Origin
Hailing from the Schwarzwald in southwest Germany, Heinz Falken served as a Panzerkorps major during Second World War until he was condemned to a punishment battalion for disobeying an order to massacre refugees. It was there that his leadership skills were noticed by General Heiss, who placed him in charge of a combat group assembled from his fellow prisoners.
Creation
Kampfgruppe Falken was created by World War II veteran Alan Hemus for the British anthology comic Warlord.
Character Development
Falken and his team were sent on missions considered too dangerous for regular soldiers. Their struggles charted the path of Germany’s downfall during the Second World War, beginning on the Eastern Front and retreating across Europe to eventuate in the Battle of Berlin. Although they fought for Germany, they were portrayed as conscientious objectors who were violently at odds with the ruthless Nazi ideology of the S.S.
A prequel series focusing on Falken’s career in the Panzercorps was published in Warlord #601-619 (March-August 1986). During this arc it was revealed that prior to his court martial both Heinz and his father Ludwig had been on a Gestapo blacklist under suspicion of helping refugees escape Nazi persecution.