The Keeper of Infinite Earths - Lightning Squadron
Created by Bob Justice
Iron Eagle
Alter Ego: Prof. Helmut Dietrich
Occupation: Scientist/Nazi Agent
Known Relatives: none
Group Affiliation: Lightning Squad
Base of Operations: Mobile
Background/History:
Young American industrialist, Adolph Anthony, ran a factory complex for the
government, but his genius was at work secretly as his sympathies were with the
resistance. Using the cover of expanding his market, he got permission to go the
Southeast Asia where he intended to attempt to get backing for munitions to be
used against the Nazis. His plane was shot down by a renegade warlord and he was
severely injured. The warlord offered to get him medical help in exchange for
weaponry and put him in a cell with a previously captured German scientist named
Helmut Dietrich. Anthony knew he had little time, but he had been working on a
powered suit idea that could possibly keep him alive. Dietrich understood the
theories and, despite nearly five years of abuse and ill health, was able to
assist him in building a prototype. Pretending to construct a huge gun, they
secretly put the suit together. His health failing badly, Anthony was convinced
he had no time left and Dietrich volunteered to don the suit to make sure it
worked and that it would not kill him itself. Upon donning the suit, he reached
out to the dying inventor, picked him up, and snapped his back over his armored
knee. What followed was an orgy of bloodletting as the years or rage and
helplessness were vented on the warlord and his men. After that he headed back
to Germany and was placed in the Lightning Squad as a living weapon. His health
broke under the strain of using the suit and he can barely survive without it.
He has attempted to make it appear that the suit is not able to be duplicated
and he fears that it will be taken away from him, so he works very hard to obey
his orders proving his value to the Reich to preserve his life.
Personality/Motivations:
A very selfish man, Helmut worked not for a cause or his country, just to have
the best life he could. The Nazis were the most affluent group in his world and
that was where he went. He spends his life in relative misery obeying the orders
of men he has no respect for and living in fear that his suit will be taken from
him.