- "I call it the Dust of Death -- and with it, I shall destroy America!"
- ―The Red Skull
 | |
| The Dust of Death | |
| Type: | Weapon |
| Continuity: | Marvel Universe |
| Aliases: | Red Skull's Dust of Death |
| Availability: | Unique item |
| Manufacturer: | Johann Shmidt |
| Owners: | Johann Shmidt |
| 1st appearance: | Captain America #184 |
The Dust of Death is a fictional item featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is associated with the Captain America line of titles and first appeared in Captain America #184 in April, 1975 in a story called "Cap's Back!"
Description[]
The Dust of Death is a chemical mixture developed in the modern era by Johann Shmidt, aka the Red Skull. It was contained inside of a canister dart that could be fire from a special handgun, which distributed it as a crimson mist. Those exposed to the Dust of Death found the skin around their face tightened to the point that their face resembled a skull, and it changed the pigmentation to that of a ruby red, making the Red Skull's victims bear the same grisly visage that he has.
The first victim of the Red Skull's Dust of Death was Herbert Glass, whom the Red Skull sprayed in the face in the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in front of a crowd of dozens of protesters. Captain America was too late to prevent Glass' death, but he knocked the gun away from the Red Skull's hands before he could fire it again.
Victims of the Dust of Death[]
| Name | Source |
|---|---|
| G. Lawton Sargent | Captain America 184 |
| Herbert Glass | Captain America 184 |
Notes[]
- In terms of function, the Dust of Death is similar to that of the Joker venom, which is used by the DC Comics villain the Joker, who is a foe of Batman.