The Horrifying History of the Super Soldier Serum

While exploring Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Sam’s (Anthony Mackie) journey, Falcon and The Winter Soldier is set to dive into the dark history of the super soldier serum. The introduction of Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) and the Flag Smashers in the series have helped spark questions about the serums history. That being said the MCU has explored the secrets of the many different forms of the serum which is why the history is such an intriguing storyline in the Disney+ series.

Abraham Erskine’s Serum:

The super soldier serum can be traced back to the Red Skull and the only man to perfect the serum Abraham Erskine. While still in Germany, Erskine began working on the serum. Despite not being ready, Johann Schmidt tested the serum on himself. This is where we get to see the horrifying side effects a failed serum can cause. Schmidt was ultimately turned into the Red Skull with super strength and his radical personality was enhanced. Immediately after the first recorded human test we knew the serum could fail. If it wasn’t for the war then it would likely have been left alone because of its dangers.

With the war raging Project Rebirth began. With Erskine escaping Germany for America he teamed up with the Strategic Scientist Reserve and perfected his serum he began working on in Germany. He had the help of Howard Stark whom we will discuss later for his involvement with the serum.

Anyways, Project Rebirth also known as the Weapon Plus project aimed to create super soldiers for America which could be deployed in the war. The first and only man to receive the serum was Steve Rogers with his worst side effect being the inability to get drunk. However, after the success a Hydra spy killed Erskine and stole the remainder of the serum. Captain America managed to stop the spy but the serum was destroyed. Therefore, the only perfect creation of the serum was destroyed and the man behind it killed meaning any hope of replication would take years of study. The significance of this was clear as Hydra feared the serum and thus feared Captain America. Then when you add how successful Cap was in the war, it was likely that governments and organisations would try and replicate the serum, without knowing how dangerous it could become.

The secrets of the serum:

After the war the muddy history of the serum begins to emerge. Rather than leaving the serum alone, governments and organisations tried to replicate the serum in hope of having an advantage over their enemies. This is something which would have happened during the Cold War so attempted replications of the serum make logical sense. Falcon and The Winter Soldier looks to dive into this history, but we have seen attempts in the past, Bucky Barnes being one of them.

When Bucky was captured during the war Arnim Zola experimented on Bucky which helped him survive his fall. With more work Zola managed to enhance Bucky but at the cost of him his mind. Arguably Bucky was a successful attempt to replicate the serum as he did the job Hydra needed, but the fact he lost control of his mind suggests otherwise. During Falcon and The Winter Soldier we learn that the US government had heard of the assassin in 1951 which is when we learn that Isaiah Bradley was sent in to take down Bucky. With the help of enhanced strength he managed to achieve this.

It has also been teased in the credits that Isaiah followed his comic book history where he was 1 of around 300 black test subjects that survived. This is disturbed and completely racist to test a serum on only black men which is why the history of the serum is horrifying. We also begin to learn about the cover up and secrets regarding the serum as Isaiah despite fighting in the Korean War like Steve had in World War 2 was placed in prison and his legacy ignored. The racial divide becomes clearer as Steve committed a war crime to save the 107th Infantry Regiment but was not punished, whereas even though we don’t know the reason Isiah was imprisoned he served his country just like Steve which begs the question if it was Steve Rogers doing what Isaiah did, would he have been imprisoned? Moreover, he tells us that while in prison people forcibly took his blood which indicates he wasn’t the only super soldier that has been covered up.

During Captain America: Civil War we learn of another attempt to replicate the serum and this was by Howard Stark whom worked with Erskine on the perfected serum. However, his attempt at the serum was stolen and Howard Stark was killed by the Winter Soldier which again just goes to show how desperate organisations were to have their own super soldiers. We then learn that this serum was another failed attempt similar to that of Red Skull. While enhancing the physical attributes of the new set of Winter Soldiers, unlike Bucky they gained an increase of aggression which caused them to defy Hydra. Luckily these soldiers were not brought back but once again we learn that whenever the serum is attempted to be replicated there is always a negative effect that comes from it.

The Worst Side Effects:

The secrets of the super soldier serum through the 20th century have still yet to be fully revealed and we hope to have more details regarding the secrets during Falcon and The Winter Soldier. To quote Tony Stark the super soldier was “put on ice” until Thunderbolt Ross brought it back. Called the Bio-Tech Force Enhancement Project, Ross tried to recreate a version of the serum using gamma radiation. Bruce Banner was tasked with working on the project and tested it on himself. This turned him into the Hulk and arguably the worst side effect of the serum was revealed.

We get to see the obsession people have with the serum some more in The Incredible Hulk movie as once again the serum was tested on someone, this time Emil Blonsky. Similar to the Winter Soldiers which Hydra created, the serum had a positive impact on Blonsky’s abilities but the side effect was addiction and withdrawal symptoms. This led to Blonsky wanting more and the same type that Banner had. Helped by Samuel Sterns, Blonsky was turned into the Abomination which helped show everyone why the super soldier serum should be left alone. We know Thunderbolt Ross was an important part of the movie and there is still a lot of suspicion about whether he still may be involved with the super soldier serums.

The Serum in Falcon and The Winter Soldier:

Despite the shocking history of the serum there still looks to be people in the Marvel Universe that are trying to replicate the serum. As Sam and Bucky have discovered in episode 2 of Falcon and The Winter Soldier the Flag Smashers have been enhanced and are a form of super soldiers. This brings up the question which has been answered of who has been replicating the serum. The answer being, The Power Broker.

We learn from episode 2 that the Flag Smashers stole the serum from the Power Broker and that the organisation wants it back. In the comics the Power Broker is a man who runs a company of the same name. Also, in the comics the Power Broker sells versions of the serum to paying customers. We are yet to know the full details on their role in the MCU but it’s likely they have been replicating the serum. We don’t know who is behind the organisation or how they have replicated the serum but it’s likely not going to have been achieved in a legal or ethical way.

However, something to note is that the Flag Smashers have not shown any signs of a side effect which could suggest that the Power Broker has also perfected the serum. If this is true then you know that some shady characters and organisations would want to buy it. When Bucky and Sam speak to Zemo we expect to discover more secrets about the serum and when the Power Broker’s identity and back story is revealed by expect the serums history to be explored much more.

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