mayfield app
Name: Lina
Personal LJ: rhetoric_flow
Contact Info: AIM screenname: "thatbluebox" e-mail: "churrosareyummy@gmail.com"
Other Characters Played: n/a
Preferred Housing: n/a
Character Name: Dr. Edward Richtofen, also known as The Butcher or more simply, The Doc.
Character Series: Call of Duty: Zombies
Character Age: 36? No canon age is given, and many disjointed facts that might help point out his age contradict each other.
Background:
http://callofduty.wikia.com/wiki/Nazi_Zombies
http://callofduty.wikia.com/wiki/Edward_Richtofen
Very little is revealed about Doctor Richtofen and his past, save for information from his official bio, his in-game quotes, various Easter Eggs. Much of this history contains headcanon and speculation. Please let me know if you would like me to revise this section to have only official canon facts.
Born in 1909 to a middle-class German family, Edward Richtofen showed hints of his sociopathic nature even at a young age. His parents had discovered their son trapping small animals, and killing them in cruel and often lengthy ways. Very little could discourage young Edward from this behavior, save for the pet dog his mother bought for him, which he took a great liking to. As he grew older into his teens, he was signed into the Hitler Youth group by his parents, who were both adamant supporters of Adolf Hitler. Richtofen was not so pleased. He was bullied by other members, but every boy who ever antagonized him seemed to mysteriously meet inexplicable accidents, which usually resulted in some permanent injury to the poor lads. Richtofen then went on to attend university. He studied in science and biology, later earning his medical doctorate.
The newly minted Dr. Richtofen moved to Weimar, and became infamous for his work as a plastic surgeon. (Though, the level of effort the doctor put into following protocol or generally caring about the patient’s safety was up to debate. There were some casualties.) He became very popular with the influential and wealthy, and he lived in luxury for years. In 1932, Hitler rose to power and the Nazi Party took control. Richtofen, while very patriotic to Germany, cared little for politics. Hitler and the Nazis seemed too idealistic for his liking. Despite Richtofen’s attempts to continue his comfortable lifestyle, it became more and more apparent that times truly had changed, and that he should find a position that would benefit him the most. When the Wehrmacht was formed in 1935, Richtofen was among the first to enlist. There, he soon found his new joy in life: interrogation and information extraction.
It started with questioning spies, criminals, and other traitors to the State. Richtofen was given full rein to use whatever means necessary to get a confession from his victims. It was glorious. It soon came apparent that Richtofen could create and perform torture techiniques that his colleagues would not even dare begin to imagine. By the beginning of the Second World War, whispers of the Doc and his cruelties had already spread across Germany. As Richtofen moved up the ranks, he also moved onto other projects, such as human experimentation. Jews, prisoners of war, it really meant little difference to the doctor. Any human suffering and pain brought him great pleasure. Much of the time, the “experiments” in question were not so much ways to learn and test the human body, but simply Richtofen enjoying himself. It was an addiction-- he needed it-- to watch people die, slowly and as painfully as possible.
Word of “The Butcher” reached a man named Ludvig Maxis, a doctor also working under the Third Reich. He was to be the head of a secret SS organization, simply called Group 935. As well as human experimentation, the group would be focused on discovering new types of technology that could aid the military with the use of a newly discovered element, Ununpentium. Given Richtofen’s science background, and his disregard for human wellbeing, he was the perfect candidate to become Maxis’ lead assistant. However, this alerted another group, a secret organization far beyond the knowledge of the Nazis, the Illuminati. The Illuminati had taken great interest in Group 935, for it showed genuine potential to create something the earth had never-before seen. The Illuminati needed their own agent on the inside. This Edward Richtofen, already with a history of mental instability, who would be working as Maxis’ personal assistant, would be the perfect choice. The Illuminati collected Richtofen into their number. When Richtofen arrived at Group 935’s headquarters near Breslau, he was acting as the Illuminati’s faithful servant.
Maxis and Richtofen studied Ununpentium, numbered Element 115, for its uses in technology and its effects on humans. Using Element 115, Maxis created the prototype for a new weapon, a ray gun. Richtofen invented a gun that could fire bolts of electricity, which he dubbed the Wunderwaffe DG-2, the “Wonder Weapon.” As tests went on, Maxis realized that Element 115 influenced a human’s mind, often resulting in insanity. And in an accident during an experiment, he and Richtofen learned of 115’s other power. It could bring the dead back to life. Maxis was enthralled with this discovery. He wished for a way to control these undead, and use them as a new army for Germany. Tests went on. Group 935 was also responsible for another project, the Die Glock, teleporters that would be able to send soldiers across countries. Maxis would use the reanimated corpses as test subjects, sending them through the teleportation device. The tests on the teleporters were failures.
