BARON
VON BLIMPBARON
VON BLIMP
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human, technology user
Occupation: Dirigible promoter
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Former agent of the Highwayman;
formerly allied with Clutch, Grab, & LeGreed;
arranged a contest through the Chicken Colonel
Enemies: Taryn O'Connell, US Archer; people of Tel Aviv
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile across the USA in his zeppelin
First Appearance: US1#3, (seen and named) US1#4 (August, 1983)
Powers/Abilities: Von Blimp rides in a large dirigible, which can carry him through the air at great speeds. However, due to its very nature, it is highly vulnerable to weather conditions, especially strong winds, as well as to any sort of external trauma. His dirigible can drop bombs down on targets below and can cloak itself from normal vision.
He also led a small army of pseudo-neo-Nazis. Von Blimp was not actually German, and it's likely that neither were his crew. He just liked their costume the best, as well as their rules and formal behavior. Von Blimp had no hand-to-hand fighting skills, though he did carry a sword with which he was reasonably proficient. He wears a monocle, which he probably doesn't need, and speaks in an overdone, false German accent.
History:
(US1#4) - Von Blimp's motto had always been "financial
victory through air power." Ever since the Hindenburg
disaster, people had mistrusted lighter than air craft. He
planned to make the zeppelin thrive again, so that they would
replace the trucking industry as the major mover of goods in
America, and eventually the world.
(US1#3) - While US Archer sought to track down the Highwayman, he was suddenly attacked by bombs from above. Unable to see anything, US activated his rig's radar scope, which identified a blimp as the source of his problems. After a near miss, he had his "co-pilot" Retread unleash a large smokescreen, making it appear that he had been hit, and the blimp pulled back, allowing them to escape in secret.
(US1#4) - Von Blimp's
dirigible hovered overhead the Short Stop, and von Blimp climbed
down the ladder, slapped US in the face, and challenged him to a
competition. Having heard of US and his truck's legendary
prowess, von Blimp wished to humble him, so that the world would
no that air power is superior to diesel power. He convinced US to
participate in a race by offering to provide him with information
on the Highwayman.
Von Blimp made arrangements for the contest
with the Chicken Colonel: Each of them would transport a load of
his Finger Lickin' Chickens, with the winner arriving at their
destination first. The race was barely begun when von Blimp began
dropping bombs at US, who countered with anti-aircraft missiles.
von Blimp took his dirigible up, beyond the range of the missiles
and then planned to kill him with his bombs. The Highwayman
ordered him not to kill US, as he had his own agenda for the
master trucker.
US's radar scope detected an approaching
storm, and he led von Blimp towards a tunnel, knowing that he
would be waiting for him on the other side. Von Blimp got too
close, and US managed to hook his dirigible with a grappling hook
and then board it. US tackled the Baron, who drew his sword on
him. US managed to lower his head into one of the Baron's wings,
catching the flat of his sword on his metal skull, shattering the
blade. As the storm descended on the dirigible, US set loose all
of the live chicken cargo, causing mass chaos as he slid down his
line back into his truck.
The US1 arrived at their destination before
von Blimp--who did not arrive at all. However, they both lost to
Taryn O'Connell, who had secretly been a part of the race.
(US#5) - Having finally been released from the grip of that "fershlugginer storm front," von Blimp ordered his men to clean up the zeppelin "mach snell" (sic), and vowed to make US pay, "or my name isn't Baron von Blimp."
(US1#9) - von Blimp met with the investment
firm of Clutch, Grab, and LeGreed, taking a large sum of money to
help them shut down the Short Stop. He allowed the three men to
join him aboard his ship. The Highwayman secretly watched
all of this, and was not pleased with von Blimp's double dealing.
During a semi-related brawl at the Short Stop,
von Blimp's pseudo-neo-Nazis descended into the parking lot on
ropes, and promptly got their butts whupped by a bunch of
truckers. The fight was partially broken up when US managed to
take Midnight's hypno-whip and use
it to negate the hypnotic commands she had given to some of those
present. The Highwayman himself then arrived.
(US1#10) - As the fighting wrapped up, the Highwayman began to reveal his origins. Von Blimp climbed down his ladder, planning to help the Highwayman against his foes, but instead he slipped on the ladder and fell to the ground. Disgusted, the Highwayman cursed von Blimp for ruining the moment of his dramatic revelation, but further distraction occurred when the ship of Al and the Aliens arrived overhead.
(US1#11) -The Aliens put a stop to the still smoldering fight between the "Nazis" and truckers by teleporting von Blimp and his compatriots to downtown Tel Aviv, Israel...where they received just the welcome you might expect.
Comments: Created by Al Milgrom and Frank Springer.
Von Blimp is actually somewhat amusing, rather than just stupid, as the whole series is pretty much tongue-in-cheek anyway.
CLARIFICATIONS:
no known connection to:
von Blimp's dirigible
discussed under powers/abilities
--US1#3 (4,5, 9-11
von Blimp's pseudo-neo-Nazis
They dressed and spoke like Nazis, but they probably weren't actually supporters of the Nazi ideal. At any rate, they carried handguns, but always fought with their fists.
Like von Blimp, they all spoke with the exact same accent you'll find in Germans in the old Golden Age comics, @ World War II
--US1#4 (5, 9-11
Appearances:
U.S. 1#3-5 (July - September, 1983) - Al Milgrom (writer), Frank Springer (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks) Ralph Macchio (editor)
U.S. 1#9-11 (April - August, 1984) - Al Milgrom (writer), Frank Springer & Steve Ditko (#9) (pencils), Mike Esposito & Dan Bulanadi (#9) (inks) Ralph Macchio (editor)
Last updated: 04/17/03
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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