Hydra (comics) explained

Hydra
Publisher:Marvel Comics
Debut:Strange Tales #135 (Aug 1965)[1]
Creators:Stan Lee (writer)
Jack Kirby (artist)
Business:Terrorist
Organization:y
Base:Various
Owners:Currently:
Viper
Formerly:
Baron Strucker
Red Skull
Employees:Current members:Former members:
Subcat:Marvel Comics
Sortkey:Hydra

Hydra (often capitalized as HYDRA) is a fictional terrorist organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Its name alludes to the mythical Lernaean Hydra,[2] as does its motto: "If a head is cut off, two more shall take its place," proclaiming the group's resilience and growing strength in the face of resistance. Originally a Nazi organization led by the Red Skull during World War II, Hydra is taken over and turned into a neo-fascist international crime syndicate by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. Hydra agents often wear distinctive green garb featuring a serpent motif. Hydra's plans for world domination are regularly foiled by Marvel Universe superheroes and the intelligence organization S.H.I.E.L.D.

Hydra has appeared in various media adaptations, including films, television series, and video games. It plays a major role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Publication history

Hydra first appeared in Strange Tales #135 (August 1965).[3] In its original continuity, it was headed by nondescript businessman Arnold Brown, who was killed when S.H.I.E.L.D. apparently crushed the organization. Hydra soon returned, however, headed by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, with the support of the Nazi Red Skull; Hydra's changing origin is one of Marvel's earliest retcons. After its initial defeat, several of its branches, such as its scientific branch A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) and the Secret Empire, became independent.

Crypt of Shadows #5, published in 1973, reprinted a story from Menace #10 (1954), but with a change to a line of dialogue that erroneously implied that Hydra is premier mentioned is in a 1954 issue. In the reprint, an agent of an unspecified enemy government is changed to identify himself as working for Hydra when he paid off a scientist named Dr. Nostrum for information about a cobalt bomb that turned people into monsters. Dr. Nostrum shot all the other scientists on his team after they were turned into monsters, then shot himself after his son put an image from a monster magazine on his mirror.

Organization

Before the evolution of mankind, a cabal of immortal hooded reptoids came to Earth, planning to start a legacy of evil.[4] Millions of years later, they corrupted an Asian secret society of geniuses known as the Brotherhood of the Spear, which resulted in that group being called "the Beast" by the Brotherhood of the Shield.[5] The corrupted Brotherhood of the Spear spread out, ingraining itself like a multi-headed serpent into all facets of human society, from science to magic to politics. As time wore on, the organization's name changed and it included the Cathari sect, as well as the Thule Society.[6] The Nazi sub-group, funded by the Thule Society, is brought into the main Hydra fold after the end of World War II.[7]

One of the Nazi members, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, quickly seized control of the Hydra organization and restructured it to be dedicated to world domination through terrorist and subversive activities on various fronts, resulting in a global neo-fascist New World Order. To this end, Baron von Strucker used his personal fortune, based on his recovered hoard of Nazi plunder from World War II, and funds established by the original leaders of the Japanese secret society that became part of the old Hydra.[7] However, after von Strucker's first death, Hydra broke into factions (such as A.I.M., the Secret Empire, THEM, etc.) that each adopted its own reorganized modus operandi.[7] Eventually, this fragmentation would lead to a Hydra civil war, even after von Strucker's resurrection.

According to the files discovered by Nick Fury, Hydra is split into four independent sectors:

Nick Fury has theorized that his previous successes against Hydra were either feints to make him believe that he is making headway against the group or manipulation by Hydra to eliminate any possible competition or possible rogue sub-organizations.[8]

In the aftermath of the Secret Invasion and Baron von Strucker's second death, there followed a series of power struggles, which eventually left Hydra without a formal leader.[9] The splintering of Hydra accelerated, with various cells operating seemingly independently.[10] [11] [12] Eventually, the Red Skull, returning to his Nazi beliefs, started building a new Hydra from the ground up. However, this brought him into conflict with Baron Zemo, who is attempting to control what remains of the old Hydra.[13] [14]

The Red Skull convinced his now-aware Cosmic Cube, Kobik, to cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D. in creating Pleasant Hill and discovered that Kobik could alter people's memories to make them believe they had been members of the Hydra of which the Red Skull had told them stories.[15] However, the Red Skull failed to realize that the Hydra he is building and the Hydra Kobik had created false memories of were two different things, with the now-Hydra Captain America disobeying the Red Skull and planning something else.

