Masters of Evil

The original Masters of Evil were organized by Baron Zemo, a former Nazi scientist who first fought Captain America during World War Two. Learning that his foe had been revived, Zemo vowed to get revenge. To engage Captain America's companions in the Avengers, Zemo enlisted Thor's enemy the Radioactive Man, Iron Man's adversary the Melter, and Giant-Man and the Wasp's nemesis the Black Knight, and lured the Avengers into battle on the streets of New York. Although his accomplices were subdued, Zemo escaped and soon allied himself with the Asgardian gods the Executioner and the Enchantress. Their scheme to turn Thor against the other Avengers failed, as did their creation of Wonder Man as a pawn to use against them. Zemo finally had the Executioner and Enchantress free the Melter and the Black Knight from jail so they could all join forces against the Avengers. (The Radioactive Man had been deported to his native China.) While the rest of the Avengers defeated the assembled Masters, Captain America fought Baron Zemo in South America, a battle that ended in Zemo's accidental death.

• First appearance (Avengers #6)