Count Otto Vermis
Encyclopedia
Count Otto Vermis was the leader of HYDRA
's European branch. His only appearance (in main Marvel continuity) was in Marvel Spotlight
#32 (February 1977), the book that featured the first appearance of Spider-Woman
.
Vermis recruited Jessica Drew (whom by that time went by the name "Arachne") into HYDRA at a time when she was suffering from amnesia
and had no clue about her own past. He then manipulated her into falling in love with fellow agent Jared and attempting to kill Nick Fury
.
Vermis promised to find out the truth about Arachne's past and did a sincere effort in that direction, although the findings were incomplete and misleading. Ultimately, he kept what little he knew hidden from Arachne until soon before his death.
An alternate timeline's Vermis was also seen in a What If...?, where he was alive, but captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and where Spider-Woman is a super-villain.
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
's European branch. His only appearance (in main Marvel continuity) was in Marvel Spotlight
Marvel Spotlight
Marvel Spotlight is the name of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book for new characters. The first series ran for 33 issues from November 1971 to April 1977...
#32 (February 1977), the book that featured the first appearance of Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)
Spider-Woman is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #32 , and 50 issues of an ongoing series titled Spider-Woman followed...
.
Vermis recruited Jessica Drew (whom by that time went by the name "Arachne") into HYDRA at a time when she was suffering from amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
and had no clue about her own past. He then manipulated her into falling in love with fellow agent Jared and attempting to kill Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
.
Vermis promised to find out the truth about Arachne's past and did a sincere effort in that direction, although the findings were incomplete and misleading. Ultimately, he kept what little he knew hidden from Arachne until soon before his death.
An alternate timeline's Vermis was also seen in a What If...?, where he was alive, but captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and where Spider-Woman is a super-villain.