History[]
Wulf Sternhammer is a character in the Starlord and 2000 AD comic strip Strontium Dog. A great flaxen-haired bear of a man, he was a Viking whose life was saved by the mutant bounty hunter Johnny Alpha, who had travelled back in time to Wulf's era (793 AD) in search of the sadistic criminal Max Bubba and his gang. Wulf was accidentally transported back to 2175 AD (or thereabouts; accounts vary) by the time bomb Johnny used to capture Max. Because Johnny had saved his life so many times Wulf swore lifelong loyalty to him, and became his friend and partner.
The two worked together for fifteen years, with Wulf's good-humoured nature and tremendous strength proving invaluable to the formerly lonely Alpha in his harsh existence. Wulf could work hard when necessary but also knew how to enjoy life, so he was constantly ready with a smile and a joke when things got tough. With the creds they got for capturing Xen the Brainwraith on the planet Burrito, the pair retired to Smiley's World and built a cabin on Moondog Mountain. They then rescued Eleanor Keeble's husband and three children from interstellar slavers for no fee after Johnny took pity on her.
Wulf was eventually murdered by Bubba and his gang when they returned to exact revenge on him and on Johnny; Bubba had the pair staked out under a blazing sun, but Wulf broke free only to die in a hail of bullets.
Powers and abilities[]
Abilities
Proficient fighter and bounty hunter; can repair robots.
Strength level
Wulf has "the strength of ten" (according to Starlord #9). Ten what is not specified.
Weaknesses
Ale.
Paraphernalia[]
Equipment
Anti-grav chute.
Transportation
His longboat Dragonbreath; Morks; spaceships; skipdip (amphibious vehicle used to navigate swamps).
Weapons
Wulf carried an enormous war hammer which he referred to as his 'Happy Stick', and was also proficient with various weapons from Johnny Alpha's era, such as a Vebley custom hand blaster (with infra red night sight) and thermo bombs.
Notes[]
Curiously, Wulf, who spoke a kind of mangled English, had a habit of referring to people as "old cucumber."
Trivia[]
- On one occasion, Wulf accompanied Johnny on a time travel adventure in which they encountered Judge Dredd.
- Wulf wore the pelt of Gloppus, a deceased Gronk which he had befriended, as a mark of respect to it.
- A street in the mutant ghetto of Milton Keynes is named Sternhammer Street.
- In the 2012 film Dredd, one of the blocks in Mega-City One is named 'Sternhammer'.
Links[]
- Appearances of Wulf Sternhammer
- Character Gallery: Wulf Sternhammer
- Images that feature Wulf Sternhammer
- Fan-Art Gallery: Wulf Sternhammer
- Wulf Sternhammer quotations
Discover and Discuss[]
- Search News for: Wulf · Wulf Sternhammer · Wulf Sternhammer