Baron Blitzkrieg is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
Publication history
The character (also known as Baron Reiter and simply the Baron) was created by Gerry Conway and Don Heck, and first appeared in World's Finest Comics #246 (September 1977).
Fictional character biography
Baron Reiter was originally a vicious German army officer during World War II who was blinded and disfigured when a concentration camp prisoner threw a bottle in his face. German scientists experimented on the Nazi which restored his sight, but not his appearance. Nonetheless, he is given superhuman strength, invulnerability, optical energy beams, and the ability to fly. While he can initially manifest each of these abilities one at a time, he underwent training to incorporate these abilities together.
Baron Blitzkrieg's first several appearances were antagonistic encounters with Wonder Woman and Superman. Afterwards, Baron Blitzkrieg was a frequent opponent of the All-Star Squadron; brainwashing Commander Steel, confronting with Hourman which resulted in Red Bee's death, conspiring with Zyklon to use the Liberty Bell to destroy Philadelphia before bring defeated by the original Liberty Belle, Johnny Quick and Jay Garrick / Flash, trying to stay hidden in Jamaica, and being a benefactor of Axis Amerika.
The Baron is the leader of Shadowspire, conspiring with Vandal Savage's Symbolix organization in experimental research behind Damage, and an assassination attempt which is foiled by Deathstroke.
Baron Blitzkrieg later joined the Society, but he is killed by Superboy-Prime.
He is an apparent ancestor of a similar-themed speedster.
His battlesuit is remote-controlled until being defeated by Batman and Nightwing.
His corpse is entombed below the Hall of Justice, and is revived as a member of the Black Lantern Corps.
Powers and abilities
Baron Blitzkrieg has enhanced strength, agility and endurance. Additionally, he wore body armor that offered some protection from physical attacks and possesses heat vision and the ability to fly, and also could travel between Earth-2 and Earth-X.
Other versions
In the alternate Flashpoint timeline, Baron Blitzkrieg makes a minor appearance in which he is killed by Frankenstein.
In other media
Baron Reiter appears in flashbacks depicted in the fourth season of Arrow, portrayed by Jimmy Akingbola. This version is an African individual who grew up in a small village until bandits destroyed it. Though Reiter survived, the event traumatized him and he vowed to never feel that powerless again. After becoming a mercenary and founding Shadowspire, he led them in occupying Lian Yu to find a magical artifact called the Khushu Idol and enslaved people to harvest "Slam" drugs as a front. After A.R.G.U.S. sent Oliver Queen to Lian Yu to infiltrate Shadowspire and uncover Reiter's intentions, he joined forces with a slave named Taiana Venediktov to find a map leading to the idol. Despite finding it, hiding it in a cave system, and detonating the entrance, Reiter found the idol regardless and sacrificed two of his men to gain power from it, acquiring superhuman strength and telekinesis. He subsequently fought Queen and Taiana until the former killed him.