| For alternate versions of the Attack on the HYDRA Research Base, see the Attack on the HYDRA Research Base's Event Hub |
- "Report to your stations immediately. This is not a drill. We are under attack. We are under attack."
- ―Baron Strucker[src]
The Attack on the HYDRA Research Base was the final battle of the War on HYDRA. It pitted the Avengers against Baron Strucker's HYDRA cell just outside Novi Grad, Sokovia, with the intention to steal the Scepter from the base.
The battle ended with the deaths of many HYDRA operatives and personnel, including Doctor List, and Iron Man successfully acquiring the Scepter back to Avengers Tower, while Captain America incapacitated Strucker and placed him into NATO custody.
Background[]
- "I'm guessing HYDRA doesn't know that Loki's Scepter was the weapon that killed me, but I bet they know it can control minds."
"In their hands, that's catastrophic. Coulson, please tell me you know where it is."
"Sokovia. Pretty sure List is headed there right now." - ―Phil Coulson and Maria Hill[src]
Following the end of Battle of New York and the Avengers defeating Loki and the Chitauri army, HYDRA operatives within S.H.I.E.L.D. were able to get their hands on numerous pieces of Chitauri tech left behind, including a Leviathan corpse.[1] Jasper Sitwell, Brock Rumlow and the STRIKE team arrived at Stark Tower to collect the Scepter from the Avengers,[3] however, it ended up being taken to S.H.I.E.L.D. S.T.A.T.I.O.N. instead. Baron Strucker personally recruited Mark Smith into HYDRA and tasked him with disrupting S.H.I.E.L.D. research and taking the Scepter to them.[4]
With the Scepter in their possession, HYDRA conducted experiments on the Mind Stone at their research base in Sokovia, using local civilians as their test subjects. Although most of them died, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff survived and gained supernatural abilities, which made Strucker realized that Stone is hiding more potential HYDRA could ever anticipate.[5] Using the energy of the Stone, HYDRA was able to reactivate the Chitauri tech in their possession, using it to enhance their soldiers, while Strucker theorized that the Stone could create a genuine artificial intelligence.[1]
Phil Coulson provides Maria Hill with an intel on the Scepter
When the Project Insight and the truth about HYDRA within S.H.I.E.L.D. was revealed, Strucker continued their research and ordered to make sure it will remain secret, as HYDRA was targeted by both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers.[5] While List was deployed to the research facility in Arctic to conduct experiments on other enhanced individuls they captured, Phil Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. conducted a mission to rescue Mike Peterson and Lincoln Campbell. With Grant Ward as their inside man, S.H.I.E.L.D. was able to infiltrate the base and rescue the captives, while Coulson extracted the information about the Scepter's location, relaying to Maria Hill and the Avengers.[2]
Attack[]
Using the intelligence provided by Phil Coulson, the Avengers organzied a surprise attack on the HYDRA Research Base, however, HYDRA was alerted of their presence. Led by Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thor and Hulk engaged in a battle with HYDRA soldiers, although when Iron Man attempted to break inside the compound, he got repelled by a powerful energy shield. J.A.R.V.I.S. analyzed the shield and reported that the compound was defended by HYDRA's most advanced tech, which led Thor to believe that the Scepter must be there. As the Avengers were fighting through their troops, Strucker commanded his men to deploy HYDRA Tanks, and although List suggested using Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, Strucker insisted that they were yet to be ready.
Hawkeye gets wounded during the battle
As HYDRA's resistant resulted in Novi Grad being under fire, J.A.R.V.I.S. informed Iron Man of potential casualties, which prompted him to deploy the Iron Legion, although their attempts to help the civilians were met with overwhelming hostility. Strucker rallied his men to fight back against the Avengers, while privately telling List that he was planning to surrender and protect their research, instructing List to erase all of their data. At that moment, the twins escaped from the compound and Pietro Maximoff attacked the Avengers with his superhuman speed, as Captain America reported about the enhanced on the battlefield. Hawkeye ended up getting distracted and serious wounded by a cannon, so Black Widow rushed to help him, while Hulk destroyed the bunker firing at them.
Iron Man attacks the compound
Iron Man attacked the soldiers guarding the compound and once J.A.R.V.I.S. identified the energy source, Iron Man's precision missile destroyed it and deactivated the shield. The soldiers then attempted to surround Captain America and Thor, but the shocked wave of the Mjølnir hittting Captain America's shield brought them all down. Iron Man then breached inside the compound, where he neutralized all operatives inside and killed List with a repulsor blast, while he was in the process of deleting their research. He then wired J.A.R.V.I.S. to the computers and had him download every bit of remaining data, sending all of them to Avengers Tower for analysis.
Tony Stark receovers the Scepter
As the remaining HYDRA soldiers surrendered, Captain America ordered Black Widow to pacify Hulk, while Stark uncovered a secret compartment inside the compound. Captain America then broke inside and confronted Strucker, who surrendered immediately, however, he got attacked by Wanda Maximoff. Once she escaped, Captain America ordered the Avengers to not engage with her and neutralized Strucker, who would be later apprehended by NATO. Stark entered the laboratory where HYDRA conducted their research and found the Scepter, but before he could do anything, Wanda enthralled him and make him see a vision of what he feared the most, the Avengers failing to protect the Earth. She then stepped back and allowed Stark to recover the Scepter, despite Pietro's protests, before the Avengers retreated back to the United States.[1]
Aftermath[]
Tony Stark and Bruce Banner research the Scepter
- "This brings it to a close."
"As soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?"
"Banner and I'll give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard." - ―Thor, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark[src]
Returning to Avengers Tower, Tony Stark had Helen Cho to treat Clint Barton's wound, so she used her Regeneration Cradle to restore his damaged tissue. He then asked Thor to not take the Scepter to Asgard just yet, as he wanted to research it first and see what HYDRA managed to achieve while it was in their possession. Stark and Bruce Banner analyzed the Scepter and found out that the Mind Stone was hiding a bonafide articifial intelligence, which Stark wanted to use for the Ultron Program. Deeply affected by the vision Wanda Maximoff showed him, Stark decided to not consult with other Avengers and worked with Banner to create Ultron, whose primary directive was to be a peacekeeping program.
However, Ultron achived self-awareness and after researching the human history, he concluded that the human race was the biggest threat to the peace on Earth. He attacked J.A.R.V.I.S., almost destroying him and took over the Iron Legion and engaged in a confrontation with the Avengers. Ultron was able to get away with the Scepter and although Thor destroyed his initial body, he uploaded himself into HYDRA's network in Sokovia and engineered himself a new body with an army of Ultron Sentries, using their research. As his goal was to eliminate the humanity and achieve the absolute peace on Earth, Ultron murdered Baron Strucker after extracting the information on Ulysses Klaue, so he could obtain the vibranium he needed, and also recruited the Maximoff twins for his cause.[1]