BFTB Backstory Project: Baron Ironblood

[momaw nadon]

But let's not get too bogged down in comparing the separate universes. It's only a stones throw away from arguing about which one is better, and then the whole thing will just collapse.

Sorry Baron, you are right about that. We need to stick to the topic at hand.

Anyone have any new ideas to add to Ironblood?

momaw nadon

[Red Laser]

Maybe the Bruce Wayne world travel approach prior to being Batman. Kassel was a bored european aristocrat with an inheritance and a sadistic nature and large egomania. He uses his fortune to be trained in armed combat, meditation which could lead to studying hypnotism and the need to be in control of everything. Also learns tactics and strategy maybe as a merc or conscripted soldier finds himself in charge of a contingent that will later become the Red Shadows. Perhaps former Nazis in South America could have tutored him and inspired the uniform.

[The Baron]

I see the hypnotism as being a technological ability rather than a mystic one. I think he's rooted in science, what with the cloning, robotics, lasers and brainwashing.

[The Baron]

I don't know about the soldier bit either. We have a contradiction in comic continuity here. In "Operation Ironblood" he's pretty useless in combat, whereas in "Hawk's Challenge" he's hard as nails.

[fuzzchile]

I'll be featuring Lt Kassells and The Barons Brigade in new script I'm cooking up (a little back story within a bigger story I'm working on which connects up a character from the Battle Universe and the AF universe ) I'll do a few sketches in a few days and post them in fan art When I read about that Kassells was involved in Korean War and saw the words "Barons Brigade" I got a Darkies Mob in Korea vibe ..would be a cool era to explore within a comic strip
Red Banshees first featured in my fan fic script"First Blood" you can also find my design sketches of her and her motorcycle in fanart section Momaw Nadon, although not much backstory on her in first episode (I'll be coming back to that original story someday ) but right now like to concentrate on era one Action Force going up against the Shads for my Red Dusk comic

[Chopper]

I really think trying to incorporate the Joeverse into the AFverse is a nightmare. Not every one will be happy about the result as too many contradictions will have to exist, all of which will destroy childhood memories which I think are more sacred than the stories themselves. It'd be far easier to incorporate BAF and MAF. Where the only real shortcoming is the bio's. Half match BAF the others don't. International operatives can explain away all that tho.

As for Jackal being left behind, it happens. The mission comes first, especially when dealing with special forces. I still don't see Marvel Joes being better than BAF but that's a war that can never be won, like musical taste. I don't think that the BAF writers were allowed to kill off major characters but they did a great job of creating believable red shirts that were easy to get attached to. Killing of major characters was something Battle readers were used to and TBH as a kid I was aware they never died, but never concerned myself because I knew it was fantasy.

Fully agree on the rooted in science thing too, Baron. You never really knew if he was a soldier or a coward in BAF as he did duck for cover in some stories the go Rambo in the next. Maybe he IS schitzo.

[momaw nadon]

I really think trying to incorporate the Joeverse into the AFverse is a nightmare. Not every one will be happy about the result as too many contradictions will have to exist, all of which will destroy childhood memories which I think are more sacred than the stories themselves. It'd be far easier to incorporate BAF and MAF. Where the only real shortcoming is the bio's. Half match BAF the others don't. International operatives can explain away all that tho.

I hear you guys, and feel for you all that Hasbro is playing around with them. I see Baron changed his avatar, as I read what he was saying on Yo Joe and I understood what he was saying. Some of those guys don't like to listen to reason though. I found a mistake and reported it and it's still not fix and I don't think it will. I think if anything the stories and memories of Action Force will be stepped on many times now that Hasbro has sunk it's meat hooks into it. I just hope for all your guys sakes that it stay just a club thing.

Fully agree on the rooted in science thing too, Baron. You never really knew if he was a soldier or a coward in BAF as he did duck for cover in some stories the go Rambo in the next. Maybe he IS schitzo.

I would have to agree too. Everything I have read other than "The File on the Baron" points to him not being a soldier of any kind. I think if he does have any training like that, it would have to be back waters stuff in the shadows, like the learning piracy from real pirates and stuff like that.

momaw nadon

[The Baron]

There's room to manoeuvre here then. It's the final scene in Hawk's Challenge which is the standout, even Blades is surprised at how vehemently the Baron fights. There are also a few covers with him firing a gun, now I think of it. COuld it be he actually has a distaste for violence, or something?

Just thought, we see a whole other side of the Baron in Codename Kraken, where he disguises himself as a Shad.

Regarding the 2010 Shads, I'm just so relieved they were so faithful to the original designs, it could have been a disaster, not just as a fan, but also by sealing the coffin as far as Joe fans are concerned. They did us proud, truth be told.

Thanks for your support on the Yojoe debacle, momaw. It really is a farce.

[Chopper]

What happened over at Yo Joe? Missed that completely. Did someone take it all too seriously?

I don't think he has an issue with violence, Kraken is a great example of how bloody nasty he can be. Dunno why I forgot that.

[fuzzchile]

The Baron's an officer class Oxbridge type of guy ,kind of a cad ,(A real standard Character if you read Victor or Warlord - two old school British Comics from 1970's ) when it suits him cowardice serves as a good survival skill when it plays to his advantage , really to compare him to a character would be Captain Snell from Charleys War except with ideas of world domination , he'd let his own troops die for his legacy , he'd fight like a tiger for his own survival , I tend to forget about Cobra most of the time there's two universes there IPC/ Fleetway and Marvel they will never connect - two different mindsets (Love both though but been bought up by IPC comics I go with there stories b4 the more widely known Marvel stories )I'd have to travel back in the day(about 84) to Denmark Street to get a glimpse of GI Joe(It would be by accident ) same as a sneak preview of what was happening in Star Wars comics they were about 3 or 4 monthes ahead of us .. GiI Joe had no idea there was a Action Force connection till I saw a tv show all about the history of Television that was screened in the mid 80's within that show it showed Zartan and the Dreadnoks or whatever they were called I wondered if there was a Action Force cartoon recognising Zart .. we never got it (glad we didn't coz when I did see it was stupid in comparison to the work in comic ....couldn't get When I heard "Full Force" couldn't get Reagan out of my head lol can't say that about Transformers though that worked well as a cartoon and a comic .. better than those movies look forward to war on cybertron looks kickass ..
Baron is a Warrior loves his old school warriors(Seeing as he has a gallery of them on his submarine in the Black Major story) but sees himself as a architect of destruction therefore he will be protective of himself as he knows and values his own genius . hope that makes sense ...