HYDRA ISLAND

Classification: Terrestrial technology

Creator: Hydra

Users/Possessors: Hydra (including Baron Strucker, Baron Strucker LMD), Master, Strike Force One

First Appearance: Strange Tales I#156/1 (May, 1967)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: Located 500 miles north of Darwin, Australia, in its original configuration, Hydra Island contained a number of booby traps on the surface, including poison darts, land mines and hidden pits. The main base of operations was located below ground, where a submarine pen was located, along with sophisticated facilities that included control rooms, periscopes for monitoring the surface, and cells.

The reconstructed Hydra Island was a synthetic atoll surrounded by an impenetrable shield designed to protect it from the Death Spore virus which they attempted to launch from the island. The island also possessed broadcasting equipment which enabled Hydra to transmit to any location on Earth. The island was also equipped with hangars, laboratories and prison cells, and an energy-based execution device called the Alpha-Tron.

History: (Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders#4 (fb)) - Hydra Island was the supreme citadel of Hydra during World War II.

(Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders#2) - Investigating reports of a "phantom submarine," Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders and the Japanese Samurai Squad each went to Hydra Island to investigate. Strucker tested the island's booby traps against the two teams, then pitted them against each other, finally taking all of them captive except for Captain Savage and Sgt. Morita.

(Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders#3) - Strucker allowed Savage and Morita to roam free so that he could train his men by pursuing them. The other Leathernecks and Samurai Squad members broke out of their cells and confronted Strucker, but he forced them to surrender by showing that Savage and Morita were about to be overwhelmed by his men.

(Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders#4) - Savage and Morita escaped Strucker's men, and came to the rescue of their fellow marines. Realizing that he was outmatched, Strucker set the island to self-destruct, and saw to his own safety.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#13 - Baron Strucker) - When Strucker rebuilt Hydra in the modern era, he returned their main base of operations to Hydra Island, which was reconstructed as a synthetic atoll where the original had been positioned.

(Strange Tales I#156/1) - Baron Strucker brought Laura Brown to Hydra Island as his prisoner as he broadcast Hydra's demand that all nations submit to them or perish by the Death Spore virus. Nick Fury stole aboard Strucker's craft and spied upon Strucker, but was captured by Hydra agents. Fury was strapped into the Alpha-Tron to be executed.

(Strange Tales I#157/1) - Fury tricked Hydra into releasing him from the Alpha-Tron by swallowing a Transparency Capsule and turning invisible, and fought his way through Hydra agents until he confronted Strucker himself.

(Strange Tales I#158/1) - In battle with Strucker, Fury managed to create an epiderm-mask of Strucker's face and donned it, then gave Strucker a mask of his own face atop one of Fury, to trick Strucker's own agents into thinking that Strucker was Fury. After Strucker was killed by his own men, Fury left the island with Laura Brown, leaving behind the Death Spore virus device which had been planted on the Helicarrier. When it detonated, it slew all of the Hydra agents on the island, but the island's own dome prevented it from spreading. Hydra Island sunk into the ocean.

(Captain America I#274 (fb) - BTS) - An LMD replica of Strucker was activated as Hydra Island fell, and it believed itself to be the real Strucker. It set about creating LMD Hydra agents to serve it, and raised Hydra Island back to the surface.

(Captain America I#274) - After kidnapping Captain Samuel Sawyer to force him to aid them in the launch of a B-52's nuclear warheads, the Strucker LMD brought Sawyer and the B-52 to Hydra Island, but was pursued by Captain America, Nick Fury, and the former members of the Howling Commandos. When Captain America entered the island, he was surprised to find it habitable, and suspected that the Death Spore had a short life-span. The LMD attempted to kill its enemies by exploding, but Sawyer took the blast for the others. Before dying, Sawyer set the B-52 to detonate its warheads, and the heroes departed Hydra Island before it once again sank beneath the waves.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. II#20) - The Red Skull sponsored a team of Hydra agents to investigate the ruins of Hydra Island.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. II#21) - Within the ruins, the Hydra agents located the remains of Baron Strucker, and utilized "the Death's Head," a device given to them by Leviathan to revive Strucker, bonding the Death Spore virus into his DNA, and sacrificing their own lives as a result.

(Heroes For Hire#10 (fb)) - Cassie Lang discovered that Luke Cage had set up equipment within Oracle Inc.'s building to monitor the progress of Hydra Island's resurfacing, but was knocked out by the Super-Adaptoid before she could do anything.

(Heroes For Hire#11) - Ant-Man investigated Cassie's story, and found the monitoring equipment.

(Heroes For Hire#12) - The Master rose Hydra Island to the surface to serve as his headquarters while he unleashed the virus Compound Omega upon the Earth. He was opposed by the Heroes For Hire, and Luke Cage prevented the virus from being released. The Heroes For Hire destroyed Hydra Island.

Comments: Created by Jim Steranko.

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Hydra Island should not be confused with:

• AIM Island, Boca Caliente, @ Iron Man I#207

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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