BARONESS BLOOD

Real Name: Lily Cromwell

Identity/Class: Human vampire magic user

Occupation: Bloodsucker, cult leader

Group Membership: Legion of the Unliving (Carpathian, Dracula, Rat Bomber, Sarge, Shadow Colonel/Xarus, Snowsnake);
   formerly Axis Mundi (Gotteskrieger/Axl Nacht, Necromancer/Jonas Wilhelm Eckhardt, U-Man/Meranno, Warrior Woman/Julia Koenig, Pterorists);
  leader of Blutsauger (Children of Blood; including Grausum, Christopher Sinclair, Wampyr)

Affiliations: Baron Blood (John Falsworth), Baron Blood (Kenneth Crichton);
   formerly Boy-Thing, Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes)

Enemies: Avengers (Black Panther/T'Challa, Blade/Eric Brooks, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider/Robbie Reyes, Iron Man/Tony Stark, She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, Thor/Odinson), Invaders (Jim Hammond, Spitfire/Jacqueline Falsworth, Tara, Union Jack/Joey Chapman), Mighty Destroyer (Roger Aubrey), Nia Noble, Sulumor, Thori, Winter Guard (Crimson Dynamo/Dmitri Bukharin, Darkstar/Laynia Krylenko, Red Widow, Ursa Major/Mikharil Ursus, Vanguard/Nikolai Krylenko)

Known Relatives: Dr. Jacob Cromwell (father, deceased), Charlotte Cromwell (sister, deceased), John Crichton (son)

Aliases: The Baroness, impersonated Kenneth Crichton

Base of Operations: Formerly the caverns beneath Falsworth Manor, England

First Appearance: (As the Baroness) Union Jack I#1 (December, 1998);
    (as Baroness Blood) New Invaders#2 (November, 2004)

Powers/Abilities: Baroness Blood possesses the natural abilities of a vampire, including enhanced strength, hypnotism, the ability to replenish her strength by sucking blood from others and transform others into vampires. Thanks to her having drunk from the Holy Grail, she can exist in sunlight indefinitely, and can temporarily share this power with other vampires who drink from her. She can also generate and control lightning and teleport herself and others by opening portals through magic. She was armed with a crossbow and swords.

Height: 5'7"
Weight: 125 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde

History:
(Union Jack I#2 (fb)) - The woman now known as the Baroness was the daughter of Dr. Jacob Cromwell, a servant of Dracula's. Cromwell revived the Nazi vampire Baron Blood on Dracula's behalf, but Blood then turned on Cromwell and his family. He killed Dr. Cromwell and one of his daughters, but transformed the other daughter into a vampire to serve him.

(Union Jack I#1) - The Baroness led a cult of vampires in a quest for the Holy Grail. As the prophecies surrounding the Grail involved the bloodline of Baron Blood, the Baroness began to meet with Kenneth Crichton, Blood's great-nephew.

(Union Jack I#2) - The Baroness met with Kenneth again in broad daylight (using an umbrella to shield herself). Meeting with her loyal Wampyr, the Baroness learned that the date on which to perform the ceremonies with the Holy Grail which would render vampires immune to sunlight was Christmas. Kenneth finally succumbed to her, wanting to become strong and overcome his anemia. She transformed him into a vampire, making him the new Baron Blood. She sent him out to help retrieve the Holy Grail from the Natural History Museum.

(Union Jack I#3) - The Baroness slept with Kenneth, and sent her vampires to destroy Falsworth Manor. She finally gathered the cult at Glastonbury Abbey, and drank from the Holy Grail, becoming immune to all vampiric weaknesses. She then destroyed the Grail rather than share it. As the sun rose, all of her vampires-- including Baron Blood-- were slain, and she promised Union Jack that he was now as cursed as the Falsworths for having donned the mantle of Union Jack.

   Eight months later, the Baroness was hiding out in the Mojave Desert, preparing to give birth to her son, conceived with Kenneth Crichton.

(New Invaders#3 (fb) - BTS) - The Baroness gave birth to her son, naming him John Crichton after the original Baron Blood.

(New Invaders#2) - Now garbed as Baroness Blood, the Baroness joined the Axis Mundi (including Master Man, Warrior Woman and the U-Man) in their assault upon the Infiltrator, the powerful battleship base of the Invaders which the Mundi sought to bring under their control.

(New Invaders#3) - Baroness Blood confronted Spitfire and attempted to take some of her blood, indicating that it was needed for her son. When the Thin Man regained control of the Infiltrator, all of the Axis Mundi were driven off.

