BARON HEINRICH ZEMO
Counter-Earth Franklin
Real Name: Heinrich Zemo
Identity/Class: Extra-dimensional (Counter Earth
Franklin) human technology user, citizen of Germany
Occupation: World Party official, leader of the
Thunderbolts
Group Membership: Thunderbolts (Chain
Lightning/Voletta Todd, Iron Cross/Helmut Zemo, Makeshift/Amie
Zamborano, Phantom Eagle/Lloyd Bloch, Solarr)
Affiliations: AIM, MODOK, Red Skull, World Party
Enemies: Bucky (Rikki Barnes), Cable (Nathan Dayspring Summers), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Loki, Thunderbolts (Atlas/Erik Josten/Dallas Riordan, Fixer/Norbert P. Ebersol, Jolt/Hallie Takahama, MACH-3/Abe Jenkins, Moonstone/Karla Sofen), Young Allies (Bucky/Rikki Barnes, I.Q., Kid Colt/Elric Freedom, the Rip, Toro/Benito Serrano)
Known Relatives: Helmut Zemo (son)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Germany, Counter-Earth Franklin
First Appearance: Captain America II#6 (April, 1997)
Powers/Abilities: Baron Heinrich Zemo possessed no
known superhuman abilities. A natural tactician and strategist, he was
also a scientific genius with a ruthless streak. Zemo was a gifted
public speaker, knowledgeable in the subtle manipulation of groups of
people. Through unrevealed ways he is exceptionally long-lived.
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Grey
History:
(Captain America II#7 (fb) - BTS) - During World War II, Baron Heinrich
Zemo fought on the side of the Nazis. He faced the allied super-soldier
Captain America.
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Zemo had a son whom he named Helmut.
(Captain America II#6 (fb) - BTS) - In modern times, the return of the
Red Skull caused Zemo to resurface as well. He allied himself with AIM
and their gargantuan leader MODOK, as well as the World Party, a
political organisation led in secret by the Red Skull.
(Captain America II#6) - When Zemo, MODOK and a contingent of AIM troops
took over the SHIELD Helicarrier, they were swiftly defeated by Captain
America, Bucky and the dimensionally displaced mutant psionic Cable. Cap
made short work of his old enemy Zemo.
(Avengers II#8) - Following their defeat, Zemo, MODOK and the AIM forces
were locked up in the Helicarrier's special detention area. Not too long
afterwards, they were visited by Loki who wasted no time reverting them
into energy which he absorbed to increase his own power (see
comments).
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - After
Earth's heroes left Counter-Earth Franklin, the planet suffered a
series of natural disasters that led to global catastrophes. The
problems didn't end even after Doctor Doom shifted the world from its
pocket dimension to Earth-616's solar system. Throughout the ongoing
crises, Germany remained one of the few nations that managed to
maintain a thriving economy. As a result, the European country quickly
rose to power and prominence.
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Hoping to capitalize on Germany's
newfound importance, the World Party took center stage, now claiming
to be a political alliance with tentative ties to, among others,
France and the United States. Baron Heinrich Zemo was tasked to head
up an elite team of super powered operatives.
(Thunderbolts I#60 (fb) - BTS) - Zemo founded the Thunderbolts: a
group of international heroes operating out of Germany, but fighting
for all of Earth. With himself as leader and his son Helmut in the
Iron Cross combat armor, he recruited France's national heroine Chain
Lightning as well as the American mercenaries Makeshift, Solarr and
Phantom Eagle.
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - The Thunderbolts operated together
for at least eight months. Zemo assured their allegiance by offering
them a comfortable, luxury filled lifestyle.
(Thunderbolts I#61 (fb) - BTS) - Ever suspicious, Zemo had listening
devices planted on all the members of his team so he could always be
aware of what they were up to.
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Baron Zemo spearheaded
a World Party approved plan to give Germany world dominance. The
country would be launching a satellite that they claimed would help
restore global communications. In reality, it was designed to only
allow Germany access, which would give the country control over the
world economy. The Thunderbolts agreed to help Zemo carry out this
scheme.
(Thunderbolts I#61 (fb) - BTS) - Zemo and his Thunderbolts used their
individual powers and expertise to help construct the rocket.
(Thunderbolts I#60 (fb) - BTS) - Zemo took the Thunderbols to the
former Soviet Union to locate and secure a prototype fuel injector
assembly for the rocket.
(Thunderbolts I#59) - While in Russia, Zemo's team came across the
unconscious bodies of the Thunderbolts who had just been transported
to Counter-Earth following their fight against Graviton.
(Thunderbolts I#60) - Zemo immediately assumed the worst, suspecting
these unknown mercenaries were sent to thwart his mission. The Fixer
was the first to wake and bought time for his teammates to recover by
trying to talk his way out of the situation. He also used the weapons
in his Tech-Pac to keep the Thunderbolts at bay. Moonstone managed to
sow momentary dissension in their ranks by suggesting the World Party
did not trust the Thunderbolts enough. Zemo immediately saw through
her ruse but he did buy Moonstone's next lie. He believed these
strangers were indeed mercenaries simply hired to check if his team
was doing its duty. Satisfied with that explanation, Zemo allowed them
to leave.
