Arnim Zola
Encyclopedia
Arnim Zola is a fictional character
a supervillain
appearing in the Marvel Comics
universe
. He is a master of biochemistry
, and frequent foe of Captain America
and the Avengers
.
, Arnim Zola first appeared in Captain America #208 (April 1977), followed by issues #209-212 (May-August 1977) of the same title.
The character subsequently appeared in Super-Villain Team-Up #17 {June 1980}, Captain America #275-277 (November 1982-January 1983), The Avengers Annual #13 (1984), X-Factor Annual #3 (1988), Captain America #350 (February 1989), Marvel Comics Presents #24 (July 1989), Captain America #383 (March 1991), #387 (July 1991), #393-396 (October 1991-January 1992), Captain America Annual #11 (1992), Marvel Comics Presents #106 (1992), Fury #1 (May 1994), Captain America #437 (March 1995), Iron Man/X-O Manowar: Heavy Metal #1 and X-O Manowar/Iron Man in Heavy Metal #1 (September 1996), Thunderbolts #4 (July 1997), #24 (March 1999), Wolverine #139 (June 1999), Thunderbolts #33 (December 1999), Captain America #50 (February 2002), Secret War: From the Files of Nick Fury (2005), Marvel Holiday Special #2006, Captain America #24 (January 2007), #26 (July 2007), X-Men #200 (August 2007), The Uncanny X-Men #488 (September 2007), Cable & Deadpool #45 (November 2007), Thunderbolts: International Incident (April 2008), Captain America #34-36 (March-May 2008), and #38 (July 2008), the wizard freebie deadpool #0, and most recently, Invaders Now! #2 (November 2010).
Arnim Zola received an entry in the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
#1, The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #1, and All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #12 (2006).
during World War II
who became one of the first human genetic engineers in history after finding papers and equipment used by the offshoot race of humanity, the Deviants
. He found a ready home among the Nazi party, who saw his actions as the ability to ensure the existence of a master race.
One of his first accomplishments was the creation of a brain pattern imprinting device, which would allow someone's mental essence to be projected into a cloned brain. Zola presented such a gift to Adolf Hitler
, creating the Hate-Monger
. Zola also used these skills to form a new body for himself, surviving through the war and into modern times.
The Red Skull
also financed some of Zola's experiments, allowing Zola to produce such creations as Primus, Doughboy
, and Man-Fish. This association led to Zola's first confrontation with Captain America in the jungle
s of Central America
.
Zola has since continued his experiments at various times and locations around the globe. Often, his crimes against humanity bring him into conflict with various heroes, from Captain America to Deadpool.
During one such experiment Zola collected humans from the rubble of New York City
after the devastation caused by the being known as Onslaught
. Zola endowed a teenager with superpowers, creating the hero known as Jolt
, who brought the Thunderbolts
to stop him.
As part of another experiment, he collected the DNAs of Basilisk
I, Ben and May Parker
, Bird-Man
II, Bucky
, Cheetah
, Cyclone, Gwen Stacy
, Kangaroo
I, Mirage
, Porcupine
I, Red Raven
, Ringer
, 5 of the Salem's Seven
, Turner D. Century
, and Whizzer and then used them to create Proto-Husks that were destroyed by Deadpool.
During the Endangered Species
storyline, Arnim Zola was among the 9 supervillain geniuses recruited by Beast
to help him reverse the effects of Decimation
.
In the aftermath of the Superhuman Civil War
, Zola joined the Red Skull
in his newest attempt to kill Captain America, which succeeds. Afterwards, while the Skull is busy in his plans on controlling America with a puppet government, Zola attempted to reverse-engineer a mysterious device given by Doctor Doom
, as well as craft a device that will separate the Skull's consciousness from the mind of Aleksander Lukin
, which was the result of misuse of the Cosmic Cube
. He manages to unlock the device's secrets and had a brainwashed Sharon Carter
hooked up to it. However, she breaks off the connection, just as S.H.I.E.L.D.
