Together, Prehistoric, Atmospheric, Tartaric and Esoteric form the vicious barbarian escort of the Goth chief, Choleric. They won't hesitate to beat, tie up, kidnap or fight anyone who stands in their way!
Its not surprising, therefore, that the Supreme Chief of the Goths, Metric, has entrusted them with this villainous mission: to capture Getafix, elected best druid by his peers at the annual meeting held in the forest of the Carnutes. Their aim: to snatch the magic potion for the greater glory of the «Visigoths, the Ostrogoths and any other sort of Goths»! They'll do anything to succeed and are afraid of nothing: having smacked about and tied up a couple of Roman legionaries posted on the border, they bundle Getafix unceremoniously into a sack that is most unbecoming of his position as a druid, in order to take him back to Germania. However, when the Romans cross the path of these thugs, all they do is ask whether these «good men» might have seen Asterix and Obelix, who they think are genuine barbarians!
Confusion reigns: the Gauls are invading Gaul, the Romans are arresting other Romans, while our Gothic quintet knock out a border official who is as Gothic as they are, but who is perhaps a little too fussy about administrative procedures (he wouldn't let them bring «foreign goods», in other words, Getafix, onto German territory!). But Asterix's authors demonstrate that our German cousins from Gaulish times could also be sensitive and appreciate the best things in life, when they weren't busy fighting, that is.
Atmospheric proves the point by loudly applauding Cicatrix, the druid, when he presents his own potion, which causes beautiful flowers to grow whatever the season. It's enough to make you want to get married and have lots of little barbarians.