Red Skull

Publication history

The original Red Skull was introduced in Timely Comics' Captain America Comics #1 (cover-dated March 1941) which was written and drawn by the team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. On separate occasions, both Kirby and Simon claimed to have had the original idea for the character, and at the 1970 San Diego Comic Con, Kirby said the Red Skull was created by France Herron. Simon later credited both Kirby and Herron with having a role in creating Red Skull.

Golden age

The Skull made limited appearances in the Golden Age of Captain America. His first story in Captain America Comics #1 follows the Red Skull as he takes out military personnel in attempts to sabotage United States military industry. In the issue, his identity is revealed as George Maxon of Maxon Aircraft, and dies at the end of the issue by rolling onto his own hypodermic needle in apparent suicide.

The Skull returns again in issue #3 of Captain America Comics having survived his own needle. He commandeers bank robberies in an effort to raise money to overthrow the US government, declaring, "Of course you realize the main item in overthrowing the government is money!" The Skull again assumedly dies at the end of the issue when Captain America returns a thrown bomb.

The Red Skull once again thwarts death by returning and planning crimes around music in Captain America Comics #7 (October 1941). Stories published decades later claimed this was the Nazi Johann Shmidt, and that the Red Skull appearing before that point was his pawn George Maxon. Marvel has since revealed Johann Shmidt's first appearance was also in Captain America Comics #1, and the two skulls worked together in the Golden Age.

The Red Skull made sporadic appearances in other Timely comic books in the forties. He appeared in Young Allies #1 and #4. appearing maskless in both issues, including when getting up from bed in issue #1 and while in a fighter jet with one other ally in #4. He was also to appear in All-Select Comics #2 (December 1943), Captain America Comics #37 (February 1944) and All Winners Comics #12 (April 1944) in various plots to overthrow the United States.

In the last issue of Captain America Comics in the forties, which had since been retitled Captain America's Weird Tales, Red Skull appears in a dream of Captain America, and they both battle in Hell for the damnation of each other's soul. This story was notable for including horror aspects in Captain America stories, as horror comics books became popular during this time period. Timely would end the run of Captain America after this issue to focus on mystery, humor, and horror.

After an absence from comics for five years, both Captain America and the Red Skull were brought back in 1954 in Young Men Comics #24, in a story entitled "Back From The Dead". Here the Red Skull, thinking Captain America was dead, has left politics and started a large criminal enterprise in the United States. In his next appearance, in issue #27, the Red Skull is once again left for dead from a truck crash.

Silver age

After an absence for more than a decade, the character of Red Skull returned in new stories starting with Tales of Suspense #65 (May 1965) in a Captain America World War II-period story run. Marvel resorted to retroactive continuity in recreating the identity of the Red Skull for the Silver age, explaining the real George "John" Maxon was killed and replaced with a lookalike who worked for the real Red Skull. In traveling to Germany to seek out the real Red Skull, Captain America finally meets Johann Shmidt face to face.

Red Skull was established as a contemporary villain in Tales of Suspense #79 (July 1966), with the explanation that he had been in suspended animation since World War II. He would continue to appear in this title after Tales of Suspense was renamed Captain America in 1968 with Marvel establishing the character as the archenemy of Captain America for a new age of readers.

Bronze age

During Jack Kirby's return to Marvel in 1976, the Red Skull would again appear in a run of Captain America during which Kirby both wrote and penciled stories of the characters he helped create. During this run, it is notable Red Skull was the only villain Kirby brought back, having distanced these new Captain America stories from the rest of the Marvel Universe. During this period, the Red Skull would also be used as an antagonist in the Invaders comic book series which focused on period stories from the forties.

For decades, the character's true face was hidden, but in Captain America #297 (September 1984) the Red Skull unmasks in front of Captain America and his face, albeit extremely aged, is fully revealed. In the next issue, the Red Skull retells his story with his face fully visible in his various ages. The Red Skull seemingly dies in issue #300 (December 1984) after a battle with Captain America and would disappear for five years. When the character is revealed to be alive in issue #350 (February 1989), in a story called "Resurrection", by Mark Gruenwald, the face of Johann Shmidt's original body is hidden again, but the Red Skull's face is fully visible, albeit in his cloned copy of Captain America's body.

The character's origin was more fully illustrated in the miniseries Red Skull: Incarnate, with Shmidt's face fully visible again.

Fictional character biography

Johann Shmidt

Johann Shmidt was a Nazi general officer and confidant of Adolf Hitler. He is an enemy of Captain America, the Avengers, and the interests of the United States and the free world in general. He was physically augmented by having his mind placed into the body of a clone of Captain America, the pinnacle of human perfection. He has been seemingly killed in the past, only to return time and time again to plague the world with schemes of world domination and genocide.

Johann Shmidt was born in a village in Germany to Hermann Shmidt and Martha Shmidt. His mother died in childbirth, and his father blamed Johann for her death. Johann's father tried to drown the baby, only to be stopped by the attending doctor; he later committed suicide, leaving Johann an orphan. The doctor took Johann to an orphanage, where the child led a lonely existence. Johann ran away from the orphanage when he was 7 years old and lived on the streets as a beggar and thief. As he grew older, he worked at various menial jobs but spent most of his time in prison for crimes ranging from vagrancy to theft. The Skull's real name of Johann Shmidt was not revealed in his Golden Age and Silver Age appearances. As a young man, Shmidt was from time to time employed by a Jewish shopkeeper, whose daughter Esther was the only person who had treated Shmidt kindly up to that point. Seized with passion for Esther, Schmidt tried to force himself upon her, only for her to reject him. In unthinking fury, Shmidt murdered her. Shmidt fled the scene in terror but also felt ecstatic joy in committing his first murder. In killing Esther, he had given vent to the rage at the world that had been building up in him throughout his young life.

According to the official version of the story told by the Red Skull and the Nazis, Shmidt met Hitler while working as a bellhop in a hotel. This occurred during his late teens, around the same time that the Nazi Party gained power in Germany. Shmidt wound up serving Hitler's rooms at the hotel. By chance, Shmidt was present by bringing refreshments when the Führer was furiously scolding an officer for letting a spy escape, during which Hitler declared that he could create a better National Socialist out of the bellhop. Looking closely at the youth and sensing his dark inner nature, Hitler decided to act on his words and recruited Shmidt. In the miniseries Red Skull: Incarnate, it has been revealed that Shmidt actually engineered his meeting with the Führer with himself disguised as a bellhop, tricking his fellow orphan Dieter into trying to kill Hitler and then taking this opportunity to save Hitler's life.

George John Maxon

Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, George John Maxon appeared as Red Skull in Captain America Comics #1 and #3 (March–May 1941). He faces Captain America during two of the latter's early missions. Maxon is an American businessman and Nazi agent who leads a ring of spies and saboteurs and serves as a stand-in of Johann Schmidt (the true Red Skull). Maxon is thought killed during the second encounter, though he would reappear for one last encounter with Captain America.

Albert Malik

After the disappearance of Johann Schmidt in 1945, the reputation of the Red Skull was still formidable enough to prove useful. In 1953, Soviet Russian KGB agent Albert Malik set up his spy/criminal organization in Algeria and assumed the Red Skull identity (Russian: Красный Череп), pretending that he was the original, when he was actually serving Soviet interests, in Captain America Comics #61. During the 1950s, he faced the then-active version of Captain America, who was also pretending to be the original. While the Captain and Bucky (Jack Monroe) were placed into suspended animation when his flawed replicate of the Super-Soldier Formula seriously affected his and Bucky's minds, Malik continued his activities, and over time severed his links to the Soviet Union.

He was also responsible for the deaths of Richard and Mary Parker, the parents of Peter Parker, tipped off by the supercriminal Gustav Fiers to their spy status.

Malik was later killed by a Scourge of the Underworld, operating on behalf of the original Red Skull (Johann Schmidt) disguised as a pilot.

Sinthea Shmidt

Sinthea "Sin" Shmidt is the daughter of Johann Shmidt. She briefly assumed the Red Skull moniker after being scarred like her father.

