Baroness

Few villains have proven as enduringly magnetic as Baroness, who made her entrance in the very first issue of Marvel's G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero in 1982 — a landmark Bronze Age debut crafted by the legendary Larry Hama and Don Perlin that launched one of comics' most beloved franchises. Over more than four decades of publication, she has remained a fixture of the G.I. Joe universe, racking up 152 catalog appearances and 11 key-issue credits that speak to just how central she is to the mythology. She keeps dangerous company — sharing pages with the likes of Destro, Cobra Commander, and the formidable Scarlett — which tells you everything about the high-stakes world she inhabits. Whether you're a longtime collector or just discovering the G.I. Joe universe, Baroness is the kind of character whose presence in an issue immediately signals that something significant is about to unfold.