The First Red Skull // Comics 101

Captain America. No matter who’s under the mask or holding the shield, one of the things you know Cap is up for is punching Nazis. Except for that time they made Cap a Nazi anyhow.

Yes, yes. Hydra aren’t Nazis. They just have the same drive, similar themes, and branch from the Nazis.

Among all the Nazis who’ve ever goose-stepped, the worst not-Hitler of them in the land of Marvel Comics is the Red Skull. Or at least he was, until Marvel and Disney made some international-friendly tweaks to the character’s history. But what if I told you that Johann Schmidt of MCU fame was not actually the first man who wore the face of the Red Skull?

Today, we focus on the first man who took the name of the Red Skull and made it his own.

Ah, yes. The best American pastime: punching Nazis in the jaw.

We actually have to stretch back to Captain America Comics’ first issue in December of 1940. We’ve actually looked at this issue before many years ago, but we only looked at the origin story specifically. Today, we’re looking at the third story from Cap’s premier issue: The Riddle of the Red Skull.

Our tale comes from writer Ed Herron, with the art team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Ed doesn’t have many credits with Marvel and died at the dawn of the Marvel Age of Comics in 1966. He will be remembered for helping to make a massively iconic villain, however.

I genuinely adore this splash panel. The Red Skull is somehow gigantic, crushing planes with his bare hands. Meanwhile, Cap punches Nazis, and Bucky seems to be hitting below the belt. The title also works incredibly well, one of those pseudo-rhyming things that older comics loved so much. While we also don’t see much of the Red Skull’s design here, the screaming face is instantly iconic. Kudos to all three madmen working on this comic.

Our tale begins with the fact that several army higher-ups still on the mainland United States have been receiving threats from someone known only as the Red Skull. Private Steve Rogers (as this is in the era when Captain America was supposed to keep a secret identity despite also being a military super-weapon) has been asked to escort a nameless Major in the army around to keep him safe. After all, he’s received one of these letters as well. The major declares the threats to be “poppycock” and sends Steve home. And Bucky too, since Bucky is randomly hanging around Steve and trying not to be obvious that these two are actually Captain America and… Bucky.

Huh. Maybe the secret identity thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The major, however, is wrong about the threats and receives a visitor in the middle of the night.

Huh. Subtle.

I genuinely adore how he has this massive gold swastika on his chest, like people just can’t quite piece together that the man with a howling red skull for a head is the villain. This is the Golden Age of comics. It’s not like someone is going to see the Red Skull and cry out, “Yay! It’s Skully the Red Face of Justice! Go kill some Nazis!”

Admittedly, Skull is wearing some pea-green surplus surgical scrubs. Maybe he felt the need to ensure that he looked more menacing than “tossed-together Halloween costume.”

The Major turns around, and the Red Skull leaps upon him!

I can see why the Comics Code Authority was brought into existence.

Good lord, they really didn’t mess around in the good ol’ days of comics! Not only has the Skull waltzed into this man’s home, but he just straight up chokes the life out of him. The comic isn’t even clear if this is what killed the man because it could also be the Skull’s gaze of death. There aren’t even any witnesses, so this is just being needlessly dramatic.

In other words? In his first appearance, the Red Skull is perfectly formed as a villain in the Marvel manner.

And so, the Red Skull leaves. The Major’s body is sprawled on the floor, left for whomever to find. Steve and Bucky come by the next morning to check in and see how he’s enjoying life, only to see he’s not. The cops are also equally confused about how he died, it seems.

“I mean, aside from the bruised neck and the signs of being choked to death.”

I know that crime scene investigations have dramatically improved in the last 80 years, especially with forensics… but this just seems like it would be obvious. Then again, the art makes this cop look incompetent with his cross-eyed appearance and falling out of the frame with his weight. Meanwhile…

To quote an old meme, “I’m in ur base, killin ur d00ds.”

Honestly, the Red Skull has a solid point. Considering the police (who look to be Military Police from their green uniforms) are essentially useless… the nation might well be in the palm of his red hands by Tuesday. But it’s getting late, despite being the first thing in the morning, so Steve Rogers decides to go hit the hay.

Man. Even with the context of this being a lame excuse, this still seems questionable.

I’m really not sure why Cap decided to phrase it as Bucky needing a nap, though. Thankfully, it’s just an excuse for Steve and Bucky to go change into Cap and Bucky. Captain America also orders Bucky to stay behind, but Bucky ignores him. While Cap leaps across the rooftops of New York, Bucky goes to the Abandoned Warehouse District. Care to guess what Bucky finds?