Agents storm the base. Zola quickly transfers the Skull out of Lukin but his current body was destroyed by the Grand Director
. Currently, the Skull is stuck in one of Zola's robot bodies.
Stuck in a computer somewhere, Zola is located by Norman Osborn
. He informs the current director of H.A.M.M.E.R. that Captain America was really locked in space and time on the date of his supposed death. Doom's machine was meant to bring him back for an unknown purpose but because of Sharon, he had become unstuck in time, causing him to relive the events of World War II. By the time Arnim Zola had rebuilt the machine in Castle Doom, Sharon Carter was brought to him so that he could transfer the Red Skull's mind into her body.
who were investigating the Shadow Council's mining operations inside of a bad continuum (a malformed reality). Although he was defeated by the Secret Avengers, his fate afterwards is unknown.
Zola's most noticeable feat, however, was performed upon himself. He has constructed a specially modified body which lacks a head. Instead, Zola's face is located - via holographic projection - on his chest, and atop his shoulders is an ESP Box, a psychotronic
device which he uses to exert his control over his monster creations. In a limited effect, the Box can also be used as an offensive weapon.
Whenever his current body is damaged, or utterly destroyed, Arnim is able to send his personality to another one stored elsewhere, thus giving himself a form of immortality
.
. Just like his Earth-616
incarnation he was also a Nazi biochemist. His role in World War II
was to make a cadre of special master race
troops so as to serve as Adolf Hitler
's bodyguards.
Captain America was able to infiltrate Arnim Zola's facility and kill his first experimental monster, which Zola dubbed "Siegsoldat" ("Victory soldier"). The experiment's dead body then fell on Arnim Zola, seemingly killing him.
However Arnim Zola did not die and the O.S.S.
rescued him so as to harvest his intellect on the post-war super soldier
program. Later they mapped his brain and created an artificial intelligence
out of it before the tumors he had could degrade his mind.
A short time before the Liberators attacked the United States, a white survivalist group called the "Marauders" attacked the military base where Arnim Zola's AI was being held and stole it, along with some other weaponry. Arnim Zola was then able to convince the leader of the "Marauders" to allow Zola to commence experiments on him.
Zola mutated the man until he was approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) tall and installed armor plating (and Zola's AI brain) on him with a hologram of Zola projected from the chest and was called "Uber-Siegsoldat". He then took over the "Marauders
" and got them to gather people for his experiments.
Captain America and the Falcon
were sent after him and were able to defeat him by freeing the people he had kidnapped, who promptly tore apart his body, whereupon Captain America collapsed a support strut onto the Zola AI.
A young, apparently fully human "Arnim Zola III" appeared in Ultimate Mystery, as a member of Roxxon's brain trust.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
a supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
appearing in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. He is a master of biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
, and frequent foe of Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
and the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
.
Publication history
Created by Jack KirbyJack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
, Arnim Zola first appeared in Captain America #208 (April 1977), followed by issues #209-212 (May-August 1977) of the same title.
The character subsequently appeared in Super-Villain Team-Up #17 {June 1980}, Captain America #275-277 (November 1982-January 1983), The Avengers Annual #13 (1984), X-Factor Annual #3 (1988), Captain America #350 (February 1989), Marvel Comics Presents #24 (July 1989), Captain America #383 (March 1991), #387 (July 1991), #393-396 (October 1991-January 1992), Captain America Annual #11 (1992), Marvel Comics Presents #106 (1992), Fury #1 (May 1994), Captain America #437 (March 1995), Iron Man/X-O Manowar: Heavy Metal #1 and X-O Manowar/Iron Man in Heavy Metal #1 (September 1996), Thunderbolts #4 (July 1997), #24 (March 1999), Wolverine #139 (June 1999), Thunderbolts #33 (December 1999), Captain America #50 (February 2002), Secret War: From the Files of Nick Fury (2005), Marvel Holiday Special #2006, Captain America #24 (January 2007), #26 (July 2007), X-Men #200 (August 2007), The Uncanny X-Men #488 (September 2007), Cable & Deadpool #45 (November 2007), Thunderbolts: International Incident (April 2008), Captain America #34-36 (March-May 2008), and #38 (July 2008), the wizard freebie deadpool #0, and most recently, Invaders Now! #2 (November 2010).
