Hydra (WWII)

Hydra originally started as the secret research branch of the Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS) under Ernst Kaufmann until his death during the Night of Long Knives in 1934, after which is was taken over by Johann Schmidt whom renamed the organization HYDRA-Abteilung, but commonly called just Hydra.

HYDRA-Abteilung was named after the mythological creature and used its original phrase: "cut off one head, two more will take its place". It was soon charged with science experiments and deep investigation of the occult. Due to contributions from Arnim Zola, HYDRA developed several extremely advanced weapons.

When the Spanish Civil War started in 1936, the leaders of the Third Reich decided to support the Nationalists led by Francisco Franco. HYDRA was among the German units sent by Adolf Hitler to assist the Nationalists on the battlefield.

In April 1937, HYDRA's tanks and soldiers equipped with powerful exo-skeleton battle suits destroyed the city of Guernica. At the time, it was believed the German air force, the Luftwaffe, was responsible for the destruction of the city. However, the footage of the slaughter was smuggled out of Germany by the British agent Margaret Carter and handed over to the US military in January 1940.

In 1939, World War II broke out. HYDRA's leader Johann Schmidt actively participated in the Nazi conquest of Europe. Though the United States of America were not yet involved in the war, Schmidt knew that was only temporary. In 1940, HYDRA assassins attempted to kill the American industrialist Howard Stark, but with the help of Colonel Chester Phillips, Stark was able to defeat the attackers, and decided to join the Strategic Scientific Reserve.

That November, at Castle Kaufmann in the Alps, Schmidt injected himself with Abraham Erskine's Super Soldier Serum. He expected to become the superior man, but the unstable serum disfigured his face and turned him into a super strong megalomaniac villain known as Red Skull. Erskine escaped with the help of Agent Peggy Carter, Colonel Phillips, and Stark.

Adolf Hitler gave Schmidt a military base in the Alps, which he turned into a headquarters of HYDRA. Over time, HYDRA members became more loyal to Schmidt than the Third Reich.

Immediately after the start of the war, HYDRA began building several factories across the Nazi-occupied Europe and the territories of Germany's allies. By 1942, they had factories in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. They used captured Allied soldiers to work in factories. They even had a U-boat base somewhere on the Mediterranean.

In March 1942, HYDRA stormed a castle in Tønsberg, Norway where they recovered a mystical object. Schmidt saw to it that the artifact would be used to its full potential by Arnim Zola. Zola's outlandish designs of robotic power armor, massive vehicles and energy weapons and armor could find a functional use thanks to the artifact's power, and with the most advanced technology in the world, HYDRA began their conquest that counted Berlin in its targets.

Soon, HYDRA's goals would be challenged by America's own super-soldier, Captain America. In November 1943, Rogers attacked the HYDRA factory in Austria, and managed to free all Allied soldiers who were imprisoned there. This was the first direct conflict between Rogers and Schmidt, who activated self destruct mode and escaped in the experimental plane. Aided by his best friend, Bucky Barnes and the Howling Commandos, Captain America began a massive assault on HYDRA forces across the Axis lines, destroying numerous bases.

By the beginning of 1945, Arnim Zola had to be moved to another HYDRA facility. However, his train was attacked by the Howling Commandos and he was captured. He was later moved to London where he was interrogated by Colonel Chester Phillips.

Despite the loss of Doctor Zola, in March 1945 Schmidt was ready to launch the offensive that would change the face of the planet. The same day on which Schmidt intended to launch the attack, the base was infiltrated by Captain America, who was captured and brought before Schmidt himself. However, before Schmidt could kill his nemesis, the base was attacked by the Howling Commandos and the U.S. Army detachment led by Colonel Chester Phillips. Outnumbered, Schmidt's men were eventually defeated, but not before Schmidt flew away in his advanced-powered bomber, the Valkyrie. He intended to destroy all the large cities in America.

Captain America managed to board the plane and came face to face with Schmidt. When it became clear that Rogers was gaining the upper hand in the fight, Schmidt attempted to use the power of the artifact from Norway with his bare hands. This only resulted in a beam of light, which caused Schmidt to disappear, and forcing Rogers to put the bomber plane down in the freezing waters below, freezing himself solid and causing the artifact to sink to the bottom of the ocean.

Immediately after Schmidt's disappearance, the rest of Hydra quickly fell to the allied forces and ceased to exist, though a number of it agents were unaccounted for at the end of the war, most are assumed to have been killed in various battles with allied forces.

One agent, Baron Heinrich Zemo lived in exile in Argentina until his death in 1968. It is also believe that Baron Reiter, likewise was in Argentina but never confirmed.

The last known living agent of Hydra, Arnim Zola, died in 1970.

HYDRA OPERATIVES

Red Skull - M.I.A. believed Deceased - 1945

Arnim Zola - Deceased - 1970

Baron Reiter - believed Deceased M.I.A. - 1945

Baron von Blitzschlag - believed Deceased M.I.A. - 1945

Baron Von Strucker - believed Deceased M.I.A. - 1945

Baron Heinrich Zemo - Deceased - 1968

Lord John Falsworth - Deceased 1945

Albrecht Krieger - M.I.A. believed Deceased - 1945

Axl Nacht - M.I.A. believed Deceased - 1945

Helmut Gruler - M.I.A. believed Deceased - 1945

Julia Frieda Koenig Lohmer - M.I.A. believed Deceased - 1944

Iron Major - M.I.A. believed Deceased - 1944

Lady Luger - M.I.A. believed Deceased - 1944

Lady Lotus - Deceased 1945