Hydra
The Hydra II: 1945, Captain Marvel Adventures, vol 1, #42. In his war against Captain Marvel, Mr. Mind creates a monstrous body with a human head. Only the human head turns out to be an imbecile so Mr. Mind decides to kill his monster. When he chops the head off, it not only grows back but a dog's head does as well. Deciding such a creature could be useful, he takes it to steal some weapon plans. Losing and gaining more heads in battle with Captain Marvel and the police, the beast is finally defeated when Captain Marvel feeds it some raw meat and the various heads attack each other over it.
This is not to be confused with another Fawcett villain, Hydra: All-Hero #1. John Oberon is able to turn into the Greek monster Hydra and is opposed by Ibis.
In "Marvel Family" #21 a Hydra is one of a trio of monsters summoned from the Netherworld. It resembles a two-headed tough man and possesses superhuman strength, battling Mary Marvel as its two heads mean it cannot be easily knocked out. She gets past this by hitting the heads together, and the trio of monsters are sent back to the Netherworld.
In Marvel Family #24 another Hydra appears, with seven heads. After Vikings appear who destroy cars thinking they are dragons. Bullets cannot hurt them, and they claim they are already dead. Mary Marvel stops the Vikings who think she is an Ogre, and claim to be from Valhalla, where Vikings go where they die.(Although not said in the story, it is only those who die in battle that go there.) The Vikings go to the Hydra in an old house, and Mary follows them. Hearing 'a little red ogre girl of steel' attacked them the Hydra realises it is Mary Marvel, the one foe he fears. When Mary flies through the window, he tells the Vikings to go through the door to Valhalla while he gets rid of her with his Flame Gun. Mary hits him, but he changes to another face. He changes again to a Viking, and claims to be Hydra, the man with seven heads, created by a scientist ages ago and possessing eternal life. He then changes to the brainy head which invented the fourth dimensional door which will take him to Valhalla where dead Vikings live for ever. Believing there to be no such thing as a Fourth dimensional door Mary says 'I'll get you yet.' The door is locked, but she breaks it open with a single blow and goes through a long tunnel to a sign saying Valhalla Viking Castle. She finds the Hydra with his Viking head telling the Vikings he will lead them to Earth to slay Dragons and Ogres and rescue fair maidens. He really plans for them to wreck civilisation, allowing him to conquer Earth. Mary attacks and he tells 10 to occupy her. The Warriors cannot be hurt or killed, Mary hits one 18 times and he is still not hurt, while the Hydra is planning to lead them to Earth. She flies out to think of a way to defeat them. She finds some "Amazon Women" in a four walled canyon. They think she is a goddess and reveal the Hydra imprisoned them. They refused to help him, so he sealed the tunnel that leads from the castle beyond imprisoning them there. Mary makes an opening in the cliff and leads them on. Then it is revealed they are Valkyrie maidens. Mary knocks out all the Hydra's heads, and the Vikings realise he caused the trouble and will keep him imprisoned in the dungeon from which nobody ever escapes. After returning Mary wrecks the door to make sure the Hydra never escapes.
Read more about this topic: List Of Marvel Family Enemies
Famous quotes containing the word hydra:
“The deadly Hydra now is the hydra of Equality. Liberty, Equality and Fraternity is the three-fanged serpent.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“The hydra of corruption is only scotched, not dead. An investigation kills and it and its supporters dead. Let this be had.”
—Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)
“A part, a large part, of travelling is an engagement of the ego v. the world.... The world is hydra headed, as old as the rocks and as changing as the sea, enmeshed inextricably in its ways. The ego wants to arrive at places safely and on time.”
—Sybille Bedford (b. 1911)