Baron Zemo
Encyclopedia
Baron Zemo is the name of two fictional character
s, both supervillain
s, in various Marvel Comics
comic book
s, notably Captain America
and the Avengers
. The original Baron Zemo was first seen in The Avengers #4 (March 1964); the second Baron Zemo first appeared in Captain America #168 (December 1973).
In 2009, Baron Helmut Zemo was ranked as IGN
's 40th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
and Jack Kirby
and was first seen in a flashback
in The Avengers #4 (March 1964), though he did not actually appear in person and was not identified by name until The Avengers #6 (July 1964) and Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #8 in the same month. Zemo was retroactively added into the history of Captain America upon the hero's reintroduction to the Silver Age two issues prior.
The character subsequently appears in The Avengers #7 (August 1964), #9-10 (October–November 1964), Tales of Suspense #60 (December 1964), and The Avengers #15 (April 1965), in which he is killed.
After his death, Zemo appears in numerous flashbacks and time-travel stories, including The Avengers #21 (October 1965), Captain America #100 (April 1968), The Avengers #56 (September 1968), #58 (November 1968), Captain America #112 (April 1969), The Avengers King-Size Special #4 (January 1971), Captain America #168 (December 1973), The Avengers #131–132 (January–February 1975), Giant-Size Avengers #3 (February 1975), The Avengers (UK) #76 (March 1975), What If? #4-5 (August, October 1977), Marvel Illustrated Books: The Avengers (June 1982), Captain America #297 (September 1984), #362 (November 1989), Spider-Man: Fear Itself (1992), The Avengers #353-354 (September–October 1992), Captain America Annual #11 (1992), Captain America: Medusa Effect #1 (March 1995), Untold Tales of Spider-Man #13 (September 1996), Thunderbolts #-1 (July 1997), Captain America & Citizen V Annual 1998, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #12 (August 1999), Captain America #3-4 (March–April 2005), #6 (June 2005), #10 (October 2005), New Thunderbolts #18 (April 2006), Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo - Born Better #3-4 (June–July 2007), Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America #5 (August 2007), Avengers Classic #7 (February 2008), and Wolverine: Origins #20 (February 2008).
The original Baron Zemo received an entry the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
#13, the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #16, and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe 2004 Book of the Dead.
s in the Nazi Party. Zemo fought both Captain America and his allies the Howling Commandos during World War II
. A brilliant and sadistic, scientific genius, Zemo created many weapons of mass destruction for Hitler's army, including a large-scale death ray
cannon, a disintegration pistol
that was a miniaturized
version of his death ray, and primitive androids of considerable strength and invulnerability. Heinrich Zemo's intelligence was only matched by his sadism, as he routinely tested his deadly weapons on innocent people, both prisoner and civilian inside the Third Reich. This ultimately came to a head, during an early encounter with the Howling Commandos, when Zemo decided to test an experimental death-ray cannon on a nearby German town. The death-ray killed hundreds of innocent German civilians as a result, making Zemo a mass murderer. Though he arrogantly believed that he could frame his act of mass murder on the Allied Forces, Nick Fury
and his fellow Howling Commandos exposed Zemo's role in the town's destruction, resulting in Zemo becoming a reviled figure throughout Europe
, even amongst his fellow Germans.
In an attempt to regain a level of anonymity, Zemo began wearing a reddish-pink hood
over his face as he continued to build weapons for the Nazis. His activities ultimately drew the attention of Captain America, resulting in a confrontation just as Heinrich was ready to unveil his newest scientific breakthrough: Adhesive X, an extremely strong adhesive
that could not be dissolved or removed by any known process at the time (only after the war, the adhesive-using villain Paste-Pot Pete
found a way to neutralize it).
When Captain America confronted Zemo, to destroy his limited supply of Adhesive X so that the Nazis could not use it against Allied troops, Captain America threw his shield to release the adhesive from its vat, onto the ground. However, Zemo was standing right next to the vat containing the chemical, which poured over his hooded face. The adhesive quickly seeped inside and permanently attached the hood to Heinrich's flesh, preventing Zemo from ever removing his hood.
Though Zemo could still see through the eye holes of the hood, as well as hear, breathe, and speak through the thin fabric of the cloth that made up the hood, Zemo could no longer eat normally (due to the hood having no mouth hole) and had to be fed intravenously. Heinrich Zemo quickly recovered but having his hood permanently attached to his face drove the Nazi scientist insane. Adopting a new costume to go along with his new hooded face, Zemo went from becoming a normal, if not infamous, Nazi scientist to become an active field agent for the Third Reich, leading German troops into combat and espionage missions. His reputation in combat quickly grew and was rivaled only by the Red Skull
; the two quickly became rivals, united only in their hatred for Captain America.
When it became apparent that the Nazis would lose the war, the Skull sent Zemo to London
to steal an experimental airplane
. At this point the plane would do them no good, but the Skull made sure this knowledge was leaked to Captain America and his young sidekick Bucky
so as to ensure that Zemo would be caught, ridding him of his rival once and for all. Captain America would not learn of Zemo's scheme for several weeks, by which time he would defeat Red Skull for the final time during World War II, burying Skull alive in a state of suspended animation. By the time that Captain America learned of Zemo's plot, it was too late and both Captain America and his sidekick Bucky were taken prisoner by Zemo. Zemo tied the two heroes to the experimental plane, which was now booby-trapped to explode, and launched to their deaths. Captain America fell from the plane as it exploded, and Bucky was apparently killed. Captain America landed in the Arctic Ocean
and was frozen in ice
for decades until recovered by the recently-formed Avengers.
Believing that he had killed his rival at long last, Zemo fled to South America
as Hitler and the Nazis fell and World War II ended. Zemo abandoned his long-suffering wife and toddler son, Helmut, whom he had become emotionally and physically abusive towards, after the mask was permanently bonded to his face. With an army of mercenaries loyal to him, Zemo enslaved a tribe of natives and lived as a king as he tried desperately to find a solvent that would remove his mask. As decades passed, Captain America was ultimately revived by the Avengers, causing Zemo to renew his rivalry with the Captain, after finding out about Cap's revival from a newspaper his pilot brought him, as he brought him supplies and news annually in exchange for gold. Heinrich formed the Masters of Evil
to serve as a villainous counterpart to the Avengers; the other founding members included the original villainous Black Knight
, the Melter
, and the Radioactive Man, who were gathered by his pilot. He tried to have Adhesive X spread over New York, but the Teen Brigade seized Zemo's pilot, preventing him from speaking then tied him up to stop him causing trouble. They switched the adhesive with remover made by Paste-Pot Pete. Zemo used his sceptre's hypno-ray on the Teen Brigade, placing them under his control. He then battled Captain America using combat skills he had gained, but Captain America began to beat him. However the pilot freed himself from his bonds and shot at Captain America from behind. Captain America heard the sound and dodged the bullet, though his skull was grazed. Giant-Man was able to stop the pilot from killing Captain America and captured him. Though Zemo was tricked into opening a container of tear gas while in his helicopter, he escaped back to South America
. He was later joined by the Enchantress
and the Executioner
, who had been exiled to Earth from Asgard
by Odin
. The Enchantress hypnotized Thor into attacking the Avengers, while the Executioner had disguised himself as a former ally of Zemo and lured Captain America to South America to fight Zemo, but Iron Man broke him out of his trance, and the Masters of Evil were sent to another dimension by Thor. However two issues later the Enchantress used her magic to return them to Earth. Later Zemo created the superstrong Wonder Man with his ionic ray, and told him he would die within a week unless given an antidote which he possessed, and Wonder Man was able to capture the Wasp and lead the group into a trap, and they were defeated. Wonder Man however sacrificed himself to save the Avengers.
