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The Loyal Order of the Knights of Jove, often called the Knights of Jove or the Order for brevity, are major antagonists in the print-and-web comic series Girl Genius by Phil & Kaja Foglio.

The Order was founded two centuries before the comic's start as the honour guard of the Storm King Andronicus Valois. However, over time, the order degenerated into a conspiratorial secret society. Different factions of the Order have different goals: some want to create a pan-European monarchy under a new Storm King, some want to aid in the plans of Lucrezia Mongfish, and some have their own independent aims. A few branches of the Order are on the side of the comic's heroes (e.g. some splinters loyal to Tarvek Sturmvoraus), but most of the Order are on the side of the villains and antagonists of the comic.

History[]

Early History[]

The Order was founded as the honor guard of the Storm King Andronicus Valois in the 17th century. Following the burial of Andronicus, it was commonly assumed that the Order was dissolved (Vol. 8 p. 2). However it continued to exist in secret. As Zola Malfeazium explained (Vol. 9 p. 36), they spent the centuries keeping track of Andronicus' lineage until they had a suitable heir. Members of the Order largely consisted of royal and noble families.

Mongfish Involvement[]

At one point, the Mongfish family of Sparks joined the Knights of Jove. The Mongfishes "got the Order whipped into shape" and used their knowledge of biology to produce an appropriate heir.

In the 19th century, Lucrezia Mongfish made the Knights of Jove swear allegiance to her and assisted in her goals as the Other (Vol. 6 p. 32, Vol. 10 p. 73). Prince Aaronev Wilhelm Sturmvoraus, the head of the order, worked the Geisterdamen in tracking down Lucrezia's daughter to be put in a Summoning Engine. However, factions of the Order were not pleased with working for Lucrezia (Vol. 5 p. 76, Vol. 15 p. 66, ibid. p. 75) and covertly had plans of their own, with the feelings seemingly mutual on Lucrezia's part (Vol. 10 p. 76).

Storm King Conspiracy[]

As Baron Klaus Wulfenbach conquered Europa under his banner, many high-born families in the Order began conspiring to overthrow him and take control of his empire for themselves. This plan was meant to end in a descendant of Andronicus Valois ruling the continent as a new Storm King. Different factions of the Order had their own ideal heirs, but the two most notable candidates are Aaronev Tarvek Sturmvoraus and Martellus von Blitzengaard.

After Baron Wulfenbach was wounded in Sturmhalten, parts of the Order put their plans into action prematurely. One faction had Zola Malfeazium go to Mechanicsburg where she would claim to be the long lost Heterodyne heir. The plan (Vol. 9 p. 19-20) was for a Storm King (possibly Martellus) to rescue Zola in battle and fall in love with her, ensuring his legitimacy in claiming the title. Zola entered Castle Heterodyne to claim it as her own. However, this aspect of the plan was seriously complicated by the existance of Agatha Heterodyne, a genuine Heterodyne heir who entered the Castle on the same day as Zola with the same intent.

It was around this time that a faction of the Knights of Jove led by Rudolf Selnikov (Vol. 7 p. 101) attacked Mechanicsburg. However, this attack was stopped by Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, who destroyed their army swiftly with his lightning generators.

Zola was later defeated by Agatha, thwarting that part of the Storm King conspiracy. A legitimate Heterodyne with no involvement in the conspiracy forced the Order to rethink it's plans.

The situation in Mechanicsburg descended into a state of battle as Baron Wulfenbach's armies laid siege to the city. During the siege, a faction of the Knights of Jove (Vol. 12 p. 148) led by Martellus von Blitzengaard landed in the city to help Agatha defend it, with the hopes of gaining an alliance with her. Agatha and the Knights were able to beat back the Baron's army, though Agatha had no interest in allying with Martellus.

Post-Mechanicsburg[]

Following the Siege of Mechanicsburg, the Order's plans were almost completely in tatters. Baron Wulfenbach froze Mechanicsburg in a time-bubble, with both Tarvek and Martellus presumably still inside. Branches of the Order began orchestrating rebellions against the Wulfenbach regime without consulting the others (Vol. 13 p. 125), which caused Europa to revert back to the vicious "Long War" that predated Wulfenbach and the Heterodyne Boys. The initial plan of the Storm King conspiracy was to wrest control of Wulfenbach's empire, but now there was no empire to speak of.

"Grandma" Terebithia took charge of the council in lieu of much of it's old leadership. Terebithia broke off the alliance that her family still had with Lucrezia's allies. At one point it was discovered that Gilgamesh Wulfenbach had royal blood. This, in turn, led to Terebithia making negotiations with young Wulfenbach so that he would be the Order's new Storm King (ibid. p. 83-84), which seemed like a decent compromise in the absence of Tarvek or Martellus.

Two years after the siege, Martellus von Blitzengaard unexpectedly returned with Agatha alongside him. He massacred a whole slew of the Order's other conspirators and took charge of the Refuge of Storms himself. With one of the original heirs back, many branches of the Order abandoned their plan to work with Wulfenbach and pledged themselves to Martellus. However, some members like Margarella Selnikov were loyal to Tarvek's claim instead.

It is unclear who Terebithia supports within the Order. Though Zola Malfeazium had been written off by the Order, Terebithia helped her escape Paris after a failed takeover. At the same time, she showed a willingness to work with both Tarvek and Martellus during their respective stays in Paris.

