Super Soldier Serum

The Super Soldier Serum was developed by Weapons Plus, led by Josef Reinstein during World War II. The serum provided the subject with increased stamina, speed and strength, however the serum was only successfully used by the program once before the program was "put on ice" by the United States government.

History
During the 1930's, a Dr. Abraham Erskine works in a German university doing research into the serum. However in 1935, the Jewish doctor left his work in an attempt to escape Germany to avoid the racist Nazi laws but HYDRA (Nazi special weapons division) leader Johann Schmidt, who took an interest in Erskine's work, intercepts the scientist on the German/Swiss border on September 14th.

5 years later in the Beverian Alps, Schmidt takes part in an test involving Erskine and his Super Soldier Serum which turns Schmitd into what he would become known as the Red Skull. Erskine is rescued by Peggy Carter and brought into the US Secret Science Reserve as part of the Project: Rebirth program along with Howard Stark to produce America's own Super-Soldier. After a long search for the perfect subject, the frail Steve Rogers is found and transformed into the perfect human specimen; becoming Captain America. However after the experiment, Erskine is killed by a HYDRA agent and the knowledge of the serum is lost with him. This blue coloured serum is seen again on May 20th 2010 after being long locked away as part of the Weapons Plus program under the name of “Dr. Reinstein” (most likely the codename of Erskine - a similar retcon was used in the comics to cover up the name discrepancy) when General Ross uses a low dosage on a soldier named Emil Blonski.

The Serum and its affects on its subjects.
The serum's effect on the body is to increasing the molecular density of cellular fibers (skin, muscle) through synthetic proteins. However, the serum not only enhances the the body and mind but also brings out and enhances what the person is. These personality traits are brought to the surface and manifest physically on the subject.


 * Steve Rogers, Erskine's insistence to find a "good man" is an understatement, in Steve Rogers he found someone with unquestionable moral value who only wanted to be the best he could be and his physical transformation is a reflection of that.


 * Johann Schmidt, took the prototype serum, Schmidt's external transformation is that of a living Red Skull. Schmidt has always wanted to be seen as removed from the mere ordinary men around him, appearance is a reflection of that.


 * Emil Blonsky, given low dosages of the serum, Blonsky's extra physical manifestations (protruding skeletal structure) takes a while to materialize. Due to the replacement of the vital rays with the gamma radiation in the Hulk's blood, the serum kicked into overdrive, giving Blonsky a giant sized version of himself with a green tinge, with the external bone structure being a reflection of the tough monstrous fighter that he shows himself to be.

Captain America: The First Avenger
The serum was successfully used on Steve Rogers by the Weapons Plus program. However, further attempts to recreate the serum failed and it was decided that instead of using Rogers to fight the enemy, he would be used to inspire the American solders.

The Incredible Hulk
It is revealed to Emil Blonsky that during WWII the U.S. military was attempting to create super soldiers using various formulae, but with only one showing promise. This formula was part of Weapon Plus and developed by Dr. Reinstein. The project was eventualy shelved until it was uncovered by General Thaddeus Ross. Ross used subterfuge to get his daughter, Dr. Elizabeth Ross, and her partner, Dr. Bruce Banner, to work on the project. The two scientists believed that they were working on radiation resistance. Banner was so conviced in the results of his project that he he subjected himself to the treatment. The results caused his body chemistry to be altered in such a way that whenever he became angry or outraged a startling metamorphosis occured. In the initial transformation Banner's muscle mass and size increased dramaticaly and skin became green. Turning into an incoherant monster, Banner destroyed the lab and severly injured Dr. Ross. Learning that General Ross wanted to turn the monster into a weapon Banner fled in search of a cure.

When the Hulk resurfaced and defeated a unit of Ross' elite soldiers, the General offered the serum to Emil Blonsky, the only soldier to come out unscathed in a conflict with the Hulk. Blonsky underwent the first of two treatments, consiting of deep muscle and painful bone marrow shots. In the next encounter with the Hulk, Blonsky diplayed increased speed, endurance, and agility. However as the fight went on he became more agressive and rashly stood before the Hulk challenging him. The Hulk kicked Blonsky into a tree shatering almost every bone in his body.

