Marvel ’s nonmigratory evil , secret criminal organisation , HYDRA , help as a counterpoint to the more noble S.H.I.E.L.D.

While the bad guys love to capitalise the name of their radical , as far as we bonk , it ’s not an acronym . Or at least , no author has ever come up with a longer version . That " Y " really makes a problematic job of it ( at least in English ) , so we ’re fine just letting it sit .

However ,   just because the letter of HYDRA are n’t initial , that does n’t mean the baddies do n’t stand for anything .

Gwen stacey next to the new gwenpool with her tombstone behind her

They have a full curing of methods , value , and formula by which their members must populate . Most of these amount to " we should be in charge , and we have ways of taking care of anyone who interferes with that . "   However , it does get a short more specific than that .

rank in HYDRA comes with a few conceding . That ’s not much of a surprise considering it ’s a fascist tie with the modest goal of entire world supremacy .

They started out more as a comic book take on SPECTRE , the similar group from theJames Bondmovies .

Collage of Willow and Clash of the Titans

If you were wondering , theye do have a foresightful name : They ’re the Special Executive for Counterintelligence , Torture , Revenge , and Extortion . Doubling up on the " SP " in " Special " is kind of cheating .   However , they really wanted to be ghost , even though their symbolisation is an devilfish . It does n’t have to make signified .

If you want to be a part of HYDRA , though ,   rank number with a caboodle of regulations , most of which carry harsh penalties for violation .

Members must be willing to have their minds controled

Obviously if HYDRA ’s architectural plan is to flex the entire globe to their will , its member have to be alright with some questionable tactics .

This includes mind control , as we see most prevalently in its economic consumption of brainwash bravo The Winter Soldier .

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe’sCaptain America : Civil War , we see that the programme had candidates beyond piteous Bucky Barnes .

bucky barnes winter soldier in front of several thunderbolts villains

This kind of conditioning would make world mastery really easy if it did n’t take so long .

plain only certain candidates   are suitable . In the comics , HYDRA agents received some training in hypnosis . It ’s more efficient if they can win over multitude to go along with them .

However , they have to be prepared to use more subtle method acting .

HYDRA Red Skull and Winter Soldier

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.has some agents hypnotizing useful but uncooperative assets like Victor Creel and Glenn Talbot , and it never go well .

Originally, only men could join

In the comics , the original incarnation of HYDRA was just for men . This was partly a comment on the rearing   discrimination of the meter .

The group did n’t stay that way , of course . Many notable woman have link the grouping ’s ranks .

You may remember Madame Hydra from the episode ofAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.in which the squad was stick by in the practical - reality Framework . Her comic counterpart also ran the full operation , and she ’s one of the few member who successfully separated ties and went off on her own .

Winter Soldier in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

In an former visual aspect in the books , we see Laura Brown ’s unprecedented ascent to agenthood . It definitely aid that her father was Imperial   Hydra at the clip , but it was still kind of progress .

Members must know tech

HYDRA is n’t just a rabid , militaristic administration . It ’s definitely that , but that ’s not all it is .

It ’s more than just a clenched fist ( or two , because that ’s their salute ) .

The grouping also has a well fund and stock scientific discipline division so that it can go after more pernicious agency of world supremacy .

madame hydra

Along with all that mind ascendency , we ’ve figure the baddies look into the mysterious and dangerous ingredient gravitonium and the Tesseract ( which turned out to be the Space Infinity Stone ) .

Their amazing cash advance in engineering led to such fight advantages as a fear police squad of soldiers that ride skateboards into battle– no , really .

The reason why everyone has to have the same basic training is simple . They ca n’t make dear on the whole “ cut off a tree branch , and two will take its place ” bit without everyone deal some qualifications .

HYDRA Captain America

Members have to be in peak physical condition

HYDRA want its act to be as big as possible , but that does n’t mean it does n’t have standard . If you need to fight S.H.I.E.L.D. and work for world supremacy , you have to be capable to lead up a few flights of stairs without falling over or overtake out .

The emphasis on physical fitness is part of the chemical group ’s emphasis on field and favorable position . It promote this by insisting that its agent maintain physical fitness .

think of that they go down ( or take over heavily from ) the Nazis , who were obsessed with creating “ perfect ” man to prove how much better they were than everyone else .

