Origin
Three years before the Skrull Invasion Victoria was an accountant for S.H.I.E.L.D. who was in a relationship with another agent named Isabelle. Victoria was determined to send a letter to Director Nick Fury critical of his handling of the war on terror. Isabelle implored Victoria not to send the letter, ignoring her, Victoria did anyway. She was transferred immediately to Portland, Oregon. As a result Isabelle ended their relationship.
Creation
Although Victoria’s first appearance was in The Invincible Iron Man #8 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca, she was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato Jr. and her appearance in Dark Avengers #1 predates this in continuity.
Character Evolution
Victoria was first introduced as Norman Osborn’s right hand woman when in charge of H.A.M.M.E.R. but was not evil, genuinely having good intentions and believing Norman could restore peace to the world. After the Siege and Osborn’s downfall, Steve Rogers offered Victoria the place of New Avengers liaison believing she could do good in the role, however, the team mistrusted her, with not all of them convinced about her good intentions.
Major Story Arcs
Dark Reign
Following his on-camera performance during the Skrull Invasion, Norman Osborn was promoted from Director of the Thunderbolt Initiative to Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. where he dismantled the previous organization, cutting ties with Tony Stark, and transforming it into the operation known as H.A.M.M.E.R. He appointed Victoria to the position of Deputy Director due to her vocal opposition of previous S.H.I.E.L.D. directors Nick Fury and Tony Stark.
Victoria also has a certain level of authority over Norman’s Avengers, being Deputy Director of H.A.M.M.E.R., outranking Moonstone, who was the second-in-command for the team.
Victoria was sent with Moonstone to neutralize Bruce Banner , the Hulk. She and Moonstone engaged a powerless Bruce Banner and Skaar. H.A.M.M.E.R. gave the duo the means to restore Banner’s gamma powers, something Skaar is waiting for (as he has sworn to kill his true “father”). With Banner coated in gamma radiation the duo left, their mission accomplished.
Siege
Victoria was part of the attack that went after the Asgardians, leading the helicarrier squad. During the attack the ship she was on was damaged and Victoria ordered the evacuation of the crew.
When the Void took control, Iron Man contacted her to use the carrier as a bullet. After the battle, all of Norman‘s allies were captured, Victoria included. She didn’t resist arrest and was taken aboard a helicarrier, where she was interviewed by Steve Rogers. Victoria stated that she didn’t regret anything and that she was trying to help the world. In response, he called her a patriot and told her to report to her new post as soon as possible. Her reaction was “What?”
Heroic Age
Victoria reappears outside the newly renovated Avengers Mansion that had just been purchased by Luke Cage for his team of Avengers. Victoria is seen pointing a gun at Jessica Jones and her baby as well as Clint Barton and Luke Cage. She says she has a letter for Cage from Steve Rogers. The letter states that Victoria Hand would be the link between the main Avengers and their team. In addition to that, in the letter Captain America states that he believes Victoria deserves a second chance. She explains that the only reason she has the gun is because she knows the team hate her guts and that she needs to protect herself due to their power-sets. Luke Cage responds by knocking her backwards into the mansion. She leaves but Cage follows her with Wolverine by his side (to see if she was lying). When he asks why she followed Osborn she replies that he was a genius who had the potential to make the world a better place. Had they not taken down Osborn she would have. The reason she joined the New Avengers was to give them a perspective other than their own. Luke accepts this and allows her to join. When Agamotto tries to obtain the Eye of Agamotto from Doctor Voodoo, Victoria helps the New Avengers fight the demons that arrive in New York from Agamotto’s magic dimension. Her assistance to Jessica Jones when Jessica comes to rescue her baby from the Avengers Mansion gains her the trust of Jessica and the team.
Superia
Later, remaining H.A.M.M.E.R. agents form and invite Victoria to join via back channels, saying they would love to have her. In response to this, Victoria sends the New Avengers to take care of it, to knock it down before it got up, but doesn’t tell the team that they’re fighting H.A.M.M.E.R. agents. The mission is only half successful with the agents being arrested but their leader Superia gets away and Mockingbird is shot through the chest. Victoria informs Steve Rogers of the mission and Hawkeye of Mockingbird’s injuries. Knowing that the team would assume she set them up and blame her if Bobbi died, Victoria then returns home to her apartment where she’s confronted by Superia. After being threatened by her, Victoria reveals she is still working for HAMMER and Superia needs to follow her orders. When Superia is gone, Victoria calls Luke Cage and lets him know where Superia is going to be at.
