Dr.
HANS FELDSTADT
Dr.
HANS FELDSTADT
Real Name: Dr. Hans Feldstadt
Identity/Class: Human mutate;
Swiss citizen
Occupation: Research scientist, possibly a physicist
Group Membership: Presumably some graduate degree organization
Affiliations: Formerly Bruce Banner, Katrina Euler
Enemies: Hulk (Bruce Banner)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Dr. Klein
Base of Operations: Currently unrevealed;
formerly a castle near Jungfrau, Switzlerland;
formerly his offices at 42 Clariden-Strasse, Zurich,
Switzerland
First Appearance: (Pictured) HULK#13 (February, 1979)
(Fully seen & identified) HULK#14 (April, 1979)
Powers/Abilities: Feldstadt was a brilliant scientist, specializing in radiation treatments and decontamination. In his monstrous form he was strong, savage, and durable enough to take on the Hulk, but the Hulk soon grew angry enough to stop him.
History:
(HULK#14 (fb) - BTS) - After winning a Nobel Prize for his work in biological
radiation decontamination, Dr. Feldstadt took a sabbatical, leasing an abandoned
castle near the village of Jungfrau under the name Dr. Klein, continuing his
work in private. He also treated a young local woman with an unspecified
disorder, Katrina "Euler." Feldstadt researched the potentially beneficial
effects of gamma radiation treatment.
(HULK#13 - BTS) - Bruce Banner read a newspaper article on Feldstadt's work in biological radiation decontamination and booked a flight to Zurich, Switzerland.
(HULK#14) - After much effort, Banner tracked Feldstadt to his Jungfrau castle. Introducing himself as David Bixby, Banner began to explain his own work in gamma radiation, but Feldstadt dismissed him, eventually calling the police when Banner refused to leave. His struggles with the police led to him becoming the Hulk and rampaging in Jungfrau. Realizing Banner was the Hulk, Jungfrau agreed to work with him when Banner returned to his castle; but Banner soon found that Feldstadt was interested only in the effects of gamma treatment and not of reversing the effects of radiation, and he left because he feared he might help Jungfrau create another monster.
While Feldstadt prepared to use his gamma treatment on Katrina, Banner overheard villagers planning an assault on Feldstadt's castle, assuming he was to blame for the monster's attack, and he broke in to warn him. As the two argued about using gamma treatments, the villagers arrived, hurling rocks through windows and demanding "Klein" leave them. Feldstadt got his gun and fired a warning shot at the villagers who began hurling torches, setting his laboratory on fire. Feldstadt rushed to save his gamma machine, which exploded, mutating him into monstrous form. Now irrationally blaming Banner, Feldstadt battered him until he turned into the Hulk and fought back. The two battled furiously, but eventually the Hulk overpowered Feldstadt and knocked him out. The Hulk then sealed the leaking gamma device and carried the unconscious Feldstadt out and left him with the villagers and police waiting outside.
The next day's newspaper reported that Dr. Feldstadt had died in an accident while trying to find a cure for radiation sickness.
Comments: Created by Doug Moench, Ron Wilson, and Rudy Nebres.
There's no real reason why Feldstadt had to have really died. He could have faked his death and continued his work in secret.
The story was definitely Frankenstein-ish, deliberately so (I think Banner even made a comment to that effect).
The Swedish translation for Gamma Monster is "Gigantisk Gamma." Fits with the
Frankenstein-quality.
--Kyle Smith
The Swiss word for
radiation, based on the area of Switzerland they presumably spoke Swiss-German,
would be either Strahlung.
--That guy with the sideburns
Jungfrau is German and Zurich is close to the German border,
and Feldstadt sounds German. Also, the dominant ethnic group in Switzerland
(according two an old atlas of mine) is German. So I'd definitely agree on the
Swiss-German angle. There are four official languages of Switzerland: German,
French, Italian & Romansch. I think that German's a bit like English with
different accents on the pronunciation, but the core words should be the same.
But as far as I know, there is no Swiss language as such.
--Grendel Prime
Feldstadt is among the Gamma Mutates in World War Hulk: The Gamma Files. Euler's last name was revealed in Hulk's entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z HC#5.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No KNOWN connections to:
Katrina
Euler
A waitress at the Laurentide Inn in Jungfrau, Switzerland, she suffered from some unspecified affliction and lacked the money to seek treatment. She agreed to experimental radiation treatment under Dr. Feldstadt. She met and befriended Bruce Banner when he came seeking Feldstadt. She was being readied for treatment when Feldstadt was interrupted by Banner, after which the villagers attacked. As the castle burst into flames, Banner carried Katrina to a safe location and had her run outside while he went back to try to save Feldstadt. After Feldstadt's mutation and the destruction of his laboratory, Banner gave Katrina the address of a treatment clinic that owed him a favor and would treat her despite her lack of funds.
--HULK#14
images: (without ads)
(Human form) - HULK#14, story page 16, panel 2
(Mutate form) - HULK#14, story page 22, panel 3
Appearances:
HULK#13 (February, 1979) - by Doug Moench (writer), Ron Wilson (penciler), Bob
McLeod (inker), Rick Marschall (editor).
HULK#14 (April, 1979) - by Doug Moench (writer), Ron Wilson (penciler), Rudy
Nebres (inker), Rick Marschall (editor).
Last updated: 06/04/07
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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