Baron Macabre (Black Panther foe)

BARON MACABRE

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human mutate technology and magic user

Occupation: Mystic; former revolutionary

Group Membership: None; formerly Erik Killmonger's Legions

Affiliations: Black Panther (T'Challa), Kantu, Shuri;
former agent of Erik Killmonger;
former ally of his Legions (Death Regiments, Kazibe, King Cadaver, Lord Karnaj, Malice, Salamander K'Ruel, Sombre, Tanzika, Tayete, Venomm--and presumably Madam Slay;
formerly Man-Ape (M'Baku), White Gorilla Cult

Enemies: Man-Ape (M'Baku), White Gorilla Cult;
formerly Black Panther (T'Challa), W'Kabi, the Wakandan Government

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile in Wakanda;
formerly N'Jadaka Village, Wakanda;
also a chamber excavated beneath the Great Vibranium Mound and a nearby graveyard

First Appearance: Jungle Action II#9 (May, 1974)

Powers/Abilities: Baron Macabre wears laser blasters disguised as his bracelets. Their beams can burn and pierce flesh and even stone. Macabre is far stronger than his thin frame would indicate, suggesting that he has been somewhat mutated by the effects of the Resurrection Altar. He may know how to use Resurrection Altar to resurrect the dead, and to mutate living humans into zombie-like creatures. Though he was originally just a master of theatrics, and nearly convinced even the Black Panther that he was what he appeared to be he eventually gained true mystical powers including teleportation and rituals to grant others supernatural abilities.

History:
Baron Macabre likely recieved some enhancements from Resurrection Altar, and supplemented whatever power he gained with technology stolen from Wakanda's own armory. He joined Erik Killmonger's insurrection against T'Challa.

(Jungle Action II#9) - Seeking to drive Wakandan natives from investigating his surreptitious digging under the Wakandan palace, Baron Macabre disguised his Death Regiment soldiers as zombies. The "zombies" killed Mjumbak, a poor farmer, when he wandered too close to the cemetery near the Mound. T'Challa investigated, and was soon confronted by the Baron and his troops, who rose from the ground. Macabre surprised T'Challa with his entrance and with his strength, and the Wakandan king barely escaped with his life.

(Jungle Action II#10) - The next night, T'Challa returned to the cemetery, having deduced the nature of Macabre's abilities. After throttling information from one of the Death Regiments, the Panther made his way into the mirrored underground chamber serving as Macabre's base. Macabre's partner, King Cadaver, nearly drove T'Challa mad with his telepathic powers, but the king overcame the mental assault by sheer force of will. T'Challa smashed Macabre through Cadaver's mirrors and shattered his skull-mask.

BTS - Macabre and Cadaver slipped away while T'Challa expressed his shock that Killmonger's agents had burrowed into his own armory.

(Jungle Action II#11) - Baron Macabre was among the soldiers defending N'Jadaka village, and attempted to slay W'Kabi from behind. However, T'Challa intervened and easily battered Macabre unconscious with three swift punches.

(Jungle Action II#17) - Macabre was freed when Killmonger made his final assault on the Wakandan palace, only to be defeated with all Killmonger's agents--T'Challa took him out with a single punch.

SECRET WARS III HAPPENED

(Black Panther: Long Live the King#3) - Man-Ape (M'Baku), Baron Macabre, and the White Gorilla Cult prepared for war to conquer Wakanda.

(Black Panther: Long Live the King#4) - Baron Macabre further empowered Man-Ape with supernatural abilities and was ready to serve M'Baku further in his kingdom, but when robot rodents attacked him he considered it an omen that Man-Ape was unfit to rule. Man-Ape threw Macabre off a cliff for his faithlessness. He survived the fall and returned after Man-Ape had been defeated by Black Panther, Kantu and Shuri, riding in on a bull. He then used his mystic abilities to remove the supernatural powers he had given to Man-Ape once again. After everything was done Macabre teleported away.

Comments: Created by Don McGregor and Gil Kane

A number of sources claim that Macabre can indeed raise the dead, but his initial appearances demonstrate that he is merely an accomplished charlatan.

...and eventually a writer was convinced as well that Macabre has supernatural abilities.
--Markus Raymond

Macabre actually planted the seeds of Kilmonger's defeat. Mjumbak's son, Kantu, was inspired to save T'Challa and shove Killmonger from Warrior Falls, resulting in Erik's first death and in the end of Killmonger's revolution.

Baron Macabre was among the Killmonger lieutenants seen in the "Once and Future King" (Earth-11236) depicted in Black Panther III#36-37. He helped capture Everett K. Ross on behalf of Killmonger, and allied with Achebe and T'Challa's renegade son T'Charra. Even after T'Charra killed Killmonger, Macabre-Once-and-Future-King remained his ally, demonstrating a new ability to actually reanimate the dead, and thus got to "enjoy" an off-panel beating from Brother Voodoo. Everett K. Ross also insisted on calling him "Barr."

Further supplemental by Bob Almond, inker extraordinaire, who did the relevent issues listed below:

Before "The Once and Future King" Priest briefly contemplated using BM to 'resurrect' Nikki Adams after issue 25. Whether this would have been an actual resurrection or a facade I do not know but he decided against the idea obviously.
In issue 18 BP pondered if BM was involved in some of the events at that time.
In issues 36 & 37, in "TOAFK", Priest didn't acknowledge that BM had or used his wrist lasers so, if you you look at some of the shots of BM in the story you'll notice that I added in an energy glow from his wrist to hint that it was there, perhaps about to be used, and was probably used in the off-camera battle with Brother Voodoo in issue 37.

Profile by Omar Karindu

Clarifications: Baron Macabre is not to be confused with:

Baron Samedi, AIM agent from Strange Tales I#171, who also posed as a voodoo priest and used laser weaponry...hmmm...
Black Jamie Macawber, Loch Ness-themed Hulk foe, @The Incredible Hulk#192
Macabre, leader of an extra-dimensional viral swarm, @Secret Defenders#1
Madame Macabre, foe of Giant-Man, @Tales to Astonish I#66
Tristram Micawber, diminutive psychic employed by Helmut Zemo, @Captain America I#357

images: (without ads)
Black Panther - Long Live the King#4, p5, pan4 (main)
Jungle Action II#9, p13, pan2 (head shot)
Jungle Action II#9, p10, pan5 (body shot)
Jungle Action II#9, p8-9 (from behind)

Appearances:
Jungle Action II#9 (May, 1974) - Don McGregor (writer), Gil Kane (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Jungle Action II#10-11 (July-September, 1974) - Don McGregor (writer), Billy Graham (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Jungle Action II#17 (September, 1975) - Don McGregor (writer), Billy Graham (artist), Len Wein (editor)
Black Panther III#36-37 (December, 2001 - January, 2002) - Christopher Priest (writer), Sal Velluto (pencils), Bob Almond (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
Black Panther: Long Live the King#3-4 (2018) - Aaron Covington (writer), Mario Del Pennino (artist), Devin Lewis (editor)

First Posted: 09/07/2002
Last updated: 08/30/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

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