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Dr. Hans Gunther-Hagen was the wealthy scientist who created Dylan, and one of the main antagonists through the Protectors arc of the Maximum Ride series. He was introduced in FANG.
History[]
Before the series[]
At some point, Dr. Gunther-Hagen wrote a book, The Way to Survive. focusing on how mankind had ruined the earth, and how the way to fix it was to evolve into a superhuman race, creating technology that would jump-start evolution and create hybrids. He asked in the book for scientists and volunteers, but his plan would involve hurting many people with his experiments.
He was associated with the Institute for Higher Living, a subdivision of Itex. He was connected to experiments on everything from rodents to chimpanzees to human beings. He may have authored some lab reports including "Morbid Effects of autoantibodies on Rodents" and "Defective Apoptopic Processes and Cell Proliferation in iPSC Experimentation on Human Children." His research focused on abnormal cell growth, cancer, and regeneration, leaving behind many test subjects with painful or lethal conditions. These experiments allowed him to eventually perform successful experiments on himself and gain regenerative abilities.
He was a billionaire, owning over a hundred companies, mostly pharmaceutical. He owned a nice house in Malibu with a wide terrace and pool. He ran the H. Gunther-Hagen Foundation, which took part in cultural activities like loaning an African art collection to a museum.
At some point, he cloned a boy named Dylan who had died in a car crash, creating a human-avian hybrid like the Flock.
FANG[]
The Flock was volunteering at a refugee camp in Chad in Africa, when they met Dr. Gunther-Hagen and his prodigy, Dylan. Dr. Gunther-Hagen invites Max and Angel to breakfast. His tent is large, well-decorated, and state-of-the-art, with a porch, electric fence, and screened windows, standing out in the poverty and hunger of the refugee camp. It's attended by a manservant who serves a large meal of pastries, fresh fruit, and other food, much different from the food that everyone else is eating. Dr. Gunther-Hagen explains more about his work and demonstrates an ability to heal by injecting himself with a virus and cutting off his pinky, injuries that heal instantly. He wants to discuss a partnership with the Flock to save the world, but Max is deeply unnerved by him and refuses.
Back in America, Angel gives Max a copy of Dr. Gunther-Hagen's book, The Way to Survive, which he gave to her in Africa.
During the Flock's birthday party, Jeb Batchelder arrives with Dylan. Although Dr. Gunther-Hagen claimed earlier that he had never heard of Jeb, Jeb says that they work in the same field and have crossed paths before.
After Max and Fang return to the Flock, Angel runs away, leaving a note saying that she agrees with Dr. Gunther-Hagen and has gone to join him.
Fang leaves the Flock and flies to Dr. Gunther-Hagen's house for answers. Dr. Gunther-Hagen shoots him with a tranquilizer dart and gives him an IV full of a reactant that will jump-start more powerful mutations. His plan is for Max and Dylan to pair off, while Fang starts his own flock. However, Fang's heart stops. Angel realizes that Dr. Hans has been lying to her, and calls the Flock there telepathically.
The Flock arrives and fights the guards, but Dr. Hans tells Max she's too late. Mr. Chu arrives and it's revealed that he works for Gunther-Hagen. Once Fang is revived, Dylan allies with the Flock and attacks Dr. Hans, fully rebelling against his creator and allying himself with the Flock. They strap Dr. Hans to a gurney and Dylan prepares to inject him with a hypodermic needle full of serum, which should kill him. However, Max convinces Dylan that killing is not the Flock's way. Before leaving, they roll the gurney into a cold-storage room and abandon Dr. Hans there. Max assumes one of his guards will probably let him out.
ANGEL[]
Jeb brings Dr. Gunther-Hagen to the Flock's house for a talk. Gunther-Hagen tells Max that she will be the leader of the hybrids and Gen77 mutants, but also pressures her to reproduce with Dylan and create a dynasty. He has prepared a house for the two of them in Germany. Dr. Martinez vetoes this, but the Flock still agrees to visit the Gen77 school where the hybrids are staying.
They follow the plane that carries the adults to the school. The plane crashes and Dr. Gunther-Hagen is nowhere to be found. He is assumed to be dead when Max and Dylan are unsuccessful in their search for him or his body.
Nevermore[]
Dr. Williams, a science teacher at Newton, informs Dylan that Dr. Gunther-Hagen is alive and has a mission for Dylan: to capture Fang and bring him in, as his DNA is a threat. Having taken tissue samples when he had Fang in his lab, Gunther-Hagen discovered that Fang's DNA holds the key to immortality. According to Jeb, Dr. Gunther-Hagen and others like him want to lock Fang up, put him into a coma, and perform torturous experiments on him forever.
Dr. Gunther-Hagen has been working with Jeb, giving Jeb the opportunity to try resurrecting Ari. He has also gained control of Dr. Martinez, and his workers hold Angel captive in a lab and experiment on her.
Maximum Ride Forever[]
Dr. Gunther-Hagen is revealed as the Remedy—the genocidal psychopath who triggered the apocalypse in Nevermore. Knowing of the plans to nuke a meteor before it struck the earth, he used Dr. Martinez's political connections to gain control of the nukes, allow the meteor to strike the earth, and then turned the nukes on major cities.
He gained the name The Remedy by developing the cure to the H8E virus that had killed most of the world. His soldiers were encouraged to kill survivors for status. He had Dylan kidnapped, converted him into a Horseman, and sent him to kill the Flock. However, Dylan and Angel faked the Flock's deaths.
In the final battle, Gunther-Hagen attempts to blow up the Flock's army, but the bomb fails. Max drops him to his death.
Description[]
In Fang, Dr. Gunther-Hagen is a tall, dapper and well-dressed man who speaks with a foreign accent. When in college, he had long, feathered hair.
In Maximum Ride Forever, he is described as a frail, white-haired old man with no teeth.
Abilities[]
Dr. Gunther-Hagen seems to possess the same level of healing abilities as Dylan. He is able to heal from a virus that he injects himself with, and he cuts off the end of his pinky and it grows back.
Trivia[]
- Max often called him names like "Dr. Haagen-Dazs", "Dr. God," "Dr. G-H," "Dr. Scary," "the not-so-good doctor," and "Dr. Gunnie-Hunnie." She also called him "Dr. Hans."