The Red Death I
Under the alias “Joseph Smith,” Yussef Smerdyakov operated as a spy in the United States for the Soviet Union, gathering information on a variety of subjects. Wearing the crimson guise and skull mask of the Red Death, Smerdyakov also operated as a sometime assassin and posed as a crime-lord in order to infiltrate and gain information from the western underworld.
One of the Red Death’s primary foes during his career was the Raven, who first came up against the mysterious assassin working to prove himself for the criminal underground. Later, Raven discovered the Red Death moving in on some gang-lords’ territory and attempting to poach political and military secrets from the U.S. government.
In addition to his fearsome skull-clad nocturnal identity, the Red Death was skilled in disguise and impersonation, using a variety of cover identities and guises to further his mission.
Although Yussef Smerdyakov was eventually captured and imprisoned for his crimes, his secret hideouts remained hidden until a reporter named Cecilia Rogers discovered one in a warehouse along the South River. She used the weapons and identity of the Red Death to take on corrupt businessman Hieronymus King.
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