Warrior Woman aka Kriegerfrau

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Hallowed be thy name

There’s some confusion about the names used by Julia Koenig – most of which was kindly cleared by the OHOTMU and Marvunapp.com’s own Loki as this entry was being prepared. To clarify every possible source of confusion :

• “Madame Mystery” is an approximative translation of her Abwehr code-name in English.
• The German version of her code name was given in the books as “Madame Rätsel”, which is meant to be the equivalent of “Madame Mystery”. In practice it sounds a bit odd (particularly the use of the French “Madame” by a proud Nazi) and the translation is slightly off.
  Our suggestion for her German code-name with the Abwher is simply “Fräulein Rätsel”, which is correctly translated as “Miss Enigma”. She could still use “Madame Mystery” as a loose English translation because she likes the alliteration.
• She’s not actually named Ms. Rätsel – though given the precedents with the name of comic book characters, it wouldn’t have been surprising. Roy Thomas cleared up the confusion by giving her last name as Koenig, though Marvel listed the erroneous Julia Rätsel version for a while as researchers didn’t realise that “Rätsel” was intended to mean “Mystery”.
• The name “Kriegerfrau” sounds rather… awkward in German and means something closer to “Warrior-Wife” than Warrior Woman. It was seldom used. A correct German name could simply be “Kriegerin” (“Warrioress”, if you’ll excuse the barbarism), which seems closer to Roy Thomas’s intent.
• Her legal name since 1942 is Julia Lohmer. As noted in the History section, that the marriage ceremony wasn’t completed is almost certainly immaterial. This profile generally uses “Koenig”, though, since it’s what she prefers (due to her scorn toward Lohmer) and it avoids confusion with her husband.

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Powers & Abilities

Koenig’s superhuman abilities are a lower-powered version of Master Man’s, minus the Jumping/Flying. She thus has significant superhuman strength and durability, and is a very powerful hand-to-hand fighter. Warrior Woman is well able to engage even Captain America or the Black Panther in combat.

She’s also very tall and strong – especially by 1940s standards.

Since continuity oddities about Master Man are best explained using regenerative powers, it is possible that Warrior Woman has some low-key healing factor  — APs in Regeneration and/or Invulnerability in DC Heroes, Ranks in Regeneration and perhaps Immortality in DC Adventures.

It is debatable whether Warrior Woman is less powerful overall than her male counterpart. Unlike Lohmer, her abilities seem stable and no degradation of her superhuman strength was ever apparent. One could argue that what powers is closer to a stronger version of Captain America’s serum than to the Master Man enhancements.

Before becoming Warrior Woman she was a skilled spy, though most of her espionage skills remain unrevealed. One gets the impression that she was a cinematic  super-spy – among other feats she :

• Hypnotised a prisoner into telling her the truth by using the tip of her whip as a pendulum.
• Could disarm her foes with her bullwhip.
• Operated comic-book scientific equipment to brew up a specific chemical compound without any difficulty (secondary sources later stated that she had PhDs in chemistry and biology).

She has never used her espionage and scientific skills on-panel as Warrior Woman, though.

History

Julia Koenig was apparently an agent of the Abwehr . She for the Reich and conducted missions in Great Britain and other countries. Secondary sources state that her education was as a scientist – with multiple PhDs in chemistry and biology. This led to her assignment to espionage missions aiming to create a Nazi version of the Super-Soldier Serum.

Koenig displayed some super-spy skills and had a colourful code-name (Madame Rätsel, given in English as Madame Mystery). Her only documented mission was to kidnap an American private in London – a man who seemed to know something about Project Rebirth. Fräulein Rätsel easily suceeded despite interference from Captain America and Bucky.

Rätsel successfully interrogated the private, William Joseph “Biljo” White, using mesmerism. Once he told her about the chemicals used in Project Rebirth, she immediately used her equipment to duplicate the Master Man formula previously used on Wilhelm Lohmer.

This had been her goal all along. Being held back by Nazi misogyny, she wanted to turn herself into a powerful warrior to better serve the Reich and become an important person amidst the Nazi hierarchy.

Seeing what she as doing and wanting a male to be the recipient of the formula, an officer tried to stop her a gunpoint. Koenig neutralised him with her bullwhip, but the man crashed into her chemistry equipment, which exploded.

The officer was killed. But while Fräulein Rätsel was squarely caught in the blast she was unharmed. Even more remarkably, she emerged from the explosion way taller and more powerful, and soon established that she had superhuman physical power.

Neun und neunzig Kriegsminister, Streichholz und Benzinkanister

Claiming the name Warrior Woman and apparently running around in her underwear (her uniform having been wrecked by the explosion and her much-increased stature), Koenig immediately engaged the Invaders. They had just freed themselves from captivity and were running loose in the middle of the Berchtesgaden fortress.

She clobbered the Human Torch and Toro as they were cornering Adolf Hitler, then punched Bucky unconscious, threw Captain America over the citadel’s parapet, and teamed up with Master Man (Willie Lohmer) to knock Namor out.

