| Baron Blood | |
|---|---|
.png) John Falsworth as the original Baron Blood, as he appeared on the cover ofAll-New Captain America #6 (April 2015) that homages his debut. Art byStuart Immonen. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | (Falsworth) The Invaders #7 (July 1976) (Strange) Doctor Strange #10 (December 1989) (Crichton & Cromwell) (as Kenneth & Lilly) Captain America #253 (January 1981) (as Baron & Baroness Blood) Union Jack #2 (January 1998) |
| Created by | (Falsworth) Roy Thomas Frank Robbins (Strange) Roy Thomas Jackson Guice (Crichton & Cromwell) (as Kenneth & Lilly) Roger Stern John Byrne (as Baron & Baroness Blood) Ben Raab John Cassaday |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | John Falsworth Victor Strange Kenneth Crichton |
| Species | Vampire |
| Team affiliations | Super-Axis Hydra |
| Notable aliases | Falsworth: John Falsworth, Jr. Dr. Jacob Cromwell |
| Abilities | All: |
Baron Blood is the name of severalsupervillains appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The first incarnation of Baron Blood,John Falsworth, first appeared inThe Invaders #7 (July 1976), who has been part of the superheroCaptain America'srogues gallery sinceWorld War II. The second incarnation,Victor Strange, debuted inDoctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme vol. 3 #10 (December 1989). The third incarnation,Kenneth Crichton, made his first appearance inCaptain America #253 (October, 1980).
Created byRoy Thomas andFrank Robbins, the original incarnation first appeared inThe Invaders #7 (July 1976).[1] A second incarnation created by Thomas andJackson Guice appeared inDoctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme vol. 3 #10 (December 1989), and further incarnations, including a female version called Baroness Blood, were created byBen Raab andJohn Cassaday forUnion Jack #1-3 (December 1998 – February 1999), based on characters originally created byRoger Stern andJohn Byrne forCaptain America #253 (January 1981).
Roy Thomas andFrank Robbins featured the original Baron Blood, John Falsworth, inThe Invaders #7-9 (July – October 1976); in the story flashbacks show him being turned into a vampire byDracula on a trip to Transylvania and joining the German forces for World War I and World War II, while in the present day he stays at Falsworth Manor under the guise of his own son plotting to kill his niece,Jacqueline Falsworth, to get revenge against his elder brother,Lord Falsworth, until he is killed byCaptain America.[2]
Roger Stern andJohn Byrne gave Falsworth a false identity as Dr. Jacob Cromwell forCaptain America #253-254 (January – February 1981); in the story, which features the first appearance of his successors Kenneth Crichton and Lilly Cromwell, he is defeated and killed byCaptain America and the new Union JackJoey Chapman. Falsworth made a brief reappearance inTom DeFalco'sThe Avengers Annual #16 (1987); in the story he is one of a group of villains brought back from the dead to battle the Avengers.
Kenneth Crichton made a brief appearance inFabian Nicieza andKieron Dwyer's story "The Establishment" forMarvel Comics Presents #42 (February 1990); in a flashback to events following his debut appearance he is shown persuading his mother,Lady Jacqueline, to allow Joey Chapman to continue as Union Jack.Dan Slott and Rita Fagiani featured Crichton and his mother again in "Young Blood" forMarvel Comics Presents #89 (November 1991); in the story, he is kidnapped in an attempt to steal the secret of youth from the recently rejuvenated Lady Jacqueline. WhileRon Marz andRon Lim featured Falsworth in the World War II-era story "The Gift" forNamor the Sub-Mariner Annual #2 (1992); in the story Falsworth wins over the affections ofNamor's love interest.
Falsworth appears as a supporting character inNicholas Vince andMark Buckingham's four-issueMortigan Goth: Immortalis (September 1993 – October 1994) miniseries forMarvel UK; the story reveals in flashback that while staying at Falworth Manor during World War II under his original assumed identity, he turned the spurned lover of the titular anti-hero into a vampire.