Every member of Group 935 was sworn to secrecy. They were to leave behind their friends, families, and lives to commit themselves to the group’s success. Maxis, a divorced father, was forced to bring his daughter to the base with him. This young girl, age no older than 10, was named Samantha. Unsurprisingly, she was the only child living in Group 935’s headquarters, called Der Riese (“The Giant”). She would often grow bored, and would resort to pulling pranks around the base. To mollify his daughter, Maxis got her a dog to keep. Samantha named her Fluffy. Meanwhile, tensions arose between Maxis and Richtofen. Maxis became suspicious of Richtofen, who seemed to watch him and Samantha too closely for his liking. Richtofen also created a bomb made from a toy monkey which played music. Maxis witnessed the monkey start screaming when it was set aflame, which completely unnerved him. Maxis in turn hid his newest project, the Thundergun, from Richtofen. Despite the progress he had made, three years since group 935’s beginning in 1942, Maxis had run thin on resources and funding. He had grown paranoid and desperate, of Richtofen and of Samantha’s stuffed bear, blaming the Element 115 for affecting his mind. All the meanwhile, Richtofen received regular messages from the Illuminati on slips of paper with a coded alphabet. The last message was an order. It was time to kill Maxis.
On the sixth test of the teleportation system, Maxis and Richtofen used Fluffy as a test subject. Upon activation, the dog had gone through a horrible transformation, into a demented corpse-like beast. Unfortunately, at this moment Samantha Maxis came into the laboratory, searching for her dog. She found her. Samantha attempted to reach the mutated Fluffy, running into the teleportation machine. Maxis was forced to follow her. Then, Richtofen shut the teleporter doors, trapping Maxis and Samantha with the hellhound, and turned the machine on. He then went on to release the zombies, setting them loose onto the compound, killing everyone there. Richtofen escaped to another compound of Group 935 in a swamp in Japan, where he met up with 3 other people: Tank Dempsey, Nikolai Bolenski, and Takeo Masaki.
There, the four unlikely allies fought against hoards of Japanese undead. They discovered that a large meteor, theorized by Richtofen to be the source of the Element 115, had crashed into the swamp, likely creating the zombies there. Here Richtofen no longer bothered to hide his manic behavior, laughing in glee as he destroyed the zombies. Along with the zombies, they were also forced to fight against Hellhounds, dogs resembling the changed Fluffy that would attack the group. Richtofen would later realize the Hellhounds must have been the Fluffy’s spawn, from when she was pregnant before the experiment. It became increasingly clear that there was some power controlling the zombies and hellhounds, as well as the weapons the group managed to find to fight them.
They were able to escape back to Der Riese by teleporter, which was now mysteriously fully functioning. The group was again met with zombies and hellhounds, with many of the zombies among those which Richtofen originally set loose. They utilized Group 935’s weapons to fight them, including the Wunderwaffe, the Ray Gun, and the Monkey Bomb. Also at their disposal were several technologies. With Richtofen’s help and knowledge, the group was able to repair the three teleporters in the facility, and make use of a machine which made their guns and weapons more powerful. With all the information available in Der Riese (and Richtofen’s not-so-successful attempts at feigning innocence), it became clear to the rest of the group that Richtofen was indeed partly responsible for the creation of the zombies, though not much was known beyond that.
Eventually, the four were again overrun by the zombies and forced to flee. They stood on a teleporter pad and fired at the oncoming zombies as the machine began to turn on. Richtofen shot with the Wunderwaffe just as the teleport was activated. The Wunderwaffe’s power overloaded the teleporter, which instead of only teleporting the group through space, backtraced them through time as well. The trip destroyed the Wunderwaffe, rendering it useless. They came to what appeared to be in a theater in Berlin, but upon further inspection, Richtofen quickly realized the theater was yet another front of Group 935, used to try to reach into the zombies’ unconsciousness to control them. They fought more zombies here, somehow still existing despite the gap in time. Once the power had been restored in the building, a loud roaring was heard throughout the building as it shook. Parts of the ceiling caved in, and then barely-human creatures began to crawl down the walls. They emitted a strange gas, and exploded into this gas when killed. Richtofen identified them as another of Maxis’ failed experiments. The four discovered another of Group 935’s weapons, Maxis’ Thundergun. They continued to fight there until…
The next Call of Duty Map Pack. The storyline has yet to continue. Many things have yet to be explained, the events occurring between Richtofen’s betrayal of Maxis and his rendezvous with the rest of the team being arguably the most mysterious. The Americans had sent a spy, Peter, to infiltrate Group 935. When the zombies broke out (this may have happened in Berlin, in another 935 facility based in an insane asylum, before Maxis and Samantha’s alleged death in Der Riesse), a special team was sent out to retrieve Peter, the leader of this team being none other than Tank Dempsey. Dempsey’s mission takes place in the level Verruckt, but he and his team fail, Dempsey supposedly being the lone survivor. He then left for Japan to the swamp with Nikolai and Takeo. Peter is assumed to be the man found hanging in the starting room of the Japan “Shi No Numa” level. One possible explanation is that Richtofen and Peter both came to Shi No Numa, each fleeing Verruckt and Der Riese respectively. Richtofen discovered Peter was in fact an American spy and killed him. Although, it being Richtofen, he may have easily killed Peter for any number of other reasons. The ultimate fates of Maxis and Samantha are also unknown, although Samantha seems to be controlling the zombies, and by extension, Richtofen and the group. Richtofen seems perfectly aware of this, even directly speaking to Samantha in the theater. Now that he is aware that the teleporters and Group 935 are more than what they appear to be, he wants to find Samantha and learn what has become of her.
