Editing Red Skull (section)

===Other identity users===
There had been other people who passed themselves off as the Red Skull:

====George John Maxon====
[[File:Red Skull (George John Maxon).png|thumb|upright|George John Maxon as the Red Skull, before the retcon as being a decoy for Johann Shmidt. Artwork from ''Captain America Comics'' #3 (May 1941 Timely Comics). Art by Jack Kirby]]
Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, '''George John Maxon''' appeared as Red Skull in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 and #3 (March–May 1941). He faces Captain America during two of the latter's early missions. Maxon is an American businessman and Nazi agent who leads a ring of spies and saboteurs and serves as a stand-in of Johann Schmidt (the true Red Skull). Maxon is thought killed during the second encounter, though he would reappear for one last encounter with Captain America.<ref>''[[Tales of Suspense]]'' #65 (May 1965). Marvel Comics.</ref>
{{-}}

====Albert Malik====
After the disappearance of Johann Schmidt in 1945, the reputation of the Red Skull was still formidable enough to prove useful. In 1953, [[Soviet]] [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian]] [[KGB]] agent '''Albert Malik''' set up his spy/criminal organization in [[French Algeria|Algeria]] and assumed the Red Skull identity ({{langx|ru|Красный Череп}}), pretending that he was the original, when he was actually serving Soviet interests, in ''Captain America Comics'' #61.<ref>{{Marvunapp|http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/rskul2.htm|Red Skull (Communist, Albert Malik)}}</ref> During the 1950s, he faced the [[Captain America (William Burnside)|then-active version]] of Captain America, who was also pretending to be the original. While the Captain and [[Bucky (Marvel Comics)|Bucky]] ([[Jack Monroe (character)|Jack Monroe]]) were placed into suspended animation when his flawed replicate of the Super-Soldier Formula seriously affected his and Bucky's minds, Malik continued his activities, and over time severed his links to the Soviet Union.<ref>''Solo Avengers'' #6. Marvel Comics.</ref>

He was also responsible for the deaths of [[Richard and Mary Parker]], the parents of [[Peter Parker]], tipped off by the supercriminal [[Gentleman (character)|Gustav "the Gentleman" Fiers]] to their spy status.<ref>''Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #5. Marvel Comics.</ref><ref>''Amazing Spider-Man'' #366. Marvel Comics.</ref>

Malik was later killed by a [[Scourge of the Underworld]], operating on behalf of the original Red Skull (Johann Schmidt) disguised as a pilot.<ref name="Captain America #347"/>

====Sinthea Shmidt====
{{main|Sin (Marvel Comics)}}
Sinthea "Sin" Shmidt is the daughter of Johann Shmidt who briefly adopts the Red Skull moniker after being scarred like her father.

====Clone of Johann Shmidt====
Following the ''[[Avengers vs. X-Men]]'' storyline, the Red Skull mysteriously returns and assembles a team called the [[S-Men]]. The Red Skull's S-Men attack [[Rogue (Marvel Comics)|Rogue]] and the [[Scarlet Witch]] at [[Professor X]]'s grave and steal the mutant's body. In his hideout, the Red Skull is then seen removing Professor X's brain in a plot to "eradicate the mutant menace".<ref>''Uncanny Avengers'' #1. Marvel Comics.</ref> This Red Skull is revealed to be a clone of the original created by Arnim Zola in 1942 and held in [[cryogenic]] stasis in the event that Germany lost the war. Fusing part of Professor X's brain with his own, the Red Skull brainwashes the Scarlet Witch as part of a plot to wipe out the world's mutant population. Rogue attacks the Scarlet Witch and they fight until they both discover the lobotomized body of Professor X. The Red Skull arrives and reveals that he has fused his brain with Professor X's brain.<ref name="Uncanny Avengers #2">''Uncanny Avengers'' #2. Marvel Comics.</ref> Using Professor X's telepathy, the Red Skull provokes ordinary citizens of New York into a mass assault against even potential mutants, even managing to take control of [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]]. However, his telepathy is still erratic, with the Red Skull being unable to completely control Captain America and an attack against him by [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]] cutting off his right hand and disrupting his powers long enough for Rogue and the Scarlet Witch to break free.<ref>''Uncanny Avengers'' #3. Marvel Comics.</ref> The team ultimately force the Red Skull to retreat after Rogue manages to temporarily disrupt his powers, [[Havok (comics)|Havok]] mockingly comparing the Red Skull to the jock who beats up gay kids to conceal his own homosexuality.<ref>''Uncanny Avengers'' #4. Marvel Comics.</ref>

