DEATH'S HEAD SATELLITE

Classification: Terrestrial technology

Creator: Hate-Monger, the Red Skull (Johann Shmidt)

Users/Possessors: The Red Skull

First Appearance: Captain America I#226 (October, 1978)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Death's Head Satellite emitted a crimson beam which transformed anyone it struck into a physical and mental duplicate of the Red Skull, including a red skull-like face.

History: (Super-Villain Team-Up#16 (fb)) - The Red Skull constructed his Death's Head Satellite with the assistance of the Hate-Monger, who based its design upon his hate-ray.

(Captain America I#226) - The Red Skull fired his Death's Head Satellite upon the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, slowly assimilating the entire crew. One of the controlled S.H.I.E.L.D. agents disrupted the controls of the training robot Impact 739, placing Captain America in peril. Ultimately everyone onboard the Helicarrier from Nick Fury to Dum-Dum Dugan was taken over-- except for Captain America.

(Captain America I#227) - The Red Skull, in possesion of Nick Fury's body, attempted to trick Captain America into killing Fury by threatening the life of a Nick Fury LMD, but Captain America guessed his plan and defeated him without harming him. He then took the controller for the satellite away from Fury, and had the satellite destroyed.

(Captain America I#370) - A miniature duplicate of the Death's Head Satellite was held with the Red Skull's many past glories in his trophy room at Skull House. After his ordeal at the hands of Magneto, the Red Skull was given a tour of his trophies by Crossbones, who hoped to revive his boss' spirit.

Comments: Created by Roger McKenzie, Sal Buscema, Mike Esposito and John Tartag.

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Death's Head Satellite should not be confused with:

• DEATH's HEAD (Dr. Paxton Page) - father of Karen Page, perfected cobalt bomb, driven insanely paranoid by cobalt radiation on which he worked--Daredevil I#56
  
• DEATH's HEAD impostor - see DEATH STALKER, impersonating Page--Ghost Rider II#18
• DEATH's HEAD -  mechanoid "freelance peacekeeping agent," created by Lupex and Pyra on Styrakos--"High Noon Tex"
• DEATH's HEAD of Earth-8410 - created by Dr. Evelyn Necker in 2020 A.D, absorbed mind of Death's Head (FPA) and 105 others, partner of Tuck; aka MINION--Death's Head II#1
• DEATH's HEAD 3.0 of Earth-616 - Warguard cyborgs modified by Dr. Necker using A.I.M. know-how--Revolutionary War: Death's Head II#1
• DEATH's HEAD 3.0 of Earth-6216 - apparently created by Monica Rappacini using one of the Death's Head Warguard, imbued with a facsimile of the Uni-power, used by Varina Goddard in effort to assassinate UN officials, resisted programming and instructed Ray Hidalgo how to deactivate it, after which it was used for black ops--Amazing Fantasy II#16
• DEATH's HEAD 4.0 - created by Evelyn Necker-616--Death's Head IV#3
• DEATH's HEAD 5.0 - see VEE - created by Evelyn Necker-616--Death's Head IV#1
• DEATH's HEADs - Fearmongers designed by Evelyn Necker-616, upgraded to the software of Vee and took Death's Head forms, given autonomy and freed by Vee, Death's Head-FPA, Hawkeye, Hulkling and Wiccan--Death's Head IV#4
• DEATH’s HEAD SQUADRON/COMMANDOS - Gnobians, offspring of the mother after she had become warped from mental interface with Wolfgang von Strucker, took name from Strucker’s slain personal SS Troops--Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#1
  
• DEATH's HEAD WARGUARDS - Sakaar, used by Red King--Incredible Hulk III#92
• DEATH'S HEAD HAWKMOTHS - moths with a vaguely human skull-like pattern on the thorax, as shown in the Silence of the Lambs movie
• SILVER DEATH's HEAD - criminal gang--Doc Savage#3
• DH2 - the ship of the Freelance Peacekeeping Agent Death's Head. It was based on his old ship from his days with the Transformers--Death's Head I#7
• other "Death's Head" characters, groups, items, events, races or places...

Images taken from:
Captain America I#226, page 15, panel 4

First posted: 06/01/2004
Last updated: 03/22/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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