HEINZ KRUGERHEINZ KRUGER
Real Name: Heinz Kruger
Identity/Class: Human, German (World War II era)
Occupation: German spy during World War II
Group Membership: Gestapo, Nazi party
Affiliations: Baron von Blitzschlag, Adolf Hitler, Major Kerfoot, three unidentified spies, Agent X (Cynthia Glass)
Enemies: Dr. Abraham Erskine, Steve Rogers (Captain America), Project: Rebirth, the Allied Forces of World War II
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Germany; USA
First Appearance: Captain America Comics I#1 (March, 1941)
Powers/Abilities: None, Kruger was a normal human,
skilled in espionage. He used a specially built weapon -- a gun very similar to a
Luger, capable of piercing the protective glass of an observation room.
He allegedly had a lovely singing voice and he build the most
beautiful model ships.
History:
(Captain America I#155 (fb) - BTS) - Kruger was a Gestapo Agent during World Was II. He was a spy, and his superiors heard rumors about an American
experiment (under Dr. Abraham Erskine) to create super-soldiers. He was ordered to investigate and was
sent to the United States of America. His contact and direct superior was
Major Kerfoot.
(Captain America I#109 (fb)) - A German U-boat approached the USA coast near Long Island. Kruger got off the U-boat and reached the coast using a boat. There, three agents of the Fuhrer's Fifth Column waited for him. They gave him special credentials to access and assist Erskine's experiment.
(Captain America I#155 (fb) - BTS) - Kruger reached the place of the experiment a few hours before the start. He succeeded in stealing the formula and passing it to Major Kerfoot by unknown means.
(Captain America I#255 (fb)/Adventures of Captain America#1) - Kruger had the identity of Special Agent Frederick Clemson, of the U.S. Ministry of the Interior.
(Adventures of Captain America#1) - Kruger's credentials certified he was there in substitution of Secretary Ickes. When he arrived he was stopped at the door by the security guards but Cynthia Glass (secretly the Red Skull's Agent X) helped him to enter.
(Captain America I#109 (fb)/Captain America I#255 (fb)/Captain America I#488) - Kruger, behind a glass, attended the experiment which transformed Steve Rogers into a new man.
(Young Men#24 (fb) [BTS]/Tales of Suspense I#63/Captain America I#109 (fb)/Captain America I#176 (fb)/Giant-Size Invaders#1 (fb)/Captain America I#215 (fb)/Captain America I#255 (fb)/Adventures of Captain America#1/Marvel Super-Heroes III#3 (fb)/Marvel Universe#1/Captain America V#25 (fb)) - Understanding the great importance of the experiment and of Dr. Abraham Erskine to the Allies, Kruger shot him. Erskine died seconds later.
(Captain America Comics#1) - Kruger turned his fire on the group in the observation room and hit FBI Director Grover.
(Adventures of Captain America#1) - Kruger also shot at Colonel James Fletcher and took Cynthia Glass as hostage.
(Captain America Comics I#1/Captain America Comics#59 (fb)/Tales of Suspense I#63/Captain America I#109 (fb)/ Captain America I#176 (fb)/Giant-Size Invaders#1 (fb)/Captain America I#215 (fb)/Captain America I#255 (fb)/Adventures of Captain America#1/Marvel Super-Heroes III#3 (fb)/Marvel Universe#1/Captain America V#25 (fb)) - Kruger was assaulted by Steve Rogers and overpowered by him. The Nazi was pushed into the electric Omniverter; still stunned, he touched an electric wire and was electrocuted and died.
Comments: Created
as unidentified Gestapo agent by
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.
Named as Heinz Kruger by Stan Lee in Captain America I#109.
In Kerfoot's history, Kruger was never
mentioned but it is reported that he was present at the experiment and that he died
during it. It's rather strange that Kruger passed the
formula to Kerfoot after he entered in the building of the experiment, such a
secret and protected place. Probably he stole the formula before or Kruger passed the formula to Glass who passed it to Kerfoot.
In some issues, Kruger is disguised as one of the officials, in other issues he
wears street clothes.
In some of the stories, Kruger runs into the equipment and causes his own death,
in other stories Kruger is pulled or punched on the Omniverter by Rogers.
In some of the stories Kruger had a mustache, in others he did not.
(Captain America I#488) - The Red Skull built a pocket-reality for Captain America using the Cosmic Cube. There, Steve Rogers saved Erskine from Kruger's shots. Kruger was arrested. The pocket-reality ceased to exist when Captain America understood he was in the Cube and broke Red Skull's illusion.
For further discussion on the Super-Solder serum, etc., see Nuke.
For a detailed analysis of the differences amongst the early origins of Captain America, see Marvel Comics Index#8A: Heroes from Tales of Suspense-Book 1: Captain America.
In Avengers: The Initiative Annual#1, Baron von Blitzschlag notes that Heinz was a friend of his.
In the prolog to Bullet Points#1, the death of Erskine
gets recapped, but the assassin is named as Wilhem
Schuller, who joined the NSDAP after his father died
in World War I.
--Per Degaton
That reality was obviously an alternate Earth, rather than a
divergent one.
--Snood.
Clarifications:
Heinz Kruger has no known connections to
Images:
Tales of Suspense I#63, p9, pan5 (Kruger, full body)
Tales of Suspense I#63, p9, pan3 (Kruger, head shot)
Other appearances:
Captain America Comics#59 (November, 1946)
Young Men#24 (December, 1953) - John Romita (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Tales of Suspense I#63 (March, 1965) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Jack Giacoia (inks)
Captain America I#109 (January, 1969) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Syd Shores (inks)
Captain America I#176 (August, 1974) - Steve Englehart (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Giant-Size Invaders#1 (July, 1975) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), Frank Robbins (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks)
Captain America I#215 (November, 1977) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), George Tuska (pencils), Pablo Marcos (inks)
Captain America I#255 (March, 1981) - Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Adventures of Captain America#1 (September, 1991) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Kevin Maguire (pencils), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Marvel Super-Heroes III#3 (September, 1990) - Danny Fingeroth (writer), Gary Hartle (pencils), Tony DeZuniga (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#448 (February, 1996) - Mark Waid (writer), Ron Garney (pencils), Denis Rodier (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Marvel Universe#1 (June, 1998) - Roger Stern (writer), Steve Epting (pencils), Al Williamson (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Captain America V#25 (April, 2007) - Ed Brubaker (writer), Steve Epting (pencils
and inks), Frank D'Armata (colors), Lazer, Sitterson & Breevort (editors)
Last updated: 12/09/07
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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