Johann Schmidt (Earth-199999)

Name	Johann Schmidt
Current Alias	Stonekeeper
Aliases	Codenames: Red Skull
Affiliation and Relationships
Affiliation	Formerly Hydra, Schutzstaffel, Adolf Hitler, National Socialist German Workers Party
Relatives	Parents: Herman Schmidt (father, deceased); Martha Schmidt (mother, deceased)
Marital Status	Single
Physical Characteristics
Gender	Male
Eyes	Irises: Blue
Hair	Bald
Skin	Red
Unusual Features	Severe facial and cranial scarring give his head the appearance of a red skull
Origin and Living Status
Origin	Human enhanced after taking an unstable version of the Super-Soldier Serum
Living Status	Alive
Reality	Earth-199999
Place of Birth	Germany
Personal Information
Identity	Secret
Citizenship	German
Occupation	Guardian of the Soul Stone Formerly professor, terrorist, would-be conqueror
Education	Military
Base of Operations	The planet Vormir Formerly Hydra HQ, Germany, Earth
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
First	Captain America: First Vengeance (Vol. 2) #2 (May, 2011)
First	Captain America: First Vengeance (Vol. 2) #2 (May, 2011)

 You could have the power of the gods! Yet you wear a flag on your chest and think you fight a battle of nations! I have seen the future, Captain! There are no flags! 

—Red Skull

History

Originally a professor at one of the universities in Berlin, Johann Schmidt became an officer of the Schutzstaffel with the rank of Obergruppenführer. He was closely affiliated with Heinrich Himmler and Adolf Hitler. Schmidt and Hitler shared a passion for Norse mythology according to Abraham Erskine, a German scientist who had defected to the United States. Hitler had subsequently located Erskine and sent Schmidt to force him to finish an experimental physiology-enhancing serum, only for Schmidt to take the serum and inject it into himself. The unfinished serum increased Schmidt's physical and mental abilities, however it also caused a combustion reaction that horribly scarred his face, disfiguring its appearance to that of a hideous red skull.

Schmidt sought out and stole the Tesseract, a powerful artifact believed to be of Asgardian descent from a monastery in Tønsberg, Norway, and used its energy to power his armaments and weaponry. He later executed a trio of Nazi officers who objected to his plan to destroy every capital on Earth, including Berlin, as he believed Hydra couldn't grow any further under Hitler's command.

As Red Skull

Schmidt also sent an assassin after Erskine before the scientist could carry his "Super Soldier Serum" experiment any further. While the attack on Erskine proved successful, Schmidt's agent was unable to obtain a sample of the improved serum due to the intervention of Steven Rogers, the successful test subject that Erskine had been enhanced with the serum.

Confronting Steve Rogers, Schmidt was outraged at the discovery that his 'counterpart' was nothing but a "kid from Brooklyn", and became increasingly hostile as Rogers' forces decimated various Hydra bases throughout occupied Europe. In Schmidt's final plan to destroy America with a Tesseract-powered plane, the plane was hijacked by Rogers, who damaged the device that transferred the Tesseract's power to the ship. When Schmidt attempted to pick up the cube, it created a large portal before seemingly disintegrating him and burning through the aircraft floor, falling into the ocean below.

In reality, the Red Skull was teleported by the Space Stone stored within the Tesseract to the distant planet of Vormir, the resting place of the Soul Stone. He was cursed into becoming the Soul Stone's guardian for decades, unable to leave Vormir but only able to advise those who sought the stone. When Thanos and Gamora arrived at Vormir, the Red Skull appeared to them and explained the ritual for obtaining the Soul Stone.

Attributes

Powers

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 and has 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.

As the Stonekeeper, Schmidt gained the following powers: (Whether these abilities were bequeathed by the stone itself or a prior entity remain unknown)

• Immortality: Schmidt; while already possessing enhanced physiological lifespan due to the Super Soldier Serum; he subsequently became an ageless immortal. He claimed to have lived over a lifetime, looking the same as he did in 1945.
• Levitation: Schmidt is capable of hovering over the ground and propelling himself though the air.
• Partial Omniscience: Schmidt possessed knowledge beyond his perception. Upon first meeting Thanos and Gamora, he instantly determined who they were and who they were descended from despite having been stranded alone on Vormir for over seven decades.

Abilities

Same as those of Johann Shmidt of Earth-616.

Paraphernalia

Weapons

HYDRA Pistol.

Transportation

Focke-Wulf Triebflügel, Valkyrie bomber, and advanced Rolls Royce.

Notes

• Hugo Weaving portrayed Red Skull in the film Captain America: The First Avenger, while Ross Marquand portrays him in Avengers: Infinity War.
• For details of the version of the Red Skull seen in the video game Captain America: Super Soldier please see here: Johann Schmidt (Earth-TRN999).

Trivia

• Hugo Weaving has stated that, while he enjoyed portraying the character, he would not be interested in reprising the role in future films.
• Unlike his comic book counterpart, this version of Red Skull has the surname Schmidt instead of Shmidt.
• Unlike his comic book counterpart who has a mask, this version of Red Skull's appearance is biological, due to him ingesting a version of the Super-Soldier Serum.

See Also

• 15 appearance(s) of Johann Schmidt (Earth-199999)
• 3 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Johann Schmidt (Earth-199999)
• 3 minor appearance(s) of Johann Schmidt (Earth-199999)
• 12 mention(s) of Johann Schmidt (Earth-199999)
• 34 image(s) of Johann Schmidt (Earth-199999)
• 1 quotation(s) by or about Johann Schmidt (Earth-199999)
• 5 victim(s) killed by Johann Schmidt (Earth-199999)
• 2 item(s) used/owned by Johann Schmidt (Earth-199999)