Clone of Johann Shmidt

Following the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, the Red Skull mysteriously returns and assembles a team called the S-Men. The Red Skull's S-Men attack Rogue and the Scarlet Witch at Professor X's grave and steal Professor X's body. The Red Skull subsequently removes Professor X's brain in a plot to "eradicate the mutant menace". This Red Skull is revealed to be a clone of the original created by Arnim Zola in 1942 and held in cryogenic stasis in the event that Germany lost World War II. Fusing part of Professor X's brain with his own, the Red Skull brainwashes the Scarlet Witch as part of a plot to wipe out the world's mutant population. Using Professor X's telepathy, the Red Skull provokes ordinary citizens of New York into a mass assault against mutants.

During the AXIS storyline, the Red Skull is killed by Magneto, but returns as a giant called Red Onslaught. The Scarlet Witch attempts to cast a spell that will 'invert' the Red Skull and bring out the part of Professor X that still exists in his brain. However, the plan backfires when the resulting spell causes the moral inversion of all heroes and villains in the area. With the villains now the only hope to defeat the corrupted heroes, Captain America is forced to protect the Red Skull (now calling himself the White Skull) from the evil Avengers while Spider-Man works with the inverted villains to fight off the various corrupted heroes. Doctor Doom summons the spirit of Brother Voodoo to possess the Scarlet Witch and invert the spell, with Red Skull sacrificing his heroism and freedom to restore the heroes to normal. The Red Skull is taken away by Doctor Doom.

During the Avengers: Standoff! storyline, the Red Skull infiltrates the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility Pleasant Hill by disguising himself as a priest named Father Patrick. As Patrick, the Red Skull secretly instigates an uprising of the facility's brainwashed inmates by manipulating Baron Helmut Zemo and the Fixer into restoring them to normal. In the aftermath of the battle with the villains at Pleasant Hill, the Red Skull founds his own version of Hydra with Sin and Crossbones.

The Red Skull eventually mounts an assault on the Avengers, using previously planted commands to take control of the team, but Deadpool is able to resist him long enough to place Magneto's old helmet on Rogue's head, rendering Rogue immune to telepathy long enough to knock the Red Skull out and take him to be operated on by Beast. The fragment of Professor X's brain is extracted from the Red Skull, but although Rogers attempts to take custody of the fragment for his own ends, Rogue and Johnny Storm fly up and incinerate the brain fragment, leaving the Red Skull to be taken into 'custody' by Rogers. Although Red Skull is rescued by Sin, she and Crossbones subsequently betray the Red Skull to prove loyalty to Rogers, who kills Red Skull by pushing him over a cliff.

Powers and abilities

Although he has no superhuman abilities, the Red Skull possesses a high intellect and inventive genius and is a highly gifted subversive strategist and political operative. At one point, the Red Skull's mind inhabited a body cloned from Captain America's DNA, which possessed the mutagenic alterations induced by the Super-Soldier Formula. He was thus endowed with a body that was in perfect physical condition, with strength, speed, durability, agility, dexterity, reflexes, coordination, balance and physical endurance that exceeded that of an Olympic athlete. Despite the scar tissue covering his face and head, his senses were still above-average. He has been shown as a superb martial artist, though he was never on par with Captain America himself; he was originally trained by German athletes appointed by Hitler. He is heavily trained as a skilled marksman with various forms of handguns and well-versed in the use of firearms and explosives.

While sharing Alexander Lukin's body, he lost his superhuman abilities. Since then, he resides in one of the android bodies engineered by Arnim Zola, with enhanced endurance and resilience.

He typically armed himself with a trick cigarette that could fire a fatal poison gas—his trademark "dust of death"—toward his victim. The "dust of death" is a red powder which kills a victim within seconds of skin contact. The powder causes the skin of the victim's head to shrivel, tighten and take on a red discoloration, while causing all of his hair to fall out; hence the victim's head resembles a "red skull". He also carries a large arsenal of conventional and advanced firearms and explosives.

