| Red Skull | |
|---|---|
| |
| Red Skull Portrait, Circa 1943 | |
Vital statistics
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| Position | Modern Leader of the HYDRA |
| Age | Unknown |
| Status | Alive |
Physical attributes
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| Height | 1.88 Meters |
| Weight | Unknown |
Johann Schmidt, commonly known as the Red Skull, was a head-leader and commanding-officer of HYDRA-Abteilung, a special-weapons division of Nazi Schutzstaffel and a modern incarnation of the ancient HYDRA-society. A brilliant scientist in his own right, he fought his way through their Nazi ranks to become a confidant of Führer Hitler himself. The ambitions to become superior led him to test a prototype version of Super Soldier serum on himself. As an result of the prototype serum itself being imperfect combined with the dark personality, the serum gave an Superhuman-Strength he dreamt of at cost of deformations on his body, which molded him into this horrific villain Red Skull. After Skull found the mystical-Tesseract and unlocked unlimited-power he decided to turn his back on the Nazi Party then lead HYDRA to his goal of global domination. However, as the second world-war raged on, his plans would be challenged by Red Skull's arch-nemesis Captain America.
Biography[]
Service to the Nazis[]
Originally an professor at one of Berlin's Universities, Johann Schmidt became an Officer of the Schutzstaffel with the rank of Obergruppenführer. During his service to the Nazi Party, he was closely affiliated with high-ranking Nazis officials such as Heinrich Himmler and Adolf Hitler himself. Schmidt and Hitler shared a passion for Norse-Mythology according to Abraham Erskine, an German Scientist who had defected to the United States. The Nazis had subsequently located Erskine and sent Johann to force him to finish the Serum which could enhance Humans Physiology, only for Schmidt to take this Serum then injected it into himself. The early unfinished serum increased mental and physical abilities, however it also caused a combustion reaction that horribly scarred his face, disfiguring its appearance to that of a hideous Red Skull.
HYDRA's Revolution[]
Schmidt sought out and stole theTesseract, a powerful artifact believed to be of Asgardian descent from a monastery in Tønsberg, Norway, and used its energy to power his armaments and weaponry. He later executed a trio of Nazi officers who objected to his plan to destroy every capital on earth, including Berlin, as he believed HYDRA couldn't grow any further under Hitler's command.
Schmidt also sent an assassin after Erskine before the scientist could carry his "Super Soldier Serum" experiment any further. While the attack on Erskine proved successful, Schmidt's agent was unable to obtain a sample of the improved serum due to the intervention of Steven Rogers, the successful test subject that Erskine had been enhanced with the serum.
The Red Skull's Fall[]
Confronting Steve Rogers, Schmidt was outraged at the discovery that his 'counterpart' was nothing but a "kid from Brooklyn", and became increasingly hostile as Rogers' forces decimated various Hydra bases throughout occupied Europe. In Schmidt's final plan to destroy America with a Tesseract-powered plane, the plane was hijacked by Rogers, who damaged the device that transferred the Tesseract's power to the ship. When Schmidt attempted to pick up the cube, it created a portal in the sky (also showing a vision of another galaxy) before seemingly disintegrating him and burning through the aircraft floor to fall into the ocean below.
The Red Skull's Return[]
Schmidt didn't die when he touched the cube but rather... (How he met the 4 Cosmic Constants, is transformed by the In-Betweener into his vessel, the Stone-Keeper, and forced to watch over the Soul Stone on Vormir to keep others from getting their hands on it.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Super Soldier Serum Enhancements: Johann Schmidt took an unfinished prototype of the Super Soldier Serum that caused the severe and hideous transformation of Schmidt's appearance into a living Red Skull, but also obtained incredible attributes, such as enormous strength, speed, stamina and reflexes, and got even his intelligence increased, becoming a war mastermind.
- Enhanced Strength: The Red Skull's physical strength can match Steve to the very peak of human potential.
- Enhanced Mobility: The Red Skull is able to run at a speed of approximately 30 miles per hour. The Red Skull have agility superior to that of any Olympic athlete. Schmidt's reflexes are similarly enhanced and are superior to those of the finest athlete.
- Enhanced Endurance: His bones and muscles are denser and harder than normal, to the highest human potential, which makes him very durable compared to a normal human. Schmidt's musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human.
- Accelerated Healing: Schmidt's body also has a protective system of enhanced healing & regeneration. This can also extend his longevity & vitality.
- Enhanced Intelligence: His mental performance has been greatly enhanced, allowing his mind to operate in the most efficient and rapid manner possible.