EDITORIAL: Why the Red Skull is the greatest Marvel movie villain

EDITORIAL: Why the Red Skull is the greatest Marvel movie villain

While many fans agree that Loki is the one of the best Marvel movie villain thus far, I would like to argue that another Marvel movie baddie- the Red Skull- is as deserving of the spotlight, if not more so, than Loki.

Editorial Opinion
By CapitanAmerika2 - Sep 06, 2013 10:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Captain America
Source: ComicBookMovie.com

The other day the famous CBM.com user LEVITIKUZ were having a discussion on Marvel movie's villains. It is his belief that none of the Marvel movie villains, including fan favorite Loki, has been great thus far. I then proceeded to ask about my favorite Marvel baddie of all time, the Red Skull. LEVITIKUZ said exactly, "Red Skull was ok. He wasn't great or special. He didn't do anything memorable. He was typically "destroy the world" villain. Hell I don't even remember one thing Red Skull did." It is my goal to prove that the Red Skull is the greatest Marvel movie baddie thus far.

1. The Red Skull is responsible for the "deaths" of Captain America and Bucky.

As those who have watched Captain America: The First Avenger recall both Bucky and Captain America both supposedly perished in the movie. Of course we in the real world know that Captain America is alive and still fighting evil alongside the Avengers, and we know that Bucky has survived into the modern day as Winter Soldier. However, do you think Cap's love Peggy Carter knows Steve and Bucky are alive yet. Also Howard Stark, the man who is just responsible for Cap's Birth as Abraham Erskine, died never knowing Steve survived. The same goes for Dum Dum, Falsworth, and the rest of the crew that fought alongside Captain America to bring HYDRA down during the war. Therefore the Red Skull did something that Loki even couldn't, and that is "kill" his archenemy.

2. If it weren't for the Red Skull the Avengers might never have formed.

Even though Loki is directly responsible for the formation of the Avengers, the Red Skull laid the foundation down for the team's formation by finding the Tesseract. Just think that if the Red Skull had never found the Tesseract, or had tried a different plan to conquer the world than using the Tesseract, Loki would never have come back from exile and the Chitauri would never have attacked New York. In other words we have the Avengers today because the Red Skull found the Tesseract during World War II.

3. The Red Skull is responsible for the Winter Soldier.

On the day Schmidt gave Arnim Zola to try and stop Captain America on the train to HYDRA's base it became imminent that Bucky would become the Winter Soldier, when he "died" during that fateful train battle. This will definitely be a sore point for Cap if he cant save his former friend from himself because he will always know that it was the Red Skull, his greatest enemy, that turned his best friend into a foe.

However, the Red Skull is not just great in Captain America: The First Avenger. If the Red Skull ever comes back to the MCU then he could be an even bigger threat than he was in Captain America: The First Avenger. For example:

4. The Red Skull could bring down SHIELD.

It has been speculated that Robert Redford's character, Alexander Pierce, is actually the Red Skull back from the dead (if he died). If this is the case then a plot point for Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Captain America 3 is that Schmidt could destroy SHIELD from within and from the ashes arises a new HYDRA to terrorize the world. Of course this could lead to the Red Skull killing key SHIELD members like Nick Fury and Maria Hill. Although, a way to incorporate the show Agents of SHIELD into the movie universe is that Coulson and his team could fight alongside Cap to defeat the Red Skull once and for all. Then Coulson could replace Nick Fury as the director of a new SHIELD.

5. The Red Skull could have his own war with the Avengers.

One of the plot points to the newest Avengers animated series Avengers Assemble is that the Red Skull forms a team of villains called the Cabal to counter the Avengers. I really hope that this becomes the plot for some Avengers movie, only instead of the Cabal, the Red Skull could form the Masters of Evil in the place of Baron Zemo. This could lead to a partnership between Loki and the Red Skull as the leaders of the team which the game Avengers Initiative had indicated before it was cancelled.


Well I hope you the reader will find my arguments valid, and if not I will just debate you further in the comments section.

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bazinga85
bazinga85 - 9/7/2013, 12:01 AM
Sorry to disagree, but Red Skull was awful IMO. He just wasn't interesting or memorable at all.
Minato
Minato - 9/7/2013, 12:55 AM
I liked Red Skull and points 1-3 make a lot of sense. Great editorial
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 9/7/2013, 4:57 AM
Nope. Shit villain.

Riddler was more memorable.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 9/7/2013, 5:38 AM
Give me one reason he was memorable? There is none. Lets think of some memorable CBM villains:

Lex because of the Superman films

Zod with the KNEEL BEFORE ZOD

Joker with the party at the end and church scene

Penguin because he was so disturbing

Catwoman because Michelle was fine

Riddler because he blew up the Batcave

Magneto because he's been in all the X-Men films

Green Goblin because of the Bridge scene and Graveyard fight

Doc Ock due to the fight scenes and Molina's performance

Maybe Sandman for 2 reasons. Train fight & Stay Puff Sandman at the end but I'm not sure

Loki because he's Thor's brother and been in 2 films with a third coming

Joker with the chaos and Ledger's performance

Bane because he broke the Bat

That's really it on the Marvel/DC films. Don't think I'm missing anyone.

