- "Look, if you're gonna kill me, go ahead. I probably deserve it, but... leave innocent people out of it."
"I have no intention of killing you, Mr. Stark. I am going to make you suffer." - ―Howard Stark and Johann Fennhoff[src]
The Kidnapping of Howard Stark was Johann Fennhoff's successful mission to abduct Howard Stark from the Strategic Scientific Reserve in order to force him to deploy Midnight Oil over thousands of people in New York City.
Background[]
- "We are going back to the city. Our plans have changed."
- ―Johann Fennhoff to Dottie Underwood[src]
Johann Fennhoff swore revenge on Howard Stark for the death of his brother by the Stark invention Midnight Oil during the Battle of Finow.[1] During his revenge plot, Fennhoff had the inventions of Stark stolen,[2] but they were recovered by Strategic Scientific Reserve Agent Peggy Carter and collected by the New York Bell Company Office branch of the organization.[3]. Among the collected were canisters of the gas; Dottie Underwood learned that the gas was in the collection when she saw a picture of it when she infiltrated Carter's room in the Griffith Hotel.[4] Fennhoff used his power of hypnotism to gain the containers and used the death of Chief Roger Dooley to distract the agents as he escaped. To test the virility of the gas, Fennhoff had Underwood test it in a theater.[5]
During the investigation of the cinema theater, Stark went to the SSR and told them everything he knew about his relationship with Fennhoff, the Battle of Finow, and Midnight Oil. Stark desired to be used as bait to lure Fennhoff into the open, despite the protests of Carter. The SSR set up a public press conference to exonerate Stark of being a suspect in traitorous activity, with the New York City Police Department helping with security. Unbeknownst to everyone, Officer Pike was under the thrall of Fennhoff.
Meanwhile, citizens of New York City were preparing to have a celebration in Times Square to commemorate the first anniversary of V-E Day.[1]
Kidnapping[]
- "You don't remember me, do you?"
"Should I?"
"You and I spent a nice weekend together not too long ago..." - ―Dottie Underwood and Howard Stark[src]
A press conference was held to announce Howard Stark was no longer a fugitive wanted by the Strategic Scientific Reserve Dottie Underwood installed a rigged rifle to shoot at Stark. In the ensuing chaos, Stark and Edwin Jarvis attempted to escape by having New York City Police Department officer Pike, drive to take them to the SSR headquarters. Unknown to Stark and Jarvis, Pike had been earlier hypnotized by Fennhoff and drove off with Stark once he was in the car. During the drive, Stark's attempts to bribe Pike were unsuccessful due to Pike's hypnotic state.
Stark was brought to his secret warehouse where Underwood shoot and killed Officer Pike. Underwood held Stark at gunpoint and reminded him of their time together a few months earlier, although Stark failed to remember her name of "Ida Emke" and as a result was hit in the face.[1]
Aftermath[]
- "If his intention is to place blame for the attack on Mr. Stark, would it not be most effective to use one of Mr. Stark's own planes?"
"He can't. We confiscated them all."
"Not all..." - ―Edwin Jarvis and Jack Thompson[src]
When Edwin Jarvis relaized that Howard Stark had been kidnapped, he went to go find Daniel Sousa and inform him that he had been abducted. Sousa then put out a call over the radio that Stark had been kidnapped, and went with Jarvis to go find the car. Once the pair found the car, they met with Jack Thompson and Peggy Carter to figure out where they went.[1]
When the group decided that Johann Fennhoff was going to deploy the Midnight Oil by air, Edwin Jarvis told them about Howard Stark's Warehouse that contained planes and a private airfield that the Strategic Scientific Reserve did not know about. The group then devided to do a Raid of Howard Stark's Warehouse in order to stop Fennhoff and Dottie Underwood from bombing Times Square.[1]