Darklonia

Darklonia is named for the wealthy Darklon family that settled there during the Middle Ages. According to tradition, the Darklon family were distant relatives of the Destros, before that family settled in Scotland. The Darklons are part of a long line of privateers, mecenaries and investment bankers. They have sold and manufactured weapons for as long as the business has existed. While the lord Darklon is the leader of the country, he has had little to do with the people who lived there. After the feudal era, the people have lived there lives with little contact with Darklon, except for those who have been employed by the weapons manufacturing business. In recent times, Darklonia's national policy has been to foster terror and unrest, making certain that there is a market for the country's armament sales.

Bordered by Wolkekuckuckland on one side and Trans-Carpathia on the other, Darklonia is a small country among a region of small countries. Due to a conflict in the past -- whose details have been forgotten -- there is a constant paranoia and distrust between Darklonia and Wolkekuckuckland ("W-land" to outsiders tired of trying to pronounce it's name). While W-land was on military maneuvers along the "no-man's land" that bordered Darklonia, Darklon took the opportunity to test out the newly-modified Cobra weapons he bought from the terrorist organization. The "Pythonized" vehicles -- known sometimes as the Python Patrol -- had special paint-jobs and equipment that made them nearly undetectable to radar. Cobra's forces, along with Darklon, attempted to cross into the "no-man's land" without being detection, but they didn't expect the W-landers to have advisors from the G.I. Joe team. The following battle was lost by Cobra and Darklon, but afterwards, Darklon made a deal with W-land to share the new Cobra technologies he had acquired from Cobra. W-land's need to show up their neighbors outweighed their distrust of Darklon. For Darklon, it was just another business deal.

The G.I. Joe team once again became involved with Darklonia when a terrorist group known as the Lower Darklonian Separatist Front (LDSF) threatened New York City. A team led by Duke was called in to assist D.O.A. (Domestic Operations Agency) agents in apprehending the terrorists. The LDSF had been causing trouble in Darklonia by stirring up an ancient conflict between Upper and Lower Darklonians. For once, Darklon had to deal with a domestic threat that had nothing to do with helping international arms sales. As it turned out, Darklonia was working with a D.O.A. agent to let the LDSF carry-out one act of terrorism so that the LDSF would look bad at home. In exchange, D.O.A. agent Skip Bentsen-Barr would then be allowed to capture the terrorist and get all the glory. When it became clear that the LDSF was planning a more despicable act than first believed (bombing a school), the Joes foiled the terrorist plot and uncovered the conspiracy.

For some time, Darklon merged his business with that of Destro's MARS corporation and Cobra. Darklon even ran MARS while Destro took a leave of absence. Little of consequence happened in Darklonia for a few years, until Cobra invaded nearby Borovia from their base in Trans-Carpathia. To be certain Darklon wouldn't interfere, Destro (while controlled by Cobra Commander) casually launched an ICBM at Castle Darklon, destroying the castle with Darklon still inside. After that, Cobra took over Darklonia with no resistance. Next to nothing has been heard from Darklonia recently, though Cobra has apparently lost its grip on the nation.