- This article is about the fictional terrorist organisation. For other uses, see Hydra (disambiguation).
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HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe. The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #135. In its original continuity, it was headed by nondescript businessman Arnold Brown, who was killed as S.H.I.E.L.D. apparently crushed the organization. It soon returned, however, headed by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, with the support of the Nazi Red Skull; HYDRA's changing origin was one of the earliest Marvel retcons. After its initial defeat, several of its branches surfaced, appearing to be unrelated and independent. HYDRA's scientific branch was initially A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics), which later split off into its own organization. Other factions included THEM and the Secret Empire. Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra. The organization's motto references the myth of the Hydra, proclaiming that if a head is cut off, two more will take its place, proclaiming their resilience and growing strength in the face of resistance. HYDRA agents often wear distinctive green garb featuring a serpent motif.
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History
HYDRA's history as presently depicted in Marvel Universe continuity is a long, tumultuous and convoluted one, spanning the decades from the end of the Second World War up to the present day, tied directly to surviving fugitive members of governments of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Shortly upon joining the original HYDRA, Von Strucker seized control of the organization from its Japanese founders and slowly steered it towards the goal of conquering Earth. That campaign brought him into conflict with Charles Xavier and the future Magneto among others, and once HYDRA became more brazenly public in its operations, eventually 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 apparently assassinating S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first executive director, Nick Fury was appointed as executive director. This decision, after several HYDRA campaigns including the creation of the Overkill Horn (designed to detonate all nuclear explosives worldwide), and the bio-engineered "Death-Spore" Bomb, led directly to von Strucker's first death at the hands of Fury and several deceived HYDRA operatives. In the wake of von 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 first Spider-Woman. Von Strucker was eventually revived and reunited several of the HYDRA factions under his leadership to renew 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 continue 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, Gorgon and Strucker's second wife Elsbeth von Strucker mystically created a clone of Strucker who 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 SHIELD. The assault was ultimately repelled and Wolverine would kill 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, Captain America and former Avengers Thor and Hawkeye) but were inevitably foiled by Spider-Man and the other New Avengers. When Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. during Civil War, HYDRA stormed the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and freed her. Spider-Woman, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and member of the Avengers, had been working for HYDRA under the orders of Nick Fury, deposed as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. following the events of Secret War, whom she was still loyal to. HYDRA revealed that they knew of her betrayal and wanted her to replace Viper as their current leader, for she was unstable. Spider-Woman refused their offer, destroying the HYDRA base she had been taken to in an explosion.
Members of HYDRA
The following characters have worked for HYDRA:
- Baron Wolfgang von Strucker - Supreme Hydra - revealed in Strange Tales #150 (Nov 1966)
- Werner von Strucker - Eldest son of Wolfgang.
- Arnold Brown - Imperial Hydra (figurehead) (deceased) - First appeared in Strange Tales #135 (Aug 1965)
- Laura Brown - Special Hydra Agent H (later G) - First appeared in Strange Tales #135 (Aug 1965)
- Mentallo - Special Agent, HYDRA fragment - First appeared in Strange Tales #141 (Feb 1966)
- The Fixer - Special Agent, HYDRA fragment - First appeared in Strange Tales #141 (Feb 1966)
- Anton Trojak - Annil-Agent, 47, Scientist - First appeared in Strange Tales #155 (Apr 1967)
- Robert Rickard - HYDRA Agent U (deceased) - First appeared in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #12 (May 1969)
- Karl Kraus - Double Agent for HYDRA - First appeared in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #14 (Sep 1969)
- Number 72 - Leader of HYDRA fragment - First appeared in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #14 (Sep 1969)
- Zach Wood - Leader of Orlando HYDRA - First appeared in Captain America #110 (Feb 1969)
- Madame Hydra - Leader of New York City HYDRA - First appeared in Captain America #110 (Feb 1969)
- Richard Fisk - "Supreme Hydra" of Las Vegas HYDRA fragment - First appeared as HYDRA member in Captain America #145 (Jan 1972)
- Kingpin - Actual director of Las Vegas HYDRA - First appeared as HYDRA leader in Captain America #147 (Mar 1972)
- Red Skull - True leader of Las Vegas HYDRA - Revealed as HYDRA leader in Captain America #148 (Apr 1972)
- Chameleon - Sometime HYDRA employee - Worked for HYDRA in Incredible Hulk #154 (Aug 1972)
- Silvermane - "Supreme Hydra" of East Coast - First appears as HYDRA leader in Daredevil #120 (Apr 1975)
- Blackwing - Air Action Division Leader, East Coast - First appeared in Daredevil #118 (Feb 1975)
- Jackhammer - Engineer Corps leader, East Coast - First appeared in Daredevil #123 (Jul 1975)
- El Jaguar - Commando Division Leader, East (deceased) - First appeared in Daredevil #120 (Apr 1975)
- Commander Kraken - Naval Action Division Leader, East (deceased) - First pictured as HYDRA leader in Daredevil #121 (May 1975)
- The Fox - Administration Division Leader, East - First appeared in Strange Tales Annual #2 (Sep 1963)
- Man-Killer - Assassins Division Leader, East - First appeared as HYDRA leader in Daredevil #123 (Jul 1975)
- Space Phantom - Revealed as HYDRA leader in Avengers #106 (Dec 1972)
- Grim Reaper - Self-Appointed Head, New York HYDRA fragment - Revealed as HYDRA leader in Avengers #106 (Dec 1972)
- Bull's Eye - Hired assassin employed by HYDRA - First appeared in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #15 (Nov 1969)
- Count Otto Vermis - Leader of European HYDRA fragment - First appeared in Marvel Spotlight #32 (Feb 1977)
- Spider-Woman I - Special Agent - First appeared in Marvel Spotlight #32 (Feb 1977)
- Jared Kurtz - HYDRA Agent, Europe - First appeared in Marvel Spotlight #32 (Feb 1977)
- William Darvin - Agent of Corporate HYDRA (deceased) - First appeared in Team America #1 (Jun 1982)
- James Winderfield - Part-time Agent, Corporate HYDRA - First appeared in Team America #11 (Apr 1983)
- Nancy Winderfield - Part-time Agent, Corporate HYDRA - First appeared in Team America #11 (Apr 1983)
- Elsie Carson - Former Southwestern U.S. Regional Field Director, Corporate HYDRA - First appeared in Team America #11 (Apr 1983)
- Ralph Sanzetti - Assassin, Corporate HYDRA (deceased) - First appeared in Team America #12 (May 1983)
- Lieutenant Romulus
- Lieutenant Garrotte
- Lieutenant Saltz
- Lieutenant Guillotine
- Bob, Agent of HYDRA - Agent of HYDRA - First appeared in Cable & Deadpool #38 (2007)
- Congressman Woodman - Commander of Washington D.C. Branch of HYDRA - First appeared in The Avengers: The Initiative (2007)
The Avengers: United They Stand
HYDRA makes an appearance in the second issue of the comic book based on the animated television series The Avengers.
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 America (now Captain Hydra) and Slaymaster, are agents of HYDRA in this world.
In other media
The Incredible Hulk and She-Hulk battle HYDRA's forces in an episode of The Incredible Hulk. HYDRA also appears in the television movie Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., with black Men in Black-type suits, rather than the green uniform from the comics. They also appeared in X-Men: Evolution, where they were behind the creation of X-23 from Wolverine's DNA. Omega Red and Gauntlet are shown as mercenaries working for HYDRA. HYDRA also appears in X-Men: The Official Game. In the game, HYDRA is partially responsible for the creation of the Master Mold and Sentinel robots alongside William Stryker. Under orders of their leader, Silver Samurai, HYDRA infiltrates Stryker's base to remove all evidence and Sentinel equipment, and by accident, activated the Master Mold. This version of HYDRA seems to take the place of the ninja organization the Hand in the X-Men movie continuity, as the Hand have already appeared in the Elektra movie. Some HYDRA agents appear at the beginning of the movie Ultimate Avengers 2, fighting against Captain America. After Cap defeats most of the agents, two of them try to escape in a van. Cap throws his shield, which slices clean through the van back-to-front, and causing it to skid out of control. The van crashes into a tank of some sort of chemicals, which then burst open, showering the van. The van melts, along with both HYDRA agents.
Similar groups
Similarly themed criminal organizations exist in other superhero settings. A recurring trait of these organizations is legions of uniformed flunkies along with a motley assortment of gimmicky henchmen in the higher ranks. Both VIPER (from the Champions role-playing game) and Kobra (from the DC Comics universe) wear green uniforms and use the snake as their symbol rather than the mythical hydra. The Cobra Organization from G.I. Joe is also very similar. The Galactor Syndicate from the anime Gatchaman has green uniforms similar in style to Hydra uniforms.
