Black Major

The Baron · Post by **The Baron** » 10 Jul 2003 17:15

No, that just spoils the end! The story is his pre-AF days, from joining the Marines, going thought basic training and so on until joining Action Force. He then gets posted on a mission to the Antarctic on his first mission...

It's an excellent story because he's basically a nasty piece of work far before Ironblood gets his claws into him, and come the end, once it's all over you can't help but feel satisfied that he gets his just desserts.

One thing that bugs me, though, is that throughout the story they repeatedly point out that he is being called 'John Shepherd' to protect his family name, but when he meets Cobra Commander in "Revenge Of The Red Shadows", it's become his real name!

I just scanned all these comics so I could pick holes in them, really.

The Baron · Post by **The Baron** » 25 Jul 2003 11:39

I takeit you're referring ot the GI Joe comic? Just checked the Battle Baroness story, and she's named as Anna Von Stromberg, although again, this is a name used to protect her family's identity.

Another spooky link between Anna and Anastasia!!! Are there any other parallels between the two comics? I've only read the GI joe's reprinted in Marvel UK's Action Force and Transformers, so I'm missing a lot of back story; do the Battle comics clash badly?

I picked up the GI Joe issues with the prelude to Transformers: Generation 2, and in it Cobra Commander was talking a right old load of gobbledygook. What was the story there?

seaneley · Post by **seaneley** » 17 Jun 2004 05:54

Baroness' brother was known as "Eugen DeCobray" in a flashback surrounding events that happened during VietNam (the Tet Invasion specifically). I'm assuming that the name was an alias to protect a "rich boy in a hostile foreign country". Later, Major Bludd uses "DeCobray" to protect the Baroness' identity when she receives reconstructive facial surgery in Switerzerland (she had been burned horribly in a night attack in Washington D.C.).
"Anastasia DeCobray" seems to be the accepted name, but on her file card under the "Special Features" of the G.I. Joe Spy Troops movie, the original writer (Larry Hama of Marvel comics) states that this name is an "alias", not her real name.
Is Baroness actually "Anna Von Stromberg" or is she "Anastasia DeCobray"? The world may never know...

Antybots · Post by **Antybots** » 17 Jun 2004 13:10

There is another similarity between BAF and GI JOE.

In one of the BAF annuals there's a story called COBRA GOLD. the Cobra HQ shown in the first picture is identical to the cobra HQ in the First GI Joe cartoon Mini-series.

The Baron · Post by **The Baron** » 23 Jun 2004 08:10

Excellent spot Antybots! This may well be the only tie between GI Joe and Battle.

the doomworm · Post by **the doomworm** » 10 Feb 2005 13:15

notpicard wrote:well, that gives him something in common with the Baroness then. Originally her name was Anastasia and in one issue Major Bludd seems to make up the last name "DeCobray." Then by the time the comic ended, that was revealed as being her real name. Anastasia DeCobray.

It sort of doesn't make sense what a coincidence that is. I like to think that perhaps in the early days of Cobra, the Baroness was instrumental in helping the Commander move it from a small town uprising to an international network. And through that, they built the "Cobra" organization as inspired by her last name.

But I guess if I can deal with that, I'll be able to deal with the Black Major's problem as well.

That has always kinda been my thought too. I figured he was trying to funnel her family fortune into his fledgling organization to help out his pyramid scheme money. I'm sure she was fairly naive in those years.

Anybody else ever assume he may have charmed the pants off her a time or two back before Destro came around as her major interest?

Sigh. I have too much time on my hands, huh?