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Quote1 ... My greatest weapon has always been my voice... so well modulated and pitched that my very word can either be totally consoling... or destructively jarring! Quote2
Doctor Faustus[src]

History

Early Life[]

Dr. Johann Fennhoff was a brilliant psychiatrist and manipulator from Vienna, Austria. But due his skill his arrogance overcame him, stating that he was so brilliant that he was. He used his skill of psychological manipulation to force his enemies into positions in which the would kill themselves. He later took up calling himself Doctor Faustus.[3]

Treating Captain America[]

When Captain America started having nightmares about the war he decided to call his newly hired psychiatrist Dr. Faustus. Upon hearing about the dream Dr. Faustus told Steve to come to his office that afternoon. Dr. Faustus was not who he seemed, as it was revealed that he planned to drive Captain America insane. To this end, he has had his minion Ferret posing as a bellhop to slip him drugs that cause him to have his horrible nightmares. This time, he handed him an extra-potent batch of pills, that Dr. Faustus informed would finally push Captain America over the edge. After more hallucinations of the Red Skull fleeing the scene, more determined to see Dr. Faustus than ever unaware that these are just two minions of Faustus wearing life-like masks in order to further push Cap to the point of insanity.[3]

At his session, Steve is asked to lay down on Dr. Faustus's couch and close his eyes and talk about the things he saw. However when he opened his eyes again he appeared to be in a Nazi dungeon and is being grappled by a number of Nazi soldiers. One Nazi came up to him with his gun and begins to shoot Cap point blank in the face. This is apparently another hallucination and when reality snapped back it is merely Dr. Faustus shining a penlight into his eyes. Dr. Faustus concluded that Cap is a very sick man and told him to return to his hotel room and rest and that he will be sending new medication to him to deal with the dreams.[3]

When Cap left, a wall flipped around in Dr. Faustus' office revealing the Nazi dungeon set and another group of loyal followers, whom he commends for their exemplary work in driving Captain America to the brink. That night, Cap finds sleep hard to come by and when he looked in the mirror he's horrified to find that he haD aged rapidly into an elderly man. Even shocked Bucky appeared back from the dead and told him that they have to stop some enemy agents. Despite Cap's protest that he is too old to fight, Bucky convinced him to ride a motorcycle to the enemies' location. This of course was yet another ruse prepared by Dr. Faustus and at that very moment he and his men are putting the final touches on a replica of the drone-plane hangar on the day when Bucky died during World War II. When Cap arrived, history seemingly repeated itself again leaving Dr. Faustus to believe that Captain America has finally been shattered. However, when he and his minions go to inspect their work, Cap suddenly jumped to his feat and fights off all of Dr. Faustus' minions with ease. Peeling off a mask that made him look old, Captain America told Dr. Faustus that he saw through his plan and pretended to take the medication. Dr. Faustus then challenged Cap to one-on-one fist fight. Captain America is more than happy to oblige and knocks down Dr. Faustus with a single punch.[3][4][5]

Dr. Faustus was later treated an amnesiac Peggy Carter.[6] He also captured her niece Sharon Carter and her parents in an attempt to destroy Captain America.[7]

Dr. Faustus along with Dr. Karla Sofen purchased a stolen weapons from Stark International. Dr. Faustus provided a slideshow for his underlings on a private jet detailing his plan to take financial control over all of Manhattan. But unluckily for him Captain America was also on the plane undercover taking out most of the goons with ease. Two of Dr. Faustus' bodyguards kept Cap at bay with two handheld sonic depressors. One blast from such a weapon could paralyse an individual, shutting down their mental faculties in the process. Dr. Faustus planned to use the device to hold Manhattan hostage. As the plane arrived in New York, Cap managed to shake off the guns' effects and attacked Dr. Faustus. One of the other criminals tried to shoot Captain America, but the bullet misses instead striking the window. The plane immediately began to decompress and Dr. Faustus flew out the window, seemingly to his death. Cap landed the plane, and police waiting at John F. Kennedy International Airport to arrest Dr. Faustus' men.[8]

Controlling Spider-Man[]

Spider-Man interrupted one of Dr. Faustus's criminal schemes.[9] However, Dr. Faustus uses his hypnotic and hallucinogenic gasses to make Spider-Man believe that he's being attacked by a group of his old foes. Dr. Faustus makes the illusions disappear, and Spider-Man's exposure to the gas makes him mailable to Dr. Faustus's will. Spider-Man's talents were used to help Dr. Faustus break into a secret lab and get past the defences. Getting past the defences Spider-Man learned that Dr. Faustus intended to inject a hallucinogenic drug into the flu vaccine and make everyone in the city his slaves. Being in the sterile environment where the vaccine is being stored and being under the air circulator, Spider-Man managed to shake off the effects of the hypnosis. Spider-Man then makes short work of Dr. Faustus and his men and then sets off the alarm, leaving Dr. Faustus and his men to be collected by the police.[10][11]

National Force[]

Dr. Faustus was revealed to be the creator of the neo-Nazi group National Force.[12] He brainwashed the Captain America from the 1950s, William Burnside,[13] and turned him into the the Grand Director to lead the group.[14] He also brainwashed S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Sharon Carter convincing her to commit suicide, but she luckily survived.[15] Dr. Faustus also temporarily brainwashed Captain America but was freed with the help of Daredevil. Dr. Faustus legs were injured by falling gas canisters during the fight.[16]

