Count Reich II
There are those in this world that think that there is no such thing as evil. These individuals have probably never met Count Reich II. Still, if you prefer not to deal in esoteric terms then Count Reich II is best described as a megalomaniac, sociopathic, nihilistic anarchist. He also has narcissistic and sadistic tendancies. In general, he is an all round unpleasant individual and the fact that's an undead abomination doesn't help matters.
Ludwig Von Mass was always insane, which seperates him from villains who were bent to this state by society. A cruel and inhuman child, he was raised in the lap of luxury by his Aristocrat parents. While his brother, Otto Von Mass, experimented in the burgeoning fields of genetics; Ludwig developed an obsessive interest in the occult. None of his magics worked until he sacrificed a young servant girl to empower a ritual designed to summon the Devil.
Instead of the Devil, Ludwig ended up summoning the Entropic Master Orkus. Having already predicted the rise of National Socialism, Orkus happily accepted Ludwig's offer of his soul and empowered him with genuine magical power. Orkus told Ludwig to offer his services to the burgeoning Nazi party and to play upon their superstitions. From there, Ludwig would receive great rewards in exchange for each soul that he collected for his master. The resulting carnage would only be a bonus.
Ludwig Von Mass presented himself as a mysterious sorcerer with ancient powers and wisdom. Certain leaders in the Nazi Party were fascinated with Ludwig's well crafted lies and he soon found himself wielding a tremendous amount of influence over the Schutzstaffel. With his new found authority, he had his brother captured and forced to use his research to create super soldiers for the Third Reich. Thus, Ludwig Von Mass became the founder of Operation: Bio-Blitzkreig.
Ludwig Von Mass purged the Nazi party of the Thule Society and all competing mystics before spending most of World War 2 sending agents to recover mystical artifacts for his own use. He would often use his brother's codename, Count Reich, for these operations and thus the Allies were confused as to whether such a figure was a powerful sorcerer or a brilliant geneticist. Ludwig cared little whether the Axis won or lost the war, feeding his master with the souls of those who desired an extra edge in battle. The Cult of Orkus wielded considerable power over Nazi Germany before most of it was slain by the Liberators during the final years of the war.
Ludwig Von Mass survived the Second World War even when his fellows did not. The man's blanket cowardice and willingness to blame other figures in the Reich for his crimes helped. Believing him to be his geneticist brother, the United States helped him escape trial for Operation: Bio-Blitzkrieg and brought him over to work in Project: Icarus. Using his magic to fake skill in genetics, he set about preparing to overthrow the United States government. Count Reich II, as he styled himself, failed utterly and was killed in the process.
Orkus does not tolerate failure. The Entropic Master does not causally throw away useful tools either. He had gained a great deal more from his 'investment' in the insane German Graf. Instructing his few remaining followers on Earth to ressurect Count Reich II, he transformed Ludwig into a monstrous zombie as punishment. In this respect, Orkus miscalculated because Ludwig considered his new form a blessing and lost what little remaining touch with reality that he had. Now, Count Reich II has become an even greater danger to the world and all the planet desires his destruction.
Ludwig Von Mass' personality is an embodiment of theatrical villainy. He's fond of ridiculous and grandiose plots like death rays, earthquake machines, weather control devices, and zombie plagues. Count Reich II gladly will place a hero in a torturous death trap so they can slowly expire as opposed to killing them outright. Were it not for the fact that he causes massive amounts of casualties and horrendous suffering for his actions, he'd be considered something of a joke. Indeed, this is entirely Ludwig Von Mass' opinion of his actions. The human race exists merely for him to torment for amusement. Even his master Orkus' plans are secondary to this.
Ludwig Von Mass is a white fleshed zombie who smells vaguely of embalming fluid and incense. Little of his face and hands remain. Instead, he has a bleached white skull and bony fingers where they should be. Ludwig prefers to dress in a Waffen-SS uniform, altered to use his personal symbol, when 'on duty.' When not, he dresses in a smoking jacket and slippers. This incongruous attire is designed mainly to throw people off balance. Despite his ghastly appearance, Ludwig is perfectly capable of disguising himself with magic or through more conventional means to wander abroad.
