COLONEL KLAUE

Real Name: Fritz Klaue (later changed to Fritz Klaw)

Identity/Class: Human (German, World War II era)

Occupation: Nazi officer

Group Membership: Nazi Germany, Blitzkrieg Squad

Affiliations: Alfie, Dr. Jurgen Enderle, Gerta Heinz, Adolf Hitler, Major Tuschoff, Von Stuerer

Enemies: Nina Bergson, Black Panther (Chanda), Winston Churchill, Dawn Fury, Jake Fury, Howling Commandos (Isadore "Izzy" Cohen, Timothy "Dum-Dum" Dugan, Nick Fury, Gabe Jones, Eric Koenig, Dino Manelli, Percival "Pinky" Pinkerton, Robert "Reb" Ralston), Maulers, Jim Morita, Wakandans

Known Relatives: Ulysses Klaw (son)

Aliases: "Ker-Nal" (Wakandan nickname)

Base of Operations: Mobile in Germany, London and United States during World War II
Formerly, Festung von Furcht

First Appearance: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#39 (February, 1967)

Powers/Abilities: Originally, Colonel Klaue possessed a left hand made of steel which he could use to strike at opponents. He could bring his fist down hard enough to smash through wood. Later, he had the hand modified by Dr. Enderle into a cybernetic replacement, strong enough to crush steel. The new hand contained a razor-sharp blade in its thumb, a poisoned dart in the index finger, a flame thrower in the middle finger, tear gas in the third finger, and a master key in the pinky finger.

History: (Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#39) - Colonel Klaue was in charge of Festung von Furcht, where the jet-propelled plane Thunderer had been developed. When the base was invaded by Sgt. Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos, Klaue organized his defenses to try and stop them from reaching the Thunderer, but Fury reached Klaue's own office. Despite the advantage of Klaue's steel hand, Fury quickly beat him and went on to steal the Thunderer with his Howlers.

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#1/2 (fb)) - To regain lost favour with Hitler, Klaue led a mission to Africa, but his plane crashed in the country of Wakanda, and Klaue was the only survivor. Klaue was nursed back to health by the chieftain Chanda, and Klaue befriended him. Klaue was fascinated by the sacred mound in Wakanda, and named the metal found there vibranium. He had the Wakandans build the Panther Totem icon, demanding that they worship it as a god instead of a brother spirit. When Chanda refused, Klaue opened fire on him, and killed Chanda's wife Nanali. Chanda escaped into the jungles, and returned as the Black Panther, and defeated Klaue, ripping off his steel hand. Klaue fled Wakanda.

(Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#41) - Colonel Klaue assumed command of the Blitzkrieg Squad and was ordered by Hitler to assassainte Winston Churchill when he was due to present a medal to Nick Fury at Able Company base. When Klaue and the Blitzkrieg Squad made their attempt, the spy Nina Bergson suddenly took a bullet for Churchill, and was killed. Klaue and the squad were quickly beaten by their counterparts and placed in custody.

(Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#47) - Klaue collaborated with Gerta Heinz to detonate a bomb beneath a London pub run by a collaborator named Alfie where the Howling Commandos were taking a furlough. They captured Percival Pinkerton and tied him up beneath the pub, but he managed to escape and get the other Howlers out of the building before it exploded. Klaue decided that he would break the Blitzkrieg Squad out of custody to aid him.

(Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#48) - Klaue led the Blitzkrieg Squad in destroying a number of munitions depots in England. They were then ordered to invade the Able Company base and kill the Howling Commandos. Klaue took Captain Sam Sawyer himself captive, but had to face the Howling Commandos, Bull McGiveney's Maulers, and Jim Morita's Nisei Squadron. Just as Klaue was about to broadcast Nick Fury's death over the radio to Hitler, he was shot by "Dum-Dum" Dugan. Dugan's bullet only grazed Klaue's left cheek, giving him a scar, but it incapacitated him long enough for the Howlers to apprehend him. He and the Blitzkrieg Squad were placed in the base's stockade.

(Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#59) - Colonel Klaue had the scientist Dr. Enderle modify his steel fist so that it contained a new assortment of weaponry, and convinced Hitler to let him have another chance at defeating Fury. This time, Klaue sent a radio broadcast to Fury daring him to face him in combat aboard a Swiss ship (actually a Nazi ship in diguise). Instead of Fury, "Dum-Dum" Dugan arrived and managed to hold his own against Klaue until the other Howlers came to assist him, and Klaue was once again defeated.

(Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#68-69) - Colonel Klaue moved his operations to the United States, and spied upon Nick Fury's family. When Fury came home on leave, Klaue moved in and captured him and had him drugged. The Howling Commandos managed to rescue Nick, but Klaue then took Nick's sister Dawn Fury hostage. He rendezvoused with Von Stuerer, head of American espionage for the Nazis, but Klaue, Von Stuerer and all of their men were defeated by the Howling Commandos and Nick's younger brother Jake Fury.

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#1/2 (fb) - BTS) - Klaue later anglicized his name to "Klaw," and raised his son Ulysses with tales of Wakanda. Ulysses Klaw later invaded Wakanda himself for the vibranium.

Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Dick Ayers and John Tartaglione.

There are some major problems with the Fantastic Four Unlimited#1 story with established Black Panther continuity, including the presentation of Chanda as the first Black Panther (it's been long established that Bashenga was first) and Klaue naming vibranium even though it had already been used in making Captain America's shield a few years earlier. Christopher Priest was unaware of this story when he later established T'Chaka as the Black Panther during World War II (and when informed of the story, didn't like it at all).

Since everything in the FFU#1 story comes from a journal T'Challa found inside the panther icon, it's tempting to write it all off as a hoax. And yet...Roy Thomas is the creator of Colonel Klaue, so the backstory he gave him here deserves some consideration. I have no problem believing that Klaue visited Wakanda in the war and that he's the father of Ulysses Klaw...I just wouldn't take any of the other details at face value.

Unfortunately, whenever Klaue would use the flame thrower finger in a story, it meant he was giving his enemies "the finger."

Enderle's first name was revealed in Marvel Atlas#1.