Real Name: Arnim Zola
Occupation: Biochemist
Legal Status: Swiss citizen with no criminal record as yet
Identity: Publicly known
Other Aliases: The Bio-Fanatic
Place of Birth: Weisshorn Mountain, Switzerland
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: One-time ally of the Red Skull
Base of Operations: Weisshorn Mountain, Switzerland
First Appearance: CAPTAIN AMERICA #208

History: Arnim Zola was a biochemist who began his experiments in genetic engineering in the late 1930s upon discovering a cache of ancient scientific papers in his ancestral castle in Switzerland. The documents, brought to the castle by Zola's ancestors during the Crusades, were written in the ancient language of the Deviants, a strange offshoot of mainstream humanity who had been performing genetic research for millennia. After decoding the papers, Zola used the advanced knowledge contained therein to perform experiments to create artificial life. Soon succeeding in fashioning even more sophisticated lifeforms, Zola became the first human genetic engineer in history, his work predating that of the High Evolutionary by about a decade.

Among Zola's original accomplishments was the construction of a brain pattern-imprinting device by which the essence, memories, and personality of the one mind could be totally transferred to another. Soon a completing this device, he went to Adolf Hitler with it, hoping to secure funds from Nazi Germany to expand his research. Hitler was intrigued by Zola's work and submitted himself to Zola's treatment. Consequently, when Hitler was slain in his bunker by the android Human Torch, he was able to project his mental essence into a clone brain in Zola's laboratory.

Born with a frail, dwarfish body, Zola used his scientific skills to genetically fashion a new stronger body for himself. Having done so, Zola used the mind-transferrance technique he devised to project his mind into the cloned brain of his new body, a brain that he situated in the chest cavity where it would be more protected. Since the brains of all of his genetic creations were grown from cells of his own, he can mentally project his intelligence into any of his creations.

Later, Zola cloned various bodies for his patron, Adolf Hitler, to enable the Nazi leader to survive in various guises in the decades since his physical death.

In recent years, Zola's experiments were financed by another master Nazi, the Red Skull. Under the Skull's auspices, Zola produced such advanced genetic creatures as Primus and Doughboy. Despite the nature and scope of his work, Zola managed to keep his existence a secret for decades until he encountered Captain America in the jungles of Central America where he was conducting some experiments for the Skull. Zola abducted Captain America to his stronghold in Switzerland but the Avenger managed to escape. Zola also assisted the Red Skull in his plan to recreate the Cosmic Cube. Finally severing ties with the Skull, Zola recently attempted to raid Northwind Observatory in order to confiscate Dr. Bruce Banner's various scientific discoveries. This effort ended in failure, and Zola was apparently destroyed in an explosion. Whether or not he is truly dead, however, remains to be seen.

Height: 5 ft. 10 in.
Weight: 200 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: None
Unusual Features: Zola has an ESP Box instead of a head. A three-dimensional hologram of his original face appears in a viewscreen on his chest. The ESP Box enables Zola to see and hear by psychic means, as well as to control his genetic creations telepathically.

Strength Level: Arnim Zola possesses the normal human strength of a male athlete in his prime, despite the fact that he does not exercise and is over a half-century-old.

Known Superhuman Powers: Arnim Zola possesses the ability to mentally control his various genetic creations by means of the ESP Box mounted atop his torso and surgically attached to his central nervous system. Although most of the creatures possess limited intelligence and the capacity for creative thought, Zola can override their mental processes if he so desires. The ESP Box is a retractable device that can convert brain waves into electronic signals for transmission as telepathic commands within ordinary radio range. Normally, Zola is capable of controlling only his own organic creations, but if he remains linked to his support equipment, he can stimulate his own mental power to such a degree that he can create a psychonkinetic network able to animate inorganic matter within radio range. Zola is unable to control natural organic life.

Abilities: Arnim Zola possesses genius-level intelligence and scientific skills.

Equipment: Zola employs a mental commands to his creations in the form of energy bolts of approximately 100,00 volts. Similar in purpose to the ESP Box, the prod is limited in range to 18 feet and can only work on his own organic creations.