Baron Werner Ünderbheit
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Baron Werner Ünderbheit IV is a fictional character and antagonist appearing on the Adult Swim show The Venture Bros. He is voiced by T. Ryder Smith and is a close parody of the famous Marvel Comics supervillain Doctor Doom: he bears a physical deformity, wears armor and a cloak, and is the tyrannical ruler of a small nation. His first name is even strikingly similar to the last name of Doom's adopted son, Kristoff Vernard. He has a very close physical resemblance to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series villain Trap-Jaw. To a lesser extent, he bears some physical resemblance to X-Men villain Apocalypse.
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[edit] Character history
Ünderbheit is a villain and member of the Guild of Calamitous Intent, and he seems to be one of its more competent members shown so far (Hank and Dean Venture believe him to be their father's arch-nemesis). He is also the dictator of Ünderland, a country smaller than Delaware that borders Michigan, though based on the accent that Werner and his henchmen display they appear very similar to the Germanic region of Europe (similar to Latveria, the fictional nation ruled by Marvel villain Dr. Doom).
Men in Ünderland serve a mandatory term in the nation's army, after which they are executed at the age of 38. The Baron's closest confidante is his slave Manservant, who was a gift from his parents when he was in college. His inner circle of national advisors was composed of Catclops (a cyclops with a cat's face in place of an eye), Girl Hitler (a female resembling Adolf Hitler, even having his signature mustache), and Manic Eightball (a human magic 8-ball); shortly after their first appearance in the series, however, he attempted to execute them for treason (before trying to kill them with bombs strapped to tigers, he gave them gifts of Tiger Balm -- an oblique reference to the upcoming "tiger bombs"). All three survived the assault, however: Catclops and Girl Hitler became leaders of an underground movement that plays practical jokes on Ünderbheit, while Manic Eightball is kept as a personal prisoner and source of advice.
Ünderbheit seems to rule his home country ruthlessly. The nation's laws, which include mandatory attendance at national landmarks (including the "Ünderbheit Birth Crevasse"), are collectively known as "Ünderlaw." There are no prisons in Ünderland, as the Baron has seen fit to impose the death penalty for all infractions of Ünderlaw. Public morale is enforced in an equally violent manner; although production in the child slave mines doubled with the introduction of "benzene chewables", dilly-dallying increased. The problem was addressed by amputating the feet of the "alpha males and popular girls."
Ünderbheit's most distinguishing physical feature is his metal jaw. According to Ünderbheit, he was forced to have the metal replacement installed after an accident in college that was most likely caused by his lab partner, a young Dr. Venture. As he told fellow villain The Monarch, where he comes from "a lab partnership is a sacred trust" which Venture failed to honor properly. The jaw can be detached or rotated over the top of his head, although Ünderbheit's tongue hangs grotesquely from his exposed throat. The metallic teeth are apparently strong and sharp enough to saw through a thick chain.
Before suffering his disfiguring accident, Ünderbheit shared a tenuous friendship in college with Venture, Pete White (who was his roommate), and Mike Sorayama. On occasion, Ünderbheit's overbearing, imperious manner caused friction between himself and the others, although Venture and White often allied themselves with him in order to play jokes on Sorayama. Ünderbheit incurred Sorayama's wrath by tricking him into smoking oregano while insisting that it was potent Ünterland cannabis. Although Sorayama experienced a severe allergic reaction to the spice and nearly died, he was more upset over subsequently missing a study date with a girl on whom he had an intense crush.
After college, Ünderbheit returned to Ünderland, where he became the ruler (the chain of events that led to this appointment has not been explained as yet; as Pete White described him as " a prince or something," it is likely he inherited the throne). He vowed to get revenge upon Dr. Venture for disfiguring him, and he views him as the last remaining enemy of Ünderland. In the episode "Home Insecurity," he dispatched a squad of soldiers to deposit a scorpion in Venture's bedroom, but coincidentally The Monarch had implemented a similar scheme in which his henchmen released a tarantula at the same time; the two arachnids fought each other until Venture awoke. Ünderbheit and The Monarch argued vehemently over who deserved the honor of killing their mutual foe, until they eventually resolved to cooperate. Unfortunately, Dr. Venture's out-of-control security android decimated both teams of henchmen. The Baron also appeared in the episode "Tag Sale -- You're It!," in which The Monarch manipulated him into starting a riot.
