Friday, June 16, 2023

SUPER-VILLAIN YEARBOOK: RED SKULL 1941

(Captain America Comics 007, 1941)

What was the Red Skull up to in 1941?


As mentioned in the Red Skull II entry, this here is the real deal bad guy we all know and love to hate, still running around being a total stinker to this day. In-comic there is of course no indication of this, as the decision to differentiate the two was made years later when someone figured that the top Nazi villain worked better as a German guy than an American fascist. Consequently this is a pretty scant Yearbook entry, as most of the Red Skulling for the year was done by another guy.


Intended or not, this Red Skull has it a bit more together than his semi-predecessor: for one, he has a much creepier mask and has supplemented the red skull calling card with an audible element: Chopin's Funeral March. AND! He engages with that finest of comic book traditions by wearing a rubberoid mask over his regular mask! Batman eat your heart out.

As far as actual crimes go... he kills a couple of guys and briefly frames Captain America for kidnapping a General. Mediocre.

SKULL SCORE: 3/5, just like the other guy. It ain't gonna change until he melts his face off in... I want to say the early 80s?

RED SKULL 1941

BODY COUNT: 2

END-OF-YEAR STATUS: Presumed dead

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