Hydra is a fictional secretive organisation bent on world domination. It was found after World War 2 by a former german officer, Baron Von Strucker. It came its name from the mythical Hydra with its power to regrow heads being used as a symbol of the organisation's capacity to rebuild itself. A number of splinter organisations functioned over the years either within or in parallel with Hydra, one of the most famous being A.I.M. which began as its research division. Hydra's main recurring enemies were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and their leader, Nick Fury.