GERT HAUPTMANN

Real Name: Dr. Gert Hauptmann

Identity/Class: Human (World War II and modern era) technology user

Occupation: Scientist

Group Membership: Cynthian Associates

Affiliations: Formerly Boris, Dr. Doom, Mr. Fantastic, and Zorba

Enemies: Dr. Doom, Fantastic Four (Human Torch, Invisible Girl, Mr. Fantastic, Thing), Psycho-Man, Zorba

Known Relatives: Gustav Hauptmann (brother, deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Castle Doom, Doomstadt, Latveria

First Appearance: Fantastic Four I#196 (July, 1978)

Powers/Abilities: Hauptmann was a genius, highly skilled at designing and working with the advanced technology of Dr. Doom.
    He hated Doom for killing his brother, but his fear was stronger than his hate.

History:
(Fantastic Four I#196 (fb) - BTS) - Per Doom's instructions, Hauptmann removed the emotion controlling components from the Psycho-Man's uniform. These would later be used as part of Doom's plot to take over the minds of the delegates of the United Nations.

(Fantastic Four I#196) - Under Doom's guidance, Hauptmann utilized the hypno-probe on Reed Richards, transforming him into the Invincible Man.

 

 

(Fantastic Four I#198) - As Reed Richards and Zorba forced their way into Castle Doom, they encountered Hauptmann. Zorba became infuriated at the sight of him, because Hauptmann's brother had cost him his eye. However, Reed convinced Hauptmann to help them against Doom. Learning Doom's location, Reed took Hauptmann's form and approached Doom, but the monarch saw through the disguise and gassed and subdued Richards.

(Fantastic Four I#199) - As Doom transferred the Fantastic Four's powers into his clone, Victor von Doom II, Hauptmann told Doom that Zorba had led an angry mob to the Castle and was demanding an audience. He received an iron-clad backhand as his thanks.
    Later, as the Fantastic Four broke free from their bonds, Hauptmann debated his actions, but fear won out again, and he located Doom and told him.

(Fantastic Four Annual#15/2 (fb) - BTS) - When Doom was defeated and replaced by Zorba, Hauptmann went to work for him. However, Hauptmann continued to be ruled by fear. When he learned of an underground movement of Latverian Loyalists plotting to revive Doom, Hauptmann was compelled to work with them in secret, for fear of what Doom would do to him if he did not.

(Fantastic Four Annual#15/2) - Zorba discovered that Doom's body had been stolen from his cell. Enraged, he fired Hauptmann and his entire staff. Hauptmann then joined the Loyalists in their secret base. After other Loyalists stole Doom's armor, Hauptmann -- using techniques learned from Doom himself -- operated the machinery that charged the armor-clad Doom and restored his mind.

(Iron Man I#149 (fb) - BTS) - Hauptmann operated Doom's time machine, sending the monarch back in time to learn sorcery from the mage Cagliostro.

(Iron Man I#149) - At the completion of his training, Doom instructed Hauptmann to return him, which he did. Doom informed him of his intent to travel back in time once again, but Hauptmann revealed that a shipment of needed components from Stark International had been withdrawn, and that without them he would not be able to send Doom as far back as he wished. Doom sent men to steal the components from Stark, but they were foiled by Iron Man, who then confronted Doom in Latveria. While Doom and Iron Man fought, Hauptmann gathered the courage to activate Doom's time machine, sending them back in time. He then destroyed the time machine, leaving them trapped forever! AHHH-HAH-HA-HA-HAAA!

(Iron Man I#150 - BTS) - Of course, Doom returned to the modern era -- with Iron Man's aid. One can only guess what he did to Hauptmann upon returning to his castle...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Fantastic Four I#258 (fb) - BTS) - Doom assigned Hauptmann to the task of attempting to duplicate the means by which Doom had gained the powers of the Silver Surfer (see Cosmic Power Siphon Harness).

(Fantastic Four I#258) - Hauptmann notified Doom that he had completed the process and welcomed him to try it out. Doom instead grabbed Hauptmann and told him that he deserved the honor himself. Doom locked Hauptmann inside the chamber and activated it, ignoring Hauptmann's screams. Raw energy poured forth into Hauptmann, far beyond the human body's capacity to absorb. Hauptmann screamed with every last atom of breath in his tortured lungs, until there was nothing left to scream with. As Doom plucked Hauptmann's glasses from a pile of ashes, he commented that he had suspected the power might be too unstable for a human body, and that Hauptmann's eagerness had confirmed this. He knew that had Hauptmann truly succeeded, he would have already used the machine on himself.

 

 

 

 

Comments: Created by Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard, and Pablo Marcos.

    The age relationship between the Hauptmann brothers is not known, so though his predecessor was involved with Hitler and the Red Skull, the same can not be confirmed for Gert. See Gustav's profile for speculation of their histories.

In the Fantastic Four Encylopedia his first name became official.

Doom later used Hauptman's machine to grant the Surfer's power to Tyros of Lanlak (formerly Terrax). Tyros was eventually consumed by the energy, too, but not before fusing Doom's armor. Doom was immobilized, and thus was not able to escape the destruction of his body during the ensuing fight b/t Tyros and the Silver Surfer. Hauptmann might have seemed to have finally gotten his revenge -- if posthumously -- but Doom transferred his mind into Norman McArthur, and later regained his own body.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

 

images:
Fantastic Four I#258, p10, pan3;
Fantastic Four I#258, p10, pan2;
Iron Man I#149, last page, last panel;
Fantastic Four I#258, p11, pan6

Appearances:
Fantastic Four I#196 (July, 1978) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), Keith Pollard (pencils), Pablo Marcos (inks)
Fantastic Four I#198-199 (September-October, 1978) - Marv Wolfman (writer), Keith Pollard (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks)
Fantastic Four Annual#15 (1980) - Doug Moench (writer), Tom Sutton (pencils/inks)
Iron Man I#149 (August, 1981) - Bob Layton & David Michelinie (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Bob Layton (inks)
Fantastic Four I#258 (September, 1983) - John Byrne (writer/pencils/inks)

Last updated: 02/14/13

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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