Though Warrior Woman was glowing with pride as the Führer congratulated her, events soon took a turn for the worse. Hitler decided that his superman and his newly-acquired superwoman would be husband and wife and have superhuman children.

Though she was bound to accept any order from Hitler, Koenig was shocked. She viewed Lohmer as a cretin and a buffoon, and was repulsed by the very thought of intimacy with a man.

Hitler insisted that the marriage ceremony take place in Berlin as the recaptured Invaders were publicly executed. Though the Invaders escaped just before the execution, Hitler prevented Master Man and Warrior Woman from intervening so the ceremony could take place.

An explosion killed the Nazi minister and the ceremony was never completed. But the Führer himself pronounced Warrior Woman and Master Man husband and wife.

(Julia Lohmer stated that since the ceremony wasn’t completed she wasn’t married, but this is grasping at straws. The marriage is almost certainly fully legal. It took place in a sort of theatre in Berlin, so the ceremony was just for propaganda purposes. The death of the minister wouldn’t impact the administrative work down at the city hall since it was a civil marriage.)

(Furthermore, under the Third Reich’s legal Führerprinzip (“what the leader says, goes”) the Nazi administration would definitely fill up the paperwork so that the Führer’s words would become reality).

Riefen Krieg und wollten Macht — mann, wer hätte das gedacht

Warrior Woman continued to operate as a Reich special operative during the war. She was usually paired with Master Man, but sometimes worked alone. Like her husband she was coerced into serving Lady Lotus at least once as a Super-Axis member, and was a member of the Überkommando unit.

During one of the instances when Captain America was captured by Axis forces Warrior Woman tortured him with her whip, which was filmed for propaganda purposes.

In 1945, she and Master Man were placed in suspended animation for 45 years. In 1990 it became possible to wake her up using the Human Torch (Jim Hammond)’’s blood, but she had suffered slight brain damage that altered her personality. Warrior Woman was thus disoriented and pliable, in sharp contrast with her normally forceful, aggressive personality.

Unbeknownst to her, she had an admirer. A handful of Nazi agents had cared for her and Master Man while they were in suspended animation. One of these agents had a son, Axl Nacht, who as a boy fell in love with the sleeping beauty.

By 1990 they were physically about the same age. Nacht proposed to her while arranging to have Master Man killed. Confused by the brain damage, Koenig did not resist his advances, though she still had a phobia about being touched by strangers.

The two were apparently in relationship for several years, albeit there are hints that it wasn’t sexual. Originally calling himself the new Master Man, Nacht later re-christened himself der Gotteskrieger.

During the early 2000s, Koenig and Nacht joined the Axis Mundi. This was a neo-Nazi conspiracy using technology stolen from the hidden civilisation of Kalahia. The organisation was backed by Baron Strucker and the Red Skull and included U-Man, whom Warrior Woman knew from Super-Axis decades before, as well as Baroness Blood.

With the dimensional Kalahian technology and other assets (such as necromantic technology developed by Professor Jonas Eckhardt), they considered that a new Nazi Reich was within their reach.

Hielten sich für schlaue Leute, witterten schon fette Beute

Part of the Red Skull’s scheme was to manipulate a new group of Invaders coordinated by the Thin Man, and also using Kalahian technology. The Invaders built a super-tech ship called the Infiltrator, which the 4 superhuman operatives of Axis Mundi attacked by surprise.

The attack was very nearly successful. Warrior Woman severely injured the USAgent (John Walker), putting him in a wheelchair for a while. She was about to geld Union Jack (Joe Chapman) when she was forced to teleport away.

The machinations of the Red Skull destroyed the new version of the Invaders. Yet the heroes blew up the Infiltrator to deny it to the Axis Mundi operatives and foil the Axis Mundi master plan.

The further activities of Warrior Woman among Axis Mundi are unrevealed.&emspIt is also unknown whether she is still in contact with Axl Nacht.

Neun und neunzig Jahren Krieg liessen keinen Platz für Sieger

In 2010 Warrior Woman was magically drawn into a sort of smaller, legacy version of the wartime Überkommando. This unit was assembled through magically forced coincidences by a Dutch necromancer trying to avenge his parents, who had been killed by the Invaders in 1945.

Warrior Woman was the de facto leader of this unit. It also included her old colleague U-Man, Iron Cross, the new Master Man (a distant relative of Lohmer) and two unidentified fighters. They came to the Netherlands in time to engage the Invaders – who had been assembled under very similar circumstances by paranormal forces.

Warrior Woman and the others had been specifically picked by the necromancer. They could be empowered by magical energies stemming from Shuma-Gorath, an alien god and Thing Man Was Not Meant To Know extraordinaire. These energies were focused by the horrors that had happened 55 years before during a clash between the original Überkommando and the original Invaders.

Since they had been physically present during the 1945 events on that site, Warrior Woman and U-Man were the two greatest beneficiaries of the enchantment. They fought with even greater strength and endurance than they normally would. Even then, Warrior Woman was overcome by superior numbers.

