DOCTOR REICH

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human, uses conventional weaponry, German citizen?

Occupation: Former dentist, former director of Sauerbraten Mental Health Facility

Group Membership: Former member of the Nazi Party; Leader of B. E. S. T. (Bozoes Eagerly Serving Tyrants)

Affiliations: Werner Blowhard, Mahagreasy Migraine Yogi, Nurse Barbara, Supreme Soofi, Reverend Joon Moon Yuc;
Former dentist to Adolf Hitler; served by nurse Barbara (possibly also his lover)

Enemies: Howard the Duck, Beverly Switzler, Winda Wester, and Paul Same (Winky Man);

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Adolf Hitler, der Fuhrer (posed as and believed self to be him)

Base of Operations: Formerly Sauerbraten Mental Health Facility, Sauerbraten, Ohio; Reverend Yuc's private university; and Dreadcliff Manor (somewhere in Ohio other than Cleveland)

First Appearance: Howard the Duck I#13 (June, 1977), (fully pictured) Howard the Duck I#14 (July, 1977)

Powers: None. Dr. Reich actually believed that he himself was Adolf Hitler. Some of his followers believed this as well. He formerly had access to the entire staff at Sauerbraten, and later was assisted by his allies in BEST. He demonstrated no superhuman abilities, although he was a somewhat skilled orator. He also used a small handgun, although his proficiency is undefined.

History: The man who would become known as Dr. Reich served as the dentist to Adolf Hitler. When Hitler died, it was this man who identified Hitler's body in its burned out bunker by his dentures. So obsessed was this man by his Fuhrer that he removed his own teeth and replaced them with Hitler's dentures. After some time, he came to believe himself to actually be Hitler.

Not much is known about the decades following World War II. Dr. Reich was first seen in the modern era as the much-shadowed director of Sauerbraten Mental Health Facility, where he was served by nurse Barbara, who was also apparently his lover. Dr. Reich, with assistance from Rev. Yuc, investigated the superhuman mental powers of an inmate Winda Wester. This involved an attempted exorcism and a peripheral encounter with Howard the Duck and Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan. Following these events, Reich, Barbara, and Yuc vacated Sauerbraten and relocated to Rev.Yuc's private university.

Reich organized the group BEST, recruiting several other would-be world conquerors in an effort to take over the minds of everyone on earth and place them under Reich's control. This plan hinged on harnessing the powers of Winda Wester. By duping Howard the Duck, now a close friend of Winda, into "winning" a trip for four to Dreadcliff Manor, they manipulated him into bringing Winda to them.

Reich had little success attempting to force Winda to willingly assist him. Nurse Barbara smashed Winda's friend, Paul Same, who had wandered in while sleepwalking, over the head with a mace. Fearing that Paul had been killed, Winda unleashed her powers on Reich, causing him to see a multitude of chaotic media images. Delusional, he began firing his gun, unwittingly shooting and killing one of his allies in BEST, the Mahagreasy Migraine Yogi. As the group began to fall apart, Reich degenerated into believing he was in Berlin during the Allied invasion, and he took his own life with his gun. Nurse Barbara explained his past to Howard, Winda, and the others.

Comments: Created by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan. Origin revealed by Bill Mantlo.

I wouldn't be surprised if nurse Barbara got involved with the Hate-Monger or someone else along that line to replace her lost lover.

Appearances:
Howard the Duck I#13 (June, 1977) - Steve Gerber (writer/editor), Gene Colan (artist), and Steve Leialoha (inker)
Howard the Duck I#14 (July, 1977) - Steve Gerber (writer/editor), Gene Colan (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks)
Howard the Duck II#4/2 (March, 1980) - Bill Mantlo (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Lynn Graeme (editor)

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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