Red Skull (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes)

**Johann Schmidt**, also known as **Red Skull**, is a supporting antagonist of *Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes*, as a supporting antagonist of Season 1 and a major antagonist of Season 2. He is the arch-nemesis of Captain America and Winter Soldier.

He was voiced by Steve Blum.

## Biography

### Becoming Red Skull

Johann Schmidt was a man who joined the National Socialist German Workers' Party(Nazi Party) and eventually rose to high prominence, becoming the second-in-command of Baron Zemo, leader of HYDRA. Schmidt was injected with the Super Soldier Serum during WWII, but it was an imperfect version and disfigured his whole body with red skin, thus turning him into the Red Skull. Soon, Red Skull led HYDRA as it conquered most of continental Europe, but the Allies used the Super Soldier Serum to create Captain America, and he led the Howling Commandos on many missions as he liberated most of the German occupied territories.

### Accessing other Realms

In 1943, Red Skull developed a teleporting machine in his fortress at Norway in order to access Bifrost Bridge and bring over an army of monstrous creatures to defeat the Allies and win the war. His plan was interrupted by the arrival of Captain America and the Howling Commandos, but he managed to activate the machine and brings over the Norse mythology creatures. The heroes set fire to the fortress and prevent the Red Skull's plan. He attempts to escape in a rocket, but he is ambushed over the Arctic by Captain America and Bucky Barnes. Red Skull activates the countdown to the rocket's explosion as he ejects away and leaves the two heroes to their fate.

### Creating an Assassin

Immediately after the plane's explosion, Red Skull and his men discovered Bucky unconscious in the water, having lost his arm in the explosion. The Red Skull took him to one of HYDRA's bases where he had the doctors and technicians replace his lost arm with a new cybernetic one. They then used machinery to brainwash him and wipe him of his memory, before he was personally trained by Red Skull to become his new assassin the Winter Soldier.

### Assembling A Team

In 1945, the Germans lost the war to the Allied forces but Red Skull's powers allowed him to live into the 21st century, where he disguised himself as Dell Rusk and infiltrated the US Government, eventually becoming the Secretary of Defence. This allowed him to access the modern technology of the government, which he then used to improve the Sleeper robots and prepare for his plan to take over the world. On the Red Skull's orders, the Winter Soldier allowed General Thaddeus Ross to be injected with gamma radiation and become the Red Hulk. Red Skull then used machinery to manipulate the heroes Doc Samson and Falcon into joining him, thus forming the team Code Red. Red Skull proceeded to release the venomous Dust of Death on New York, affecting its inhabitants(including most of the Avengers) into versions of himself. He then publicly blamed the Avengers and sent the military to attack the Avengers Mansion. He then sent the Code Red team to the mansion to capture the Avengers, only Winter Soldier was successful as he brought the infected Captain America back to Red Skull at the Pentagon. The Red Skull mocks Captain America before kicking him in the face, but Iron-Man fires the cure into the room. Winter Soldier grabs the cure before it can reach Captain America. Red Skull proceeds to beat Captain America until the latter manages to rip his mask off, revealing his true identity. Red Skull then brutally beats him unconscious and orders Winter Soldier to finish him, but he suddenly regains his memory of Bucky Barnes and injects him with the cure, restoring him to normal. Red Skull pulls his gun out to kill Winter Soldier for his betrayal but his hand is struck by Captain America's shield. Captain America uses his shields to deflect Red Skull's bullets before propelling him out of the window. Captain America steps on Red Skull's hand to prevent him from reaching his gun and punches him unconscious before he is imprisoned on the Hydro-Base by SHIELD.

### Sleeper Attack and Defeat

Captain America visited Red Skull in his cell, where the Sleeper robots attack and free him. Eventually, Red Skull boarded his personal Sleeper and attacked the Capitol where he engaged in battle with the Avengers. After their attacks made no difference, Black Panther attacked the core of his Sleeper only to fall off. Red Skull sent two powerful blasts at Iron-Man which he dodged, causing them to go into the direction of the Capitol. Before they could cause damage, they were destroyed by Thor and Vision while Red Skull sent a blast at Ms. Marvel. The hero managed to absorb it and redirected it at the robot, causing it to stagger backwards. The Avengers combined their powers on the robot, weakening it and causing a distraction that allowed Captain America and Winter Soldier to jump towards him. Red Skull sent blasts towards them which Captain America deflected onto one of the robot's eyes, shattering it before breaking through the other. The two reached the control room and began their final showdown against their arch-nemesis. Red Skull used a machine to unleash a blast of energy that attached both of them to the wall but Winter Soldier ripped a wire through a hole that effectively destroyed the Sleeper, at the cost of wounding himself. Captain America used his shield to slam Red Skull into the wall, before punching him and throwing him into the air before sending him crashing into the controls of the head. Red Skull ejected the head into the air and collapsed the bridge Captain America was standing on before jumping off in a parachute, only to land stuck on a tower and caught and imprisoned once more by the Avengers, finally defeating the villain.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Artificially Enhanced Physiology**: Upon being injected with the Super Soldier Serum, Red Skull gained a new variety of powers.
	+ **Peak-Human Strength**: Red Skull possesses peak-human strength, surpassed by the likes of Captain America, Hulk and Thor.
	+ **Pea- Human Speed**: Red Skull can run at peak-human speeds.
	+ **Peak-Human Durability**: Red Skull can endure high amounts of pressure, able to withstand several blows from Captain America.
	+ **Peak-Human Agility**: Red Skull possesses peak-human agility.
	+ **Peak-Human Stamina**: Red Skull can function at maximum capacity for long periods of time before beginning to fatigue.
	+ **Peak-Human Healing Recovery**: Red Skull can recover from injuries at peak-human speed.
	+ **Peak-Human Mental Processing**: Red Skull can mentally process information at peak-human speed.
	+ **Peak-Human Senses**: Red Skull possesses peak-human senses.

### Abilities

* **Genius-Level Intellect**: Red Skull has a genius-level intellect, able to infiltrate the US government under the guise of Red Skull and manipulated many plans for world domination.
* **Master Hand-To-Hand Combatant**: Red Skull is a master hand-to-hand combatant, almost on par with the likes of Captain America.