Technology

As advanced as any on Earth, Hydra's technology is based in part on artifacts of the alien Gnobians discovered by Baron Von Strucker in 1944. Hydra uses advanced experimental vehicles and devices along with conventional military vehicles, seacraft, aircraft, pistols and standard concussive force blasters, and communications equipment.

Hydra personnel are issued cowled jumpsuits, which have included a number of designs over the years. Originally, the jumpsuits were green with a yellow H design, and later incorporated a red and brown color scheme, but in time were changed back to green with a serpent motif.

They tested on James Buchanan Barnes, creating the Winter Soldier in the process. The Winter Soldier then went on to kill over a dozen unnamed people over the span of 50 years.

Fictional organization history

Founding

Hydra's history as depicted in Marvel Universe continuity is a long, tumultuous and convoluted one, spanning millennia, and going back to the Third Dynasty of Egypt, with all references to the ancient group disappearing around the Renaissance.[7]

The modern incarnation of Hydra originates when the Nazi spymaster known as the Red Skull took control of an Asian secret society, the Brotherhood of the Spear, merging it with a German occult organization, the Thule Society.

Some time before 1943, the Red Skull started creating a Hydra cell in Japan, merging several underground Japanese secret societies, including a faction of the Hand, with several fugitive members of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, to become the modern Hydra.[7] This incarnation of Hydra operated in Japan, directed by a Japanese militarist called the Supreme Hydra, and in Germany, under the control of the Red Skull and Arnim Zola. However, after joining Hydra, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker seized control of the organization and constructed the Hydra base Tsunami - called Hydra Island.[7] The original Hydra Island is invaded by the Leatherneck Raiders and the Japanese Samurai Squad, and the base is destroyed.[16] Strucker then slowly steered the organization towards the goal of world domination. That campaign brought him into conflict with Charles Xavier and the future Magneto, among others.

Conflict with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Hydra becoming more brazenly public in its operations led to the creation of the original agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., specifically to counter Hydra's threat to world security. After Hydra apparently assassinated S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first executive director, Col. Rick Stoner, Nick Fury is appointed as executive director. Hydra agents attempted to assassinate Nick Fury before his appointment as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, but failed.[17]

After several failed Hydra campaigns, including the failure of the world blackmail attempt using the Betatron Bomb, the creation of the Overkill Horn (designed to detonate all nuclear explosives worldwide), and the bio-engineered "Death-Spore" Bomb, which led directly to Strucker's first death at the hands of Fury, and several deceived Hydra operatives.

In the wake of Strucker's first death, the surviving elements of Hydra broke into factions that each adopted its own reorganized modus operandi. Several of these factions developed "super-agents" that would occasionally break away in turn to become freelance operatives, or, in some rarer cases, superheroes, such as the original Spider-Woman. During this era, Hydra's collective threat is mitigated by not only occasionally infighting among themselves, but their operating policy of punishing failure with death, often led to their killing of each other more often than their intended victims. Hydra frequently found itself defeated by S.H.I.E.L.D., various superheroes, and even apparently unpowered civilians, like the motorcycle racing team, Team America.

Strucker's resurrection

Strucker is revived, and he reunites several of the Hydra factions under his leadership, renewing his campaign against S.H.I.E.L.D. and humanity for several more years. Despite his reorganization of the group, various independent Hydra factions continued to operate around the Marvel Universe, and a Hydra civil war would later result. While Baron Helmut Zemo had Strucker placed in stasis for his own ends, the Gorgon and Strucker's second wife, Elsbeth von Strucker, mystically created a clone of Strucker, whom they set up to fail, allowing for a public execution of him, after which, as part of an alliance with the Hand, they utilized an army of brainwashed superheroes and supervillains, including Northstar and Elektra, to launch a massive assault on S.H.I.E.L.D. The assault is repelled, and Wolverine went on to kill the Gorgon.

Hydra later planned an all-out attack on the United States by smuggling missiles into New York for use in a planned bio-weapon assault on the Ogallala Aquifer. They formed a distraction through using a team that had the duplicated powers of several Avengers, (Iron Man and Captain America, and former Avengers Thor and Hawkeye), but were inevitably foiled by Spider-Man and the other New Avengers.

Civil War

Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) is captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. during the events of Civil War, Hydra stormed the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and frees her. Spider-Woman, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and member of the Avengers, had been working undercover for Hydra under the orders of Nick Fury, now deposed as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. following the events of Secret War, to whom she is still loyal. Hydra revealed that they knew of her betrayal, and wanted her to replace the Viper as their current leader, as she is unstable. Spider-Woman refused their offer, destroying in an explosion the Hydra base to which she had been taken.

As Spider-Woman revealed her true identity as Queen Veranke of the Skrull Empire, Hydra is left with a void in its control organization, filled by Congressman Woodman. Under his rule, the young Hardball, empowered by the Power Broker, is appointed as a double agent, acting both as an Initiative recruit and as a Hydra spy, with the role of gathering information about the Initiative and doing errands for Hydra in exchange for secrecy and the expensive health care needed by his brother, a former UCWF wrestler, who is crippled in the ring.

Hardball, however, deeply hurt and shamed by the compromises Woodman forced him to endure and Komodo's attempt to bail him out of Hydra by telling his secrets to his field leader Gravity, mercilessly killed Congressman Woodman in front of his subordinates. His ersatz coup d'état paid off, and Hardball is appointed as the new Supreme Leader of the organization, severing every tie with his former life.[18] His joining Hydra, however, is revealed to be caused simply by his having nowhere else to go. He surrendered to the Shadow Initiative, and is sent to the Negative Zone prison, destroying his Hydra cell.[19]

Secret Invasion

After the events of "Secret Invasion", Nick Fury discovered that S.H.I.E.L.D. is under the control of Hydra, and apparently had been from the beginning. He also discovered a number of organizations under Hydra's alleged control, including the United States' FBI Science and Technology Branch, the NSA, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, along with the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate and Foreign Intelligence Service, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.[7]

Meanwhile, after having destroyed Hydra's undersea headquarters, Ichor, due to its having been infiltrated by the Skrull invasion force, Strucker rebuilt Hydra from the ground up, and after his discovery that Fury had learned the truth, reconvened the other main heads of Hydra: the Viper, Madame Hydra, Kraken, and the Hive, as well as resurrecting the Gorgon for the purpose of showing Hydra's "true self" to the world.[8]

Hydra (alongside A.I.M.) later appeared in an alliance with H.A.M.M.E.R.[20] Following the defeat of Norman Osborn, H.A.M.M.E.R. disbands, with Madame Hydra using the remaining members to reinforce Hydra.[21]

After the existence of Pleasant Hill, a top-secret community where Maria Hill incarcerated various supervillains (after brainwashing them to believe they were regular civilians via a sentient Cosmic Cube named Kobik), is exposed and subsequently shut down, the Red Skull's clone used the subsequent backlash in the intelligence community to assemble a new version of Hydra, starting with Sin and Crossbones.[22] Although his efforts were still focused on rebuilding the organization, he had already scored a significant victory, after the sentient Cosmic Cube, having been "raised" by the Red Skull in the form of a young girl, to see Hydra as a great organization, altered Steve Rogers' memories so that he believed he had been a Hydra sleeper agent since childhood.

