Cynthia Von Doom

Cynthia Von Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is the mother of Doctor Doom.

Publication history

Cynthia Von Doom first appeared in Astonishing Tales #8 and was created by Gerry Conway, Gene Colan, and Tom Palmer.

Fictional character biography

Cynthia Von Doom was a sorceress in Zafiro, a group of Romani that reside in Latveria.^[1]

When it came to learning sorcery, Cynthia Von Doom was trained by a Latverian mystic who would later use the alias of "Dizzy the Hun."^[2]

Cynthia Von Doom later got married to Werner von Doom where Torval of the Zafiro played the fiddle.^[3]

Cynthia was later imprisoned in the tower by the Baron (the future King Vladimir). She had an encounter with a prisoner named Lucas Cross whom Cynthia recognized as being dangerous since the prison was overrun by vampires. Some decades later in the future, Doctor Doom (upon learning of his mother's history) sent Blade back in time to free her. Even when he frees her with the help of Lucas Cross, they work together to fight off a group of vampires. Afterwards, Cynthia made her escape.

Cynthia and Werner later gave birth to Victor Von Doom.^[1]

For a time, Cynthia led the Zafiro with a blend of power and compassion.^[4]

One midsummer evening, Cynthia cast a spell which summoned Mephisto. She made a deal with him in exchange for the power to give her people a deserving homeland unaware of what the pact with Mephisto would bring. She stormed into the Baron's castle telling the guards that the Baron has till sunrise to repay the people who he had committed crimes against or she will level the entire castle. When one of the guards mocked her about that, she fired an energy bolt at him with the other guards dying as well. Cynthia realized that she had no control over this magic. Cynthia was then wounded by a dying guardsman and fled into the woods. Werner later found her body and she told him what happened before she died. Werner buried her body in an unmarked grave.^[5]

Dizzy the Hun later spoke her eulogy.^[2]

At Cynthia's funeral, Boris and the other gypsies told Werner to take Victor and flee before the Baron found out what happened.^[6]

Werner led the Zafiro to flee before the dawn. Werner tried to drop Cynthia's Trunk of Arcane into the river, but it reappeared in his wagon three nights later.^[5]

Due to her dying unconfessed, Cynthia was cursed to an eternity of damnation.^[4]

Over the years, Werner tried to destroy Cynthia's trunk through various ways, but it could not be destroyed. He gave up and tried to lose Cynthia's trunk among his meager belongings.^[5]

At some point, the young Victor Von Doom discovered his mother's trunk filled with potions and strange scientific secrets thus spawning his interest in the arcane. While attending Empire State University, Victor invented the "Necrophone" and used it to contact his mother. His spirit saw that his mother was being tortured by Mephisto before being brought back to Earth where the machine exploded scarring Victor's face and getting him expelled from the University.^[1]

Doctor Doom used magic to summon Mephisto and agreed to duel him in exchange for his mother's soul.^[7]

Every midsummer evening, Doctor Doom would cast a spell calling up demons (even the worst king) and duelling them in a duel that he lost. His latest duel was with Kagrok the Killer. Though they fought to a standstill, Doctor Doom was defeated anyway.^[8]

Doctor Doom allied with Morgan le Fay to gain magic powers in order to help free his mother.^[4]

On one midsummer evening, Doctor Doom sent his Swarmbots to abduct Franklin Richards from Four Freedoms Plaza and bring him to Latveria. Doctor Doom then summoned Mephisto and offered to trade Franklin Richards in exchange for his mother's soul. The meeting was interrupted by Kristoff Vernard who convinced the Doombots that he was the real Doctor Doom. Mephisto managed to take Franklin Richards anyway. At that point, Franklin Richards' powers surfaced and he threatened to destroy Mephisto. Mephisto couldn't handle Franklin and banished him back to Earth. From a distance, someone that might be Cynthia was shown watching Franklin's encounter with Mephisto.^[9]

Having taken second place in the Aged Genghis/Vishanti contest, Doctor Doom was given a prize to make a boon with Doctor Strange. He made a request to Doctor Strange to take him to Hell to confront Mephisto and his legions. Doctor Doom appeared to have double-crossed Doctor Strange to offer him to Mephisto in exchange for his mother's soul. After Doctor Strange was in Mephisto's clutches, Cynthia's body was recreated by Mephisto and Cynthia learned of what Doctor Doom had to bargain with causing the body to return to a statuesque state. Mephisto appeared to have the souls of Cynthia, Doctor Doom, and Doctor Strange until a device that Doctor Doom brought shattered Mephisto's crystal freeing Doctor Strange. The three of them attacked Mephisto who mocked their attacks and unleashed energy that would be enough to destroy them. Doctor Strange shielded Cynthia from the effigy. Doctor Strange then allowed Mephisto's attack to destroy it. Having refused to leave Hell under Doctor Doom's pact, Cynthia began to go through redemption enough to purify her soul. Mephisto couldn't tolerate Cynthia's now-pure soul and allowed her to ascend to a higher plane. Mephisto then allowed Doctor Doom and Doctor Strange to return to Earth.^[5]

When Doctor Doom decided to take on the mantle of Iron Man, Cynthia von Doom watched him do that through her cauldron.^[10]

Powers and abilities

Cynthia Von Doom had magic-based abilities such as a good knowledge for spells which allowed her to contact demons and make a deal with them for power.

In other media

• Cynthia Von Doom appears in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "Mother of Doom", voiced by Charlie Adler. This version is shown in a female version of Doctor Doom's armor and was shown as a prison in Chthon's dimension. She is also shown to have nagging-related powers rather than mystical powers. After Doctor Doom conquers Chthon's dimension, he frees his mother who changed her first name to Coco (as Cynthia was too "drab"). While Doctor Doom attends to some business, he instructs Abomination and MODOK to monitor his mother and tends to her. While she is out in Super Hero City with Abomination and MODOK, she uses her nagging abilities on the Hulk, who is unable to attack a female. When the Super Hero Squad members that are not in Chthon's dimension arrive, Hulk manages to strike back. Doctor Doom's deal with Chthon has Coco withdrawn into Chthon's dimension. She is seen playing cards with Galactus' mother and an elderly version of Morgan le Fay. Coco Von Doom tells them that she has found another way to contact her son. After receiving many invites from his mother on MaskFace, Doctor Doom comments that his mother is "evil". The character later appears in "Pedicure and Facial of Doom" where she uses Chthon to help turn Castle Doom into a spa that has Doombots as it's staff by the time Doctor Doom, MODOK, and Abomination returned. The Super Hero Squad were able to defeat Coco Von Doom and Chthon who are remanded to S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, but Doctor Doom, MODOK, and Abomination escaped.

References

External links

• Cynthia Von Doom at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe