Raven Darkholme was born in Hamburg, Germany, and orphaned at four years old. She was adopted by an agent of HYDRA who raised her to become an assassin. She became a Hydra agent, after getting out of high school. While on a mission to steal some toxins and biochemicals for Hydra, she was attacked by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. She accidentally fell into a vat of chemicals and was badly burned, then taken into the custody of Shield. After an attack by Hydra, she was freed from a Shield base in Alaska, and taken back to Hydra's HQ.