Baron Zemo

Superherobox|

caption=Heinrich, the 12th Baron Zemo.
Art by Steve Epting.
character_name=Baron Zemo
real_name=Dr. Heinrich Zemo
Helmut J. Zemo
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut=(Heinrich) flashback:
"The Avengers" # 4
(March 1964)
actual appearance:
"The Avengers" # 6
(July 1964)
"The Death Ray of Dr. Zemo"
"Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos" #8 (July 1964)
(Helmut) "Captain America" # 168
(December 1973)
creators=(Heinrich) Stan Lee
Jack Kirby
(Helmut) Tony Isabella
Sal Buscema
alliances=(Heinrich) Legion of the Unliving
Masters of Evil Nazi Party
(Helmut) Commission on Superhuman Activities
Thunderbolts Masters of Evil Secret Empire
aliases=(Helmut) Citizen V, Phoenix, Iron Cross, Mark Evanier
supports=
powers=(Both)
Scientific genius,
Master swordsman and hand-to-hand fighter,
Skilled strategist,
(Helmut)
Slowed aging
Superhuman strength, speed and agility
Possesses the Moonstones
|

Baron Zemo is the name of two fictional characters, both supervillains, in various Marvel Comics comic books, notably "Captain America" and the "Avengers". The original Baron Zemo was first seen in "The Avengers" #4 (March 1964); the second Baron Zemo first appeared in "Captain America" #168 (December 1973).

Baron Heinrich Zemo

Publication history

The original Baron Zemo was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and was first seen in a flashback in "The Avengers" #4 (March 1964), though he did not actually appear in person and was not identified by name until "The Avengers" #6 (July 1964) and "Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos" #8 in the same month. Zemo was retroactively added into the history of Captain America upon the hero's reintroduction to the Silver Age two issues prior.

The character subsequently appears in "The Avengers" #7 (August 1964), #9-10 (October-November 1964), "Tales of Suspense" #60 (December 1964), and "The Avengers" #15 (April 1965), in which he is killed.

After his death, Zemo appears in numerous flashbacks and time-travel stories, including "The Avengers" #21 (October 1965), "Captain America" #100 (April 1968), "The Avengers" #56 (September 1968), #58 (November 1968), "Captain America" #112 (April 1969), "The Avengers King-Size Special" #4 (January 1971), "Captain America" #168 (December 1973), "The Avengers" #131-132 (January-February 1975), "Giant-Size Avengers" #3 (February 1975), "The Avengers" (UK) #76 (March 1975), "What If?" #4-5 (August, October 1977), "Marvel Illustrated Books: The Avengers" (June 1982), "Captain America" #297 (September 1984), #362 (November 1989), "Spider-Man: Fear Itself" (1992), "The Avengers" #353-354 (September-October 1992), "Captain America Annual" #11 (1992), "Captain America: Medusa Effect" #1 (March 1995), "Untold Tales of Spider-Man" #13 (September 1996), "Thunderbolts" #-1 (July 1997), "Captain America & Citizen V Annual" 1998, "Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty" #12 (August 1999), "Captain America" #3-4 (March-April 2005), #6 (June 2005), #10 (October 2005), "New Thunderbolts" #18 (April 2006), "Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo - Born Better" #3-4 (June-July 2007), "Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America" #5 (August 2007), "Avengers Classic" #7 (February 2008), and "Wolverine: Origins" #20 (February 2008).

The original Baron Zemo received an entry the original "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe" #13, the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition" #16, and the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe 2004 Book of the Dead".

Fictional character biography

Dr. Heinrich Zemo, 12th Baron Zemo was one of the top scientists in the Nazi Party. Zemo fought both Captain America and his allies the Howling Commandos during World War II. A brilliant, if sadistic, scientific genius, Zemo created many weapons of mass destruction for Hitler's army, including a large-scale death ray cannon, a disintegration pistol that was a miniaturized version of his death ray, and primitive androids of considerable strength and invulnerability. Heinrich Zemo's intelligence was only matched by his sadism, as he routinely tested his deadly weapons on innocent people, both prisoner and civilian inside the Third Reich. This ultimately came to a head, during an early encounter with the Howling Commandos, when Zemo decided to test an experimental death-ray cannon on a nearby German town. The death-ray killed hundreds of innocent German civilians as a result, making Zemo a mass murderer. Though he arrogantly believed that he could frame his act of mass murder on the Allied Forces, Nick Fury and his fellow Howling Commandos exposed Zemo's role in the town's destruction, resulting in Zemo becoming a reviled figure throughout Europe, even amongst his fellow Germans.

