Captain Hydra Facts Hey guys!
Welcome back to Top 10 Nerd, I’m Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey.
Recent developments in the Captain America comics have been insanely controversial; Captain
America was an Agent of Hydra.
This ticked a whole whack of fans off, and even though the story has since been clarified,
it still rubs some people the wrong way.
I think it's pretty cool, though, and I think more people should know about it!
So I've put together a list of facts about this storyline.
As it stands it's pretty short and absurdly convoluted; hopefully I don't just confuse
you further.
Also, at the time of writing this, we’re up to issue 4.
Now get ready, it's time for the Top 10 Facts about Captain Hydra!
Number 10: Captain America is the mothaflippin president.
Let that soak in.
Really, in most other circumstances, Steve Rogers would be a pretty great president.
Strong, intelligent, charismatic, and humble enough to allow others to use their expertise.
Unfortunately, this version of Captain America isn't exactly looking out for Life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness.
He's in it for Hydra, and Hydra is bad news.
Hey check me out, not a Trump joke in sight.
I must be growing up.
... Unlike Trump!
Hahahaha worth it.
Number 9: It all kinda feels like an RPG.
This is less of a fact and more of a thing I noticed, but this series really seems like
I’m playing an RPG, like DnD or Fallout.
You see a bunch of exceptional people, you choose a side, you go on missions, and you
try to collect enough fragments to let your side win.
And I kinda like it, it’d make a pretty great tabletop campaign!
The key fragments especially help me to feel this way, with both sides scrambling and questing
to find and obtain as many fragments as possible.
While it’s something of a trope, it helps to make these comics have a familiar feel
to them, and when you’re reading a story about Captain America fighting for Hydra,
sometimes a familiar storyline helps to keep your head straight.
Number 8: There's a new superhero team in town: The Underground.
After Cap traps most of Earth's heroes in New York or space, there remains a select
few who can fight against Hydra, including Spider-Man and Amadeus Cho’s Hulk.
Led by an AI version of Tony Stark, they seek to fight back against Hydra and bring Steve
back... or die trying.
This is a great team, partly because they’re fighting for good in a world gone crazy, and
partly because it’s just a bunch of my favourite heroes.
But sadly, this isn't the only team of heroes around...
Number 7: Steve Rogers has his own set of heroes.
Although I guess at this time they might be considered villains.
Although Hydra’s in power, so I guess as far as the world’s concerned, they ARE the
heroes.
I dunno.
As part of his great plan, Steve managed to brainwash a number of the Avengers, and continues
to use them to maintain his version of peace.
These are the Hydravengers, and while it pains me that Steve has a team of superheroes at
his disposal to do Hydra’s dirty work, it does make for some pretty epic hero vs. hero
battles.
But the Hydravengers aren’t the only people being brainwashed…
Number 6: The citizens are being brainwashed too.
When reading this series, it can be tempting to wonder how the regular members of the population
are so okay with Hydra taking over, throwing out insane propaganda, and changing school
curriculums so drastically.
Well, turns out they’re being brainwashed too, with mind-altering substances in the
water supply.
This is done to increase docility and receptiveness in the masses, making them believe what they’re
told, while making them less likely to rise up.
It’s a pretty great plan, but not the most ethical of schemes.
Number 5: Cap still has some decency.
While Captain America is working for Hydra, we do see several signs that the real Cap
is still in there, especially early on.
This is partially because he still has all the memories of the real Cap, he just thinks
they're not true.
But you really see how he works in meetings with the other Hydra members; Cap seems to
truly want what's best for the people.
For example, he pardoned rebel fighters to avoid having a prison state and to bring the
people together, even though his allies disagreed.
He thinks he's doing the right thing; hopefully soon he'll learn what the right thing actually
is.
Because as the issues continue, I’m starting to worry about him.
He’s kind of being a monster.
But there is some light at the end of the tunnel, with the next point:
Number 4: There’s another Steve Rogers.
At the end of Secret Empire #2, our world was yet again turned upside down when the
suspiciously strong and suspiciously, blonde man we’d been seeing turned out to be Steve
Rogers trying to get home.
We’re not sure who it is, but my goodness do I hope it’s 1602 Cap.
It would be amazing to have him finally make it back to his own time.
