Rachmann (ラッチマン Ratchiman) was the leader of the Aryan Socialist Union, a neo-Nazi organization operating in the United States.
Appearance[]
Rachmann was an older man of Caucasian descent with a stocky figure. He had pale skin, receding light-colored hair, and wore a tan military uniform fashioned with the insignia of his organization.
Personality[]
Rachmann was an arrogant man who tended to speak in a grandiose, overly-emotional manner. He was an avowed neo-Nazi and white supremacist who expressed hatred toward communists and Jewish people in particular. Furthermore, he had no sense of either foresight or planning as evident when his boat was raided by the Lagoon Company.
History[]
Das Wieder Erstehen Des Adlers[]
He was commissioned by Alfred, a former SS officer who fled to Spain, to do a single task: salvage the painting "The Twelve Knights led by Brunhilda" from the wreck of U-234, a German U-boat that was sunk on March 25, 1945, with the promise of financial backing of the organization. Unknown to Rachmann, Alfred had also offered that same job to the Lagoon Company as a test of Rachmann's worthiness. Initially, when his ship got to the salvage area in the ocean, Blitz Stanford reported Black Lagoon's presence to Rachmann, who ordered him to drive the enemy grave robbers away. As the PT boat fled from the TOW missiles fired at the pirates, he made a taunting remark about the pirates' alleged cowardice.[1]
Afterward on deck, Rachmann gave a speech to his men about how they would retrieve the treasure which would gain further funding for their neo-Nazi political party. After he lambasted "Zionists and communists" in his speech about the "Aryan race," he assigned Kruppen Feller to lead the diving team, then having his men recite the ASU's anthem in a march before sending the diving team below the sea surface. Although Feller's team stole the painting from Revy and Rock, he warned Rachmann and the others that the two pirates were ascending from the ocean floor. Subsequently, a machine-gunner prevented Revy and Rock from pursuing further, making Rachmann joyfully remark that the pirates were not destined to have the painting.[2] That night, the neo-Nazis celebrated while Rachmann admired the painting in his office. Standing by, Stanford politely asked Rachmann why their group had used so many resources to acquire one painting. Smiling, Rachmann informed him that the painting would serve as the mythical foundation for their group. Hearing Stanford inquiring about the mysterious Alfred, he clarified that he would give the painting to Alfred's middleman in Madrid, Spain, adding that Alfred had to maintain secrecy due to being wanted by anti-Nazi hunters.[3]
In a short time, both Dutch and Revy boarded the White Heather and massacred the neo-Nazis onboard, frightening Rachmann, who ordered Stanford to take action. As the massacre continued, he called Alfred in a panic to inform him of the ongoing attack, attempting to assure him that the pirates would lose. Annoyed by the phone call, Alfred replied that he did not care about an apology and was only concerned with the painting's acquisition. Hearing a gunshot, Rachmann continued sitting in shock in his chair as Alfred again berated him, claiming that he had lost the battle. Entering the room, Dutch sarcastically greeted him and let him continue the phone call. Impressed at his victory, Alfred requested Rachmann to give Dutch the phone. The African-American pirate put the call on speaker, allowing Rachmann to learn that Alfred was merely testing him and his organization—and concluded that they were an extremely shortsighted group.
In a fit of rage, he slammed his fists onto his table and cursed Alfred for supposedly betraying him, though the old man reminded him that he gave him and Dutch equal opportunities to fight each other. As Alfred and Dutch ended their call, Revy arrived to the room and offered one of her pistols to Rachmann. Holding the pistol to his head, he thought about killing himself but then turned the gun to Dutch and found it empty. Finding his fate sealed, Rachmann remained frozen in fear as Revy and Dutch quickly shot him, killing him.[4]
Trivia[]
- In a popularity contest during the 10th manga collection release, Rachmann ranked 47th (tying with several characters) with 3 votes.[5]
- In a popularity contest during the 12th manga collection release, Rachmann ranked 76th (tying with several characters) and received 0 votes.[6]
References[]
- ↑ Chapter 05: Das Wieder Erstehen Des Adlers Part 1
- ↑ Episode 05: Eagle Hunting and Hunting Eagles
- ↑ Chapter 07: Das Wieder Erstehen Des Adlers Part 3
- ↑ Episode 06: Moonlit Hunting Grounds
- ↑ http://sundaygx.info/blacklagoon_contest/
- ↑ http://sundaygx.info/blacklagoon_contest_12/