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===Allies=== |
===Allies=== |
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*[[Alexei (Pig)|Alexei]] - Namesake |
*[[Alexei (Pig)|Alexei]] - Namesake |
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*[[Taskmaster|Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster]] - Former Enemy <small>(while under [[Dreykov]]'s control)</small> |
*[[Taskmaster|Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster]] - Former Enemy <small>(while under [[Dreykov]]'s control)</small> |
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Revision as of 09:46, 11 July 2021
- "Soviet Union's first and only super soldier. I could have been more famous than Captain America."
- ―Red Guardian[src]
Alexei Alanovich Shostakov (Russian: Алексей Аланович Шостаков), also known as the Red Guardian, is a Soviet super-soldier, the husband figure of Melina Vostokoff, and the adoptive father of Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova.
Biography
Early Life
Working with Dreykov
Alexei Shostakov was born in the late 20th century in the Soviet Union where he was raised by his father. At one point in his childhood, his father took him ice fishing. During their trip, Alexei lost his balance and fell into the river. Given the extreme cold that day, even for Russian standards, Alexei nearly lost his hands to frostbite, which was only staved off by Alexei's father urinating on them.[1]
Becoming a Super Soldier
- "Captain America. My great adversary in this theater of geopolitical conflict. Not so much a nemesis. More like a contemporary, you know? Coequal."
- ―Alexei Shostakov to Natasha Romanoff[src]
At some point in his adulthood, Alexei joined the Soviet Armed Forces and was the sole recipient of their recreated Super Soldier Serum, becoming the "Red Guardian", and acted as a Soviet geopolitical counterpart to Captain America during the Cold War. Shostakov was deployed on numerous missions and won acclaim from the Soviet public, gaining legions of fans who remained loyal for decades and having action figures made in his likeness. During his military career, he encountered General Dreykov, becoming his friend and right-hand man in the process.[1]
Undercover in America
Eventually, in 1992, Dreykov assigned Alexei to go undercover in America in order to infiltrate the North Institute in Ohio, which was a front for S.H.I.E.L.D.. Alexei begrudgingly accepted the mission, as is was not going to be as action packed as he was used to, and was assigned to live with three people who would act as his "family"; veteran Black Widow Melina Vostokoff, and Black Widows in training Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova. The three would live in Ohio for three years up until 1995, with the four becoming close with one another; Alexei and Melina developing genuine feelings for one another and Natasha and Yelena forming a sisterly bond and viewing Alexei and Melina as the parents they never had.[1]
Family Separation
In 1995, Alexei obtained the file that he was assigned to and destroyed the North Institute. However, this put them on the radar of S.H.I.E.L.D., who were investigating sleeper agents in America. After Alexei destroyed the facility and arrived to their home, where he Melina whisked Natasha and Yelena away at night. Arriving at a hangar, Melina, Natasha and Yelena boarded a small plane as Alexei cleared the way for them to take off. As S.H.I.E.L.D. caught up with them, Alexei was forced to run to catch up with the taking off plane, hanging on to a wing and shooting out the tires of the S.H.I.E.L.D. vans, disabling them so the four could make an escape. The family eventually made it to Cuba, Alexei was greeted by Dreykov and was briefly debriefed as Yelena and Natasha tended to Melina, who had been shot in their escape. As Melina was taken away, a soldier tried to separate Yelena from Natasha, with the latter disarming him and threatening to shoot anyone who approached the two. Alexei talked Natasha down and gently took the gun away from her, reassuring her that she and Yelena would be okay because the two were strong.[1]
Imprisonment
Alexei and Dreykov eventually had a falling out, resulting in Dreykov having Alexei incarcerated in a Russian gulag. Their Alexei languished for decades into anger, self-pity and reminiscing over his glory days, with his only solace coming from receiving fan mail from his enduring admirers and regaling his fellow prisoners with war stories, some of which with questionable authenticity.[1]
Escape from Prison
One day in 2016, Alexei was arm wrestling a number of his fellow prisoners, telling a fabricated story of how he faced off with and defeated Captain America in the 1980s. When a prisoner named Ursa questioned the validity of his story, pointing out that Alexei couldn't have fought Captain America since he was still frozen in the 80s, Alexei broke Ursa's wrist with his enhanced strength. Alexei was then called to the mail room to receive mail, where he was taunted by the guards who mockingly referred to him by his old alias and ate the pastries that were mailed to Alexei. Alexei then collected the remaining mail which included an action figure of himself in uniform, which caused Alexei to reminisce. However the head of the figure popped off and revealed an ear-com which Alexei put in and was instructed by his "daughter" Natasha Romanoff to head to the south door and not make a scene. Alexei however, wanting to use this opportunity as a last chance to get revenge on the guards, smashed through the glass of their pod and brutally assaulted them, stealing back one of his cookies in the process. The ensuing commotion caused a prison riot with guards mobilizing to capture Alexei and prisoners following suit. Alexei broke down a steel door and made his way to the prison courtyard and leapt to the upper levels of the courtyard, only to be tasered by a guard and fall back down to the lower levels. Alexei then fought and with the aid of Natasha and Yelena, made it back up to the upper level and barely escaped an avalanche that overwhelmed the prison complex.