(New Invaders#4) - Based in the caverns beneath Falsworth Manor, Baroness Blood met with her followers, and sent them out to attack Dymhurst Common, knowing it would get the Invaders' attention. When Spitfire came with the Invaders, the Baroness appeared to her as Kenneth, using hypnosis, and lured her into the caverns.

(New Invaders#5) - As the Baroness began to feed on Spitfire, she revealed that John Crichton had inherited Kenneth's anemia, and needed the blood of his mother and grandmother to live. She had John begin to feed on Spitfire, but Spitfire managed to break free, and the other Invaders came to her rescue. Jim Hammond used his control over his blood to set aflame all of the vampires present who had fed off of Spitfire, but the Baroness and John had already escaped.











SECRET WARS III HAPPENED

(Avengers VIII#15 (fb) - BTS) - Baroness Blood joined the Legion of the Unliving due to the Shadow Colonel's promises to bring about the Fourth Reich.

(Avengers VIII#14) - The Legion of the Unliving attacked Dracula's ancestral castle in the Carpathian Mountains. Many vampires were slain by the team, but Dracula's coffin turned out to be empty.

(Avengers VIII#15) - The Legion of the Unliving slaughtered vampires in a skyscraper in Hightown Madripoor. Baroness Blood slew a group of vampires that protected a safe room. She wondered what was inside, but waited for the Shadow Colonel to grant him the honor to open it. Shadow Colonel blasted open the door and the room was filled with vampire children, whom he ordered Ghost Rider to slay. Ghost Rider resisted the command and moments later the Avengers (Blade, Captain America, Captain Marvel and Thor) arrived.

(Avengers VIII#16) - While Ghost Rider fought the Avengers, Baroness Blood could barely resist to go after Captain America but the Shadow Colonel ordered her to instead tell the rest of the team to get ready to mist out before the whole building blew up. Baroness Blood was unable to contact Snowsnake and Carpathian, unaware that they were locked in battle with She-Hulk and Black Panther. In the end the whole Legion escaped the Avengers.

   They made their way to the Federal Penal Colony No. 9 in Sol-Iletsk, Russia where Dracula was imprisoned. Baroness Blood was surprised that they came all the way to blow up a prison, but the Shadow Colonel corrected her that Rat Bomber's rats were fitted with blood bombs filled with vampire blood instead of grenades to create new and strong vampires within the prison.

(Avengers VIII#17) - After the prison was overrun by vampires the Legion invaded it and took down the Winter Guard to get their hands on Dracula, but he had been transferred to Chernobyl according to Red Widow. The Avengers arrived and Baroness Blood finally got a shot to fight Captain America, but he blocked her crossbow bolts easily with his shield. Baroness Blood then commanded the vampire prisoners she considered to be the start of a Fourth Reich to fight Captain America. Ultimately the Shadow Colonel was decapitated by Blade, but the Avengers had to flee due to an atomic explosion.

   Baroness Blood and the rest of the Legion delivered the remains of the Shadow Colonel to Dracula in Chernobyl. Baroness Blood believed that he still deserved a place in Dracula's new kingdom, but Dracula just tossed away the talking head of his son Xarus, who was actually the Shadow Colonel. Dracula thanked the Legion for their service and welcomed them to the Kingdom of the Vampires.

(Avengers VIII#32) - Baroness Blood and Dracula watched as more and more vampires tried to get into Chernobyl, but the Rat Bomber wouldn't let them inside and told them that there was no vampire kingdom and that Dracula was dead. Dracula explained to Baroness Blood that he only wanted the strong in this new nation and that only those willing to die in the sun would be allowed in because he wanted to build a nation with the strongest among vampire kind. Baroness Blood believed an army of scared vampires was not enough as long as the Avengers had Blade on their team and could destroy this new nation before it truly formed. She suggested to Dracula to find allies against the Avengers.

(Avengers VIII#45) - After vampires aided Earth against a symbiote invasion led by Knull, Dracula demanded sovereignty for his young vampire nation. The world listened and began to deliver blood packs for the vampires to feed on. For Baroness Blood getting blood for free took all the fun out of her existence, but Dracula told her to just feed it to the starving masses and promised her that they would soon feed on something sweeter. The Avengers arrived to return the demonic dog Sarge to Dracula, but Dracula and his Legion only wanted Blade. Dracula rejected the Avengers' conditions, but ultimately had to agree to Blade becoming the sheriff in his new nation because he had the backing of the Avengers and the United Nations.

(X-Terminators II#4 - BTS) - Cromwell teleported Dracula and the Legion of the Unliving to Krakoa.