In his final battle with Captain America, Zemo lured Captain America to his jungle fortress by kidnapping Avengers ally Rick Jones
using an attractor ray. His Masters of Evil
were broken out of prison and attacked the Avengers, forcing Captain America to go on alone. Zemo raised a glass cage containing Rick out of the ground as Captain America fired at his men, hoping Captain America would kill Rick, but the gunfire only broke open the cage. Zemo tried attacking with his men, but Captain America was able to use a rockslide caused by his shield to block them. In the ensuing battle, Captain America's shield
deflected the sun's rays, causing Zemo to shoot blindly. His ray gun's shot hit a rock, starting an avalanche that killed him, and Captain America felt that Bucky's death had finally been avenged.
During Hercules' journey to the underworld, Zemo was seen in Erebus
, gambling for his resurrection.
Zemo's legacy was revived by his son, Helmut J. Zemo, 13th Baron Zemo who was born in Leipzig
, Germany. His father taught him the idea that the Master Race should rule the world. Helmut was originally an engineer until he became enraged when reading a report about the return of Captain America. Helmut would ultimately follow in his father's footsteps as a supervillain using his family's money and his own scientific know-how to recreate his father's work.
He first surfaced under the alias of The Phoenix
, and captured Captain America to get revenge upon him for the death of his father. He was presumed deceased when he fell into a vat of boiling, specially-treated Adhesive X. As he had not been wearing his mask when he fell into the vat, his face was hideously scar
red by the boiling Adhesive X, giving his face the appearance of molten wax.
He resurfaced years later as Baron Zemo, first allied with Arnim Zola
's mutate
s. He allied with Primus I, and kidnapped Captain America's childhood friend Arnold Roth in order to lure Captain America into a trap. He forced the Captain to battle hordes of mutates before revealing that he knew the Captain's secret identity.
Zemo later encountered Mother Superior and her father the Red Skull
. Zemo underwent tutelage by Mother Superior and the Red Skull, and then kidnapped Captain America's friend David Cox and brainwashed him to battle the Captain. Zemo then kidnapped Arnold Roth again, and directed a shared mental reenactment of Heinrich Zemo's last World War II encounter with Captain America. Zemo then battled Mother Superior, but was psychically overpowered.
Most notably, he formed a new incarnation of the Masters of Evil. This fourth Masters of Evil was formed to strike at Captain America through the Avengers
; they invaded and occupied Avengers Mansion
and crippled Hercules
and the Avengers' butler Edwin Jarvis
. Zemo captured Captain America and the Black Knight
. Zemo battled Captain America, but fell off the Mansion roof.
Zemo later hired Batroc
's Brigade and psychic detective Tristram Micawber to help him locate the five fragments of the Bloodstone
in hopes of restoring his father to life. Zemo battled Captain America and Diamondback
, but fell down an inactive volcano in Japan.
Zemo was again believed dead, though he eventually returned, now married to a woman named Heike who had once called herself The Baroness and had claimed to be the reincarnation
of Heinrich Zemo.
Zemo, having abandoned Heike to prison
, organized a new team of Masters of Evil when the Avengers and Fantastic Four
disappeared during the Onslaught
crisis and were presumed dead. These Masters of Evil took false identities and called themselves the Thunderbolts
. Leading them under the alias Citizen V (a twist of irony, as Heinrich Zemo had killed the original Citizen V during World War II) Zemo planned to have the Thunderbolts gain the world's trust in order to conquer it. The public took a liking to the team much more quickly than Zemo, or any of the other Thunderbolts, expected and soon most of them came to like the feeling of being heroes.
When the missing heroes returned, Zemo had the Thunderbolts' true identities leaked, forcing them to flee with him into deep space to assist his plan to conquer the world through mind control. However, most of the Thunderbolts rebelled and foiled Zemo's plan. Zemo went into hiding and plotted revenge on his former teammates (who were trying to win back the public's trust by being true heroes). After another of Zemo's plans was foiled by Captain America and a new Citizen V (Dallas Riordan
), Helmut was killed by the new Scourge of the Underworld
, though his mind was transferred via bio-modem technology into the body of a comatose John Watkins III, grandson of the original Citizen V. Now in possession of Watkins' body, Zemo again played the role of Citizen V, this time as a member of the V-Battalion, until the Thunderbolts' final battle with Graviton, during which his consciousness was removed from Watkins' body and transferred, in electronic
form, into his ally Fixer's
mechanical "tech-pack".
On the artificial world Counter-Earth - the same world to which the Avengers and Fantastic Four had previously vanished - the Thunderbolts encountered Zemo's counterpart in that world, Iron Cross. Fixer transferred Zemo's mind into his double's un-mutilated body. Zemo then took up leadership of the Thunderbolts who were on Counter-Earth; when this group was reunited with their teammates who had remained on the normal Marvel Universe
Earth, Hawkeye
briefly resumed leadership but then left the team to return to the Avengers.
For a while Zemo remained the leader of the Thunderbolts. In 2004's "Avengers/Thunderbolts" limited series he attempted to take over the world again — this time with the belief that he could save the world by taking it over. Zemo now seems to be motivated by a twisted altruism rather than his original selfish desires; he feels he has grown beyond his father in that regard. However, the Avengers foiled his scheme, his teammate Moonstone
went berserk, Zemo's new body was blasted while he attempted to protect Captain America
, and he left the team and went into hiding after obtaining Moonstone's twin alien gems, two artifacts of great power.
More recently, Zemo has been manipulating the United States government, the New Thunderbolts, the Purple Man
, the Squadron Sinister
, and a host of other relatively obscure Marvel characters. His goals are unknown, but he is clearly still motivated by a desire to save the world by taking it over, or at least manipulating it towards what he perceives as a beneficial future. Zemo has also, apparently through trial and error, learned how to use the power of the moonstones in various ways, from simply generating raw energy, to transporting himself and others through time, space, and dimensions, to viewing possible future events through dimensional rifts—and, apparently, to repair his damaged face (or, to at least to create the illusion that it was undamaged). He has also recruited members of both his original and subsequent incarnations of the Thunderbolts to his cause, as well as eventually bringing the current team of Thunderbolts around to joining him. The group currently resides in what Zemo calls his "Folding Castle", a structure that he has connected to various other places around the world by dimensional portals.
As a result of Civil War
, Iron Man
asked Zemo to begin recruiting villains to his cause... which Zemo had begun doing some time before, unknown to Iron Man. However, he met up with Captain America and informed him that he really had reformed. He showed the Captain his face, once again scarred, to remind him of his earlier sacrifice, and gave him a key that would allow him to escape from the super-human prison being constructed if Captain America would allow his Thunderbolts to fight the Squadron Sinister. He also gave the Captain all his old mementos, destroyed by Zemo in 'Avengers Under Siege', which he had gone back in time and rescued with the help of the Moonstones. Finally, the Captain agreed.
Zemo, always told as a child that he was superior, now believes his father's Nazi ideals to be untrue, and that the only way to become superior is through righteousness. After helping Captain America, he remarked to his father's portrait that the man would be displeased with today's good deeds. Zemo—once again wearing his unscarred face—then revealed to Songbird
that she was going to betray him and he was going to sacrifice himself in their upcoming battle with the Squadron Sinister. He told her that he would not die, but that he would become superior through his sacrifice..."by living forever."
Zemo has now revealed his true nature in Thunderbolts #108, where he saved the Wellspring of Power from the Grandmaster, who planned to use it for his own ends. Believing that all of his visions were subject to the flow of time, and that nothing was set in stone, Zemo defeated the Grandmaster, and boasted to his teammates that the power was now all his—and theirs. He insisted that he would use it to help the world, despite the consequences for doing so. Songbird, who had temporarily lost her powers during the final battle, was told by Zemo "...now is when your betrayal would have come." However, the vision of her betrayal turned out to be true after all. Using a simple opera note to crack the moonstones, Songbird sent Zemo into a whirlwind of cosmic time/space. Just before he was completely sucked into the vacuum, he screamed out that he "would never have hurt a world he worked so hard to save".
and drawn by Tom Grummett
, explores the history of the Zemo barony
. Baron Helmut Zemo, sucked into the vacuum, wakes into medieval Germany (1503), witnessing Harbin Zemo's death and his succession, while in the present an academic called Wendell Volker and Reed Richards
deduce that Helmut has traveled in time. Captured and taken prisoner as a leper
, Helmut Zemo manages to inspire Harbin's twelve year old grandson Heller Zemo, to kill his father Hademar Zemo and fulfill his destiny as the third (and most enlightened and progressive) Baron Zemo. When Heller goes into the hidden cell to free his "muse", he discovers that Helmut has somehow disappeared. Helmut makes jumps to 1556 where he fights alongside Heller's son Herbert Zemo, later again to 1640 where he slays Herbert's son Helmuth Zemo, and later to 1710 where he narrowly escapes being killed by Helmuth's son Hackett Zemo.
Meanwhile in the present, Volker reveals that the Zemo bloodline isn't just limited to Helmut's immediate family but in fact Harbin's descendants are spread out all over the world. Wendell visits Miss Klein, a descendant of a bastard child of Hilliard Zemo, the eighth Baron Zemo and his Jewish lover Elsbeth Kleinenshvitz. Hilliard becomes baron after the death of his father Hartwig Zemo in the Seven Years' War
. In the past Helmut sees Hilliard and Elsbeth in love, realizing that the residual energy of the Moonstone is drawing him into the present, but forcing him to stop and live every key moment of Zemo's lineage. Zemo manages to save Elsbeth, sentenced to death by the Diet because of her Jewish ancestry and her wealthy family, but in the present Volker kills her distant descendant, convinced that his actions can pull Zemo in his proper place into the time-stream.
Helmut next ends up in 1879 where he stays for several weeks working his way up to be part of Hobart Zemo the tenth Baron Zemo's traveling guard. Hobart is killed during a civilian uprising shortly after German emperor William passes legislation to curb the socialist party. Helmut jumps forward in time before he can save Hobart his great-grandfather. Helmut next arrives during World War I during a battle between British forces led by the original Union Jack
and German forces led by Helmut's grandfather Baron Herman Zemo (the 11th Baron Zemo). Helmut witnesses Herman's men slaughter the majority of the British forces with mustard gas. Later, Helmut goes with Herman and his men to find Castle Zemo has been reduced to rubble by the war. Helmut travels forward in time again to his father's tenure as a Nazi during World War Two.
Back in the present, Wendell Volker discovers that Castle Zemo had been restored in the present. Wendell tours the castle with a local German police man and an Interpol agent named Herr Fleischtung, and then Wendell murders both men. Wendell has apparently murdered several Zemo relations in the belief that this spilling of Zemo blood would bring Helmut back to the present.
After battling his own father in the past, giving him the inspiration to take up the Zemo mantle, Helmut returns to the present and manages to convince Wendell not to kill him as well, instead taking what is discovered to be his cousin under his wing, as he sets out to do something new for the world.
Having spent his time on the sidelines, watching Norman Osborn's rise to power with the intent of waiting to see what Norman would do with control over the Thunderbolts (and later SHIELD), Baron Zemo reappeared following the events of The Siege, when Osborn ultimately was defeated by the Avengers. A chance encounter at the Thunderbolts' former base in Colorado with the Ghost led to him learning that Bucky was still alive and was the new Captain America. Zemo confronted his rival Sin and discovered how Bucky had survived his father's death trap only to become a trained Soviet assassin (granted one under intense mind control) who killed scores of people for his Russian handlers. But most alarming as the fact that Zemo discovered that Captain America had not only forgiven his partner for his crimes, but had actively covered them up even after Bucky blew up a huge chunk of New York, killing several dozen SHIELD agents in order to restore power to a Cosmic Cube fragment.
Baron Zemo recruited Jurgen "Iron-Handed" Hauptmann (of Red Skull's Exiles
), as well as a new female version of the Beetle and Fixer to expose Bucky's sins to the world. This included drugging Bucky with nanites that caused him to behave irrationally and attack police officers and leaking to the media, not only detailed files revealing the acts of terrorism he committed as a mind-controlled pawn of the Russians, but video footage as well of him being trained by his handlers. Zemo ultimately kidnapped Bucky and took him to his father's island where Bucky originally "died". There Zemo confessed that he did what he did, not out of a desire to finish the job his father started, but out of jealousy over how Captain America and his allies quickly forgave Bucky for his crimes, yet continue to scorn Zemo, who had reformed and saved the world on numerous occasions. Zemo then forced Bucky into a similar deathtrap as the one his father put Bucky in, modified though in order to allow Bucky a chance to escape. Zemo then escaped from the island unharmed.
Zemo has since turned his eye towards Hawkeye
, who he blames for usurping control over the Thunderbolts from him. Zemo makes a deal with Hawkeye’s former mentor Trick Shot
(whose cancer had returned) to train Zemo’s mystery acquaintance to become a master archer in exchange for medical care. When the training was complete, Zemo relented on the deal. Trick Shot (on the brink of death) was delivered to Avengers Tower
to serve as a message to Hawkeye. Before he died in his former pupil's arms, Trick Shot warns Hawkeye of the threat he will soon face.
The Moonstones grant Helmut Zemo a massive array of superhuman powers such as energy/gravity/light manipulation, molecular phasing, strength/durability augmentation, the ability to create spatial warps, flight and more.
miniseries, set in a sword and sorcery
version of the Marvel Universe, features Dreadlord, an alternate version of Zemo, as its main villain. Dreadlord was previously Zymo of Z'axis, a general who fought in the Worldwar. When Z'axis lost the war, Zymo adopted a new identity - and swore that he would not remove his hood until Z'axis triumphed once again.
's reality, Baron Zemo is depicted as a zebra
named Baron Zebro.
universe, Baron Zemo is one of a group of Nazis led by Baron von Strucker, who repeatedly battle adventurer Tony Stark in the 1930s. This Zemo is revealed to be Howard Stark
, who has been chemically brainwashed by a combination of zolpidem
, ethanol
, methylchloride, and "ophentonyl", the acronym forming the name. Strucker says that Stark is not the first Zemo, and that they all wear the hood so no-one from their former life will recognize them.
limited series, Baron Zemo and his team of Thunderbolts are seen attacking Thor who is aided shortly thereafter by Nova. Zemo shows up prior to Nova's arrival as Thor destroys Zemo's teammate Moonstone (using the codename Meteorite) by smashing her head completely. His only appearance is of him with a torn mask and the teeth and milky eyes of the Marvel Zombies and he proclaims loudly "Meteorite!"
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s, both supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s, in various Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s, notably Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
and the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
. The original Baron Zemo was first seen in The Avengers #4 (March 1964); the second Baron Zemo first appeared in Captain America #168 (December 1973).
In 2009, Baron Helmut Zemo was ranked as IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's 40th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
Publication history
The original Baron Zemo was created by Stan LeeStan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
and was first seen in a flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
in The Avengers #4 (March 1964), though he did not actually appear in person and was not identified by name until The Avengers #6 (July 1964) and Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #8 in the same month. Zemo was retroactively added into the history of Captain America upon the hero's reintroduction to the Silver Age two issues prior.
The character subsequently appears in The Avengers #7 (August 1964), #9-10 (October–November 1964), Tales of Suspense #60 (December 1964), and The Avengers #15 (April 1965), in which he is killed.
After his death, Zemo appears in numerous flashbacks and time-travel stories, including The Avengers #21 (October 1965), Captain America #100 (April 1968), The Avengers #56 (September 1968), #58 (November 1968), Captain America #112 (April 1969), The Avengers King-Size Special #4 (January 1971), Captain America #168 (December 1973), The Avengers #131–132 (January–February 1975), Giant-Size Avengers #3 (February 1975), The Avengers (UK) #76 (March 1975), What If? #4-5 (August, October 1977), Marvel Illustrated Books: The Avengers (June 1982), Captain America #297 (September 1984), #362 (November 1989), Spider-Man: Fear Itself (1992), The Avengers #353-354 (September–October 1992), Captain America Annual #11 (1992), Captain America: Medusa Effect #1 (March 1995), Untold Tales of Spider-Man #13 (September 1996), Thunderbolts #-1 (July 1997), Captain America & Citizen V Annual 1998, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #12 (August 1999), Captain America #3-4 (March–April 2005), #6 (June 2005), #10 (October 2005), New Thunderbolts #18 (April 2006), Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo - Born Better #3-4 (June–July 2007), Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America #5 (August 2007), Avengers Classic #7 (February 2008), and Wolverine: Origins #20 (February 2008).
The original Baron Zemo received an entry the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#13, the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #16, and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe 2004 Book of the Dead.
Fictional character biography
Dr. Heinrich Zemo, 12th Baron Zemo was one of the top scientistScientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s in the Nazi Party. Zemo fought both Captain America and his allies the Howling Commandos during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A brilliant and sadistic, scientific genius, Zemo created many weapons of mass destruction for Hitler's army, including a large-scale death ray
Death ray
The death ray or death beam was a theoretical particle beam or electromagnetic weapon of the 1920s through the 1930s that was claimed to have been invented independently by Nikola Tesla, Edwin R. Scott, Harry Grindell Matthews, and Graichen, as well as others...
cannon, a disintegration pistol
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
that was a miniaturized
Miniaturization
Miniaturization is the creation of ever-smaller scales for mechanical, optical, and electronic products and devices...
version of his death ray, and primitive androids of considerable strength and invulnerability. Heinrich Zemo's intelligence was only matched by his sadism, as he routinely tested his deadly weapons on innocent people, both prisoner and civilian inside the Third Reich. This ultimately came to a head, during an early encounter with the Howling Commandos, when Zemo decided to test an experimental death-ray cannon on a nearby German town. The death-ray killed hundreds of innocent German civilians as a result, making Zemo a mass murderer. Though he arrogantly believed that he could frame his act of mass murder on the Allied Forces, Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
and his fellow Howling Commandos exposed Zemo's role in the town's destruction, resulting in Zemo becoming a reviled figure throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, even amongst his fellow Germans.
In an attempt to regain a level of anonymity, Zemo began wearing a reddish-pink hood
Hood (headgear)
A hood is a kind of headgear that covers most of the head and neck and sometimes the face. They may be worn for protection from the environment, for fashion, as a form of traditional dress or uniform, to prevent the wearer from seeing or to prevent the wearer from being identified.-History and...
over his face as he continued to build weapons for the Nazis. His activities ultimately drew the attention of Captain America, resulting in a confrontation just as Heinrich was ready to unveil his newest scientific breakthrough: Adhesive X, an extremely strong adhesive
Adhesive
An adhesive, or glue, is a mixture in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres or bonds items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or synthetic sources. The types of materials that can be bonded are vast but they are especially useful for bonding thin materials...
that could not be dissolved or removed by any known process at the time (only after the war, the adhesive-using villain Paste-Pot Pete
Trapster
The Trapster , originally known as Paste Pot Pete, is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Publication history:...
found a way to neutralize it).
Though Zemo could still see through the eye holes of the hood, as well as hear, breathe, and speak through the thin fabric of the cloth that made up the hood, Zemo could no longer eat normally (due to the hood having no mouth hole) and had to be fed intravenously. Heinrich Zemo quickly recovered but having his hood permanently attached to his face drove the Nazi scientist insane. Adopting a new costume to go along with his new hooded face, Zemo went from becoming a normal, if not infamous, Nazi scientist to become an active field agent for the Third Reich, leading German troops into combat and espionage missions. His reputation in combat quickly grew and was rivaled only by the Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
; the two quickly became rivals, united only in their hatred for Captain America.
When it became apparent that the Nazis would lose the war, the Skull sent Zemo to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to steal an experimental airplane
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
. At this point the plane would do them no good, but the Skull made sure this knowledge was leaked to Captain America and his young sidekick Bucky
Bucky
Bucky is the name of several fictional characters, masked superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. The original, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as a sidekick character in Captain America Comics #1 , published by Marvel's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics...
so as to ensure that Zemo would be caught, ridding him of his rival once and for all. Captain America would not learn of Zemo's scheme for several weeks, by which time he would defeat Red Skull for the final time during World War II, burying Skull alive in a state of suspended animation. By the time that Captain America learned of Zemo's plot, it was too late and both Captain America and his sidekick Bucky were taken prisoner by Zemo. Zemo tied the two heroes to the experimental plane, which was now booby-trapped to explode, and launched to their deaths. Captain America fell from the plane as it exploded, and Bucky was apparently killed. Captain America landed in the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
and was frozen in ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
for decades until recovered by the recently-formed Avengers.
Believing that he had killed his rival at long last, Zemo fled to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
as Hitler and the Nazis fell and World War II ended. Zemo abandoned his long-suffering wife and toddler son, Helmut, whom he had become emotionally and physically abusive towards, after the mask was permanently bonded to his face. With an army of mercenaries loyal to him, Zemo enslaved a tribe of natives and lived as a king as he tried desperately to find a solvent that would remove his mask. As decades passed, Captain America was ultimately revived by the Avengers, causing Zemo to renew his rivalry with the Captain, after finding out about Cap's revival from a newspaper his pilot brought him, as he brought him supplies and news annually in exchange for gold. Heinrich formed the Masters of Evil
Masters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
to serve as a villainous counterpart to the Avengers; the other founding members included the original villainous Black Knight
Black Knight (Nathan Garrett)
Nathan Garrett, also known as the criminal Black Knight, is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He was a supervillain and descendant of the original Black Knight, and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Dick Ayers....
, the Melter
Melter
The Melter is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Tales of Suspense #47 and was created by Stan Lee and Sam Rosen.-Publication history:...
, and the Radioactive Man, who were gathered by his pilot. He tried to have Adhesive X spread over New York, but the Teen Brigade seized Zemo's pilot, preventing him from speaking then tied him up to stop him causing trouble. They switched the adhesive with remover made by Paste-Pot Pete. Zemo used his sceptre's hypno-ray on the Teen Brigade, placing them under his control. He then battled Captain America using combat skills he had gained, but Captain America began to beat him. However the pilot freed himself from his bonds and shot at Captain America from behind. Captain America heard the sound and dodged the bullet, though his skull was grazed. Giant-Man was able to stop the pilot from killing Captain America and captured him. Though Zemo was tricked into opening a container of tear gas while in his helicopter, he escaped back to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. He was later joined by the Enchantress
Enchantress (Marvel Comics)
The Enchantress is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe, the first of which is a powerful sorceress named Amora and is one of the most notable antagonists of Thor.-Publication history:...
and the Executioner
Executioner (comics)
Executioner is the name of two fictional characters in the .-Skurge:Skurge is born in Jotunheim, and later becomes a warrior, gaining his name the Executioner after fighting in a war against the Storm giants. Skurge has always had feelings for Amora, the Enchantress, and regularly aids her in...
, who had been exiled to Earth from Asgard
Asgard (comics)
Asgard is a fictional realm within the Marvel Comics universe based on the Asgard of Norse mythology and is home to the Asgardians and other beings of Norse mythology...
by Odin
Odin (comics)
Odin is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #85 Odin is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #85 Odin is a...
. The Enchantress hypnotized Thor into attacking the Avengers, while the Executioner had disguised himself as a former ally of Zemo and lured Captain America to South America to fight Zemo, but Iron Man broke him out of his trance, and the Masters of Evil were sent to another dimension by Thor. However two issues later the Enchantress used her magic to return them to Earth. Later Zemo created the superstrong Wonder Man with his ionic ray, and told him he would die within a week unless given an antidote which he possessed, and Wonder Man was able to capture the Wasp and lead the group into a trap, and they were defeated. Wonder Man however sacrificed himself to save the Avengers.
In his final battle with Captain America, Zemo lured Captain America to his jungle fortress by kidnapping Avengers ally Rick Jones
Rick Jones (comics)
Richard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the .-Publication history:Rick Jones first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk...
using an attractor ray. His Masters of Evil
Masters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
were broken out of prison and attacked the Avengers, forcing Captain America to go on alone. Zemo raised a glass cage containing Rick out of the ground as Captain America fired at his men, hoping Captain America would kill Rick, but the gunfire only broke open the cage. Zemo tried attacking with his men, but Captain America was able to use a rockslide caused by his shield to block them. In the ensuing battle, Captain America's shield
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
deflected the sun's rays, causing Zemo to shoot blindly. His ray gun's shot hit a rock, starting an avalanche that killed him, and Captain America felt that Bucky's death had finally been avenged.
During Hercules' journey to the underworld, Zemo was seen in Erebus
Erebus
In Greek mythology, Erebus , also Erebos , was often conceived as a primordial deity, representing the personification of darkness; for instance, Hesiod's Theogony places him as the first five beings to come into existence from Chaos...
, gambling for his resurrection.
Baron Helmut Zemo
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Germany. His father taught him the idea that the Master Race should rule the world. Helmut was originally an engineer until he became enraged when reading a report about the return of Captain America. Helmut would ultimately follow in his father's footsteps as a supervillain using his family's money and his own scientific know-how to recreate his father's work.
He first surfaced under the alias of The Phoenix
Phoenix (comics)
The Phoenix Force is an entity in the Marvel Comics fictional universe which has bonded with other characters, who often used the alias Phoenix....
, and captured Captain America to get revenge upon him for the death of his father. He was presumed deceased when he fell into a vat of boiling, specially-treated Adhesive X. As he had not been wearing his mask when he fell into the vat, his face was hideously scar
Scar
Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound results in...
red by the boiling Adhesive X, giving his face the appearance of molten wax.
He resurfaced years later as Baron Zemo, first allied with Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola is a fictional character a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a master of biochemistry, and frequent foe of Captain America and the Avengers.-Publication history:...
's mutate
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
s. He allied with Primus I, and kidnapped Captain America's childhood friend Arnold Roth in order to lure Captain America into a trap. He forced the Captain to battle hordes of mutates before revealing that he knew the Captain's secret identity.
Zemo later encountered Mother Superior and her father the Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
. Zemo underwent tutelage by Mother Superior and the Red Skull, and then kidnapped Captain America's friend David Cox and brainwashed him to battle the Captain. Zemo then kidnapped Arnold Roth again, and directed a shared mental reenactment of Heinrich Zemo's last World War II encounter with Captain America. Zemo then battled Mother Superior, but was psychically overpowered.
Most notably, he formed a new incarnation of the Masters of Evil. This fourth Masters of Evil was formed to strike at Captain America through the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
; they invaded and occupied Avengers Mansion
Avengers Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, Avengers Mansion has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City.-Creative origin:...
and crippled Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
and the Avengers' butler Edwin Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis is a fictional supporting character in the Marvel Comics titles, The Avengers, Iron Man, and Spider-Man.-Publication history:...
. Zemo captured Captain America and the Black Knight
Black Knight (Dane Whitman)
Dane Whitman is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, the company's third person to bear the name Black Knight. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, he first appeared in The Avengers #47 Dane Whitman is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics...
. Zemo battled Captain America, but fell off the Mansion roof.
Zemo later hired Batroc
Batroc the Leaper
Batroc the Leaper is a fictional villain from Marvel Comics. His first appearance was in Tales of Suspense #75, 1966...
's Brigade and psychic detective Tristram Micawber to help him locate the five fragments of the Bloodstone
Bloodstone (comics)
Bloodstone, in comics, may refer to:*The Bloodstone or the Bloodstone Gem, a Marvel Comics fictional mystical gem from which the other Bloodstones in Marvel derive their name from*Bloodstone, a fictional family in Marvel Comics:...
in hopes of restoring his father to life. Zemo battled Captain America and Diamondback
Diamondback (comics)
Diamondback is the name of four fictional characters appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Diamondback first appeared in Captain America #310 , written by Mark Gruenwald and illustrated by Paul Neary.-Willis Stryker:The first Diamondback was a foe of Luke Cage...
, but fell down an inactive volcano in Japan.
Zemo was again believed dead, though he eventually returned, now married to a woman named Heike who had once called herself The Baroness and had claimed to be the reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
of Heinrich Zemo.
Thunderbolts
Zemo, having abandoned Heike to prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, organized a new team of Masters of Evil when the Avengers and Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
disappeared during the Onslaught
Onslaught (comics)
Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
crisis and were presumed dead. These Masters of Evil took false identities and called themselves the Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
. Leading them under the alias Citizen V (a twist of irony, as Heinrich Zemo had killed the original Citizen V during World War II) Zemo planned to have the Thunderbolts gain the world's trust in order to conquer it. The public took a liking to the team much more quickly than Zemo, or any of the other Thunderbolts, expected and soon most of them came to like the feeling of being heroes.
When the missing heroes returned, Zemo had the Thunderbolts' true identities leaked, forcing them to flee with him into deep space to assist his plan to conquer the world through mind control. However, most of the Thunderbolts rebelled and foiled Zemo's plan. Zemo went into hiding and plotted revenge on his former teammates (who were trying to win back the public's trust by being true heroes). After another of Zemo's plans was foiled by Captain America and a new Citizen V (Dallas Riordan
Dallas Riordan
Dallas Riordan is a character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Dallas Riordan's family had a long storied history of being police officers. Dallas was once an NYPD officer and a soldier before she went into politics and became the aide to the New York mayor...
