Johann Schmidt (Earth 1) - Smallville Extended Universe

**Johann Schmidt**, commonly known as the **Red Skull**, was a head-leader and commanding-officer of HYDRA, a special-weapons division of Nazi Schutzstaffel and a modern incarnation of the ancient HYDRA-society. A brilliant scientist in his own right, he fought his way through their Nazi ranks to become a confidant of Führer Hitler himself. The ambitions to become superior led him to test a prototype version of Super Soldier serum on himself. As an result of the prototype serum itself being imperfect combined with the dark personality, the serum gave an Superhuman-Strength he dreamt of at cost of deformations on his body, which molded him into this horrific villain Red Skull. After Skull found the mystical-Tesseract and unlocked unlimited-power he decided to turn his back on the Nazi Party then lead HYDRA to his goal of global domination. However, as the second world-war raged on, his plans would be challenged by Red Skull's arch-nemesis Captain America.

## Personality

Johann Schmidt is a megalomaniac and egocentric genius who firmly believed in the Nazi Party's long-standing misinterpretation of Friedrich Nietzsche's *Übermensch*, over-man, a concept where a race of superhuman beings are destined to rule the normal ones. Believing himself to be such a man, he used any means necessary to obtain a central position in Adolf Hitler's army, until his conceit made him arrive at the point of believing himself to be greater than Hitler, and thus starting a plan to overthrow him. Unlike other Nazis, Schmidt doesn't believe that the Germans are the destined "master race," but rather that the superior man has yet to be made. Also, Schmidt did not personally care to follow the Nazis' infamous holocaust plan against the Jewish race, although he nonetheless used it as a threat against Abraham Erskine to force him to make the Super Soldier Serum.

Schmidt was pitiless and cruel, but also a scientific genius, who was able to see beyond appearances and managed to see the truth behind myths believed to be superstition, which was, in reality, fragments of Asgardian origin.

## Powers and Abilities

**Super Soldier Serum Enhancements:** Johann Schmidt took an unfinished prototype of the Super Soldier Serum that caused the severe and hideous transformation of Schmidt's appearance into a living Red Skull, but also obtained incredible attributes, such as enormous strength, speed, stamina and reflexes, and got even his intelligence increased, becoming a war mastermind.

* **Enhanced Strength:** The Red Skull's physical strength can match Steve to the very peak of human potential.
* **Enhanced Mobility:** The Red Skull is able to run at a speed of approximately 30 miles per hour. The Red Skull have agility superior to that of any Olympic athlete. Schmidt's reflexes are similarly enhanced and are superior to those of the finest athlete.
* **Enhanced Endurance:** His bones and muscles are denser and harder than normal, to the highest human potential, which makes him very durable compared to a normal human. Schmidt's musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human.
* **Accelerated Healing:** Schmidt's body also has a protective system of enhanced healing & regeneration. This can also extend his longevity & vitality.
* **Enhanced Intelligence:** His mental performance has been greatly enhanced, allowing his mind to operate in the most efficient and rapid manner possible.