As Captain America, Steve Rogers has fought a number of evil-doers over the years. Many of them seemingly perished, only to reemerge years later. Such is the case with one villain, who revealed himself in the climax of The Avengers #14.
Written by Jed MacKay, with art by Carlos Fabian Villa, The Avengers #14 ties into Marvel Comics‘ summer event, Blood Hunt. With the current Avengers team sidelined by a coordinated attack by Earth’s vampires, Captain America puts out a call to the team’s reservists. The Kate Bishop Hawkeye, Hazmat, Quicksilver, and Hercules answer the call to action.
The ad hoc Avengers quickly identify two groups within the vampires. While most of them appear to be acting randomly, there is one organized element among them. These vampires are quickly identified as Nazis, based on their distinctive uniforms. They are revealed to be under the command of Captain America’s old enemy Baron Blood.
(Image Source: Marvel / Carlos Fabian Villa)
Baron Blood first appeared in 1976’s The Invaders #7. His creation was facilitated by the first major revision of the Comics Code Authority. This allowed mythological monsters, like vampires, to appear in superhero comics for the first time in decades.
Born John Falsworth, Baron Blood was originally an English aristocrat, who had an interest in vampiric lore. He traveled to Transylvania, where he encountered Dracula and was transformed into a vampire. It was under his command that Baron Blood returned to England, under orders to create havoc. It was here he fought the hero Union Jack, not knowing he was his brother, James Montgomery Falsworth.
Baron Blood eventually came to ally himself with Germany, during World War I then World War II. It was here that he fought Captain America and the original Human Torch. He was seemingly destroyed after being impaled on a stake thrown by Namor. This was only the first of many occasions in which Baron Blood seemingly died, only to return again.
Avengers #14 is now available in comic shops everywhere.