The Liberation of Helmut Zemo was the prison escape of Helmut Zemo orchestrated by him and Bucky Barnes.

Background[]

Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes set to investigate the source of the new Super Soldier Serum that enhanced a group of super soldiers they had confronted . Barnes brought Wilson to meet with Isaiah Bradley, a super soldier Barnes fought as the Winter Soldier during the Korean War. Bradley revealed to the duo that he spent thirty years imprisoned following the war, being used for experiments by the U.S. Government and HYDRA, before kicking them out. Suspecting that there may be a link between HYDRA and the new serum, Barnes suggested to Wilson that they visit Helmut Zemo in prison to extract information about HYDRA from him, as he spent years researching HYDRA, to which Wilson reluctantly agreed.^[3]

Barnes asked Wilson to allow him to speak to Zemo alone within the Berlin Correctional Facility. When Barnes revealed to Zemo the recreation of the Super Soldier Serum, Zemo deduced that Barnes assumed a connection to HYDRA and his desperation was what led him to Zemo. Barnes knew Zemo would not help him unless he helped free him from the prison.^[4]

Escape[]

At the end of his interrogation with Helmut Zemo, Bucky Barnes asked Zemo what book he was reading. Zemo slid the book to Barnes who examined the book before handing it back to Zemo. Upon inspecting the book, Zemo found that Barnes had hidden a key card in it. While leaving the Berlin Correctional Facility, Barnes dropped a note in front of a prisoner that read in German "He will kill you tonight. Kill him first." This prompted the prisoner to attack the prisoner across the table from him, which resulted in a brawl breaking out and lockdown procedures being initiated.

Zemo used this as opportunity to escape from his cell. A supervisor at the prison, Menz tried to stop Zemo, but was incapacitated quickly. Zemo stole the supervisor's outfit and used it as a disguise, and used the key card Barnes gave him to move through the prison doors. He then pulled the fire alarm, forcing an evacuation of the prison. Zemo used this chaos to escape the prison without being seen.^[4]

Aftermath[]

John Walker and Lemar Hoskins were assigned to question the staff and review the security footage at the Berlin Correctional Facility following Helmut Zemo's escape. They learned that Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes had visited Zemo the same day he escaped, and concluded that they were involved in Zemo's escape.

Zemo aided Wilson and Barnes in their search for the Super Soldier Serum and the Flag Smashers. Wilson made it clear to Zemo that he was not allowed to move without their permission and that he would return to prison when their search was over.^[4]

During their search, Ayo managed to track down the group, determined to return Zemo to prison. Barnes informed Ayo that he needed Zemo and that Zemo was a means to an end, and Ayo agreed to give him eight hours before she would return to arrest Zemo.

Later, while Wilson, Barnes, and Zemo were at Zemo's residence in Riga, Latvia, Walker and Hoskins found them to apprehend Zemo, followed by the Dora Milaje, who arrived with the same goal, as the eight hours Ayo gave Barnes were over. While a fight ensued over who would get to apprehend Zemo, Zemo escaped through a sewer in the bathroom.^[5]

Barnes later found Zemo at the Sokovian Memorial in Sokovia, where the Dora Milaje took Zemo into custody, taking him to be imprisoned in the Raft.^[6]

References[]