Baron Strucker (Earth-199999)
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, commonly known as Baron Strucker, was a high-ranking German Hydra operative within S.H.I.E.L.D. Following the Battle of New York in 2012, S.H.I.E.L.D.—led by Hydra agent Alexander Pierce—claimed the scepter wielded by Loki, which contained the powerful Mind Stone.[note 1] Strucker, Doctor List, and other Hydra agents studied the scepter in a base in Sokovia. Following the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. in 2014, Strucker knew that the Avengers would seek them out soon enough, and he began leaking locations of various smaller Hydra cells to throw them off.
List conducted research into the powerful potential of the Mind Stone as well as various reclaimed Chitauri weaponry. He used the latter to perform experiments on human subjects in an attempt to create superpowered beings. Hydra fabricated American incursions on Sokovian soil to foment unrest among the country's people, and used outraged citizens as volunteer subjects, promising them extraordinary powers to combat the invaders. Nearly all of these experiments resulted in death, but a pair of twins survived: Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Wanda was granted "neuro-electric sensitivity" and "micro-cellular manipulation," which essentially manifested in powerful telekinesis and mental manipulation. Pietro gained increased metabolism and "thermal homeostasis," resulting in extreme physical speed.[1][2]
The Avengers soon tracked down Hydra's Sokovian base and conducted a full-on assault. The Maximoff twins bore a vendetta against Iron Man—and by extension the Avengers—and were willing to fight for Hydra. List wished to put them to use against the Avengers, but Strucker insisted that his men could hold the line. As things took a turn for the worse, Strucker planned to surrender, delete their research data, and hand over their basic weapons research to the Avengers, hoping that doing so would conceal their more extreme experiments with the Mind Stone. List attempted to wipe the data, but Iron Man and Captain America infiltrated the base in time to stop them. Cap easily incapacitated Strucker and delivered him to NATO custody. While imprisoned, Strucker was violently killed by Ultron, a sentient A.I. inadvertently created by the Avengers as a result of their own experiments with the Mind Stone.[3]
Notes
- ↑ In the This Scepter'd Isle prelude comic, Strucker takes the scepter from loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agents by force. These events are retconned by Alexander Pierce's actions as depicted in Avengers: Endgame.
See also
References
- ↑ Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Dir. Russo, Anthony and Joe Russo. Perf. Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Robert Redford, and Samuel L. Jackson. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2014.
- ↑ Avengers: Age of Ultron Prelude - This Scepter'd Isle. (February 2015) Pilgrim, Will Corona (w), Alves, Wellinton (p), Clark, Manny (i), Ramos, Jay David (col), Cowles, Clayton (let).
- ↑ Avengers: Age of Ultron. Dir. Whedon, Joss. Perf. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2015.