Death
When Victoria was possessed by the spirit of Daniel Drumm she was forced to kill two powerful sorcerers, Daimon Hellstrom and Jennifer Kale, in revenge for the death of his brother. After dispatching her in the Avengers Mansion, Hand was killed in the Astral Plane by Daniel. Victoria has a statue created in her memory at the Avengers’ mansion.
Personal Data
Characteristics
- Height : 5″6
- Weight: 135 lbs
- Eye Color: Amber
- Hair Color: Black with a dyed red streak
Status
- Citizenship: USA
- Marital Status: Single
- Education: S.H.I.E.L.D. training, MBA in Accounting
- Occupation: New Avenger liaison, formally Norman Osborn’s Avenger staff, Former Deputy Director of HAMMER, Former accountant for SHIELD (Nick Fury era)
Powers & Abilities
In her time with S.H.I.E.L.D. Victoria Hand has been trained in combat and weapons tactics along with a working knowledge of hand-to-hand combat and all issue weapons. Hand has a brilliant organisational mind that makes her a great administrator and gives her a head for numbers. She is also skilled in computer usage and an effective public speaker.
Other Media
Television
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Victoria Hand appears in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., portrayed by Saffron Burrows.
She appears as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, The Hub, which is stated to be second only to the Triskelion. She assigns Agents Ward and Fitz to an operation in South Ossetia, where they are needed to retrieve a doomsday weapon known as Overkill, but clashes with Phil Coulson when it is revealed that she did so without issuing any backup for the operatives. Victoria defends her actions on the grounds that Hawkeye and Black Widow have completed numerous operations without backup, but Coulson is left with a feeling of mistrust. Later, she expressed her confidence that Coulson would secure his team’s safe return.
After Coulson is kidnapped by the Centipede Group, she assumes command of Coulson’s team. Although she clashed with the other agents, the team was ultimately able to locate Coulson without Hand’s help. With Coulson recovered, Hand returned to her normal S.H.I.E.L.D. duties, stating that she was a good fit for his team.
Agent Hand met up with Coulson, along with agents John Garrett, Antoine Triplett, Jasper Sitwell, and Felix Blake, who requested their assistance in taking down the Clairvoyant. When Garrett suggested that the Clairvoyant might be someone S.H.I.E.L.D. once suspected of having psychic abilities, Hand expressed her doubts about the true abilities of the Clairvoyant to no avail. When the team split up in to groups of two, she left to oversee them. After Agent Blake was critically injured by Deathlok, and the team returned to the Hub, Hand narrowed the search down to one individual – Thomas Nash. She ordered agents Jemma Simmons and Triplett back to the Hub as consultants on Deathlok’s capabilities. Hand watched the team battle with Deathlok and the confrontation with Thomas Nash.
When HYDRA had activated its sleepers within S.H.I.E.L.D, Agent Hand rerouted Coulsonâs plane to the Hub ordering everyone except Coulson killed, believing them to be HYDRA operatives because Coulson had hid vital information from S.H.I.E.L.D. and disobeyed multiple direct orders.. Hand also ordered two UAVs to take out John Garrett’s plane. Hand confronted Simmons and Triplett in the Hub, posing as a HYDRA agent herself, and ordered them to pledge full loyalty to HYDRA or be killed. However, when Triplett swore to take one with him if Hand’s men opened fire, she revealed it had been a âtestâ. After Garret revealed himself as the Clairvoyant to Coulson, May and Fitz. Hand personally led a team to arrest Garrett, having overheard the conversation thanks to a bug.
With the Clairvoyant and HYDRA threat on the Hub neutralized, Hand confirmed to Coulson that Captain America had successfully ended the Helicarrier threat at the Triskelion and gave him a secure communication device to ensure the pair could keep in contact, as they might be the highest level agents left alive. Soon after, Hand left the Hub to transport Garret to the Fridge along with Agent Ward and two other S.H.I.E.L.D agents. Although the Fridge would ensure Garret could not be let loose again to the outside world, Hand believed that he deserved to die after all he had done, offering Ward the chance to kill the ârealâ Clairvoyant. This ultimately became Handâs demise as Ward shot both S.H.I.E.L.D. agents guarding Garrett and Hand.
Games
Marvel: War of Heroes
Victoria Hand appears in several cards in the mobile card game Marvel: War of Heroes. Her cards are:
- [H.A.M.M.E.R’s Hammer] Victoria Hand
- [Both Sides] Victoria Hand