[edit] Dethroning and exile from Ünderland
In the Baron's most prominent role to date, he forced the Ventures' plane to crash-land in Ünderland and imprisoned most of the team in a pantry (due to the aforementioned lack of prisons). As the group was returning from a costume party, however, Dean Venture was dressed as Princess Leia Organa; the costume and Dean's slender frame led Ünderbheit to believe that Dean was actually "Dawn," a previously unknown Venture daughter. Falling in love with "Dawn" at first sight, the Baron declared his intention to marry her the next day. With Brock's help, the "resistance" (previously content to merely play practical jokes on the Baron) stormed the castle and interrupted the wedding, although too late to stop the nuptials. After Dean was revealed as a male, Catclops and Girl Hitler arrested Ünderbheit for same-sex marriage and exiled Ünderbheit. The nation became a democracy with Girl Hitler as its new president. The ousted Baron was subsequently forced to sheepishly ask The Monarch for a temporary place to live.
[edit] Basis
As noted, Ünderbheit is a parody of the Marvel comics supervillain Doctor Doom; The Monarch even disparagingly refers to him as a "dime-store Doctor Doom." Both characters are rulers of fictional nations with subjects who are blindly loyal to them. Doom and Ünderbheit were both foreign exchange students at American universities where they met their respective nemeses, who they blame for inflicting horrible disfigurements on them. Both characters hide their mutilation with metallic attachments: Doom wears a mask in order to obscure facial scarring while Ünderbheit wears a prosthetic jaw to replace his natural one. It should be noted that while Doom wrongly blames Reed Richards for his accident, it is quite likely that Venture is indeed responsible for the loss of Ünderbheit's jaw; though in "Love-Bheits" Venture says nothing was proven.
Ünderbheit's appearance also draws somewhat from Apocalypse, another Marvel Comics character, and his voice bears a resemblence to that of John Colicos' rendering of Apocalypse in X-Men: The Animated Series, although the thick German accent is a deliberate parody. Ünderbheit's prosethetic jaw, bald head and red costume also makes him resemble Star Wars video game villian Darth Malak.
[edit] Additional notes
The Baron's last name is a mock-Germanification of "underbite", a misalignment of the jaw. This reference can be considered a darkly humorous foreshadowing of the loss of his jaw (similar to Pete White being albino). It is unclear whether the same incident that cost Ünderbheit his jaw caused the loss of his hair, but in flashbacks the college-aged Werner has a mop of hair, whereas the "present-day" Baron is largely bald with a few strands of hair remaining. In "Love-Bheits," he wears a wig that resembles his college-era hairstyle; it is unclear whether this is merely a reminder of his youth or an indication that he wore a wig before his disfigurement.
| The Venture Bros. | |
|---|---|
| Characters Main | Secondary |
Hank Venture • Dean Venture • Dr. Thaddeus Venture • Brock Samson • H.E.L.P.eR. • Jonas Venture Junior Dr. Orpheus • Triana Orpheus • Pete White • Master Billy Quizboy • Molotov Cocktease • Myra Brandish The Monarch • Doctor Girlfriend • #21 • #24 • Baron Werner Ünderbheit • Phantom Limb |
| Organizations Prominent | Minor |
Team Venture/Venture Industries • Order of the Triad • Monarch Henchmen • Guild of Calamitous Intent |
| Cast and crew | Paul Boocock • Lisa Hammer • Steven Rattazzi • Michael Sinterniklaas • James Urbaniak • Patrick Warburton Jackson Publick • Doc Hammer • J. G. Thirlwell • World Leaders Entertainment |
| Episodes | Pilot • Season 1 • Season 2 • Specials • Phone Calls |
