Red Skull's status in the comics is complex. Sometimes he appears to be deceased, but comic storylines often bring back characters in unexpected ways, so it's not a straightforward answer.
Red Skull's character can be developed by delving into his backstory more deeply. We could see his early days, what led him to become so power - hungry and evil. This would give readers a better understanding of his motives in Endgame.
Taskmaster is usually a male character in the comics. However, there might be alternate universes or specific storylines where the character's gender is presented differently, but in the main continuity, it's male.
In the comics, Taskmaster has predominantly been presented as a male. This has been the norm for the character throughout most of the comic storylines.
The Red Skull's origin story is quite dark. He was Johann Schmidt. His face was disfigured due to his experimentation with the Cosmic Cube. He became obsessed with power and domination, and his distorted face became his signature look. He joined the Nazi regime and used his intelligence and newfound power to further their evil plans.