The USA has Captain America, the UK has Captain Britain, Austria has Captain Austria, and Germany has Captain Berlin. Made as a modern retelling of the Superman-mythos and superheroes in general Captain Berlin is a deconstructor fleet out of the then young mind of director Jörg Buttgereit.
Set in the crapsack city of Berlin, Captain Berlin is fighting against crime but has to cope with his own problems and thus is not as perfect a hero as one would expect.
Captain Berlin is a franchise made up of a multitude of works across many different mediums:
- Captain Berlin - Retter der Welt (Savior of the World, 1982, short film)
- Captain Berlin vs. Dracula (2006, audio drama)
- Captain Berlin vs. Hitler (2007, theatre, adaption of Captain Berlin vs. Dracula)
- Captain Berlin Versus Hitler (2009, movie, edited version of Captain Berlin vs. Hitler)
- Captain Berlin Comic Series
Tropes:
- Alternate History: Hitlers brain was saved by his personal physician Dr. Ilse Von Blitzen
- Black-and-Gray Morality: In Savior of the World Captain Berlin foils a bank robber and knocks him unconscious but he is unable to return the money to the bank as his life of heroism leaves him no chances to earn money and afford more than the most basic food and shelter
- Cape Snag: Captain Berlin's cape gets mangled during the fight with Doctor Sind's mutant
- Crapsack World: in contrast to the clean Metropolis of Superman, Captain Berlin's world is dirty while not being so dark and edgy as Gotham City.
- Creepy Crossdresser: Doctor Sinds mutant is wearing high-heeled shoes
- Half-Human Hybrid: Doctor Sinds mutant is controlled with a device to some degree
- Historical Villain Downgrade: Hitler in both the film and the comics. Captain Berlin also battles Kim Jong-Il and Eric Konecker in his comic series.
- Human Aliens: Doctor Sind, his henchman and his mutant are said to be from outer space
- Minimalism: The soundtrack of Savior of the World consists of only one song composed by Peter Syntethic, used in various situations.
- Perky Goth: Captain Berlin's lover was shown to be a slightly punky girl, remnisicent of the common low class thugs occupying Berlin during that time and the different punk and techno scenes
- Realism: Captain Berlin is shown sleeping in his bed in full costume so he is ready for the next crime to be solved.
- Shout-Out: Doctor Sind and his mutant parallel Supermans first super villain Lex Luthor and Ultra-Humanite
- Villains Act, Heroes React: Captain Berlin's villains are always the ones to initiate the main plot like Doctor Sind kidnapping Captain Berlin's lover in Savior of the World, and Dr. Ilse von Blitzen reviving Hitler.
- We Meet Again: Doctor Sind said this during the ending of Savior of the World but has yet to make a second appearance
