KLAUS MENDELHAUS

Real Name: Klaus Mendelhaus

Identity/Class: Human (World War 2-Era)

Occupation: Doctor, Nazi

Group Membership: Nazis

Affiliations: Colonel Stieger

Enemies: Captain America, Aaron Heller, Marie Heller, Anna Kapplebaum

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: The Butcher of Diebenwald, Menhaus

Base of Operations: Brooklyn, New York
formerly, Diebenwald concentration camp, Germany

First Appearance: Captain America I#237 (September, 1979)

Powers/Abilities: Klaus Mendelhaus was an educated, but inhuman physician.

 

 

 

History: (Captain America I#237 (fb))- Dr. Klaus Mendelhaus was assigned to the Diebenwald concentration camp during World War 2, and was responsible for examining the Kapplebaum family when they arrived. When Anna's father Abraham Kapplebaum resisted Mendelhaus, Mendelhaus had his guards beat him to death.

(Captain America I#245 (fb))- Anna was placed in the band of musicians at Diebenwald, forced to play for Dr. Mendelhaus and for the camp commandant, Colonel Steiger. Mendelhaus had her taken from the band for "other uses", but when she was brought to him, she struck him with her violin bow. Mendelhaus then had his men beat her into submission.

(Captain America I#245)- Mendelhaus eventually came to reside in New York, and had a chance encounter with Anna Kapplebaum in the streets that caused her to faint in shock. Anna agreed to help the Nazi hunter Aaron Heller by testifying against Mendelhaus, but Mendelhaus was first sought out by a band of Neo-Nazis who forced him to help them revive the Nazi cause. They captured Anna, and she was surprised to find that Mendelhaus had changed-- he was now truly sorry for all he had done, and despised having served Hitler. Mendelhaus tried to help Anna escape from the Neo-Nazis when Captain America came to her rescue, but Anna was tempted to shoot him; ultimately, Mendelhaus was slain by Marie Heller, daughter of Aaron Heller.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments: Created by Chris Claremont, Roger McKenzie, Sal Buscema and Don Perlin.

Just a point. Due to the magic of the sliding time scale, though Mendelhaus might have been like 70 years old in the story in 1979, he would be closer to 100 years old in modern continuity. The easy fix (unless you're the blind eye kind of guy) is that any of the Nazi scientists could have had some exposure to age retardant techniques, via super-soldier serum, etc.--Snood.

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Klaus Mendelhaus should not be confused with:


Images taken from:
Captain America I#245, page 11, panel 1
Captain America I#245, page 22, panel 5


Captain America I#245 (May, 1980)

Last updated: 07/27/04

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters