| For alternate versions of the Capture of Arnim Zola, see the Capture of Arnim Zola's Event Hub |
- "If we send a team tonight, we can get—"
"You're out of your mind."
"I could go." - ―Howard Stark, John Flynn and Peggy Carter[src]
The Capture of Arnim Zola was an unauthorized mission, carried out by Peggy Carter to intercept HYDRA and secure the Tesseract.
Background[]
- "Given the gamma signatures from that clock tower, what they were looking for could power London."
"Or blow it to kingdom come inside sixty seconds." - ―Howard Stark and Peggy Carter[src]
Led by the legends about the ancient creature that could assist HYDRA in conquering the world, Johann Schmidt raided the church in Tønsberg. Schmidt successfully obtained the Tesseract and ordered his soldiers to kill the Church Keeper, as well as destroying the church. Schmidt assumed that the cube will allow HYDRA to unleash the creature, so he ordered his soldiers to deliver it to Germany. Arnim Zola was entrusted with escorting the Tesseract to the headquarters for research.
Peggy Carter is given a vibranium shield
The Strategic Scientific Reserve obtained the intel about the Tesseract and HYDRA's raid in Norway. Howard Stark informed the command that the cube possesses a tremendous power, however, John Flynn was skeptical about it. Stark and Peggy Carter requested a mission to intercept the Tesseract, however, Flynn refused to risk even one soldiers over Stark's assumptions. Carter then decided to go after HYDRA on her own, without Flynn's authorization, using the uniform and the vibranium shield provided by Stark.[1]
Capture[]
Peggy Carter defeats HYDRA soldiers
- "The Allies must be desperate, sending in a fragile Fräulein to fight for them."
"'Fragile'?" - ―Brick and Peggy Carter[src]
Peggy Carter managed to track down a HYDRA unit, escorting Arnim Zola and the Tesseract in Berlin. Taking a position on top of the building, Carter ambushed an approaching HYDRA convoy, knocking two soldiers off with her shield. After Carter jumped down on the ground, a nearby truck attempted to run her down, however, she managed to flip the truck with her shield, before doing the same with the second truck. Soldiers then attempted to take Carter down on the ground, however, she was able to defeat all of them.
Peggy Carter confronts Brick
After all soldiers were taken down, Brick confronted Carter personally, mocking the Allied Powers for sending a fragile woman against HYDRA. Carter, however, easily defeated Brick in three punches, before checking the escorted vehicle. Successfully captured by Carter, Zola was taken prisoner by the SSR, while Carter managed to retrieve the Tesseract and bring it to the command.[1]
Aftermath[]
Captain Carter and the HYDRA Stomper liberate the prisoners of war
- "You're an agent, you're not qualified for field duty."
"Then you better promote me. 'Captain' has a nice ring to it." - ―John Flynn and Peggy Carter[src]
In the wake of a successful operation, Peggy Carter was promoted to Captain and given permission to participate in field missions. With the Tesseract in his possession, Howard Stark used it to power the prototype battle armor that was given to Steve Rogers, so he could participate as well. Carter and Rogers both carried out a mission to liberate the 107th Infantry Regiment that was captured by HYDRA.[1]
Appearances[]
In chronological order:
- What If...?
- Season One
- Season Two
- What If... Captain Carter Fought the HYDRA Stomper? (flashbacks; concurrent events)