Captain America #254
Blood on the Moors
Baron Blood has broken into Falsworth Manor to get revenge. This leads to a battle with Captain America who has been called in to stop the vampire. The noise from the battle draws out Montgomery Falsworth, his daughter Jacqueline Crichton, and her son Kenneth. They arrive just as Blood has hypnotized their friend and is about to drink his blood. Luckily for the Star-Spangled Avenger, the chainmail of his costume is too thick for Baron Blood’s fangs to pierce through. While Cap begins to snap out of it, Kenneth steps in and tries attacking his great uncle with a lamp, but the vampire easily tosses him aside.
That’s when the sun becomes coming up and although Baron Blood has been altered by Nazi science to be more resistant to it than most vampires, Blood makes his escape by changing into a bat and flying away. With the battle over, Joey Chapman — Kenneth’s friend — finally shows up and asks what’s been going on. At first, Captain America assumes that Joey might be in league with Baron Blood. Joey takes offense to this and tries to attack Cap but is quickly subdued. Kenneth steps in and breaks up the fight, vouching for the fact that Joey is a heavy sleeper and has no connection with Baron Blood.
As Captain America and Jacqueline head off to check in with Scotland Yard, Kenneth tells Joey about his family history. He explains that his great uncle, John Falsworth, was the black sheep of the family. When Kenneth’s great grandfather died, he willed the family fortune to Montgomery. With what little money he did get from the estate, John set out to find his fortunes elsewhere and soon arrived in Transylvania. There he found the crypt of Count Dracula, intent on destroying the lord of the vampires. Unfortunately, John fell victim to Dracula’s hypnotic powers and was transformed into a vampire himself. As Baron Blood, Dracula sent John Falsworth back to England to make life difficult to his mortal enemies, the Harker family. However, this was just around the start of World War II and Baron Blood soon allied himself with the Nazis. As a cover, John returned to the family estate and posed as his own son. His mother almost fell to Baron Blood’s vampiric bite but the Blood was stopped by Captain America and the Invaders. The battle ended, Blood was impaled on a stalagmite and killed. However, the battle was not without casualties. Montgomery reprised his role as the British hero Union Jack and was crippled in the battle. Meanwhile, his mother needed an emergency blood transfusion and got one from the android Human Torch. As a side effect from the vampire bite and android blood, Jacqueline gained super-human speed and became the costumed hero known as Spitfire and fought alongside the Invaders during the war.
Concluding his story, Kenneth explains that his mother retired from heroics as her powers began to fade. His uncle Brain succeeded as Union Jack until he died in a car accident in 1953. Montgomery wanted Kenneth to continue the family tradition but he declined as he had no interest in being a costumed super-hero. Hearing all this for the first time is amazing to Joey, who had no idea how closely connected his friend was to the Invaders.[1]
Meanwhile, Baron Blood returns to his hideout where he has been posing as the local physician, Doctor Cromwell. He is visited by Jenny a local waitress who he has been “treating” for anemia and welcomes her inside.
At that same moment, Captain America is meeting with officers from Scotland Yard and soon they begin a sweep of the area to try and find out where Baron Blood is hiding out. However, it is Kenneth and Joey who find the vital clue when they are out drinking at the local pub. Served by Jenny, they come to her aid when she suddenly feels faint. Removing a choker from around her neck so she can breath, they are shocked to discover the tell-tale bite marks of a vampire on her neck.
Back in the United States, Anna Keppelbaum and Bernie Rosenthal have decided to clean up Steve Rogers apartment while he’s away in England. Anna has noticed that Bernie has developed a fondness for Steve and begins gently recommending that the young woman pursue her romantic interest. This conversation is interrupted by a phone call from one of Steve’s employers who is angry that the freelance artist isn’t around to take a job they need them for. Watching Bernie take the call, Anna wonders if she is getting ahead of herself when wondering if wedding bells are in the future.
Meanwhile, Captain America has returned to Falsworth Manor with no leads on where to find Baron Blood. There he finds Montgomery putting on his own Union Jack costume, wanting to get involved even though he is confined to a wheelchair. Overhearing her father talking about wanting to stop Baron Blood makes Jacqueline consider becoming Spitfire again, but she decides against it since that part of her life is long over. She then tries to convince her father that he is out of his mind if he thinks he is going after Baron Blood. As if to punctuate how frail he is, Montgomery suffers a heart attack. Doctor Cromwell is called in and tells Montgomery he will be fine and asks Cap and Jacqueline to step out so they can talk in private. That’s when Baron Blood removes his disguise and threatens to turn his brother into a vampire so he can spent eternity suffering in his frail form. However, this is not Montgomery Falsworth at all, but someone else in the Union Jack costume.
Although armed with a gun and a silver dagger, this new Union Jack is too inexperienced to fight the vampire alone. Luckily, the commotion draws in Captain America and he lends an assist. Before Blood can bite Union Jack, Cap rips down the curtains flooding the room in light. As the vampire tries to escape, Captain America tackles him and realizes that he has no choice but to kill Baron Blood to end his tyranny. Remembering what Montgomery told him about killing vampires and uses his shield to decapitate his foe. With the battle over, everyone is surprised when the new Union Jack removes his mask and reveals that he is none other than Kenneth’s friend, Joey Chapman. Soon, they burn Baron Blood’s remains in order to destroy him once and for all.[2] It’s then that Montgomery Falsworth’s heart finally gives out, Captain America figures that the old man could finally let go now that he knows that threat of his brother has finally come to an end. However, Montgomery Falsworth’s legacy will live on as Joey Chapman has decided to continue being the next Union Jack.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Baron Blood, Bernie Rosenthal, Anna Kupplebaum, Jacqueline Falsworth, Montgomery Falsworth, Kennith Crichton, Joey Chapman,
Continuity Notes
There is a lot to unpack here all at once about the Falsworth family and Baron Blood. The details:
Montgomery Falsworth was the original Union Jack who fought in World War I and II, as detailed in Invaders #7. He retired after being crippled in Invaders #8. As the Sliding Timescale pushes the Modern Age forward in time it becomes increasingly impossible for Falsworth to still be alive in this story. How Falsworth can still be alive without some sort of life extending process is as yet unexplained. This is discussed in more detail in the summary for last issue.
Jacquelin Crichton, nee Falsworth, is Montgomery’s daughter. She became the hero known as Spitfire after gaining superhuman powers when a blood transfusion from the android Human Torch interacted with a vampire bite in Invaders #11-12. Although not implicitly stated anywhere, presumably Jackie’s relative youth has something to do with the blood transfusion she received during the War. This is supported by the fact that after she received a second transfusion from the Torch in Namor the Sub-Mariner #12 caused her to de-age.
Baron Blood is a vampire so his perseverance should be obvious. His transformation into a vampire was chronicled in Invaders #8-9. This story states that Baron Blood has been in a state of death since his defeat at the hands of the Invaders in Invaders #39-41. However, had been revived on other occasions and was active as late as 1959, see the summary for last issue for more on this.
Brian Falsworth became the next Union Jack in Invaders #19. His death was mentioned last issue. His funeral is seen in Citizen V and the V-Battalion: Everlasting #1.
Although Baron Blood is seemingly destroyed for good here he is resurrected by Ormon Wychwood of Mys-Tech in Knights of the Pendragon (vol. 2) #10-11.
