| “ | Who dares come before me? Who dares enter this place? What has begun cannot be stopped. The time for this world is over. | „ |
| ~ Totenkopf's admonition |
| “ | I have been witness to a world consumed in hatred and bent on self-destruction. Watched as we have failed what was to be a paradise and failed in our responsibilities as its steward. I know now that the course the human race has set for itself cannot be changed. I am the last desperate chance for a doomed planet. | „ |
| ~ A holographic recording of Totenkopf before Dexter disables it. |
Dr. Totenkopf is the main antagonist of the science fiction film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), and was posthumously played - using archived footage and computer graphics - by the late Sir Laurence Olivier, who also portrayed Heathcliff in the 1939 film adaptation of Wuthering Heights, the title character in the 1955 film adaptation of Richard III, Shylock in the 1973 adaptation of The Merchant of Venice, and Christian Szell in Marathon Man.
Biography[]
Dr. Totenkopf is a German scientist responsible for the formation of Unit Eleven, a research team for his 'World of Tomorrow'. According to Joe 'Sky Captain' Sullivan, Totenkopf is responsible for a series of attacks around the globe using armies of giant reconnaissance robots that has plagued the world years earlier than the film's late 1930s setting.
Totenkopf has sent a hitman after the scientists whom worked for his Unit Eleven as well as attacking New York City with his mechanical army, raiding the city of power giving generators. The attacks leads Joe and his on again/ off again girlfriend , journalist Polly Perkins, on a hunt for the rogue scientist. They are attacked by his hitman twice as well as Joe's Flying Legion base being destroyed.
After a prolonged search they arrive at Totenkopf's island where his robots and a massive rocket are located. The few survivors of Unit Eleven and Dex, an engineer for the Flying Legion are recovered.
It is at this point Totenkopf is revealed as being long deceased with a small note in his corpse hand stating 'Forgive Me'. Despite being dead, his programming in his machines still continues his work. The 'World of Tomorrow' is revealed as a plan to ark male and female animals and human DNA to a new, habitable planet, whilst the boosters in the rocket will vaporize the Earth's atmosphere upon leaving it, killing all life. However this plot is effectively foiled as Joe and Polly dismantled the booster control and releasing themselves and all the animals onboard in escape pods as the rocket explodes before leaving the atmosphere.
Totenkopf had apparently seen only the worst in humanity and had 'judged' humanity ready for destruction. His posthumous message revealed his knowledge of the Bible for his own warped purposes. The personality of him is unknown considering that he is never seen alive in the movie. However it can be summed up that he was a megalomaniac and psychotic as it was mentioned that he experimented on sick Tibetan miners dying of radiation exposure. Nonetheless Totenkopf, however in life or death did not have the chance to succeed in his ultimate goal to possibly be the god of the 'World of Tomorrow'.
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