- "Give up, Zemo."
"Never! This is my world, and you don't belong in it!" - ―Captain America and Baron Zemo[src]
Baron Heinrich Zemo is one of the first leaders of the terrorist organization HYDRA. Later, he becomes the puppet leader of a group of supervillains known as the Masters of Evil under Loki and Amora the Enchantress. He is also one of Captain America's archenemies alongside the Red Skull.
Biography
World War II
- "Give it up, Zemo. It's over."
"You are correct, Captain. It is over. When I release Virus X against the Allies, this war will be won by HYDRA!" - ―Captain America and Baron Zemo[src]
Dr. Heinrich Zemo was the head of HYDRA's bio-weapons division during World War II. He was responsible for the imperfect Hydra version of the Super Soldier Serum that created the Red Skull.[1]
Zemo eventually obtained the title of Baron. Over the years, he took control of HYDRA and ruled it with an iron fist, continuing his projects and working towards world domination. He valiantly led HYDRA as the organization assisted the Axis powers in conquering Europe. His vile acts were infamous and he used to have to wear a mask to conceal his identity and avoid retribution.[1]
Baron Zemo exposed to Virus X.
In 1943, while on a mission to defeat Zemo in Italy, Captain America discovered one of his latest nightmares, Virus X. Intending to infect and annihilate all the Allied forces, the Baron was stopped by Cap. In the ensuing fight, a large batch of the Virus was drenched upon Zemo, adhering his mask right to his face and infecting his vital bodily systems.[2]
From that day he swore revenge, but upon Captain America's presumed demise at the end of the war, Zemo was left without a reason to continue with his old nemesis gone. He went into hiding alongside Arnim Zola, who used his machines to keep the virus at bay, and Zemo alive. This process kept him alive for decades, until his eventual capture by the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Living Legend
Amora recruits Zemo to be her puppet leader of the Masters of Evil.
- "Baron Zemo, I have an offer for you."
- ―Enchantress to Baron Zemo[src]
After escaping The Raft, Zemo confronts Baron Strucker in order to reclaim HYDRA only to be told that Captain America is alive. Zemo seeks out Arnim Zola who manages to use his machine to keep Zemo from dying as he mentions that his rash treatment almost worn off. Arnim Zola ends up loaning Doughboy to Zemo in a plot to eliminate Captain America. Zemo ends up fighting Captain America until interference by the Black Panther enabled Captain America to gain his shield. Captain America fends off Zemo who ends up limping away while Captain America used his shield to block the bomb that Zemo threw near Wasp. When Zemo arrives back at Arnim Zola's lab, he finds Arnim Zola pinned down by Amora The Enchantress and Skurge the Executioner. Amora then makes an offer to Baron Zemo to be a part of her Masters of Evil.[3]
Masters of Evil
- "Zemo is but a toy, to be discarded when I tire of him."
- ―Enchantress about Baron Zemo[src]
Zemo is used by Amora as her puppet leader of the Masters of Evil. Amora and Zemo first find and reassemble Simon Williams aka "Wonder Man", after his ionic energy form destabilized while fighting the Avengers. They offer him the chance to be restored to human form, if he helps them destroy the Avengers. Soon after that, they recruited the Crimson Dynamo to the cause. After that, he, Enchantress, Executioner, Simon, and Vanko found the dying Abomination in the Nevada Desert, after being defeated by the Hulk.
Amora revealing herself to be Zemo's master.
With Blonsky recruited, the Masters of Evil were formed, with the sole task of destroying the Avengers. First, Enchantress lured Wasp into a trap, attacked and confronted by all the members. Zemo used her secruity pass to infiltrate the Avengers Mansion where Dynamo defeated Iron Man, who was caught off guard while checking his armor. Enchantress then tricked Hulk, and exiled him to the Asgardian realm of the Frost Giants, leaving Captain America left to defeat. Simon and Executioner took him down, while Zemo mockingly had the last laugh.
After luring Thor back to the Mansion, Zemo tries to intimidate him on his own. When Thor resists, Amora reveals herself to be his master. Zemo believes he now has all the Avengers defeated. Zemo begins to toy with the imprisoned Captain America, he also let slip that he's working with someone that will ensure he will finally rule the world. It's around this time that Hawkeye and Black Panther catch the Masters of Evil off guard and begin taking them down one by one. After capturing them as well, they reveal to Zemo that they were simply a diversion, while the shrunken Ant-Man crept back into his labs. Pym appears and uses his technology to destabilize Simon, while Hawkeye and Panther free the rest of the Avengers. Near defeat, the Enchantress teleports the Masters to safety, back to Arnim's laboratory.[4]Amora then reminds Zemo and the other masters that they are all pawns.
Norm Stones
"Today, we become the masters of Earth!"
- -- 'Baron Zemo' [src]
He later reappears leading the team as Amora's puppet once again against the Avengers now added Chemistro, Living Laser and Grey Gargoyle (before presumbly killed by Executioner). Zemo knows Enchantress and Executioner will betray him (as he was suspicions after they said Grey Gargoyle not survive the battle with them), he still did exactly as they planned. Zemo fights Thor with the help of Enchantress. After this, Amora attempts to activate the Norm Stones so the army of Asgard will invade Earth. Thor warns him that Enchantress is just using him, but he already knows and attempts to preemptively strike, as he put the Control Collar on her neck (the same which the Red Skull also once used to control all of the Asgard warriors in the past) and demand Enchantress to make all of Army of Asgard to obey him. Thor manages to break free by getting his hammer back when Amora is weakened, and knocks Zemo out. He then tells all of the Avenger to destroy the stones at all costs.[5]
Acts of Vengeance
Zemo is overpowered by Amora.
