Ryuji Hiraoka, aka The Serpent’s Tooth, was the leader of an underground organization in Japan, who founded the international terrorist organization Hydra, alongside Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, combining groups from Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany during World War II. Hiraoka became the first Supreme Hydra, with Strucker as his second in command.

To pursue his goal of world domination, Hiraoka employed both science and sorcery. He used Hydra to gather a collection of mystical artifacts and objects of power, including the Gorath Stone, the Spear of Imhotep and the M’kraan fragment. Once he had completed his collection he intended to combine the power of the items through the Satan Claw gauntlet, to make it an unstoppable weapon.

Hiraoka sometimes posed as a double agent, pretending to be a spy and informant for the Allies against Imperial Japan, in order to get behind enemy lines. It was in this role where he first encountered Arnie Roth of the U.S. Navy, and with whom Hiraoka developed a romantic obsession. It is implied that Roth may once have seduced Hiraoka, presumably to gather intelligence since he suspected Hiraoka of being a double agent. During an evening in a casino in Shanghai, Roth left Hiraoka with a scar over his left eye. Hiraoka and Roth clashed a number of times during the war, sometimes openly and sometimes in Hiraoka’s masked guise as Supreme Hydra before his identity was revealed.

Hiraoka’s time as Supreme Hydra came to an end when Baron Strucker decided to seize control of the organization, feeling that he was better suited and more deserving of the role. When Strucker demanded that he step down, Hiraoka responded by shooting him but Strucker was protected by a bulletproof vest. Strucker then killed Hiraoka by stabbing him with the Gorath Stone.

Decades later Hiraoka was resurrected by the Red Skull’s daughter Sin, using the resources of the Hexus Corporation, to help rebuild Hydra from recent setbacks. He once again became the Supreme Hydra of a new incarnation of Hydra, with followers including Sin, Malphegor, and Swarm. When he was stabbed by the Gorath Stone he had a vision of something that even the Gorath feared, and intended to prepare Hydra to face this threat.

The Japanese Supreme Hydra first appeared as a one-off character in Capt. Savage And His Leatherneck Raiders #4 (1968) by Gary Friedrich and Dick Ayers. His name was revealed as Ryuji Hiraoka in Avengers Academy: Marvel’s Voices Infinity Comic #35 (2025) by Anthony Oliveira and Pablo Collar, where he was redesigned with a younger appearance, his personality was developed and his fate was tweaked a bit. In the original issue Strucker stabbed him with an ordinary saber, but in the Avengers Academy story it was changed to the magical Gorath Stone.

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Ryuji Hiraoka’s profile written by Mike McDermott