The Überkommando members were freed when Shuma Gorath was summoned to Earth. The situation turned against them, and Warrior Woman left Master Man no choice but to surrender to the Invaders so they would be busy taking him prisoner. This distraction worked, and she evaded capture.

Description

Since gaining powers Koenig is unusually tall and powerful, with broad shoulders. Though her appearance varies from artist to artist, she seems to have fine if severe features, with a 1940s actress vibe – I would imagine that she resembles Marlene Dietrich  a bit.

Warrior Woman sports a variety of 1940s hairdos, and for some reason her costume is usually some sort of black leather 1940s underwear. She usually has a rather on-the-nose dominatrix aspect, with her bullwhip, thigh-high leather boots and occasionally an SS officer cap.

As an Axis Mundi member, she had something more akin to an evil version of the 2010 Wonder Woman costume.

As Fräulein Rätsel, she sometimes wore what likely was meant to be a Nazi staff uniform. What is drawn doesn’t resemble any historical uniform, though.

In 2010 she was back to her original costume, though that may have been a means to leech more energy from the spell. The cut of her leather body stocking was distinctly more modern, though.

Koenig nearly always sports the distinctive Nazi armband.

Personality

Domineering, cruel, aggressive Nazi type. Warrior Woman is very big on racial superiority. She’s utterly dismissive of anybody not matching Aryan ideals – never mind anybody who’s not White.

She eagerly and loudly adheres to every aspect of the Nazi myth. This might be in the ope that her ideological purity will prevent the worst of the scorn directed at her for being a woman. In particular she’s quick to denounce any female other than herself as being weak and emotional.

Frau Lohmer is misandric. She dislikes almost all men, finding them to be smug and stupid and resenting the misogynistic culture around her. To her, the only good men are soldiers obeying her orders, useful idiots like Lohmer… and Adolf Hitler.

Warrior Woman is physically very uncomfortable if a man touches her, to the point of triggering physical violence. This might be the result of previous trauma from abuse, or maybe she’s just asexual in a society with little place for this.

It is faintly possible that the intent was to convey that she’s lesbian. Her main appearances are from before the Comic Books Code was relaxed, and writers still had to make smoke signals and use allusions to mention homosexuality. Part of her behaviour may have been signals about such preferences, but I must admit I’ve mostly forgotten what those were 35+ years ago.

Warrior Woman’s characterisation as being repulsed by intimacy with men might be a twist over the then-recent schlock movie Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS . Roy Thomas did comment that Warrior Woman’s look, with the older BDSM vibe, was meant to evoke the trashy “men’s adventures” magazines that evolved into such movies.

Quotes

“Why do you continue to resist ? In the end, you know we will break your spirit. How much more pleasant for us all if you cooperate. The Führer might even be inclined to spare your life.”

“I have always loathed men, Herr Hauptmann… men with their smug air of superiority !”

(Warrior Woman smashes back and extinguishes the Torches as they threaten Hitler, using a high-pressure fire hose)
Toro: “mmmf !”
Human Torch: “hey ! What the Devil —?—”
Warrior Woman: “It is no creature of Christian superstition which has felled you, Amerikaner — but the successor of the proud Valkyries of Teutonic legend ! I am Kriegerfrau — in your decadent tongue: Warrior Woman !”

“My loyalties are only to der Führer — and not to some willowy-limbed female Japanese !”

(To Master Man) “Do not even speak to me, you… Dummkopf !”

“It’s over. Soon, your entire country will be ours. A new Reich will be built on the bones of your people.”

Master Man (Max Lohmer): “Fräulein Rätsel, isn’t it ? I hear the Führer himself ordered you to mate with my great-uncle.”
Warrior Woman: “The Führer is dead. And your great-uncle was a worm. Until you show me you are different — you are not worthy to *look* at me.”

DC Universe History

Warrior Woman is a stock character and nobody would bat an eye if she existed in most DC continuities.

She would be a cousin of Captain Nazi (Albrecht Krieger). Warrior Woman’s mother would actually be the biochemist who developed the post-Crisis version of “miracle food” and gave it to her daughter.

However, being female she wasn’t recognised as a scientist, and Krieger’s father forced her to give most of the food to his son instead under threat of violence.

Krieger’s father presented his son to Hitler who made him Captain Nazi, but two years later fell out of favour. He then produced his second asset — Julia Koenig — but Hitler had him executed upon learning that he had hidden the existence of a second superhuman from him and had killed the lady biochemist whilst drunk. Hitler had the 2 cousins married in 1945, to Julia Koenig’s dismay.

Unbeknownst to Krieger, Koenig struck a deal with Vandal Savage after the defeat of the Third Reich and was given eternal youth. She has worked for Savage regularly since, and was one of the instructors who trained and abused Scandal Savage during her youth. She more recently was reunited with the hated Captain Nazi when Vandal Savage forced her to join the Fourth Reich super-group.

By Sébastien Andrivet.

Source of Character: Marvel Universe.

Helper(s): Loki, Barbarossa Rotbart, Darci, Cessna.

Writeup completed on the 10^th of July, 2011.