are opponents thanks to the latter’s mind-control by the Asgardian Loki (Last Hero Standing #5).

 

Finally, we learn the truth of the end of the war between Namor and Doctor Doom; the latter was not killed but instead held prisoner deep beneath the Mid-Atlantic Ocean within the Great Atlantis Trench. There, Namor makes his monthly journey to the grotto wherein he kept Doom captive, only to this time learn that the dictator has escaped. The Sub-Mariner is knocked out and taken captive by Doctor Doom (Fantastic Five Vol. 2 #1).

 

Having imbued himself with the power cosmic, capturing members of the Fantastic Five and declaring himself Emperor of the Earth, Victor Von Doom continues his torture of Namor the Sub-Mariner (Fantastic Five Vol. 2 #4). When fellow captive Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic challenges Doctor Doom to a mind-duel via the Infinity Device which will send the loser’s mind to the Crossroads of Infinity, Namor warns Reed not to accept the challenge. After Reed and Victor are left apparently comatose, Namor attempts to relay what occurred and comfort Sue Richards aka the Invisible Woman (Fantastic Five Vol. 2 #5).

 

That is the last we see of Namor the Savage Sub-Mariner in the MC2. Who knows, maybe the on-screen attention for the character will mean we see a return of his MC2 counterpart…but I am not exactly hopeful. Still, stranger things have happened. Either way, I may compile all we know about the war with Doctor Doom someday, as it is one of the most interesting elements of the MC2’s history.

 

Until I grow a beard and ponytail as part of my depressive exile, I remain

 

frogoat