Arnim Zola received an entry in the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#1, The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #1, and All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #12 (2006).
Fictional character biography
Arnim Zola was a biochemistBiochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who became one of the first human genetic engineers in history after finding papers and equipment used by the offshoot race of humanity, the Deviants
Deviant (comics)
The Deviants are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics' universe. They are an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth instigated by the alien Celestials, and wage war against their counterparts, the Eternals...
. He found a ready home among the Nazi party, who saw his actions as the ability to ensure the existence of a master race.
One of his first accomplishments was the creation of a brain pattern imprinting device, which would allow someone's mental essence to be projected into a cloned brain. Zola presented such a gift to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, creating the Hate-Monger
Hate-Monger
The Hate-Monger is the name of different characters from Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The original character first appeared in Fantastic Four vol...
. Zola also used these skills to form a new body for himself, surviving through the war and into modern times.
The Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
also financed some of Zola's experiments, allowing Zola to produce such creations as Primus, Doughboy
Doughboy (comics)
Doughboy is a fictional character in Marvel Comics.-Fictional character biography:Doughboy is an artificially created life-form, created by Arnim Zola as his servant, at Castle Zola, Weisshorn Mountain, Switzerland...
, and Man-Fish. This association led to Zola's first confrontation with Captain America in the jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
s of Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
.
Zola has since continued his experiments at various times and locations around the globe. Often, his crimes against humanity bring him into conflict with various heroes, from Captain America to Deadpool.
During one such experiment Zola collected humans from the rubble of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
after the devastation caused by the being known as Onslaught
Onslaught (comics)
Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
. Zola endowed a teenager with superpowers, creating the hero known as Jolt
Jolt (comics)
Jolt is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Universe and a member of the Thunderbolts and Young Allies.-Fictional character biography:...
, who brought the Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
to stop him.
As part of another experiment, he collected the DNAs of Basilisk
Basilisk (comics)
The Basilisk is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first is a supervillain who debuts in Marvel Team-Up #16 . The second is a mutant who first appears in New X-Men #135 . The third is a lizard-like villain who first appears in Morbius,...
I, Ben and May Parker
Aunt May
May Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, Bird-Man
Bird-Man
Bird-Man is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Universe. Both have similar powers and appearance, and both appeared primarily as a member of the villain team the Ani-Men.-Publication history:...
II, Bucky
Bucky
Bucky is the name of several fictional characters, masked superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. The original, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as a sidekick character in Captain America Comics #1 , published by Marvel's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics...
, Cheetah
Cheetah (Marvel Comics)
Cheetah is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The Cheetah first appeared in Captain Marvel #48-49 , and was created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom...
, Cyclone, Gwen Stacy
Gwen Stacy
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Stacy appears as a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 ....
, Kangaroo
Kangaroo (comics)
The Kangaroo is the alias of two fictional Spider-Man villains in the Marvel Universe. The first was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #81 in 1970; the second was first seen in Cage #13 in 1993 and made his debut in The Spectacular Spider-Man #242 in 1997...
I, Mirage
Mirage (Marvel Comics)
Mirage is a fictional Marvel Comics villain. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #156.-Fictional character biography:Desmond Charne was a former holography technician who wanted to be a supervillain. To that end, he used holograph technology which could make him invisible or create 3-D...
, Porcupine
Porcupine (comics)
Porcupine is the name of three fictional characters in Marvel Comics. Two of them are super-villains.-Fictional character biography:Alexander Gentry, was originally a scientist who worked as a weapons designer for the United States Army, conceived the idea of designing a battle-suit in imitation of...
I, Red Raven
Red Raven
Red Raven is a fictional comic-book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Joe Simon and Louis Cazeneuve in Red Raven Comics #1 Red Raven is a fictional comic-book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Joe Simon and Louis Cazeneuve in Red Raven Comics #1 Red Raven is a...
