History Main / PiggybackingOnHitler

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''WebAnimation/ZsdavAdventures'': {{Inverted}} in ''Kiválasztott 3'' (''Chosen one 3''), one servant of [[SchalaLives Herobrine]] reveals himself to be Adolf Hitler.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' three-part episode "The Savage Time", ComicBook/VandalSavage in the present builds a time machine and sends [[TimelineAlteringMacGuffin a laptop]] back to himself during World War II, containing future history and schematics for technology. Vandal then joins the Nazis and rapidly rises through the ranks until he usurps Hitler himself, becoming the new Führer. Vandal Savage didn't really care about Nazi ideals; he just wanted to use them to conquer the world for himself.

* The ''ComicBook/XMen'' villain Mister Sinister was a doctor in Auschwitz performing unethical human experiments and looking out for mutants. He used his real name, Nathan Essex, but was nicknamed Film/{{Nosferatu}} and he scared even the Nazis. Magneto remembers him and recalls that he used to [[AffablyEvil give candy to kids]] in exchange for blood samples. That's a real detail based on UsefulNotes/JosefMengele, who would hand out sweets to the children he was about to kill and dissect.

* Herr Kleiser in ''ComicBook/TheUltimates''. He was ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's chief nemesis during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, but was actually [[spoiler:an alien known as a Chitauri (a.k.a. a Skrull) that ate the real Kleiser and impersonated him, backing Hitler by giving the Nazis advanced weaponry. Really, this was just a scheme to soften the Earth up for a full-scale invasion]].
* In ''ComicBook/AtomicRobo'', Robo's arch-nemesis (or at least ''one'' of his arch-nemeses) Baron Von Helsingard uses this trope to seek ultimate power, and gains quite a following in the process. And later in the series, two leading members of Hitler's Weird Science division are revealed to be secretly working for the cloned brain of Helsingard all along.

* Inverted in ''ComicBook/FlashGordonZeitgeist'' where Ming The Merciless making Hitler his representative on Earth and backing the Nazis with alien technology.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', the Red Skull (Johann Schmidt) sets up HYDRA like this. It's not until his Nazi allies notice that Berlin is on his list of targets that they [[OhCrap realize]] he isn't exactly on their side. It later turns out (in ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'') that HYDRA [[spoiler:is actually an ancient cult much older and more powerful than the Nazis that manages to vastly outlive them]].

* Rasputin in ''Film/Hellboy2004''. With the Second World War turning against them, the Nazis provide Rasputin with the resources and technology to open a portal to summon [[EldritchAbomination the Ogdru Jahad]] to fight for them, unaware Rasputin intends to let them start the apocalypse instead.
-->'''SS General:''' Five years of construction and research, Grigori! ''Five years''! The Fuhrer doesn't look kindly on failure!\\
'''Rasputin:''' There will be no failure, General. I promised Herr Hitler a miracle...I'll deliver one!

* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'': Hitler was a Templar. Need any more proof that they're the bad guys? Also, taking RefugeInAudacity, this trope applies to the series' versions of Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill, who all colluded with Hitler to arrange the war.

** This is also the case for HYDRA (which the Red Skull wasn't originally part of in the comics), most notably in the ''Comicbook/CaptainAmericaHailHYDRA'' miniseries, which establishes HYDRA as an AncientConspiracy whose goals happened to coincide with the Nazis at the time.

* ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'': The Red Skull was personally trained by UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and, having GoneHorriblyRight in that regard, made no secret to the Führer that he had ambitions of his own, but was willing to bide his time. Though interestingly, he actually respected and liked Hitler enough to never actually move against him. After all, the Skull knew that Hitler intended to retire after the war was won, and thus he could just wait and be his successor. This was not the case in the movies, of course.

* Creator/DeanKoontz's ''Frankenstein'' novels have this as part of Victor Helios' (aka Victor Frankenstein's) {{backstory}}. Same example fits under type two, as Victor was also friends with Stalin (and attempted a life-extension operation that resulted in Stalin's insanity).

* In the backstory of ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'', Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia allied with the Nazis in order to take the Holy Grail from Fuyuki, Japan during the Third Holy Grail War that occurred during the time of World War II. Apparently, the idea of a supposedly-omnipotent wish-granting device was quite tempting. While they failed to make the Holy Grail properly manifest, they did succeed in successfully stealing the Greater Grail mechanism that was key to the ritual and would allow them to start another Holy Grail War at a later date to try again. En-route back to Germany, however, Darnic [[ManipulativeBastard betrayed and killed the entire unit in order to take the Greater Grail back to his homeland of Romania]], where he went underground for the next 60-70 years to set up his next war. Indeed, everything suggests, like the major villains of the ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' films, Darnic didn't care at all about Nazi ideology and just used them as one of many {{Unwitting Pawn}}s for his own gain.