), Helmut was killed by the new Scourge of the Underworld
Scourge of the Underworld
The Scourge of the Underworld is the name of a series of fictional characters that have appeared in various series set in the Marvel Comics universe....
, though his mind was transferred via bio-modem technology into the body of a comatose John Watkins III, grandson of the original Citizen V. Now in possession of Watkins' body, Zemo again played the role of Citizen V, this time as a member of the V-Battalion, until the Thunderbolts' final battle with Graviton, during which his consciousness was removed from Watkins' body and transferred, in electronic
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
form, into his ally Fixer's
Fixer (comics)
The Fixer is a name used by two fictional characters, both of are which were introduced as villains in the Marvel Comics universe.-Roscoe Sweeney:...
mechanical "tech-pack".
On the artificial world Counter-Earth - the same world to which the Avengers and Fantastic Four had previously vanished - the Thunderbolts encountered Zemo's counterpart in that world, Iron Cross. Fixer transferred Zemo's mind into his double's un-mutilated body. Zemo then took up leadership of the Thunderbolts who were on Counter-Earth; when this group was reunited with their teammates who had remained on the normal Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
Earth, Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
briefly resumed leadership but then left the team to return to the Avengers.
For a while Zemo remained the leader of the Thunderbolts. In 2004's "Avengers/Thunderbolts" limited series he attempted to take over the world again — this time with the belief that he could save the world by taking it over. Zemo now seems to be motivated by a twisted altruism rather than his original selfish desires; he feels he has grown beyond his father in that regard. However, the Avengers foiled his scheme, his teammate Moonstone
Moonstone (comics)
Moonstone is a fictional character, both a supervillain and superheroine in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
went berserk, Zemo's new body was blasted while he attempted to protect Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, and he left the team and went into hiding after obtaining Moonstone's twin alien gems, two artifacts of great power.
Civil War
More recently, Zemo has been manipulating the United States government, the New Thunderbolts, the Purple Man
Purple Man
The Purple Man is a Marvel Comics supervillain. Originally a foe of Daredevil, he was introduced in Daredevil vol. 1 #4...
, the Squadron Sinister
Squadron Sinister
The Squadron Sinister is a fictional supervillain team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Sinister first appeared in the final panel of The Avengers #69 The Squadron Sinister is a fictional supervillain team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
, and a host of other relatively obscure Marvel characters. His goals are unknown, but he is clearly still motivated by a desire to save the world by taking it over, or at least manipulating it towards what he perceives as a beneficial future. Zemo has also, apparently through trial and error, learned how to use the power of the moonstones in various ways, from simply generating raw energy, to transporting himself and others through time, space, and dimensions, to viewing possible future events through dimensional rifts—and, apparently, to repair his damaged face (or, to at least to create the illusion that it was undamaged). He has also recruited members of both his original and subsequent incarnations of the Thunderbolts to his cause, as well as eventually bringing the current team of Thunderbolts around to joining him. The group currently resides in what Zemo calls his "Folding Castle", a structure that he has connected to various other places around the world by dimensional portals.
As a result of Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
asked Zemo to begin recruiting villains to his cause... which Zemo had begun doing some time before, unknown to Iron Man. However, he met up with Captain America and informed him that he really had reformed. He showed the Captain his face, once again scarred, to remind him of his earlier sacrifice, and gave him a key that would allow him to escape from the super-human prison being constructed if Captain America would allow his Thunderbolts to fight the Squadron Sinister. He also gave the Captain all his old mementos, destroyed by Zemo in 'Avengers Under Siege', which he had gone back in time and rescued with the help of the Moonstones. Finally, the Captain agreed.
Zemo, always told as a child that he was superior, now believes his father's Nazi ideals to be untrue, and that the only way to become superior is through righteousness. After helping Captain America, he remarked to his father's portrait that the man would be displeased with today's good deeds. Zemo—once again wearing his unscarred face—then revealed to Songbird
Songbird (comics)
Songbird , formerly known as Screaming Mimi, is a fictional character, a superheroine and former supervillainess in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Publication history:...
that she was going to betray him and he was going to sacrifice himself in their upcoming battle with the Squadron Sinister. He told her that he would not die, but that he would become superior through his sacrifice..."by living forever."
Zemo has now revealed his true nature in Thunderbolts #108, where he saved the Wellspring of Power from the Grandmaster, who planned to use it for his own ends. Believing that all of his visions were subject to the flow of time, and that nothing was set in stone, Zemo defeated the Grandmaster, and boasted to his teammates that the power was now all his—and theirs. He insisted that he would use it to help the world, despite the consequences for doing so. Songbird, who had temporarily lost her powers during the final battle, was told by Zemo "...now is when your betrayal would have come." However, the vision of her betrayal turned out to be true after all. Using a simple opera note to crack the moonstones, Songbird sent Zemo into a whirlwind of cosmic time/space. Just before he was completely sucked into the vacuum, he screamed out that he "would never have hurt a world he worked so hard to save".
Born Better
The limited series Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo - Born Better (2007), written by Fabian NiciezaFabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
and drawn by Tom Grummett
Tom Grummett
Thomas "Tom" Grummett is a Canadian comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work as penciller on titles such as The New Titans, The Adventures of Superman, Superboy, Power Company, Robin, New Thunderbolts and Heroes.During his run on The Adventures of Superman, Grummett and...
, explores the history of the Zemo barony
Zemo barony
The Zemo barony is a fictional barony that refers to the line of barons in the Zemo family of Marvel Comics. Two prominent members of the barony are Baron Heinrich Zemo and Baron Helmut Zemo who are the 12th and 13th barons in the line....
. Baron Helmut Zemo, sucked into the vacuum, wakes into medieval Germany (1503), witnessing Harbin Zemo's death and his succession, while in the present an academic called Wendell Volker and Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
deduce that Helmut has traveled in time. Captured and taken prisoner as a leper
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
, Helmut Zemo manages to inspire Harbin's twelve year old grandson Heller Zemo, to kill his father Hademar Zemo and fulfill his destiny as the third (and most enlightened and progressive) Baron Zemo. When Heller goes into the hidden cell to free his "muse", he discovers that Helmut has somehow disappeared. Helmut makes jumps to 1556 where he fights alongside Heller's son Herbert Zemo, later again to 1640 where he slays Herbert's son Helmuth Zemo, and later to 1710 where he narrowly escapes being killed by Helmuth's son Hackett Zemo.
Meanwhile in the present, Volker reveals that the Zemo bloodline isn't just limited to Helmut's immediate family but in fact Harbin's descendants are spread out all over the world. Wendell visits Miss Klein, a descendant of a bastard child of Hilliard Zemo, the eighth Baron Zemo and his Jewish lover Elsbeth Kleinenshvitz. Hilliard becomes baron after the death of his father Hartwig Zemo in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. In the past Helmut sees Hilliard and Elsbeth in love, realizing that the residual energy of the Moonstone is drawing him into the present, but forcing him to stop and live every key moment of Zemo's lineage. Zemo manages to save Elsbeth, sentenced to death by the Diet because of her Jewish ancestry and her wealthy family, but in the present Volker kills her distant descendant, convinced that his actions can pull Zemo in his proper place into the time-stream.