Secret Empire

"Secret Empire" is about Hydra's goal, as the mind-altered Steve Rogers uses the Planetary Defense Shield, to entrap the Chitauri opposition, stranding them beyond the Shield. Baron Zemo would use the Darkhold to enhance Blackout's powers to entrap all of Manhattan within the Darkforce, following the fight between the superheroes there and Baron Zemo's Army of Evil.[23] Having taken political and military control of the United States, Hydra proceeds to round up and incarcerate all Inhumans, and all mutants are condemned to the western California territory of New Tian. Becoming the Hydra Supreme, Captain America forms Hydra's version of the Avengers, consisting of the Scarlet Witch who is possessed by Chthon, the Vision who is suffering from an A.I. Virus created by Arnim Zola, Odinson, the Taskmaster, Deadpool, Eric O'Grady's Life Model Decoy counterpart the Black Ant, and Doctor Octopus' form of the Superior Octopus. Throughout this period, Hydra encountered resistance from the Underground.[24]

Sam Wilson, the original Falcon, and currently the All-New Captain America, brought hope to the resistance with a plan to bring their real Captain America back by using the remaining Cosmic Cube, under Scott Lang and the Winter Soldier's hand on the Hydra Supreme's Cosmic Cube-infused Hydra suit. As Hydra began to fall, most of Hydra's Avengers members, Odinson, the Taskmaster, and the Black Ant, began to betray Hydra, joining the resistance, while the Vision and the Scarlet Witch were freed from the villains' control.[25]

Deadpool came to regret his betrayal of his friends, having killed Phil Coulson and Emily Preston and having lied to Emily's family, with Maria Hill having given him a painful lesson.[26] Kobik returned the real Captain America with his memories intact, and with the Hydra Supreme defeated, Hydra's reign over the United States came to an end, with major casualties being Rick Jones, Phil Coulson, and the Black Widow, who had been killed.[27] The Hydra Supreme is imprisoned in the Shadow Pillar as he is visited by Captain America to bring up the fact that he will stand trial for his crimes. After leaving, the Hydra Supreme is chained up as one of the guards whispered "Hail Hydra" into his ear.[28]

Due to the Hydra Supreme's imprisonment, Baron Zemo had to keep Hydra active. He planned to spring the Hydra Supreme from the Shadow Pillar, only to meet opposition from the Punisher in the War Machine Armor. After the attempted jailbreak is thwarted, the Hydra Supreme is apprehended, while Baron Zemo got away.[29]

Spider-Geddon

During the "Spider-Geddon" storyline, Arnim Zola led a bio-duplicate of the Gorgon and some Hydra agents to the Superior Octopus' lair, where Arnim Zola tried to get the Superior Octopus to help rebuild Hydra. The Superior Octopus turned him down, stating that he had upheld his bargain to Hydra, as Arnim Zola claimed that one does not leave Hydra until their death. After defeating the Hydra Agents, the bio-duplicate of the Gorgon, and Arnim Zola, the Superior Octopus had Arnim Zola spread the word to Hydra to never come after him again.[30]

Iron Man 2020

During the "Iron Man 2020" event, Pepper Potts infiltrates Hydra Base Omicron to look for Tony Stark's biological father Jude and get a DNA sample from him. She also meets a rookie Hydra agent named Robbie Fleckman. After a ride in the elevator, she follows a Hydra agent into a meeting with Dr. M. As Pepper gets a glimpse of Jude, Dr. M. unveils his Hydra-Bot. To demonstrate the Hydra-Bots abilities, Dr. M volunteers Robbie for the demonstration. Before he can demonstrate the cutting off of a part of Robbie's ear and the cauterizing, the Hydra-Bot goes berserk and cuts off half of Dr. M's left arm claiming that it has no need for a master. Pepper changes into Rescue as she reprimands Hydra for building a robot during the A.I. Army's activities. After rescuing Robbie, Rescue fights her way past smaller Hydra-Bots and has H.A.P.P.Y. scan the building for Jude. As Rescue confronts Jude and tries to explain why she's here, Robbie runs in stating that Hydra Base Omicron is locking down. When the Hydra-Bot attacks and grabs Jude, Robbie tries to save him by throwing a pocketknife only for a tiny part of Jude's right pinkie to accidentally get cut off. Rescue passes herself as a fellow robot to confuse the Hydra-Bot. As the Hydra-Bot starts to self-destruct, Rescue advises Robbie and Jude to flee as she claims the pinkie fragment. Upon fleeing the exploding Hydra base, Rescue contacts Bethany telling her that she's got Jude's DNA sample and to prep the lab for her arrival.[31]