And of course, the question comes up of why an American, a Russian, a Japanese, and a German at the end of World War II would fight together. It is highly unlikely for all of them to be in Japan (mostly for Nikolai, who would have had little to no business being there). However, it has recently been revealed that Dempsey, Nikolai, and Takeo are in fact subjects of a experiment who are being observed by Richtofen. What exactly the experiment is, who is in charge of it, and when the experiment even began are no doubt all questions that will be answered by the story’s end.
Personality:
”Blood! The beautiful blood!”
-Richtofen
First thing’s first. Doctor Richtofen is insane, with a long list of mental and personality disorders which has grown ever since his childhood. He has neither a care nor concern for human life, and sees pain and torture as an art form which he strives to perfect. He loves pain. He needs it. Anyone’s pain will do, even his own. When operating a machine full of gears, which specifically has a sign warning NOT put one’s hand inside, Richtofen delights in the thought of doing it anyway, just because it would hurt so good. The different ways in which the human body can be destroyed fascinates him. He enjoys experimenting with various methods. Ddismemberment, combustion, electrocution. Each is as fun and entertaining as the last. Richtofen laughs giddily while killing zombies, making no effort to suggest he would feel any different were he shooting living people. Richtofen’s mania might imply that he has bipolar disorder, as he can and will rapidly change moods from hysterically laughing at his own punny jokes to feeling utter despair when he has no instruments to kill with, outright bawling when he is out of ammunition completely.
”Yes, yes, I will do as you say… I will kill them one by one!”
-Richtofen
If that isn’t all enough to convince you of this man’s instability, he hears voices, which, according to the majority of Richtofen’s quotes referring to the voices, continuously beseech the doctor to kill and kill some more. Richtofen alternates between fighting the voices he hears and obeying them. Textbook crazy, right? Perhaps, perhaps not. Richtofen’s auditory hallucinations seem to be the result of prolonged exposure to Element 115, as he will mention hearing voices when fighting zombies and using his Wunderwaffe DG-2, both which were products of the element. Strangely enough, despite how much he enjoys the chaos and destruction while fighting zombies, Richtofen is sometimes shown having regret towards being forced to kill the undead. His attitude in general towards the zombies seems to change often. He will sometimes state that the zombies are hurting and need to be helped. Sometimes Richtofen will affectionately refer to the zombies as his pretty minions, or as his children. Sometimes he will react with clear disgust. It’s easily possible that how he feels at the moment simply depends on how much danger he is currently in.
”Hey Richtofen, stop dating and start shooting!”
-Dempsey, when Richtofen talks to the zombies
Of course the doctor is not without his other… quirks. It’s tough to see where the line not to cross is, when reading into and between Richtofen’s and the others’ quotes. Richtofen’s tendency to lisp, his obvious discomfort and immediate violent reaction to a zombie getting a little too close, his claim that said zombie was in fact trying to kiss him, and other flippant comments lead many to believe that Richtofen is in fact a closeted homosexual, so deeply closeted to the point of denial. This is entirely understandable, given the Nazis’ view on the matter in those days. Though regardless, having relations with other humans is low on Richtofen’s priorities. He’d much rather be killing something to have a good time. This unfortunately brings up further implications of what exactly else Richtofen would like to be doing with the living undead... but, I digress.
“I am a god! Stay back!”
-Richtofen
Richtofen is arguably the most narcissistic of the four characters in the Zombies mode. Upon seeing his own portrait hanging on a wall, he will literally say “Oh look, it’s me. But not quite as magnificent!” When killing multiple zombies, or when using an exceptionally powerful weapon, he will pronounce that he is a god and all-powerful. Of course, this is more stubborn pride than it is a genuine ego trip. Richtofen doesn’t like admitting that he needs help or that, heaven forbid, he’s ever frightened by something. He’ll sooner resort to condescending remarks towards his teammates, putting them down to rather poorly cover up his own insecurities. Along with this, many actions of Richtofen’s show him as a rather immature individual, despite probably the oldest of the group. He’s prone to throwing tantrums, and much of his bickering with Dempsey involve “your mother” insults and one accusing the other of passing gas. Dempsey’s main reasons for disliking Richtofen understandably involve the German being, well, a German during World War II, and the doctor having a hand in creating the zombies. However, Richtofen seems to dislike Demspey simply because Dempsey doesn’t like him. This makes sense, as before the war Richtofen had become accustomed to having crowds of sycophants following him wherever he went.
“Faithful servant. Observe and report. The seed has been planted. Maxis must not know.”