Kinda unlikely though.
I don’t know for sure what all this means, but I think there’s a good chance that this
Steve may end up replacing the evil Steve Rogers.
I just can’t really see Hydra Cap coming back from some of the things he’s done,
least of all the next few points.
Number 3: He made Deadpool kill Agent Coulson!
I know!
We were all heartbroken watching Coulson die in the films, and his revival in Agents of
SHIELD only softened the blow.
But now he’s been killed in the comics too!
Coulson was getting too close to figuring out that Cap was working for Hydra, so Steve
ordered Deadpool to kill Coulson on sight.
And he saw him.
And killed him.
Now it’s possible that it will turn out to be a ruse to fool Cap, but it doesn’t
look so good.
Number 2: He ordered the death of Bucky.
This one hit Captain America fans pretty hard; to betray Bucky is to bid farewell to his
past.
Steve ordered Baron Zemo to take out Bucky and the Thunderbolts, who were hiding Kobik
at the time.
And Zemo destroyed them, strapping Bucky to a rocket.
It was super uncool, but when you spend as much time with Kobik, I think there’s a
pretty good chance that this isn’t the last we’ll see of Bucky.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kobik ends up just changing everything back.
I’d be disappointed, but not surprised.
Number 1: Hydra Cap is worthy of Mjolnir.
This was probably the most shocking thing to come out of this storyline, other than
the initial “Hail Hydra”, and it was really crazy.
While Thor remains unworthy, the evil, Hydra-worshipping Captain America seems to have been deemed
worthy of the hammer, based on the final page of the Free Comic Book Day Secret Empire story.
We’re still not quite sure what it means, but Nick Spencer has confirmed it to be true.
Personally I think it’s because he truly believes he’s doing what’s best for mankind.
I think one’s actions mean less than the intention behind one’s actions, at least
as far as Mjolnir is concerned.
But hey, what do I know?
Hopefully we’ll learn more soon.
That’s it for today!
Hope you enjoyed!
If you did please smack that gorgeous thumbs up button and subscribe to Top 10 Nerd for
more videos!
Do YOU like the Captain Hydra storyline, or do you hate seeing Cap working for Hydra?
Let me know in the comments down below.
Until next time, I’m Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey with Top 10 Nerd.
Later nerds!
One member of the Underground is a traitor.
This was the big reveal at the end of issue 4, which is the last one I’ve read from
the series.
Steve Rogers revealed that Hydra had someone on the inside, working for the Underground
as a double agent for Hydra.
This was a huge shock, and while it definitely helped to explain how Hydra was able to predict
the Underground’s movements, it makes me so sad that one of them could turn on the
others.
My bet’s on Mockingbird, but really it’s anybody’s guess.
All I’m saying is it had better not be frickin Ant-Man or I’m gonna lose it.
He trapped New York City in the darkforce dimension.
He trapped many of the Earth's defenders in outer space.
To continue the plan to eliminate the heroes from Earth, Steve orchestrated a Chitauri
threat, taking down Earth's shields to send many of Earth's greatest heroes to space.
Unfortunately for the heroes, he then brings the shields back up, trapping them between
a rock and a hard place.
Or rather, between the Earth and trillions of alien invaders in search of their queen.
Inhumans are being rounded up and captured.
0 He still loves Sharon.
Even though his past with Hydra has changed, Steve still has all his memories.
Including the ones that make him in love with Sharon.
Obviously, she didn't take too kindly to his new persona, and doesn't really reciprocate
the feelings.
Might be something to do with how he's a fascist terrorist who betrayed his own country and
everyone he ever professed to care about... her words.
Ultron hosted a dinner party.
While wearing Hank Pym’s face.
Except it actually was Hank Pym.
Okay, if you’ve been reading the series this won’t be surprising at all, and if
you haven’t read the series, this will just be thoroughly confusing, but here we go.
The Ultron/Hank Pym combination interrupts a battle between the Underground (the good
guys) and the Hydravengers, kidnaps them, and hosts a dinner party for them.
While half his face is covered by that of his creator, Hank Pym.
Yes it’s weird.
Yes he’s wearing a “Kiss the Overlord” shirt.
Yes that would sound terrifying to Starcraft fans.
But it’s especially funny