Editing Red Skull (section)

==Publication history==
The original Red Skull was introduced in [[Timely Comics]]' ''Captain America Comics'' #1 ([[cover-date]]d March 1941) which was written and drawn by the team of [[Joe Simon]] and [[Jack Kirby]].<ref>{{cite interview|last=Kirby|first=Jack|title=Interview|publisher=Rocket's Blast ComiCollector #81|year=1971|interviewer=Bruce Hamilton}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last= Steranko| first= Jim| title= The Steranko History of Comics| volume= 1 | publisher= Supergraphics| year= 1970| page= 53}}</ref> On separate occasions, both Kirby and Simon claimed to have had the original idea for the character,<ref>{{cite web|last=Reagan|first=Robot|title=From ice cream to Red Skull: Joe Simon explains creation of character |date=24 June 2011 | url=http://geektyrant.com/news/2011/6/24/from-ice-cream-to-red-skull-joe-simon-explains-creation-of-c.html|publisher=Geektyrant.com|access-date=23 December 2011}}</ref> and at the 1970 [[San Diego Comic Con]], Kirby said the Red Skull was created by [[France Herron]].<ref>Kirby, Jack, interviewed by Bruce Hamilton in ''[[Rocket's Blast ComiCollector]]'' #81 (1971).</ref><ref>{{cite book|last= Green|first= Paul|title= Encyclopedia of Weird War Stories: Supernatural and Science Fiction Elements in Novels, Pulps, Comics, Film, Television, Games and Other Media|publisher= [[McFarland & Company]]|date= 2017|location= Jefferson, North Carolina|page= 149|isbn= 978-1476666723|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=lRcnDwAAQBAJ&q=Red+Skull+France+Herron&pg=PA149}}</ref> Simon later credited both Kirby and Herron with having a role in creating Red Skull.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Browning |first=Michael |date=November 2018 |title=Comics' Mightiest Mystery Man |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r9x1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA95 |journal=[[Alter Ego (magazine)|Alter Ego]] |location=Raleigh, North Carolina |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |issue=155 |page=95 |quote=Simon said Herron definitely had a hand in creating The Red Skull for ''Captain America Comics'' #1, published in 1941. "Both Eddie Herron and Marty Burston (one of many pen names used by Jack Kirby) worked with me, and I don't know who first came up with him [Red Skull], but I was looking for very graphic things to put into the script," Simon said. "I looked through characters that would draw well. Did Eddie have a part in creating that? You can say he did."}}</ref>

===Golden age===
The Skull made limited appearances in the Golden Age of Captain America. His first story in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 follows the Red Skull as he takes out military personnel in attempts to sabotage United States military industry.  In the issue, his identity is revealed as George Maxon of Maxon Aircraft, and dies at the end of the issue by rolling onto his own hypodermic needle in apparent suicide.

The Skull returns again in issue #3 of Captain America Comics having survived his own needle.  He commandeers bank robberies in an effort to raise money to overthrow the US government, declaring, "Of course you realize the main item in overthrowing the government is money!"  The Skull again assumedly dies at the end of the issue when Captain America returns a thrown bomb.

The Red Skull once again thwarts death by returning and planning crimes around music in Captain America Comics #7 (October 1941).  Stories published decades later claimed this was the Nazi Johann Shmidt, and that the Red Skull appearing before that point was his pawn George Maxon.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hall|first=Richard A.|title=The American Superhero: Encyclopedia of Caped Crusaders in History|pages=221–222|date=2019|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9781440861246|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cpuDDwAAQBAJ&q=%22George+Maxon%22+red+skull+%237&pg=PA221|access-date=June 22, 2020}}</ref>  Marvel has since revealed Johann Shmidt's first appearance was also in Captain America Comics #1, and the two skulls worked together in the Golden Age.<ref name="Christiansen 2009 71">{{cite book|last=Christiansen|first=Jeff|title=Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe| volume= 9 | publisher= Marvel| year= 2009| page= 71}}</ref>

The Red Skull made sporadic appearances in other Timely comic books in the forties.  He appeared in ''[[Young Allies (Marvel Comics)|Young Allies]]'' #1 and #4.  appearing maskless in both issues, including when getting up from bed in issue #1 and while in a fighter jet with one other ally in #4.  He was also to appear in All-Select Comics #2 (December 1943), Captain America Comics #37 (February 1944) and ''[[All Winners Comics]]'' #12 (April 1944) in various plots to overthrow the United States.

In the last issue of Captain America Comics in the forties, which had since been retitled Captain America's Weird Tales, Red Skull appears in a dream of Captain America, and they both battle in Hell for the damnation of each other's soul.  This story was notable for including horror aspects in Captain America stories, as horror comics books became popular during this time period.  Timely would end the run of Captain America after this issue to focus on mystery, humor, and horror.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/captain-america-comics-horror-comic/|title=When Captain America Became a Horror Comic!|website=[[Comic Book Resources|CBR]]|last=Cronin|first=Brian|date=January 11, 2019|access-date=August 24, 2023}}</ref>

After an absence from comics for five 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 from a truck crash.

===Silver age===
After an absence for more than a decade, the character of Red Skull returned in new stories starting with ''[[Tales of Suspense]]'' #65 (May 1965) in a Captain America [[World War II]]-period story run.  Marvel resorted to retroactive continuity in recreating the identify of the Red Skull for the Silver age, explaining the real George "John" Maxon was killed and replaced with a lookalike who worked for the real Red Skull.  In traveling to Germany to seek out the real Red Skull, Captain America finally meets Johann Shmidt face to face.

Red Skull was established as a contemporary villain in Tales of Suspense #79 (July 1966), with the explanation that he had been in [[suspended animation]] since World War II.  He would continue to appear in this title after Tales of Suspense was renamed Captain America in 1968 with Marvel establishing the character as the archenemy of Captain America for a new age of readers.

===Bronze age===
During Jack Kirby's return to Marvel in 1976, the Red Skull would again appear in a run of Captain America during which Kirby both wrote and penciled stories of the characters he helped create.  During this run, it is notable Red Skull was the only villain Kirby brought back, having distanced these new Captain America stories from the rest of the Marvel Universe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twomorrows.com/kirby/articles/2970s.html/|title=You Can't Go Home Again Kirby's 1970s return to the "Snake Pit" of Marvel Comics|website=[[TwoMorrows.com]]|last=Gartland|first=Mike|date=2003|access-date= August 24, 2023}}</ref>  During this period, the Red Skull would also be used as an antagonist in the ''[[Invaders (comics)|Invaders]]'' comic book series which focused on period stories from the forties.

For decades, the character's true face was hidden, but in ''[[Captain America (comic book)|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.  The Red Skull seemingly dies in issue #300 (December 1984) after a battle with Captain America and would disappear for five years. 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 Shmidt's original body is hidden again, but the Red 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 miniseries ''Red Skull: Incarnate'', with Shmidt's face fully visible again.