The Masters of Evil first appeared in The Avengers #6 in July 1964. The team was co-created by the legendary duo of writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the principal architects of the Marvel Universe. In the burgeoning Silver Age of comics, Lee and Kirby had already established the formula of a superhero team with the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. The logical next step was to create an equally formidable team of villains to serve as their direct opposites. The concept was simple yet effective: if the Avengers were Earth's Mightiest Heroes, united to face threats no single hero could withstand, the Masters of Evil would be Earth's Mightiest Villains, a coalition of individual rogues united by a common hatred for the heroes and a desire for power. The original lineup consisted of villains drawn from the solo stories of the founding Avengers: Baron Heinrich Zemo (Captain America), the Melter (Iron Man), the Radioactive Man (Thor), and the original Black Knight (an enemy of Giant-Man). This creative decision immediately established personal stakes and grounded the team's animosity in pre-existing conflicts, making their threat feel both personal and epic. The name itself—“Masters of Evil”—is a perfect example of Lee's dramatic, alliterative flair, leaving no doubt as to the group's malevolent intentions.
The origin of the Masters of Evil is fundamentally tied to the legacy of Captain America and the burning desire for revenge. However, its manifestation differs drastically between the comic and cinematic universes.
The story of the first Masters of Evil begins during the darkest days of World War II. Baron Heinrich Zemo was a brilliant and sadistic Nazi scientist, one of the top minds in the Third Reich and a personal rival of captain_america. During a final confrontation, Captain America threw his shield to stop Zemo from unleashing his powerful experimental chemical, Adhesive X. The shield shattered the vat containing the adhesive, permanently bonding Zemo's signature purple hood to his face. Humiliated and disfigured, Zemo was driven mad with hatred for the Captain. Decades later, after Captain America was discovered frozen in ice and revived by the Avengers, Zemo's obsession was rekindled. Believing his old foe had returned to mock him, the aged Baron Zemo assembled a team of powerful criminals to help him exact his revenge. He recruited:
Calling themselves the “Masters of Evil,” they launched a campaign to terrorize New York City using Zemo's Adhesive X, successfully framing the Avengers for the chaos. Their initial schemes were thwarted, but Zemo's strategic mind and the team's combined power made them the Avengers' first truly significant recurring threat. Their reign ended when Zemo, in a final battle against Captain America in the Amazon rainforest, was killed by a rockslide he himself caused. This, however, was only the beginning of the Masters of Evil legacy, as the mantle of leadership and the thirst for vengeance would be taken up by others, most notably Zemo's own son.
It is crucial to state clearly: an organization named the “Masters of Evil” does not exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The concept of a villainous team-up has been explored, but never under this specific banner. The closest thematic parallel lies in the actions and philosophy of Helmut Zemo, as depicted in Captain America: Civil War (2016) and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021). The MCU's Helmut Zemo is not a Nazi scientist but a former Sokovian intelligence officer and colonel in an elite kill squad. His family—his wife, son, and father—were killed during the Avengers' battle with ultron in Sokovia. Unlike his comic counterpart, this Zemo is not driven by inherited fascism or a desire for world domination. His goal is singular and deeply personal: to avenge his family by destroying the Avengers, not by overpowering them, but by making them destroy themselves. Zemo's “team” was not a collection of costumed supervillains. His strategy was one of manipulation, research, and psychological warfare. He hunted down former hydra agents to acquire the code words to activate the Winter Soldier program within bucky_barnes. He then orchestrated a bombing at the signing of the Sokovia Accords, framing Bucky and setting Captain America and Iron Man on a collision course. His ultimate weapon was not a death ray or a super-soldier serum, but a piece of information: the video footage of a brainwashed Winter Soldier murdering Tony Stark's parents. By revealing this truth at the perfect moment, Zemo shattered the already fractured trust between Captain America and Iron Man, leading to a brutal, emotionally devastating battle that effectively dismantled the Avengers. In this sense, Zemo single-handedly achieved what entire armies of comic book Masters of Evil had tried and failed to do for decades. His actions in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier further his ideology of eradicating super-soldiers, which he sees as a threat to humanity, but again, he operates as a lone wolf or in temporary, uneasy alliances rather than as the leader of a formal “Masters of Evil” team. The upcoming thunderbolts movie may draw inspiration from the comics' Masters of Evil-to-Thunderbolts pipeline, but this remains speculation.
The Masters of Evil is not a monolithic entity but a fluid concept, with each incarnation's goals, methods, and membership reflecting the personality and ambitions of its leader.
The team's mandate has shifted dramatically with each leader:
Structurally, the team is almost always a strict hierarchy with a single, undisputed leader. Baron Helmut Zemo's incarnation was notable for its military-style organization, with clear chains of command and specialized roles for each member. This strategic discipline is what made his version so uniquely dangerous.
The history of the Masters of Evil is best told through its ever-changing membership.
This is widely considered the definitive and most formidable incarnation of the team. Helmut Zemo, son of the original, assembled the largest version of the Masters ever seen with the sole purpose of destroying the Avengers on their own turf.
Following their defeat in “Under Siege” and the apparent death of the Avengers during the Onslaught event, Baron Zemo executed his most audacious plan. He rebranded his surviving Masters of Evil as a new team of superheroes called the thunderbolts.
Their goal was to win public trust and gain access to global intelligence, only to seize power when the moment was right. The plan backfired when most of the team members discovered they genuinely preferred being heroes, leading them to rebel against Zemo. This twist is one of the most celebrated in Marvel history.
Numerous other versions have appeared over the years, including a massive syndicate led by Justine Hammer as the new Crimson Cowl and a version assembled by the Shadow Council led by a rogue Nick Fury LMD named Max Fury.
As there is no formal Masters of Evil team, there is no mandate, structure, or roster to analyze. The actions of MCU villains reflect a different storytelling philosophy. Instead of villainous coalitions, threats are typically singular (Thanos, Ultron, Hela) or ideological (Hydra). Helmut Zemo's approach in Civil War is the antithesis of the Masters of Evil structure: he operated alone, seeking to divide his enemies rather than unite his allies. If a future MCU project were to introduce the Masters of Evil, it would likely be as a direct response to the formation of a new Avengers team, perhaps assembled by a figure like Valentina Allegra de Fontaine or even a returning Zemo, who might see the need for a more direct approach after the rise of new heroes and villains.
The term “ally” is used loosely, as the Masters of Evil's partnerships are almost always temporary and based on mutual convenience.
The Masters of Evil exist for one reason: to oppose heroes.
The Masters of Evil is itself an affiliation. Membership is the defining characteristic. However, its leaders and members have often been part of other major villainous groups, creating a web of connections across the Marvel Universe. Key examples include Zemo's leadership role within Hydra, Moonstone's time with Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers, and the Wrecking Crew's status as freelance muscle for nearly every major villain.
This foundational storyline introduced the world to the Masters of Evil. It detailed Baron Heinrich Zemo's assembly of the team, their initial public attacks using Adhesive X to frame the Avengers, and their first major defeats. The arc culminated in the “death” of Wonder Man (then a new recruit for the Masters) and the eventual death of Baron Zemo himself in a final, explosive confrontation with Captain America. This storyline established the team as the Avengers' first credible recurring threat.
This is the definitive Masters of Evil story and a landmark event in Avengers history. Written by Roger Stern and drawn by John Buscema, this arc portrayed Baron Helmut Zemo's master plan. Unlike previous brute-force assaults, Zemo's plan was a masterpiece of intelligence gathering and strategic execution. He assembled a massive team and used the villain Blackout to cut off Avengers Mansion from the outside world. His forces systematically overwhelmed the depleted Avengers roster on duty. The story is famous for its shocking brutality: Hercules was beaten into a coma by the entire team, Captain America's original shield was damaged, and the team's loyal butler, Edwin Jarvis, was savagely beaten and psychologically tortured. The storyline culminated in a desperate, last-stand battle led by Captain America and the Wasp to reclaim their home. “Under Siege” permanently changed the dynamic, proving that the Masters of Evil could not only challenge the Avengers but utterly defeat them.
This storyline is defined by one of the greatest plot twists in comic book history. In the wake of the Onslaught event, with the Avengers and Fantastic Four presumed dead, a new team of heroes called the Thunderbolts appears to fill the void. They are charismatic, powerful, and quickly win the public's adoration. The final page of their debut issue reveals the shocking truth: the Thunderbolts are actually the surviving members of Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil in disguise. This reveal launched one of Marvel's most enduring and popular series, beginning the long and complex journey of villains attempting to find redemption, forever linking the legacies of the Masters of Evil and the Thunderbolts.
In the Ultimate Universe, the direct counterpart to the Masters of Evil were the Liberators. This was a multinational super-team assembled by the global community, secretly orchestrated by Loki, to “liberate” the United States from the perceived threat of its super-powered team, the Ultimates. The team included alternate versions of villains like the Abomination and Crimson Dynamo, as well as evil counterparts of characters like Hurricane (Quicksilver) and the Swarm (Wasp). They launched a devastating invasion of the U.S. that mirrored the shock and awe of the 616 “Under Siege” storyline.
This critically acclaimed animated series featured a prominent and faithful adaptation of the Masters of Evil. Initially formed by Baron Heinrich Zemo with the Enchantress and Executioner, they served as the primary antagonists of the first season. Their goal was to pick off the Avengers one by one. The roster was a classic mix, including Abomination, Crimson Dynamo, and Wonder Man. The series expertly adapted key comic storylines, culminating in a massive battle for Asgard. This version is often cited by fans as one of the best portrayals of the team outside of the comics.
In the pocket universe created by Franklin Richards to save the heroes after the Onslaught event, Baron Zemo was a central antagonist. He manipulated the Avengers and Captain America, and his plan to use gamma technology to conquer the world was a major plot point. While he led a group of villains, the “Masters of Evil” moniker was less formal, but his role as the Avengers' primary, strategic foe remained intact.