It appeared that Blonsky was near death, however he underwent a miraculous full recovery just a day or so later. Not only was he healed but his muscle mass had increased and his overall body fat decreased. Blonsky underwent another treatment. However, shortly thereafter he showed pronounced spinal ridges on his back. Blonsky became even more agressive when Banner was tracked to the lab of Dr. Sterns, a scientist who had been aiding Banner, for his own gains.

After Blonsky savagly beat Banner, who was taken into custody by Ross, he disabled the troops guarding Sterns. Sterns, eager to see the various applications of the gamma agreed to Blonsky's demand to get the power of the Hulk. Sterns however warned him that he was unsure how the gamma would react with the super soldier serum. The resulting combination drove Blonsky mad, along with giving him strength and size similar to that of the Hulk. Blonsky was dubbed the Abomination as he set to destroying New York city until he was defeated by the Hulk.

Captain America (TV Film)
The super soldier serum is refered to as the FLAG (Full Latent Ability Gain) formula or a "super-steroid". Is is devoloped by the father of Steve Rogers, who was a scientist in WWII. When enemy spies nearly kill Rogers, he is given the experimental formula in hopes that it will save his life. It heals his wounds and gives him increased speed, stamina, and strength.

Captain America
The super soldier serum is developed by Dr. Maria Vaselli. Vaselli is an Italian scientist and is forced to develop the serum for the fascists in 1937. The first test subject is a rat who immediatly turns a bright redish color and is covered with black scar-like tissue. The next subject was an Italian boy who was kidnapped for the experiment. The tratment enhanced his mind and body, but altered his skin similarly, giving his face a red, skull like appearance. After the test on the boy Dr. Vaselli defected to America, where she perfected the formula. It was used on Steve Rogers, a young man suffering from polio and denied entry into the armed services. The formula cured his polio and gave him enhanced strength, speed, and stamina. However shortly after being injected with the serum Dr. Vaselli was murdered by a Nazi spy among the military onlookers. Never wanting her formula to fall into the wrong hands the doctor never wrote it down, thus secret formula died with her.

Spider-Man
Norman Osborn's company Oscorp was contracted by the government to develop super soldiers and weapons for them to use. Osborn developed a super soldier serum that was at the animal testing stage. When Osborn was confronted by the military oversight he responded that he was confident that it was ready for human trials. His coleague, Dr. Mendel Stromm, was not as sure due to some cases of extreme agression and madness presenting in the animal test subjects. He recomended that they go back to formula. The military was not pleased and put Osborn on a strict deadline or he would default on the contract wich would be turned over to Quest Aerospace. Desperate, Osborne tested the chemical on himself. While it did produce the desired enhanced strength and inteligence, it also drove Norman mad. Norman's psyche split in two, developing a personae later dubbed the Green Goblin. The Goblin murdered Stromm, along with the military oversight commitee and several Quest employees. Osborn eventualy encountered Spider-Man in several battles and died when he was impaled on his own glider. After Osborn's death, his son, Harry, would go on to take the formula himself in order to take revenge on Spider-Man, whom he believed had killed his father.

In Comics
In the original comics the Super Soldier Serum was devolped by Professor Josef Reinstein, although it was retconned as an alias for Dr. Abraham Erksein. The doctor created the serum to work in conjuction with his "vita-ray" treatment to creat the ultimate human. In theory, once injected with the serum and exposed to the vita-rays the person would be at the peak of human effeciency. The army wanted to use the serum to creat an army of super soldiers to stand up to the Nazi war machine. The government envisioned an army of men who did not get tired, ran faster, and fought harder than any other army on earth.

As part of the experiment Steve Rogers, a frail young man, rejected by army recuirters for being to sickly, is tapped to serve as the final test subject. Rogers is exposed to the vita-rays and injected with the serum. He is immediatly transformed into the perfect human weapon. While still recovering from the treatment a Nazi spy reveals himself amongst the military observers and attempts to kill Rogers, but is foiled when the doctor dives in front of the bullet. Before the Nazi can fire again Captain America throws the Nazi into the electical equipment killing him.

Doctor Reinstein never wrote down the formula, therfore it's secret died with him. However several attempts to duplicate it have ended in madness, due mainly to the abscence of the vita-rays in the treatments.