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Hail Hydra #1-4
Hail Hydra
Safety through obedience. Strength in conformity. Hydra is watching. Welcome to a Domain ruled by Hydra, and its capital, New York. The city that had better sleep after curfew, if it knows what's good for it. But when the young hero named Nomad finds himself in this rotten Big Apple, he will challenge this regime of terror. Nomad is no stranger to hellish surroundings - he grew up in Dimension Z, where he was raised as Captain America's son. But in Hydra's zone of Battleworld, Nomad will face a new kind of nightmare. A very personal foe with an all-too-familiar face - the Sentinel of Subjugation known as Captain Hydra!
Collecting: Hail Hydra 1-5, Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra 1
Collecting: Hail Hydra 1-5, Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra 1
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 19, 2016
6 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Rick Remender
1,246 books1,425 followersRick Remender is an American comic book writer and artist who resides in Los Angeles, California. He is the writer/co-creator of many independent comic books like Black Science, Deadly Class, LOW, Fear Agent and Seven to Eternity. Previously, he wrote The Punisher, Uncanny X-Force, Captain America and Uncanny Avengers for Marvel Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 13, 2021
Basically the next volume of All-New Captain America. The story follows Nomad as he gets off the Infinite Elevator and steps into one of Doom's realms from Secret Wars. In this world, Hydra has taken over and there is very little hope. It started off strong but had a typical, bleak, weak, Remender finish to the series. The Hank Johnson: Agent of Hydra one shot in the back is fantastic. It's the best work to come out of Marvel in years. Witty and funny without being nonsensical someone needs to give David Mandel more comic work! Just saw he's the showrunner on Veep and a writer from Seinfeld so no wonder it's amazing.
May 31, 2016
Rick Remender has used his Secret Wars tie-in book to tell a four-part tale about the morality of killing one's enemies and the futility of locking criminals away just for them to go back to their old ways as soon as they're released. It's as relevant today as it's ever been; maybe moreso.
I'd be rating this one higher if the artwork hadn't let it down. It wasn't so much that I disliked the artist's style, more that it seemed blighted with technical difficulties in places. Panels seemed stretched out of shape and partially missing in some places.
Oh, and the only-loosely-related bonus story included in this collection was funny, so that was a nice bonus.
I'd be rating this one higher if the artwork hadn't let it down. It wasn't so much that I disliked the artist's style, more that it seemed blighted with technical difficulties in places. Panels seemed stretched out of shape and partially missing in some places.
Oh, and the only-loosely-related bonus story included in this collection was funny, so that was a nice bonus.
February 20, 2020
The main story is OK, but the HANK JOHNSON, AGENT OF HYDRA one-shot is pure perfection, and worth the price of admission by itself. I would totally buy any further glimpses into the life of Hydra Agent Johnson that Marvel may provide.
HAIL, HYDRA!
HAIL, HYDRA!
October 16, 2016
Hail hydra is about Arnim Zola's son, who is adopted by Cap in Dimension Z. Ian Rogers becomes Nomad, teams up with Sam Wilson Cap, and boom, ends up on this Battleworld. Run by Zola, it's a resistance headed by Cap and Sharon Carter and the avengers.
Solid story leaves potential for more.
That being said...Hank Johnson Agent of HYDRA is like 10/5 stars. Possibly the funniest book ever.
So good, you don't even know. Ignore the rest, just read this one issue. I laughed sooo hard. Like wow. Mike, for sure, Anne, everyone, if you don't love this I will be shocked.
Solid story leaves potential for more.
That being said...Hank Johnson Agent of HYDRA is like 10/5 stars. Possibly the funniest book ever.
So good, you don't even know. Ignore the rest, just read this one issue. I laughed sooo hard. Like wow. Mike, for sure, Anne, everyone, if you don't love this I will be shocked.
February 2, 2016
The actual Hail Hydra story is just barely ok. Not into it at all, but it isn't horrible. The bonus story, on the other hand, is fantastic. Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra is possibly my favorite single issue to come out this entire Secret War event so far. If you read nothing else in this book, read this.
