THE PLANNER
Real Name: Heindrich Von Wilhelm Innsbruck
Identity/Class: Human (German),cyborg (World War II, 1959)
Occupation: Reich marshal, Nazi Germany's top military advisor
Group Membership: Icon (Axis Annie, Baron Blood, Brain Drain, Count von Blitzkrieg, DoctOrangutan, Fräulein Fatale, Geist, Hollow Men, Fritz Krone and his robots, Leopard Woman, Madame Mauser, Penny Panzer, Dieter Skul, Spider-Queen, Geoffrey Sydenham, Vunderknight, others), Nazi Germany
Affiliations: Bubenheimer, Adolf Hitler, Holhein, Rudolph Kruuger, Otto Von Bismarck
Enemies: Avengers Initiative (Blonde Phantom/Louise Mason, Dominic Fortune, Nick Fury, Kraven/Sergei Kravinoff, Powell McTeague, Namora, Sabretooth/Victor Creed), Howling Commandos (Izzy Cohen, Dum-Dum Dugan, Gabe Jones, Dino Manelli, Pinky Pinkerton, Reb Ralston)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Hawk Eyrie, Switzerland
First Appearance: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#119 (May, 1974)
Powers/Abilities: The Planner was a cyborg whose legs had been replaced with mechanical devices, and had several cables running into his body. Although his lack of legs rendered him immobile, he kept a laser gun mounted at his side to defend himself.
History: (Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#119 (fb, BTS)) - Heindrich Von Wilhelm Innsbruck was born in the early 1800's. In 1840, he oversaw the construction of Hawk Eyrie in Switzerland, which became his personal castle. With his great intellect, he was able to create devices to prolong his life, and served as an aide to Count Otto Von Bismarck for most of Bismarck's life. By the 1940's, Innsbruck was in the service of Nazi Germany, and served as the head of all German military strategy.
(Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#119) - On October 10, 1944, the Howling Commandos were sent to Hawk Eyrie to kill the reclusive Innsbruck, but Innsbruck's guards, led by Rudolph Kruuger, were able to defeat the Howlers. Kruuger brought the Howling Commandos before Innsbruck, who revealed to them the devices he had been using to prolong his life. Sgt. Fury attacked the Planner and his men, but the Planner brought him down with his laser gun, and ordered his men to imprison the Commandos so that he could use their bodies in his experiments.
However, the Howlers managed to escape their guards and returned to the Planner. While Sgt. Fury kept a gun on Innsbruck, "Izzy" Cohen was able to rewire the Planner's devices, and set his laboratory to explode. Unable to move, Innsbruck was apparently slain when Hawk Eyrie was blown apart by the explosion.
(Avengers 1959#4 (fb) - BTS) - Planner joined Geoffrey Sydenham's secret US intelligence organization Icon.
(Avengers 1959#4) - The Avengers found the Planner's heavily guarded hideout. McTeague took control over the enhanced dogs to take out the guards. Sabretooth invaded Planner's library after knocking out his personal guards Holhein and Bubenheimer. Planner was listening to Parsifal and was quickly tossed Sabretooth out through a window, using his high-tech wheelchair. Unable to contact his allies because Sabretooth had cut the phone lines Planner was then apprehended by Namora and Blonde Phantom.
(Avengers 1959#4 - BTS) - Planner revealed Icon's plan to pillage Wakanda to the Avengers.
Comments: Created by Gerry Conway and Dick Ayers.
Maybe he was one of the World War I German soldiers that John Steele ran into--the one he rescued French spy Marie Antoinette from or the one of the ones in the Tank he commandeered or the ones manning the Anti-Aircraft gun ---all of whom were blown up: which could explain his lost legs. As for the Planner's cyborg parts, perhaps he was captured and experimented on by Dr. Simon Sendach from Human Torch Comics#2 (Fall 1940) (Fiery Mask story)---Dr. Sendach could have also gone beyond just creating Artificial Stomachs and moved on to other Cyborg parts (arms, legs, etc.)---so the Planner could have had cyborg legs in that Fiery Mask story. Profile by
--Gammatotem
CLARIFICATIONS: Major Rudolph Kruuger was a representative of the Gestapo who was assigned to Innsbruck at Hawk Eyrie. He successfully led his men to victory over the Howling Commandos, and held guard over them during their stay at the Hawk Eyrie, but they were ultimately overpowered by the Howlers. Kruuger and his men were apparently slain when the Howlers destroyed Hawk Eyrie.
--Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#119 Images taken from: Appearances:
First Posted: 12/19/2004 Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
The Planner should not be confused with:
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#119, page 22, panel 3 (main image)
Avengers 1959#4, p9, pan3 (1959)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#119, page 15, panel 5 (Kruuger)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#119 (May, 1974) - Gerry Conway (writer), Dick Ayers (artist), Roy Thomas (editor)
Avengers 1959#4 (February, 2012) - Howard Chaykin (writer/artist), Lauren Sankovitch (editor)
Last updated: 01/07/2013
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