Helmut next ends up in 1879 where he stays for several weeks working his way up to be part of Hobart Zemo the tenth Baron Zemo's traveling guard. Hobart is killed during a civilian uprising shortly after German emperor William passes legislation to curb the socialist party. Helmut jumps forward in time before he can save Hobart his great-grandfather. Helmut next arrives during World War I during a battle between British forces led by the original Union Jack
Union Jack (comics)
Union Jack is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-James Montgomery Falsworth:The original Union Jack, James Montgomery Falsworth, first appears in comics in The Invaders #7. He was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Frank Robbins. He...
and German forces led by Helmut's grandfather Baron Herman Zemo (the 11th Baron Zemo). Helmut witnesses Herman's men slaughter the majority of the British forces with mustard gas. Later, Helmut goes with Herman and his men to find Castle Zemo has been reduced to rubble by the war. Helmut travels forward in time again to his father's tenure as a Nazi during World War Two.
Back in the present, Wendell Volker discovers that Castle Zemo had been restored in the present. Wendell tours the castle with a local German police man and an Interpol agent named Herr Fleischtung, and then Wendell murders both men. Wendell has apparently murdered several Zemo relations in the belief that this spilling of Zemo blood would bring Helmut back to the present.
After battling his own father in the past, giving him the inspiration to take up the Zemo mantle, Helmut returns to the present and manages to convince Wendell not to kill him as well, instead taking what is discovered to be his cousin under his wing, as he sets out to do something new for the world.
Heroic Age
Following the events of the Siege Crossover, Luke Cage assumed control over the Thunderbolts and had Fixer impersonate Zemo as a test to see which ones of his new teammates would betray the team if offered a chance to escape.Having spent his time on the sidelines, watching Norman Osborn's rise to power with the intent of waiting to see what Norman would do with control over the Thunderbolts (and later SHIELD), Baron Zemo reappeared following the events of The Siege, when Osborn ultimately was defeated by the Avengers. A chance encounter at the Thunderbolts' former base in Colorado with the Ghost led to him learning that Bucky was still alive and was the new Captain America. Zemo confronted his rival Sin and discovered how Bucky had survived his father's death trap only to become a trained Soviet assassin (granted one under intense mind control) who killed scores of people for his Russian handlers. But most alarming as the fact that Zemo discovered that Captain America had not only forgiven his partner for his crimes, but had actively covered them up even after Bucky blew up a huge chunk of New York, killing several dozen SHIELD agents in order to restore power to a Cosmic Cube fragment.
Baron Zemo recruited Jurgen "Iron-Handed" Hauptmann (of Red Skull's Exiles
Exiles (Red Skull allies)
-Publication history:The Exiles first appeared in Tales of Suspense #41 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.The group subsequently appears in Captain America #102-104 , in Captain America #115-118 , Astonishing Tales #4-5 and Avengers #16 .-Fictional organization history:The Exiles were a...
), as well as a new female version of the Beetle and Fixer to expose Bucky's sins to the world. This included drugging Bucky with nanites that caused him to behave irrationally and attack police officers and leaking to the media, not only detailed files revealing the acts of terrorism he committed as a mind-controlled pawn of the Russians, but video footage as well of him being trained by his handlers. Zemo ultimately kidnapped Bucky and took him to his father's island where Bucky originally "died". There Zemo confessed that he did what he did, not out of a desire to finish the job his father started, but out of jealousy over how Captain America and his allies quickly forgave Bucky for his crimes, yet continue to scorn Zemo, who had reformed and saved the world on numerous occasions. Zemo then forced Bucky into a similar deathtrap as the one his father put Bucky in, modified though in order to allow Bucky a chance to escape. Zemo then escaped from the island unharmed.
Zemo has since turned his eye towards Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
, who he blames for usurping control over the Thunderbolts from him. Zemo makes a deal with Hawkeye’s former mentor Trick Shot
Trick Shot (comics)
Trick Shot is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Solo Avengers #1 and was created by Tom DeFalco and Mark Bright...
(whose cancer had returned) to train Zemo’s mystery acquaintance to become a master archer in exchange for medical care. When the training was complete, Zemo relented on the deal. Trick Shot (on the brink of death) was delivered to Avengers Tower
Stark Tower
The Stark Tower Complex is a fictional high-rise building complex which appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Located in Manhattan, New York City, the complex is named after its owner Tony Stark who is the alter ego of the superhero Iron Man. The structure is composed of a 93-story Main Tower...
to serve as a message to Hawkeye. Before he died in his former pupil's arms, Trick Shot warns Hawkeye of the threat he will soon face.
Powers and abilities
Zemo has a gifted intellect, with certain scientific expertise, excellent marksmanship, and extensive training in hand-to-hand combat. He is also a highly accomplished strategist and leader. Helmut has circuitry in his headband designed to disrupt psionic manipulation. He carried various rifles, and sometimes carries a hand-held spray-gun for Adhesive X, the most powerful bonding agent ever invented.The Moonstones grant Helmut Zemo a massive array of superhuman powers such as energy/gravity/light manipulation, molecular phasing, strength/durability augmentation, the ability to create spatial warps, flight and more.
Avataars: Covenant of the Shield
The Avataars: Covenant of the ShieldAvataars: Covenant of the Shield
Avataars: Covenant of the Shield is a three-issue comic book mini-series, published by Marvel Comics in 2000. The series is written by Len Kaminski and pencilled by Oscar Jimenez and Javier Saltares....
miniseries, set in a sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
version of the Marvel Universe, features Dreadlord, an alternate version of Zemo, as its main villain. Dreadlord was previously Zymo of Z'axis, a general who fought in the Worldwar. When Z'axis lost the war, Zymo adopted a new identity - and swore that he would not remove his hood until Z'axis triumphed once again.
Larval Zooniverse
In Spider-HamSpider-Ham
Spider-Ham is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic funny animal parody of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man, created by Tom DeFalco and Mark Armstrong....
's reality, Baron Zemo is depicted as a zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
named Baron Zebro.
Marvel Noir
In the Marvel NoirMarvel Noir
Marvel Noir is a 2009-2010 Marvel Comics alternative continuity combining elements of film noir and pulp fiction with the Marvel Universe. The central premise of the mini-series replaces super powers with driven, noir-flavored characterization....
universe, Baron Zemo is one of a group of Nazis led by Baron von Strucker, who repeatedly battle adventurer Tony Stark in the 1930s. This Zemo is revealed to be Howard Stark
Howard Stark
Howard Stark is a fictional person in the . He is the father of Tony Stark and the founder of Stark Industries. His name came from Howard Hughes, whom he was named after. -Biography:...
, who has been chemically brainwashed by a combination of zolpidem
Zolpidem
Zolpidem is a prescription medication used for the short-term treatment of insomnia, as well as some brain disorders. It is a short-acting nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic of the imidazopyridine class that potentiates gamma-aminobutyric acid , an inhibitory neurotransmitter, by binding to GABAA...
, ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
, methylchloride, and "ophentonyl", the acronym forming the name. Strucker says that Stark is not the first Zemo, and that they all wear the hood so no-one from their former life will recognize them.
Marvel Zombies
In the Marvel ZombiesMarvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
limited series, Baron Zemo and his team of Thunderbolts are seen attacking Thor who is aided shortly thereafter by Nova. Zemo shows up prior to Nova's arrival as Thor destroys Zemo's teammate Moonstone (using the codename Meteorite) by smashing her head completely. His only appearance is of him with a torn mask and the teeth and milky eyes of the Marvel Zombies and he proclaims loudly "Meteorite!"
Ultimate Universe
In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Baron Zemo is seen opening the gates to Asgard wanting to get thousands of soldiers to attack Asgard, and is also recruiting Ice Giants. However, it's later revealed that this Zemo is actually Loki in disguise.Television
- Baron Heinrich Zemo appeared in several episodes of the Captain AmericaCaptain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
portion of The Marvel Super Heroes, voiced by Gillie Fenwick. He appeared alone and as part of the Masters of EvilMasters of EvilThe Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
.