To attempt to regain a level of anonymity, Zemo began wearing a reddish-pink hood over his face as he continued to build weapons for the Nazis. His activities ultimately drew the attention of Captain America, resulting in a confrontation just as Heinrich was ready to unveil his newest scientific breakthrough: Adhesive X, an extremely strong adhesive that could not be dissolved or removed by any known process at the time (only after the war, the adhesive-using villain Paste-Pot Pete found a way to neutralize it).

When Captain America confronted Zemo, to destroy his limited supply of Adhesive X so that the Nazis could not use it against Allied troops, Captain America threw his shield to release the adhesive from its vat, onto the ground. Unfortunately, Zemo was standing right next to the vat containing the chemical, pouring it over his hooded face. The adhesive quickly seeped inside and permanently attached the hood to Heinrich's flesh, preventing Zemo from ever removing his hood.

Though Zemo could still see through the eye holes of the hood, as well as hear, breathe, and speak through the thin fabric of the cloth that made up the hood, Zemo could no longer eat normally (due to the hood having no mouth hole) and had to be fed intravenously. Heinrich Zemo quickly recovered but having his hood permanently attached to his face drove the Nazi scientist insane. Adopting a new costume to go along with his new hooded face, Zemo went from becoming a normal, if not infamous, Nazi Scientist to become an active field agent for the Third Reich, leading German troops into combat and espionage missions. His reputation in combat quickly grew and was rivaled only by the Red Skull; the two quickly became rivals, united only in their hatred for Captain America.

When it became apparent that the Nazis would lose the war, the Skull sent Zemo to London to steal an experimental airplane. At this point the plane would do them no good, but the Skull made sure this knowledge was leaked to Captain America and his young sidekick Bucky so as to ensure that Zemo would be caught, ridding him of his rival once and for all. Captain America would not learn of Zemo's scheme for several weeks, by which time he would defeat Red Skull for the final time during World War II, burying Skull alive in a state of suspended animation. By the time that Captain America learned of Zemo's plot, it was too late and both Captain America and his sidekick Bucky were taken prisoner by Zemo. Zemo tied the two heroes to the experimental plane, which was now booby-trapped to explode, and launched to their deaths. Captain America fell from the plane as it exploded, and Bucky was apparently killed. Captain America landed in the English Channel and was frozen in ice for decades until recovered by the recently-formed Avengers.

Believing that he had killed his rival at long last, Zemo fled to South America as Hitler and the Nazis fell and World War II ended. Moving to South America, Zemo abandoned his long-suffering wife and toddler son, Helmut, whom he had become emotionally and physically abusive towards, after the mask was permanently bonded to his face. With an army of mercenaries loyal to him, Zemo enslaved a tribe of natives and lived as a king as he tried desperately to find a solvent that would remove his mask. As decades passed, Captain America was ultimately revived by the Avengers, causing Zemo to renew his rivalry with the Captain. Heinrich formed the Masters of Evil to serve as a villainous counterpart to the Avengers; the other founding members included the original villainous Black Knight, the Melter, and the Radioactive Man. The three were later joined by the Enchantress and the Executioner.

In his final battle with Captain America, Zemo lured Captain America to his jungle fortress by kidnapping Avengers ally Rick Jones. In the ensuing battle, Captain America's shield deflected the sun's rays causing Zemo to shoot blindly. His ray gun's shot hit a rock, starting the avalanche that killed him. [Avengers #15]

Baron Helmut Zemo

Zemo's legacy was revived by his son, Helmut J. Zemo, 13th Baron Zemo who was born in Leipzig, Germany. Helmut was originally an engineer until he became enraged when reading a report about the return of Captain America. Helmut would ultimately follow in his father's footsteps as a supervillain using his family's money and his own scientific know-how to recreate his father's work.

