Chapter Text
~Timeline, World War II~
Howard Stark had been a part of Project Rebirth. The army had requested his assistance and who was he to say no to the offer of being part of a new generation of soldiers. Of super soldiers beyond what normal human beings were capable of. Superior and if it was a success his name would be on it and allow him information he otherwise wouldn’t have. Howard was an inventor and his weapons paved the way of the future of war. He intended to be the best but while he could create all the weapons he wanted, he could not ignore that a part of war was its soldiers and if he could get his hands on the key to also being the best for enhancing their country’s soldiers he would further span the fame of his name.
He glanced at the one they picked for this project. Steven Grant Rogers, a tiny sickly person that had no business in the army or anywhere near the war. He looked so thin that Howard could probably kick him and the weakling would break in two. When this failed he would get the higher ups to give him what remained of the serum. He was a genius; he would make sure the serum worked. He would need to start with a better test subject.
The process began and Howard didn’t expect being injected with an experimental serum would be pleasant but the screams coming from the chamber were unpleasant. Agent Carter screamed for the project to be shut down. Howard had wondered how the military ever let a woman anywhere near the soldiers or this project. She had no place here and to let her try and control if the project was shut down was proof that women couldn’t handle such things.
When the project was a success and Steve stood bigger, stronger, as everything the serum had promised Howard could only stare in awe. His mind already swirling with mass producing the serum to turn the tide of war.
It appeared Hydra had a similar idea of the importance of something like the super soldier serum as one of their agents opened fire and stole the remaining vial of serum. Howard ducked out of the way with the others and watched as the once sickly weak Steve ran faster than any normal human could in pursuit of the thief and the important serum. With Erskine dead the military would turn to Howard to replicate the serum.
Steve failed to get the serum but he managed to deal with the thief and bring a valuable piece of Hydra technology. Unfortunately it was beyond what he’d ever seen and that just angered him. Either way he’d get to the bottom of it and discover how it was Hydra had this kind of technology at their fingertips. He refused to be outdone.
He ignored Steve being taken away already knowing the military had taken blood in hopes to seek the secrets of the serum through that. Howard could easily convince someone later to slip him the blood. For now he had technology to look at. However as he worked he considered the serum and its effects. He knew of Red Skull and how he’d gotten the serum first. An incomplete version and how he had not been fit to receive the serum. The serum amplifies everything inside according to Erskine. Good becomes great and bad becomes worse. Howard had been listening to Erskine’s little speech to Steve. Wanting to stay ahead in the world he needed to spy or steal ideas from time to time. If anyone believed that wasn’t how the world worked than they were fools and had no place in the business world.
So he considered that. Steve as he was now was a manmade evolution of humans. But nature allowed evolution naturally. Seeing the superior human the serum had made Steve he was curious what’s nature’s evolution of man would be. Perhaps that idea was why he kept an eye out. Steve was shown as a sign of something good as he paraded around inspiring people to help support the war. Then Peggy was coming to Howard to fly the only living super soldier into enemy territory. They were idiots but there was no telling the full extent of the serum’s capabilities without a proper test run. So why not see if the man could do what no one else could. See what the serum allowed him to earn him a title of super soldier.
He decided to play a friendly face with the agent and super soldier in case he needed to get more samples to recreate the super soldier serum. It also never hurt to have friends in the right places and Steve was a friend in the right place.
When Steve was claimed to likely be dead Howard waited thinking if the serum was all it was cracked up to be Steve would have survived. He almost wished he’d bet money on it when people began rushing out to see the once captured soldiers returning with Steve Rogers at their head. A single man had gone against Hydra deep in enemy territory, recused soldiers, captured a key piece in Hydra technology, and caught wind of Hydra’s future plans with barely more than a glance. The serum was all it was cracked up to be and Howard was determined to make the most of the serum once he recreated it.
Steve gathered a group of soldiers and their group was called the Howling Commandos. Howard continued to befriend Steve making his uniform as well as allowing him use of the shield he made with the stolen vibranium. It was the rarest metal on earth and once the war was over Howard would take the shield back. No need to give away something of such value. Lending it was all he was doing, he just didn’t mention it to the man he was attempting to befriend.
