From Panel To Play: Baron Strucker

CP76 Baron Strucker

What has the world come to, when you can’t even trust a 19th century Prussian nobleman with a face covered in fencing scars to do the right thing? Find out more on this installment of From Panel to Play, where we’ll be talking about the Original Supreme Hydra, Baron Strucker!

Baron Wolfgang von Strucker has committed his long life to evil. A contemporary of the Red Skull and founder of the Hydra paramilitary organization, Strucker’s nefarious and cruel mind has been bent toward plots of domination since the beginning of the 20th century. Thanks to the infestation of the Deathspore virus contaminating his blood, the baron’s aging has been suppressed and he continues to plague humanity as a force of true evil.

Strucker is an arrogant strategic genius who possesses strange powers thanks to his lifetime of nefarious deeds. Those who face him must confront the power of his Satan Claw, the metal gauntlet he wears that can produce potent energy blasts in the form of a Plasma Blast, a Strength 5 Energy attack that has a chance to Incinerate his opponent. Of course, Strucker is driven primarily by his desire for world domination (and the Deathspore virus that keeps him alive). When he wants to make a point, Strucker declares “The World is Mine,” and unleashes a devastating Strength 7 Physical attack that allows him to remove 1 damage for each damage he deals to his target.

For generations Strucker has been a leader of evil, and is the founding father of Hydra. In game he brings the new Hydra High Council leadership power for the Hydra affiliation. This leadership allows Hydra agents to turn the tables on their foes when they attack, letting them impose special conditions they are suffering on the target of their attacks before removing them from themselves. Even more, when members of the affiliation inflict a special condition on a target, they can remove 1 damage—perfect for when Strucker’s old ally Arnim Zola is on the field.

And Strucker’s enemies will have special conditions on them almost all the time, thanks to the Deathspore Virus in his blood. For 2 Power Strucker causes his infection to spread to every other character within Range 3, inflicting the Poison condition on them. Not only that, but the Deathspore virus is responsible for Strucker’s Healing Factor [1] innate power.

This might be why Strucker is such an arrogant man. His Arrogance can be both a benefit and a drawback, though. When he uses this reactive power during an attack, Strucker counts failures in his attack roll as successes—but so does his opponent for their defense!

This arrogance is often at odds with his otherwise brilliant strategic mind. His brilliance is reflected by the Strategic Genius innate power, which allows Strucker and allies within Range 2 to reroll one die in all their attack and defense rolls.

That’s it for our look at Hydra’s founder and delusional baron. Be sure to check back for yet another installment of From Panel to Play, the series where we give you your first look at how your favorite characters transition to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. Pre-order your own copy of the Baron Strucker & Arnim Zola Character Pack at your local game store or through our webstore today.

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!