True Mystery Behind Armin Zola’s Alleged Death, Resolved

We meet Arnim Zola, the scientific genius and enemy of Steve Rogers for the last time in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Zola had transferred his working consciousness into a complex computer system for continuous survival even after his natural death.

However, one mystery remains unresolved: Did Arnim Zola, the brilliant scientist and biochemist and Captain America’s staunch enemy actually die in The Winter Soldier?  I have never been able to keep the mystery of Zola’s death out of my mind since I watched the film. As a viewer, I would love to see a return of Zola’s mind in a form of some backup!

At the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the entire lab where his mind was preserved was blown up by missiles sent by the S.H.I.E.L.D which were actually intended for Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) .

After his natural death, Arnim Zola transferred his consciousness to a supercomputer on Camp Lehigh where it was preserved for 70 years. Though SHIELD missiles blew up the lab, Zola might still have backup of his mind somewhere.

Hence, despite not being alive in human form, Zola has managed to give himself the gift of immortality by preserving his mind into a computer. He might have been able to transfer or make backup uploads of his mind before the missiles blew off Camp Lehigh.

1. How Powerful is Arnim?

Arnim Zola was a Swiss-born scientist who was working for an organization called the HYDRA during the World War II. The HYDRA began as a cult within the Nazi Army and Zola aided in the growth and further development of HYDRA into a larger organization. Zola was also the right hand man of Red Skull, the main antagonist of Captain America: The First Avenger.

Zola wanted to create an army of Super Soldiers. Bucky, the Winter Soldier was one of his experiments.

In The First Avenger, we get to know that HYDRA is the Special Weapons’ Division of the Nazi Army which was reformed into a cult. It identified Red Skull (Johann Schmidt) as its leader.

Zola was recruited by Schmidt as the lead scientist in HYDRA owing to his brilliant scientific knowledge and abilities.

2. Does He Die After The Winter Soldier?

Zola himself explains to us what he has been up to for the 70 years after the events of The First Avenger. His consciousness narrates it to Captain America and Black Widow in The Winter Soldier when they discover him.

Arnim Zola is eventually recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. The SHIELD was a newly formed peacekeeping organization within which Zola actually worked to rebuild HYDRA.

Using his scientific abilities, he transferred his own mind and consciousness to a supercomputer system on Camp Lehigh where it was preserved for 70 years. So, whenever Zola’s body (or the device in which he preserves his mind) is destroyed, he is able to transfer his mind or upload it into another system thereby keeping his mind immortal even after his natural death.

In The Winter Soldier, Captain America and Black Widow discover that Zola’s mind has been working in the form of a computer and has been collecting data for all these years.

In the same film, we see SHIELD missiles which were intended for Rogers and Romanoff blow off Camp Lehigh, thereby also destroying the complex system in which Zola preserved his mind.

This could be the end of Zola. Unless, ofcourse he transferred his mind right on time to another device or he has a backup of his incredible mind somewhere else!

3. Is Arnim Zola Dead or Alive?

Since Zola’s mind was preserved in a digital network, it is very much possible that the entire algorithm was transferred to a different device. We like him or not, Arnim Zola was definitely a brilliant scientist. With his abilities, he transferred his own mind and consciousness into a digital system. It is very much possible that he made several backups of his mind.

Existence of one or more backups of Zola’s consciousness would mean that he is not dead yet and Camp Lehigh blowing merely destroyed one backup of his mind. In that case, it would mean his continued survival.

In other words, Arnim Zola could be immortal.

Whether Zola’s mind and consciousness was preserved or not, it is clear that Arnim Zola is not alive in person. But in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the impossible is possible!

But having said all that, if Zola’s mind was not transferred at the right time into another computer system or he does not have any backups, it would mean that his consciousness is dead too.

So what if Arnim Zola’s mind is still working somewhere in another complex computer system? Well, Zola’s presence of mind (pun intended) would mean continuous operation of the HYDRA.

4. Is Arnim Zola and MODOK the same person?

MODOK (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) is one of the most popular MCU villains who appears in the comic books. He has not yet made his appearance in the Marvel films.

In the show Avengers Assemble, MODOK is one of the villains and works for the Red Skull. Later, he builts an armour quite similar to Zola’s.

My theory suggests that the makers are trying to connect MODOK and Zola, since both share a similar sort of existence. Both Zola and MODOK are characters with their heads in robotic bodies.

Unlike MODOK, Zola however has already appeared in the MCU movies. It is easy to bring Zola back even after the missile blow off in The Winter Soldier or he could return as MODOK!

Zola can transfer his consciousness into complex devices and continue to live. So, this time the writers can club MODOK and Zola where Zola exists within MODOK like the first MODOK, George Tarleton.

According to the Marvel Comics, Tarleton underwent complex mutagenic medical procedures to increase his intelligence. Though successful, the side effects of the experiment result in him having an overdeveloped head and stunted body.

However, later Tarleton is split from MODOK and the independent MODOK becomes MODOK Superior. So, Zola could easily transfer his consciousness into MODOK to return as him in future Marvel films.

It would be interesting to see Marvel clubbing two of the most interesting villains of the universe together, if it so happens.

5. About M.O.D.O.K

M.O.D.O.K. is an upcoming American stop-motion adult animated series created by Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt for Hulu. It is based on Marvel Comics character of the same name.

The show also stars creator Patton Oswalkt as the titular character and is joined by cast members Aimee Garcia, Ben Schwartz, Melissa Fumero, and Beck Bennett. Guest stars include Jon Hamm, Nathan Fillion, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bill Hader.

M.O.D.O.K has long pursued his dreams of one day conquering the world. Although, after years of failures and defeats from Earth’s mightiest heroes, he loses control of his evil organization A.I.M. The story follows M.O.D.O.K trying to get his organization back while dealing with a personal crisis at home.