September 14, 2016
A decent enough contribution to the Secret Wars event (though it doesn't really tie in to the event so much), but seriously, the best part of the book is the back-up story, "Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra".
August 29, 2018
Another good book in the Secret Wars arsenal. I think what this event has let alot of creators do is write almost like "otherworlds" tales of their liking. And one of the best at writing alternate reality type stories is Rick Remender.
The genius of this book is that Remender pretty much picks up where his captain america run left off, putting Nomad, Caps son, back into a universe where Captain America lost. The pacing of the story is great, and the action is intense.
I really enjoyed the art as well, it has kind of a 70's shield vibe to it. It goes perfectly with the story.
Here's the downside, the ending is beyond rushed. Like all of a sudden it ends. And the word "betrayal" is written in big bold letters? Wait... what??? Maybe Remender needed another issue to fully flesh out the story. Its a shame because i was really enjoying it.
Good story, recommended if you like Remender or the Cap storyline he wrote.
The genius of this book is that Remender pretty much picks up where his captain america run left off, putting Nomad, Caps son, back into a universe where Captain America lost. The pacing of the story is great, and the action is intense.
I really enjoyed the art as well, it has kind of a 70's shield vibe to it. It goes perfectly with the story.
Here's the downside, the ending is beyond rushed. Like all of a sudden it ends. And the word "betrayal" is written in big bold letters? Wait... what??? Maybe Remender needed another issue to fully flesh out the story. Its a shame because i was really enjoying it.
Good story, recommended if you like Remender or the Cap storyline he wrote.
May 29, 2016
Fun stuff from Remender building on his previous work. This could have been longer, but it was done well.
Bonus "Hydra" story at end was humorous...
Bonus "Hydra" story at end was humorous...
April 5, 2022
Tohle bylo fakt dobrý...
December 15, 2016
Better than most of the Cap run. This and Bitter March would be my favorite Captain America things by Rick Remender.
June 6, 2019
Reprints Hail Hydra #1-4 and Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra #1 (September 2015-January 2016). Ian Rogers is struggling inside. Born to Arnim Zola and raised by Steve Rogers, Ian has adopted the guise of Nomad and taken his battle to liberate oppressed people. When he finds himself in a world where Hydra rules, Nomad finds him facing a version of himself that did not escape the oppression of Arnim Zola and sets out to liberate a group of people who do not trust him. Plus, Hank Johnson is just doing his job…unfortunately, he works for Hydra.
Written by Rick Remender, Warzones!: Hail Hydra is a Marvel Comics Secret Wars spin-off series. The comic book series features art by Roland Boschi and is collected with Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra #1 (October 2015) by David Mandel and art by Michael Walsh.
The Secret Wars spin-off series are real hit-or-miss. Generally not horrible, very few rise to higher levels. While Hail Hydra is a generally good collection, the one-shot in this volume is worth seeking out.
I wasn’t very up to date on Captain America when Secret Wars was released. The series is rather tied to the Captain America story and circles around Ian Rogers (Armin Zola’s son Leopold Zola). In the Nomad role, Ian is out to liberate a world run by Hydra. It is a bit better in that Ian isn’t of the Secret Wars world and ended up in it due to the Infinite Elevator, and he finds himself surrounded by people who are similar, yet different from the people he knew. Making him an outsider made it a bit more identifiable if you weren’t up to speed on Captain America.
While Hail Hydra was a relatively positive read, Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra was a really fun outing. Much like The Simpsons episode “You Only Move Twice” (where Homer works for what is essentially a James Bond villain), it focuses on a low level Hydra agent, his wife, and even sexual harassment in the workplace (by Madame Hydra). It has a lot of fun with the ideas, and I could see myself enjoying a whole series based around this idea. The humor mixes well with the Marvel Universe and feels absurdist, but also logical.
Warzones!: Hail Hydra feels like a more solid entry in the spin-off titles because it is more grounded in the Marvel Universe that existed before the Secret Wars storyline. I can imagine if you were invested in Captain America at the time, the series would have been a nice payoff for the Ian character, but even if you are just a casual reader, it does have its moments…but don’t miss out on Hank Johnson…being a Hydra agent isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be (even if you do get medical coverage).
