General Zahl

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General Zahl
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceDoom Patrol #121 (October 1968)
Created byBruno Premiani
Murray Boltinoff
In-story information
Notable aliasesCaptain Zahl
AbilitiesMilitary training

General Zahl is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Initially known as Captain Zahl, he is a former German Navy officer and enemy of the Doom Patrol.

Publication history

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General Zahl first appeared in Doom Patrol #121 (October 1968), and was created by Bruno Premiani and Murray Boltinoff.[1]

Fictional character biography

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During World War II, Captain Zahl was an officer in the German Navy and commanded a U-boat. As a U-boat captain, Zahl was ruthless and effective, achieving the highest kill number of any commander in the German fleet. After his boat was sank by bombs developed by Niles Caulder, Zahl was crippled and forced to wear a neck brace.[1]

After the end of World War II, Zahl works as a mercenary until a conflict with the Doom Patrol forces him to retire. Zahl (now calling himself "General Zahl") assists Madame Rouge in battling the Doom Patrol, who sacrifice themselves to save the village of Codsville.[1][2][3]

Years later, Changeling, Robotman, and the Teen Titans track down Zahl and Rouge. Zahl, determined to not be taken alive, fires at Robotman, with the bullets bouncing off Robotman and fatally injuring Zahl.[1][4]

Powers and abilities

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Despite possessing no superhuman abilities, Zahl is a skilled military commander.

In other media

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General Zahl appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "The Last Patrol!", voiced by Corey Burton.[5] This version caused the Doom Patrol to disband and retire years prior after they failed to stop him from killing a hostage. In the present, he allies with the Brain, Monsieur Mallah, Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man, Mutant Master, and Arsenal to seek revenge on the Doom Patrol by exposing them as frauds. However, he and his alliance are defeated by Batman while the Doom Patrol sacrifice themselves to save a small town Zahl was threatening.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Jimenez, Phil (2008), "General Zahl", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 136, ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1, OCLC 213309017
  2. ^ Doom Patrol #121 (October 1968)
  3. ^ "Doom Patrol Comics Guide, Part 1". Comics Bookcase. April 18, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2025. Doom Patrol #121 saw the story titled "The Beginning of the End!???" but it should have been called "The Death of the Doom Patrol". The team was lured to a small fishing village by Brotherhood of Evil member Madame Rouge and her associate Nazi war criminal General Zahl. There they were defeated and trapped by the criminal duo and presented with a choice. They could save their own lives if they renounced heroism and allowed the small village of fisherman and their families to die in their stead. Naturally the team – consisting at this point of only the original four members – chose their own death over that of the innocent families nearby.
  4. ^ The New Teen Titans #15 (January 1982)
  5. ^ "General Zahl Voice - Batman: The Brave and the Bold (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 31, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
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