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Underground > Comic Books >

Weapons of mass destruction found in Latveria?

Brigade du jour

20:09 / 13.02.03

More worrying news from the International Herald Tribune:

President George W Bush has accused the tiny Eastern European nation of Latveria of harbouring the technology to produce nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

UN inspectors were ejected from the capital by President Victor von Doom's personal imperial guard troops some months ago, yet with US foreign policy concentrating on Iraq, Iran and North Korea as Bush's very own 'axis of evil', the emphasis has shifted away from this 'rogue state' and its allegedly despotic ruler. The implications of this accusation leave the US's already strained relationship with the EU in even worse strife. Particularly as Latveria recently made formal diplomatic overtures towards possible EU membership.

President von Doom has been regarded as a threat to global security on the numerous occasions he has attempted to take over the world, but even prominent US scientist and inventor Dr Reed Richards, who has known the dictator personally since college, has claimed that the danger he poses is now negligible. "Leopards can change their spots you know" he glibly remarked.

So what do we think, people? Yet more imperial ambition from baby Bush, or does Latveria pose a genuine threat?

20:25 / 13.02.03

What are the Shi'ar saying about it?

Brigade du jour

20:43 / 13.02.03

Not sure. US Ambassador to the Sh'iar Empire Professor Charles Xavier has been in close talks with their top officials but no statement is expected until tomorrow at the earliest.

The Photographer in Blowup

20:45 / 13.02.03

You shouldn't joke about important stuff, Felicia.

If Latveria isn't disarmed now it might threaten the Balkan country of Transia in the future - didn't you guys learn anything with the Middle Eastern country of Qurac?

21:05 / 13.02.03

I don't think the world can handle another Genosha level tragedy.

Brigade du jour

21:36 / 13.02.03

Well come on guys, there's no need to panic yet. Kofi Annan has poured oil on troubled waters with a plea for easing of the sanctions. After all, I hear tell that Doom hasn't built any robot guards in a while.

00:45 / 14.02.03

Huh, I heard on the underground that the Shiar broke all relatins with humans after some mess at Xavier's school. But Atlantis, that's another matter.

02:37 / 14.02.03

I hear Wakanda have announced a shaky pseudo-alliance with Latveria.

The Photographer in Blowup

12:27 / 14.02.03

Oh no, what if the levels of vibranium start to decrease because of that alliance? Will the Americans attack Wakanda then?

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

12:56 / 14.02.03

I wouldn't sweat a Wakanda/Latveria alliance. Ever since their internal conflicts late last year, Wakanda has been aimless, as if their king himself was wandering the streets of New York shaking down common drug dealers.

Qurac is the real danger here.

13:33 / 14.02.03

Well, vibranium's certainly a valuable resource...

I wonder if Bush might be aiming for it?

The People's Republic of Bastrona have, unsurprisingly, announced their support for Latveria. Something about an orphan child...

18:42 / 14.02.03

It's typical of the Americans to concentrate on the leader of an antiquated nation-state, rather than the very real, transnational menace of terrorist groups like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and the U-Men.

When will they learn?

Matthew Fluxington

18:59 / 14.02.03

I don't think the Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants or any of their offshoot groups are capable of very much since the death of Magneto and the disappearance of Raven "Mystique" Darkholme. They may be able to pull off some small scale terrorist activities, but nothing on the scale of what President von Doom is capable of.

Have the U.N. fully investigated what is happening in The Savage Land? Why is it that after all of these years, the Savage Land is allowed to remain a refuge for world-class super terrorists?

19:14 / 14.02.03

Frankly, I'm worried about the real wild card in all of this: Atlantis. Remember the Atlantean invasion of New York a few years ago? Those of us who lived there at the time will never forget: we never could get the smell of fish out of the sofa, and eventually had to throw it out.

Brigade du jour

20:31 / 14.02.03

Well I think we're getting a bit carried away with all these geographical references - perhaps velvetvandal has it right in pointing out the transnational terrorist menace. I mean, I've got nothing against mutants per se obviously, but you can't help wondering when so many of them want to take over the world.

On the other hand, Magneto may have been a little rough, but I think his intentions were genuinely positive, whereas if you ask me Doom's a thug.

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

22:00 / 14.02.03

What about the wild cards of the wild cards? Freelancers like Mole Man. I've heard rumors that he's amassed an entire army UNDERGROUND, beneath the surface of the Earth. How can we defend ourselves from those sorts of attacks? Plug up the sewers? Pour cement over every inch of the planet? Those are the things I worry about. Wait...there's a sudden tingling in my forebrain. I don't really feel like worrying about anything anymore. I'm sure everything will turn out just fine.

22:09 / 14.02.03

From what I understand it's actually the Lloigor who are habouring weapons of mass destruction. In fact, now I think about it, they are weapons of mass destruction.

22:14 / 14.02.03

Oh... we'll take care of them like we did with those... what'yacall'em... Inhumans... Yeah, we bombed them of the face of the earth... No worries.

