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Robert E. Hogan | |
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| Colonel Hogan | |
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| Biographical and chronological information | |
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Homeworld: |
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Home universe: |
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Nationality: |
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Date of birth: |
1906 Pol (1377 NE) |
| Physical and biological description | |
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Species: |
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Gender: |
Male |
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Height: |
6'0 |
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Weight: |
140 lbs. |
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Hair color: |
Black |
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Eye color: |
Brown |
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Skin color: |
Light |
| Societal and political information | |
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Affiliation: |
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Rank: |
Colonel |
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Occupation(s): |
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Serial number: |
0876707 |
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Status: |
Alive |
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Marital status: |
Unmarried |
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Colonel Robert E. Hogan is a famous Alliance of Nations bomber squadron commander and later resistance leader during the Second Earthican Civil War. He became famous for developing an effective underground resistance group beneath the Prisoner-of-War camp he was being held at, Stalag 13, with the full knowledge of the camp's commander, colonel Wilhelm Klink. His underground resistance smuggled out prisoners, supplied a wealth of information to the Alliance, and sabotaged every Axis and German operation they could.
He received a number of medals for his actions after Stalag 13 was liberated. In 2364 NE, Hogan convinced Klink and many other staff of Stalag 13 to defect to the Allies or possibly be killed or imprisoned, as the Allies were pushing in on the German Empire. Stalag 13 was found and liberated without a fight, as all of the Germans in it either fled or defected. After personally seeing Stalag 13 burnt to the ground, Hogan returned to the States on a very long leave.
He would eventually return to active service in 2367 NE to resume command of his old unit, the 504th Bombardment Group, and saw through the end of the war. He would continue to fly with his unit during the Remnant Wars across the multiverse and serve long after.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Military service[]
Pre-capture and capture[]
As a "prisoner" of Stalag 13[]
Hogan found himself shipped to Stalag 13, a small prisoner-of-war camp in Germany, with a false reputation as "the toughest POW camp in Europe." Within two weeks of his arrival, he had begun his own resistance movement within the camp. Within the camp, it was not discreet, and the camp's commander, Wilhelm Klink, was fully aware of this, but allowed it to continue, as the camp was at risk of being shut down due to its small size and few prisoners, who were at risk of being shipped to conversion facilities to become TransHuman soldiers for the Combine.
At fear of losing his command position, Klink made a deal with Hogan to allow the resistance to continue in exchange for Hogan staying, as it became clear that Hogan was able to leave and enter the camp relatively easily whenever he wanted to. Hogan, wanting to supply the Allies with info and afraid of being stripped of his sentience and forced to fight for the Combine, agreed to the deal.
Klink fought to get as many prisoners into his camp as possible, most of which were other members of the Alliance forces (and the occasional Axis spy, who was rooted out and killed or sent to another POW camp. The growing numbers allowed the expansion of the underground movement, and the group also secured many luxuries for their movement, like coffee and a clothing iron. The most valuable of his gifts was a sewing machine and materials, which were used to craft an entire fashion show of disguises used in a number of situations.
Hogan’s underground resistance smuggled out prisoners, supplied a wealth of information to the Alliance, and sabotaged every Axis and German operation they could. Those who wanted to stay and help the war effort were welcomed into the spy network, and covert meetings were arranged to smuggle others out of Axis territory. His efforts in disrupting German operations became the stuff of legend, told and retold across Allied lines. Few believed these stories to be true, and granted, some details were exaggerated in effect and absurdity, but most were true in some way.
Liberation and end of the First War[]
After nearly a thousand years, the Allies were pushing back against the now fractured Axis, making landfall in Europe with the Normandy landings and pushing East to their inevitable invasion of Berlin. Though the Nazis fought tooth and nail against the invasion, it was clear that they were losing. What also didn't help matter was the Nazis fighting against other former Axis forces as well, with the infighting only further weakening them.
