Baron Bedlam
Encyclopedia
Baron Bedlam is a fictional character
, a supervillain
in the DC Universe
. The character first appeared in Batman and the Outsiders #1 (August 1983).
, was installed as a puppet ruler by the Nazis
during World War II
. It was during this time that Bedlam made advances to a young woman. She became very distressed over this and smashes a bottle into his face. Bedlam gained a prominent scar from that incident, and the woman was executed. At the end of the war, American forces helped the Markov family reclaim the throne. Even though Frederick managed to flee the country, his father was hung by the mob.
Years later, Frederick DeLamb, taking the name Baron Bedlam, gains the support of the Soviet army and the mysterious political manipulator Bad Samaritan
. Bedlam murders King Viktor and seizes the throne. Soviet and Markovian forces battle, leading to deaths on both sides.
The crown prince, Brion Markov, with the aide of the scientist Dr. Jace, gains superpowers for the express purpose of stopping this invasion. With the aid of other superheroes, a grouping under Batman
's leadership that would soon call themselves the Outsiders, they infiltrate the country. The group gains intelligence on the invasion via the capture of a Soviet pilot.
Geo-Force apparently kills Bedlam by dropping him into a raging mob. Bedlam survives this, however, and has returned many times to face the team.
Soon after, the Outsiders confront another aspect of Bedlam's forces, the super-powered Masters of Disaster
. The two groups engage in a prolonged battle. The Bad Samaritan also discovers Bedlam's plan to clone Adolf Hitler
. Bedlam was not pleased at this and attacks his ally. The clone project ultimately ends in failure. The new Hitler ends up being greatly distressed at what his 'father' has done and has no wish to continue the madness.
At one point, in the Outsiders 1987 Special, his identity is usurped by the Psycho Pirate.
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
in the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. The character first appeared in Batman and the Outsiders #1 (August 1983).
Fictional character biography
Baron Bedlam is really Baron Frederick DeLamb ("Bedlam" is an anagram of his last name). DeLamb's father, formerly a minor government official in the kingdom of MarkoviaMarkovia (comics)
Markovia is a fictional nation in the , first seen in The Brave and the Bold #200 .-Fictional history:Markovia is a small country in Europe, ruled by the Markov family. They suffered a Nazi invasion during World War II. In the same period, the commando team known as the Losers died defending...
, was installed as a puppet ruler by the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was during this time that Bedlam made advances to a young woman. She became very distressed over this and smashes a bottle into his face. Bedlam gained a prominent scar from that incident, and the woman was executed. At the end of the war, American forces helped the Markov family reclaim the throne. Even though Frederick managed to flee the country, his father was hung by the mob.
Years later, Frederick DeLamb, taking the name Baron Bedlam, gains the support of the Soviet army and the mysterious political manipulator Bad Samaritan
Bad Samaritan
The Bad Samaritan is a fictional character published by DC Comics. His first appearance was in The Outsiders vol. 1 #3, , and he was created by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo.-Publication history:...
. Bedlam murders King Viktor and seizes the throne. Soviet and Markovian forces battle, leading to deaths on both sides.
The crown prince, Brion Markov, with the aide of the scientist Dr. Jace, gains superpowers for the express purpose of stopping this invasion. With the aid of other superheroes, a grouping under Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
's leadership that would soon call themselves the Outsiders, they infiltrate the country. The group gains intelligence on the invasion via the capture of a Soviet pilot.
Geo-Force apparently kills Bedlam by dropping him into a raging mob. Bedlam survives this, however, and has returned many times to face the team.
Soon after, the Outsiders confront another aspect of Bedlam's forces, the super-powered Masters of Disaster
Masters of Disaster (comics)
The Masters of Disaster is a fictional supervillain team in the DC Comics universe.-History:The Masters of Disaster were enemies of Batman's Outsiders, Infinity Inc. and the Justice Society. All of their powers based on elemental forces of nature....
. The two groups engage in a prolonged battle. The Bad Samaritan also discovers Bedlam's plan to clone Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. Bedlam was not pleased at this and attacks his ally. The clone project ultimately ends in failure. The new Hitler ends up being greatly distressed at what his 'father' has done and has no wish to continue the madness.
At one point, in the Outsiders 1987 Special, his identity is usurped by the Psycho Pirate.
Powers and abilities
- Baron Bedlam is a superior fighter, a ruthless tactician and he possesses unlimited financial resources.
Other versions
The name Baron Bedlam has recently been taken by another DC supervillain, formerly known as Doctor BedlamDoctor Bedlam
Doctor Bedlam is a DC Comics supervillain created by Jack Kirby as part of his Fourth World comic series of the 1970s. He is part of Darkseid's Elite on the planet Apokolips...
.