Brigade du jour

01:44 / 15.02.03

You know, it's that kind of attitude that cost us diplomatic relations with the Skrulls. They used to be the West's best friends before the FF got involved.

In fact, if you'll forgive the digression, I think Reed Richards has an ulterior motive of maintaining an aura of global insecurity so his more bombastic inventions are assured of government funding ...

09:47 / 15.02.03

That's simplistic conspiracy theory talk, Felicia. Reed Richards is a scientist, not a politician.

Although I agree that the menace of the Mole Man will have to be dealt with in time, preferably through peaceful means rather than the gung-ho tactics of old school so-called super-heroism, I don't think he represents an immediate problem. The disturbing reports I hear about the unfolding X-Mansion Hostage Crisis, however, are a timely reminder that despite the death of Magneto, we still have much to fear from Mutant Fundamentalism.

Deport Quentin Quire now, that's what I say, before he spreads his evil brand of hatred to our normal human children.

Brigade du jour

03:53 / 16.02.03

We're all politicians, baby. And Reed Richards is definitely oleaginous enough to consider it as a second career.

21:06 / 17.02.03

REED RICHARDS for President???

I'd vote for that...

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

22:01 / 17.02.03

I've heard conflicting reports about that Hostage Crisis, Velvet. It's been very difficult to get a straight news story out of the situation. Most coverage has been of the decidedly fluffy variety for some reason. I've been trying to track down some weblogs and livejournals by some of the students at the institute as I've heard those are a bit more accurate as to what's really going on out there. Keep an eye out.

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

22:32 / 17.02.03

Whoa, stroke of fucking luck. I've been lurking around the Baxter Building message boards (a bunch of folks keeping an eye on superheroics and such) and ran into this kid. I've agreed to host his blog. Looks pretty promising. Now we can finally get some authentic fucking information!

http://www.benjaminbirdie.com/xiblog.html

He's not sure when he'll be able to get to the computer lab again with about being smelted by scalding hot wax, but he told me to tell you guys to feel free to email him (Professor X has equipped all of the students with Blackberry email readers apparently. Ah to be rich and telepathic.). He's awfully lonely.

00:01 / 18.02.03

"You know, I'm finding the Bugle's posture on this whole problem telling.

Even arch anti-costume and conservative values publisher J. Jonah Jameson is anti-invasion. For a country under the hand of so-called despot (life expetancy, literacy and albeit, agrarian, quality of life outmatch the US' record, I'd point out) and occasional 'costume-wearing freak' Victor von Doom, that's surprising but not unwelcome.

Though there are rumours afoot of a (superpowered, no less!) girl formerly under Jameson's custody being kidnapped and, presumably, used as ransom to assure this stance, I'd write these off as too ludicrous to be given the remotest credit," - says superstar mutant and occasional pamphleteer Miles Alfred in his short piece, 'Baudrillard's camera: the media and war' for Time magazine, accompanying the cover article.

17:29 / 23.02.03

I just read that Symkaria has joined France, Germany, Russia and China in urging a peaceful resolution to this crisis.

Though that's hardly surprising, as Symkaria has traditionally been one of Latveria's largest weapons suppliers, according to invoices dating from 1985 to the present.

21:20 / 23.02.03

Here are some nice maps, for anyone 'not in the know'.

01:35 / 24.02.03

A recent Gallup poll shows that the majority of the American people support U.S. involvement only with the cooperation of international organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D.

02:22 / 24.02.03

[geeking right out] I'm never too sure whether S.H.I.E.L.D. are US or UN-mandated. Of course, as former Commander Nick Fury might once have had it: 'What's the difference?'

Where do the UN-mandated Avengers stand? What does Captain America, once lauded as a presidential candidate himself, think?

Eh?

Brigade du jour

22:02 / 24.02.03

Cap's sitting on the fence. He's getting a bit too indecisive for my liking. I reckon all those decades with a frozen brain have taken all the political ire out of him. Thank god Namor got to him when he did.

Mind you, Cap's antipathy towards Doom, at least on a personal level, is well documented. Goes back at least as far as the Secret Wars.

02:03 / 25.02.03

Huh? what secret wars? (wink)

Brigade du jour

03:36 / 25.02.03

All right, I admit it, I admit it, I'm a disgraced former SHIELD agent, happy now? Jesus ...

Btw, Nick Fury's an arsehole, I don't care what his official biography says.

15:30 / 25.02.03

Still, you'd not say that to his face.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

16:49 / 25.02.03

So-called "Secret Wars"? Christ, that's the kind of paranoia-fuelled conspiracy nonsense we need to be avoiding at a time like this.

The whole thing was faked . Faked, I tell you.

Brigade du jour

20:51 / 25.02.03

Oh come on Staotie, what about that costume Spider-Man brought back? Lycra doesn't jump off the back of your chair and go gallavanting around the city of its own accord, I don't care how much starch you put in it.

But let's get back to the thread eh, people? I think the finger-pointing at Latveria is just another example of the imperial instincts of the economically dominant hegemony getting out of hand, and Victor von Doom is just looking out for his people's interests. Call me an appeaser if you like, that's my opinion.