WELCOME TO DREAMWIDTH, HERO...

[The video shows Doom, in the center of the UN General Assembly Room. The room is filled with rather frightened looking representatives seated all around, at their various stations. It appears that his comm has been linked into whatever video equipment is normally in the assembly.]

Representatives, the nation of Latveria thanks you for your patience with these preceedings, and I am pleased that we seem to have come to an agreement at long last.

[A man toward the back of the assembly yells something dissenting and is promptly subdued by a Doombot. It's not specifically shown, but the metallic clanking involved implies little else.]

Now to the purpose of this meeting.

As of one hour ago, Latveria has been formally inducted into the United Nations, in accordance with subparagraph six of the UN Charter. All serious inquiries regarding the validity of this induction have been answered and resolved, and we of Latveria, and more importantly, we of the UN are satisfied with the outcome. I, Victor von Doom, will be acting as representative of Latveria until such time as another qualified official can be appointed.

Since Latveria is at a geographical disadvantage in this plane, the United States representative has been so kind as to offer the UN building and surrounding area as a Latverian annex until our proper land can be successfully reappropriated. To the representatives of Romania, Belgium, and Hungary, respectively, our next step on this glorious new path rests in your hands. Doom, and the people of Latveria, have the utmost hope that we can arrive at a satisfactory settlement quickly.

Once again, thank you for patience and your service to your great nations.

[And with that the feed ends. The broadcast has been relayed to the various news stations around the City as well, so expect there to be broadcasts, rebroadcasts, and the devastatingly good-looking anchor crew going nuts for the next few hours.]

This week has been illuminating in many of my pursuits.

It may interest some of you to know that the Skrull body which was discovered by one of my Doombots is, in fact, a fraud. It was bewitched thoroughly, to the point of being indiscernible from the actual Skrull that Namor found except through magical means of investigation.

There are few creatures here I would think powerful enough to so convincingly enchant something, especially against my magics. Rest assured, Doom will not rest until they have been found. Until then, I would advise that the rest of you be wary of those around you who have show proficiency in the mystic arts.

[There's a pause as he shuffles something on his lab table.]

Redbird, an update would be appreciated.

[Private to Ghost]
You wished the cadaver.

[Private to Namor]
The week has been eventful for you as well, old friend.

[Private to Sue Storm]
Remind me again of your field of study, Doctor Storm.

[Doom is in his lab (aka his room at the MAC). When the comm clicks on there's the sound of a soldering iron in the background. It hisses twice more and you can almost hear the sparks flying before the sound suddenly vanishes. When he speaks his voice is heavy and tired, though it's pretty obvious he's trying to hide that last fact. His tone is academic, as though he's giving a lecture to some very dimwitted college freshmen.]

Space travel offers several challenges to the design of a typical vessel. Instead of a game of aerodynamics, it rather becomes a struggle to build something not so fragile that it will disintegrate before breaching the atmosphere, but not entirely lacking in aerodynamics that it will have a chance to make it there. Speed is, of course, necessary, though for reasons dissimilar to what one might imagine. Speed again becomes a factor in breaking through that ever-frustrating barrier, the atmosphere, but means of propulsion vary when one lands in the vastness of space. Scientists and science-fiction writers alike have fantasized and theorized about the future of space travel and the means to achieve it, but thus far it has remained a goal, ever lofty an unattainable due to reasons both political and economic.

My country had a budding space program. How convenient its resources would be now.

[He shifts, the sound of armor clanking is audible. After a second, the feed switches over to video. In one gauntlet and glove-covered hand, Victor is holding what appears (to the educated viewer anyway) to be the inner workings of a robotic brain.]

Additionally, the dynamics of space travel, the very physics of being in outer space for long periods of time, offer new challenges regarding mechanics, robotics and our conventional knowledge thereof.

[Now his tone switches again, becoming a more direct address, as opposed to the lofty, almost professor-like quality it had before.]

This is one of my creations. I believe it is fitted to survive the journey through the Earth's atmosphere. If anyone has a recently space-fitted vessel they would like to test, I will be offering it up to use as a guinea pig. I assure you, it takes much better notes than would a chimpanzee.

[And with that, the feed cuts.]