Why are there no German Superheroes?

**stelok** · 06-05-2010, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Lorendiac

By the way -- when JMS started his run on "Amazing Spider-Man," he created a new villain called Morlun who goes around sucking the energy out of superhumans who have animal-themed powers. Right before he started hunting Spidey (because it was time for a spider-totem meal to keep Morlun's strength up) he killed a German-speaking metahuman he had chained up down in the hold of a ship, I think.

I believe that character only existed for a few panels onstage. I believe he had a red eagle-emblem on his chest, suggesting that in the rotation schedule Morlun used, it was about time for him to devour someone else's eagle-powered lifeforce (or maybe any "bird of prey" would have done, for all I know).

A little online research tells me that somewhere along the line, it was established that the hero's name was "Bundesadler." And he had been a hero, rather than a villain, while he lasted.

His entire entry at http://www.marvunapp.com/master/bumbz.htm says:

BUNDESADLER (Sigismund Bismarck) - German, victim of Morlun
--Amazing Spider-Man II#30

So yes, it looks like that one scene was his entire career (as far as published appearances go). Poor Sigismund may have done hundreds of heroic things in the past, before he fell into Morlun's clutches -- but we never got to see or hear about any of them!

Bundesadler means "federal eagle" in German.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesadler

**Rod G** · 06-05-2010, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by Rod G

Let's see . . .

So far we have Nightcrawler and Der Blitzkrieger (Marvel),the Wild Huntsman (DC) and Donner (Milestone).

Addition: In the pages of Troy Hickman's Holey Crullers/Common Grounds,there is a superhero called (get a load of THIS one) . . . Volks-Wagner.

Seriously.

Volks-Wagner: Nein,fraulein!Das ist mein auto!

**Magneto X** · 06-05-2010, 11:48 PM

Nightcawler's been a hero for 35 years and dead for a month, so he counts.

Originally Posted by elikal

We have Black heroes, Asian heroes ...

You realize that Black and Asian are not anywhere near the same ballpark as Germans?
Together Blacks and Asians are, what, 70% of the planet? So I think you'll have to wait in line behind China and India and Indonesia for this gripe.
A comparison to Germans would be maybe Ethiopians, Bangladeshis, Nigerians, or Persians. How many Nightcrawlers (and Seftons and Mavericks) do they each have?

**holeycrullers** · 06-06-2010, 03:56 AM

Originally Posted by Rod G

Let's see . . .

So far we have Nightcrawler and Der Blitzkrieger (Marvel),the Wild Huntsman (DC) and Donner (Milestone).

Addition: In the pages of Troy Hickman's Holey Crullers/Common Grounds,there is a superhero called (get a load of THIS one) . . . Volks-Wagner.

Seriously.

I'm not sure we can say "seriously," but yup, he's in there, and he's been surprisingly popular for a character who appeared in a couple of panels. I wonder if I could sell Top Cow on a mini-series. I'll "bug" 'em about it...

**stelok** · 06-06-2010, 11:58 PM

If there is a Bundesadler in the present time, then there should be a Nazi villain named "Reichsadler" (English: Empire's Eagle, Imperial Eagle or Eagle of the Empire)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichsadler

The Germans today have avoided using the word "Reich" (Empire or realm) since after the end of WWII. Now they prefer to use the word "Bund".

**Dizzy D** · 06-07-2010, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by Monty_Cristo

was Maverick (wolverine's ally from Weapon 10) german?

Born in West Germany, yes, but with a name like David North, probably born on a American military base within Germany or something like that. (Though now I'm looking him up, David North was retconned into an alias and his real name was Cristoph Nord.)

At least one member of the V-batallion was german, but I can't remember his name. (Looking it up: Iron Cross was his name.)

I wonder if Nocturne counts, being the daughter of Nightcrawler.

