Castle Doom. Doomstadt, Latveria
The castle, located on a mountain top in the city formerly known as Hassenstadt, dates back over one hundred years when Count Sabbat first oversaw its construction. It served as the nation's capital until Cynthia von Doom, under a demonic influence, devastated the city's child population. The royal family then relocated to another castle, taking with it all the treasures and artifacts of the country. Fearing that the city surrounding the castle was now haunted, it too was also abandoned. Years later, after Victor von Doom's overthrow of King Vladimir, he returned to Hassenstadt and made the castle his capital and renamed the city Doomstadt. As his base of operations, he used the castle to launch numerous attacks upon his enemies. He also built within the castle a highly advanced laboratory for his experiments. It was here that he built such creations as the Doomsman as well as his many legions of Doombots.
The original castle, built on a fault line, was destroyed by Doom himself via an induced earthquake. The quake was meant to decimate resistance forces led by Prince Rudolfo of Hassen, heir to the Latverian throne. With the revolt quelled, plans were instantly put into motion to rebuild the castle at its original location. A new castle built to Doom's exact specifications was completed in a short period of time. This second incarnation of Castle Doom was a vast improvement over the original. Housing various death traps, Doom lured many enemies to his castle in order to allow his deadly devices to do his work for him. The laboratories were expanded along with the addition of a massive hanger bay. To add a cultural aspect to his home, Doom also returned Latveria's various treasures to the castle, absent since the original castle was abandoned years ago. The presence of these treasures proved to be the castles saving grace on a number of occasions. Notably, Doom ceased his battle with the Fantastic Four after one of his own scientist's nearly destroyed a priceless work of art. Later, a brainwashed Shala-Bal convinced the Fantastic Four, the Silver Surfer, and Doom, to cease their battle lest the artifacts be destroyed by their mayhem.
This second castle was destroyed during a period in which Doom was believed to have died in the battle against Onslaught. The mutant known as Stryfe, attempting to take Latveria for himself, landed his pyramid vessel atop the castle which toppled it. Ultimately Stryfe was defeated and apparently a third castle was erected. It is not known who ordered its construction or when or by whom. However Spider-Man visited Latveria shortly after this event and the country was under control of a malfunctioning Doombot, its possible this Doombot oversaw its construction.
The third castle was ironically also destroyed during a period in which Doom was believed dead and again it was destroyed by an earthquake. On this occasion the quake was induced by SHIELD agent Daisy Johnson on a mission to prevent then Prime Minister Lucia von Bardas from executing a terrorist attack on the United States. A fourth castle seems to have been hastily constructed, however it is unclear if it was built according to any of Doom's designs as he was not in power at the time. Who constructed it and under whose orders is also as yet unrevealed. Recently the Avengers and SHIELD attacked Latveria in retaliation for Doom's alleged biological attack on New York. The castle was devastated and Doom was taken into custody. Following the Skrull "Secret Invasion" Norman Osborn used his position as director of H.A.M.M.E.R to free Doom from custody. Upon his return (or at least after defeating an angry Morganna Le Fey) Doom used some unknown technology (possibly a time cube?) to restore the castle instantly.
For information on Castle Doom, be sure to visit it's entry at the Latverian Embassy!
Appearances:
Fantastic Four Annual #2 - First appearance
Astonishing Tales #3 - First castle destroyed
X-Man #46 - Second castle destroyed
Amazing Spider-Man / Peter Parker Spider-Man #15 - First appearance of
third castle
Secret War #5 - Third castle destroyed
Mighty Avengers #9-11 - Avengers and SHIELD attack Castle Doom
Dark Avengers #4 - Doom restores castle
Twickenham Estate. Sussex, England
Among Doom's international properties is the Twickenham Estate. Bought in 1966, Doom outbid an Arab company for the medieval English castle. Doom used the castle to set the stage for one of his many contests against the Prime-Mover. Using Shang-Chi and many of his associates and villains as living chess pieces, Doom deceived the master of Kung-Fu in a long game of illusion and deception.
Appearances:
Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu # 60
Castle Doom. Adirondack Mountains, New York State
One of Doom's most frequented bases is his castle in the Adirondack Mountains in the American state of New York. It was from this castle that Doom launched his first attack upon the Fantastic Four. As is his custom, Doom adapted into the castle a personal laboratory. In it he constructed a time platform with which he made several excursions into time, notably back into the Second World War where he inadvertently brought forward Baron von Strucker. After his first encounter with the Fantastic Four, this castle's time platform was removed by Reed Richards. It was subsequently reinstalled and been used by the Avenger Scarlet Witch as well as Spider-Man. For a brief time, the mutant Toad took the castle for himself to be the base for his new career as an assassin. His plan was to lure to the castle victims he was hired to eliminate. However shortly after capturing both the Thing and the X-Man Angel, Toad received news from his underworld financiers that he must pay back his loan immediately, something he was unable to do. Feeling sorry for Toad, Angel offered to pay off his debt if Toad would operate the castle as a amusement park. With some money from Angel's considerable fortune, Toad reopened the castle as "Toadland." At some point Doom reclaimed the castle and converted it back to its previous state. This castle is infamous for housing Liddleville, a micro-sized city populated by same scale androids. The city was originally conceived as the permanent home / prison for the Fantastic Four and Alicia Masters as part of a joint plot between the Puppet Master and Doctor Doom. Later, the city was moved [or a replica created] to Latveria and used as a penal facility to house enemies which Doom deemed too dangerous for a normal prison, among them Dimitri Fortunov, the grandson of King Vladimir. The castle also served as a reception area for Doom's private social meetings such as with Silver Sable.
Appearances:
Fantastic Four #5 vol.1 - First Appearance
Marvel Team-Up 41 - 44 - Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man travel back in time
using the castle's Time Platform
Marvel Two-In-One #68 - Castle is turned into Toadland
Fantastic Four #236 vol.1 - Liddleville
Micronauts #41 - Micronauts visit Liddleville
Fantastic Four #246 vol.1 - Doom escapes Liddleville
Marvel Universe #2 - Doom returns from WWII
X-Force #63 vol.1 - Relocation of / second Liddleville
revealed
Sable and Fortune #3 - Sable reveals that she has had
dinner with Doom at
this castle