When Serge Richthofen left school things didn't look good. He'd pretty much ignored his lessons and hadn't learnt anything. So Serge decided to put his strength to use and joined the army. However, after training for a while, Serge left. The gruelling hard work and terrible conditions weren't to his liking.

He travelled to Italy hoping for a better life but things just got worse. He'd entered the country illegally and couldn't get a decent job. Still, Serge had a friend who put him into contact with some people who, it turned out, worked for Rima Garibaldi. He joined their ranks as one of the old woman's henchmen whilst also working in her care home.

After six months, Serge realised things weren't much better in the pay of Garibaldi. Asking around, he managed to get recruited into one of CLAW's aeries in nearby Venice. Things were much better here. He had access to advanced weaponry and a little more respect. Sure, he was a low ranked agent but it was better than looking after an old woman.

For a couple of years, he stayed with this small cadre of CLAW agents. He'd managed to work his way up a little but promotion in the group was rare. The managers just overlooked him, probably due to his lack of qualifications and his Slav background. Serge wanted to be his own boss and a major crimelord in the area and CLAW just wasn't providing that.

So, over the next few months, he 'borrowed' one of CLAW's battlesuits based on an 'acquired' Unger Munitions design. Via a few contacts and a little dirty money he'd saved, he managed to hire the services of the Professor. The evil genius altered the battlesuit a little and incorporated a unique weapons system into the gauntlets.

Whilst his suit was being upgraded, Serge also contacted a number of people in the Red Brigade. He realised that he would need some henchmen to assist in his plan to become Overlord of Europe. These chaos-minded intellectuals were just the sort of people he needed.

When Serge was ready, he escaped CLAW's employ in one of their new skycars. He'd become quite an accomplished pilot during his time with CLAW and no one could keep up with him. Not long after, the Red Baron and his new Red Brigade started their reign of anarchy across southern Europe.

Serge has managed to work himself up from the gutter. He used to be nothing and now he's something and he plans to build on that. He wants to gain more power, more money, and more respect as a villain and he feels that joining the Headhunters is one step towards achieving that goal. He's never liked those do-gooder superheroes and is quite happy to take them down a peg or two.

Of course, Serge is just a trained agent with a powerful suit of high-tech armour and a couple of other toys. He's a little worried that, as he becomes more infamous, CLAW are going to take more of an interest and seek to get their property back. He therefore wants more money to buy more gadgets and weapons. Also, if he manages to gather together his own agents, like the Red Brigade, that should help to protect him as well.

In turn, the Red Brigade believe that, like them, the Red Baron is just doing what he does to bring down the establishment and replace it with anarchy. This is only partially true; he then wants to supplant their rule with his own, if possible.

"Red Baron, this is Red Leader. The rat is in the trap", chattered the radio in the Red Baron's headset.

Reflected streetlights gleamed from the chrome of the Red Baron's gauntlets and helmet as he stood looking over at the parliament building in the gloom. The 'rat', in this case, was one of the members of the Italian Senate and the 'trap' was a building that had been rigged with explosive earlier that day. As far as the Red Brigade knew, they were attacking yet another member of parliament in order to bring down the old and usher in the new. However, what they didn't know was that the Red Baron had taken an order for the death of this man and would make 20 thousand euros from this hit.

In the suit of high-tech armour, the Red Baron smiled.

"Excellent", he muttered into his radio microphone as he steepled the fingers in front of him. "Time for the Brigade to disappear", he added.

He waited a moment longer and then lifted up his mirrored, left gauntlet to near his visor. By now, having taken out the guards around the building and planted the explosives, his agile agents would be converging on his Skycar away from the building. He was free to detonate the device. In a somewhat louder voice, he cried out,

"May the Red Reign of Anarchy prevail!"

And, with his right gauntlet, he pressed a button on his left. There was a dull thump and then a high-pitched whoosh as bright, red light streamed out of the building into the night sky. The Red Baron stepped back and a second later there was an almighty boom as the small building in front of him collapsed into dust and rumble.

With a grin, the Red Baron pressed another button on his gauntlet and the boot jets in his armoured battlesuit fired into life. With a quick salute, he blasted off into the night sky and towards his gleaming red Skycar.

Serge Richthofen is pretty much a normal athletic man. He has a variety of fighting and general skills obtained whilst in the army and working for CLAW but otherwise he's a standard human. His only powers come from his Red Baron armour.

The battlesuit increases his strength, dexterity and stamina somewhat as well as increasing his fighting abilities and his protection from harm. The head-up display in the helmet enhances his senses and provides radio comms and infrared detection.

The suit's main power is the gauntlet-fitted weapons system which fires crimson force beams. These ruby beams can blast a meddling hero, ensnare them in bands of shimmering scarlet force, hold and lift them, or even hit them with enormous pressures.

In case of emergencies, the Red Baron's armour can teleport the wearer to his nearby Skycar. This is a swift VTOL aircraft, similar to a Moller 400 skycar, but fitted with a dozen, red Hellfire missiles. Since starting his career as the Red Baron, Serge has also enlisted the aid of the Red Brigade to his cause and can call upon their agents when required.

Out of costume, Serge is not exactly a memorable figure. He's about average height and average build, with short, mousy brown hair, blue eyes and a moustache. To enhance his stature, he tends to wear well-tailored suits. These smart and fashionable clothes, together with his well-groomed appearance, give him a much more imposing and refined quality than he actually possesses. Still, he never looks that comfortable in a suit.

On the other hand, the Red Baron battlesuit is a large and powerful piece of equipment, making the wearer look like a seven-foot tall, muscle-bound behemoth. The suit moves with significant grace and enhances the wearer's natural strength, agility and stamina. The main body of the armour is an imposing solid red in colour. The gauntlets, boots and helmet are detachable from the main suit and finished with a chrome exterior.