The Red Skull (Johann Schmidt) is a fictional character who appears in Captain America stories. He is the archenemy of the superhero Captain America, and is portrayed as a Nazi agent. Created by Joe Simon, Jack Kirby and France Herron, the concept of the Red Skull first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 in March 1941. He has appeared as a recurring enemy of Captain America in various ongoing series, limited series and alternate reality series in the years since.