What did Red Skull do that was different? That no villain has ever done? Nothing really.
maninfinesuit
maninfinesuit - 9/7/2013, 5:44 AM
Red Skull could have been that much better if they hadn't swept the Nazis under the rug. The whole 'Hail Hydra!' bit just felt sugar-coated.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 9/7/2013, 5:44 AM
2 reasons is he could do this but haven't done it.

Also he didnt kill Bucky. Bucky feel off a train. Red Skull was no where near there.

Also he's responsible for the Avengers? Shield is not RS. They've been trying to get the Avengers since IM1.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 9/7/2013, 5:48 AM
I forgot Two-Face from TDK. Great villain.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 9/7/2013, 5:51 AM
Also Liam Ra's.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 9/7/2013, 6:17 AM
Also Red Skull never killed Cap. Cap choose to go down with the ship for some reason that was incredibly forced. It was Cap's choice to die not Red Skull.
EdgyOutsider
EdgyOutsider - 9/7/2013, 6:36 AM
I won't say Redskull is a shit villain nor will I say that none of the MCU villains aren't great. Some are good, some aren't and then there's Loki and upcoming villains with potential. I agree with Levi for the most part on his villains list. Although, Loki is great cause he is the god of mischief and is understandably emotionally damaged. Doc Ock is over rated, love him but he is over rated.

I would say either Loki or the Abomination for greatest MCU villain thus far. But, between now and whenever this MCU ends, there are a lot of villains with potential. My most looked forward to are The Winter Soldier (my most anticipated solo sequel, sequel to the best solo Phase One movie), Thanos, Ronan, Ultron and whenever they get the Fantastic Four back, Dr.Doom.
EdgyOutsider
EdgyOutsider - 9/7/2013, 6:52 AM
@MAC: True but technically, he is/was still a villain.
CapitanAmerika2
CapitanAmerika2 - 9/7/2013, 9:31 AM
@LEVI: 1. Captain America: The First Avenger took place before Iron Man 1 so your argument about the Red Skull not being responsible for Avengers is invalid.

2. It was the Red Skull's men and the Red Skull's plan to kill Cap on the train that led to Bucky's death. Your argument about that is just like saying Joker wasn't responsible for Two Face in TDK.

3. If the Red Skull had the Valkyrie designed for any other purpose than how it was in the movie. But it is the fact that the Valkyrie was designed to destroy more cities than an ordinary bomber could that led to Cap's death. So once again it was the Skull's plan.

4. So do you want to know what makes the Red Skull so different from other villains? He actually killed his enemies which is something no other villain has done. Not even Bane can claim that since he didn't actually kill Batman in TDKR.
CapitanAmerika2
CapitanAmerika2 - 9/7/2013, 9:46 AM
Oh and one more thing. If it weren't for what Schmidt became after injecting himself with the formula, Erskine might not have perfected the Super Soldier formula and we would not have Captain America.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 9/7/2013, 10:22 AM
Red Skull kills his foes? So does Joker, Two-Face, Green Goblin, and others.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 9/7/2013, 10:23 AM
Zod killed Jor-El.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 9/7/2013, 10:31 AM
Joker shot down Batman's plane and the cop in 1 and poisoned Gotham.

Joker then blew up a hospitial, changed Harvey, killed Rachel.

Bane also killed all of his foes. Do you feel in charge
CapitanAmerika2
CapitanAmerika2 - 9/7/2013, 10:41 AM
What I meant is that the Red Skull actually killed the hero he was fighting. Joker, Two Face, Green Goblin, and all the rest have never done that.
gmoney0505
gmoney0505 - 9/7/2013, 10:42 AM
Red Skull who stayed in a lab like Ivan Vanko and ran away most of the film. Waving his fist in air during the montage constitute as being a great villain. Not even Hugo Weaving could save that horrendous written villain.
GinjaNinja
GinjaNinja - 9/7/2013, 11:34 AM
He's number 3.
Loki, Stein, then red skull.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 9/7/2013, 11:53 AM
But Red Skull never killed Cap....

Cap choose to put the plane in the ice.
OliverKlossof
OliverKlossof - 9/7/2013, 12:43 PM
Red Skull was a very generic villain. Hugo Weaving phoned in that performance IMO. There's a reason why he specifically said he would not go back to reprise the role...

LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 9/7/2013, 1:10 PM
0megaDaGod

Batman had an A bomb

Superman with the Kryptonite mountain

Jean Grey with the X plane

Iron Man with the Nuke

Cap with the plane is no different than any of these.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 9/8/2013, 5:42 AM
Which part fangz?
CapitanAmerika2
CapitanAmerika2 - 9/8/2013, 9:12 PM
I would have to get to know GOTG more before I become excited about it. My only exposure to them is their working alongside the Avengers to take on Korvac in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
BaronZemo
BaronZemo - 9/9/2013, 3:22 AM
Yes but they made him a supersoldier because they don't know how to handle a brainy villain without superpowers. I guess that if the Leader is made in a movie, he would be as strong as the Hulk or something.
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