Super-Soldier

The Super-Soldier program was developed as an advanced infantry program, trying to produce a 'superior' soldier from recruits who would be otherwise physically inadequate.

The chief architect of the US Super-Soldier program was Abraham Erskine. His earlier efforts were derived from the Terrigen Mists, ancient Kree bioweapons developed to accelerate the mutation of the human genome. The leader of the Purifiers, Vandal Savage, selected Johann Schmidt as the first test subject. The results vastly improved Schmidt's physical capability, but profoundly changed his appearance and drove him deeper into madness.

Erskine would flee to America and offer his knowledge to the Strategic Scientific Reserve. One more effort was made to repeat the project, and Steve Rogers was selected as the test subject. The results were a success but Erskine was assassinated moments later, taking his knowledge of the project to his grave.

Spin-off projects would be attempted intermittently over the following decades. The Department of Extranormal Operations would establish multiple sub-directorates and programs, including CADMUS, The Agency, and Weapon X. Other research would periodically dip into the well of knowledge, producing The Hulk as Bruce Banner studied gamma-ray energies, and Luke Cage in an effort to produce medical research.

Unfortunately, the failure rate for the various super-soldier programs was staggeringly high. Many died. Others went insane or berserk with power. Only a handful could be remotely approximated as successes.