Synopsis
While the comic takes place within the overarching modern cosmic superhero crisis event, the story's introductory sequence dives deeply into the Dark Multiverse backstory of the sadistic Robin King. Hans von Hammer is fully integrated into this nightmare timeline. During a massive, historical flashback sequence documenting how a young, evil Bruce Wayne systematically hunted down and murdered every single hero on his home planet, Rittmeister Hans von Hammer explicitly co-stars as part of Earth's final defense line. Alongside classic DC aerial comrade Lt. Steve Savage (The Balloon Buster), von Hammer takes to the skies in a desperate attempt to eliminate the child psychopath. The sequence features a brutally stylized, double-page dogfight spread illustrated by Rossmo where the Robin King utilizes specialized, reverse-engineered tracking gear to aggressively dismantle their vintage biplanes, resulting in the tragic, mid-air deaths of both classic war heroes in this alternate, nightmare universe.
