Duchess (SG)

"I hate the G.I. JOE Team. Who do they think they are? What makes them so special? And they dress so badly!"

BARONESS was the spoiled offspring of European aristocrats who made sure that both her and her brother, Eugen, had the best of everything in life. During the time of the Vietnam War, Eugen had abandoned his aristocratic lifestyle. Using his power and influence, he delivered medical supplies and other needed items into the war-torn region. On one tragic occasion, Eugen's sister, the woman who one day would become The Baroness, accompanied him on what would result in a deal gone bad. Eugen was fatally wounded just as another soldier later known as Snake-Eyes burst in and killed Eugen's murderers. His sister, who had been in another room, believed that the soldier had destroyed both her brother and his supposedly peaceful contacts. This set her on a course of revenge that would lead her into a life of international terrorism. She joined the ranks of COBRA, rising to become its top intelligence agent. The Baroness is a highly intelligent and ambitious individual, who is qualified in most small arms, including the M-16, AK-47, RPG 7, and the Uzi. She is also an experienced H.I.S.S. tank operator and fixed wing pilot. Her principle weakness is in the division of her loyalty between Cobra Commander and Destro. Her chief strength would seem to lie in her incredible skill at disguise and impersonation, as well as her ability to work everyone around her against each other, to her advantage. Her powers of manipulation and seduction are simply breathtaking.

Canonical/Pre-MUX/Theme History:
Anastasia was born somewhere in Europe in 1953 to wealthy aristocrats who spoiled her. Her brother, Eugen, had been part of a humanitarian effort to bring medical supplies to the natives of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The supplies were to be distributed to the people regardless of their political affiliation. During the Tet offensive, Eugen had been in Saigon and Anastasia, only 15 years old, came along since she was on Christmas break from her boarding school. When they arrived, a warehouse which was supposed to be filled with the supplies was empty. He discovered that his contacts were selling the supplies to buy weapons. When DeCobray found out, the two men shot him dead. At that moment, a young soldier -- Snake-Eyes -- arrived and killed the two men. Anastasia rushed into the room and saw Snake-Eyes there, believing he killed all three men. Taken away before Snake-Eyes was cleared, Anastasia became angry, bitter and disillusioned. She soon became a radical student activist and eventually an international terrorist.

The particulars of the early years of her career are unknown, but by 1982 the Baroness had became an infamous figure and joined the organization known as Cobra Command. Early in her career with Cobra, she led the team that kidnapped American scientist Dr. Adele Burkhart. The Baroness first dealt with the G.I. Joe team during their rescue of Burkhart. For the next few years, Baroness became an integral part of Cobra and a trusted lieutenant of Cobra Commander. When Cobra Commander brought Destro into the organization, he was surprised to find out the Baroness had already met Destro. It was obvious they had had a past relationship, but the exact circumstances remain unknown. Cobra Commander soon became suspicious of Destro's growing power in the organization and hired the mercenary Major Bludd to kill him. During a battle in Washington, D.C. with the Joes, Bludd took the opportunity to shoot Destro while driving a HISS tank. The Baroness realized what was about to happen and swerved her tank to stop Bludd. Her tank exploded, nearly killing her. Bludd decided to save the Baroness, but they were both captured by the Joe team. Bludd managed to escape the Joes headquarters -- the Pit -- and took a comatose Baroness to the Bern Institute of Reconstructive Surgery in Switzerland where she was healed by Dr. Hundtkinder. When Joes had tracked them to Switzerland, Bludd sent a message to Cobra Commander to ransom the Baroness back to Cobra. Once he showed up, Bludd and the Baroness escaped and left the commander to be captured by the Joes.