After fusing his own brain with that of Charles Xavier, the clone of the Red Skull gains powerful telepathic abilities. After being killed in a fight with Magneto, the Red Skull clone temporarily evolved into a psionic entity similar to Onslaught, vastly increasing his original powers while also giving him new ones, ranging from material astral projection, total control over his psionic state producing tendrils, changing size and such, energy projection in the form of optic blasts, on top of greatly enhanced control over his psychic abilities being able to affect minds the world over to initiate worldwide hate. After reverting to his original form, he later expressed frustration with this new power as it makes conquest too easy for him, realizing that he wants people to grovel before him of their own free will, rather than just making people mindlessly submit. The Red Skull eventually loses these abilities when he is captured by Rogue and taken to Beast, who performs surgery on the Red Skull to extract the elements of Xavier's brain from his own.

Reception

Accolades

In 2006, Wizard ranked the Red Skull 21st in their "Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever" list.

In 2013, Complex ranked the Red Skull 16th in their "25 Greatest Comic Book Villains of All Time" list.

In 2014, IGN ranked the Red Skull 14th in their "Top 100 Comic Book Vilains" list.

In 2022, Newsarama ranked the Red Skull third in their "Best Marvel supervillains" list.

In 2022, CBR.com ranked the Red Skull second in their "13 Most Important Marvel Villains" list and sixth in their "10 Most Charismatic Marvel Supervillains" list.

Other versions

Various alternate universe versions of Red Skull have appeared throughout the character's publication history.

Amalgam Comics

Green Skull is a composite character based on Red Skull and DC Comics character Lex Luthor who appears in Amalgam Comics' DC vs. Marvel.

Earth-X

An alternate universe version of the Red Skull and his successor Ben Beckley / Skull from Earth-9997 appear in Earth X.

Heroes Reborn (1996)

In Heroes Reborn (1996), the Red Skull is the banker of Master Man's World Party.

Heroes Reborn (2021)

In Heroes Reborn (2021), Red Skull was possessed by a Symbiote and re-dubbed himself the Black Skull, becoming the leader of Hydra.

Old Man Logan

In Old Man Logan, Red Skull is the self-proclaimed President of the United States until he is killed by Old Man Logan.

Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Red Skull is the unnamed illegitimate son of Steve Rogers / Captain America and Gail Richards. After his father's presumed death during World War II, he is taken from his mother and raised in an army base. Around the age of 17, he kills over 200 men on the base and cuts off his own face in rejection of his father. As a final symbol of his rebellion against the system that created him, he assassinates President John F. Kennedy.

Ultimate Universe

In the Ultimate Universe imprint, John Walker is the Red Skull.

In other media

Television

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in the "Captain America" segment of The Marvel Super Heroes, voiced by Paul Kligman.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in Spider-Man (1981), voiced by Peter Cullen.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends episode "Quest of the Red Skull", voiced again by Peter Cullen.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in the X-Men: The Animated Series episode "Old Soldiers", voiced by Cedric Smith.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, voiced by David Warner in the first appearance and later by Earl Boen. This version manipulated John "The Cat" Hardesky in a failed attempt at recreating Captain America's super-soldier serum before being trapped in suspended animation with the latter in the 1940s. In addition, he was also Chameleon's stepfather and Rheinholt Kragov's father.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in The Super Hero Squad Show, voiced by Mark Hamill. This version was frozen in a block of ice before he is thawed out by Doctor Doom to help the Lethal Legion.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull, with elements of Aleksander Lukin, appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, voiced by Steve Blum. During World War II, he uses Hydra's resources to abduct and take control of Nordic mythological beasts. While Captain America and Bucky Barnes thwart him, the Red Skull indirectly causes the former's suspended animation and the latter's demise while making his escape. In the present, he quietly returns as Dell Rusk, the Secretary of Defense and the leader of Code Red, which consists of the Falcon, Doc Samson, the Red Hulk, and the Winter Soldier. He releases a biological weapon in New York and frames the Avengers for it, sending Code Red to apprehend the superheroes. The Winter Soldier captures and presents Captain America to the Red Skull, but Captain America is able to defeat and publicly expose his old enemy. The Red Skull is remanded to the Avengers' Hydro Base until his Sleepers break him out. He combines the Sleepers into a giant robot to attack Washington D.C. before Captain America and the Winter Soldier work together to defeat the Red Skull and destroy his Sleepers.

