Heinz Kruger
One of Captain America's first enemies and the killer of Professor Erskine. His action let to Steve Rogers becoming the first and only Super-Soldier.
Name:
Heinz Kruger
Publisher:
Real name:
Heinz Kruger
Aliases:
- Fredrick Clemson
Birth date:
None
Gender:
Male
Powers:
- Marksmanship
First issue:
Captain America Comics (1941) #1 Meet Captain America
Origin
Kruger was a secret agent for the Nazi's whom had infiltrated into the highest ranks of the U.S. Army. He was also one of the Reich's top assassins.He lived in the United States for some time already when he received a mission that would change history forever.
Creation
Heinz Kruger was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Captain America Comics issue 1 (1941). He was one of the first villains form Marvel Comics, and also one to have perished as one of the first. Although he is not often seen in comics, his actions have caused Captain America to be the only true Super Soldier to date.
Major Story Arcs
The Mission
One day, his sources told him he was to kill Professor Erskine if the rumors where true that the scientist had created the Super-Soldier Serum. He was told that this would blow his cover and almost certainly mean he would not escape alive. The days before the assasination, Kruger was in a conflict with himself. He wanted to serve his country and make his wife and children proud of him, but he did not know if he could do it. Living in America for so long, he found out that Americans where not that different from his people. They all wanted to be loved and live a good and honrable life. Eventually, Kruger refused to follow his newfound feelings and accepted the assignement. It was then that Kruger, as his American alter ego Fredrick Clemson, joined a few high-ranking American army officers to the Super-Soldier Project. There he was one of the few witnesses to see the birth of Captain America. As Kruger found out the Serum worked, he shot at Captain America and professor Erskine with a gun he had concealed, killing the professor. In his attempted escape, Kruger fell on one of Professor Erskine`s machines where he was electrocuted and died. His actions had made it so that the Super-Soldier Serum died with it's creator, Professor Erskine.
Other Media
Captain America: The first Avenger
In the movie, " Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011), Kruger is one of Red Skull's top assassins and is played by Richard Armitage.