, Ringer
Ringer (comics)
Ringer is the name of two comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:The fictional character of the Ringer was initially introduced in the Marvel comic book Defenders issue #51 , and was created by writer David Anthony Kraft and artist Keith Giffen...
, 5 of the Salem's Seven
Salem's Seven
Salem's Seven was a team of magical supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. They were foes of the Scarlet Witch and the Fantastic Four. All seven were the children of Nicholas Scratch and the grandchildren of Agatha Harkness...
, Turner D. Century
Turner D. Century
Turner D. Century is a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by J.M. DeMatteis, Steve Leialoha, and Bruce D. Patterson.-Publication history:Turner D. Century first appeared in Spider-Woman #33...
, and Whizzer and then used them to create Proto-Husks that were destroyed by Deadpool.
During the Endangered Species
X-Men: Endangered Species
"Endangered Species" is a 2007 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. Starring the X-Men, it ran from June to October 2007. It begins with the Endangered Species one-shot written by Mike Carey and drawn by Scot Eaton....
storyline, Arnim Zola was among the 9 supervillain geniuses recruited by Beast
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
to help him reverse the effects of Decimation
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
.
In the aftermath of the Superhuman Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
, Zola joined the Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
in his newest attempt to kill Captain America, which succeeds. Afterwards, while the Skull is busy in his plans on controlling America with a puppet government, Zola attempted to reverse-engineer a mysterious device given by Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
, as well as craft a device that will separate the Skull's consciousness from the mind of Aleksander Lukin
Aleksander Lukin
Aleksander Lukin is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics who exists in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in Captain America #1, and was created by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting.-Fictional character biography:...
, which was the result of misuse of the Cosmic Cube
Cosmic Cube
The Cosmic Cube, called the Tesseract in the film Captain America: The First Avenger, is the name of a fictional object that appears in the Marvel Universe. The concept was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Tales of Suspense #79 .-Publication history:The first Cosmic Cube...
. He manages to unlock the device's secrets and had a brainwashed Sharon Carter
Sharon Carter
Sharon Carter, alias Agent 13, is a fictional character, a secret agent in the Marvel Comics universe. She is an ex-field agent of S.H.I.E.L.D...
hooked up to it. However, she breaks off the connection, just as S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
Agents storm the base. Zola quickly transfers the Skull out of Lukin but his current body was destroyed by the Grand Director
Grand Director
The Grand Director , also known as the Captain America of the 1950s is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe...
. Currently, the Skull is stuck in one of Zola's robot bodies.
Stuck in a computer somewhere, Zola is located by Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
. He informs the current director of H.A.M.M.E.R. that Captain America was really locked in space and time on the date of his supposed death. Doom's machine was meant to bring him back for an unknown purpose but because of Sharon, he had become unstuck in time, causing him to relive the events of World War II. By the time Arnim Zola had rebuilt the machine in Castle Doom, Sharon Carter was brought to him so that he could transfer the Red Skull's mind into her body.
Arnim Zola 4.2.3
A flawed copy of Arnim Zola's consciousness in a robot body was recruited by the Shadow Council. He faced the Secret AvengersSecret Avengers
Secret Avengers is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring a fictional black ops superhero team of the same name. Written by Ed Brubaker, the series depicts a new version of Marvel's premiere super hero team, the Avengers, which operates under the guidance and leadership...
who were investigating the Shadow Council's mining operations inside of a bad continuum (a malformed reality). Although he was defeated by the Secret Avengers, his fate afterwards is unknown.
Powers and abilities
Arnim Zola has no natural superpowers, but he is a scientific genius specializing in genetics and cloning. He is not only capable of creating exact clone copies of his "clients", he has also created monsters which are conditioned to do his bidding.Zola's most noticeable feat, however, was performed upon himself. He has constructed a specially modified body which lacks a head. Instead, Zola's face is located - via holographic projection - on his chest, and atop his shoulders is an ESP Box, a psychotronic
Psychotronic
Psychotronic is a film genre made up of horror films, spaghetti westerns, low-budget independent features, exploitation films that was coined by author Michael J. Weldon, best known for his books, Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film and Psychotronic Video Guide.Weldon also published the magazine...
device which he uses to exert his control over his monster creations. In a limited effect, the Box can also be used as an offensive weapon.