Alexei, although overjoyed to see his daughters after two decades, he was met with a cold reception from the both of them. When asked about by Natasha whether or not he knew the location of the Red Room, Alexei admitted to knowing nothing and when confronted about his supposedly close relationship with Dreykov, Alexei revealed Dreykov was the one responsible for his imprisonment. Alexei then went on a tirade about how he was the Soviet Union's first and only super-soldier and how he could have achieved more than even Captain America himself had it not been for Dreykov assigning him to the mission in Ohio and incarcerating him. Instead, Alexei offered the location of Melina, who was in St. Petersburg. Despite Yelena's protests that they wouldn't make it that far due to a low fuel level, Alexei insisted they would, only for them to crash shortly after.[1]
Family Reunion
After the crash, Alexei, Natasha and Yelena proceeded to walk to St. Petersburg on foot, with Alexei again proclaiming how proud he was of them; with Natasha becoming and Avenger and Yelena one of the most prolific child assassins of her generation and inquiring to Natasha if Captain America ever mentioned him. As they approached Melina's home they were greeted by her and welcomed inside, where Alexei tried on his old Red Guardian uniform. With a struggle, he managed to put in on and presented himself to Melina, Natasha and Yelena, with only Melina giving her approval. At the table, the four shared a meal, where Melina and Alexei flirted, much to Natasha's disgust. When asked about the Red Room, Melina explained to the three that the North Institute was a front for S.H.I.E.L.D. and was controlled by HYDRA scientists working on the Winter Soldier Program who had constructed the first and only cellular blueprint of the basal ganglia, which controls human cognition; Ergo they stole HYDRA's research on mind-control. Melina then demonstrates her work by presenting her pet pig, named "Alexei" by commanding him to do a number of tasks, which he obeys, including stopping breathing. When asked by Yelena whether or not she knew who Dreykov controlled, Melina denied any knowledge, but Alexei did not believe her. An argument ensued in which Alexei claimed to be Dreykov's patsy and was sold a false ideology. Natasha then scolded Alexei, calling him an idiot and Melina a coward. After Natasha claims that their "family" wasn't real, Yelena tearfully argues the contrary and recalls her sadness that the only good part of her life was a lie and expresses her anger towards Melina for creating the very thing that robbed her of her free will. When Yelena angrily leaves the table, Alexei comforts Melina and goes to console Yelena.
When Alexei goes to console Yelena, she tells him she does not want to talk. Alexei agrees, going on to tell her stories from his past, much to her annoyance. When Alexei tries to explain what fathers will do for their children by telling her the ice fishing story from his childhood, Yelena expresses her hurt that all Alexei ever did was complain about his lost opportunity to be a world-renowned hero and her feeling that Alexei only ever saw her as an unwanted assignment when conversely, Yelena idolized and loved Alexei. After Yelena accidentally refers to Alexei as the "Crimson Dynamo", Alexei absentmindedly corrects her, to which Yelena angrily tells him to leave. Alexei appears to oblige, but then he begins to sing "American Pie", Yelena's favorite song from her childhood and the two reconcile. Their peace is short-lived however as they are ambushed by Dreykov's men and Alexei is knocked out with a barrage of tranquilizer darts.[1]
Showdown at the Red Room
Alexei wakes up on board a plane that is heading upwards, piloted by Melina. When he overhears that they are about to land, Alexei asks Melina why they are continuing to ascend, then he notices that the Red Room is a veritable floating fortress. Alexei is then sedated by one of Dreykov's henchmen and loses consciousness again.
