Baron Karza

From WikiAlpha
Revision as of 15:53, 24 November 2018 by Mathewignash (Talk | contribs)

Jump to: navigation, search
Baron Karza
Micronauts character
Baronkarza-box.jpg
Baron Karza toy box
First appearance

Micronauts 1, January 1979 by Marvel Comics
Created by

Mego Corp.
Information
Aliases Hraal Karza (IDW Publishing)
Orbiza Karza (Protectors of Inner Space)
Species Homeworlder (Marvel Comics)
Micorn (Protectors of Inner Space)
Occupation Scientist, dictator
Title Master of Evil
Family Shazrella (wife), Larissa (daughter)
Abilities

Affiliation

Acroyear
Alternate mode

Evil centaur

Baron Karza is a fictional character from the Micronauts series introduced in 1977. He was the main villain in the series.

Micronauts

Baron Karza is an evil character from the Micronauts series. He is usually portrayed as the central villain of the series.

Development

The Baron Karza toy was designed by Iwakichi Ogawa and was filed for US patent in 1976.[1]

Concept art for a new version of Baron Karza was done by Dave Waugh as part pf Palisades wave 3, although the figure was never produced.[2]

Reception

Fictional biography

The leader of the evil Acroyear and enemy of the Micronauts, Baron Karza's armored limbs and spring loaded weaponry are fully interchangeable via a groundbreaking design of magnetic attachments called "Magno Power". He towers over most citizens of the Microverse, and over most Sci-Fi action figures of the 70's. Karza's star stallion, Andromeda, is fully interchangeable with Baron Karza and hosts it's own arsenal of combat add-ons. Armored wheels can replace Andromeda's legs, or it's entire head can be replaced with Karza's battle-ready body to create a massive Evil Centaur!

Comics

1979 Marvel Comics

Micronauts 1 by Marvel Comics

Baron Karza was a reoccurring villain in the Micronauts series by Marvel Comics. He hales from the Homeworld, a planet in the Microverse. He was the former chief scientist was a genius in biological engineering. He bribed Homeworld's citizens with the promise of eternal life via his Body Banks. Not everyone was unhappy with Karza's new reign in the beginning, but Karza's defacto rule of Homeworld was enforced by his Dog Soldiers and bio engineered creatures. Many former Karza supporters eventually lent their aid to the rebellion against him.

In his own communion with the Time Travelers, Baron Karza realized that what he sought was more than mere power. Though his science had effectively made him immortal, his essence and emotions were still that of a man. Although Karza transcended his organic body and became a being of pure energy, Karza refused the Time Travelers' offer of godhood.

Karza re-evaluated his philosophy and concluded that true godhood could not be obtained without understanding what one needed to experience in order for one's soul (as opposed to one's mere body) to transcend physicality. Thus, Karza, in committing one unspeakably inhuman act after another, believed he would become indifferent to the concept of wielding power over the living. Thus, he accepted the choice to return to a mortal body so that he could relish conquest.

When Marvel lost the license to Micronauts it included losing the rights to Baron Karza, and he has not appeared again the Marvel Universe.

2002 Image Comics

Baron Karza was the main villain in the 2002 reboot of the Micronauts by Image Comics.

2016 IDW Publishing

Hraal Karza was born on Aegis-6, to the desert planet's Sandmen mercenary society. As a young warrior, Karza fought on behalf of the Sagitarrion for several years. He was later among the Sandmen hired to defend the Emperor of Microspace from a Kronos revolt, and was recruited as one of the ruler's elite guardsmen in the aftermath of the conflict. He rapidly rose through the ranks, and within a matter of years was installed as Minister of Defense. Accordingly granted the title of Baron, Karza conscripted his fellow Sandmen into the military, putting them through genetic and behavioral modification to create the Acroyears.

Part of the Emperor's inner circle, Karza developed a hatred for the Red Falcon, the son of Microspace's ruler; not only did the arrogant warrior ignorantly meddle in diplomacy, but he was betrothed to Shazraella – the Mistress of Spies and object of Karza's affections. When a Pharoid temple was occupied by militants, Karza and the Falcon led a battalion of Acroyears on a rescue mission. At the battle's conclusion, Karza received a cryptic warning from one of the dying militants, before discovering Red Falcon inside the heart of the temple, communing with five Time Travelers. The Emperor's son returned home with claims that the Travelers, part of a Pharoid sect said to have transcended time itself, had shown him the future, and that by seeking their counsel he alone could guide the empire on the right path.

Concerned that the Falcon was withholding something, Karza attempted to convince Baron Daegon, his counterpart in the Ministry of Science, to help act against the heir to the empire, but was turned away. Before long, however, Shazraella sought out Karza, sharing his concerns about Red Falcon, and the pair embraced in a kiss for the first time. The Mistress of Spies revealed that the Time Travelers were showing her betrothed his own bloody ascent to the throne, and resolved to work with the Baron to avoid this. Together they prepared an arcane poison which Karza slipped into the Red Falcon's goblet, killing the heir and ending the threat he posed to Microspace's future.

2018 Micronauts Protectors of Inner Space

Baron Karza appears as the main villain in the Micronauts Protectors of Inner Space art series by Brian Vox. He appears on the cover art of issues 12, Annual 1, 14 and 23.

Toys

  • Mego Micronauts Baron Karza (1977)
A remold and recolor of Jeeg. This toy shares most of his molding with Force Commander, Emperor, King Atlas and Green Baron.
  • Airfix Micronauti Baron Karza (1978)
  • Gig Micronauti Baron Karza
  • Pin Pin Toys Micronauti Baron Karza
  • Palisades Micronauts Baron Karza with Andromeda (2002)
Released as a set in a variety of colors including black/red, clear/black and translucent red/black. The black version also featured silver chrome colored hooves, hubcaps, neck and tail on Andromeda.
Palisades also produced a rare gold Baron Karza and Andromeda set as a gift to say "thank you" to certain members of the Yahoo! Groups Micropolis Embassy mailing list for all their help in the series 1 production.
  • Hasbro Revolution (2017)
A box set of figures appearing in the Hasbro stories by IDW Publishing comics.
Includes tiny figurines of classic characters of Acroyear, Baron Karza and Biotron. There is an Antron called Xant, a female Space Glider named Phenelo-Phi, a Time Traveler named Quin-Tillus and new characters using the classic Micronauts names Oberon, Betatron and Gammatron.
  • Baron Karza inspired the Microborgs character Karza Kommando.

Gallery

References

External links

This article is a stub. You can help WikiAlpha by expanding it.