HELLER ZEMO

Real Name: Heller Zemo, Baron Zemo

Identity/Class: Human (Holy Roman Empire; 15th-16th century)

Occupation: Baron

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Kleinenshvitz (see comments), Muse (Helmut Zemo, 13^th Baron Zemo; time-displaced), People of Zeulniz, Harbin Zemo

Enemies: Hademar Zemo

Known Relatives: Harbin Zemo (grandfather, deceased), Hademar Zemo (father, deceased), Herbert Zemo (son, deceased), Helmuth Zemo (grandson, deceased), Hackett Zemo (great-grandson, deceased), Hartwig Zemo (great-great-grandson, deceased), Hilliard Zemo (great-great-great-grandson, deceased), Hoffman Zemo (great-great-great-great-grandson, deceased), Hobart Zemo (great-great-great-great-great-grandson, deceased), Herman Zemo (great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson, deceased), Heinrich Zemo (great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson, deceased), Helmut Zemo (great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson), Gretchen Zemo, Hilda Zemo, Heike Zemo, Isla Zemo, (extended family by marriages), Miss Klein, Wendell Volker, Fleischtung (distant relatives)

Aliases: Baron Zemo

Base of Operations: Castle Zemo in Zeulniz, South of Leipzig, Holy Roman Empire, 15th-16th century

First Appearance: Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo - Born Better#1 (April, 2007)

Powers/Abilities: None. Heller was a trained swordsman and a great political leader.

History:

(Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo - Born Better#1) - Twelve-year-old Heller, son of Hademar and grandson of Harbin, became good friends with the time-displaced Helmut Zemo, whose true identity wasn't known to anybody. Heller often visited Helmut since his arrival three weeks before. Helmut offered Heller to call him Muse, and taught Heller what a true leader was.

  One night Heller went for a walk with two guards and Helmut, who continued his teachings about true leadership. Hademar suddenly appeared, slapped his son for consorting with Helmut, threatened Helmut's life and attacked Heller's guards, killing one of them.

(Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo - Born Better#1 - BTS) - Heller gave the family of the murdered guard compenstation for their losses.

(Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo - Born Better#1) - Weeks later Harbin died and Hademar became the new Baron Zemo. Heller knew that his father would ruin everything his grandfather had built and visited Helmut for some advice. Helmut told him that a true leader made his followers do what he wanted because it was good for them as well. Heller took his guards to Hademar's crowning ceremony and asked him to step down from his position or to die. Hademar was surrounded by his own soldiers and laughed at his son's words. Suddenly his own soldiers turned against him and killed Hademar. Heller returned to Helmut's cell after his father's death, but Helmut was gone. Heller was now the 3rd Baron Zemo.

(Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo - Born Better#2 (fb) - BTS) - Heller became a very political leader.

(Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo - Born Better#4 (fb) - BTS) - Heller improved the rights of the working class, reduced religious and cultural presecution, and expanded Zemo Keep's security forces into a feared fighting regiment.

Comments: Created by Fabian Nicieza, Tom Grummett & Gary Erskine.

I'm pretty sure the Kleinenshvitz family continued to work with Heller as they did with his grandfather.

Profile by Markus Raymond.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Heller Zemo is not related to:

• The Baron Zemo imposter, Franz Gruber, his former pilot, @ Tales of Suspense I#98
• Heinrich Zemo of Counter Earth-Franklin, leader of the Thunderbolts @ Thunderbolts I#59

images: (without ads)
Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo - Born Better#1, p22, pan3 (main)