Film

An original incarnation of the Red Skull appears in Captain America (1990), portrayed by Scott Paulin. This version is an Italian officer, later Mafioso, named Tadzio de Santis, a prodigy whose family was killed by Axis soldiers who subjected him to the super-soldier formula, leaving him deformed, before erasing his memory to make him loyal to the Axis Powers. While fighting Captain America, the Red Skull cuts off his hand to escape. Years later, he forms a criminal organization with his daughter Valentina de Santis and attempts to brainwash the President, only to be distracted by a recording of his family's death and slammed off a cliff by Captain America.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in Heroes United: Iron Man and Captain America, voiced again by Liam O'Brien.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU):

He is introduced in the live-action film Captain America: The First Avenger, portrayed by Hugo Weaving. This version is the head of Hydra, which originally served as the Nazis' deep-science division. Schmidt ordered Dr. Abraham Erskine to use an experimental formula on him, which physically enhanced but permanently disfigured him. As a result, Adolf Hitler nicknamed Schmidt the "Red Skull" and exiled him. While leading an incursion into Norway in 1942, Schmidt recovers the Tesseract and has his chief scientist Arnim Zola develop advanced weapons powered by the object. Disillusioned with the Nazis, Schmidt breaks away from their regime and establishes Hydra as its own force against the Allies and Axis alike with aspirations of world dominion. However, Steve Rogers leads the Allies' fight against Hydra, forcing the group to retreat to their final base in the Alps. In 1945, Schmidt launches his plan to destroy populated cities across the United States, only to be defeated by Rogers and seemingly disintegrated by the Tesseract while attempting to use it.

Schmidt returns in the live-action film Avengers: Infinity War, portrayed by Ross Marquand. Following the events of The First Avenger, he was transported to the planet Vormir and forced to serve as a "stonekeeper", guiding those who seek the Soul Stone as punishment for his use of the Tesseract. As the Soul Stone requires the sacrifice of a loved one, of which he had none, he was unable to claim it for himself. In 2018, Thanos and Gamora arrive on Vormir to claim the Soul Stone, which Schmidt directs them to. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo stated that, after Thanos claimed the Soul Stone, Schmidt was freed from his curse and permitted to leave Vormir and pursue his own desires.

An alternate timeline version of Schmidt appears in the live-action film Avengers: Endgame, portrayed again by Marquand.

Alternate timeline variants of Schmidt appear in the Disney+ animated series What If...?, voiced by Marquand.

Video games

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears as a boss of Captain America and The Avengers.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet, voiced again by Mark Hamill.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull, based on the MCU incarnation, appears in Captain America: Super Soldier, voiced by Keith Ferguson.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears as a non-playable character in Marvel Super Hero Squad: Comic Combat, voiced again by Mark Hamill.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull and his Dell Rusk alias appears in Marvel Avengers Alliance. This version is the leader of the Dark Avengers.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes, voiced again by Steve Blum.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears as a playable character in Lego Marvel's Avengers, voiced again by Liam O'Brien. This version sports the "Iron Skull" armor from Avengers Assemble.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears as a boss in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, voiced again by Liam O'Brien.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in Marvel Future Revolution, voiced again by Liam O'Brien.

Literature

The Albert Malik incarnation of the Red Skull appears in the prologue of the novel Spider-Man: The Revenge of the Sinister Six.

The Albert Malik incarnation of the Red Skull appears in the novel Spider-Man: The Secret of the Sinister Six.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in the novel trilogy X-Men: The Chaos Engine. After acquiring the titular engine, a flawed version of the Cosmic Cube, he uses it to create a reality where the Nazis won World War II and established a galactic empire. However, he is opposed by a group of X-Men who were outside of reality when he made his changes and fight to restore the original reality with the help of a young lieutenant who joined the Red Skull, but became disillusioned with him. Following this, he is left drifting outside of reality, with residual energy he had absorbed from other Cosmic Cubes keeping him alive.

Miscellaneous

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in Marvel Universe Live!. This version sports the "Iron Skull" armor from Avengers Assemble.

The Johann Schmidt incarnation of the Red Skull appears in Disneyland Paris' "Marvel Season of Super Heroes".