He first surfaced under the codename of "The Phoenix" (not to be confused with any other characters who have used this codename, such as Jean Grey and Rachel Summers), and captured Captain America to get revenge upon him for the death of his father. He was presumed deceased when he fell into a vat of boiling, specially-treated Adhesive X. As he had not been wearing his mask when he fell into the vat, his face was hideously scarred by the boiling Adhesive X, giving his face the appearance of molten wax. ["Captain America" #168]

He resurfaced years later as Baron Zemo, first allied with Arnim Zola's mutates. He allied with Primus, and kidnapped Captain America's childhood friend Arnold Roth in order to lure Captain America into a trap. He forced the Captain to battle hordes of mutates before revealing that he knew the Captain's secret identity. ["Captain America" #275-278]

Zemo later encountered Mother Superior and her father the Red Skull. ["Captain America" #290] Zemo underwent tutelage by Mother Superior and the Red Skull, and then kidnapped Captain America's friend David Cox and brainwashed him to battle the Captain. ["Captain America" #293-294] Zemo then kidnapped Arnold Roth again, and directed a shared mental reenactment of Heinrich Zemo's last World War II encounter with Captain America. ["Captain America" #295-297] Zemo then battled Mother Superior, but was psychically overpowered. ["Captain America" #299]

Most notably, he formed a new incarnation of the Masters of Evil. This fourth Masters of Evil was formed to strike at Captain America through the Avengers; they invaded and occupied Avengers Mansion and crippled Hercules and the Avengers' butler Edwin Jarvis. Zemo captured Captain America and the Black Knight. Zemo battled Captain America, but fell off the Mansion roof. ["Avengers" #273-277]

Zemo later hired Batroc's Brigade and psychic detective Tristram Micawber to help him locate the five fragments of the Bloodstone in hopes of restoring his father to life. Zemo battled Captain America and Diamondback, but fell down an inactive volcano in Japan. ["Captain America" #357-362]

Zemo was again believed dead, though he eventually returned, now married to a woman named Heike who had once called herself The Baroness and had claimed to be the reincarnation of Heinrich Zemo.

Thunderbolts

Zemo, having abandoned Heike to prison, organized a new team of Masters of Evil when the Avengers and Fantastic Four disappeared during the Onslaught crisis and were presumed dead. These Masters of Evil took false identities and called themselves the Thunderbolts. Leading them under the alias Citizen V (a twist of irony, as Heinrich Zemo had killed the original Citizen V during World War II) Zemo planned to have the Thunderbolts gain the world's trust in order to conquer it. The public took a liking to the team much more quickly than Zemo or any of the other Thunderbolts, expected and soon most of the team came to like being heroes.

When the missing heroes returned, Zemo had the Thunderbolts' true identities leaked, forcing them to flee with him into deep space to assist his plan to conquer the world through mind control. However, most of the Thunderbolts rebelled and foiled Zemo's plan. Zemo went into hiding and plotted revenge on his former teammates (who were trying to win back the public's trust by being true heroes). After another of Zemo's plans was foiled by Captain America and a new Citizen V (Dallas Riordan), Helmut was killed by the new Scourge of the Underworld, though his mind was transferred via bio-modem technology into the body of a comatose John Watkins III, grandson of the original Citizen V. Now in possession of Watkins' body, Zemo again played the role of Citizen V, this time as a member of the V-Battalion, until the Thunderbolts' final battle with Graviton, during which his consciousness was removed from Watkins' body and transferred, in electronic form, into his ally Fixer's mechanical "tech-pack".

On the artificial world Counter-Earth - the same world to which the Avengers and Fantastic Four had previously vanished - the Thunderbolts encountered Zemo's counterpart in that world, Iron Cross. Fixer transferred Zemo's mind into his double's un-mutilated body. Zemo then took up leadership of the Thunderbolts who were on Counter-Earth; when this group was reunited with their teammates who had remained on the normal Marvel Universe Earth, Hawkeye briefly resumed leadership but then left the team to return to the Avengers.

For a while Zemo remained the leader of the Thunderbolts. In 2004's "Avengers/Thunderbolts" limited series he attempted to take over the world again -- this time with the belief that he could save the world by taking it over. Zemo now seems to be motivated by a twisted altruism rather than his original selfish desires; he feels he has grown beyond his father in that regard. However, the Avengers foiled his scheme, his teammate Moonstone went berserk, Zemo's new body was blasted while he attempted to protect Captain America, and he left the team and went into hiding after obtaining Moonstone's twin alien gems, two artifacts of great power.

