The Red Skull, enemy of Captain America. I used a HML Captain America and it's swappable head system to create a military-looking Nazi war criminal. Swastika was incorporated into the costume *not* for any ideological reasons on my part, but because the character was an evil, evil Nazi - and wore the symbol.




:: Recipes:
x1 ML Captain America or Red Skull stand
x1 HML Captain America (From Cap/Nick Fury 2-Pack)
x1 DCD Black Mask (head cast)
x1 Baron Zemo (Nazi-rod)
x1 sheet of Testor decal paper + x1 red elastic band (armband)
x1 Helmet (origins unknown, from the fodder bin)
x1 Little Boy with Gasmask figure (From a Doctor Who Boxed set)
Aves Apoxie Sculpt, Vallejo Paints, and Citadel washes.
Sealed with Krazy Glue liquid-type Superglue, and finished with Vallejo Matte Varnish.

After writing a 40 page essay on Captain America for my last year in University, I became familiar with the Red Skull as Cap's go-to enemy. I had the pleasure (or pain?) of reading every single issue of Captain America from the wartime publications until present (at that time, Cap's assassination).

While the Red Skull's visual motif has changed over the years (his original jumpsuit once he appeared in Marvel comics was clad in a Green Jumpsuit with yellow trimmings - and a Swastika. (Very similar to later Hydra-goon costumes.)

The common motifs were Nazi symbol, red, burned face, and no nose/exposed teeth. I thought the Black Mask figure's head was perfect, and combined that with the peg-plastic of the HML Cap' head.

I used the 'unmasked' alt. head in combination with a dremmeled out gasmask head + a helmet to create a Nazi Stormtrooper -- two evil guys in one!

I created the arm band using a red rubber band superglued to the arm, and aves to smooth the seam (on the underside). After painting the figure, but before sealing it, I applied a measured/sized Nazi armband graphic (located via Google Image search). It fit well, and after drying, I sealed with superglue (along with all joints/rub zones), and finished with Vallejo Matte Varnish.

Hope you like this rendition of the Red Skull. :)

-Blayne