-Message found in Der Riese printed in Illuminati code
Ludvig Maxis was another individual who treated Richtofen without the respect he felt he deserved. Consequently, Richtofen took an especial delight in killing him. The Doc seems to have never liked Maxis’ daughter Samantha. You do not hear them directly interact in the hidden radio messages in Der Riese, but it is implied she had a history of performing pranks, and generally being a “dreadful little girl” that continued to make Richtofen’s life difficult. He certainly didn’t seem to show any particular remorse when killing her along with her father. Although Richtofen’s orders specifically were to kill Maxis, but the overall plan seemed to involve killing everyone in the Der Riese facility anyway. Throughout the levels Shi No Numa, Der Riese, and Kino Der Toten, there is a noticeable change in Richtofen concerning his loyalties to the Illuminati. In Shi No Numa, Richtofen makes multiple references to the Illuminati, clearly stating that he was proud of his work for them, and he looked forward to future services. He even goes as far to invite Nikolai, calling him his student and claiming that the Illuminati would be pleased with the Russian. Later in Der Riese, Richtofen makes little mention at all of them, more concerned with getting the machinery in the base running. And even as a more radical change, in Kino Der Toten, upon receiving a Ray Gun, Richtofen may state clearly that he never wants anything to do with the Illuminati again. Whether this is a sign of Richtofen breaking away from possible brainwashing, or simply him betraying the group is unknown.
”The Fatherland would be so proud! ... It’s so emotional!”
-Richtofen, upon receiving an upgraded weapon
Still, Richtofen is more than a skinny Nazi psychopath. In fact, the “Nazi” part of it is even debatable. Richtofen feels no loyalty towards Hitler or the Nazi party. Unfortunately, this is not because Richofen sees the Nazis as thugs and criminals, but because he sees their political stances as too libral and moral. What exactly Richtofen would consider as crossing the moral event horizon if Nazis are too namby-pamby is open to discussion. Richtofen also seems to disapprove of the war in general, saying that it really should be something to be talked over schnapps. Still, Richtofen is very proud of his German heritage. He likes to think the Germans are the most technologically advanced people in the world (and he wouldn’t be far off, considering all of Group 935’s inventions). He comments often on how impressive German ingenuity and efficiency is. Admittedly, Richtofen’s patriotism can seem completely random with no rational cause, as he had once said that a bathroom couldn’t be very interesting, unless you were German, like he is. It is strange that Richtofen seems to favor Nikolai, the Russian, above the Japanese Takeo. Richtofen tries to support Nikolai whenever possible, often complimenting him for his aim and skill. Stranger still, Nikolai seems to take little note of it, and rarely speaks to the doctor.
“No, I am not ready for hell! I’ve got nothing to wear!”
-Richtofen, when downed, with problems in prioritizing
Richtofen will usually make fun of Americans for a number of reasons, one of which is actually for making guns TOO effective. He doesn’t like how the American guns kill too quickly and won’t provide a drawn-out, painful death. Richtofen’s dislike of Americans may only be a result of his being at-odds with Dempsey, however. Richtofen speaks extremely fluent English, even using slang terms and idioms such as “who’s your daddy” and “to the max” (although he uses them jokingly). He also even likes to use older English, with words like “shan’t.” The doctor enjoys the feel of blood spraying onto his face as much as the next guy. Okay, he enjoys it indefinitely more than the next guy. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy some of the finer things in life. Richtofen likes having a nice drink, listening good music, and maybe indulging in a sweet snack. He has a dry (usually dark) sense of humor, and will often resort to sarcasm. Richtofen also seems to very fond of his uniform. He almost never removes his officer’s hat, and likes to keep himself in tidy order. He also is very fond of his boots. Can you blame him? They’re nice boots.
“The Doctor is ready for war now.”
Richtofen is insane. He is psychotic. He loves pain. He dislikes anyone that doesn’t love pain. He is a genius beyond his years, driven mad by his work. He wants nothing more than to see you with your eyes scooped out so he can refill your eyes-sockets with ice-cream so he can eat out of them. He needs to watch you die.
It is also a quality of Richtofen’s that he is capable of perfectly hiding all of these things. He can change his voice and demeaner so completely that you might think him a different person. He’ll seem like a completely normal man, just another victim of Mayfield’s who is good with machines, likes dogs, and enjoys relaxing with a beer. If he so chooses, you will never see the thoughts of death and mayhem lurking behind his eyes.
Beware the Doc.
Abilities: No supernatural or inhuman abilities that are known, although Richtofen is a capable soldier and doctor, and a genius scientist.
Sample Entry:
Dear_mun Post 1, Dear_mun Post 2
Zhere really isn’t much in zhe vay of entertainment in Mayfield, is zhere? I can’t even get a good drink. Your American beers all taste like sewer vater, und zhese drones make for very poor company. Zhey don’t react to pain of any sort-- zhere is only so much you can do wizh lifeless corpses, you know! Especially vhen zhey don’t even last a full day.
Maybe somevun vould like to help zhe Doctor find a new hobby? Vhat does anybody know about wood carving?
[Because it’s not like Richtofen’s looking forward to accidentally slicing his hand, nope.]