Civil War

More recently, Zemo has been manipulating the United States government, the New Thunderbolts, the Purple Man, the Squadron Sinister, and a host of other relatively obscure Marvel characters. His goals are unknown, but he is clearly still motivated by a desire to save the world by taking it over, or at least manipulating it towards what he perceives as a beneficial future. Zemo has also, apparently through trial and error, learned how to use the power of the moonstones in various ways, from simply generating raw energy, to transporting himself and others through time, space, and dimensions, to viewing possible future events through dimensional rifts—and, apparently, to repair his damaged face (or, to at least to create the illusion that it was undamaged). He has also recruited members of both his original and subsequent incarnations of the Thunderbolts to his cause, as well as eventually bringing the current team of Thunderbolts around to joining him. The group currently resides in what Zemo calls his "Folding Castle", a structure that he has connected to various other places around the world by dimensional portals.

As a result of Civil War, Iron Man asked Zemo to begin recruiting villains to his cause... which Zemo had begun doing some time before, unknown to Iron Man. However, he met up with Captain America and informed him that he really had reformed. He showed the Captain his face, once again scarred, to remind him of his earlier sacrifice, and gave him a key that would allow him to escape from the super-human prison being constructed if Captain America would allow his Thunderbolts to fight the Squadron Sinister. He also gave the Captain all his old mementos, destroyed by Zemo in 'Avengers Under Siege', which he had gone back in time and rescued with the help of the Moonstones. Finally, the Captain agreed.

Zemo, always told as a child that he was superior, now believes his father's Nazi ideals to be untrue, and that the only way to become superior is through righteousness. After helping Captain America, he remarked to his father's portrait that the man would be displeased with today's good deeds. Zemo -- once again wearing his unscarred face -- then revealed to Songbird that she was going to betray him and he was going to sacrifice himself in their upcoming battle with the Squadron Sinister. He told her that he would not die, but that he would become superior through his sacrifice..."by living forever."

Zemo has now revealed his true nature in Thunderbolts #108, where he saved the Wellspring of Power from the Grandmaster, who planned to use it for his own ends. Believing that all of his visions were subject to the flow of time, and that nothing was set in stone, Zemo defeated the Grandmaster, and boasted to his teammates that the power was now all his--and theirs. He insisted that he would use it to help the world, despite the consequences for doing so. Songbird, who had temporarily lost her powers during the final battle, was told by Zemo "...now is when your betrayal would have come." However, the vision of her betrayal turned out to be true after all. Using a simple opera note to crack the moonstones, Songbird sent Zemo into a whirlwind of cosmic time/space. Just before he was completely sucked into the vacuum, he screamed out that he "would never have hurt a world he worked so hard to save".

Born Better

The limited series "Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo - Born Better" (2007), written by Fabian Nicieza and drawn by Tom Grummett, explores the history of the Zemo barony. Baron Helmut Zemo, sucked into the vacuum, wakes into medieval Germany (1503), witnessing Harbin Zemo's death and his succession, while in the present an academic called Wendell Volker and Reed Richards deduce that Helmut has traveled in time. Captured and taken prisoner as a leper, Helmut Zemo manages to inspire Harbin's twelve year old grandson Heller Zemo, to kill his father Hademar Zemo and fulfill his destiny as the third (and most enlightened and progressive) Baron Zemo. When Heller goes into the hidden cell to free his "muse", he discovers that Helmut has somehow disappeared. Helmut makes jumps to 1556 where he fights alongside Heller's son Herbert Zemo, later again to 1640 where he slays Herbert's son Helmuth Zemo, and later to 1710 where he narrowly escapes being killed by Helmuth's son Hackett Zemo.

Meanwhile in the present, Volker reveals that the Zemo bloodline isn't just limited to Helmut's immediate family but in fact Harbin's descendants are spread out all over the world. Wendell visits Miss Klein, a descendant of a bastard child of Hilliard Zemo, the eighth Baron Zemo and his Jewish lover Elsbeth Kleinenshvitz. Hilliard becomes baron after the death of his father Hartwig Zemo in the Seven Years' War. In the past Helmut sees Hilliard and Elsbeth in love, realizing that the residual energy of the Moonstone is drawing him into the present, but forcing him to stop and live every key moment of Zemo's lineage. Zemo manages to save Elsbeth, sentenced to death by the Diet because of her Jewish ancestry and her wealthy family, but in the present Volker kills her distant descendant, convinced that his actions can pull Zemo in his proper place into the time-stream.