**Lonewolf36** · 06-07-2010, 09:35 AM

Marvel's German heroes include

Bundesadler - slain by Morlun
Dachs - slain by morlun
Nightcrawler of the X-Men
Sabrebat - armored hero
Iron Cross of the V-Battalion
Key of SHIELD and later EuroForce
Maverick of the Weapon X Program
Vormund ally of Captain America
Blitzkrieger from the Contest of Champions
Courier
Achilles of the Pantheon

**Evil-Spidey** · 06-16-2010, 03:15 AM

Nightcrawler
Mr. Verboten
Captain Sieg-Heil
Bierman and his sidekick Sauerkrautboy
Captain Lederhose
Lady Hakenkreuz
Dr. Punktlich
Mr.Ordnung

**Lorendiac** · 06-16-2010, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by Dizzy D

I wonder if Nocturne counts, being the daughter of Nightcrawler.

I would say: "No, she doesn't count for the purpose of this thread."

I think the original question was looking for superheroes who were born and raised as German citizens; not just heroes who were apparently born and raised in the USA, but happen to have Germanic surnames due to heredity. Offhand, I don't recall any evidence that Nocturne even speaks the German language, although I could be forgetting something!

**Kolymar** · 06-16-2010, 01:00 PM

An old list with some names already mentioned and some additions

DC

Wild Huntsman /"Wild Jagdreiter" (Albrecht von Mannheim) (Global Guardians)
Fleur
Hendricks II / Hans Hendricksen/The Weapons Master (Blackhawks)
Hendricks III / Capt. Ritter Hendricksen (Blackhawks)
Shreck (East German) (Red Shadows)

Marvel

Blitzkrieg (Schutz Heiliggrupper/"The Holy Protectors")
Captain Germany/"Hauptman Deutchland"/Vormund/"Guardian" (Schutz Heiliggrupper)
Courier
Daytripper, ally of X-Men (Excalibur)
Hauptmann Englande (Captain Corps, Lightning Squad)
Iron Cross
Key (EuroForce) <Marvel Italia>
Kommandant Englander (Captain Corps)
Lump/"Klumpen" of Shield
Maverick
Nightcrawler (X-Men, Excalibur)
Phantom Eagle (Freedom's Five)

UNForce. . Domino

Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft. . Captain Mors

Hillman. . the Heap
Valkyrie (Air Maidens)

Homage. . Iron Cross

Innervision. . Der Vandale (Nazi party member Wolfgang Von Holten disgusted after seeing a Jew gunned down in a Berlin street by Nazis)

Smith. . Baron Munchausen

Other. . Wupperman (local to German town of Wuppertal)
Captain Elberfeld
Lichtscheid

**stelok** · 06-16-2010, 01:12 PM

The correct German translation for "The Holy Protectors" is die heiligen Beschützer.

Heiliggrupper never exists in the German language at all.

**Kolymar** · 06-16-2010, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by stelok

The correct German translation for "The Holy Protectors" is die heiligen Beschützer.

Heiliggrupper never exists in the German language at all.

Well, I didn't translate it so I'm completely blameless. I only know how to curse and a few more basic things in German. Mainly how to curse.

**Jeremy A. Patterson** · 07-09-2010, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by Kolymar

An old list with some names already mentioned and some additions

DC

Wild Huntsman /"Wild Jagdreiter" (Albrecht von Mannheim) (Global Guardians)
Fleur
Hendricks II / Hans Hendricksen/The Weapons Master (Blackhawks)
Hendricks III / Capt. Ritter Hendricksen (Blackhawks)
Shreck (East German) (Red Shadows)

Marvel

Blitzkrieg (Schutz Heiliggrupper/"The Holy Protectors")
Captain Germany/"Hauptman Deutchland"/Vormund/"Guardian" (Schutz Heiliggrupper)
Courier
Daytripper, ally of X-Men (Excalibur)
Hauptmann Englande (Captain Corps, Lightning Squad)
Iron Cross
Key (EuroForce) <Marvel Italia>
Kommandant Englander (Captain Corps)
Lump/"Klumpen" of Shield
Maverick
Nightcrawler (X-Men, Excalibur)
Phantom Eagle (Freedom's Five)

UNForce. . Domino

Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft. . Captain Mors

Hillman. . the Heap
Valkyrie (Air Maidens)

Homage. . Iron Cross

Innervision. . Der Vandale (Nazi party member Wolfgang Von Holten disgusted after seeing a Jew gunned down in a Berlin street by Nazis)

Smith. . Baron Munchausen

Other. . Wupperman (local to German town of Wuppertal)
Captain Elberfeld
Lichtscheid

That is a great list!

J.A.P.