HANS STILLER
Real Name: Hans Stiller
Identity/Class: Normal human (WWII
era) (German
citizen, refugee status)
Occupation: Research chemist
Group Membership: Freedom University faculty
Affiliations: Herman Blake,
Major
Liberty
Enemies: Dr. Drew and his Nazi thugs, Gestapo
(Heinrich Tode)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Freedom University,
Connecticut, USA;
formerly German Reich
First Appearance: U.S.A. Comics#4/1 (May,
1942)
Powers/Abilities: Hans Stiller is a brilliant
research chemist, specializing in explosive reactions. He is bilingual
in German and English, and requires the aid of spectacles. He refuses
to abide with Nazi ideology.
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: White
History:
(U.S.A. Comics#4/1 (fb) - BTS) - Brilliant chemist
Prof. Hans Stiller fled Nazi Germany
and found refuge in the USA. However, the Nazis still wanted the
special formula he was working on for a "super-explosive". Stiller was
installed in Freedom University where he befriended Prof. John Liberty
(secretly the heroic patriot Major Liberty). Stiller was in final
experimental trials before intending to pass the secret formula to the
US Army as thanks for shelter. However, Stiller was followed by
nefarious Gestapo agent Heinrich Tode, keen to obtain the formula for
the Nazis.
(U.S.A. Comics#4/1) - In his university lab, Stiller told John Liberty he had almost completed his super-explosive and John left. But Tode arrived and demanded the formula, offering a full pardon and return to Germany. Stiller refused and Tode was ready to shoot him, but John Liberty suddenly burst in and punched the villain out the window.
(U.S.A. Comics#4/1 (fb) - BTS) - Nazi spy Dr. Drew and his thugs kidnapped Stiller and took him to a remote manor to torture the chemist. They left a note penned by Stiller asking to be left alone.
(U.S.A. Comics#4/1) - The next morning, John Liberty found the note. Immediately suspicious, he took his athletic student Herman Blake to Drew's manor. There, John (as Major Liberty) found Stiller being tortured by Drew and his thugs. Along with Blake, the hero clobbered the Nazis and saved Stiller. More Nazis arrived but were also knocked back and gunned down. With the spy ring smashed, Stiller and John Liberty later visited the injured Blake in hospital.
Comments: Created by Phil Sturm & Syd Shores.
In this story, Major Liberty had no apparent connection with American ghosts.
This profile was completed on 01/09/2026 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Hans Stiller has no known connections to:
Herman Blake was a student of history teacher Prof.
John Liberty (secretly the heroic patriot Major Liberty) at Freedom
University, Connecticut. Not particularly bright but strong and
athletic, John Liberty selected him to join a trip investigating the
whereabouts of missing chemist Hans Stiller, who had been abducted by
Nazi agents to secure the chemist's secret explosives formula.
Alongside Major Liberty, Blake helped defeat the Nazis, but was shot in
the shoulder during the fighting. He was taken to hospital to recover,
where he was visited by Stiller and John Liberty.
--U.S.A. Comics#4/1
Heinrich Tode was a Gestapo agent. He was assigned to pursue brilliant chemist Hans Stiller when he fled Nazi Germany as the chemist had been working on a "super-explosive". Tode secretly made his way into the USA and confronted Stiller in his university lab, offering Stiller a pardon and returned to Germany if he cooperated, but he refused. Tode was about to shoot Stiller when John Liberty (secretly the heroic patriot Major Liberty) burst in to protect Stiller. Liberty punched Tode out through a window and Tode ran off.
--U.S.A. Comics#4/1
images:
(without ads)
U.S.A. Comics#4/1, p2, pan4 (main image, at desk)
p5, pan2 (headshot)
p3, pan3 (Blake)
p2, pan1 (Tode)
Appearances:
U.S.A. Comics#4/1 (May, 1942) - Phil Sturm (writer), Syd Shores
(pencils), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 09/05/2026
Last updated:
01/09/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
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