Agents of SHIELD Madame Hydra Mallory Jansen

So everyone who outwear the yellow-bellied " H " had to log some hour in the gym , or we adopt they ’d have some harsh consequences .

Members must be willing to sacrifice everything

This “ final test ” seem onAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The first time we see it is during flashbacks in the first season showing how the treasonable Grant Ward earned his rank .

The last affair his trainer , John Garrett , asked him to do before Grant could bug out his fresh lives as a double factor was to shoot his dog .

This would be punishing for anybody to do , but the deed is part of one of the fundamental tenets of HYDRA : the cause is more important than personal adhesion .

HYDRA Grant Ward

So if you could personally “ give up ” your beloved pet , betraying your friends and colleagues should be light if the need arises .

It must be moderately effective because trainees were   still doing this in the most recent time of year ofSHIELD .

The Klingon-style system of succession

Back in the day before it had an HR section , HYDRA members only had one way of life to move up in the rank and file , particularly if they wanted to be in complaint . That was the way of the blade .

Enterprising and ambitious minion with an center on the top spot could ascend by simply taking out everyone above them in the hierarchy . We say “ only , ” but evidently it ’s not as easy as that or the whole post would be straight - up chaos all the time .

HYDRA party boss know this is a possibility , so apparently they protect themselves .

Red Skull

They can make everyone so loyal that they do n’t desire to take them out , install a crew of trapdoors in their living twenty-five percent , or just take down anyone who calculate at them funny so the others are too scared to try out anything .

Agents remain (mostly) anonymous to each other

HYDRA takes the idea of the “ secret society ” badly . The first embodiment was so intransigent about observe things under cover that not even case-by-case appendage bed who their mate are . All they know for sure was that they were all dudes .

This total namelessness served several purposes .

It made the faceless , green - mask legion seem countless and intimidating . This is the same reason why no Stormtrooper inStar Warsremoves their helmet untilThe Force Awakens .

Hydra Marvel

It also has the more hard-nosed , intragroup welfare forbid betrayal .

If single HYDRA members do n’t know each other ’s name , it ’s harder for them to inform on the group ’s bodily process or turn each other in . It ’s probably an administrative nightmare , but we ’re certain they had   a system .

The Supreme Hydra’s identity must be kept secret

So mysterious was HYDRA in its early days that the minions did n’t even know whom they reported to . The first Supreme Hydra , Arnold Brown , keep his identity hide behind his masque — and favored panther .

Not even readers get laid the dependable identicalness of the organization ’s terrifying , unpitying drawing card until he unmasked in Strange Tales 140 .

For his daylight caper , he was the mild - mannered secretary of Leslie Carrington , a board member of the huge corporation Imperial Industries .

HYDRA unmasking Strange Tales 136

Carrington ’s cruelty during meetings suggested that he was the one running the evil secret high society in the basement , but nobody suspect Brown .

The Supreme Hydra ’s taciturnity end up cost him his sprightliness when his own partner in crime did n’t make out him .

Members unmask only for special occasions

HYDRA ’s accent on anonymity was n’t cosmopolitan . Sometimes ceremony demand that they show their faces ,   but it was usually about keep them accountable .

One situation that called for Diamond State - hooding was a person ’s induction or promotion .

This hap when Brown brings his daughter , Laura , into the organization .   However , even though everyone got a look at her face , she still had a codename to keep herself confidential .

Daniel Whitehall Hydra

Other time , HYDRA agents uncloak before start important missions , as one did during an endeavor on Nick Fury ’s life-time .

As the boss explains , his age group would be able to describe him if he fail so that the group ’s coarse justice could come to bear . The group is not sympathetic to the great unwashed not pursue through .

Failure costs members their lives

HYDRA has a zero - tolerance policy for minion who do n’t succeed in their plan . Anyone who fail had to present dangerous penalties– and we do n’t just intend their privileges at the spot sundae prevention were set aside .

Because the group accent military posture and its own warped version of perfection , it is n’t big on “ teaching consequence . ” That is , unless you have in mind “ teaching ” the other understructure - soldiers not to get caught or leave a place S.H.I.E.L.D. installation or factor standing .

However , the object lesson is dim-witted : do n’t do it , or you ’re not long for this cosmos .

Because HYDRA is gravid on ceremony , it even has something on deck of cards for these occasion .   However , we ’re not sure how fairish it is .