Heinrich Zemo (Earth-8096)

Early Life[]

Baron Heinreich Zemo was the leader of Hydra, a terrorist organization that plunged the world into World War II. He led his forces as they conquered all of Europe. Along with Arnim Zola, he was especially involved in the bio-weapons division of Hydra. When Captain America arrived on the scene and aided the Allies in their battles against Hydra, Zemo created their version of the "Super-Soldier Serum". The result was the megalomanical Red Skull, he commanded the forces of Hydra, intensifying the war.

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 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 permanently and infecting his vital bodily systems.^[1]

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. He went into hiding alongside Arnim Zola, whose been using his machines to keep the Virus X at bay, and Zemo alive. This process kept him alive for decades, until his eventual capture by S.H.I.E.L.D.^[1]

Imprisonment[]

They imprisoned him in the secret underwater facility known as the "Raft". ^[3] For six years he was incarcerated in maximum security, until a mysterious power failure caused a mass breakout at all four supervillain prisons, allowing him to escape.^[4]

Breakout[]

Upon his freedom, he confronted Baron Strucker at the Hydra Island base. He learns that Strucker, his right hand man during WWII, took over as leader during his absence. Zemo tries to take back control of his organization, until a Hydra agent reports that Captain America has been found, alive. He forgets trying to reclaim Hydra, and sets out to destroy his old nemesis once and for all.^[1]

Captain America' Return[]

After finding Arnim Zola and receiving a needed treatment for Virus X, he borrows one of his monstrous creations, "Doughboy", to distract the Avengers. As they battle the creature on Liberty Island, he sends another to the Avengers Mansion to deal with Wasp. Once she is taken care of, Zemo confronts Captain America, for the first time in decades. He has the upper hand, and nearly kills Captain America after disarming him, but the Black Panther aids Cap and returns his shield. Zemo is defeated, but he detonates a bomb that destroys part of the mansion. He makes his escape, limping, while Cap saves the unconscious Wasp from the blast.

Furious that Cap defeated him, and that Doughboy failed him, Zemo returns to Arnim's hideout. He vows now to destroy all the Avengers for denying him his revenge. But upon entering the hideout, he discovers the Enchantress and the Executioner, standing over the unconscious Arnim Zola. Amora the Enchantress then tells Zemo she comes offering a proposition.^[1]

Recruitment[]

Later, she and Zemo find and reassemble Simon Williams, aka "Wonder Man", after his ionic energy form destabilized while fighting the Avengers.^[5] They offer him the chance to be restored to human form, if he helps them destroy the Avengers. Soon after that, he recruited the Crimson Dynamo to his cause. Zemo and the Enchantress monitor the Leader's transmission to the world. After that, he, Enchantress, Executioner, Wonder Man, and Vanko found the dying Abomination in the Nevada Desert, after being defeated by the Hulk. ^[6]

Masters of Evil[]

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 security pass to infiltrate the Mansion, where Dynamo defeated Iron Man, who was caught off guard while checking his armor inventory. Enchantress then tricked Hulk, and exiled him to the Asgardian realm of the Frost Giants, leaving only Captain America to defeat. Simon and Executioner took him down, while Zemo mockingly had the last laugh.

After luring Thor back to the Avengers Mansion, Zemo believed he now had all the Avengers defeated. Zemo began to toy with imprisoned Captain America, he also let slip that he was working with someone who would ensure he would finally rule the world. Around this time, Hawkeye and Black Panther caught the Masters of Evil off guard and began taking them down one by one. After capturing them as well, they revealed to Zemo that they were simply a diversion, while the shrunken Ant-Man crept back into his labs. Pym appeared and used his technology to destabilize Simon, while Hawkeye and Panther freed the rest of the Avengers. Near defeat, the Enchantress teleported the Masters to safety, back to Arnim's laboratory.^[7]

Norn Stones[]

The Masters, working for Loki tried to get the Norn Stones, to bring an Asgardian invasion to Midgard. The Avengers divided in order to get the Stones. Using a special collar, Zemo controlled Enchantress and ordered her to make the coming army be at his service, but Thor's intervention freed Enchantress, and he managed to advise the Avengers to destroy the Norn Stones. While the Avengers were transported to different Realms after destroying the Stones, he knocked out Enchantress, who blamed him for her failure.^[8]

When she started searching for him, and almost killing many of his teammates in the process, Zemo asked for help to the Avengers. Enchantress managed to get to the Avengers Mansion and when she threatened to kill him, he used the last Norn Stone against her, but when he was distracted, she took it from him. Wonder Man sacrificed himself destroying the Stone, and the energy freed knocked out the Avengers and the Masters. ^[9]

Acts of Vengeance[]

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 he was but told her where Chemistro was but was betrayed and frozen between his humanoid body and laser body. She then hunted down Chemistro thinking he knew where Zemo was but he didn't. He then lead her to Arnim Zola before she used his gun to turn him to gold. She then tried to get info from him but failed. 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 which would neutralize her powers, not knowing he was a Skrull. After the Enchantress came, Captain didn't activate the machine, disappointing him but he did have a back up plan by using a different type of Norn Stone. However during the battle it was destroyed by Wonder Man and transported the Enchantress to Muspelheim. He then looked at Cap and said "you would have let the Enchantress destroy me! You have changed, Captain." Then the Skrull said "you have no idea who I am" and he saw a Skrull shadow before knocking him out. Zemo, as well as most of his comrades were sent to Prison 42.^[10]

Prison 42[]

Baron Zemo was incarcerated along the rest of the team in the Prison 42 based in the Negative Zone. Later, when Annihilus was about to attack the prison, 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.^[11]

Stolen Avengers Identicard

Pistol, sword

• Voiced by Robin Atkin Downes.