If he didn’t already have proof of the serum’s capabilities and the possibilities once he recreated it, he saw Steve and with just a few men begin destroying Hydra and turning the tide of war in their favor. The Howling Commandos mostly worked as a single unit though occasionally they worked with other groups and soldiers. Keeping an eye out as he worked to keep the Howling Commandos supplied with the weapons and gear they needed he had spied what he’d been looking for. Nature’s evolution of mankind.
He casually introduced himself to seemingly random soldiers working with the legendary group and Captain America and got the name of the soldier who had so far hidden the fact he wasn’t by any means normal. James Howlett was from the Canadian military and while Howard had little favors owed in that military force money still spoke loud enough to get what he wanted. He was pleased when no one suspected what he was planning. He’d seen James heal a wound within mere seconds. Howard was already planning what he could possibly do with such an ability and the super soldier serum. Red Skull was a fool but the idea of superior men wasn’t completely wrong. Just having superior strength did not make you a perfect human. Howard Stark was not a fool or a short sighted man. He was a genius and he knew he could create the perfect human. Superior in every way. Strong, smart, and invincible.
He would need to find a way to combine the serum, James’s DNA, and his own so he could include the necessary intelligence. Figuring out the secret of what gave James his healing factor was on his list to do once he wasn’t preoccupied with this war. After that he would need a woman to bear the child of superior genes but he would have to choose carefully. Only someone that could add favorable results to the experiment would do. He kept his eyes open for the possible perfect candidate.
His opportunity came to find the ideal candidate and it came in the form of one Arnim Zola. Red Skull had kept the man around for a reason and there was no denying the potential for such a man after seeing his creations. Getting him alone and away from prying eyes was a bit difficult but proved worth it.
“Agent Carter and I are considering recruiting some German scientists for our little organization.”
Zola looked at him seemingly bored.
“I am Swiss.”
Howard only smirked at him.
“Well maybe pretending to be German will prove useful. Our little organization might be the perfect place for a not so German scientist to rebuild Hydra.”
Zola looked at him interested.
“And why would one of the leading forces behind Hydra’s demise possibly want it to survive.”
“I couldn’t care less about Hydra surviving or being destroyed. What I care about is getting what I want. You and Hydra seem like the group to get me what I need.”
Zola looked at him as though studying him. The man was smart; Howard could at least admit that. But he was smarter and he’d get what he wanted.
“What is it the great Howard Stark wants?”
“To create a truly perfect human. Superior in every way. Red Skull died, believing himself worthy of power left by gods but gods cannot die. He was unworthy. Steve Rogers was a superior soldier but not perfect.”
Zola now looked interested.
“What do you need to make this perfect human?”
“Let’s first discuss what you want. Because I know you want more than a way to rebuild Hydra.”
Zola looked slightly annoyed.
“You approached me Howard Stark. It seems only fair you tell me what it is you need.”
He already knew he had Zola interested.
“I need a woman to give birth to this world’s first perfect human being. Someone whose own genes or enhancements can contribute to this perfect human. I’m certain someone like you would have connections I need. After all I can’t imagine people in other countries aren’t attempting to create their own super soldier or that you don’t know there are other enhanced people in this world.”
Zola grinned.
“I believe we can work out a deal. I do have something else I want. You see to begin rebuilding Hydra we must have the perfect tool to aid our cause. I was in the middle of finding the perfect candidate when the captain interfered. Luckily my test subject survived but he is in need of some…repairs. I want your help to create a fully functioning prosthetic arm.”
“Who is this candidate? It doesn’t matter to me either way I’ll get it done, I’m just curious.”
“I believe you’re more than aware of Sargent Barnes.”
“Hmm so he survived the fall. I’ll get the arm done; find me candidates for what I want.”
They parted ways both fulfilling their part of the agreement. Bucky Barnes became the Fist of Hydra and Howard Stark was led to Zola’s connections in Russia known as the Red Room. Female assassins that were both well trained and enhanced. Howard found them to be exactly what he needed.