Hun (MLJ)

Golden Age Origin
A recurring foe of both The Shield and Dusty the Boy Detective, The Hun (also known as "the hercules of hate") was a nazi operative chosen by supernatural means to serve as Hitler's personal champion.

In his youth, the Hun was prone to many savage and brutal acts including murder and arson, earning him the scorn and fear of his neighbours. One night, the spirit of Attila the Hun came to him in a dream to offer his magic shield and costume, promising his decedent great power alongside a "paperhanger." Following the instructions left by his ancestor, the Hun found and donned the costume, ready to fulfil his destiny as the conqueror of mankind.

Years later (1931 specifically) he would finally meet Adolf Hitler as predicted by his ancestor, and the two would pledge their allegiance to each other.

He first encountered the Shield while on the trail of an F.B.I. agent with information regarding a secret Nazi base hidden in Mexico. Despite murdering several people to keep the base's location a secret, the Shield and Dusty still manage to uncover its location and destroy the operation, nearly killing the Hun with machine gun fire.

A month later, the Hun commanded a German Merchant Raider disguised as an American freighter off the coast of Maine and plotted to attack an American concentration camp housing thousands of loyal Nazis waiting to be freed as his new army. But just as he was ready to set his plan in motion, the Shield and Dusty attacked, seemingly killing him once more when a grenade sent his jeep careening off a cliff engulfed in flames.

However, thanks to the magical power of his ancestor's shield, the Hun was able to escape the burning wreckage into the wilderness (although he eventually passed out from the strain). He was later found and rescued by the pro-fascist newspaper philanthropist Monte Kuller. With the assistance of his effeminate (but surprisingly strong) assassin Ladybird, Kuller wished to join forces with the Hun in overthrowing the United States government. However, the Shield and Dusty once more intervened, and the Hun finally died while attempting to escape, crushed beneath a speeding train.

After the Hun's demise was confirmed, his fight against the Shield was quickly taken up by his biological son, Captain Kurt Wiedler of the S.S.

Originally revealing himself to be a comically overweight German Officer, it later turned out that he simply wore a disguise to make his enemies underestimate him, hiding his imposing muscular physique underneath a fat suit. This disguise was so convincing the Shield didn't even initially recognize him as the same man.

Along with his mastery of deception and torture techniques he was also an exceptionally skilled combatant and claimed to be the best swordsman in all of Germany.

Golden Age Appearances

 * Shield-Wizard #7-8, #10 (cameo)
 * Pep Comics #31 (cover only), #32