Members and Associates[]

The Knights of Jove have many members. However it isn't clarified what the hierarchy within the Order is, nor is what qualifies someone as a member. The Order appears to have multiple "circles" (Vol. 10 p. 73), so someone may still be a member without having authority within the Order. This is complicated further by the Order being deeply fragmented (Vol. 13 p. 125). The following is a list of people known to work in, with, or for the Knights of Jove (sorted by the names of their families, alphabetically):

• Leopold von Blitzengaard: One of the claimants to the throne of the Storm King. Suffered death by Martellus.
• Prince Martellus von Blitzengaard: One of the candidates for the throne of the Storm King, and a major leader in the order. Currently the arch-nemesis of his cousin and rival claimant, Tarvek Sturmvoraus. Spark.
• Princess Xerxsephnia "Seffie" von Blitzengaard: The sister of Martellus von Blitzengaard.
• Zola Malfeazium: Or, as she calls herself, "Zola Heterodyne". Niece of Lucrezia Mongfish on her mother's side. Was seleted by the Order to act as a fake Heterodyne heir and legitimize their new Storm King.
• Doctor Lucifer Mongfish: Father of Lucrezia Mongfish. Created "sparkhounds" employed by the von Blitzengaards. Spark.
• Lady Lucrezia (Mongfish) Heterodyne: AKA the Other. Daughter of Lucifer Mongfish, wife of William Heterodyne, and mother of Agatha Heterodyne. Was "hot stuff" (Vol. 16 p. 75) with the Order's men. Made the Order swear service to her (Vol. 6 p. 32), with Wilhelm Sturmvoraus being among her most zealous allies. Other factions turned against her the second they had the chance. Spark.
• Count Oömfumf: A Spark promptly done away with by his enemy Count Wolkerstorfer.
• Baron Krassimir Oublenmach: One of the major backers of Zola Malfeazium. According to Agatha H. and the Voice of the Castle, Oublenmach bought his barony with money he got from a mix of piracy and con artistry. He eventually abandoned the conspiracy (Vol. 11 p. 71) and revealed he was only in it for the money.
• Lord Rudolf Selnikov: Helped Anevka Sturmvoraus work against the Other when she returned. Also tried to assault Castle Heterodyne before being blown up by Gil.
• Lady Margarella Oklazavich Selnikov: Wife of Rudolf Selnikov. Conspired to break into the Corbettite vaults at St. Szpac.
• Gottmurg Snarlantz: A Spark who watched over Lucrezia's hive engines. Tried and failed to improve them.
• Princess Anevka Sturmvoraus: The daughter of Aaronev Wilhelm Sturmvoraus and sister of Tarvek Sturmvoraus. After a freak lab accident, her mind was transferred from a human body to a mechanical one. Said mechanical body later became home to Lucrezia.
• Prince Aaronev Tarvek Sturmvoraus: One of the candidates for the throne of the Storm King. Son of Wilhelm, and descendant of Andronicus Valois on his (unnamed) mother's side. Suitor to Agatha Heterodyne. Arch-nemesis to his cousin and rival claimant Martellus von Blitzengaard. Despite being a Storm King claimant, he doesn't hold much direct power in the Order (Vol. 12. p. 37). Spark.
• Prince Aaronev Wilhelm Sturmvoraus: AKA Aaronev VI. Father of Tarvek Sturmvoraus. Fanatically loyal to Lucrezia Mongfish. Was killed by the hands of his mechanical daughter Anevka Sturmvoraus. Spark.
• Duke Josef Carmelita Strinbeck: One of the major backers of Zola Malfeazium. A deposed Duke of Lithuania. Vanamonde in Agatha H. and the Voice of the Castle described him as "an idiot".
• Terebithia, Dowagaer Princess of Sturmhalten: Grandmother of Tarvek, Martellus, and Xerxsephnia, who often simply call her "Grandmother" or "Grandma". Following the siege of Mechanicsburg, she took a leading role in the Order. Always hated Lucrezia Mongfish (Vol. 16 p. 66) and, once the chance arose, declared the Order's independence from the Other.
• Professor Hristo Tiktoffen: A Spark in service to the Order, or at least as much as he's technically serving everyone else (and nobody else).
• Count Wolkerstorfer: A very forgetful Spark specializing in magnetism.
• "His Grace the Third Duke of some kingdom that technically no longer existed": "Identified" as such in Agatha H. and the Voice of the Castle; also called "The Idiot in an Awesome Hat" on the official Volume Seven Cast. Helped Lord Selnikov try and fail to take Mechanicsburg.
• The Abbess of the Red Cathedral: The unnamed abbess presiding over the Red Cathedral in Mechanicsburg. Worked with Martellus von Blitzengaard, and supplied him with Bloodstone Paladin clanks in the siege of the city. Tried and failed to keep Agatha Heterodyne prisoner.

External Links[]

• Knights of Jove on the Girl Genius Wiki.
• The Storm King conspiracy on the Girl Genius Wiki.
• The Council on the Girl Genius Wiki.

Villains

Forces of the Other Geisterdamen | Lucifer Mongfish | Lucrezia Mongfish | Madwa Korel | Slaver Wasps | Zola Malfeazium Knights of Jove & affiliates Aaronev Wilhelm Sturmvoraus | Anevka Sturmvoraus | Jaron | Knights of the Hunt | Martellus von Blitzengaard | Rudolf Selnikov | Zola Malfeazium Wulfenbach Empire Bangladesh DuPree | Baron Klaus Wulfenbach | Vole Misc. Beast of the Rails | Castle Heterodyne | Dimitri Vapnoople | Drusus Beausoleil | Ferretina | Dr. Francisia Monahan | Prof. Hristo Tiktoffen | Othar Tryggvassen | Polar Lords | Shining Brotherhood | Silas Merlot | Quintillius Harmon, Lord Snackleford