Personal LJ: rhetoric_flow
Contact Info: AIM screenname: "thatbluebox" e-mail: "churrosareyummy@gmail.com"
Other Characters Played: n/a
Preferred Housing: n/a
Character Name: Dr. Edward Richtofen, also known as The Butcher or more simply, The Doc.
Character Series: Call of Duty: Zombies
Character Age: 36? No canon age is given, and many disjointed facts that might help point out his age contradict each other.
Background:
http://callofduty.wikia.com/wiki/Nazi_Zombies
http://callofduty.wikia.com/wiki/Edward_Richtofen
Very little is revealed about Doctor Richtofen and his past, save for information from his official bio, his in-game quotes, various Easter Eggs. Much of this history contains headcanon and speculation. Please let me know if you would like me to revise this section to have only official canon facts.
Born in 1909 to a middle-class German family, Edward Richtofen showed hints of his sociopathic nature even at a young age. His parents had discovered their son trapping small animals, and killing them in cruel and often lengthy ways. Very little could discourage young Edward from this behavior, save for the pet dog his mother bought for him, which he took a great liking to. As he grew older into his teens, he was signed into the Hitler Youth group by his parents, who were both adamant supporters of Adolf Hitler. Richtofen was not so pleased. He was bullied by other members, but every boy who ever antagonized him seemed to mysteriously meet inexplicable accidents, which usually resulted in some permanent injury to the poor lads. Richtofen then went on to attend university. He studied in science and biology, later earning his medical doctorate.
The newly minted Dr. Richtofen moved to Weimar, and became infamous for his work as a plastic surgeon. (Though, the level of effort the doctor put into following protocol or generally caring about the patient’s safety was up to debate. There were some casualties.) He became very popular with the influential and wealthy, and he lived in luxury for years. In 1932, Hitler rose to power and the Nazi Party took control. Richtofen, while very patriotic to Germany, cared little for politics. Hitler and the Nazis seemed too idealistic for his liking. Despite Richtofen’s attempts to continue his comfortable lifestyle, it became more and more apparent that times truly had changed, and that he should find a position that would benefit him the most. When the Wehrmacht was formed in 1935, Richtofen was among the first to enlist. There, he soon found his new joy in life: interrogation and information extraction.
It started with questioning spies, criminals, and other traitors to the State. Richtofen was given full rein to use whatever means necessary to get a confession from his victims. It was glorious. It soon came apparent that Richtofen could create and perform torture techiniques that his colleagues would not even dare begin to imagine. By the beginning of the Second World War, whispers of the Doc and his cruelties had already spread across Germany. As Richtofen moved up the ranks, he also moved onto other projects, such as human experimentation. Jews, prisoners of war, it really meant little difference to the doctor. Any human suffering and pain brought him great pleasure. Much of the time, the “experiments” in question were not so much ways to learn and test the human body, but simply Richtofen enjoying himself. It was an addiction-- he needed it-- to watch people die, slowly and as painfully as possible.
Word of “The Butcher” reached a man named Ludvig Maxis, a doctor also working under the Third Reich. He was to be the head of a secret SS organization, simply called Group 935. As well as human experimentation, the group would be focused on discovering new types of technology that could aid the military with the use of a newly discovered element, Ununpentium. Given Richtofen’s science background, and his disregard for human wellbeing, he was the perfect candidate to become Maxis’ lead assistant. However, this alerted another group, a secret organization far beyond the knowledge of the Nazis, the Illuminati. The Illuminati had taken great interest in Group 935, for it showed genuine potential to create something the earth had never-before seen. The Illuminati needed their own agent on the inside. This Edward Richtofen, already with a history of mental instability, who would be working as Maxis’ personal assistant, would be the perfect choice. The Illuminati collected Richtofen into their number. When Richtofen arrived at Group 935’s headquarters near Breslau, he was acting as the Illuminati’s faithful servant.
Maxis and Richtofen studied Ununpentium, numbered Element 115, for its uses in technology and its effects on humans. Using Element 115, Maxis created the prototype for a new weapon, a ray gun. Richtofen invented a gun that could fire bolts of electricity, which he dubbed the Wunderwaffe DG-2, the “Wonder Weapon.” As tests went on, Maxis realized that Element 115 influenced a human’s mind, often resulting in insanity. And in an accident during an experiment, he and Richtofen learned of 115’s other power. It could bring the dead back to life. Maxis was enthralled with this discovery. He wished for a way to control these undead, and use them as a new army for Germany. Tests went on. Group 935 was also responsible for another project, the Die Glock, teleporters that would be able to send soldiers across countries. Maxis would use the reanimated corpses as test subjects, sending them through the teleportation device. The tests on the teleporters were failures.