Weeks after Loki's war, the Living Laser was hunted down by Enchantress and Executioner in an attempt to find and kill Zemo for betraying her. He, however didn't know where Zemo was but told Amora where Chemistro was. Amora froze him between his humanoid body and laser body. She then hunted down Chemistro thinking he knew where Zemo was but he also didn't. Chemistro led her to Arnim Zola and was also killed by Amora. She then tried to get info from him but instead killed him. While this happened Zemo watched and sent Crimson Dynamo to stall her as long as possible.
He then requested help from the Avengers and while Iron Man and Hawkeye went to save Vanko, they prepared for the Enchantress. He then entrusted Captain America to activate the machine (because of his noble personality) which would neutralize her powers, not knowing he was a Skrull. After Amora came, Captain America didn't activate the machine, disappointing him, but he did have a back up plan by using a different type of Norm Stone. However, during the battle, it was destroyed by Wonder Man and transported Amora to an unknown world. He then looked at Cap and said "you would have let the Enchantress destroy me!" then the Skrull said "you have no idea who I am" and he saw a Skrull shadow before knocking him out. He as well as most of his comrades are now in custody.[6]
Later, when Annihilus was about to attack Prison 42, Zemo asked Captain America if he would let him help them fight the bugs alongside him. Captain America refused and told him that he would rather face a million bugs than let Zemo kill him from behind with a knife as if Zemo tried once. So Zemo stayed locked up in prison.
Appearance
He wears a purple HYDRA baron suit and a tight mask stuck to him. He wears yellow boots and gloves. His face is not seen throughout the entire series apart from a computer scan of his disfigured face in Arnim Zola's lab. Before the Virus X's exposure, he wears a loose mask and the same clothes he wear in the present. He wields a sword and a pistol.
Personality
Zemo is a power-hungry and ambitious man. He longed to take over the world with the help of the Enchantress. And he'll do anything to make it happen. He served Amora even though he knew that she would betray him the second he was done completing her plan. He was also the first to notice something suspicious about Captain America when the Skrulls replaced him.
Relationships
Captain America
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Captain America is Zemo's archenemy. He fought Zemo during World War II. After being exposed to the Virus X he created, he swore vengeance on Captain America and must get it no matter what it takes. He does however grudgingly respect the man though, and trusted his sense of honor. Due to the Skrull infiltrators disregard of this honor, he was the first to suspect something was up. When Annihilus' forces attacked 42, the heroes requested the help of the supervillians to fight him off. Zemo offered his services to Captain America, but the Captain refused knowing exactly what would happen if Zemo was freed.
Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola is Zemo's friend and doctor. He injected him with the formula to prevent the Virus X from slowly killing him and the formula also permanently evolved his body to reach beyond peak-human limits. He even provided Zemo the Doughboys to distract the Avengers, leaving Captain America vulnerable.
Powers & Abilities
Medically-Enhanced Physiology: After preforming various experiments with versions of the Super-Soldier Serum on himself, Baron Zemo has enhanced himself beyond ordinary humans to a currently undefined level. He is much stronger, faster, and recovers faster than the likes of an ordinary man his size and weight. The Baron has demonstrated the ability to go toe-to-toe with Captain America, and some of the other avengers on occasion. Baron Zemo even claimed to be stronger and faster than Rogers himself. He has demonstrated the following abilities:
- Enhanced Strength: Baron Zemo is incredibly strong, eather at the peak of human perfection, or even to a low-superhuman level. The Baron even claimed to be stronger than the captain. Zemo is capable of over-powering even the finest olympic weight lifter with astonishing ease.
- Enhanced Stamina:
- Enhanced Speed: The baron's speed surpasses even world-record runners.
- Enhanced Agility:
- Enhanced Reflexes:
- Enhanced Regeneration: Heinrich's medical treatments have gifted his physiology with a greatly-accelerated healing factor, which enables him to recuperate completely from any type of wound, infection, disease or mental damages within minutes. Heinrich has demonstrated amazing regenerative durability. He was able to take multiple blows from Captain America (some by hitting him on the head with his shield), which only one would knock out an ordinary human, and other feats of rapid recovery.
- Ageless Longevity: Due to his physiology rapidly regenerating already slow-decaying cells at a greatly-accelerated rate, he has the potential to live forever & remain youthful, strong, healthy & in peak-physical fitness.
Abilities
- Expert swordsman: Zemo has shown to be an expert at the fencing style, to be able to hurt Captain America.
- Martial Artist: His combat skills are so great that he can instantaneously subdue the Abomination, and go toe-to-toe with some of the best fighters in the world, including Captain America himself.
- Expert Marksman: Heinrich has shown greatly high skills in the use of weaponry, firearms, and explosives.
- Genius-Level Intellect: Heinrich has shown expertise in manipulation, intimidation, interrogation, spying, science, deduction, tactical analysis, investigation, leadership, military protocols, engineering, and strategic planning. In the Masters of Evil, he was second only to Enchantress.
Equipment
He wields a long sword and a hand pistol. They were later coated with an unknown Asgardian crystal that enabled him to hurt Thor in melee and ranged combat.
Appearances
- Meet Captain America (Mentioned only)
- Breakout Part 1
- Breakout Part 2
- Living Legend
- Everything is Wonderful
- Gamma World Part 2
- Masters of Evil
- This Hostage Earth
- The Fall of Asgard (Brief Cameo)
- Acts of Vengeance
- Assault on 42 (Briefly)
Trivia
- Flashbacks in "Living Legend" show Baron Zemo sporting his original Silver Age design.
- This version of Baron Zemo is a combination of elements of his own comics counterpart (Heinrich Zemo; Through the fact that he fought Cap during World War II and leads Masters Of Evil) and his son and successor (Helmut Zemo: Through his costume and personality, and the fact he's disfigured due to the actions of Captain America).
Gallery