Written by Rick Remender, Warzones!: Hail Hydra is a Marvel Comics Secret Wars spin-off series. The comic book series features art by Roland Boschi and is collected with Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra #1 (October 2015) by David Mandel and art by Michael Walsh.
The Secret Wars spin-off series are real hit-or-miss. Generally not horrible, very few rise to higher levels. While Hail Hydra is a generally good collection, the one-shot in this volume is worth seeking out.
I wasn’t very up to date on Captain America when Secret Wars was released. The series is rather tied to the Captain America story and circles around Ian Rogers (Armin Zola’s son Leopold Zola). In the Nomad role, Ian is out to liberate a world run by Hydra. It is a bit better in that Ian isn’t of the Secret Wars world and ended up in it due to the Infinite Elevator, and he finds himself surrounded by people who are similar, yet different from the people he knew. Making him an outsider made it a bit more identifiable if you weren’t up to speed on Captain America.
While Hail Hydra was a relatively positive read, Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra was a really fun outing. Much like The Simpsons episode “You Only Move Twice” (where Homer works for what is essentially a James Bond villain), it focuses on a low level Hydra agent, his wife, and even sexual harassment in the workplace (by Madame Hydra). It has a lot of fun with the ideas, and I could see myself enjoying a whole series based around this idea. The humor mixes well with the Marvel Universe and feels absurdist, but also logical.
Warzones!: Hail Hydra feels like a more solid entry in the spin-off titles because it is more grounded in the Marvel Universe that existed before the Secret Wars storyline. I can imagine if you were invested in Captain America at the time, the series would have been a nice payoff for the Ian character, but even if you are just a casual reader, it does have its moments…but don’t miss out on Hank Johnson…being a Hydra agent isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be (even if you do get medical coverage).
July 15, 2020
This is the third Secret Wars spin-off book that I've read overall, and the second in a row where the additional content in the book outshined the main story. Unlike most of the other creators involved in this project, Remender was able to keep telling his Captain America story by having Nomad travel from Earth 616 to this new Secret Wars/Battleworld/Warzones universe. Like the reader, he's dumped into this alternative universe where facism, in the form of Hydra, prevails, and New York is Hydra Country. From there we get the expected alternate universe Captain America and Zola, as well as a handful of seemingly random other Marvel characters thrown in.
The story borders on fun, but something about Remender's pacing doesn't work for me in this book, and Boschi has the habit of leaving out characters' faces on a regular basis, and just sort of vaguely drawing silhouette characters in the background. It's just not visually engaging.
On the other hand, David Mandel and Michael Walsh's Hank Johnson: Agent of Hydra #1 is an amusing look at the Marvel Universe through the lense of a low-level Hydra agent who's just trying to provide for his family. This story's inclusion brings the collection up by a full star. It's funny, it's well thought out, and the art is on par with a Sean Phillips book or David Aja's run on Hawkeye, Volume 1: My Life as a Weapon. I wish the book had four more issues of this story, instead of Nomad's slog through NYC.
The story borders on fun, but something about Remender's pacing doesn't work for me in this book, and Boschi has the habit of leaving out characters' faces on a regular basis, and just sort of vaguely drawing silhouette characters in the background. It's just not visually engaging.
On the other hand, David Mandel and Michael Walsh's Hank Johnson: Agent of Hydra #1 is an amusing look at the Marvel Universe through the lense of a low-level Hydra agent who's just trying to provide for his family. This story's inclusion brings the collection up by a full star. It's funny, it's well thought out, and the art is on par with a Sean Phillips book or David Aja's run on Hawkeye, Volume 1: My Life as a Weapon. I wish the book had four more issues of this story, instead of Nomad's slog through NYC.
December 13, 2023
At a glance, the Battleworld series is an odd amalgamation of alternate-Earth scenarios and team-ups you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see in 616, along a similar line as the What If? comic run and Disney+ show. I doubt I’ll read through the whole thing, since it goes on forever and spans characters I don’t have a lot of interest in, and it seems like the kind of thing where people can pick and choose the ones that appeal to them without losing a lot of continuity. I’ll probably give Marvel Zombies (because zombies) and Planet Hulk (because Stucky) a try, but that’s about all that’s jumped out at me so far.
