Red Skull

Portrayed as a Nazi agent, the Red Skull was created by Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, and France Herron, and first appeared in Captain America Comics #7 (October 1941).

While considering ideas for an appropriate archenemy for Captain America, writer and artist Joe Simon saw a hot fudge sundae melting and noticed it resembled a human figure. Inspired, Simon at first considered calling his new villain "Hot Fudge". However, as the cherry on top of the sundae seemed like an exposed skull, he finally decided on "Red Skull" as a more appropriate moniker. The original Red Skull was introduced in Timely Comics' Captain America Comics #1 (cover-dated March 1941) which was edited and drawn by the team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and written by France "Ed" Herron.

The Skull was to appear again in issue #3 of Captain America Comics. As in issue #1, The Red Skull's secret identity is George Maxon, the owner of the Maxon Aircraft Company that makes airplanes for the U.S. Army. Maxon wears a mask to create the look of the Red Skull and his face is often exposed. As the Red Skull, Maxon attempts to rob banks in order to raise money to overthrow the U.S. Government. In the comic he says, "Of course you realize the main item in overthrowing the government is money."

A new, more lasting version of the Red Skull was introduced in Captain America #7 (October 1941). This Skull claims to be the real one and states that George Maxon was but a pawn posing as the Red Skull. In later comics this Red Skull is identified as the Nazi, Johann Schmidt.

After an absence from comics for many years, both Captain America and the Red Skull were brought back in 1954 in Young Men Comics #24, in a story entitled "Back From The Dead". Here the Red Skull, thinking Captain America was dead, has left politics and started a big criminal enterprise in the United States. In his next appearance, in issue #27, the Red Skull is once again left for dead.

The character was subsequently revived during the Silver Age of Comic Books, first in Tales of Suspense #65 (May 1965) in a Captain America World War II-period story run, and then was established as a contemporary villain in issue #79 (July 1966). In that issue it is revealed that the Red Skull, like Steve Rogers, had been in suspended animation since World War II.

For decades, the character's true face was hidden, but in Captain America #297 (September 1984) the Red Skull unmasks in front of Captain America and his face, albeit extremely aged, is fully revealed. In the next issue, the Red Skull retells his story with his face fully visible in his various ages. When the character is revealed to be alive in issue #350 (February 1989), in a story called "Resurrection", by Mark Gruenwald, the face of Johann Schmidt's original body is hidden again, but the Skull's face is fully visible, albeit in his cloned copy of Captain America's body.

The character's origin was more fully illustrated in the limited series, Red Skull: Incarnate, with Schmidt's face fully visible again.

Done in MS Paint.