Everyman[]

Dr. Faustus later conditioned Everyman aka Zeitgeist to become one of his operatives. He used his Absorbascann to draw in psychic power from other people in an attempt to mentally defeat Mr. Fantastic and prove his worth to the Secret Empire.[17] Everyman subsequently battled Spider-Man and Mr. Fantastic, using a ray to temporarily deprive Mr. Fantastic of his intellect, but working together they are able to reverse the process. When Mr. Fantastic subsequently sought Everyman's backer, Dr. Faustus attempted to drive him to commit suicide by making him think that he had killed the Fantastic Four using Life-Model Decoy's, but Mr. Fantastic realized the truth and defeated Dr. Faustus's plan, causing the villain to have a psychological breakdown.[18]

Skull-House[]

Dr. Faustus then allied with the Red Skull, and occupied the mansion known as Skull-House. Dr. Faustus attempted to coerce Captain America into committing suicide through the use of ghostly holograms.[19]

Dr. Faustus was believed to be have been killed by Nomad (Jack Monroe).[20]

S.H.I.E.L.D.[]

Dr. Faustus however was revealed to be alive and working as a S.H.I.E.L.D. psychiatrist, while also in the employ of the Red Skull.[21][22][23][24] Dr. Faustus manipulated Agent Carter, and claimed responsibility for Carter's increasing romantic attachment to Captain America. Dr. Faustus manipulated Sharon into assassinating Captain America.[22] The Grand Director was also revealed to be alive in Dr. Faustus' care and recuperating. He was reconditioned and was sent to battle James Barnes who had taken up the mantle of Captain America. The failure of this attack, and the increasing abuse from the Red Skull and Zola towards Dr. Faustus, caused him to withdraw from the project, but not before freeing Agent Carter and providing information about the Red Skull's plans to S.H.I.E.L.D.[25][26]

The Trial of Captain America[]

Baron Helmut Zemo revealed to the world that the current Captain America is really Bucky Barnes, the former Russian assassin also known as the Winter Soldier. Black Widow and Falcon arrest Dr. Faustus, who agrees to testify in Bucky's trial in exchange for a presidential pardon.[27] Steve Rogers threatens Dr. Faustus into accepting the 'lesser' reward of the official release of his role in thwarting the Red Skull's recent plans, as this would encourage leniency towards Faustus in future arrests.[28] Dr. Faustus provides testimony in the trial, but he also uses his skills to manipulate the prosecutor into attacking the judge so as to prove the power of mind control and manipulation.[29]

Thunderbolts[]

Dr. Faustus later returned with the Thunderbolts. Punisher wanted to kill him for murdering children at a school. Red Hulk stopped him and wanted to recruit Dr. Faustus, but the Punisher did not like the idea and quit the team. While going to the refrigerator, the Punisher found a bomb with a note saying, "You don't quit on us. You're fired."[30] Angered, the Punisher believed Red Hulk set the bomb and began hunting down his former teammates, killing Red Leader and Doctor Faustus. However, it was revealed Red Leader and Faustus were alive, as Stern was the one to set the bomb knowing the Punisher would come after each member of the Thunderbolts and set Life-Model Decoys to fool the other Thunderbolts.[31][32]

New Jersey[]

Dr. Faustus, along with Chuck Worthy, worked on the Hope Yards Development and Relocation Association project, a Hydra operation designed to gentrify Jersey City, New Jersey. He kidnapped Bruno Carrelli and used mind control on him when Bruno figured out what Hydra was doing. However, the operation was eventually stopped by the hero Ms. Marvel using the data Bruno had gathered on Hydra's operation.[33] Faustus also helped Worthy run for mayor of Jersey City, but Worthy ended up losing, despite all of the gerrymandering Worthy did.[34]

Secret Empire[]

Faustus joined Hydra's High Council[35] and watched as Steve Rogers, transformed into a Hydra agent, took control of the organization after killing its leader, the Red Skull.[36] Faustus later provided his hypnotic skills[36] in the form of a recording of his voice to mind-control S.H.I.E.L.D.'s many agents in order to make it easier for Rogers to take over and facilitate his plan to take over the United States.[37]

Attributes

Power Grid[40]
:Category:Power Grid/Fighting Skills/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Energy Projection/None:Category:Power Grid/Durability/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Speed/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Strength/Peak Human:Category:Power Grid/Intelligence/Genius

Abilities

  • Psychiatry: Johann has an MD with a Psychiatry specialty. He is an expert in this field and is possibly the best in the world due to being described as the "Master of Men's Minds", but he only uses his skills for his personal gains and not for the health of his patients.[38]
    • Hypnosis: Johann is also an expert in hypnosis and manipulation of the mind. Using just his voice, Fennhoff can hypnotize his victims and make them do whatever he wants. He has caused people to kill themselves and brought other strong willed people such as Captain America to the brink of it. His subjects can regain their senses during their state of hypnosis, mainly though great will power so as to recover from their hallucinations.[38]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Hologram projectors, hallucinogenic gas dispensers, and props of various designs[38]

See Also

Links and References

References

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