Baroness (G.I. Joe)

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Baroness (top) from G.I. Joe Reloaded. Art by Adi Granov.

Baroness is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe series.

Baroness serves as the COBRA Organization's intelligence officer and lieutenant to Cobra Commander. With long black hair, black rimmed glasses, and a black leather jumpsuit, Baroness is a dark, sensual femme fatale whose beauty is matched only by her ruthlessness.

In both comic and cartoon incarnations, she has romantic relationships with Destro.

The character was not part of the first series of action figures released when G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero was released in 1982. She actually first appeared in the very first issue of the G.I. Joe comics series published by Marvel Comics circa 1982 and is in fact the first character to crossover from the comics and into the animated series and finally into the toyline. She made her debut as an action figure only in the 1984 series.

1 Comic
2 Cartoon
- 2.1 A Real American Hero
- 2.2 Sigma 6
3 External links

[edit] Comic

Baroness was born to wealthy, aristocratic parents. The specific country of her origin is unknown, though her thick accent leads one to believe she is Russian. Her name has since been revealed as Anastasia DeCobray. She is a very high ranking member of Cobra, who has been involved with its activities since the first issue of the comic. Due to her position, she is apparently one of very few people to have seen Cobra Commander's true face.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

While still a teenage girl, she travelled with her brother, Eugen, to Third World countries to help people and bring charity and relief goods. Eugen was betrayed and killed by his associates in a deal intended to bring medical supplies to war-torn Vietnam. A pre-G.I. Joe Snake-Eyes arrived and killed the two men responsible for Eugen's murder(they had previously attacked and injured Storm Shadow and Stalker). As Baroness did not witness the original murder, or the arrival of her brother's avenger, she attributed all of the deaths to Snake-Eyes. Angry and bitter, she became a radical student activist and eventually joined the COBRA organization as an Intelligence Officer.

Baroness in her black leather jumpsuit (regular costume). Art by Phil Noto.

Baroness played favorable sides throughout most of Cobra's major internal crisis, finally giving up and retiring to Scotland with her love interest, Destro. But it was not to be. Countless assassination attempts on Destro and other problems dragged them back into Cobra matters, where they were brainwashed back into submission. However, Cobra was attacked and splintered, and in the seven years between G.I. Joe's active time, Baroness shook free of the brainwashing.

Years later, Baroness noticed a difference in Destro, and grew suspicious. He was in fact, Alexander McCullen, Destro's illegitimate son, pretending to be his father in a global bid to make his father proud. When that failed, Destro rejoined Cobra reluctantly to pay off the dishonor his son had brought on him. Baroness was dragged along with him, where she picked up her original duties as Intelligence Officer.

At one point she was kidnapped along with Flint by criminals seeking revenge on Cobra Commander, but was rescued. During the battle with the Coil, she stood with Destro and they temporarily took control of Cobra for the battle, to rescue the Commander (so that Destro's debts would be paid off and he could leave Cobra forever).

Secretly they plotted to take Cobra for themselves.

After the battle, the Commander was missing, and Destro and Baroness, along with Tomax & Xamot kept a makeshift leadership on Cobra. They pretended to have arguments, culminating in Destro "quitting" and her staying on when the Commander returned.

Destro went back to his arms business, setting up a large deal in Sierra Gordo, but was captured. Baroness discovered his whereabouts on the TRAIN, a special military transport, and requested they rescue him, and assassinate General Hawk, who would be with him. Cobra Commander agreed and decided to kill Hawk himself.

During the skirmish, it was revealed that Destro had never been on the train, Cobra Commander shot Hawk in the back, but in turn Baroness shot him in the back twice from afar (missing major organs). Cobra Commander was captured, and Destro & Baroness had Cobra.

Things got complicated, as Baroness was pregnant, she and Destro had been secretly married the whole time, and Destro intended to use the Tempest device to cement his foothold in the global theater, however Cobra Commander "escaped" with the aid of the Dreadnoks (really Zartan had acted like Cobra Commander and shot Hawk, while Cobra Commander monitored from Florida). Boarding a Night Raven plane to leave Cobra Island before the imminent attack from the Commander came, Cobra Commander detonated it, and Baroness was presumed dead by all.

Later it was revealed that she lived by climbing into the Night Raven mini-shuttle and jettisoning it from the blast, but injured and fleeing from Cobra Island, she was picked up by the authorities, and placed in a Top Secret Classified holding cell in the basement of G.I. Joe's newest base, where she would hopefully be able to be interrogated for information, or may even play a "Hannibal Lecter" like role in the future.

Also of interest, Storm Shadow disapproved of the "top brass" keeping her secret from the team, and told Snake-Eyes about her imprisonment. This was VERY LIKELY overheard by Destro's agent Wraith. Baroness's capture may not last very long once Destro finds out she is alive.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Cartoon

Baroness (right) from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.

Baroness from 2005 G.I. Joe: Sigma 6.

[edit] A Real American Hero

The Baroness made her first animated appearance in the G.I. Joe mini-series, The MASS Device. Her animated incarnation was a master of disguise, even pretending to be a camera man in a film crew. She has since been replaced by Zarana in this field. Like in the comics, her loyalty wavers with whomever has more control of COBRA.

She is voiced by actress Morgan Lofting with an exaggerated Russian accent.

[edit] Sigma 6

In the series, G.I. Joe: Sigma 6, the Baroness is loyal to Cobra Commander. In a departure from her previous incarnations, the fingers on her hands appear covered in metal, suggesting they are cybernetic in nature. If so, how much of her hands and arms are robotic is as yet unknown as they are covered in long gloves with only the fingers exposed.