7 Marvel Heroes That Could Have Beaten HYDRA in Captain America: The Winter Soldier

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, HYDRA has been a significant force since the film “Captain America: The First Avenger”. Although its roots stretch back hundreds of years, it truly flourishes during World War II as the scientific branch for the Nazis. Johann Schmidt, their leader, is fixated on the Tesseract’s power, intending to deploy it to devastate key locations globally. Captain America thwarts the Red Skull’s plan, but HYDRA doesn’t vanish entirely. Instead, it reappears in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” with greater might than before, and it holds a secret weapon up its sleeve.

As a die-hard movie buff, let me tell you about Alexander Pierce, the fresh face leading HYDRA now, who’s got a sneaky scheme in mind: Project Insight, a trio of colossal helicarriers designed to wipe out any danger to his group. But instead of getting his hands dirty, he sends the Winter Soldier to make sure everything runs smoothly. Guess what? Good old Captain America, Steve Rogers, once again steps up to foil HYDRA’s plan. However, it’s not just Cap on the Marvel frontline; other heroes are ready for action too!

1) Tony Stark

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but reflect on how deeply Tony Stark’s past is intertwined with the sinister organization known as HYDRA. It wasn’t until much later that he came to understand this connection, but in the ’90s, HYDRA sent the Winter Soldier to take the lives of his beloved parents, an event that left a profound impact on his life. The opportunity to confront HYDRA in “The Winter Soldier” offered Iron Man not just a battle, but a chance to find closure for the pain they had caused him.

Tony could easily devise a method to either deactivate or demolish those helicarriers. Afterward, he’d be ready to confront the Winter Soldier, and given his combat skills demonstrated in Captain America: Civil War, he’s more than capable of defeating Bucky in a battle.

2) Yelena Belova

In the film, “The Winter Soldier,” Natasha Romanoff plays a significant part, standing by Steve as he exposes HYDRA’s plan and pursues the helicarriers. She also sneaks into Alexander Pierce’s World Security Council meeting at the end of the movie and assists Nick Fury in overpowering his former superior. In “The Winter Soldier,” Natasha demonstrates her skills as a competent spy, but she is not the most exceptional one within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Yelena Belova, Black Widow’s sibling, isn’t someone HYDRA welcomes pursuing them. She’s an expert assassin and spy, capable of swiftly infiltrating the Triskelion facility to prevent their helicarriers from launching. The Winter Soldier might present a challenge, but Yelena is no pushover in combat and may outmaneuver him with her arsenal of gadgets.

3) Shuri

In The Winter Soldier, defeating HYDRA mainly involves dismantling the helicarriers since, without these powerful weapons, the organization lacks anything to menace the globe with. Essentially, only a handful of lower-ranking members would remain, who individually wouldn’t pose much of a threat.

In her lab at Wakanda, Shuri possesses the power to halt most technological devices without needing to step foot outside. If faced with HYDRA, she could dispatch a virus to their helicarriers and contact Nick Fury to handle the remaining chaos. It’s quite advantageous to have a large intellect in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

4) Thor

One Marvel character who isn’t known for his intellectual prowess is Thor. Instead, he relies on his formidable physical strength and enchanted weaponry to subdue his adversaries. Known as the God of Thunder, his lack of finesse occasionally lands him in difficult situations. However, such tactical oversights would be insignificant against HYDRA, given his combat capabilities.

In “The Winter Soldier,” if Captain America felt he required assistance, he might have reached out to his friend Thor instead. Swiftly arriving on the scene, Thor could have swiftly dismantled the helicarriers, making a decisive impact on the situation. Furthermore, it’s important to note that The Winter Soldier would not have been able to match an Asgardian in combat, thereby leaving HYDRA with no other choice but to capitulate.

5) Ghost

HYDRA’s strategy seems to overlook individuals with extraordinary abilities. Pierce and his team work discreetly, always praying that their activities remain unnoticed. It’s highly unlikely that they would detect a hidden person eavesdropping on their schemes, even if such an individual were present among them.

Ava Starr, also known as Ghost, boasts an uncanny ability to pass through walls and vanish instantly, making her exceptionally hard to track using detection technology. With this power, she could effortlessly penetrate the Triskelion and sabotage the helicarriers from within. Not even the Winter Soldier would be a match for her stealthy maneuvers.

6) Nebula

In “The Winter Soldier,” HYDRA’s heavy dependence on technology makes it a potential target for cyber attacks. Given Nebula’s background – her father Thanos having transformed much of her body into cybernetics – she would possess unique skills to exploit HYDRA’s vulnerabilities. However, she wouldn’t be likely to act in a friendly or cooperative manner.

Instead of directly destroying the helicarriers, Nebula could alter Arnim Zola’s programming to make them attack all HYDRA members. Essentially, she would set in motion a self-destruct sequence for the villains, observing their own demise from afar.

7) Bruce Banner

Combining intelligence and physical strength is often a winning formula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Bruce Banner serving as an exemplary case. When he merges his intellect with Hulk’s physique, there seems to be little he can’t accomplish. He’s even got the might to wield the Infinity Gauntlet and survive the experience.

Banner could find a method to disable the helicarriers without engaging in combat. But, should it come to that, he would not hesitate to assert himself against the Winter Soldier, who was once Steve’s companion.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is streaming now on Disney+.

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2025-06-15 22:42