HYDRA is a major player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it has been since Captain America: The First Avenger. While its origins date back centuries, it really becomes a powerhouse during World War II when it acts as the scientific wing for the Nazis. HYDRA’s leader, Johann Schmidt, is obsessed with the power of the Tesseract, wanting to use it to bomb major locations all over the world. Captain America puts a stop to the Red Skull’s scheme, but HYDRA doesn’t go away forever. The organization returns in Captain America: The Winter Soldier more powerful than ever, and it has an ace up its sleeve.
Alexander Pierce, HYDRA’s new leader, plans to use Project Insight, which consists of three massive helicarriers, to eliminate threats to his organization. However, he doesn’t do the dirty work, sending the Winter Soldier out to ensure everything goes off without a hitch. Once again, Steve Rogers thwarts HYDRA’s plan, but he’s not the only Marvel hero up to the task.
1) Tony Stark
While he doesn’t realize it until much later, Tony Stark has personal stakes in the battle against HYDRA. In the ’90s, the organization sent the Winter Soldier to kill his parents, which threw his whole life for a loop. Fighting HYDRA in The Winter Soldier would give Iron Man the chance to get closure.
It wouldn’t be difficult for Tony to develop a way to either disable or destroy the helicarriers. Once he’s done with that, he can turn his attention to the Winter Soldier, and as the events of Captain America: Civil War prove, he has what it takes to take Bucky in a fight.
2) Yelena Belova
Natasha Romanoff has a major role in The Winter Soldier, being by Steve’s side as he uncovers HYDRA’s scheme and goes after the helicarriers. She even infiltrates the World Security Council meeting that Alexander Pierce is holding at the end of the movie and helps Nick Fury defeat his former boss. Natasha proves herself a capable spy in The Winter Soldier, but she’s not the best one in the MCU.
Black Widow’s sister, Yelena Belova, isn’t someone HYDRA wants coming after it. She’s a master assassin and spy, and it wouldn’t take her all that long to infiltrate the Triskelion and make sure the helicarriers never take off. The Winter Soldier could be a problem for her, but she’s a talented fighter in her own right who may be able to get the upper hand using her gadgets.
3) Shuri
Beating HYDRA in The Winter Soldier comes down to getting rid of the helicarriers because, without them, the organization has nothing to threaten the world with. All that would be left is a few grunts that can’t do much damage on their own.
Without even having to leave the comfort of her lab in Wakanda, Shuri has the ability to shut down just about any piece of technology. If she found herself up against HYDRA, she could send a virus to the helicarriers and call Nick Fury to clean up the rest of the mess. It really pays to have a big brain in the MCU.
4) Thor
One MCU hero who doesn’t have a big brain is Thor. He chooses to let his brawn do the talking, using his incredible strength and magical weapons to defeat his villains. The God of Thunder’s lack of subtlety lands him in trouble now and again, but that wouldn’t be a problem in a fight with HYDRA.
If Captain America thought he needed help in The Winter Soldier, he could’ve called his buddy Thor, who would’ve flown right over and destroyed the helicarriers. And it’s not like the Winter Soldier could hold his own against an Asgardian, leaving HYDRA no option but to surrender.
5) Ghost
HYDRA’s plan doesn’t really account for characters with incredible gifts. Pierce and Co. operate in the shadows, just hoping that no one picks up on what they’re doing. There’s no way they would even notice if an invisible person were in the room with them and learning about all their plans.
Ava Starr, aka Ghost, can walk through walls and disappear at a moment’s notice, making her nearly impervious to detection technology. All she would have to do is walk right into the Triskelion and destroy the helicarriers from the inside. Not even the Winter Soldier would be able to stop her.
6) Nebula
With HYDRA relying so much on technology in The Winter Soldier, the organization really opens itself up to cyber attacks. Nebula knows a thing or two about those because her father, Thanos, replaced most of her body with cybernetics. She’d have an edge against HYDRA, and she wouldn’t play nice.
Rather than destroying the helicarriers outright, Nebula might rewrite Arnim Zola’s code and have it target all the HYDRA members. She would then sit back and watch as the evildoers destroyed themselves.
7) Bruce Banner
Mixing brains with brawn is usually a safe bet in the MCU, with Bruce Banner being the perfect example. When he puts his brain in the Hulk’s body, there’s not much he can’t achieve. He’s even strong enough to use the Infinity Gauntlet to live to tell the tale.
Banner would be able to develop a way to destroy the helicarriers without having to fight. However, if it came down to him or the Winter Soldier, he wouldn’t have any trouble putting Steve’s old friend in his place.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is streaming now on Disney+.
Do you think the heroes on this list could beat HYDRA in Captain America: The Winter Soldier? Who else do you think stands a chance? Let us know in the comments below!
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