The Specialists - Television Tropes & Idioms

The Specialists is an alternate-history webcomic where the Nazis discovered how to make ubermenschen using magic — and are starting to do so with science. World War II is still going on in 1946, though the Japanese surrendered after the use of the atomic bomb.

The story revolves around two main characters:

Maksim "Max" Finklestein, a young super-smart boy who feels pressured by his father.
Hartman Lowe, a Nazi experiment gone wrong who's seeking out the allies to help him.

Starts here

Tropes included:

Adventurer Archaeologist - Baron Crossbo-, I mean, Johann Von Schadel
Ancestral Weapon - Subverted. Balmung, the sword of Siegfried is just a sword.
Atom Punk - Combined with a wee bit of Diesel Punk.
Badass Longcoat - Mark's signature trenchcoat, which folds out into an SS uniform when he needs to sneak around in Nazi territory!
Badass Normal - Mark again, unlike the other Specialists he hasn't any superpowers.
Berserk Button - His name is Baron Johann Von Schadel not Baron Crossbones
- Hartmann has a rather more literal and defensible one: he loses control when he's in danger, and is disgusted with the violence he meets out in self-defense.
Blond Guys are Evil - Kapitan Deutschland, mainly because he's supposed to be the ultimate Aryan.
Breaking the Bonds - When Question Mark offers to release Hartman's bonds "As a peace offering" Hartman calmly just snaps them to prove he could do it at any time.
The Butcher: Doktor Metzger. No points for guessing what his last name means in English.
Casanova Wannabe: Henry brags he has the chances, but not the time, and besides, he wants to have higher standrads.
Co Dragons: Hitler is acquiring a second man who can provide him with ubermenschen.
Damsel in Distress - Lady Liberty, but only in the in-universe comic books, and even then it was a daydream that Max was having so it may not count.
Deconstruction - Of WW 2 Propaganda comics like Captain America.
Differently Powered Individual - The US have "The Specialists" while the Nazi's call their super-soldiers "Ubermensch"
Do Not Call Me Paul: Inverted with Baron Crossbones who would rather you call him Johann Von Schadel.
Don't Make Me Destroy You: Hartmann pleads that he doesn't want to hurt anyone even after he's been attacked.
Drowning My Sorrows: Captain Victory
Evil Twin - Heinrich Lowe/ Kapitian Deutschland is this to Hartman Lowe/ The Brute.
Eyes of Gold - Hartmann's.
Fake Action Prologue
Fan Boy - Max for Captain Victory
- Ascended Fan Boy - Max again.
Five-Bad Band - The Ubermensch
- The Evil Genius - Baron Crossbones, also seems to be The Dragon to Hitler.
- The Brute - Konstantin /Panzer.
- The Dark Chick - Die Hexe (The Witch).
- The Sixth Ranger - Heinrich /Kapitain Deutschland.
- We don't know a lot about Geist or Max Schnell ... yet.
Five-Man Band - The Specialists
- The Hero - Captain Victory
- The Lancer - Henry /Jack-Be-Nimble, Walter /The Bombardier
- The Big Guy - Golem (Max's giant robot), and probably Hartmann/ The Brute when he actually joins the team.
- The Smart Guy - Kate /Lightning Lass, Max
- The Chick - Lady Liberty
- The Sixth Ranger - ? (Question Mark), since he isn't officially a member of The Specialists.
Flawed Prototype: Hartmann
Ghostapo - and Stupid Jetpack Hitler to boot.
- Interestingly done too, while the first five Ubermensch (Crossbones, Geist, Hexe, Panzer and Schnell) are powered by magic and the occult Doctor Metzger's working on super-soldiers with science.
Gibberish of Love: Max on meeting Lady Liberty
Goshdang It To Heck: "Applesauce!"
Hair of Gold - Lady Liberty.
Humongous Mecha - Max's robot, The Golem, was intended as this but turned out as Powered Armour.
Jet Pack - Walter/ The Bombardier's got one, along with a lot of miniature explosives.
The Knights Who Say Squee
La Résistance - The French resistance show up briefly.
Line-of-Sight Name overlaps with Appropriated Appelation.
- Mark: Julien wasn't kidding, you really are a brute.
Mad Scientist - Docot Metzger, and too a lesser degree Dr. Smallwood and Max
Magic Versus Science - See Ghostapo and Stupid Jetpack Hitler
Meaningful Name - Max's robot is called "The Golem" he's Jewish and built it to fight Nazi's.
Naïve Newcomer - The ubermenschen are introduced through the arrival of the Baron's new secretary
Names to Run Away From Really Fast - Apart from Baron Crossbones, Panzer (As in Tank), Hexe (Witch) and Geist (Ghost). "Mad Doktor Metzger"'s testing facility is called "The Asylum".
Nazi Nobleman - Crossbones
Noble Bigot - Jack-Be-Nimble ... probably, he's not been that "Noble" yet but he is one of the good guys.
Old Retainer - Who talks with Jack-Be-Nimble when he calls, since his father doesn't take them.
Play Along Prisoner - Hartmann. Then, La Résistance doesn't kill him out of hand.
Powered Armor - The Golem is probably the straightest example though Jack-Be-Nimble's running suit is a good one too.
Public Domain Artifact - Balmung
Sand In My Eyes - "It's just allergies,"
Sherlock Scan - Mark deduces that Hartmann was going to be an Ubermensch because he carries himself like a soldier and because only a loyal Nazi would be allowed to become a Superhuman.
-Hartmann: Smart.
-Question Mark: Well I am in the intelligence business.
So Proud of You - The butler tells Henry this for himself and his employer, Henry's father. It would help if it were plausible.
- Played straighter with Max's father.
Stock Superpowers
- Shock and Awe - Dr. Kate Smallwood's lightning manipulation backpack ... thingy.
Goetz: This little ladie's a real shocker! She's got ten thousand volts in the palm of her hand and she'll cook Jerry's goose! Put your hands together for Lightning Lass!
- Super Speed - Both teams have one, The Specialists have got former Olympian Henry Whitney III/ Jack-Be-Nimble while The Ubermensch've got Max Schnell.
- Intangible Man - Geist
- Mind Over Matter - Lady Liberty and her telekinetic powers
Spell My Name with an S - The official way to spell Question Mark's name is with a "?" symbol.
Superhero
Survivor Guilt - Captain Victory over "PROJECT: ARES"
Tap on the Head
They Have the Scent - The unlucky guard dogs sent after Hartman ...
Thicker Than Water
Well Done Son Guy - Henry. Even though his father doesn't take his calls himself.
- Max himself to a lesser extent.
Wrecked Weapon - When Hartmann is shot at, he breaks the gun in half.
Wolf Man - The result of Doctor Metger's first experiment.