Crichton and Cromwell appeared as supporting characters inBen Raab andJohn Cassaday's three-issueUnion Jack (December 1998 – February 1999) miniseries; in the story Crichton is seduced by Cromwell as Baroness Blood, transformed into the new Baron Blood, and ultimately left to die. While Falsworth appeared as the principal antagonist in Bill Rosemann and Vince Evans' World War II-eraSgt. Fury back-up story forCaptain America vol. 3 #20–21 (August – September 1999); in which he threatens to turn Fury and his team into vampires.
Cromwell appeared as the principal antagonist in Allan Jacobsen and C.P. Smith'sNew Invaders #4-5 (January – February 2005); in which in she traps Lady Jacqueline using an image of Crichton and feeds her blood to their newborn vampiric son, while Falsworth made a brief appearance inSteve Niles andRafael Garres's story "Self-Made Monster" forAmazing Fantasy #17 (March 2006); in which a flashback shows him taking revenge against biochemistMichael Morbius for polluting the vampire bloodline.
Mike Benson andPaul Grist featured Falsworth in the World War II flashback storyOperation: Tooth Fairy for the 70th Anniversary IssueCaptain America #616 (May 2011); in the story Captain America is temporarily turned into a vampire by Baron Blood.
John Falsworth first appears in the titleInvaders as anEnglisharistocrat. Although posing as the son of the first John Falsworth, it is revealed inflashback that the character is in fact the original, made possible due to the fact that he is now an agelessvampire.[3] When the family fortune is left to his older brother James, John Falsworth leaves England to pursue an interest of his - vampire lore. Falsworth travels toTransylvania and encounters the original vampire lordDracula, who, after overpowering Falsworth, drains hisblood and turns him into one of theundead.[4] Dracula then commands Falsworth to return to England and cause havoc in revenge for the deeds of his former opponentJonathan Harker. Adopting the alias of "Baron Blood" (German:Freiherr Blut), the character allies withGermany duringWorld War I and without either party realizing the identity of the other, battles his own brother, who is now the English heroUnion Jack.[5] Blood is wounded by Jack with a silver dagger, and flees to recover.[3]
The character reappears duringWorld War II in his false persona, and once again aidsGermany, withNazi technology helping him to reduce his susceptibility tosunlight (a major vampire weakness). As Blood, Falsworth attacks and wounds his niece, Jacqueline Falsworth, but is driven off by the androidHuman Torch. Almost dead due to blood loss, Jacqueline Falsworth is saved when given ablood transfusion by the Torch. The artificial blood causes the character to develop superhuman abilities, and she becomes the heroineSpitfire. Blood captures Spitfire and takes her to a cavern below Falsworth Manor, and cripples his brother by breaking his legs with a boulder. Blood is then impaled through the back and chest by a silver-laced stalactite.[3]
Baron Blood reappears whenJapanese soldiers sent by thespyLady Lotus find the cavern and attempt toresurrect the character. The soldiers are driven off by Union Jack II (James Falsworth's son, Brian) and Spitfire, although Blood is accidentally revived. Blood travels to theUnited States of America and, after a brief skirmish with the Invaders, joins theNazi team theSuper-Axis for a final battle with the heroes. Blood is killed once again when impaled on a stake thrown byNamor the Sub-Mariner.[6]
InCaptain America #253-254, a servant of Dracula, Dr. Jacob Cromwell, is sent to revive Blood, whose bones are stored in theTower of London. Although Cromwell is successful, Blood betrays and kills him and one of his daughters, turning the other one into a vampire (who later becomes Baroness Blood). Assuming Cromwell's identity, Blood commits a series of murders that arouse the suspicions of his now very elderly brother James. The older Falsworth requests the aid of Captain America, who withthe third version ofUnion Jack battles Blood. After being tricked into thinking that Union Jack III was his older brother James, Blood isdecapitated withCaptain America's shield. The character's body is burned to ashes, with the ashes scattered in the morning breeze.[7]