Is it any wonder the Red Skull would eventually go into American Politics?

It’s so weird seeing a comic from 80 years ago talking about overthrowing the US government like it’s a nefarious plot that couldn’t happen normally.

But yes, Bucky has stumbled across the hideout of the Red Skull. The Skull’s entire plan is to have the police running around in a panic over the military leadership being offed one by one, all so he can rob some banks. This does feel a little underwhelming against the Red Skull gallivanting around New York and choking the life out of the military like a one-man army, but it works.

Realizing he’s in over his head, Bucky decides to go get Cap. However, the creators of the comic have other ideas in mind.

Physics were an optional add-on package to your superheroes in the Golden Age of comics.

Unfortunately, Bucky goes tumbling head-over-heels off the roof after slipping on what must have been a well-placed banana peel. After kicking a few goons into submission, Bucky is overwhelmed and outnumbered. Rather than finish off the nuisance, the goons in the employment of Red Skull just want to let him go.

No, seriously.

Geniuses.

However, the Red Skull isn’t about to take unnecessary risks. Instead, he wants to murder the child in front of him.

Good lord, I love how hardcore he’s going here.

However, this is all interrupted by a knock at the door. Who could it be at this hour?

For those who are confused by the small shield, Cap will be legally forced to change it before the next issue, as it is too close to the costume used by Pep Comics’ own patriotic hero, The Shield.

While this is amazing and perfect comic action, I can’t help but notice that Captain America’s anatomy has gone all sorts of bonkers. It’s ok, though. Simon and Kirby were still building their skills in the trade at this point in time. However, despite his amazing entrance, the Red Skull escapes!

Golden-Age Red Skull: A complete badass

Not gonna lie, I love that promise. Not only does the Red Skull say he’ll return, but he’s going to kill more people. You don’t really see an attitude like that until the later 1980s, when the darkness really sets in with comics. 

The following day, Steve and Bucky are lounging around the unnamed army base they live at when an airplane crashes off in the distance. A big deal is made over the wreck since the owner of the airline company, George Maxon, is in attendance. It’s also implied this was the Red Skull’s fault. However, there is no confirmation of this, and it’s totally ok. Cap punched the Red Skull and his men, so the threat is over, and all is cool again.

Is it me, or does it look like the Skull is about to ask the General out to the Prom?

Never mind, looks like the story isn’t over yet. Our general is still armed, but the Red Skull doesn’t actually care all that much.

Good lord! The Skull wastes no time and murders the general in cold blood. He even doesn’t hesitate when the general’s wife pulls a gun on him, instead moving in to kill the mostly helpless old woman.

ARMLESS CAPTAIN AMERICA TO THE RESCUE!

And so, a fierce battle of face-punching ensues! There’s a good back-and-forth with some nice choreography for a 1940s comic. Red Skull even knocks Cap out for a few panels, but Captain America is saved by a timely rescue from Bucky. Gathering his strength, Captain America reaches out with his anti-Nazi fists and-

-makes the Red Skull’s face explode. And I thought comics were violent today!

Ok, so it actually looks like the skull was a helmet/mask combination. The man underneath the mask also happens to be George Maxon himself, the head of Maxon Aircraft we got introduced to a few pages back. Meanwhile, Bucky finds a needle on the ground, and they put the puzzle together.

I have to admit, considering the rest of the story was incredibly fun, this just feels like a bit of a letdown. Throughout the entire story, the Red Skull has been choking people to death, proclaiming that his “look of death” was doing the heavy lifting. Instead, he happens to be injecting them with poison… perhaps with a third arm no one noticed.

It’s certainly more creative than most Golden Age villains, but it’s still not on par with the Red Skull we would all later know and love to hate.

However, George Maxon isn’t about to give up yet. He quickly engages Bucky in mortal combat, and the worst happens.

Cap really seems to have wanted Maxon dead.

In the struggle, Maxon rolls onto the hypodermic needle and gives himself a full injection of the drugs. Or maybe air, since it’s the one he used on the general earlier. Either way, Captain America doesn’t seem to care about the end result: The Red Skull is defeated, forever.

Honestly, this was a fantastic little story. While the ending was a little “Scooby-Doo” in how the explanation doesn’t even remotely match what we saw, the story was still great. Red Skull is a fantastically unsubtle design, and his devil-may-care attitude makes for a great villain. It’s a little sad that the Red Skull died in his first outing, though, and something that a lot of comics media seems to have an issue with these days.

However, we’re not done covering the antics of the Golden-Age Red Skull! Come back next week, and we’ll take a look at The Return of the Red Skull!

Wait a second…