Bludd and the Baroness returned to Cobra headquarters and began plotting with Destro to take control of Cobra. They wanted to eliminate Cobra Commander, knowing that his bodyguard, Storm Shadow, would rescue him. They sent the mercenary Firefly and the Cobra pilot, Wild Weasel, to find the commander. But Storm Shadow was captured, allowing Cobra Commander to escape and return to Cobra headquarters. Firefly and Wild Weasel were captured by Zartan. The Baroness and Major Bludd continued their plan to take over Cobra. Baroness offered freedom to a imprisoned Bludd to help her. Bludd located the young boy Billy, part of the Cobra underground in Springfield, the Cobra-controlled town somewhere in America. They trained him to assassinate Cobra Commander, but when the attempt was made, Destro somehow recognized that Billy was Cobra Commander's son and stopped the boy. When Billy's trial was held, he refused to turn in his accomplices. Bludd and the Baroness were delighted and soon afterward, Storm Shadow rescued Billy and left Cobra. Baroness continued her prominence in Cobra. She and Destro tested the inventions of Dr. Mindbender against G.I. Joe trainees and were defeated, but Mindbender joined Cobra. When Storm Shadow tried to escape Cobra Island, the Baroness shot him, tired of being betrayed by the ninja. Destro and the Baroness helped Mindbender scour the world for the remains of long-dead historical leaders. The scientist used these remains to create Serpentor, the ultimate Cobra warrior. Storm Shadow's body was used as well and he was somehow revived. When Serpentor arrived on Cobra Island, he began to usurp control from Cobra Commander, gaining the support of the Baroness and Dr. Mindbender. Soon afterward, Cobra Commander and Destro attacked G.I. Joe's headquarters, the Pit. The Pit was destroyed, and the commander and Destro were presumed killed in the explosion. The two men had survived, but went into hiding for a short time, away from Cobra.

Cobra Commander was shot by the Crimson Guardsman Fred VII, who thought the commander had died. He arrived on Cobra Island claiming to be the original Cobra Commander. Serpentor had the Baroness decide if it was truly Cobra Commander, since she knew what he really looked like. When Fred VII revealed his identity, the Baroness did not turn him in, but instead decided to become his "partner," using him to have more control over the organization. The power struggle between Serpentor and the false commander culminated in the Cobra Island Civil War, which split Cobra into two factions, loyal to Serpentor or the commander. The war, in which the Joe team entered on Serpentor's side, ended with the death of Serpentor and the arrival of Destro. Destro's personal army nearly took over the island when Destro claimed the Baroness as his prize, and left the island, taking her with him.

The Baroness then joined Destro's organization, which soon merged with Cobra. She was teamed up with Zarana to oversee Cobra's Broca Beach operation. The two women constantly fought and the Baroness tried to kill Zarana. The Baroness soon got a call from Dr. Hundtkinder who faxed her a picture of another patient at the Bern Institute. She recognized the man as her brother's murderer, and learned it was Snake-Eyes. She attacked the Bern Institute, shooting Scarlett and capturing Snake-Eyes. She brought him back to the Cobra Consulate building in New York, but Snake-Eyes escaped, causing the collapse of the building. Baroness nearly fell to her death but was caught by Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow as they hung from the crumbling building. She was about to shoot Snake-Eyes when Destro arrived and told her that he had been in Saigon as a teenager when her brother was killed. His father had discovered that Snake-Eyes had not killed Eugene. Unwilling to accept this, she let go of Snake-Eyes and fell again. She was saved by Storm Shadow who returned her to Destro to live with what she had done. Destro gave up his weapons business to live with the Baroness in his castle in Scotland. When the real Cobra Commander returned to power, he attempted to kill Destro. He brainwashed the Baroness to kill Destro, but she broke free of the conditioning and defended Destro's castle in Trans-Carpathia from Cobra with the help of the G.I. Joe team.

When Dr. Mindbender revealed to Cobra Commander that he had placed mind-controlling implants into Destro and Zartan years earlier, the commander returned to Destro's castle in Trans-Carpathia and activated the implants. He soon used the Brain-Wave scanner to control the Baroness, Billy and Storm Shadow as well. With the high command of Cobra back in power, the commander began his plan to take control of the countries surrounding Trans-Carpathia. A short time later, the G.I. Joe team was team was disbanded by the U.S. military. Soon afterward, Cobra forces fell to a unified attack by regular military forces. Most of Cobra's "high command" disappeared in the wake of the conflict, including the Baroness.

MUX History:
What the Baroness does in the mirror world is largely up to The-Baroness.

Players
SG Baroness is a TP Character. The-Baroness has dibs.