HYDRA

Team Name
Hydra

Base of Operations
Hydra Island

Current Members
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker; Madame Hydra; Gorgon; Commander Kraken

Former Members
Lara Brown; Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew); Fixer; Red Skull (Johann Shmidt); Kingpin; Edgar Lascombe Brainwashed agents- Elektra; Northstar; Wolverine

Other Members (Honorary, Reserve, etc.)
Hydra Super-Agents- Hammer (Hydra); Bowman (Hydra); Militant (Hydra)

Other Info
Millennia ago, a group of ancient Egyptians fought back a Brood invasion. Due to this, the survivors formed two secret organizations: the Brotherhood of the Shield and the Brotherhood of the Spear. The Brotherhood of the Spear spread out, ingraining itself into all facets of human society--science, magic, politics--like a multi-headed beast. Over time though, the group disappeared around the Renaissance. (To learn about the race and/or groups above, just click on their highlighted names.)

The group's return happened around World War II. The man most responsible for the creation the current group (now known as "HYDRA") was Baron Wolfgang von Strucker--the Prussian aristocrat who served as wing commander of Nazi Germany’s infamous Death’s Head Squadron, and later as leader of its Blitzkrieg Squad of commandos. (HYDRA is not an acronym: it takes its name from the many-headed serpent-like monster known for its ability to grow two heads immediately to replace any head that was severed. HYDRA prides itself on its ability to regroup and rebuild itself, allegedly mightier than before, after any major defeat.) Eventually, Adolf Hitler became frustrated by Baron von Strucker’s defeats by American commando Sgt. Nicholas Fury, and by Strucker’s refusal to execute the entire population of a French village. Therefore, Hitler ordered the Gestapo to find and assassinate Strucker. Luckily for Strucker, he was able to escape Germany with the help from the Third Reich’s second most powerful leader, the Red Skull. The Skull's plans were to eventually challenge Hitler himself so he assigned Strucker to build a power base for him in the Far East. However, this frustrated Strucker who had no intention of serving anyone but himself. So, he severed ties with the Red Skull and set out to become HYDRA's leader: the Supreme Hydra. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn more about the characters and/or groups. Note: Beware of the low-cut outfits worn by some on Nick Fury's bio page.)

There had also been a few of the more politically-oriented members of the Hand who re-birthed HYDRA in Japan. Knowing this, Baron von Strucker set out for Japan. Upon his arrival, Strucker made contact with Japanese group and rapidly became the mastermind behind this society’s rise to power. Strucker planned and led raids on major war plants and military equipment storehouses throughout the world. Once he had built HYDRA’s army and arsenal to what he judged to be at maximum strength, Strucker killed the Japanese Supreme Hydra and became Supreme Hydra himself. (To learn about the Hand, click on their name above.)

Soon afterward, Strucker constructed a fortress on a small Pacific island (later referred to as Hydra Island). This became HYDRA’s principal base upon its completion. While building HYDRA’s arsenal, Strucker had also recruited a staff of brilliant scientists--who would later become the nucleus of the HYDRA branch called Advanced Ideas Mechanics (aka A.I.M.). At one point, HYDRA was close to obtaining nuclear weaponry, and thus achieving the means to conquer Earth, when Hydra Island was invaded by Capitan Savage, the Leatherneck Raiders, and the Japanese Samurai Squad. Hydra Island was destroyed, but Strucker escaped. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the place, team, and/or character.)

In the years following WWII, Strucker quietly rebuilt HYDRA, this time using its best remaining men of the Nazi Schutz-Staffel (S.S.). Strucker slowly steered the organization towards the goal of world domination. However, after nearly being killed in an encounter with the young Charles Xavier and Magneto, Strucker decided to remain behind-the-scenes from then on. He moved HYDRA’s principal base to America. However, over the coming years, HYDRA was able to develop and arsenal of weaponry, submarines, and fighter aircraft greater than those of most nations. In addition, HYDRA now had agents throughout the globe. (To learn about Professor X and/or Magneto, just click on their names above.)

To meet the threat of HYDRA, the organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. was created. When HYDRA learned of this, they assassinated S.H.I.E.L.D.’s first Director, who was then replaced by Colonel Nicholas Fury--Strucker’s greatest wartime foe. This decision, after 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, led directly to Baron von Strucker's death at the hands of Fury and several deceived HYDRA operatives. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn more about the team and/or items.)

After Strucker's death, the surviving elements of HYDRA broke into factions. 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 Spider-Woman. Baron von Strucker was eventually revived, and he was able to reunite several of the HYDRA factions under his leadership to renew his campaign against S.H.I.E.L.D. and humanity for years to come. (To learn about Spider-Woman, click on her highlighted name above. Note: Beware of the very form-fitting outfit she wears on her bio page.)

Despite Strucker's reorganization of the group, various independent HYDRA factions continued to operate around the world. In fact, many HYDRA civil wars eventually happened. At one point, Baron Helmut Zemo had even placed Strucker in stasis for his own purposes, and Gorgon became the new leader of HYDRA. As part of an alliance with the Hand, Gorgon 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 was, however, stopped and Wolverine ended up killing Gorgon. (To learn about the characters listed above, just click on their highlighted names. Note: Beware of the very form-fitting outfit worn by Elektra on her bio page.)
 Later on, HYRDA planned an all out attack on the United States by smuggling missiles into New York for use in a planned bio-weapon assault. HYDRA formed a distraction using clones of the Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and Hawkeye, who were dead at the time). However, the plan was foiled by Spider-Man and the New Avengers. (To learn about the Avengers and/or some of its members, just click on the highlighted names above.)

After some time, Baron von Strucker resurfaced and used an undersea base. However, due to the events of the Skrull's Secret Invasion, Strucker had to destroy his undersea base because it was crawling with Skrull infiltrators. (To learn about the Skulls and or their invasion, click on the highlighted names above.)

After this, Strucker gathered leaders of separate factions of HYDRA: Viper, Kraken, the Hive, and Madame Hydra. To complete his goal, he also had the Hand resurrect Gorgon. Collectively, these different "heads" of HYRDA became known as the HYDRA High Council. (To learn about the members of the HYDRA High Council, just click on their highlighted names. Also, most of this re-organized group of HYDRA leaders can be seen in the fourth picture posted.)

At one point, Madame Hydra and Viper negotiated with the Clan Yashida to gain possession of the a mysterious artifact known as the "Box." However, a group known as Leviathan assaulted HYDRA, kidnapping Viper in the process. Madame Hydra was able to bring them the Box, passing it off to HYDRA as a negotiation to rescue their companion. In truth, however, Madame Hydra had been working for Leviathan the entire time. This led to an all-out war between Leviathan and HYDRA. Meanwhile, Nick Fury's Secret Warriors were able to destroy a couple of HYDRA's main strongholds. (To learn about Clan Yashida, click on the highlighted name above.)

 With the loss of some of their main bases, HYDRA's leadership was fractured again--this time in two factions. One side rallied behind Gorgon and the other behind Kraken. This only increased HYDRA's losses. Interestingly, this all turned out to be carefully orchestrated by Nick Fury. Kraken was not the original man who helped create HYDRA, but had been replaced somewhere along the way by Nick Fury's brother, Jake. HYDRA had been played into killing itself, and Nick Fury personally executed Strucker. (To learn about Jacob Fury, click on his name above.)

More recently, a "new" HYDRA has been created by Hydra Queen along with Baron Zemo under the concept that the "old" HYDRA failed at their commitment.

To learn a little bit more about HYDRA, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Hydra.