* In the mainstream MarvelUniverse Mister Sinister, the ''ComicBook/XMen'' villain, was a doctor in Auschwitz performing unethical human experiments and looking out for mutants. He used his real name, Nathan Essex, but was nicknamed Film/{{Nosferatu}} and he scared even the Nazis. ComicBook/{{Magneto}} remembers him and recalled that he used to [[AffablyEvil give candy to kids]] in exchange for blood samples. That's a real detail based on UsefulNotes/JosefMengele, who would hand out sweets to the children he was about to kill and dissect.
* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': Ra's Al Ghul allied with the Nazis to further [[EcoTerrorist his goal]] of [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans wiping out 90% of the human race to stave off]] {{overpopulation|Crisis}}, including taking part in the Holocaust. According to a later {{retcon}}, one of his own daughters and her family were among the victims — she survived, they did not, and she was rather upset with him for it.

* The ComicBook/RedSkull was personally trained by UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and, having GoneHorriblyRight in that regard, made no secret to the Führer that he had ambitions of his own, but was willing to bide his time. Though interestingly, he actually respected and liked Hitler enough to never actually move against him. After all, the Skull knew that Hitler intended to retire after the war was won, and thus he could just wait and be his successor. This was not the case in the movies, of course.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':

** ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfWonderWoman2016'': Tomas Byde[=/=]The Duke of Deception is here presented as a barely contained Nazi collaborator of immense power. Priscilla Rich[=/=]ComicBook/{{Cheetah}} is on the other hand a much more eager Nazi ally, with far more blood lust, power hunger and disregard for the sanctity of life than Byde.

* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', the ComicBook/RedSkull (Johann Schmidt) sets up HYDRA like this. It's not until his Nazi allies notice that Berlin is on his list of targets that they [[OhCrap realize]] he isn't exactly on their side. It later turns out that HYDRA[[spoiler: is actually an ancient cult much older and more powerful than the Nazis that manages to vastly outlive them.]]

* Rasputin in the ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'' film. With the Second World War turning against them, the Nazis provide Rasputin with the resources and technology to open a portal to summon [[EldritchAbomination the Ogdru Jahad]] to fight for them, unaware Rasputin intends to let them start the apocalypse instead.
-->'''SS General''': Five years of construction and research, Grigori! ''Five years''! The Fuhrer doesn't look kindly on failure!
-->'''Rasputin''': There will be no failure, General. I promised Herr Hitler a miracle...I'll deliver one!

* In the ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' two-part episode "Storm Front", a race from the 29th century find themselves back in time on 20th-century Earth, during World War II. They side with the Nazis, offering to build advanced weapons in exchange for the resources they need to build a time machine. When the Nazis complain that the Aliens aren't helping them enough, the alien leader (quoted above) lampshades the trope by bluntly stating that the Nazis conquer countries; they conquer ''planets''.

** In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'', Yuri aided the Soviets in their rise to power, but has his own plans. He was using the war as a smokescreen so he can set up his [[MindControlDevice Psychic Dominators]] to mind control the world when the Allies and Soviets aren't looking.

* ''VideoGame/GunsGoreAndCannoli'': The sequel reveals that [[spoiler:a NotQuiteDead Frankie is working with the Nazis as one of their top researchers in developing wonderweapons projects, which includes the zombie serum. Through this position, he eventually hopes to succeed Hitler and lead the Nazis once the tide of the war turns. Unfortunately for him, Vinnie puts an end to his dreams.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'': In ''Recap/WhatIfS1E1WhatIfCaptainCarterWereTheFirstAvenger'', Schmidt, much like in the Sacred Timeline, also sets up HYDRA as a full division under the SS as part of Hitler's war machine, albeit as the Nazi Supernatural Sciences Division rather than as the Deep Science Division. Unlike in the main timeline, however, they don't manage to develop any wonderweapons designs powered by the Tesseract, thanks to discovering it much later, and getting it and Dr. Arnim Zola captured by the Allies before they could do anything with it. Schmidt, following a series of defeats and losing Hitler's favor, ultimately deserts HYDRA from the Nazi cause in 1945, knowing that the Third Reich's own defeat is imminent.

* ''Machinima/ZsdavAdventures'': {{Inverted}} in ''Kiválasztott 3'' (''Chosen one 3''), one servant of [[SchalaLives Herobrine]] reveals himself to be Adolf Hitler.

* Rasputin in the ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'' film. With the Second World War turning against them, the Nazis provide Rasputin with the resources and technology to open a portal to summon the [[EldritchAbomination the Ogdru Jahad]] to fight for them, unaware Rasputin intends to let them start the apocalypse instead.

%%* Rasputin in the ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'' film.

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* The ComicBook/RedSkull was personally trained by UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and, having GoneHorriblyRight in that regard, made no secret to the Führer that he had ambitions of his own, but was willing to bide his time. Though interestingly, he actually respected and liked Hitler enough to never actually move against him. This was not the case in the movies, of course.