I, Victor Von Doom, was introduced by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as the arch enemy of the Fantastic Four, and one of the smartest men...no, the unquestioned smartest man on Earth. I was born in a Romani family in the nation of Latveria, as the son of a witch and a herbalist. When my beloved mother, Cynthia, was killed by demons (which she herself summoned to fight Latverian soldiers), I promised revenge, and the death of my father because of a Latverian tyrant only fueled my desire. I began to master both magic and technology, and when my fame reached the United States, I gained the opportunity to study in America. There I met Reed Richards, one of the few men on the planet whose intelligence can even approach my own (and then not by much, I can assure you). Wishing to resurrect my dead mother, I manipulated the fool into helping me construct a portal to hell; however, whether due to Reed's incompetence or intentional sabotage on his part out of jealousy for my genius (perhaps both), the device exploded and damaged my face. I rightfully blamed Richards for the accident and withdrew from society for some time.