Before the U.S. entry into World War II, Otto Shickler was a persistent enemy of Neon the Unknown. He was the power mad dicator of Kampfland.
History
In 1941, Otto Shickler, of Kampfland, enjoyed considerably less military success than some of this fellow Central European dictators, largely due to the interference of Neon the Unknown. When his military forces failed to neutralize this threat, the power-mad dictator resorted to supernatural means. Shickler enlisted the ancient wizard Damus, of Old Neurenplaz, to destroy Neon. This failed, utterly, and Shickler's brutal "recruiting" methods turned the old wizard against the dictator. After he'd been paid off, in gold, Damus collaborated with the foreign super-hero to confront and embarrass Shickler in his own office. Conveyed by Neon, Damus then fled the country forever.[1]
Neon and Shickler's forces clashed again, in Kampfland's neighbor, the small Balkan nation of Slovia, when the Premier, Tchebitsky, entered into a secret pact with Otto Shickler. Neon found out about it, and flew to the capital of Parda, where Tchebitsky, on a balcony, was addressing a crowd in the public square. He publicly accused Tchebitsky of treason, and shrugged off a hail of bullets from Tchebitsky's snipers, then gave Tchebitsky the choice of confessing or dying on the spot. Tchebitsky instead gloated, before the crowd, that it was too late to stop Shickler's forces, gathered at the North Pass, because the Slovian Army had been dispatched to the south. A riot erupted. Enraged Slovians scaled the wall towards the balcony; snipers and other palace guards opened fire on them. Neon used his strange Neonic Powers to stop the bullets, then rallied the gathered crowd into an impromptu militia; they gathered some weapons and marched briskly to the North Pass. When the invading army encountered unexpected resistance, a skirmish line of tanks formed up and prepared to open fire. Neon appeared and ripped apart one tank, with his mysterious power. Kampflandic infantry and aircraft proved completely useless against him, again, and the invading troops fled in terror, as the Slovian defenders arrived. Neon exhorted them to elect a democratic government, then departed.[2]
Learning nothing from this experience, Herr Shickler dispatched agents to plant bombs of the basements of many skyscrapers in New York City, and prepared to detonate them with a radio signal from Europe. Neon the Unknown noticed some suspicious activity at a New York manhole, and investigated. He and his incredible Neonic powers put an end to the threat, first neutralizing the bomb team then flying to Shickler's European home base, and confronting him in person. He brought along one prisoner, whom Shickler insanely shot dead. Then Neon destroyed the Leader's transmitting equipment, scolded Shickler sternly, and left.[3]
Notes
- Neon the Unknown had only one recurring villain, and it was Otto Shickler.
- Shickler had a mountain retreat, at Berchberg, in Kampfland. His new enemy, Damus, lived in an old stone tower in Neurenplaz, Kampfland, but emigrated.
Trivia
- The extremely powerful foreign superhero Neon the Unknown passed up at least two face-to-face opportunities to kill or otherwise neutralize this insanely murderous dictator. To this day it is not well understood why this happened.
Related
- 2 Appearances of Otto Shickler (Quality Universe)
- 2 Images featuring Otto Shickler (Quality Universe)
- Quotations by or about Otto Shickler (Quality Universe)
- Character Gallery: Otto Shickler (Quality Universe)
Footnotes