BD Synopsis

History of Baron Dark, main antagonist of the Skeleton Warriors series.

Cartoon

Flesh & Bone

“	Light, darkness. The two sides of existence locked in an eternal struggle for the hearts and minds of the living. Each side claims its share, but what of those caught in between? Which way will they turn?	„
	~ Opening narration

Comics

Taking place in an alternate continuity meant to promote the animated series (though still written by the original creator, Gary Goddard), Marvel's comic book series continues the story sometime after Baron Dark transforms his underlings into the Skeleton Warriors and takes over Luminicity, separating itself off the original show from the middle portion of the very first episode.

#1: Dark Dawn

“	Dawn. The glorious hour of resurrection. Of twittering birds and lemon shafts of sunshine. Sweet morning scents, sparkling dewdrops and new beginnings. But not today. A lot has happened in the last twenty-four hours. And the last thing the birds feel like doing today is twittering.	„
	~ Opening narration

Baron Dark is fittingly the first character to be introduced in the comic, in both the cover and the very first page.

He is first seen sitting on his throne, pondering about how Luminicity is finally his, how easy it was and how not only the city but the entire planet finally belongs to him. As he looks outside a broken window and observes some of his skeleton guards subjugating a soon-to-be-turned humans, he knows victory is not yet complete, not until he has the other half of the Lightstar Crystal.

A few of the guards bring in a human who claims to know the whereabouts of the three members of the royal family who recently escaped from him: Justin, Jennifer and Joshua. Curious at first, Baron Dark turns to the human and tells him to speak, or else he shall skin him alive.

The terrified fleshling is bold enough to ask what the Baron will give him for the information. At first, Baron Dark doesn't take the question too kindly and lifts the human in the air with one arm, but immediately agrees and claims that if he gives him the royal family he shall give him a reward beyond his wildest dreams.

The human mentions the Shadow Mountains and some crazy old man. From this, Baron Dark deduces he's talking about Justin, Jennifer and Joshua's uncle Ursak, who lives there. He drops the human to the floor and summons his Skeleton Warriors, getting them ready for battle. The human, still on the floor, reminds the Baron of his reward, and just before leaving Baron Dark turns the fleshling into a Skeleton Warrior, revealing the reward he'd been promised was immortality.

Baron Dark and his dark minions ride to the Shadow Mountains, to let Prince Lightstar know the wrath of the Skeleton Warriors.

After a failed training session from Ursak, the Legion of Light, composed of Justin (now Prince Lightstar), Jennifer (now Talyn) and Joshua (now Grimskull), step outside the entrance to their base inside a cave in the Shadow Mountains, and are attacked by the Skeleton Warriors who have just arrived, Grimskull being alerted only a second before thanks to a being mentally linked to Baron Dark.

The Legion of Light's powers granted to them by the Lightstar Crystal allow them to keep up with the invincible Skeleton Warriors, but they're soon overwhelmed.

As the minions separate all three members of the Legion of Light as per the Baron's orders, Baron Dark stops Grimskull from saving his brother so he can talk to him. Just as the Lightstar Crystal gave him the power to warp through darkness, Baron Dark claims that he dwells in the shadows and always struggles towards the light, but as they are soul-mates since he feels the Baron's presence every time he steps into Grimskull's mystic Shadow World, the Baron tells him to cease his struggling and release the darkness within.

Grimskull yells no and shoots the Baron's arm off with his laser rifle, but it's useless. Baron Dark says that he and the Skeleton Warriors can never be destroyed, and that though Grimskull fights for the light he knows deep within that he belongs to the dark. He asks Grimskull to join him, to give him the other half of the Lightstar Crystal and they shall be brothers as he and Prince Lightstar never were.

Once again, Grimskull denies the offer but it's harder for him to resist the Baron's presence in his mind, and Ursak swoops in to save Grimskull and Prince Lightstar, destroying the other Skeleton Warriors. As Ursak passes by him, Baron Dark jokingly tells the warrior to take care, since at his age physical exertion may prove hazardous.

Baron Dark lets them go, telling Dr. Cyborn that they've been bested by their true masters and that his little conversation with young Grimskull will inevitably bear fruit. The Skeleton Warriors enter the training tunnel to see what the Legion of Light were doing inside the mountain, and as said mountain explodes, Ursak claims he'd armed the base's self-destruct system as soon as the Skeleton Warriors had attacked.

Immediately afterwards, Baron Dark emerges from the mountain's remains, calm and unharmed, claiming there will be other meetings, other battles.