Alexei awakens in a cell next to Natasha and after collecting himself, proceeds to apologize for his misdeeds as a father and ask for her forgiveness. Unexpectedly, the cell door opens and when he asks why, Natasha reveals that she designed it, much to Alexei's confusion. It turns out "Natasha" is actually Melina in disguise. After seeing Melina use an earpiece to communicate with Yelena, Alexei attempts to use his earpiece to communicate is apology to Natasha, only for Melina to tell Alexei he was not given an earpiece due to only having two at her disposal. Melina then explains her and Natasha's plan to Alexei. Alexei, wanting to be more involved, asks for a bigger role, only for Taskmaster to appear behind the two of them. Alexei elects to fight Taskmaster and does, resulting in him putting up a good fight, but getting thoroughly beaten in the end, with Melina having to intervene and save Alexei from being stabbed. Melina and Alexei commandeer a plane and after waiting for Natasha and Yelena, they are forced to leave when the hangar is destroyed and the plane falls into the sky. One of Dreykov's henchmen attempts to board the plane by smashing the windshield, but Alexei, having stolen Taskmaster's shield, throws it at the windshield, killing the henchman.
Alexei and Melina manage to land the plane safely, with Melina being slightly injured and Alexei having to support her. After reuniting with Natasha and Yelena, Natasha asks Alexei if he planned on saying anything but he says that he'd just mess it up. After the four share a brief moment, Natasha notices Thaddeus Ross and his men approaching the scene of the wreckage. Alexei, Yelena and Melina insist on fighting them with Natasha, but after having her reassurance of survival, they leave with the newly liberated Black Widows who have been freed of their mind control.[1]
Personality
- "I pledged my life to a cause. You know, I thought I was being very brave. Possibly the bravest. But I wasn’t being brave. I was coward."
- ―Alexei Shostakov[src]
| This section needs a rewrite |
At his core, Alexei Shostakov is a kind, jovial and overall good man and loving father, albeit with several flaws that hinder his relationships. He truly loves Natasha and Yelena as his daughters and was genuinely happy to see them again after 21 years. However, his longing for his glory days, results in Yelena believing he never cared about them, which was not true. Shostakov can hold a grudge as he was bitter towards Dreykov for imprisoning him as he believed that Dreykov did so unjustly because of a snide remark Shostakov may have made. Alexi possesses a strong sense of patriotism and national pride toward the Soviet Union as he proudly declares that he was the Soviet's first and only super-soldier. This patriotism resulted in him choosing to have a one-sided rivalry with his American counterpart, Steve Rogers, even though Rogers never knew of Shostakov, nor his very existence. Shostakov demonstrates traits of attention seeking behavior as he revels in his fame as the Red Guardian. This was only exacerbated by his time in prison as his depression caused him to go as far as to make up improbable war stories about fighting Captain America.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- "Move your ass, super soldier."
- ―Natasha Romanoff to Alexei Shostakov[src]
- Artificially Enhanced Physiology: Alexei Shostakov was subjected to the Soviet Union's recreated Super Soldier Serum, gaining abilities that enhanced his physical parameters to near superhuman levels. Despite his skills being worn down by his age and years in prison and further weakened by having became fat, Shostakov is still capable of superhuman feats.
- Enhanced Strength: Alexei is capable of immense feats of superhuman strength. In his prime, Alexei was strong enough to toss a large metal waste disposal vat with two hand with only minimal effort several meters away. After 21 years of imprisonment, Alexei still has his strength as he routinely beat hardened criminals in arm wrestles, was able to break the wrist of the musclebound and physically imposing inmate Ursa and knock down a large, thick metal door with ease, along with tossing around two highly trained corrections officers. He was able to go up against Taskmaster without any significant injuries and casually slapped Taskmaster's shield on the floor which it dug into by creating a cracked hole he force of his slap without little effort.