During the ''[[AXIS (comics)|AXIS]]'' storyline, Magneto finds out that the Red Skull has turned [[Genosha]] into a concentration camp for mutants and still has Professor X's brain inside him. Magneto attacks the Red Skull, but is quickly stopped by the S-Men.<ref>''Magneto'' (vol. 3) #9. Marvel Comics.</ref> The Red Skull mind-tortures Magneto with visions of those closest to the mutant suffering while being unable to do anything to stop it. After being freed by the Scarlet Witch, Rogue and Havok, he bites down on a vial beneath his skin of Mutant Growth Hormone, giving himself enough power to fight.<ref>''Magneto'' (vol. 3) #10. Marvel Comics.</ref> When the Scarlet Witch, Rogue and Havok want to leave the island and alert the rest of the Avengers and the X-Men of what the Red Skull is doing, Magneto wants to stay and fight. Before they can do anything, the Red Skull appears.<ref>''Uncanny Avengers'' #24. Marvel Comics.</ref> The Red Skull now has the group mind-controlled. He plans on using the Scarlet Witch's power to shape reality in his image. He tells Magneto to bow if the Scarlet Witch were to remain alive, but Magneto performs a sneak attack enough to break the Red Skull's control over the others. After killing the S-Men, Magneto attacks the Red Skull, who then tells Magneto that Professor X's greatest fear was leading the X-Men. Magneto kills the Red Skull while the others look on in horror. Magneto believes everything is over, only for the Red Skull to appear as a giant called "'''[[Onslaught (Marvel Comics)|Red Onslaught]]'''".<ref name= "Uncanny Avengers #25">''Uncanny Avengers'' #25. Marvel Comics.</ref>

In an attempt to defeat the new Red Onslaught and his army of Stark Sentinels—created from information acquired from Tony Stark during the time of the Superhuman Registration Act—Magneto gathers a team of villains to try to take the Red Skull's forces by surprise.<ref>''Avengers & X-Men: Axis'' #2. Marvel Comics.</ref> The Scarlet Witch attempts to cast a spell that will 'invert' the Red Skull and bring out the part of Professor X that still exists in his brain. However, the plan backfires when the resulting spell causes the moral inversion of all heroes and villains in the area.<ref>''Avengers & X-Men: Axis'' #4. Marvel Comics.</ref> With the villains now the only hope to defeat the corrupted heroes, Captain America is forced to protect the Red Skull (now calling himself the '''White Skull''') from the evil Avengers while Spider-Man works with the inverted villains to fight off the various corrupted heroes.<ref>''Avengers & X-Men: Axis'' #8. Marvel Comics.</ref> Doctor Doom is able to summon the spirit of [[Brother Voodoo]] to possess the Scarlet Witch and invert the spell, the Red Skull sacrificing his heroism and freedom to restore the heroes to normal. The Red Skull was later taken away by Doctor Doom.<ref>''Avengers & X-Men: Axis'' #9. Marvel Comics.</ref>

As part of the ''[[All-New, All-Different Marvel]]'', it is revealed that the Red Skull is hiding in [[Avengers Mansion]] (now a themed hotel as the various Avengers teams have moved on to new bases) in a secret underground room along with Sin (whose original appearance has been restored) ever since he was defeated. He is nearly discovered when [[Quicksilver (Marvel Comics)|Quicksilver]] and [[Deadpool]] investigate the room, but uses a psychic suggestion to convince them that the room is empty, as well as planting a command in Quicksilver's subconscious that will be triggered later.<ref>''Uncanny Avengers'' (vol. 2) #6. Marvel Comics.</ref>

