CRANE

PERSONAL DATA 

REAL NAME: Karl Hochländer 

OCCUPATION: Industrialist and scientist, terrorist 

IDENTITY: Secret 

CLASS: Cyborg 

LEGAL STATUS: Citizen of Swisslakia 

OTHER ALIASES: NA 

PLACE OF BIRTH: Swisslakia 

MARITAL STATUS: Single 

KNOWN RELATIVES: Hengest and Bertha (deceased parents), unnamed sister (deceased) 

GROUP AFFILIATIONS: Nazi Party 

BASE OF OPERATIONS: Swisslakia 

FIRST APPEARANCE: Clue Comics #2 (February 1943) 

HEIGHT: 6' 6" 

WEIGHT: 225 lbs 

EYES: Brown 

HAIR: Auburn (shaved) 

HISTORY 

During World War II, when the Nazis occupied Swisslakia, Karl Hochländer's father, Henger, became a collaborator and informant. In retaliation for his betrayal, when the country was liberated, the angry mob burned down his house with his family inside. His parents and sister died, but young Karl survived, although he lost both arms, and vision and hearing on the right side of his face. He managed to take refuge in Switzerland, where, despite the sequels he suffered, he managed to prosper thanks to his great intelligence and tenacity (the result of the vengeful desire that consumed him). To the public he was a successful scientist and industrialist, a model of personal improvement. But hidden from the public eye he was nostalgic for Nazism, more than that, he was a terrorist genius and aspiring genocidaire. He came into conflict with David the King of Swisslakia and his Giant Golem on several occasions, being defeated each time. 

POWERS & WEAPONS 

Hochländer's arms were replaced with high-tech prosthetics that possessed inhuman strength and were capable of increasing many times their normal length. He also wore prosthetics for his right eye and ear. Like his arms, these prostheses gave him advantages, in this case sensory advantages (telescopic/thermal/night vision, radio listening, etc.). The Crane was a dangerous fighter who knew how to get the most out of his cybernetic implants, but also made use of his diabolical inventiveness to create mechanical monsters like the Hitler Rex, a huge robotic tyrannosaurus programmed with the personality of the Fuhrer.