- Enhanced Durability: Alexei is much more durable than the average being. However, he is still susceptible to taser shocks and was beaten down by the master martial artist, Taskmaster. He was able to survive a fall from the upper levels of the gulag prison without breaking his spinal and was able to take one tranquilizer to his chest without feeling any effect. He was unable to feel any pain at all when being tattooed while arm wrestling with inmates of his without any form of reaction by the needle.
- Enhanced Speed: Due to his super-soldier treatment, Alexei can move at speeds that exceed the finest athletes on earth. This was shown when he and his family were escaping Ohio, Alexei was able to run on foot and catch up with a rapidly accelerating plane about to take off.
- Enhanced Agility: Alexei is supremely agile. Even with the weight he has put on in the past two decades, he was still nimble enough to leap only the upper levels of the gulag prison courtyard with ease.
- Enhanced Reflexes: He was able to react an dodged gunfire from police officers back in Ohio without getting hit and able to react some of Taskmaster's blows without worry.
- Regenerative Healing Factor: As a super soldier, Shostakov has enhanced regeneration, being able to heal bruises at astounding rates and withstand a military grade tranquilizer dart without feeling any effect or passing out before being shot with many. Unfortunately, due to his laziness and imprisonment, his metabolism has stunted, resulting in his dramatic weight gain.
Abilities
- Expert Combatant: As a soldier, Alexei was trained in hand-to-hand combat and is highly skilled in it. Those skills and only further enhanced by his immense strength. Despite his skill however, he was outclassed by Taskmaster and possibly even Black Widows.
- Shield Mastery: Given that Alexei's action figure came with a shield, it is likely that he once used one during his exploits as Red Guardian. Regardless of whether or not he actually owned one, Alexei still was able to use Taskmaster's shield with lethal efficiency when he killed one of Dreykov's men with it.
- Expert Marksman: As a highly trained Soviet soldier, Alexei is able to wield different types of weapons with great accuracy. During his family's escape from Ohio, he managed to shoot out the tires of multiple moving SUV's while laying on an unstable wing of a plane which is about to take off, and able to throw his shield with great accuracy much like Steve Rogers.
- Bilingualism: Shostakov is able to speak and understand his native Russian and English. In fact, Alexei has such mastery of the English language that he was able to perfectly mimic an American accent while undercover for three years, in public and in private.
Equipment
Weapons
- Red Guardian's Shield: To be added
- Taskmaster's Shield: To be added
Other Equipment
- "I want my suit back. I wanna get back in it."
- ―Alexei Shostakov[src]
- Red Guardian Uniform: During his exploits as Red Guardian, Alexei wore a red combat suit reminiscent of Captain America's Uniform, albeit with a Soviet Russian motif. After 21 years of disuse, Alexei wore it again to help his family defeat Dreykov and destroy the Red Room.
Vehicles
- Helicopter: To be added
Facilities
To be added
Prisons
- Seventh Circle Prison: To be added
Relationships
Family
Allies
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Enemies
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Trivia
- In the comics, Alexi Shostakov was a Soviet Union pilot who was rescued by Vasily Karpov during World War II and trained by the KGB to become the second Red Guardian. Shostakov was also the former husband of Natasha Romanoff.
Behind the Scenes
- David Harbour reflected that the Red Guardian is "the counterpart to Captain America on the Russian Soviet side, but that way we have a lot of play with who he is and we are playing with him," which is one of the things he really likes of the character.[2]
- Due to the Red Guardian's nationality, David Harbour suggested to producers that he should speak in fluent Russian to play the character, with English subtitles acting as interpretation, but the producers didn't like his idea.[3]
- John Macdonald, Rob Mars and Scott Hunter were stunt doubles for David Harbour in the role of Red Guardian.
- Sean James was a stand-in for David Harbour in the role of Red Guardian.