Word of this quickly reached Klink, and not long after, Hogan. After his years in the camp, Hogan still resented Klink as an Axis member and his captor, but did not want him to die, and attempted to convince Klink and the rest of the camp to defect, or they may be captured or killed. Klink and the base's commanding sergeant, Hanz Schultz, along with half the camp agreed. The others fled, believing they could not win if they tried to fight them and were unwilling to turn on their own friends.
Weaving up German uniforms and disguising his resistance members and himself with it, the total group of roughly forty resistance members and Axis defectors left the camp, but were stopped by a patrol of B1-series battle droids that had been forgotten by the Confederacy of Independent Systems when they were leaving Pol, and were still carrying on like nothing had happened, as they were unaware they had been forgotten. They confronted the party, but Hogan was quite easily able to deceive them to believe they were Axis officers, and they carried on.
Not a minute after they passed the patrol safely, the Allied lines had reached them and killed the battle droids. The force ordered the defectors (believing they were German soldiers) to surrender, but some United Systems of Earth soldiers recognized Hogan, and the situation was quickly cleared up. Schultz and the German defectors were taken into custody, and the resistance members returned to Stalag 13 to personally see it burnt to the ground. They were all safely shipped back to Allied regional headquarters, and all were either shipped to either America over the Atlantic or the British Isles. Shultz and the other defected Germans were made to stand trial, but many, Schultz especially, got away with no charges when it was clear he had done no crimes worth imprisonment.
Hogan went on an extended leave in the States to recover and properly process what had transpired in the war while he was locked up. He would eventually return to active service in 2367 NE to resume command of his old unit, the 504th Bombardment Group, now part of the USE divisions of the Allied Joint Air Force and saw through the end of the war.
Remnant Wars[]
Hogan would continue to fly with his unit during the Remnant Wars across the multiverse and serve long after.
Later life[]
Personality and traits[]
Known for his wit and daring, Hogan found it easy to manipulate the Germans running the Luft Stalag. Hogan is a true master at reverse psychology and with Klink he has the perfect blank slate on which to paint. Even found it easier to learn that the B1 Battle Droids are not as smart when he first encountered them to trick them into thinking he was part of the Axis during his escape.
Hogan almost always managed to get Klink to do what Hogan wanted him to do. The key to manipulating Klink is to inflate the Kommandant's massive ego and make him think that the course of action suggested was really his own idea. Further, Hogan would generally reassure Klink that the suggested course of action wouldn't lead to any trouble. Klink is so insecure and neurotic about being punished by his superiors that it is often easy to get Klink to do things he otherwise wouldn't have done or even have thought of.
By continually reminding Klink of his "perfect no-escape record at Stalag 13", the possibility Klink might get sent to the Russian Front, and that Klink "deserves to be promoted to General", Hogan is able to control all of the action at the camp through Klink or just as often through Schultz, who never wanted to be in the German Army in the first place. Schultz's reluctance to see, report or even know things comes from his desire to go back to a normal civilian life and to avoid getting into trouble. So, Hogan always has Schultz over a barrel.
As well as being able to manipulate Klink, thanks to his quick wit Hogan is constantly able to save Klink, Major Hochstetter, General Burkhalter, and Sergeant Schultz from being fatally punished when the four were placed in situations that seemed impossible to crack.
Skills and abilities[]
Relationships[]
Friends[]
- Wilhelm Klink
- Hanz Schultz
Enemies[]
Lovers[]
Quotes[]
- "Hans? what are you doing here? Don't tell me the war's over!"
- "It may very likely, for us that is! Reports say those Martians are coming this way and I'm making a run for it! Hitler's gone nuts to be friendly with these other space men. If we run into these Alliance fellows, I like to surrender!"
- "Don't worry, pal, I'll put in the good word that you're just a softy."
- —Robert and Hanz during the Martian invasion
- "Hey... you're not those German soldiers!"
- "And that's what being in disguise helps. I'm undercover and taking these prisoners to the outpost."
- "Well, in that case make sure they don't cause trouble, we're having enough of that with the clone troopers in battle."
- —Colonel Hogan deceiving a B1 Battle Droid during the escape from Stalag 13.