Both in and out of the comic book Marvel Universe, Baron Zemo is one of Captain America's most formidable foes. The primary version of the character is Helmut Zemo, who holds a personal vendetta against Steve Rogers. The grudge between Captain America and Zemo actually began with his father, Baron Heinrich Zemo.
Heinrich Zemo was introduced in a flashback sequence during Avengers #4, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Zemo was retroactively introduced as one of Captain America's World War II foes. In Avengers #6, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it was revealed that Zemo couldn't remove his mask, partially due to Captain America. Experimenting with Adhesive X, Zemo came into conflict with Rogers, who threw his shield and spilled the Adhesive X. As a result, Zemo's mask was permanently attached to his face.
This started a hate-fueled rivalry between Zemo and The Sentinel of Liberty. More importantly, Zemo was the main reason why Steve Rogers was frozen during the war and discovered in the present day. When Zemo launched an experimental drone toward the Allied Forces, Captain America and Bucky attempted to stop it. The drone was rigged to explode, however, seemingly killing Bucky and sending Steve plummeting to the icy waters below.
Although Captain America returned to a new world, decades in the future, Zemo was still around to haunt him. Baron Zemo formed the original Masters of Evil, who dedicated themselves to destroying the Avengers. Captain America, reeling from Bucky's death, was just as determined to end Zemo as Zemo was determined to destroy the Captain. Among some of their more noteworthy achievements, the Masters of Evil created Wonder Man, who would later become a hero and a major Avenger.
On his own time, in Tales of Suspense #60, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Zemo sent a group of mercenaries to kill Captain America. Despite his efforts, Steve emerged victorious, with a resolve to finish Zemo once and for all. Zemo's career came to an end in Avengers #15, by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Don Heck. Captain America confronted Zemo in the South American jungle after Zemo had captured Steve's sidekick, Rick Jones. In the ensuing battle, Captain America's shield blinded Zemo, causing the villain to fire his gun blindly into the air. Zemo's rash actions caused a rockslide which killed him.
Although Zemo was finished, he's made several brief returns since his death. In Avengers #131, by Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema, Kang the Conqueror formed the Legion of the Unliving, a group of deceased allies and enemies, to battle the Avengers. Of course, in Giant-Size Avengers #3, by Steve Englehart and Dave Cockrum, Zemo was sent back to his own time.
Baron Zemo was succeeded by his son, Helmut. The second Zemo first appeared in Captain America #168, by Roy Thomas, Tony Isabella and Sal Buscema. It wasn't until Captain America #276, by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck, that Helmut claimed his father's mantle as Baron Zemo. This legacy of evil cemented a shared vendetta between Captain America and the Zemo family. Heinrich Zemo blamed Captain America for being unable to remove his mask, Captain America blamed Zemo for Bucky's death and Helmut Zemo blamed Captain America for his father's death.
This cycle of anger and hatred formed a twisted bond between Captain America and the Zemos, making Baron Zemo a truly deadly legacy villain. Sadly enough, Zemo's quest for vengeance was ultimately in vain. In Captain America #362, by Mark Gruenwald and Kieron Dwyer, Helmut tried to resurrect his father. In the brief moments that Heinrich Zemo was reanimated, he told his son how disappointed he was in him.
This bitter rejection from his father only fanned Helmut's flames of hatred, as he continued to torment Captain America. Everyone who held the title of Captain America, from Bucky Barnes to Sam Wilson, was on the receiving end of Zemo's hatred.
Helmut Zemo's quest for vengeance is similar to Zemo's MCU motivation. In Captain America: Civil War, Zemo hated the Avengers for indirectly causing his family's death in Sokovia. Just like Helmut Zemo, the MCU Zemo tried to destroy Captain America and the Avengers for the loss of his family.
At the same time, the MCU Zemo's situation is a little different than Helmut Zemo. In the MCU, Zemo's family was a group of innocent bystanders, caught in the crossfire between the Avengers and Ultron. Heinrich Zemo, on the other hand, was a villain who ultimately caused his own death. Helmut was raised to follow his father's footsteps of villainy, making him much more sinister than the MCU Zemo.
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