Baron Blood returns in theAvengers: Standoff! storyline as an inmate of Pleasant Hill, a gated community established by S.H.I.E.L.D.[8]
Baron Blood was seen at the Bar with No Name. He was having a drink withCount Nefaria.[9]
During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Baron Blood is recruited byHelmut Zemo to join the Army of Evil. Zemo found him inside a cave.[10] As part ofHydra's rise to power, Baron Blood assisted the Army of Evil in their attack on New York City.[11] Then he assisted the Army of Evil in their attack on Washington, D.C. to complete Hydra's conquest of the United States.[12]
During the "Blood Hunt" storyline, Baron Blood takes advantage of theDarkforce blocking out the Sun enough for a vampire invasion to occur. He and the vampires with him use a commandeeredHelicarrier to attack Captain America's Avengers with a Vortex beam. Revealing himself to Captain America, Baron Blood plans to have noble fascism started in North America before spreading it to the world.[13]
The storyline "TheBook of the Vishanti: Curse of the Darkhold" in the titleDoctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme features a second version of the character.[14] When a still-inexperienced Doctor Strange attempts to resurrect his dead brother Victor with a spell from the Book of the Vishanti, it revives him as a vampire. Given the costume and name of "Baron Blood" by avoodoo sorceress, Victor Strange attempts to control his bloodlust and become a costumedvigilante called "Khiron". He attempts to only prey on criminals,[15] and when criminals are not available, Victor utilizes his willing girlfriend, Morgana. However, his heroic impulses are used against him; Victor is preyed upon by Cagliostro, an ancient entity that needs vampire blood to live. Victor barely escapes this situation.[16] The bloodlust, however, forces the character to kill innocents and he eventually commitssuicide.[17]
During the "Blood Hunt" storyline, Victor Strange returns as aghost. Upon seeing Doctor Strange's vampire-converted body, he plans to make his entrance.[18] It was revealed that Victor's ghost resided in the Crypt of Shadows behind the mirrors of the Sanctum Sanctorum.Blade visited him with knowledge of Victor's history and introduced himself as a "friend". Victor later possessed Doctor Strange's body and foughtWong, where he overwhelmed Wong enough to retreat.[19]
The final version of Baron Blood features in theminiseriesUnion Jack. Kenneth Crichton, the son of Jacqueline Falsworth and a sufferer of the medical conditionanemia, is estranged from his family after refusing to adopt the identity of Union Jack, deeming his close friend Joey Chapman to be a better choice.[7] Crichton encounters Baroness Blood, who offers to cure his anemia. The character accepts and is turned into a vampire, becoming the third Baron Blood. Baroness Blood then directs Crichton to steal theHoly Grail from a museum and uses the artifact to become immune to all vampire weaknesses. The Baroness then betrays Crichton and her vampire servants, leaving them to die when exposed to sunlight.[20]
The first Baron Blood possessed all the powers of a vampire, including superhuman strength and durability;hypnotism and the ability to command bats, wolves, dogs, and rodents. Weaknesses included vulnerability tosunlight,garlic, andsilver; the presence of religious symbols; decapitation and a wooden stake through the heart.
Courtesy of Nazi science, Blood received treatment that allowed him activity in sunlight, at least for some length of time, although this also removed his shapeshifting abilities. His transformation into a vampire also activated a latent ability of self-levitation, which enabled Blood to fly without having to change into a bat.
An alternate universe variant of Kenneth Crichton / Baron Blood from Earth-3931 appears inExiles #31.[24]
An unidentified, original incarnation of Baron Blood from an unidentified universe appears inSpider-Gwen Annual #1. This version was a lover ofCaptain America during the 1940s.[25]
An alternate universe variant of Baron Blood makes a minor appearance inOld Man Logan #1.[26]
Baron Blood appears inMarvel Disk Wars: The Avengers, voiced byKazunari Tanaka in the original Japanese version andSteve Kramer in the English dub.[27]
Created byMarv Wolfman andGene Colan | |||||||||||
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