Obviously, I chose this one because I have a soft spot for Ian Rogers (Nomad) and all of Steve’s other-Earth children. This is one of the only places we get to see Steve and Sharon’s daughter, Ellie, and I adore her in spite of her totally incongruous, midriff-baring outfit. Despite the relatively short page-time, I like her sibling relationship with Ian and the way they bond over living up to the Cap legacy. There’s a bit more on Ian and Steve’s relationship as adults that’s interesting too. Naturally, the characters are the real draw of the collection for me. Including Venom as a villain felt completely out of place, but what the hell– we’re already down the rabbit hole in Hydraworld.
And wow, is it grim. I wasn’t expecting rainbows out of a Marvel Earth that’s essentially ruled by Nazis, and it’s every bit as dark as you’d expect and then some. There’s no real winning for the heroes, just a question of how badly they’re going to lose, and it’s hard to watch them struggle against the hopelessness of overturning a fascist system that’s already so deeply rooted. There isn’t a lot of hope here, but it does give Ian some perspective on the fight Steve Rogers has been fighting all his life in 616 and why it matters. I very much did not enjoy the last issue from Hydra agent Hank Johnson’s perspective, satire or not.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
Obviously, I chose this one because I have a soft spot for Ian Rogers (Nomad) and all of Steve’s other-Earth children. This is one of the only places we get to see Steve and Sharon’s daughter, Ellie, and I adore her in spite of her totally incongruous, midriff-baring outfit. Despite the relatively short page-time, I like her sibling relationship with Ian and the way they bond over living up to the Cap legacy. There’s a bit more on Ian and Steve’s relationship as adults that’s interesting too. Naturally, the characters are the real draw of the collection for me. Including Venom as a villain felt completely out of place, but what the hell– we’re already down the rabbit hole in Hydraworld.
And wow, is it grim. I wasn’t expecting rainbows out of a Marvel Earth that’s essentially ruled by Nazis, and it’s every bit as dark as you’d expect and then some. There’s no real winning for the heroes, just a question of how badly they’re going to lose, and it’s hard to watch them struggle against the hopelessness of overturning a fascist system that’s already so deeply rooted. There isn’t a lot of hope here, but it does give Ian some perspective on the fight Steve Rogers has been fighting all his life in 616 and why it matters. I very much did not enjoy the last issue from Hydra agent Hank Johnson’s perspective, satire or not.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
January 19, 2022
Jak lubię Remendera tak jego wkład w Secret Wars wydaje mi się jednym z najsłabszych. Historia skupia się na Ian'ie/Nomadzie, który pechowo trafia na land zarządzany przez Zolę i organizację Hydra... No nie ma 'chop' szczęścia.
Całość to próba połączenia sił z lokalnym ruchem oporu/zaskarbienie sobie ich zaufania oraz szereg walk z poplecznikami Hydry, w tym jakiejś wersji samego Iana. Nie wyglądało to źle, ale całość śledziłem z coraz to mniejszym zainteresowaniem. Ale potem stało się to...
Nadszedł Hank Johnson. Agent Hydry. I jakie to było dobre. Perfekcyjny one-shot, gdzie bohaterem jest typowy szeregowy członek Hydry. Dzięki czemu widzimy, że agenci Hydry to też normalni ludzie z problemami, nawet takimi małżeńskimi. Albo z natarczywą szefową w pracy, która lubi patrzyć jak bohater się pochyla... No po prostu złoto, miód i orzeszki. Zabawne, w idealnym tempie. Skutecznie pomaga zapomnieć o całej tej historii z tie-ina.
I tylko dlatego polecam ten tom. Znakomity dodatek przy bardzo sztampowej historii wiodącej.
Całość to próba połączenia sił z lokalnym ruchem oporu/zaskarbienie sobie ich zaufania oraz szereg walk z poplecznikami Hydry, w tym jakiejś wersji samego Iana. Nie wyglądało to źle, ale całość śledziłem z coraz to mniejszym zainteresowaniem. Ale potem stało się to...