- Both versions of Baron Zemo were featured in an episode of Fox KidsFox KidsFox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
The Avengers: United They StandThe Avengers: United They StandThe Avengers: United They Stand is an animated series based on the Marvel Comics superhero team The Avengers. It consists of 13 episodes, which originally premiered on October 30, 1999, and was produced by Avi Arad and distributed by 20th Century Fox Television...
episode "Command Decision." The elder Zemo appeared in a flashback while Helmut Zemo (voiced by Phillip Shepherd) led the Masters of EvilMasters of EvilThe Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
against the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. His costume (though very similar to his comic outfit) reflected the futuristic style of the series.
- Baron Heinrich Zemo appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
voiced by Robin Atkin DownesRobin Atkin DownesBorn in London, England, Robin Atkin Downes is an English actor who is one of the most prolific voice-over actors in Los Angeles. He is well known for his work in film, television and voice acting...
. While this depiction is intended to be Baron Heinrich Zemo, and his costume in flashbacks is similar to that worn by the original Zemo, his modern appearances in the show have him visually identical to Helmut Zemo. The accident that adhered the mask to his face also shaped it into the mask associated with Helmut in mainstream Marvel continuity. In the episode "The Breakout" Pt. 2, Zemo was among the inmates that escaped from the Raft during a mass breakout. In the episode "Living Legend," Zemo confronts Baron Strucker in order to reclaim HYDRA only to be told that Captain America is alive. In a flashback, it is revealed that Zemo's plan to infect the Allies with Virus X resulted in Zemo's mask becoming stuck to him. Back in the present, Zemo seeks out Arnim Zola who manages use his machine to keep Zemo from dying. Arnim Zola ends up loaning Doughboy to Zemo in a plot to eliminate Captain America. Zemo ends up fighting Captain America until interference by the Black PantherBlack Panther (comics)The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
enabled Captain America to gain his shield. Captain America fends off Zemo who ends up limping away while Captain America used his shield to block the bomb that Zemo threw near WaspWasp (comics)The Wasp is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe and founding member of The Avengers. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 ....
. When Zemo arrives back at Arnim Zola's lab, he finds Arnim Zola pinned down by ExecutionerExecutioner (comics)Executioner is the name of two fictional characters in the .-Skurge:Skurge is born in Jotunheim, and later becomes a warrior, gaining his name the Executioner after fighting in a war against the Storm giants. Skurge has always had feelings for Amora, the Enchantress, and regularly aids her in...
as EnchantressEnchantress (Marvel Comics)The Enchantress is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe, the first of which is a powerful sorceress named Amora and is one of the most notable antagonists of Thor.-Publication history:...
makes an offer to Baron Heinrich Zemo. In the episode "Everything is Wonderful," he was with Enchantress and Executioner when they approached Wonder Man for an opportunity to destroy the Avengers. In the episode "Gamma World" Pt. 2, Baron Heinrich Zemo was with Enchantress and Arnim Zola when Leader broadcasts his plans for new world order. At the end of the episode, Baron Heinrich Zemo alongside Enchantress, Executioner, Wonder Man, and Crimson DynamoCrimson DynamoThe Crimson Dynamo is the name of several fictional characters in the Marvel Comics Universe, most of whom have been supervillains. The various Crimson Dynamos have been powered armor-wearing Russian or Soviet agents who have clashed with the superhero Iron Man over the course of his heroic career...
find a defeated Abomination in the desert. In the episode "Masters of Evil," Baron Heinrich Zemo leads the title team into capturing the Avengers one by one. When Abomination stated that Baron Heinrich Zemo has no powers after most of the Avengers were captured, Baron Heinrich Zemo ends up showing off his fighting skills on Abomination. With help from Ant-Man (who had just returned from Wakanda), Black Panther, and Hawkeye, the Avengers fought Baron Heinrich Zemo and the Masters of Evil until Baron Heinrich Zemo told Enchantress to get them out of Avengers Mansion. Back at Arnim Zola's secret lab, Baron Heinrich Zemo tells Abomination that he shouldn't have underestimated the Avengers where Abomination states that there was no mentionings of Black Panther and Hawkeye being members of the Avengers. He later reappears in the episode "This Hostage Earth", leading the team once again against the Avengers, before he fights Thor with the help of Enchantress. After this, he attempts to activate the Norn stones.
Film
- Baron Zemo appeared in the teaser trailer for Next Avengers: Heroes of TomorrowNext Avengers: Heroes of TomorrowNext Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow is a direct-to-video animated film. It is fifth in a series of animated films from Marvel Animation, based on Marvel Comics by Lions Gate Entertainment. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 2, 2008. The project was originally announced under the title...
. He is featured in the story as one of the villains that the Avengers defeated when an elderly Tony Stark mentioned "masters of evil."
Video games
- Baron Helmut Zemo appeared in the PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, Game BoyGame BoyThe , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, and Sega Game GearSega Game GearThe was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
Iron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy MetalIron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy MetalIron Man / X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal is the title of a video game published by Acclaim Entertainment and developed by Real Sports and Realtime Associates for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Game Boy, Game Gear, and DOS in 1996...
video game as a boss. - Baron Heinrich Zemo appears in the Captain America: Super SoldierCaptain America: Super SoldierCaptain America: Super Soldier is a third person single player video game loosely based on the film Captain America: The First Avenger...
, voiced by Steven BlumSteven BlumSteven Jay Blum is an American voice actor known primarily for his work in anime dubs and video games, using his distinctive deep voice. Among his credits include the voice of Spike Spiegel of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and Mugen of the anime series Samurai Champloo...
. Although he never appears himself, he is heard when the player accesses the collected Diary Entries of Baron Zemo by collecting various heirlooms around the castle, detailing his personal connections with Zola and the Red Skull, including Zola's role in disfiguring him while 'helping' him with Adhesive X. It is implied by the final diary entries that he was killed when he tried to rebel against the Skull's control of his castle, prompting Captain America to reflect that he could have been a member of the resistance if things had turned out differently. In the Wii version, Zemo appears and makes a deal with Captain America to assist him in exchange for taking out the Red Skull's bombs and finding the Zemo family diaries on each game level throughout his castle. He allows Captain America to use his radio frequency and frees him from imprisonment from Madame Hydra.
Toys
- Baron Helmut Zemo received a toy in the Secret WarsSecret WarsMarvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
toyline in 1984-1985, despite the fact that Zemo did not appear in the comic series on which the line was based. - Baron Heinrich Zemo received a toy in the Mojo Series (Series 14) of the Marvel LegendsMarvel LegendsMarvel Legends is an action figure line based on the characters of Marvel Comics, initially produced by Toy Biz, then by Hasbro. This line is in the scale, with spin-off lines in the , , and scale.-History:...
toy line. - The Baron Zemo Unmasked variant (Series 14 of Marvel LegendsMarvel LegendsMarvel Legends is an action figure line based on the characters of Marvel Comics, initially produced by Toy Biz, then by Hasbro. This line is in the scale, with spin-off lines in the , , and scale.-History:...
) is not that of Heinrich Zemo, but the face of his son Helmut, from a story line where the Red SkullRed SkullThe Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
had Helmut dress up as his father (Heinrich). This occurred in Captain America # 297.
External links
- Heinrich Zemo at the Marvel Universe
- Helmut Zemo at Marvel Universe