Hounds from Hell

The **Hounds from Hell**(also known as the **Hellhounds**) refer to a team of genetically enhanced Soviet secret agents that were part of Operation Iron Wolf, a Soviet supersoldier program developed during the Cold War with the intent of sabotaging NATO.

## History

> "*They have no fear, no conscience, no weakness. These men and women of Soviet Russia were truly the Hounds from Hell.* "
> ― Tatiana Makarova, a Soviet defector, spilling the beans about the death squad known as the Hounds from Hell
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According to Tatiana Makarova, a defector who was involved with Operation Iron Wolf, the Hounds from Hell were an elite team of eight genetically enhanced Soviet assassins that were feared throughout the espionage world, known for the highest kill count of any military or spy faction in history. They were first reportedly seen in East Berlin, acting as an augmentation to East Germany's secret police. They also saw action in Vietnam, covertly assisting the North Vietnamese in fighting US forces. The testimonies of Tatiana and her husband Oleg eventually corroborated those from US soldiers regarding "near-superhuman Russian hitmen" that struck fear in the United States military during their deployment to Vietnam.

It is later revealed that the Hounds from Hell were deployed to the United States of America, alongside Asset X, AKA the Expressionless, with orders similar to Asset X (assassinating key US military personnel and government officials in order to sabotage the USA and NATO's efforts to win the Cold War). It is also revealed that they assassinated various NASA members to prevent the US from winning the Space Race against the USSR. After Asset X was captured by unknown US operatives following an accident that led to her going rogue due to memory loss, the other assets were tasked with locating and killing Asset X before she could do any potential damage to the program, but were later recalled for a "special mission".

According to Tatiana, that special mission turned out to be the Soviet War in Afghanistan, which was the last time any of them saw action; the operatives were absolute legends among both the Soviets and the Afghan rebels, killing millions of Mujahideen fighters with near pinpoint accuracy and without ever giving themselves away to the enemy. They were so good at killing, even Osama bin Laden, the future founder of Al-Qaeda and one of the most dangerous terrorist leaders, feared them.

When Gromov terminated the Iron Wolf program in 1979, the Hounds from Hell's handlers were given orders to terminate them. However, they disobeyed Gromov's orders by recalling the Soviet assassins from the battlefield and preserving them in cryogenic chambers, where it was hoped they would be reactivated at a later time. However, the Soviet Union fell in 1991 and Gromov himself later committed suicide before he could be apprehended by authorities for his actions. This left the Hellhounds still in cryogenic sleep.

They have not been woken since.

## Notable members

* Vladimira Petrova/The Expressionless/Asset X (Rogue)
* Tatiana Makarova (Defected)
* Oleg Malenkov (Defected)
* Ludmila Kalinina
* Pavel Volsky
* Song Sun-Kang (Deceased)
* Nikolai Petrenko
* Vladimir Voronov

## Gallery

Asset X, also known as the ExpressionlessVladimir VoronovSong Sun-KangPavel VolskyNikolai PetrenkoLudmila Kalinina