WERNER VON STRUCKER

Real Name: Werner von Strucker

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Criminal, Hydra leader

Group Membership: Hydra

Affiliations: Lump, Justin Hammer, the Hand (Jonin, others), Madame Hydra, Maggia (Hammerhead, Tombstone/Lonnie Lincoln), Wilhelm Schmidt, Secret Empire, the Slug, Mr. Tolliver, the Word, Yakuza (Tetsuo, others), Yellow Claw

Enemies: Gnobians (Death's Head Guards, others), Kree Sentry, S.H.I.E.L.D. (Nick Fury, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Al Mackenzie, Kate Neville, Network Nina, Alexander Pierce, others)

Known Relatives: Baron Strucker (Wolfgang von Strucker, father), Elsbeth von Strucker (stepmother), Andreas Strucker (half-brother), Andrea Strucker (half-sister), unidentified wife, unidentified cousin

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: (Unidentified) Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#1 (September, 1989); (identified) Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#3 (November, 1989)

Powers/Abilities: Werner von Strucker has no known superhuman powers. As a leader in Hydra, he has access to vast financial and scientific resources.

Height: 5'11" (by approximation)
Weight: 160 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde

History:
(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#5 (fb) - BTS) - One of Wolfgang von Strucker's several children, Werner von Strucker and his wife spent their lives trying to undo the extensive damage of Wolfgang's actions over the years, as Wolfgang had been long dead himself. Wilhelm Schmidt, a former ally of Wolfgang's, approached Werner and his wife, explaining that Wolfgang had once killed an entire town of people during World War II, and that he had badly wronged an innocent alien race, the Gnobians. Werner and his wife went with Schmidt and his young protégé, a deformed alien named Lump, to the site where the Gnobians were in suspended animation. The aliens woke up and went mad, turning into the dark Death's Head group, and infecting Werner's wife with extreme madness. The Death's Head began manipulating Werner, forcing him to follow orders, in the hopes that he could save his wife.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#1) - Werner received a visit from Wilhelm Schmidt, who brought Lump with him. Schmidt updated Werner on the Death's Head plans, telling him Fury had been drawn out. In the privacy of his room, Werner told his wife that he would kill Fury to save her.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#3 (fb) - BTS) - Werner got word that Schmidt and Lump had been captured by Death's Head Guards (deadly versions of the Gnobians). He contacted the organization, saying he knew who they really were, and they demanded that Werner bring them three captives.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#3) - Werner used a sonic blast to take out Alexander Pierce, Network Nina, and Al Mackenzie, all agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as he stated their capture would help make up for the sins of his father. He called Death's Head to take them captive, knowing it would lead Fury into a trap. Werner tried reasoning with the leader of Death's Head, but he tossed Werner aside, saying that the Fourth Reich would soon be established all over the world. Werner wondered what he had unleashed. In Gruenstadt, Werner saw Fury and Contessa Allegra de Fontaine attacked by a Kree Sentry, one unleashed by Death's Head. He chose to intervene revealing his identity to Fury to try and help him escape, but the Sentry knocked all three of them out. Suddenly, the Gnobians altered reality to make things look like they did in World War II.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#4) - Werner explained to the Contessa that they were trapped in a replaying of events from the past, and told her to play along. Baron Strucker and the Nazis approached and guided the two away, along with a young Wilhelm Schmidt. Werner was astounded to see a recreation of the Gnobians in the sky, and horrified when he saw his father shoot them down. Inside the recreation of the alien base, they saw sonics destroy some of the Nazis, then witnessed the alien mother surrounded by the Gnobian race. Werner explained to Contessa that the alien race were empaths who sought to absorb racial memories of other species, and somehow their encounter with Strucker and Hydra had turned them into the Death's Head Guards. As they watched, Baron Strucker manipulated a Kree Sentry, set to guard the mother, into listening to him.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#5) - Werner and Contessa witnessed the past events, when Strucker interfaced with the telepathic Gnobian mother, learning how to use Gnobian tech to eventually build Hydra, and chose to destroy the entire populace of the town to protect his secrets. Unable to do anything but watch now, Werner saw his father slaughter the townfolk, then saw Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos defeat the Nazis. Badly wounded, Baron Strucker then returned to the Gnobians, and ended up infecting them with his madness, which eventually resulted in the Death's Head group, and in Baron Strucker being restored to life, allowing him to go on and form Hydra, as the Gnobians entered suspended animation, remaining there until Werner and Schmidt found them years later. Werner explained his connection to events to Fury and his allies, then he saw Fury disappear.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#6) - The conflict escalated as Fury battled the Gnobians, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, including Kate Neville, Network Nina, Mackenzie, and Alexander Pierce, stood against the maddened Gnobian mother. The mother ordered Werner to serve her again and he refused, so she ordered the death of his wife. The mother threatened to detonate an Omega Bomb to devastate humanity. After Schmidt died, Fury inspired Lump to use his powers to free the Gnobian mother from Strucker's influence. Realizing the freedom was temporary, the mother ordered her Kree Sentry to use the Omega Bomb and destroy her own facility, to kill herself and her race. Werner and his allies fled as swiftly as possible as the building exploded behind them. Werner bid goodbye to Fury, prepared to go home and see if his wife was spared.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#14 (fb) - BTS) - Werner made sure his wife was safe, then he worked to begin reforming Hydra, teaming with people like a new Madame Hydra and Yellow Claw in plots against S.H.I.E.L.D.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#14) - Werner delivered a deadly weapon to an island in the South China sea, where he grew frustrated with a woman who insulted him, but then he knelt before Yellow Claw. After seeing Madame Hydra's failure in her latest plot against Fury, Werner guided Yellow Claw back to his wife.

(Daredevil I#307 (fb) - BTS) - After Baron Strucker returned to life, he began working with Werner, but the Baron kept the news of his resurrection a secret. Hearing of the Kingpin's downfall, Werner planned to gain access to some of the criminal's holdings and assets. He went to Las Vegas to attend a criminal summit to divide the assets.

(Daredevil I#309 (fb) - BTS) - Baron Strucker, to keep his identity a secret, disguised himself as Werner's bodyguard, Snakeskin.

(Daredevil I#307) - The summit was chaired by the Word, a representative of the Red Skull, and attendees included members of the Secret Empire, Justin Hammer, the Slug, Fenris, Jonin of the Hand, Tetsuo of the Yakuza, and Tombstone and Hammerhead of the Maggia. Werner stood talking to his half-siblings the Fenris twins as the meeting commenced. They argued that they had the rightful claims to the reformation of Hydra, and Werner disagreed.

(Nomad II#4) - The criminal summit began, including Werner, as well as newcomer Mr. Tolliver, and the Word began negotiations.

(Punisher War Journal I#45) - Werner was followed by members of the Secret Empire.

(Daredevil I#308) - Tensions rose as the Fenris twins continued arguing that Werner had no right to his claims on Hydra, but he held his ground.

(Nomad II#5) - As negotiations continued, Werner made threats regarding Hydra's involvement, but Fenris stated he had no claim over Hydra at all.

(Punisher War Journal I#46) - Werner apprehended the men following him with the aid of Hydra agents. He considered killing them, but didn't want to make the negotiations worse.

(Daredevil I#309) - At Snakeskin's suggestion, and to try and speed the negotiations along, Werner offered the protections of Hydra as they divied up assets among the criminal organizations, but the Fenris twins protested and walked out, and Hammerhead impulsively fired a gun through the window. As the negotiations broke down farther, with many criminals leaving, Werner considered himself triumphant. Baron Strucker removed his costume and chastised Werner, taking the full credit. Frustrated and wanting more recognition, Werner threatened to blackmail his father, saying he could release information to Nick Fury at any time. Impressed and threatened, Baron Strucker killed his son with the death spore virus, leaving him begging before he collapsed on the floor, the skin of his face grotesquely scarred. Terror Inc. later plucked out Werner's eye to keep it as his own.

Comments: Created by Bob Harras (writer), Bob Hall (penciler) & Kim DeMulder (inker).

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Werner von Strucker should not be confused with:

unidentified wife

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#5 (fb) - BTS) - The wife of Werner von Strucker, the son of war criminal and founder of Hydra Wolfgang von Strucker, helped her husband undo the extensive damages of Wolfgang's actions over the years. In time, Wilhelm Schmidt and his protégé, the alien Lump, approached Werner and his wife about awakening the alien race, the Gnobians. When they did so, the aliens infected Werner's wife with extreme madness, then began manipulating Werner as they promised a potential cure for her.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#1) - Werner comforted his mindless wife, saying he'd see her cured.

--Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#1 (Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#5 (fb) - BTS, 1

images: (without ads)
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#6, p8, pan6 (main)
Nomad II#6, p9, pan5 (face)
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#6, p9, pan6 (Werner von Strucker's wife)

Appearances:
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#1 (September, 1989) - Bob Harras (writer), Bob Hall (penciler), Kim DeMulder (inker), Greg Wright (editor)
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#3-6 (November-December, 1989) - Bob Harras (writer), Keith Pollard (penciler), Kim DeMulder (inker, Gregory Wright (editor)
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. III#14 (August, 1990) - Bob Harras (writer), Keith Pollard (penciler), Kim DeMulder (inker), Greg Wright (editor)
Daredevil I#307 (August, 1992) - D.G. Chichester (writer), Scott McDaniel (penciler), Bud LaRosa (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Nomad II#4 (August, 1992) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Pat Olliffe (penciler), Mark McKenna (inker), Glenn Herdling (editor)
Daredevil I#308 (September, 1992) - D.G. Chichester (writer), Scott McDaniel (penciler), Bud LaRosa (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Nomad II#5 (Setember, 1992) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Pat Olliffe (penciler), Mark McKenna (inker), Glenn Herdling (editor)
Punisher War Journal I#46 (September, 1992) - Chuck Dixon (writer), John Hebert (penciler), Fred Fredericks (inker), Don Daley (editor)
Daredevil I#309 (October, 1992) - D.G. Chichester (writer), Scott McDaniel (penciler), Bud LaRosa (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)

First Posted: 06/19/2019
Last updated: 06/19/2019

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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