During the ''[[Avengers: Standoff!]]'' storyline, the Red Skull infiltrates the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility Pleasant Hill by disguising himself as a priest named Father Patrick. As Patrick, the Red Skull secretly instigates an uprising of the facility's brainwashed inmates by manipulating Baron [[Helmut Zemo]] and the [[Fixer (Marvel Comics)|Fixer]] into restoring them to normal.<ref>''Captain America: Sam Wilson'' #7. Marvel Comics.</ref> In the aftermath of the battle with the villains at Pleasant Hill, the Red Skull founds his own version of HYDRA with Sin and Crossbones.<ref>''Avengers Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill Omega'' #1. Marvel Comics.</ref>

Their first strike occurs when they use [[Kobik]]—a sentient Cosmic Cube that once belonged to the Red Skull, now 'educated' to perceive HYDRA as a great organization—to manipulate [[Alternative versions of Captain America#Earth-61311|Steve Rogers's memories into believing of being a HYDRA sleeper agent since childhood]],<ref name="ReferenceA">''Steve Rogers: Captain America'' #2. Marvel Comics.</ref> although the Red Skull is unaware that the HYDRA-converted soldier now intends to stage a coup of the organization for his own ends.<ref>''Steve Rogers: Captain America'' #4. Marvel Comics.</ref>

The Red Skull eventually mounts an assault on the Avengers, using previously planted commands to take control of the team, but Deadpool is able to resist him long enough to place Magneto's old helmet on Rogue's head, rendering Rogue immune to telepathy long enough to knock the Red Skull out and take him to be operated on by [[Beast (Marvel Comics)|Beast]].<ref name= "Uncanny Avengers Vol. 3 #21">''Uncanny Avengers'' (vol. 3) #21. Marvel Comics.</ref> The fragment of Professor X's brain is extracted from the Red Skull, but although Rogers attempts to take custody of the fragment for his own ends, Rogue and [[Human Torch|Johnny Storm]] fly up and incinerate the brain fragment, leaving the Red Skull to be taken into 'custody' by Rogers.<ref>''Uncanny Avengers'' (vol. 3) #22. Marvel Comics.</ref> Although Red Skull is rescued by Sin, she and Crossbones subsequently betray the Red Skull to prove loyalty to Rogers, who kills the clone for good by pushing him over the cliff outside the Red Skull's mansion with Rogers revealing never being loyal to the Red Skull from the beginning.<ref>''Captain America: Steve Rogers'' #15. Marvel Comics.</ref>

During the ''[[Secret Empire (2017 comic)|Secret Empire]]'' storyline, the disheveled man in a torn World War II uniform that introduced himself as Steve Rogers, alongside people claiming to be "Bucky" and "Sam Wilson", encounters the Red Skull's clone who plans to taken them "home".<ref>''Secret Empire'' #5. Marvel Comics.</ref> As the other Steve Rogers is hanging from a rope tied to a tree, he finds himself next to a rambling man. As the Red Skull's clone takes the rambling man away, he tells the other Steve Rogers that his time will come soon. The other Steve Rogers asks the Red Skull's clone where he is and the Red Skull's clone claims that they are in "Hell". He also states that they are nothing but ghosts that are remnants fading into death. The Red Skull's clone then uses a barbed bat on the other Steve Rogers' chest, stating that the only path to peace is death.<ref>''Secret Empire'' #6. Marvel Comics.</ref> The Red Skull's clone is torturing the other Steve Rogers with a burning, thorn-wrapped piece of wood. The Red Skull's clone claims he is granting the other Steve Rogers "peace" and is about to deliver the killing blow to the other Steve Rogers. Before he can strike, the other Steve Rogers sees the beautiful blond girl he saw at the beginning of the series who was the same one that was poisoned and that he thought had died. He realizes there is still hope and evades the Red Skull's clone's attack. The other Steve Rogers then tackles the Red Skull's clone and they both plummet off the cliff into the water below. The Red Skull's clone calls the other Steve Rogers an idiot for his actions.<ref>''Secret Empire'' #7. Marvel Comics.</ref>