Whenever his current body is damaged, or utterly destroyed, Arnim is able to send his personality to another one stored elsewhere, thus giving himself a form of immortality
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
.
Ultimate Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola recently appeared in the second Annual of the Ultimates written by Charlie HustonCharlie Huston
Charlie Huston is an American author of crime novels and superhero comic books. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, the actress Virginia Louise Smith...
. Just like his Earth-616
Earth-616
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 or Earth 616 is the name used to identify the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.-Origin of Earth-616:...
incarnation he was also a Nazi biochemist. His role in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was to make a cadre of special master race
Master race
Master race was a phrase and concept originating in the slave-holding Southern US. The later phrase Herrenvolk , interpreted as 'master race', was a concept in Nazi ideology in which the Nordic peoples, one of the branches of what in the late-19th and early-20th century was called the Aryan race,...
troops so as to serve as Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's bodyguards.
Captain America was able to infiltrate Arnim Zola's facility and kill his first experimental monster, which Zola dubbed "Siegsoldat" ("Victory soldier"). The experiment's dead body then fell on Arnim Zola, seemingly killing him.
However Arnim Zola did not die and the O.S.S.
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
rescued him so as to harvest his intellect on the post-war super soldier
Supersoldier
Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal human limits or abilities. Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer, conspiracy theories, and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as...
program. Later they mapped his brain and created an artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
out of it before the tumors he had could degrade his mind.
A short time before the Liberators attacked the United States, a white survivalist group called the "Marauders" attacked the military base where Arnim Zola's AI was being held and stole it, along with some other weaponry. Arnim Zola was then able to convince the leader of the "Marauders" to allow Zola to commence experiments on him.
Zola mutated the man until he was approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) tall and installed armor plating (and Zola's AI brain) on him with a hologram of Zola projected from the chest and was called "Uber-Siegsoldat". He then took over the "Marauders
Marauders (comics)
The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr., the team first appear in Uncanny X-Men #210 The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by...
" and got them to gather people for his experiments.
Captain America and the Falcon
Falcon (comics)
The Falcon is a fictional comic book superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics.Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, and introduced in Captain America #117 , the character is mainstream comics' first African-American superhero...
were sent after him and were able to defeat him by freeing the people he had kidnapped, who promptly tore apart his body, whereupon Captain America collapsed a support strut onto the Zola AI.
A young, apparently fully human "Arnim Zola III" appeared in Ultimate Mystery, as a member of Roxxon's brain trust.
Television
- A young Arnim Zola appears in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
. In a flashback in "Wrath of the Red Skull", Zola is seen bullying the young Red Skull when he was the Pink Skull. - Arnim Zola appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
voiced by Grant Moninger. In "Meet Captain America," he is first mentioned by Captain AmericaCaptain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. In "The Man in the Anthill," Arnim Zola was seen as an inmate at the Big House where he is shown playing Pong. In "The Breakout," Arnim Zola is among the supervillains that escape during a mass-breakout. In "Living Legend," Baron Heinrich Zemo seeks out Arnim Zola. He calls off Doughboy when he tries to attack Baron Heinrich Zemo. When Baron Heinrich Zemo returns to Arnim Zola's base, he finds Arnim Zola on the ground pinned down by ExecutionerExecutioner (comics)Executioner is the name of two fictional characters in the .-Skurge:Skurge is born in Jotunheim, and later becomes a warrior, gaining his name the Executioner after fighting in a war against the Storm giants. Skurge has always had feelings for Amora, the Enchantress, and regularly aids her in...
when EnchantressEnchantress (Marvel Comics)The Enchantress is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe, the first of which is a powerful sorceress named Amora and is one of the most notable antagonists of Thor.-Publication history:...
proposes an offer to Baron Heinrich Zemo. In "Gamma World" Pt. 2, Arnim Zola was with Baron Heinrich Zemo and Enchantress when they watch Leader's broadcast. In "This Hostage Earth," Arnim Zola is later shown as petting a DoughboyDoughboy (comics)Doughboy is a fictional character in Marvel Comics.-Fictional character biography:Doughboy is an artificially created life-form, created by Arnim Zola as his servant, at Castle Zola, Weisshorn Mountain, Switzerland...
when Zemo is preparing the new Masters of Evil.
