Alexander Pierce

NOTE: This page is only for Alexander Pierce's characterization in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, considering the original comic counterpart was not voted as Near Pure Evil. Therefore, only the film version's info and crimes should be listed here.

Near Pure Evil

Full Name

Alexander Goodwin Pierce

Alias

Mr. Secretary

Origin

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Allies

HYDRA:

Powers / Skills

Genius-Level Intelligence

Possession of three helicarriers
Master Manipulator
Leadership
Control over the Winter Soldier
Various Subordinates
Control over S.H.I.E.L.D.

Goals

Use the Winter Soldier to eliminate all threats to HYDRA and their plans (mostly succeeded).
Frame Captain America and declare him an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D. (succeeded).
Initiate Project Insight to eliminate all of HYDRA's targets.
Establish a new world order under their control (all failed).

Moral Event Horizon

Attempting to kill Nick Fury despite their history together.

Framing Captain America as an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Killing his maid Renata.
Brutally mind wiping Bucky Barnes.
Planning to use Project Insight to eliminate anyone that could be a threat to HYDRA.

Kill Count

4

Millions (attempted)

Crimes

Conspiracy
Treason
Terrorism
Attempted world domination
Mass murder
Torture (physical and psychological)
Brainwashing
Espionage
Blackmail
Death threats
Kidnapping
Property damage
Theft
Incrimination
Animal cruelty (reluctantly)
Stalking
Forgery
Corruption
Mass destruction
Assault and battery

Type of Villain

Delusional Totalitarian

“	See, I took a seat on the Council not because I wanted to, but because Nick asked me to—because we were both realists. We knew that despite all diplomacy and the handshaking and the rhetoric, that to build a better world? Sometimes means having to tear the old one down. And that makes enemies.	„
	~ Pierce's most famous quote.

“	Hail...HYDRA.	„
	~ Alexander Pierce's last words after being shot dead by Nick Fury.

Alexander Goodwin Pierce is the main antagonist of the 2014 Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the second installment of the Captain America film series. His 2012 self also appeared as a minor antagonist in the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame. He was a member of the World Security Council, the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the secret head of HYDRA who planned to use Project Insight to eliminate any threat to S.H.I.E.L.D.

He was portrayed by Robert Redford.

His Evil Ranking[]

What Makes Him Close to Being Pure Evil?[]

He ordered for the release of Werner Reinhardt despite knowing why he got a life sentence in the first place, indirectly leading to everything he did after that including Jiaying getting vivisected.
He planned to use Project Insight, supposed to form a security network to protect the Earth, to target and kill around 20 million people deemed as threats to Hydra.
He ordered Nick Fury's assassination after he discovered his plans, sending a number of HYDRA agents to ambush his car, and when Fury escaped, Pierce sent the Winter Soldier to kill him, though it was revealed later on that he faked his death.
When he discovered Nick Fury might have told Captain America something that could jeopardize his plan, he deployed corrupt S.T.R.I.K.E. agents to capture Rogers.
He had Captain America framed so he could make him an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D. entirely and not just of the HYDRA agents that were within S.H.I.E.L.D.
After his maid Renata witnessed him meeting up with the Winter Soldier, he murdered her.
When the Winter Soldier failed to kill Rogers and started remembering things about him, Pierce had his mind wiped through brutal torture.
When the Security Council learned of his true nature, he had his men take them hostage.
When his plans were foiled, in a desperate attempt for freedom, he executed all 3 of the World Security Council members and nearly killed Black Widow.
Overall, he was so bloodthirsty that Gideon Malick rejected his idea of having Pierce as his partner to rescue Hive from Maveth.
While its revealed in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that most of HYDRA agents are indoctrinated into HYDRA's way of thinking from birth and cruelly trained to think that way, considering that Pierce is the leader of HYDRA, it's unknown if he was subjected to the same process as there is no evidence of it.
During the time heist in Avengers: Endgame, he seemed to show some care when Tony Stark has a heart attack, tending to him and calling for a medic. However, this takes place in an Alternate Timeline involving events that couldn't have happened in the original timeline, and he was still pretending to be good at the time, so how genuine it was is hard to say.
Despite the high heinous standards of the series, he still stands out enough for having one of the highest attempted kill counts amongst human villains and the impact he has.
- While Erik Killmonger and the Red Skull have higher attempted kill counts, they have more resources for their goals such as vibranium and the Tesseract.

What Prevents Him from Being Pure Evil?[]

He's a genuinely well-intentioned extremist who genuinely wanted to make the world a better place, and while he's definitely ruthless in his actions, he's also very pragmatic as there's not a trace of selfishness in said actions nor does he take pleasure in them. He only targets those who seem to pose some type of threat, offers to let his fellow councilmen join him in the end, his first onscreen appearance even has him saying: "I don't care about one boat, I care about the fleet,” and by the time of his death, retains his legitimate loyalty to HYDRA by saying a defiant “Hail HYDRA” instead of begging for undeserved mercy.
He has the sincerest respect and affability for enemies like Captain America and his former friend Nick Fury.
He cared about his family, as he showed some gratitude towards Fury when he saved his daughter and wanted Iron Man to attend his niece's birthday party.
He genuinely regretted killing his maid, Renata, as right before doing so, he says, "Oh, Renata, I wish you would've knocked."