Assassination of Baron Strucker

Assassination of Baron Strucker
Previous	Attack on Avengers Tower
Next	Battle at the Salvage Yard
War	Ultron Offensive
Date	May 2, 2015
Result	Baron Strucker is killed by Ultron.
Planned by	Ultron
Executed by	Ultron
Target	Baron Strucker
Casualties	Baron Strucker

"This is a smokescreen. Why send a message when you've just given a speech?"
"Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss."
"Yeah, I bet he... Yup. Everything we had on Strucker has been erased."

―Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers^[src]

The Assassination of Baron Strucker was one of the opening actions in the Ultron Offensive, where Ultron murdered Wolfgang von Strucker while he was in custody of NATO, after revealing locations of several vibranium caches, including a stock that was kept by Ulysses Klaue.

Background

"Strucker and List have been running experiments on enhanced people. They've set up a base in the Arctic. I have a man on the inside who fed us their location."

―Phil Coulson^[src]

Following the Battle of New York, HYDRA operatives within S.H.I.E.L.D. started collecting what remained of the Chitauri technology left on the battlefield for research. Baron Strucker expressed an explicit interest in the Scepter that was wielded by Loki and arranged for it to be transported to HYDRA Research Base in Sokovia for research. Although List's experimentation with the Mind Stone inside it allowed HYDRA to reactivate the Chitauri tech in their possession, Strucker ordered to advance their research by using Sokovian civilians as their test subjects. While many of the volunteers died, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff survived and gained supernatural abilities, which made Strucker believe that the Stone was hiding a much greater potential HYDRA could ever imagine.

Captain America takes out Baron Strucker

When S.H.I.E.L.D. was compromised and Project Insight was foiled by Captain America, the truth about HYDRA wihtin S.H.I.E.L.D. was uncovered, so Strucker ordered to ensure that the Scepter research would not be found. The Avengers assembled to take down HYDRA and recover the Scepter and using the intel provided by Phil Coulson, they found out about it being at the Sokovian base and launched an attack. While HYDRA was trying to protect the compound from the Avengers, Strucker ordered List to erase all research and files and went on to surrender, hoping to prevent the Avengers from digging deeper. Strucker ended up being apprehended by NATO and the Avengers recovered the Scepter, while the Maximoff twins escaped.

Tony Stark researched the Scepter and found out that the Stone kept the basis for a genuine artificial intelligence, which he could use for Ultron Program in order to preserve peace on Earth where Avengers could not. Stark and Bruce Banner experimented on the Stone and as a result, Ultron was created, however, he researched human history and came to a realization that humanity was the biggest threat to world peace. Intending to carry out his purpose and bring peace, Ultron decided that the Avengers and humanity in general must perish, before trying to dismantle J.A.R.V.I.S. and taking over the Iron Legion. In a subsequent confrontation with the Avengers, Ultron stated his purpose and escaped with the Scepter, taking over HYDRA's resources to make himself a new body.

Assassination

"Ultron killed Strucker."

―Steve Rogers^[src]

In order to carry out his plan and eradicate the humankind, Ultron sought to acquire vibranium, although he had no access to any public record on where to find it. Creating himself a new body, Ultron recruited Pietro and Wanda Maximoff for his cause, lying to them that his goal was only to take down the Avengers, before going after Baron Strucker. Ultron broke into Strucker's cell and forced the information about Ulysses Klaue who had vibranium in his possession out of him. Now knowing where to get vibranium, Ultron murdered Strucker and wrote the word "peace" on the wall as a message to the Avengers, while wiping out all data they had on Strucker.

Aftermath

Ultron makes a deal with Ulysses Klaue

"Your father kept you in the dark then died a meaningless death, leaving you a HYDRA face with no answers."

―Grant Ward to Werner von Strucker^[src]

With Pietro and Wanda Maximoff by his side, Ultron approached Ulysses Klaue and purchased a large shipment of vibranium from him. However, the Avengers found out about Baron Strucker's death and manage to deduce that Klaue and vibranium would be his next target, confronting Ultron at Salvage Yard. In a subsequent battle, Wanda was able to get most of the Avengers out of commission and enthralled Hulk to send him on a rampage in Johannesburg. Iron Man then had to summon his Hulkbuster armor to stop Hulk, giving Ultron and the Maximoff twins enough time to retreat with vibranium.

Werner von Strucker gets recruited into Grant Ward's HYDRA

Strucker's death, along with other casualties HYDRA suffered due to the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., created a substancial power vacuum within its structure, which Grant Ward sought to fill. Ward started to rebuild HYDRA in his own way, reconnecting the organization's scattered cells and taking resources from those he sought unfit. He found out about Strucker's son, Werner von Strucker, and kidnapped him in order to force him to transfer his funds to the new HYDRA. Von Strucker, however, was able to put a solid fight and Ward reveal that it was only a test of his skills and told von Strucker that he would be a fine addition to his organization.

However, von Strucker's mission to gain Andrew Garner's trust went awry and he ended up being betrayed by Gideon Malick whose goal was to take over Von Strucker Family Vault. Ward made contact with Malick as he was seeking the vault himself, believing that Strucker kept there the greatest weapon HYDRA had at their disposal. Malick initially did not see any gain from working with Ward and ordered his men to take him out, but Ward overpowered them and tortured them into speaking out about the vault. Ward arrived in Zepkow and entered the vault and met Malick who was waiting him there, who was impressed by Ward's tenacity and decided to give him a place in HYDRA. Malick then revealed that the vault contained a fragment of the Kree Monolith that was instrumental in bringing back Hive, an ancient Inhuman whom HYDRA worshipped as their deity.