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And so, we have come full circle, Captain America. I will crush you and everything you hold dear under my heel.
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~ Red Skull upon losing his "Dell Rusk" identity.
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You poor, misguided, outdated soul. You have no idea what this country needs from its heroes, do you? Don't you realize? This was all for your benefit.
„
~ "Dell Rusk" to a sickly Captain America.
Red Skull, whose real name is Johann Schmidt and alias is Dell Rusk, is a supporting antagonist in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, serving as the main antagonist in the episode "Meet Captain America" before returning in Season 2 as a major antagonist.
He is one of Captain America and his partner Bucky's greatest enemies, Baron Zemo's right hand, and one of the feared commanders of HYDRA during World War II. After the war ended, he changed his identity to Dell Rusk and became the Secretary of Defense to serve as a front to all his evil deeds.
He was voiced by Steve Blum, who also voiced Green Goblin in The Spectacular Spider-Man, Amon in The Legend of Korra, Jindiao in Kung Fu Panda: Paws of Destiny, Starscream in Transformers Prime, Makucha in The Lion Guard, Vilgax and Zs'Skayr in the Ben 10 franchise, and Darkseid in Justice League: War.
Nearing the end of World War II, Red Skull tried to unleash an army of mythological beasts against the Allies on the battlefield. Upon being stopped by Captain America and his partner Bucky, Red Skull tried to escape his castle in a rocket but was soon apprehended by the two heroes climbing onboard. Red Skull immediately activated the self-destruct sequence while also fleeing in an ejector seat, killing Bucky in the explosion and leaving Cap frozen in the Arctic Ocean for several decades. However, when Cap used the Cosmic Cube to stop Baron Strucker, Bucky survived the rocket explosion but lost his left arm. Red Skull found Bucky and gave him a new robotic arm, brainwashing him into a professional assassin known as the Winter Soldier while also putting him in cryosleep between missions throughout the ensuing decades. During that time, Red Skull renamed himself "Dell Rusk" and became the Secretary of Defense, and at some point brainwashed Dr. Leonard Samson and the Falcon.
During the Secret Invasion, Rusk orchestrates General Ross' transformation into the Red Hulk onboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, killing several agents and framing the real Hulk for it as he gets arrested by the Hulkbusters soon afterwards. Sometime after the Secret Invasion ended, Rusk infects the Avengers and a large portion of Manhattan with a deadly virus from said heroes' own mansion. During this event, Rusk's team—known as Code Red—attack the Avengers in their own home, while Bucky kidnaps Captain America to get beaten to death by Rusk at the Pentagon.
Meanwhile, Iron Man creates a vaccine for Rusk's virus and cures everyone with it, after which he flies over to the Pentagon and fires a sample of his vaccine towards Cap's direction, but unfortunately Bucky catches the sample before Cap gets injected. Rusk continues beating up Cap, who takes off his mask and reveals his true identity: the Red Skull. Upon being unmasked, Red Skull orders Bucky to kill Cap, but he refuses after remembering who he really is, finally injecting him with the vaccine. Red Skull then tries to shoot Bucky with a pistol, but Cap stops and beats the the Skull into unconsciousness. Bucky escapes, but Red Skull goes to prison while Samson and Falcon get treatment for their brainwashing.
Unfortunately, Red Skull had an army of giant killer robots—known as Sleepers—to cause worldwide chaos just in case his mission as Dell Rusk failed. One of the Sleepers break Red Skull out of prison, while Bucky makes it his mission to take out the rest of them around the globe. Red Skull's ultimate plan is to merge all the Sleepers together as one to destroy the U.S. Capitol, which is only stopped by the timely interference of Captain America and Bucky, the former of whom Red Skull states his plan to freeze and enslave into another Winter Soldier alongside the latter so they can "share a long cold future together". When Red Skull's giant Sleeper starts falling apart, he escapes with a parachute only for it to get stuck on top of the Washington Monument. It can be safely assumed that Red Skull went back to prison afterwards.
Appearance[]
The Red Skull wore a pre-1938 black Allgemeine-SS outfit for the most of the period. Despite the Iron Cross not being reintroduced until 1939, he wore a military insignia resembling it around his neck. He was dressed in a beautiful black suit as Dell Rusk. He donned the green prison uniforms while he was held captive by S.H.I.E.L.D.
Quotes[]
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You may come out now, Captain. I know you are here. You have arrived just in time to witness history.
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~ Red Skull when Captain America and Bucky infilitrate his HYDRA castle.
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No! NO, YOU HAVE DESTROYED EVERYTHING!!! I will have my revenge. On you, and the world!
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~ Red Skull swearing revenge on Captain America during World War II.
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Captain America: It's over, Skull! Red Skull: [laughs] Finally, we agree! Goodbye, Captain America!
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~ Red Skull leaving Captain America to die.
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Through your defiance, you have signed your death warrant!
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~ Red Skull about to shoot the Winter Soldier.
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Quite the country you have built. Here I sit, a war criminal, eating better than most American workers—three times a day. Is this what you call the American dream?
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~ Red Skull eating dinner in his prison cell, sarcastically mocking the American system.
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Red Skull: In one fell swoop, I will destroy the U.S. Capitol, repay this cretin [Bucky] for his treachery, and rid myself of my greatest rival. Captain America: Destroying me won't stop the Avengers. Red Skull: [laughs] Oh, I have no intention of destroying you. I will enslave you, as I did him. Freeze you, and use you when duty calls. That way, you can both share a long, cold future. Together.
✓