Gang War

During the "Gang War" storyline, Diamondback is revealed to be allied with Hydra by Hammerhead during the meeting with the crime lords.[32] Diamondback visits a secret Hydra base where he speaks with Viper about the drugs that Hydra was making for him. When Spider-Woman raids a nightclub that Diamondback was speaking at, she gets overwhelmed by Hydra's latest member Green Mamba enough for Diamondback and Green Mamba to get away.[33] Spider-Woman has another encounter with Diamondback and Green Mamba when they are with Madame Hydra as she comes looking for her son Gerry Drew. Green Mamba uses his powers to knock Spider-Woman off the helicopter. Luckily for her, Madame Web was there to catch her. When Spider-Woman arrives at the ship that served as one of Hydra's bases where she confronts Diamondback and Green Mamba. During the fight, Diamondback reveals that Hydra has been keeping tracks of the "gifted and talented kids" and enlisted the biggest "eggheads" in the world to find a way to increase the aging process on the "ankle biters" to speed up Hydra's recruitment program. To Spider-Woman's surprised, Green Mamba is revealed to be an aged Gerry Drew.[34] Hydra abducted him when Roger Gocking forgot who she was. Spider-Woman tried to reason with her son claiming that Hydra mind-controlled him to no avail. Even though Diamondback and some of the Hydra agents were defeated when Spider-Woman's allies showed up, Green Mamba got away. Spider-Woman vows to make Hydra pay for what they have done.[35]

Membership

See main article: List of Hydra members.

Other versions

Amalgam Comics

An alternate version of Hydra has appeared in Amalgam Comics. They are very similar to the mainstream version of Hydra and wear the same green and yellow outfits, but with black eyes instead of red. They first appear in Super-Soldier #1 (April 1996) and are led by the Green Skull, alias Lex Luthor (a cross between Luthor and the Red Skull).

Exiles

Another alternate version of Hydra appears throughout Exiles #91-94, where they are well underway with their plan to take over the world. This version is being led by Madame Hydra (Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman in the regular Marvel universe) and her lover, Wolverine. Various other superhumans, including Captain Hydra and Slaymaster, are agents of Hydra in this world.[36]

Secret Wars (2015)

During the Secret Wars storyline, there were different versions of Hydra that resided on Battleworld:

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate Marvel version of Hydra appears as an "anti-government" organization (though their political philosophy is left deliberately vague). Following the events of the Ultimatum storyline. J. Jonah Jameson recalled the time when the original Spider-Man stopped from an attack by Hydra led by the Viper.[39] Modi (Thor's son) is later seen in allegiance and acquiring weapons from Project Pegasus, including Modi using the Mind Gem on Director Flumm to attempt to kill the U.S. President and the Giant-Woman Squad until stopped by the second Spider-Man's "venom-strike".[40] They are defeated by both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Ultimates, although some members escaped.[41] Hydra's collateral damage resulted in the deaths of Jake Miller's family.[42] The Death's Head Camp is led by the Commander Crimson to which Nick Fury masqueraded as Scorpio and infiltrated Hydra and came across Hydra soldier Abigail Brand.[43] After the demises of Commander Crimson and the Death's Head Camp, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Monica Chang grants allows the Howling Commandos to stop Hydra's remnants.[44]

In other media

Television

Film

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Several Hydra cells appear in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:

