Red Skull

"A lifetime ago, I, too, sought the Stones... I even held one in my hand. But it cast me out, banished me here, guiding others to a treasure I cannot possess."

Johann Schmidt is the former head of HYDRA, the special weapons division of the Nazi Schutzstaffel and a modern-day incarnation of the ancient society. Having become a confidant of Adolf Hitler during World War II, Schmidt gained ambitions to become the superior man, leading him to test the version of Abraham Erskine's Super Soldier Serum on himself, resulting with him becoming hideously disfigured as well as gaining the name of Red Skull. While he led HYDRA, Red Skull had found the Tesseract which he had believed could help him to control the world. However, Red Skull's plans were challenged by the Allies' only super soldier, Captain America, who destroyed the HYDRA facilities. Once Red Skull had launched his offensive, intending to bring the United States down onto its knees, he was intercepted by Captain America and then vanished into a wormhole as he touched the Tesseract with his bare hands.

"He has become convinced that there is a great power hidden in the Earth, left here by the gods, waiting to be seized by a superior man. So when he hears about my formula and what it can do, he cannot resist. Schmidt must become that superior man."

― Abraham Erskine, Captain America: The First Avenger

Powers

Artificially Enhanced Physiology
- Enhanced Intelligence
- Enhanced Strength
- Enhanced Durability
- Enhanced Speed
- Enhanced Agility
- Enhanced Stamina
- Regenerative Healing Factor
Immortality
Levitation
Omniscience

Abilities:

Master Tactician
Expert Marksman
Expert Combatant
Master Scientist
Pilot
Bilingualism

Movies

An adaptation of the Red Skull appeared in the 1990 live-action film Captain America, portrayed by Scott Paulin. This iteration is an Italian officer, later Mafioso, named Tadzio de Santis. Tadzio was a boy genius whose family was killed by Axis soldiers who subjected him to the Super-Soldier Formula, leaving him deformed and evil. With his memory erased to make him loyal to the Axis Powers, Red Skull launches a missile at Washington D.C., but Captain America attacks the Red Skull's base. The latter battles the former aboard a flying missile and is forced to cut off his hand to avoid death. After Captain America is trapped in ice for decades, the Red Skull forms a criminal organization with his daughter Valentina Santis and attempts to brainwash the President, only to be stopped by a recording of his family's death. Lost in thought, Captain America uses his shield to throw the Red Skull off a cliff. Johann Schmidt / Red Skull appeared in live-action films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU): The Red Skull is introduced in Captain America: The First Avenger, portrayed by Hugo Weaving. This iteration is the head of HYDRA, which originally served as the Nazis' deep-science division. Schmidt ordered Dr. Abraham Erskine to use an experimental formula on him, which physically enhanced him, but permanently deformed him. As a result, Adolf Hitler nicknamed him the "Red Skull" and exiled him. While leading an incursion into Norway in 1942, Schmidt recovers the Tesseract and has his chief scientist Arnim Zola develop advanced weapons powered by the object. Disillusioned with the Nazis, Schmidt breaks away from their regime and establishes HYDRA as its own force against the Allies and Axis alike with aspirations of world dominion. However, Steve Rogers leads the Allies' fight against HYDRA, forcing the group to retreat to their final base in the Alps. In 1945, Schmidt launches his plan to destroy populated cities across the United States, only to be defeated by Rogers and seemingly disintegrated by the Tesseract while attempting to use it. Schmidt returns in Avengers: Infinity War, portrayed by Ross Marquand. Following the events of The First Avenger, Schmidt was transported to the planet Vormir and forced to serve as a "stonekeeper", guiding those who seek the Soul Stone as punishment for his use of the Tesseract. As the Soul Stone required the sacrifice of a loved one, of which he had none, he was unable to claim it for himself. In 2018, Thanos and Gamora arrive on Vormir to claim the Soul Stone, which Schmidt directs them to, explaining its requirements and looking on as Thanos kills Gamora. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo stated that, after Thanos claimed the Soul Stone, Schmidt was freed from his curse and permitted to leave Vormir and pursue his own desires. A past version of Schmidt appears in Avengers: Endgame. He guides a time-traveling Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton to the Soul Stone and watches as she sacrifices herself so Barton can bring the stone back to the present. The Red Skull appears in the 2014 animated film Heroes United: Iron Man and Captain America, voiced again by Liam O'Brien.