Samuel Stuhlinger (Aether Retold)

"Richtofen! Buddy! You look... uh... like shit."

- Stuhlinger, after seeing Ultimis Richtofen's undead appearance.

Samuel J. Stuhlinger is a character featured within the Aether Retold storyline.

He is a Caucasian middle-aged man, and is a member of the group known as "Victis". He has a connection to Edward Richtofen through the Aether, and is able to speak to him telepathically.

Building the Agarthan Device
After being frozen in cryo-chambers deep within the confines of Alcatraz, Stuhlinger and the rest of Victis were awakened by Ultimis Edward Richtofen, and sent from Alcatraz to Richtofen's old lab in Siberia to retrieve and construct the Agarthan Device, using the Vril Vessle, Elemental Shard, and the blood of an Apothicon.

Facing the Juggernaut
Shortly after, Victis is sent to a SDC facility in China to retrieve another Elemental Shard by Richtofen, as the previous usage of the Elemental Shard by the Warden to open a portal from the Dark Aether into the Multiverse drained it of its energy. Stuhlinger is elected to lead Victis by Richtofen and Primis Nikolai, with both of them giving instructions to Victis on what to do. Victis gains access to the 2nd Elemental Shard, but it is stolen from them by the Juggernaut, a vicious servant of the Shadowman. Afterwards, Victis attempts to take control of the facility from the artificial intelligence to face the Juggernaut, and is assisted by a displaced Anton Gersh. The Russian scientist agrees to help Victis take control of the facility if they are able to grant him a new body. After finding an unconscious, bald clone of Richtofen in a test-tube beneath the laboratory, Gersh (now in a physical form) grants Victis access to the facility before being teleported by Nikolai elsewhere.

Assisting Richtofen
If Victis chooses to assist Richtofen, the facility will be under Richtofen's control, and Richtofen will open the room the Juggernaut has trapped himself in, with the artificial intelligence's terminal glowing blue.

Assisting Nikolai
If Victis chooses to assist Nikolai, the facility will be under Nikolai's control, and Nikolai will open the room the Juggernaut has trapped himself in, with the artificial intelligence's terminal glowing green.

Immediately after Richtofen/Nikolai gains access to the facility, Victis faces the Juggernaut and kills him, taking the Elemental Shard. They are then teleported back to Tunguska, where Primis Nikolai and Ultimis Richtofen (currently zombified) are waiting for them. Nikolai informs Victis of the Great War, to which Stuhlinger responds angrily, stating that Victis deserves to return to their normal lives before the apocalypse. Nikolai agrees, stating that Stuhlinger and his allies will not be fighting the Great War, but will instead be waiting with him for the rest of Primis and Ultimis to complete their missions.

Prolonging the Paradox (Richtofen Ending)
Victis is invited by Nikolai to watch as he enters the Agarthan Pyramid Device to close the multiverse, and rid Agartha of the remaining Apothicons. Unfortunately for Nikolai, he is not aware that Victis (and the rest of the crew) have already assisted Richtofen in being able to access the pyramid. As the Pyramid opened, Richtofen revealed that now, he had control over the Aether, and that he would rule as, essentially, a god. Richtofen then uses his power over the Aether to summon a horde of zombies, overpowering the rest of Primis and Ultimis, as well as Eddie. Samantha, with her connection to the Aether severed by Richtofen, is overpowered as well and consumed by the undead. Victis, however, is allowed to seemingly leave Agartha to live out the rest of their lives, with Richtofen thanking Stuhlinger for assisting him with his ultimate victory. Victis is then sent back to Green Run, where they are overpowered and killed by Zombies. Stuhlinger uses his last words to curse out Richtofen. The universe, sometime after, is presumably reset by Richtofen, who is now a god.

Resolving the Paradox (Nikolai Ending)
Victis is invited by Nikolai to watch as he enters the Agarthan Pyramid Device to close the multiverse, and rid Agartha of the remaining Apothicons. Richtofen, however, in a last-minute attempt to take control of Agartha, attempts to kill Nikolai by lodging a combat knife into his abdomen. Nikolai rips the knife out and kills Richtofen with it, with Victis, Ultimis, Primis, and the children watching. Nikolai limps towards the Pyramid, and enters. Victis, Ultimis, Primis, and the children (besides Samantha) are sent to the House, where they are seemingly unable to leave. Nikolai, after severing the multiverse and banishing all 115, Apothicons, and Keepers to the Dark Aether, asks Samantha to kill him to prevent him from being corrupted by the Pyramid's power. She hesitantly obliges, using her powers to eviscerate Nikolai entirely. She uses her powers to destroy the Pyramid afterwards, severing her connection to the Aether and unlocking the House. Victis watches as Samantha returns to the House, but notices that only Ultimis and Victis are in the house. Stuhlinger explains to Samantha that Primis, as well as Eddie, "vanished out of thin air". Ultimis Richtofen, who is now returned to sanity due to the Apothicons no longer influencing him, explains to Samantha that now that the multiverse is gone, only the original versions of a person can exist. Afterwards, Victis, alongside Ultimis and Samantha look from the House to the new universe that they have created.

Epilogue (Nikolai Ending)
Stuhlinger, years after the Great War, has since been employed by the CIA. Although he remembers the rest of Victis, he is unable to recall Primis, Ultimis, or any of the events that transpired.