Helmut next ends up in 1879 where he stays for several weeks working his way up to be part of Hobart Zemo the tenth Baron Zemo's traveling guard. Hobart is killed during a civilian uprising shortly after German emperor William passes legislation to curb the socialist party. Helmut jumps forward in time before he can save Hobart his great-grandfather. Helmut next arrives during World War I during a battle between British forces led by the original Union Jack and German forces led by Helmut's grandfather Baron Herman Zemo (the 11th Baron Zemo). Helmut witnesses Herman's men slaughter the majority of the British forces with mustard gas. Later, Helmut goes with Herman and his men to find Castle Zemo has been reduced to rubble by the war. Helmut travels forward in time again to his father's tenure as a Nazi during World War Two.

Back in the present, Wendell Volker discovers that Castle Zemo had been restored in the present. Wendell tours the castle with a local German police man and an Interpol agent named Herr Fleischtung, and then Wendell murders both men. Wendell has apparently murdered several Zemo relations in the belief that this spilling of Zemo blood would bring Helmut back to the present.

After battling his own father in the past, giving him the inspiration to take up the Zemo mantle, Helmut returns to the present and manages to convince Wendell not to kill him as well, instead taking what is discovered to be his cousin under his wing, as he sets out to do something new for the world.

Powers and abilities

Zemo has a gifted intellect, with certain scientific expertise, excellent marksmanship, and extensive training in hand-to-hand combat. He is also a highly accomplished tactician and leader. Helmut has circuitry in his headband designed to disrupt psionic manipulation. He carried various rifles, and sometimes carries a hand-held spray-gun for Adhesive X, the most powerful bonding agent ever invented.

The Moonstones grant Helmut Zemo a massive array of superhuman powers such as energy/gravity/light manipulation, molecular phasing, strength/durability augmentation, the ability to create spatial warps, flight and more.

Other versions

Avataars: Covenant of the Shield

The ' miniseries, set in a sword and sorcery version of the Marvel Universe, features Dreadlord"', an alternate version of Zemo, as its main villain. Dreadlord was previously Zymo of Z'axis, a general who fought in the Worldwar. When Z'axis lost the war, Zymo adopted a new identity - and swore that he would not remove his hood until Z'axis triumphed once again.

Marvel Zombies

In the "Marvel Zombies" miniseries, Baron Zemo and his team of Thunderbolts are seen attacking Thor who is aided shortly thereafter by Nova. Zemo shows up prior to Nova's arrival as Thor destroys Zemo's teammate Moonstone (using the codename Meteorite) by smashing her head completely. His only appearance is of him with a torn mask and the teeth and milky eyes of the Marvel Zombies and he proclaims loudly "Meteorite!"

Other media

Animation

* Baron Heinrich Zemo appeared in several episodes of the "Captain America" portion of "The Marvel Superheroes", both alone and as part of the Masters of Evil.

* Both versions of Baron Zemo were featured in an episode of Fox Kids "" animated series. The elder Zemo appeared in a flashback to "Avengers" #15, while Helmut Zemo led the Masters of Evil against the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. His costume, though very similar to his comic outfit, reflected the futuristic style of the series.
* Baron Zemo appeared in the teaser trailer for "" as the leader of the Masters Of Evil. However, he is only one of the many villains the Avengers defeated.

Video games

Baron Helmut Zemo appeared in the PlayStation, PC, Game Boy, and Sega Game Gear "Iron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal" video game as a boss.

Toys

*Baron Helmut Zemo received a toy in the "Secret Wars" toyline in 1984-1985, despite the fact that Zemo did not appear in the comics series the line was based on.
* Baron Heinrich Zemo received a toy in the Mojo Series (Series 14) of the Marvel Legends toy line.
* The Baron Zemo Unmasked variant (Series 14 of Marvel Legends) is not that of Heinrich Zemo , but the face of his son, Helmut, from a story line where the Red Skull had Helmut dress up as his father (Heinrich). This occurred in "Captain America" # 297.

References

External links

* [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Baron_Zemo_%28Heinrich%29 Dr. Heinrich Zemo, 12th Baron Zemo] on Marvel.com
* [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Baron_Zemo_%28Helmut%29 Helmut Zemo, 13th Baron Zemo] on Marvel.com
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/zemoheinrich.htm Dr. Heinrich Zemo, 12th Baron Zemo] at Marvel Appendix
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/harbinzemo.htm Harbin Zemo, 1st Baron Zemo] at Marvel Appendix
*http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/zemohademar.htm
*http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/zemoheller.htm
*http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/zemoherbert.htm
*http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/zemohelmuth.htm
*http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/zemohackett.htm