(X-Terminators II#4) - Dracula appeared before the Quiet Council accompanied by the Legion of the Unliving, including Cromwell. He demanded recompense for the murder of countless vampires at the hands of the X-Terminators (Boom-Boom/Tabitha Smith, Dazzler/Alison Blaire, Jubilee/Jubilation Lee, Wolverine/Laura Kinney). Jubilee defended their actions by pointing out that all vampires killed by them were defectors and followers of Dracula's grandson Al'hex.

(X-Terminators II#5 (fb)) - Cromwell witnessed Dazzler demand from Dracula the chance to get revenge on Al'hex. Dracula granted her this wish before Cromwell opened a portal for Dracula and the Legion of the Unliving to return to the Vampire Nation.

Comments: Created by Ben Raab and John Cassaday.

Baroness Blood got an entry in OHotMU Horror 2005.

John Crichton and Grausum created by Allan Jacobsen and C.P. Smith.

In Mortigan Goth: Immortalis, just consuming the blood of Jacqueline Falsworth was enough to kill a vampire.

And just who is the "Baron Blood" seen

Grausum was a German vampire and I believe the authors intended something with his name. AFAIK the second "U" in his name is spoken like an "A" in German. Therefore his name would be pronounced like the German word "Grausam" which could be translated as cruel or ferocious.
--Markus Raymond

In Blade III#12 a prophecy was fulfilled that brought back all vampires that ever died. This most likely included Wampyr and Grausum as well. We'll have to wait if they resurface.
--Markus Raymond

Her first name was revealed in Marvel Atlas#1. Her sister's name was revealed in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Hardcover#1.

Profile by Prime Eternal. Update by Markus Raymond (2019-2023).

CLARIFICATIONS:
Baroness Blood is connected to, but should not be confused with:

JOHN CRICHTON

John Crichton is the son of Kenneth Crichton and Baroness Blood, and was born a vampire. John was named for his great-great uncle, John Falsworth-- Baron Blood. He inherited his father's anemia, and can only exist by taking the blood of Baroness Blood and Spitfire.

--New Invaders#4 ([Union Jack I#3] (conceived), New Invaders#4, 5

WAMPYR

Wampyr was a German vampire who followed the Baroness, and was useful at obtaining information on the Holy Grail, and directing the Baroness' vampires in their quest. For all his loyalty, the Baroness still allowed him to be destroyed by sunlight as she saved herself with the Holy Grail.

--Union Jack I#1 (2, 3

CHRISTOPHER SINCLAIR

Christopher Sinclair was a young man suffering from anemia who became a patient at St. Mary's Hospice, where he met Kenneth Crichton. He befriended Kenneth because of their similar predicaments, and Kenneth was overwrought when Christopher passed away. However, Christopher had been visited by the Baroness before his death, and rose again as a vampire. He helped draw Kenneth to the Baroness' cult, so that he could become the new Baron Blood, but did not consider himself a part of the cult, and directed Union Jack to Glastonbury Abbey to try and stop the Baroness from using the Holy Grail. He was possibly destroyed by fire when Falsworth Manor was destroyed.

--Union Jack I#1 (2, 3

GRAUSUM

Grausum was a German vampire, one of Baroness Blood's later followers, and joined in the attack upon Dymhurst Common, battling the Mighty Destroyer there. He was possibly destroyed by Jim Hammond in the caverns beneath Falsworth Manor.

--New Invaders#4 (5

images:
Avengers VIII#32, p19, pan2 (main)
New Invaders#4, p4 (head shot)
Union Jack I#3, p27, pa6 (1st costume)
New Invaders#4, cover (2nd costume)
Avengers VIII#14, p3 (3rd costume)
Avengers VIII#32, p9, pan4 (head shot)
New Invaders#4, p3 (John Crichton)
Union Jack I#1, p17, pan1 (Wampyr)
Union Jack I#1, p28, pan5 (Sinclair)
New Invaders#4, p7, pan1 (Grausum)

Appearances:
Union Jack#2-3 (January-February, 1999) - Ben Raab & John Cassaday (writers), John Cassaday (artist), Tom Brevoort & Bob Harras (editors)
New Invaders#3-5 (December, 2004-February, 2005) - Allan Jacobsen (writer), C.P. Smith (artist), Andy Schmidt (editor)
Avengers VIII#14-15 (April, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), David Marquez (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VIII#16-17 (May, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), David Marquez (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VIII#32 (May, 2020) - Jason Aaron (writer), Ed McGuinness & Francesco Manna (artists), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VIII#45 (June, 2021) - Jason Aaron (writer), Luca Maresca (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
X-Terminators II#4-5 (February-March, 2023) - Leah Williams (writer), Carlos Gómez (artist), Lauren Amaro & Jordan D. White (editor)

First Posted: 05/23/2005
Last updated: 10/17/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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