Winter Guard
Winter Guard is/was a Russian military concern which employed both meta-humans and advanced technology to defend Russian interests across the globe.
Following the end of the World War II and the formation of SHIELD, The Soviet Union was caught somewhat unprepared for the meta-human arms race which was to follow. Hidden within the Ministry of Agriculture, Gyozdodyor Operatsiya (Operation Nail Puller) was up and running by the spring of 1946. Initial work focused upon the attempts to replicate the work of Abraham Erskine. This was eventually consolidated under the agency Otdeleniye Nulevoy-- 'Department X'.
Initial attempts to replicate a stable Super-Soldier serum proved a disaster, and lead to an abrupt pivot in the scope of work. The Infinity Formula would be a success, however it was both expensive and difficult to produce. As a result usage was limited to top tier candidates, large scale production would forever remain elusive.
The first operational arm of the program would come to be known as many names, but “The Winter Guard” is easily the best known. The first public appearance of the Winter Guard came during the Cuban Metahuman Crisis, aiding the Cuban Army in repelling the CIA/Stormwatch operation that led to invasion in 1962.
The program would expand beyond metagene studies, to include cybernetics, bioengineering, and even alien technology. The Soviet penchant for name changes led to a dizzying array of Soviet Meta-human teams over the years. All of these teams are essentially the Winter Guard, under the banner of the "Nail Puller" program.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the program headquarters in Koltsovo was looted and burned to the ground. Files on meta-human research and available assets was thought lost forever in the west. Splinter nations forming near the Baltic region jealously hoarded the lost Russian meta-tech, or saw it sold on the black market.
By 1994, the Winter Guard was operating under the Ministry of Defense. R&D facilities once dedicated to meta-human research were acquired by either the VECTOR Institute or absorbed into the Russian Federation’s military/intelligence services. The loss of the Koltsovo facility set back the Super-Soldier programs by decades and bureaucratic infighting sapped much of their unified strength.
The Modern Winter Guard is a composite collection of previous assets, new recruits and a large amount of cloned meta-humans who have either died or defected. Exact team composition is highly classified. As of 2010 there were at least six “Winter Guard” teams, all answering to a different chain of command and with varying capabilities and equipment. Rumors persist of battles for funding and prestige, with at least one team lacking any metahumans at all.
Verified alternative names, and subprograms within the “Nail Puller” umbrella include: The protectorate, The People’s Protectorate, Rocket Red Brigade, Red Room, Soviet Super Soldiers, [The Crimson Dynamos]], The Puleski Institute, The Winter Guard.
Members of the Winter Guard have included:
- Natasha Romanoff
- Red Guardian
- Steel Guardian
- James Barnes
- Omega Red
- (need first/last names for other prominent characters)