(Thunderbolts I#60 - BTS) - Zemo's Thunderbolts retrieved the fuel
injector and returned to Germany. When Earth's Thunderbolts learned of
Germany's upcoming launch, they decided to hijack the rocket and use
it to leave Counter-Earth.
(Thunderbolts I#61) - Zemo's Thunderbolts continued to work on the
rocket after returning from the Soviet Union. Thanks to his listening
devices, Zemo overheard Solarr and Makeshift openly discussing the
true nature of the rocket's payload and he smirked when the ever
ambitious Iron Cross forcefully set them straight.
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Earth's
Thunderbolts made it from Russia to Germany hours before the rocket
launch. Fixer created fake press credentials for Moonstone so she
could go on a fact finding mission to the base. Posing as a reporter,
she had an interview with the Phantom Eagle, who took a liking to her.
At the same time Iron Cross was working on the launch tower with Abe
Jenkins (MACH-3) who believed centenarian Helmut Gruller was inside
the armor.
(Thunderbolts I#62) - Shortly before the launch, Zemo held a rousing
speech in German in which he claimed an era of unprecedented renewal
for all mankind was about to begin. In the crowd, Hallie Takahama
couldn't help but notice he sounded like Adolf
Hitler.
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Unbeknownst to the
Thunderbolts, Atlas had been busy tunneling through the ground to
create a direct route to the launchpad.
(Thunderbolts I#62 - BTS) - 46 minutes before the launch, the Fixer
abandoned his allies to carry out a mission for Helmut Zemo whose
digitized essence was stored inside his Tech-Pac. Zemo threatened to
kill Fixer by disrupting the Tech-Pac's life-preserving systems if
Ebersol didn't find him a new body.
(Thunderbolts I#62) - After entering the facility, Fixer used gas to
take out Solarr and Zemo and shortcircuited Makeshift, Chain Lightning
and Phantom Eagle. He then used his technological mastery to send
Zemo's into his target: Iron Cross. When Heinrich Zemo recovered from
the gas, he was too busy monitoring the launch to notice any
difference in his son. As a result, he was defenseless when Zemo used
the Iron Cross' weapons to mercilessly gun him down.
(Thunderbolts I#62 - BTS) - The rocket launch went ahead as scheduled,
but Earth's heroes made sure it exploded before it could deliver its
payload. MACH-3 and Fixer then put out a worldwide broadcast,
revealing Zemo and Germany's deception. The surviving members of
Zemo's Thunderbolts were presumably incarcerated (see comments).
Comments: Created by Fabian Nicieza, Mark Bagley,
Al Vey.
Just how Zemo survived getting turned to energy by Loki is never
explained on panel. However, given the malleable nature of
Counter-Earth Franklin, it's not unthinkable that energy can revert
back to the form it had been willed to exist in. It's best not to
spend too much time contemplating the implications of Franklin's
planet. The world itself is barely a few years old, yet people like
Zemo have memories going back to the 1940s?
The fate of the surviving Counter Earth Thunderbolts remains
unrevealed. It stands to reason they were apprehend for trying to take
over the world, one wonders what Solarr, Makeshift and Chain Lightning
are doing now.
Though they never met on panel, the Young Allies are included among
the Thunderbolts' enemies. Zemo and Rikki Barnes had a history and the
two teams have naturally opposing agendas. The Young Allies are even
seen watching MACH-3 reveal the Bolts' deception on television,
proving they were at least aware of Zemo and his minions.
Profile by Norvo
CLARIFICATIONS:
Baron Heinrich Zemo should not be confused with
Images: (without ads)
Thunderbolts I#60, p2, pan1 (main)
Captain America II#6, p13, pan2 (fights Captain America)
Thunderbolts I#62, p6, pan4 (reminds Hallie of someone)
Thunderbolts I#62, p17, pans3&4 (shot by Zemo)
Appearances:
Captain America II#6 (April, 1997) - Rob Liefeld & Jeph Loeb
(writers), Rob Liefeld (pencils), Jon Sibal & Larry Stucker
(inks), Eric Stephenson (editor)
Captain America II#7 (May, 1997) - James Robinson (writer), Joe
Philips & Travis Charest (pencils), Homage Studios (inks), Mike
Heisler (editor)
Avengers II#8 (June, 1997) - Walter Simonson (writer), Michael Ryan
(pencils), Saleem Crawford, Will Conrad, Norm Rapmund (inks), Rachelle
Brissenden (editor)
Thunderbolts I#59 (February, 2002) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Mark
Bagley (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Thunderbolts I#60 (March, 2002) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Patrick
Zircher (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Thunderbolts I#61 (April, 2002) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Patrick
Zircher (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Thunderbolts I#62 (May, 2002) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Patrick
Zircher (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First Posted: 08/29/2021
Last Updated: 08/29/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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