Blog Post 3 - Red Skull

For this prompt I decided to write about the Marvel villain, Red Skull. In 1941, set in the middle of World War II, Marvel Comics launched the Captain America series, a story about an American super soldier created to fight the evil Nazis and uphold the American ideals. These comic book tales regaled readers with “good” American beliefs and adventure by using the current enemy at the time. The Red Skull became the epitome of all that is evil in these comics. The Red Skull came from a tragic childhood; born as Johann Schmidt, his mother died from childbirth and his father blamed him for her death and tried to kill him. After the doctor saved him, Johann was entered into the orphanage where he led a reclusive life until he ran away at the age of seven. He then lived off the streets and was incarcerated many times for crimes ranging from vagrancy to theft. Johann worked for a Jewish shopkeeper and lusted after the shopkeeper’s daughter. After forcing himself upon her and then being rejected, Johann killed the daughter and found joy in the act. Johann organized his meeting with Hitler and was able to get in his good graces. He eventually worked his way up the ranks and became Hitler’s right-hand man; he was given the moniker Red Skull to serve as a Nazi general. Still unsatisfied with his rank he arranged multiple deaths in Hitler’s army and grew in power. His new goal was to overthrow Hitler and conquer the world himself.

               The Red Skull was a man that had let greed turn him into a monster. His desire for power led him down a more evil path. Similar to Linebaugh and Rediker’s analysis of Class Discipline in “The Many-Headed Hydra” those in power used harsh physical punishment to gain order in their favor. These harsh environments made others conform to the higher ruling power. The Red Skull used violence, espionage, and sabotage to overtake cities, defeat Allied armies, and kill other Nazi generals to gain rank. The more violence the Red Skull used resulted in more greed for power. Captain America, who was the main opposition for Red Skull, represented the archenemy and hatred the Red Skull had; similar to the defectors who suffered harsh punishments from Sir Thomas Gates and Thomas Dale. The Red Skull’s greed for power could have stemmed from his poor childhood. Linebaugh and Rediker detail the rough conditions and views on the poor and vagabonds. Once the poor got some power and equality they did not want to give it up, as detailed in the Sea-Venture’s story.