Film
- Arnim Zola appears in the television film Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. portrayed by Peter Haworth. He appears as Dr. Arnim Zola, an elderly wheelchair-bound HYDRAHYDRAHYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
chemist responsible for the creation of the Death's Head virus. - Arnim Zola appears in the film Captain America: The First AvengerCaptain America: The First AvengerCaptain America: The First Avenger is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
, portrayed by Toby JonesToby JonesToby Edward Heslewood Jones is an English actor.-Early life:Jones was born in Hammersmith, London, the son of actors Jennifer and Freddie Jones...
. Zola is a Nazi scientist who works with the Red SkullRed SkullThe Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
to harness the Cosmic CubeCosmic CubeThe Cosmic Cube, called the Tesseract in the film Captain America: The First Avenger, is the name of a fictional object that appears in the Marvel Universe. The concept was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Tales of Suspense #79 .-Publication history:The first Cosmic Cube...
's power (known in the film as the TesseractTesseractIn geometry, the tesseract, also called an 8-cell or regular octachoron or cubic prism, is the four-dimensional analog of the cube. The tesseract is to the cube as the cube is to the square. Just as the surface of the cube consists of 6 square faces, the hypersurface of the tesseract consists of 8...
). When HYDRA was organized he became his second in command and personal scientist. After HYDRA forces found the Cube, Schmidt asked Zola if he could study its power, and he accidentally discovered how to transform its energy into advanced laser ammunitions. He designed advanced weapons for HYDRA when they became separated from Nazi Germany. He later staged an ambush for Captain America and the Howling Commandos onboard a train, in which Bucky lost his life, but was eventually captured and interrogated by Chester Phillips, Phillips noting that his lack of the cyanide pills normally used by HYDRA agents to prevent capture suggested that he did not want to die personally. In exchange for sanctuary after Phillips sent a fake letter confirming that he had provided the Allies with information, Zola told them everything he knew about HYDRA and revealed that Red Skull's plans were of world domination. The character's first appearance in the film is a close-up of his face on an old-style television screen, evoking his comic-book counterpart and at 1:03:37 when Zola is gathering his papers to escape the factory, the blueprints for Dr. Zola's android body can be seen in the film.
Video games
- Arnim Zola appears as a villain in the video game Captain America: Super SoldierCaptain America: Super SoldierCaptain America: Super Soldier is a third person single player video game loosely based on the film Captain America: The First Avenger...
voiced by André SogliuzzoAndré SogliuzzoAndré Sogliuzzo is an Italian-American voice actor, comedian, and actor.-Animated roles:* American Dad! – Dill* Avatar: The Last Airbender – King Bumi, Hakoda, Haru* The Batman – Duncan* Brandy & Mr...
. When Captain America is apprehended by Iron Cross following his fight with Baron Strucker, Arnim Zola and Madame Hydra end up extracting some of Captain America's blood so that Arnim Zola can recreate the Super Soldier Serum with it. Later on, Captain America encounters one of Arnim Zola's robots where Arnim Zola speaks through it stating that he will kill Captain America, drain his corpse of his blood, and use it in order to make Montgomery Falsworth his pawn. All of Arnim Zola's robots are destroyed by Captain America, and the small amount of super-soldier serum he has managed to create from prior analysis of Captain America's blood is destroyed. In the post-credits, Arnim Zola comes across one of his robots. Red Skull tells Arnim Zola to stop wasting time on his failed experiments and to get back to work for they will see Captain America again.
External links
- Arnim Zola at Marvel.com
- Arnim Zola at Marvel Wiki
- Arnim Zola 4.2.3 at Marvel Wiki
- Arnim Zola at MarvelDirectory.com