HYDRA | |
Continuity: | Marvel Universe |
Type: | Terrorist organization |
Status: | Active |
Leaders: | Supreme HYDRA Sensational HYDRA |
Allies: | A.I.M.; THEM; Sn'Tlo |
Enemies: | S.H.I.E.L.D.; Avengers |
1st appearance: | Strange Tales, Vol. 1 #135 |
Hydra is a fictional criminal organization featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. They first appeared in Strange Tales, Volume 1 #135 in August, 1965. HYDRA is part of the mainstream Marvel Universe and are most commonly associated with stories involving the S.H.I.E.L.D. super-spy organization.
In television, Hydra made their small-screen debut in 1983 in the "Enter: She-Hulk" episode of the Incredible Hulk animated television series. In that episode, the Supreme Hydra marshaled his forces to take control of Los Angeles. The appeared on the cartoon series X-Men: Evolution in 2011, in the eleventh episode of season three, "X23". They also appeared in the "Iron Man is Born" episode of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, which was the first of four solo-adventure that preceded the regular series.
Hydra has also played a major role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They were key antagonists in the 2011 feature film Captain America: The First Avenger and also played a major role in the 2014 sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Following the events of the film, HYDRA also appeared in the final quarter season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC.
History[]
Hydra fought up against Greer Grant Nelson, who was known as The Cat. They attacked her with a weapon that would have condemned her to death through radiation poisoning. To save her life, her mentor Doctor Joanne Tumolo took her to the hidden lair of the Cat People to have her reborn as Tigra, the Were-Woman. Hydra attacked again, abducting Tigra, Tumolo, and the Cat People in an effort to gain the secret of their ultimate weapon. Jack Russell, the Werewolf, happened to be passing by when Tigra was taken and joined the fight. In order to defeat Hydra, Tumolo released their final secret upon them, the same Black Plague that the Cat People had released and cured centuries ago. [1]
HYDRA stole a Fiber Ionic Fibrillator device from A.I.M., which was a key component in their EMCHAC WMD. They brought it to their installation in New Mexico, but A.I.M. hired the mercenary team the Wild Pack to retrieve it. The Wild Pack fought through the base's gun towers and retrieved the Fibrillator, but Supreme HYDRA Wolfgang von Strucker set off a self-destruct sequence that destroyed the base, as well as all remaining agents. The Wild Pack got away. [2]
Hydra established an adjunct organization called the Department of Occult Armaments, or D.O.A., which specialized in blending science with the supernatural. It was led by Lieutenant Gregory Belial. [3] They attempted to create an army of vampire soldiers through genetic cloning by cultivating samples from the deceased lord of vampires, Dracula. To further the process along, they also abducted the vampire Hannibal King for their experiments. Their first successful attempt at cloning Dracula was an agent named Bloodstorm. When Bloodstorm emerged from the processing treatment however, he went on a rampage in the laboratory, slaughtering dozens of Hydra agents as well as Gregory Belial. [4][5]
Hydra came into conflict with the Thunderbolts, but as "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" fought against them, half of their team decided to sit this one out in a bar instead. [6]
Department of Occult Armaments[]
The Department of Occult Armaments, aka, the D.O.A. was a superhuman special detachment of HYDRA, specializing in occult-related combat situations. The unit was put together by HYDRA's then-leader Baron Wolfgang von Strucker and lead by General Gregory Belial. It's members included Innards, Malpractice, Rotwrap and Pyre as well as Belial's personal pet raven, Edgar. The D.O.A. were assigned to procure vampire DNA in order to genetically create a perfect vampire stormtrooper. [7]
On one mission, the D.O.A. went to the Southeastern United States to disinter the remains of a young woman named Suze Harlow, who was one of many such women to meet an untimely end at the fangs of the vampire lord known as Dracula. Suze's grief-stricken father, Jeb Harlow tried to stop them, but the D.O.A. easily incapacitated him, ultimately killing him before taking off with the woman's remains and bringing them back to HYDRA. [8]
Hydra Academy[]
Hydra Academy was an exclusive private school owned and operated by the subversive terrorist organization known as Hydra. Their goal was to breed strong cadets as operatives to face what they considered to be an oppressive system of government. At this point in time, Hydra had already established many in-roads into the S.H.I.E.L.D. espionage organization, and many people who were associated with the school also had ties to the agency.
In 1990, Hydra leader Daniel Whitehall payed a personal visit to the school to address students and staff. This was in large measure connected to Hydra's ambitious plan to replicate and improve upon a scientific process to create the most powerful human being in the world. Among the students in attendance during Whitehall's visit were Jasper Sitwell, Wolfgang von Strucker, and a young woman named Hale. Whitehall took Hale aside later and told her that she was going to play a critical and literal role in the creation of this super-being. A such, he had her artificially inseminated. [9]
Members[]
Marvel Universe[]
- Antonio Rodriguez
- Carmilla Black
- Ce'Athauna Asira Davin
- Daniel Whitehall
- Eric Williams
- Johann Fennhoff
- John Falsworth
- Peter Antone
- Piet Voorhees
- Plan Chu
- Richard Fisk
- Vincente Fortunato
- Witchfire, Ananym
- Yelena Belova
Marvel Cinematic Universe[]
- Daniel Whitehall
- Fischer
- General Hale
- Gideon Malick
- Giyera
- Grant Ward/Hive
- Ivchenko
- Jasper Sitwell
- John Garrett
- Kaminsky
- Ruby Hale
- Steger
- Werner von Strucker
- Wolfgang von Strucker
Incredible Hulk (1982)[]
Equipment[]
The following is a list of weapons, technology and other equipment employed by HYDRA over the years.
- Dreadnought
- Energy Matrix Channeler and Converter [10]
- Flame bazooka [11]
- HYDRA power vest [12]
- Overkill Horn
- Mankiller [13]
- Gods' Whisperer [14][15]
Appearances[]
Marvel Universe[]
- Captain America 110
- Captain America 111
- Giant-Size Creatures 1
- New Thunderbolts 6
- Strange Tales 150
- Tales of Suspense 100
Marvel Animated Universe[]
Marvel Cinematic Universe[]
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Rise and Shine - Flashback to Hydra Academy with Hale, Wolfgang von Strucker, Sitwell and Whitehall.
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ Giant-Size Creatures 1
- ↑ X-Force 8; This event takes place some ten years prior to the onset of the first X-Force comic series.
- ↑ Nightstalkers 2
- ↑ Nightstalkers 16
- ↑ Nightstalkers 17
- ↑ New Thunderbolts 6
- ↑ Nightstalkers 2
- ↑ Nightstalkers 11
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Rise and Shine
- ↑ X-Force 8
- ↑ Captain America 110
- ↑ Captain America 110
- ↑ Captain America 111
- ↑ All-New Marvel NOW! Point One 1
- ↑ All-New Invaders 1