Duke Josef Carmelita Strinbeck (his first and middle names are given in the third Girl Genius novel) is one of a pair of noblemen supporting the takeover attempt of Zola "Heterodyne". He is seen in the pink airship that brought her to Mechanicsburg, expressing concern that being rushed and "wild card" elements like Castle Heterodyne and the real "Heterodyne girl" will interfere with their plans. His [ comments] [[Chronology - Volume #|✣ ]] about the Doom Bell suggest he's more pragmatic and less inclined towards fairy tales than the other nobleman, Baron Oublenmach.