Every member of Group 935 was sworn to secrecy. They were to leave behind their friends, families, and lives to commit themselves to the group’s success. Maxis, a divorced father, was forced to bring his daughter to the base with him. This young girl, age no older than 10, was named Samantha. Unsurprisingly, she was the only child living in Group 935’s headquarters, called Der Riese (“The Giant”). She would often grow bored, and would resort to pulling pranks around the base. To mollify his daughter, Maxis got her a dog to keep. Samantha named her Fluffy. Meanwhile, tensions arose between Maxis and Richtofen. Maxis became suspicious of Richtofen, who seemed to watch him and Samantha too closely for his liking. Richtofen also created a bomb made from a toy monkey which played music. Maxis witnessed the monkey start screaming when it was set aflame, which completely unnerved him. Maxis in turn hid his newest project, the Thundergun, from Richtofen. Despite the progress he had made, three years since group 935’s beginning in 1942, Maxis had run thin on resources and funding. He had grown paranoid and desperate, of Richtofen and of Samantha’s stuffed bear, blaming the Element 115 for affecting his mind. All the meanwhile, Richtofen received regular messages from the Illuminati on slips of paper with a coded alphabet. The last message was an order. It was time to kill Maxis.
On the sixth test of the teleportation system, Maxis and Richtofen used Fluffy as a test subject. Upon activation, the dog had gone through a horrible transformation, into a demented corpse-like beast. Unfortunately, at this moment Samantha Maxis came into the laboratory, searching for her dog. She found her. Samantha attempted to reach the mutated Fluffy, running into the teleportation machine. Maxis was forced to follow her. Then, Richtofen shut the teleporter doors, trapping Maxis and Samantha with the hellhound, and turned the machine on. He then went on to release the zombies, setting them loose onto the compound, killing everyone there. Richtofen escaped to another compound of Group 935 in a swamp in Japan, where he met up with 3 other people: Tank Dempsey, Nikolai Bolenski, and Takeo Masaki.
There, the four unlikely allies fought against hoards of Japanese undead. They discovered that a large meteor, theorized by Richtofen to be the source of the Element 115, had crashed into the swamp, likely creating the zombies there. Here Richtofen no longer bothered to hide his manic behavior, laughing in glee as he destroyed the zombies. Along with the zombies, they were also forced to fight against Hellhounds, dogs resembling the changed Fluffy that would attack the group. Richtofen would later realize the Hellhounds must have been the Fluffy’s spawn, from when she was pregnant before the experiment. It became increasingly clear that there was some power controlling the zombies and hellhounds, as well as the weapons the group managed to find to fight them.
They were able to escape back to Der Riese by teleporter, which was now mysteriously fully functioning. The group was again met with zombies and hellhounds, with many of the zombies among those which Richtofen originally set loose. They utilized Group 935’s weapons to fight them, including the Wunderwaffe, the Ray Gun, and the Monkey Bomb. Also at their disposal were several technologies. With Richtofen’s help and knowledge, the group was able to repair the three teleporters in the facility, and make use of a machine which made their guns and weapons more powerful. With all the information available in Der Riese (and Richtofen’s not-so-successful attempts at feigning innocence), it became clear to the rest of the group that Richtofen was indeed partly responsible for the creation of the zombies, though not much was known beyond that.
Eventually, the four were again overrun by the zombies and forced to flee. They stood on a teleporter pad and fired at the oncoming zombies as the machine began to turn on. Richtofen shot with the Wunderwaffe just as the teleport was activated. The Wunderwaffe’s power overloaded the teleporter, which instead of only teleporting the group through space, backtraced them through time as well. The trip destroyed the Wunderwaffe, rendering it useless. They came to what appeared to be in a theater in Berlin, but upon further inspection, Richtofen quickly realized the theater was yet another front of Group 935, used to try to reach into the zombies’ unconsciousness to control them. They fought more zombies here, somehow still existing despite the gap in time. Once the power had been restored in the building, a loud roaring was heard throughout the building as it shook. Parts of the ceiling caved in, and then barely-human creatures began to crawl down the walls. They emitted a strange gas, and exploded into this gas when killed. Richtofen identified them as another of Maxis’ failed experiments. The four discovered another of Group 935’s weapons, Maxis’ Thundergun. They continued to fight there until…
The next Call of Duty Map Pack. The storyline has yet to continue. Many things have yet to be explained, the events occurring between Richtofen’s betrayal of Maxis and his rendezvous with the rest of the team being arguably the most mysterious. The Americans had sent a spy, Peter, to infiltrate Group 935. When the zombies broke out (this may have happened in Berlin, in another 935 facility based in an insane asylum, before Maxis and Samantha’s alleged death in Der Riesse), a special team was sent out to retrieve Peter, the leader of this team being none other than Tank Dempsey. Dempsey’s mission takes place in the level Verruckt, but he and his team fail, Dempsey supposedly being the lone survivor. He then left for Japan to the swamp with Nikolai and Takeo. Peter is assumed to be the man found hanging in the starting room of the Japan “Shi No Numa” level. One possible explanation is that Richtofen and Peter both came to Shi No Numa, each fleeing Verruckt and Der Riese respectively. Richtofen discovered Peter was in fact an American spy and killed him. Although, it being Richtofen, he may have easily killed Peter for any number of other reasons. The ultimate fates of Maxis and Samantha are also unknown, although Samantha seems to be controlling the zombies, and by extension, Richtofen and the group. Richtofen seems perfectly aware of this, even directly speaking to Samantha in the theater. Now that he is aware that the teleporters and Group 935 are more than what they appear to be, he wants to find Samantha and learn what has become of her.