Nadszedł Hank Johnson. Agent Hydry. I jakie to było dobre. Perfekcyjny one-shot, gdzie bohaterem jest typowy szeregowy członek Hydry. Dzięki czemu widzimy, że agenci Hydry to też normalni ludzie z problemami, nawet takimi małżeńskimi. Albo z natarczywą szefową w pracy, która lubi patrzyć jak bohater się pochyla... No po prostu złoto, miód i orzeszki. Zabawne, w idealnym tempie. Skutecznie pomaga zapomnieć o całej tej historii z tie-ina.
I tylko dlatego polecam ten tom. Znakomity dodatek przy bardzo sztampowej historii wiodącej.
January 20, 2019
A fun and entertaining alternate world romp with Nomad against some Hydra themed Anti-Avengers. There are some great fights and an interesting commentary on politics. The book is well drawn and flows nicely. The last section is a funny satire on an average joe working for Hydra and what his life might be like. It's a good laugh!
November 12, 2025
I think that Nomad is a really interesting character; someone stuck forever between the legacy of Captain America and the legacy of Hydra. Unfortunately, this is a comic book that chooses to keep itself from ever sticking itself anywhere, and so every dilemma has a ridiculously easy out and everything interesting in the story is quickly overcome.
December 31, 2016
Remender crafts as fine a tale as possible given the limitations placed on him given the nature of the event series. One of the better Secret Wars books.
June 3, 2018
Fine enough. It's clear that Remender liked Ian and didn't want to give him up.
It seems like the conclusion is out of character. What about Ian did Remender like?
It seems like the conclusion is out of character. What about Ian did Remender like?
June 1, 2019
Interesting Secret Wars tie-in dealing with a world where the events of Captain Americas Dimension Z storyline continued.
March 10, 2020
The story of Ian Rogers in Battleworld
August 31, 2024
I’ve been reading through all the Secret Wars tie-ins and this is so far the worst one. Just felt like a slog reading through those 4 issues.
November 6, 2025
The Great Marvel Readthrough, pt 391
July 27, 2025
I found myself enjoying this more than I thought I would. I opened this book thinking it was going to be as bad as red skull (secret wars) but I was surprised to find an actually enjoyable series.
The plot, as many tie-ins is pretty basic, but was fullfilled in a good way. Or maybe i'm just a sucker for sad-thriller like endings.
The plot, as many tie-ins is pretty basic, but was fullfilled in a good way. Or maybe i'm just a sucker for sad-thriller like endings.
January 31, 2016
Collects Hail Hydra issues #1-4 and Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra issue #1
Hail Hydra:
This story is set during the events of "Secret Wars," however it doesn't tie into "Secret Wars" in such a way that makes it required reading for that series. With that being said, with some minor tweaks, this story could exist as a parallel universe story starring an Earth 616 character. In fact, that is basically what it is as the 616 version of Nomad travels through the Multiverse accidentally landing on this Earth ruled by Hydra. This Nomad story is a direct continuation of the story that was happening for Nomad in "All-New Captain America, Vol. 1: Hydra Ascendant."
I really like the Ian Rogers character, so I was happy to read this story staring him. As with most parallel universe stories, we were able to see alternate versions of well-known characters, and for me the best group of alternates were the evil Hydra Avengers (led by Captain Hydra).
Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra:
This story is set during the events of "Secret Wars," however it doesn't tie into "Secret Wars" in such a way that makes it required reading for that series. With that being said, with some minor tweaks, this story could exist as a "What If..." story (outside of the Battleworld of the 2015 "Secret Wars" event) or even as an in-universe story within the mainline Marvel Universe. If written correctly, this story could have even existed on the Prime Earth of the Marvel Universe. In fact, I hope that Hank Johnson eventually makes an appearance there.
I won't say too much about this story, other than to say that it was awesome. It was my favorite thing in this collection by far, which is saying something because I enjoyed the 4-issue story starring Nomad as well.
