| abstract | - His role in telling Agatha’s story is vital because his history provides not only the framing, but the continuity between her parents’ generation and her own. Without the Baron’s background, there is little context for naïve, small-town Agatha’s current struggles and the state of her world. He also contributes a “Scylla or Charybdis” dramatic conflict for Agatha to resolve; i.e., some of his actions must be opposed, but eliminating him would make things worse. In Heterodyne shows within the Girl Genius universe, Klaus is usually portrayed as cowardly or traitorous and functions as the much-abused comic relief. He has also been subject to rumors that he was really The Other or that he fled Europe after being rejected by Lucrezia. The real Baron Wulfenbach seems to tolerate these portrayals, making no attempt to censor them. This comic role is occassionally echoed within the series itself, such as with his foiling by Othar, paranoia about female Sparks, or manhandling by Bang. To paraphrase the actor who played him in Master Payne’s Circus, he’s comic because he tries to maintain his dignity. However, it is his stoic dignity, which highlights the more tragic elements of his character, that makes him so compelling and memorable.
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