And of course, the question comes up of why an American, a Russian, a Japanese, and a German at the end of World War II would fight together. It is highly unlikely for all of them to be in Japan (mostly for Nikolai, who would have had little to no business being there). However, it has recently been revealed that Dempsey, Nikolai, and Takeo are in fact subjects of a experiment who are being observed by Richtofen. What exactly the experiment is, who is in charge of it, and when the experiment even began are no doubt all questions that will be answered by the story’s end.
Personality:
”Blood! The beautiful blood!”
-Richtofen
First thing’s first. Doctor Richtofen is insane, with a long list of mental and personality disorders which has grown ever since his childhood. He has neither a care nor concern for human life, and sees pain and torture as an art form which he strives to perfect. He loves pain. He needs it. Anyone’s pain will do, even his own. When operating a machine full of gears, which specifically has a sign warning NOT put one’s hand inside, Richtofen delights in the thought of doing it anyway, just because it would hurt so good. The different ways in which the human body can be destroyed fascinates him. He enjoys experimenting with various methods. Ddismemberment, combustion, electrocution. Each is as fun and entertaining as the last. Richtofen laughs giddily while killing zombies, making no effort to suggest he would feel any different were he shooting living people. Richtofen’s mania might imply that he has bipolar disorder, as he can and will rapidly change moods from hysterically laughing at his own punny jokes to feeling utter despair when he has no instruments to kill with, outright bawling when he is out of ammunition completely.
”Yes, yes, I will do as you say… I will kill them one by one!”
-Richtofen
If that isn’t all enough to convince you of this man’s instability, he hears voices, which, according to the majority of Richtofen’s quotes referring to the voices, continuously beseech the doctor to kill and kill some more. Richtofen alternates between fighting the voices he hears and obeying them. Textbook crazy, right? Perhaps, perhaps not. Richtofen’s auditory hallucinations seem to be the result of prolonged exposure to Element 115, as he will mention hearing voices when fighting zombies and using his Wunderwaffe DG-2, both which were products of the element. Strangely enough, despite how much he enjoys the chaos and destruction while fighting zombies, Richtofen is sometimes shown having regret towards being forced to kill the undead. His attitude in general towards the zombies seems to change often. He will sometimes state that the zombies are hurting and need to be helped. Sometimes Richtofen will affectionately refer to the zombies as his pretty minions, or as his children. Sometimes he will react with clear disgust. It’s easily possible that how he feels at the moment simply depends on how much danger he is currently in.
”Hey Richtofen, stop dating and start shooting!”
-Dempsey, when Richtofen talks to the zombies
Of course the doctor is not without his other… quirks. It’s tough to see where the line not to cross is, when reading into and between Richtofen’s and the others’ quotes. Richtofen’s tendency to lisp, his obvious discomfort and immediate violent reaction to a zombie getting a little too close, his claim that said zombie was in fact trying to kiss him, and other flippant comments lead many to believe that Richtofen is in fact a closeted homosexual, so deeply closeted to the point of denial. This is entirely understandable, given the Nazis’ view on the matter in those days. Though regardless, having relations with other humans is low on Richtofen’s priorities. He’d much rather be killing something to have a good time. This unfortunately brings up further implications of what exactly else Richtofen would like to be doing with the living undead... but, I digress.
“I am a god! Stay back!”
-Richtofen
Richtofen is arguably the most narcissistic of the four characters in the Zombies mode. Upon seeing his own portrait hanging on a wall, he will literally say “Oh look, it’s me. But not quite as magnificent!” When killing multiple zombies, or when using an exceptionally powerful weapon, he will pronounce that he is a god and all-powerful. Of course, this is more stubborn pride than it is a genuine ego trip. Richtofen doesn’t like admitting that he needs help or that, heaven forbid, he’s ever frightened by something. He’ll sooner resort to condescending remarks towards his teammates, putting them down to rather poorly cover up his own insecurities. Along with this, many actions of Richtofen’s show him as a rather immature individual, despite probably the oldest of the group. He’s prone to throwing tantrums, and much of his bickering with Dempsey involve “your mother” insults and one accusing the other of passing gas. Dempsey’s main reasons for disliking Richtofen understandably involve the German being, well, a German during World War II, and the doctor having a hand in creating the zombies. However, Richtofen seems to dislike Demspey simply because Dempsey doesn’t like him. This makes sense, as before the war Richtofen had become accustomed to having crowds of sycophants following him wherever he went.
“Faithful servant. Observe and report. The seed has been planted. Maxis must not know.”
