Baron Blood (Crichton)

Origin

Kenneth Crichton had a colorful ancestry; his mother was the former super-heroine Spitfire, his uncle and grandfather both had both been Union Jack and his granduncle was the devious vampire known as Baron Blood. Both his mother and grandfather expected him to continue the legacy of Union Jack but Kenneth didn't consider it a viable option for him as he was physical weak and not very athletic. When Baron Blood returned to terrorize his family and the country, Crichton instead convinced his friend Joseph Chapman become the new Union Jack and aid Captain America in battling Baron Blood.

Creation

Kenneth Crichton was created by Roger Stern and John Byrne and first appeared in Captain America #253.

Character Evolution

Kenneth Crichton would later go on to willingly become a vampire and instead continue his granduncle's legacy as Baron Blood in the 1998 Union Jack series. Despite dying in the same series, Crichton later returned in Captain Britain and MI:13.

Major Story Arcs

The New Baron

Despite his initial approval, Kenneth began to hate Joseph for having stolen the legacy of Union Jack which was rightfully his. Discovering he had a debilitating blood disorder, Kenneth found himself growing weaker and weaker and when offered eternal life from the vampire Baroness Blood, he jumped at the chance to feel rejuvenated.

Becoming a vampire himself, Kenneth decided to continue the legacy of his granduncle instead of his grandfather and he became the new Baron Blood. After battling with Union Jack, Kenneth was betrayed by Baroness Blood who left him to die in the sunlight. Crumbling to dust, Kenneth appeared to die as Union Jack swore he would avenge his friend.

Blood

Kenneth's death, as well as the rest of Baroness Blood's army, were in fact a sacrifice the Baroness had made in order to prove herself to the neo-Nazi Gotteskrieger and be accepted into the terrorist group Axis Mundi.

Before his death however it was revealed he fathered a child with Baroness Blood whom was named John after his granduncle, the original Baron Blood. The infant John Crichton unfortunately inherited his father's blood disease which meant that the child could only survive by drinking blood from it's direct family.

Hell Comes to Birmingham

Years later, Kenneth's mother joined forces with Captain Britain and Pete Wisdom's MI:13 and one of their first missions took them to Birmingham where the team faced the demon Plokta who wished to grant people their fondest desires in exchange for their souls. Spitfire was attacked by Plokta who preyed on her desire to be reunited with her son, alive and healthy, and offered her a doorway to a world where Kenneth was alive and well again. Tempted, Spitfire was saved before she could possibly submit.

Vampire State

When the vampire hunter Blade accidentally recited a spell which restored all the dead vampires back to life, among them Kenneth Crichton. Allying with Dracula, Kenneth and the other vampires sought to make Britain into a kingdom of vampires.

Kenneth's part in the plan was to act as bait to draw his mother to Dracula. Despite Kenneth's insistence, Spitfire refused to reunite with him and join the vampires in their attack on Britain. However, Spitfire fell under the thrall of Dracula and was forced to aid the vampires in their conquest.

With Spitfire on side, Kenneth was thrilled to be with his mother again and united as vampires. Despite Spitfire's resistance, when she eventually gave into her vampire nature, Kenneth appeared overjoyed and excited by his mother's new vampiric personality.

However, when the vampire's plans fell apart, Kenneth fled from Dracula's forces and encountered MI:13 agents Blade and Union Jack. Kenneth surrounded and appealed to his friendship with Joseph to spare his life. Union Jack was willing to take Kenneth back to base with them and try and help him but Blade, on orders from Spitfire, staked Kenneth through the heart, killing him once more.

Powers and Abilities

As a vampire, Kenneth Crichton has enhanced strength and speed and the ability to mesmerize victims and transform himself into a bat or mist. He is prone to the weaknesses of all vampires (sunlight, garlic, etc.) and must feed on human blood for sustenance.

Alternate Realities

Earth-3931

Kenneth Crichton's fate deviates from his true counterpart significantly in this reality. In the initial battle betweenCaptain America and Baron Blood which saw Joseph Chapman become Union Jack, Chapman isn't present and as a result Captain America is bitten and becomes a vampire. Following Captain America's conversion to vampirism, Kenneth accepted his legacy as Union Jack and began hunting Captain America, who had now been appointed the "Vampire King". Kenneth was forced into retirement after a brutal battle with Captain America in which Kenneth was badly injured and his face deformed by the former Sentinel of Liberty.

Captain America allowed Kenneth to live in humiliation and watch as the entire world plunged in chaos where Captain America converted his fellow Avengers into vampires and together they sought to rule the world. Spending his years studying the occult and mystic arts hoping to find some way to defeat Captain America and the vampires once and for all, Kenneth allied with the Exiles to put an end to the vampiric reign. Donning his Union Jack costume again, Kenneth fought Captain America and this time managed to defeat him by impaling him on Magik's Soulsword.

With Captain America dead, Kenneth became the new Vampire King, stating that this was his true birthright which had been stolen by Captain America. Battling the Exiles, Kenneth almost succeeded in draining Magik of her blood until Sunfire intervened and killed Kenneth by burning him to a crisp. With his final breath, Kenneth chanted an incantation which teleported each of the team to different realities.