Video games

Live performance

Hydra agents appear in the stage show.[56]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Misiroglu . Gina Renée . Eury . Michael . The Supervillain Book: The Evil Side of Comics and Hollywood . 2006 . Visible Ink Press . 9780780809772 . en.
  2. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe HC entry for Hydra
  3. Book: DeFalco . Tom . Sanderson . Peter . Brevoort . Tom . Teitelbaum . Michael . Wallace . Daniel . Darling . Andrew . Forbeck . Matt . Cowsill . Alan . Bray . Adam . The Marvel Encyclopedia . 2019 . DK Publishing . 978-1-4654-7890-0 . 180.
  4. Wolverine vol. 3 #29
  5. S.H.I.E.L.D. #4
  6. Fear Itself: Book of the Skull #1
  7. Secret Warriors #1
  8. Secret Warriors #2
  9. All-New Captain America #4
  10. Ms. Marvel vol. 4 #1
  11. Free Comic Book Day 2015 #Avengers
  12. Deadpool vol. 4 #7
  13. Avengers: Standoff at Pleasant Hill Omega
  14. Captain America: Steve Rogers #3
  15. Captain America: Steve Rogers #2
  16. Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders #2-4
  17. Strange Tales #135
  18. Avengers: The Initiative Special #1
  19. Avengers: The Initiative #24
  20. The New Avengers vol. 2 #18
  21. The Avengers vol. 4 #24
  22. Avengers Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill Omega #1
  23. Secret Empire #0. Marvel Comics.
  24. Secret Empire #1. Marvel Comics.
  25. Secret Empire #9. Marvel Comics.
  26. Deadpool vol. 4 #35. Marvel Comics.
  27. Secret Empire #10. Marvel Comics.
  28. Secret Empire Omega #1. Marvel Comics.
  29. Punisher #227-228. Marvel Comics.
  30. Superior Octopus #1. Marvel Comics.
  31. Rescue 2020 #2. Marvel Comics.
  32. Amazing Spider-Man - Gang War First Strike #1. Marvel Comics.
  33. Spider-Woman Vol. 8 #1. Marvel Comics.
  34. Spider-Woman Vol. 8 #2-3. Marvel Comics.
  35. Spider-Woman Vol. 8 #4. Marvel Comics.
  36. Exiles #92
  37. Hail Hydra #1
  38. Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra #1
  39. Ultimate Requiem: Spider-Man #1
  40. Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #16
  41. Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #18
  42. Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #18.1
  43. Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #20
  44. Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #21
  45. Web site: An Interview With Christopher Yost . Medinnus, David . January 1, 2011 . April 1, 2011.
  46. The Serpent of Doom. Avengers Assemble. Disney XD. 1. 4. July 14, 2013.
  47. Web site: Marvel's Spider-Man & the Avengers Will Return with All-New Seasons to Disney XD. Jun 1, 2015.
  48. Spider-Island: Part 2. Spider-Man. Disney XD. 1. 20. February 4, 2018.
  49. Web site: Twitter / Marvel: Watch an exclusive clip from Marvel's "Iron Man & Captain America" . Twitter.com . December 3, 2013 . August 15, 2014.
  50. Web site: The History of HYDRA in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chipman, Bob. Screen Rant. April 12, 2017. March 29, 2021. April 13, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170413233215/https://screenrant.com/agents-shield-hydra-history-origins-mcu/.
  51. Web site: Red Skull's Escape Vehicles (2011) . MonsterMinions . July 22, 2011 . 2011-08-01.
  52. Web site: Rebecca . Maksel . Captain America and the Horten Brothers . . . August 9, 2011 . 2011-08-15 . November 29, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111129214648/http://blogs.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/2011/08/captain-america-and-the-horten-brothers/ . dead .
  53. Web site: Every Captain America: Civil War Easter Egg & Secret . Dyce . Andrew . Screen Rant . May 7, 2016 . May 9, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160514222715/http://screenrant.com/captain-america-civil-war-movie-easter-eggs/?view=all . May 14, 2016 . live.
  54. Web site: Aldrin . Calimlim . Thumbs Up, Soldier! Captain America Enters The Avengers Initiative . AppAdvice . December 13, 2012 . August 15, 2014.
  55. Web site: Hydra Hijinks. IGN Database. November 14, 2017 . 24 January 2018.
  56. Web site: Character Reveals for Marvel Universe LIVE! | News . Marvel.com . August 15, 2014.