-Message found in Der Riese printed in Illuminati code
Ludvig Maxis was another individual who treated Richtofen without the respect he felt he deserved. Consequently, Richtofen took an especial delight in killing him. The Doc seems to have never liked Maxis’ daughter Samantha. You do not hear them directly interact in the hidden radio messages in Der Riese, but it is implied she had a history of performing pranks, and generally being a “dreadful little girl” that continued to make Richtofen’s life difficult. He certainly didn’t seem to show any particular remorse when killing her along with her father. Although Richtofen’s orders specifically were to kill Maxis, but the overall plan seemed to involve killing everyone in the Der Riese facility anyway. Throughout the levels Shi No Numa, Der Riese, and Kino Der Toten, there is a noticeable change in Richtofen concerning his loyalties to the Illuminati. In Shi No Numa, Richtofen makes multiple references to the Illuminati, clearly stating that he was proud of his work for them, and he looked forward to future services. He even goes as far to invite Nikolai, calling him his student and claiming that the Illuminati would be pleased with the Russian. Later in Der Riese, Richtofen makes little mention at all of them, more concerned with getting the machinery in the base running. And even as a more radical change, in Kino Der Toten, upon receiving a Ray Gun, Richtofen may state clearly that he never wants anything to do with the Illuminati again. Whether this is a sign of Richtofen breaking away from possible brainwashing, or simply him betraying the group is unknown.
”The Fatherland would be so proud! ... It’s so emotional!”
-Richtofen, upon receiving an upgraded weapon
Still, Richtofen is more than a skinny Nazi psychopath. In fact, the “Nazi” part of it is even debatable. Richtofen feels no loyalty towards Hitler or the Nazi party. Unfortunately, this is not because Richofen sees the Nazis as thugs and criminals, but because he sees their political stances as too libral and moral. What exactly Richtofen would consider as crossing the moral event horizon if Nazis are too namby-pamby is open to discussion. Richtofen also seems to disapprove of the war in general, saying that it really should be something to be talked over schnapps. Still, Richtofen is very proud of his German heritage. He likes to think the Germans are the most technologically advanced people in the world (and he wouldn’t be far off, considering all of Group 935’s inventions). He comments often on how impressive German ingenuity and efficiency is. Admittedly, Richtofen’s patriotism can seem completely random with no rational cause, as he had once said that a bathroom couldn’t be very interesting, unless you were German, like he is. It is strange that Richtofen seems to favor Nikolai, the Russian, above the Japanese Takeo. Richtofen tries to support Nikolai whenever possible, often complimenting him for his aim and skill. Stranger still, Nikolai seems to take little note of it, and rarely speaks to the doctor.
“No, I am not ready for hell! I’ve got nothing to wear!”
-Richtofen, when downed, with problems in prioritizing
Richtofen will usually make fun of Americans for a number of reasons, one of which is actually for making guns TOO effective. He doesn’t like how the American guns kill too quickly and won’t provide a drawn-out, painful death. Richtofen’s dislike of Americans may only be a result of his being at-odds with Dempsey, however. Richtofen speaks extremely fluent English, even using slang terms and idioms such as “who’s your daddy” and “to the max” (although he uses them jokingly). He also even likes to use older English, with words like “shan’t.” The doctor enjoys the feel of blood spraying onto his face as much as the next guy. Okay, he enjoys it indefinitely more than the next guy. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy some of the finer things in life. Richtofen likes having a nice drink, listening good music, and maybe indulging in a sweet snack. He has a dry (usually dark) sense of humor, and will often resort to sarcasm. Richtofen also seems to very fond of his uniform. He almost never removes his officer’s hat, and likes to keep himself in tidy order. He also is very fond of his boots. Can you blame him? They’re nice boots.
“The Doctor is ready for war now.”
Richtofen is insane. He is psychotic. He loves pain. He dislikes anyone that doesn’t love pain. He is a genius beyond his years, driven mad by his work. He wants nothing more than to see you with your eyes scooped out so he can refill your eyes-sockets with ice-cream so he can eat out of them. He needs to watch you die.
It is also a quality of Richtofen’s that he is capable of perfectly hiding all of these things. He can change his voice and demeaner so completely that you might think him a different person. He’ll seem like a completely normal man, just another victim of Mayfield’s who is good with machines, likes dogs, and enjoys relaxing with a beer. If he so chooses, you will never see the thoughts of death and mayhem lurking behind his eyes.
Beware the Doc.
Abilities: No supernatural or inhuman abilities that are known, although Richtofen is a capable soldier and doctor, and a genius scientist.
Sample Entry:
Dear_mun Post 1, Dear_mun Post 2
Zhere really isn’t much in zhe vay of entertainment in Mayfield, is zhere? I can’t even get a good drink. Your American beers all taste like sewer vater, und zhese drones make for very poor company. Zhey don’t react to pain of any sort-- zhere is only so much you can do wizh lifeless corpses, you know! Especially vhen zhey don’t even last a full day.
Maybe somevun vould like to help zhe Doctor find a new hobby? Vhat does anybody know about wood carving?
[Because it’s not like Richtofen’s looking forward to accidentally slicing his hand, nope.]