The Hank Johnson story felt both comedic and heartwarming. It was a winner.
Hail Hydra:
This story is set during the events of "Secret Wars," however it doesn't tie into "Secret Wars" in such a way that makes it required reading for that series. With that being said, with some minor tweaks, this story could exist as a parallel universe story starring an Earth 616 character. In fact, that is basically what it is as the 616 version of Nomad travels through the Multiverse accidentally landing on this Earth ruled by Hydra. This Nomad story is a direct continuation of the story that was happening for Nomad in "All-New Captain America, Vol. 1: Hydra Ascendant."
I really like the Ian Rogers character, so I was happy to read this story staring him. As with most parallel universe stories, we were able to see alternate versions of well-known characters, and for me the best group of alternates were the evil Hydra Avengers (led by Captain Hydra).
Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra:
This story is set during the events of "Secret Wars," however it doesn't tie into "Secret Wars" in such a way that makes it required reading for that series. With that being said, with some minor tweaks, this story could exist as a "What If..." story (outside of the Battleworld of the 2015 "Secret Wars" event) or even as an in-universe story within the mainline Marvel Universe. If written correctly, this story could have even existed on the Prime Earth of the Marvel Universe. In fact, I hope that Hank Johnson eventually makes an appearance there.
I won't say too much about this story, other than to say that it was awesome. It was my favorite thing in this collection by far, which is saying something because I enjoyed the 4-issue story starring Nomad as well.
The Hank Johnson story felt both comedic and heartwarming. It was a winner.
March 15, 2016
Most "Battle Zone" stories have something to do with Doom and/or the Thors, but this one doesn't. It just imagines a world where Zola is in control and Hydra has taken over everything.
I wasn't really familiar with some of the characters or backstory, but this was better than your average Battleworld story. The writer seems more invested in it, and I dug the retro-ish art by Roland Boschi.
At the end, the hero just kind of... leaves, which could be seen as a copout or a bold way to end a story where the good guy doesn't have to win because, hey, this is Battle Zone. Take your pick.
I wasn't really familiar with some of the characters or backstory, but this was better than your average Battleworld story. The writer seems more invested in it, and I dug the retro-ish art by Roland Boschi.
At the end, the hero just kind of... leaves, which could be seen as a copout or a bold way to end a story where the good guy doesn't have to win because, hey, this is Battle Zone. Take your pick.
January 29, 2016
The rating of this is totally wrong.
Howard Johnson Agent of SHIELD is brilliant satire, maybe one of the best things to come out of Secret Wars.
But the Hail Hydra story is really good. It provides us an instance of 616 hero on Battleworld who is lost in the situation...Ian does not realize what has occurred. So he battles with identity in a world he knows but is not is. Unlike the heroes from the raft he is not fighting Doom's big picture he is amist in his own journey and I liked it.
I liked how Remenber worked in his villains from his Cap run.
Howard Johnson Agent of SHIELD is brilliant satire, maybe one of the best things to come out of Secret Wars.
But the Hail Hydra story is really good. It provides us an instance of 616 hero on Battleworld who is lost in the situation...Ian does not realize what has occurred. So he battles with identity in a world he knows but is not is. Unlike the heroes from the raft he is not fighting Doom's big picture he is amist in his own journey and I liked it.
I liked how Remenber worked in his villains from his Cap run.
January 25, 2016
The story was somewhat decent, seeing a world where Hydra was able to overtake their domain. However, I call bs that Armin Zola is in charge, since I don't know that many feats of his. I also felt that the deaths that occurred with some characters were done only by plot and seemed unlikely. Overall, this tale can be ignored, but the artwork is somewhat decent.
January 9, 2026
This is one of the more interesting and cohesively written stories I've read in the Secret Wars: Warzones series. The ending is a little abrupt and kind of seems like a cop-out, but it's still a decent read. The bonus Hank Johnson story is hilarious and one of the most clever approaches to a Marvel IP I've ever seen.
January 24, 2016
I've read better and I've read worse. Very thick with the life-lessons and such.
February 24, 2016
Boosted to 4 stars on the strength of the Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra one-shot included in this trade.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews