S.H.I.E.L.D. (2010 Series)
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S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional
espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ...
, special
law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms gove ...
, and
counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to co ...
government agency A government agency or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government (bureaucracy) that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, s ...
appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. Created by
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...
and
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...
, this agency first appeared in ''
Strange Tales ''Strange Tales'' is a Marvel Comics comics anthology, anthology series. The title was revived in different forms on multiple occasions. Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (feature), Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their d ...
'' #135 (August 1965), and often deals with
paranormal activity Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...
and
superhuman The term superhuman refers to humans, humanoids or other beings with abilities and other qualities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. ...
threats to
international security ''International Security'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of international and national security. It was founded in 1976 and is edited by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University and publis ...
. The
acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...
originally stood for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage and Law-Enforcement Division. It was changed in 1991 to Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate. Within media set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
, as well as multiple animated and live-action television series, the
backronym A backronym is an acronym formed from an already existing word by expanding its letters into the words of a phrase. Backronyms may be invented with either serious or humorous intent, or they may be a type of false etymology or folk etymology. The ...
stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. The organization has heavily appeared in media adaptations as well as films and shows that take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


Publication history

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s introduction in the ''Strange Tales'' featuring " Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." occurred during a trend for action series about secret international intelligence agencies with catchy acronyms, such as television's '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'', which
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...
stated in a 2014 interview, was the basis for him to create the organization. Colonel Fury (initially the lead character of
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
'
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
series '' Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos'') was reimagined as a slightly older character with an eyepatch (which he lacked in his wartime adventures) and appointed head of the organization. Some characters from the ''Sgt. Fury'' series reappeared as agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., most notably Timothy "Dum-Dum" Dugan, Fury's
bowler hat The bowler hat, also known as a Coke hat, billycock, bob hat, bombín (Spanish) or derby (United States), is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849 and commissioned by ...
-wearing aide-de-camp. Its most persistent enemy is Hydra, a criminal organization founded (after some
retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...
) by
Baron Strucker Baron Wolfgang von Strucker () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A former Nazi officer, he is one of the leaders of the Hydra terrorist organization, and the archenemy of Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. H ...
. S.H.I.E.L.D. was presented as an extant, full-blown entity in its first appearance, with
Tony Stark Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
in charge of the Special Weaponry section and Fury seeing "some of the most famous joes from every nation" (then "half the leaders of the free world" a page later) at a meeting of the Supreme International Council.''Strange Tales'' #135: "The Man For The Job!" Much was revealed over the years to fill in its labyrinthine organizational history. Stan Lee wrote each story, abetted by artist Kirby's co-plotting or full plotting, through ''Strange Tales'' #152 (January 1967), except for two issues, one scripted by Kirby himself (#148) and one by
Dennis O'Neil Dennis "Denny" Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until h ...
(#149). Following an issue scripted by
Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor. He was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics and possibly bes ...
(#153), and one co-written by Thomas and new series artist
Jim Steranko James F. Steranko (; born November 5, 1938) is an American graphic artist, comics artist, comic book writer/artist, comics historian, Illusionist, magician, publisher and film production illustrator. His most famous comic book work was with th ...
, came the sole-writer debut of soon-to-become industry legend Steranko—who had begun on the feature as a
penciller A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations. In the American comic book industry, the penciller is the first step ...
-
inker The inker (sometimes credited as the finisher or embellisher) is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production. After the penciller creates a drawing with pencil, the inker interprets this drawing by outlining and embellishing ...
of Kirby layouts in #151 (December 1966), taken over the every-other-issue "Nick Fury" cover art with #153 two months later, and full writing with #155 (April 1967). Steranko quickly established the feature as one of comics history's most groundbreaking, innovative, and acclaimed.
Ron Goulart Ronald Joseph Goulart (; January 13, 1933 – January 14, 2022) was an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy and science fiction author. He worked on novels and novelizations (and other works) being published under various ps ...
wrote,
Larry Hama Larry Hama (; born June 7, 1949) is an People of the United States, American comic-book writer, artist, actor, and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s. During the 1970s, he was seen in minor roles ...
said Steranko "combined the figurative dynamism of Jack Kirby with modern design concepts. The graphic influences of Peter Max, Op Art, and
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...
were embedded into the design of the pages—and the pages were designed as a whole, not just as a series of panels. All this, executed in a crisp, hard-edged style, seething with drama and anatomical tension". The series won 1967 and 1968 Alley Awards and was inducted in the latter year to the awards' Hall of Fame. Steranko himself was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2006. The 12-page feature ran through ''Strange Tales'' #168 (sharing that "split book" with the occult feature "
Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...
" each issue), after which it was spun off onto its own series of the same title, running 15 issues (June 1968 – Nov. 1969), followed by three all-reprint issues beginning a year later (Nov. 1970 – Mar. 1971). Steranko wrote and drew issues #1–3 and #5, and drew the covers of #1–7. New S.H.I.E.L.D. stories would not appear for nearly two decades after the first solo title. A six-issue
miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
, ''Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (June–November 1988) was followed by ''Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (vol. 2). This second series lasted 47 issues (September 1989 – May 1993); its pivotal story arc was "the Deltite Affair", in which many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were replaced with
Life Model Decoy A Life Model Decoy (frequently known by the abbreviation LMD) is a fictional android appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. LMDs duplicate all outward aspects of a real living person with such authenticity that they can eas ...
androids in a takeover attempt. A year after that series ended, the one-shot ''Fury'' (May 1994)
retconned Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...
the events of those previous two series, recasting them as a series of staged events designed to distract Fury from the resurrection plans of Hydra head von Strucker. The following year, writer
Howard Chaykin Howard Victor Chaykin (; born October 7, 1950) is an Americans, American comics artist, comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett an ...
and penciler Corky Lehmkuhl produced the four-issue miniseries ''Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (April–July 1995). Various publications have additionally focused on Nick Fury's solo adventures, such as the
graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...
s and one-shots '' Wolverine/Nick Fury: The Scorpio Connection'' (1989), '' Wolverine/Nick Fury: Scorpio Rising'' (October 1994), '' Fury/Black Widow: Death Duty'' and '' Captain America and Nick Fury: Blood Truce'' (both February 1995), and '' Captain America and Nick Fury: The Otherworld War'' (October 2001).


Titles


Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

''Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is a
comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
series published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
, that first premiered in ''Strange Tales'' and later became several ongoing series.


Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.

''Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is a comic book miniseries published by Marvel Comics, that first premiered in 1988.


Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D.

''Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is a comic book miniseries published by Marvel Comics, that first premiered in 1995.


Kitty Pryde, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

''Kitty Pryde, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics, that first premiered in 1997.


S.H.I.E.L.D.

''S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is a comic book title published by Marvel Comics. The
first series First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
premiered with a first issue
cover date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unusu ...
d June 2010. It details the secret history of the occult organization S.H.I.E.L.D. aka "The Brotherhood of the Shield". The series is written by
Jonathan Hickman Jonathan Hickman is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for his creator-owned series '' The Nightly News'', '' The Manhattan Projects'' and '' East of West'', as well as his lengthy stints as a writer on Marvel's '' Fantastic Fo ...
and drawn by Dustin Weaver. The second series premiered with a first issue
cover date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unusu ...
d December 2014. Loosely based on the TV series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', it was written by
Mark Waid Mark Waid (; born March 21, 1962) is an American comic book writer best known for his work on DC Comics titles ''The Flash'', '' Kingdom Come'' and '' Superman: Birthright'' as well as his work on ''Captain America'', ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Da ...
. It was superseded by '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.''


Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D.

''Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics, premiering with a first issue cover dated in 2015.


S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th anniversary

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the organization's creation, Marvel in 2015 released five one-shots each focusing on different aspects of S.H.I.E.L.D.: '' Agent Carter: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary'', ''The Cavalry: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary'', '' Fury: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary'', ''Mockingbird: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary'' and ''Quake: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary''.


Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics, premiering with a first issue cover dated in 2016.


Fictional organizational history

Usually led by
Nick Fury Colonel (United States), Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and ...
as executive director (although he reports to a twelve-member council, whose identities even he does not know), this organization often operates as much as a covert agency as a quasi-military one, initially depicted as affiliated with the United States government. Later, S.H.I.E.L.D. was depicted as under the jurisdiction of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
, with vast technological resources at its disposal, with U.N. General Assembly Resolutions and legislation passed in signatory nations aiding many of their operations. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been inconsistently portrayed as under U.S., rather than UN, control—for instance, in ''
Astonishing X-Men ''Astonishing X-Men'' is the name of four X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were Limited series (comics), limited series. The third volume, an ongoing series, began in 2004 in comics, 2004, with its first run writt ...
'' (vol. 3) #3, Nick Fury explains S.H.I.E.L.D.'s inaction during an incident of genocide by stating that it did not occur on American soil. S.H.I.E.L.D. started off as a top-secret international organization (Fury was unaware of them when he was in the CIA) with a Supreme International Council made up of top officials and minds from across the world, including Tony Stark. Its first director was Rick Stoner, former head of the CIA, but he was quickly assassinated by Hydra, and the President of the United States recommended Nick Fury take the role. Later on, the ultimate authority of S.H.I.E.L.D. is revealed to be a cabal of 12 mysterious men and women who give Fury his orders and operational structure, leaving Fury to manage the actual implementation of these orders and stratagems. One of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s unique technological innovations, the LMD (
Life Model Decoy A Life Model Decoy (frequently known by the abbreviation LMD) is a fictional android appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. LMDs duplicate all outward aspects of a real living person with such authenticity that they can eas ...
)—an extremely lifelike android used to replace people in imminent danger of being killed—was the basis for two major upheavals. First, the supervillain Scorpio stole the technology and used it to create the second team of villains called the
Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...
. Later, some LMDs known as the Deltites achieved sentience and infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra both, replacing key members until Fury defeated them. This led to the disbanding of the original organization and its replacement by a new task force with the same acronym under the control of the U.N. ("Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate") The new S.H.I.E.L.D. was meant to be more streamlined so Fury could personally oversee it, but would soon become a large organization again. In the wake of a disastrous unauthorized mission in Latveria, Fury effectively resigned as executive director, with international warrants out for his arrest. His first successor was not one of his closer associates but a relatively unknown newcomer to the S.H.I.E.L.D. hierarchy,
Maria Hill Commander Maria Christina Hill is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch (comics), David Finch, the character first appeared in ''The New Avengers (comics), The Ne ...
. A transcript of a conversation between Hill and the
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
revealed she was chosen for the post by
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
consensus to keep Fury loyalists out of the job and to keep relations with the superhero community to a minimum. The President also expected Hill—an American—to be loyal first to the U.S., despite S.H.I.E.L.D. being a UN-chartered organization. The passage of the United States
Superhuman Registration Act Superhero fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction examining the adventures, personalities and ethics of costumed crime fighters known as superheroes, who often possess superhuman powers and battle similarly powered criminals known as super ...
and the subsequent superhero "Civil War" created an additional political and ethical irritant between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the superhuman community, with S.H.I.E.L.D. tasked to lead enforcement and to take on registered superheroes as operatives. Toward the end of the conflict, Hill concluded she had been made director with the intent that she fails at the job, and she proposes to
Tony Stark Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
that he assume the post himself, with her as deputy. Stark accepts the appointment as director upon the conclusion of the superhuman Civil War and undertakes a series of initiatives, including the construction of a new gold-and-red Helicarrier in the motif of his
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
armor designs, the introduction of a daycare center in the
Helicarrier The Helicarrier is a fictional airborne aircraft carrier appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the aircraft First appearance, first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965). The ...
, and an employee suggestion-box. While accused of treating S.H.I.E.L.D. as a Stark Industries subsidiary, he succeeded in streamlining the organization and raising morale. S.H.I.E.L.D. fought a wave of global superhuman terrorism and was manipulated into two international incidents that almost saw Director Stark arrested until they revealed the Mandarin to be behind it and stopped him from committing genocide with an Extremis pathogen. At the start of the ''
Secret Invasion "Secret Invasion" is a comic book fictional crossover, crossover storyline written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu, that ran through a self-titled eight-issue Limited series (comics), limited series and several ti ...
'' by the extraterrestrial shape-shifting race the
Skrulls The Skrulls () are a race of List of fictional extraterrestrials, extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' #2 and were crea ...
, the Helicarrier is disabled by a Skrull virus and left floating and disabled in the
Bermuda Triangle The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a loosely defined region in the North Atlantic Ocean, roughly bounded by Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. Since the mid-20th century, it has been the focus of an urban legend sug ...
. The Skrulls by this point have already replaced a large number of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, including the high-ranking Timothy "Dum-Dum" Dugan. After the invasion is repelled, the President of the United States decides to dissolve S.H.I.E.L.D.,''Secret Warriors'' #1 and has it, the
Fifty State Initiative ''Avengers: The Initiative'' is a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series handles the aftermath of Marvel's "Civil War" sto ...
, and the Avengers replaced by the Thunderbolts Initiative, which is placed under the supervision of
Norman Osborn Norman Virgil Osborn is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first and best-known incarnation of th ...
. Osborn uses the opportunity to transform S.H.I.E.L.D. into a new organization called " H.A.M.M.E.R.", formed by loyal agents of the Thunderbolts Initiative as well as former agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra.''Dark Avengers'' #2 The Thunderbolts are officially disbanded in the process as well and turned into a black-ops force that answers only to Osborn. Meanwhile, H.A.M.M.E.R. also operates alongside the newest, and only government-sponsored Avengers team, the
Dark Avengers ''Dark Avengers'' is a 2009–2013 American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that features various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers, with this version of the team – unbeknownst to the ...
.''Dark Avengers'' #1 After the Invasion, Fury discovers that S.H.I.E.L.D. itself had been under the control of the terrorist organization Hydra ostensibly from its very beginning. After the conclusion of the '' Secret Warriors'' ongoing series, S.H.I.E.L.D. was reformed with Fury leaving it under the control of its new director,
Daisy Johnson Daisy Johnson, also known as Quake, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Gabriele Dell'Otto, the character first appeared in '' Secret War'' #2 ...
. The new S.H.I.E.L.D. subsequently saved US Army Ranger Marcus Johnson from mercenaries hired by the
Leviathan Leviathan ( ; ; ) is a sea serpent demon noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, and the pseudepigraphical Book of Enoch. Leviathan is of ...
. When he discovered he was the son of Nick Fury, Marcus (whose birth name was Nick Fury Jr.) and his army friend
Phil Coulson Agent Phillip J. "Phil" Coulson ( ) is a fictional character portrayed and voiced by Clark Gregg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Coulson is depicted as a high-ranking member of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and longt ...
joined S.H.I.E.L.D. Maria Hill and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. later formed their incarnation of the
Secret Avengers ''Secret Avengers'' is an American comic book Ongoing series, series published by Marvel Comics featuring a fictional black operation, black ops superhero team of the same name. The series started with Ed Brubaker on writing duties, depicting a b ...
. During the '' Avengers: Standoff!'' storyline, S.H.I.E.L.D. establishes a
gated community A gated community (or walled community) is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences ...
called Pleasant Hills to serve as a supervillain prison. Using technology derived from the
Cosmic Cube The Cosmic Cube is a fictional object appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. There are multiple Cubes in the Marvel Universe, all of which are depicted as containment devices that can empower whoever wields them. Although th ...
called Kobik, S.H.I.E.L.D. converts the inmates into the mild-mannered residents of Pleasant Hills. Following the "Avengers: Standoff" storyline, the organization is given broad new powers under the S.H.I.E.L.D. Act, including a clause that allows the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. to gain control of the United States in the event of an emergency. Soon after Steve Rogers is appointed the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D., however, during the Secret Empire story line we learn that Steve Rogers was replaced with a Hydra sleeper agent who uses the S.H.I.E.L.D. Act to become dictator of the United States. After he is defeated, S.H.I.E.L.D. is once again disbanded. S.H.I.E.L.D. has remained out of action since its disbandment, though individual members have been active. Its assets were divided among various U.S. government agencies such as a War Machine armor given to the Air Force and later stolen by Nick Fury Jr. and Frank Castle.


Organizational structure and procedure

Over the decades, various writers have depicted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s organizational structure in several different ways. The ''
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe The ''Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' is an encyclopedic Guide book, guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications. The original 15-volume series was published in comic book format in 1982, followed b ...
'' (first edition) describes an eight-level ranking structure (technician, administrator, field agent, regional officer, special officer, regional director, special director, executive director), although providing almost no detail on other aspects of the Directorate's internal makeup. Years later, the miniseries ''Agents of Atlas'' mentioned a position of "sub-director", and seemed to indicate that the administrative department of S.H.I.E.L.D. it itself referred to simply as "Directorate". Most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents are normal humans. At one point the organization attempted to set up a team of superhuman agents, composed of Marvel Man (the future
Quasar A quasar ( ) is an extremely Luminosity, luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN). It is sometimes known as a quasi-stellar object, abbreviated QSO. The emission from an AGN is powered by accretion onto a supermassive black hole with a mass rangi ...
), Texas Twister, Blue Streak and the Vamp but the latter two were secretly agents of the criminal organization the
Corporation A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the State (polity), state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as ...
, and the team broke apart before it had its first official mission. A second team organized years later also lasted only a short while. S.H.I.E.L.D. does employ some superhumans, including in its Psi-Division, composed of
telepathic Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
agents who deal with like menaces. S.H.I.E.L.D. also obtains help from independent heroes when their special abilities are needed. It has also accepted some superheroes and
supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...
s as members, but not in a separate unit. (See "Membership") Its headquarters is the
Helicarrier The Helicarrier is a fictional airborne aircraft carrier appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the aircraft First appearance, first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965). The ...
, a massive flying
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
kept airborne at all times and, among other things, containing a squadron of jet fighters and housing an intercontinental ballistic missile (
ICBM An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range (aeronautics), range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more Thermonuclear weapon, thermonuclear warheads). Conven ...
). In addition, S.H.I.E.L.D. maintains strong ties to the
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
community, especially
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
, the Avengers, and the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
, and often calls upon that community for aid on particular missions. In the 2000s, depictions of S.H.I.E.L.D. imply a hierarchy of security clearance levels used either in place of or alongside, the previously described rank structure. The security-clearance hierarchy operates on a scale ranging from "Level One", the lowest, to "Level Ten", described by Maria Hill, executive director at the time, as the highest security clearance anyone of any government can have. Hill's own clearance, cited in the ''
New Avengers The New Avengers are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The title has been used for four American comic book series. The first two were written by Brian Michael Bendis and depicted a version of Ma ...
'' ongoing series, was Level Eight.


Prominent members

Throughout its existence, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been most prominently led by Nick Fury, with
Maria Hill Commander Maria Christina Hill is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch (comics), David Finch, the character first appeared in ''The New Avengers (comics), The Ne ...
succeeding him in mid-2000s stories. She voluntarily stepped down in a 2007 story, becoming deputy director to
Tony Stark Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
. Other historically prominent members, who have appeared from the earliest stories to the modern-day, include Dum Dum Dugan, Thaddeus "Dum Dum" Dugan and Gabe Jones, Gabriel "Gabe" Jones, both veterans of Fury's World War II Howling Commandos, though their youthful longevity has not, unlike Fury's, been explained in Marvel continuity; Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine; Clay Quartermain (Agent 9); Jasper Sitwell (Agent 12); and Sharon Carter (Agent 13), all introduced in the 1960s; and Jimmy Woo, introduced in the 1950s comic ''Yellow Claw (comics), Yellow Claw'' and reintroduced in the '60s. Prior to the events of the Civil War (comics), Civil War, Captain America estimated there to be 3,000 agents on active duty.


Bases of operation

Although the various Helicarriers built over the years have long been considered S.H.I.E.L.D.'s primary mobile home base, the Directorate also maintains a number of land bases throughout the world, most notably "S.H.I.E.L.D. Central" in New York City. While some of these bases are publicly accessible on a limited basis, most are not publicly disclosed for reasons of planetary security. There are several fully equipped S.H.I.E.L.D. fall-out shelters scattered around the world, with twenty-eight of these being known only to Nick Fury. During the events of ''Civil War'', Nick Fury was hiding in an American-based shelter. He also divulged the location of one to Captain America, so the Resistance to the Superhuman Registration Act could use it as a safe house.


Related organizations

The following organizations are related to S.H.I.E.L.D.:


A.R.M.O.R.

A.R.M.O.R. (Altered-Reality Monitoring and Operational Response Agency) is a sister agency to S.H.I.E.L.D. that monitors alternate reality incursions into Earth-616, and is directed by Charles Little Sky. It was introduced in the ''Marvel Zombies 3'' limited series, written by Fred Van Lente. Van Lente stated that A.R.M.O.R. "has existed with them this whole time, but it's been so incredibly secret that no one at Marvel knew about it". In the comics it is stated that A.R.M.O.R. is so secret that it 'makes S.W.O.R.D. look like S.H.I.E.L.D., and S.H.I.E.L.D. look like the Post Office'. During ''Dark Reign (comics), Dark Reign'', A.R.M.O.R. operates under the oversight of H.A.M.M.E.R. but Osborn wanted to fully absorb A.R.M.O.R. into H.A.M.M.E.R. They were able to keep out of Osborn's clutches when their newest agent, She-Hulk (Lyra), Lyra downloaded incriminating evidence against him.


H.A.M.M.E.R.

H.A.M.M.E.R. replaces S.H.I.E.L.D. after it is dissolved when Norman Osborn is appointed the new head following the conclusion of the Secret Invasion, Skrull attack. It was not established what H.A.M.M.E.R. stands for; in ''Dark Avengers'' #1, Osborn told Victoria Hand, the new deputy director, that it does stand for something, and when she asked what it stands for, he told her, "Get to work on it for me. That is one of the many things on your 'To Do' list." Former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and members of Hydra are hired as agents. H.A.M.M.E.R. promotes Osborn's personal team of Avengers, a group composed mostly of former Thunderbolts members and former members of the Mighty Avengers. Osborn also eliminates all of Tony Stark's influence on S.H.I.E.L.D., including the Cape-Killer Armor and the Red and Gold Helicarrier. He also replaces all agents loyal to
Nick Fury Colonel (United States), Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and ...
,
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
, or
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
with agents loyal to himself. Also, in the ''Captain America: Reborn'' Prelude, when Sin (Marvel Comics), Sin, who is captured by H.A.M.M.E.R, asks what it stands for, the agent present says that it's classified and she does not have security clearance.


S.P.E.A.R.

S.P.E.A.R.—in the pages of ''Avengers World''—is a Chinese intelligence-gathering organization created for homeland security and has a flying headquarters called the Circle. It was created by the Chinese government to be on the same level as S.H.I.E.L.D. following Thanos' Infinity (comic book), invasion of Earth. Falcon first encountered S.P.E.A.R. and their director, Xian Zheng, at the time when Gorgon planned to launch an attack on China using the giant dragon whose head is where Madripoor grows out of. When the Hand attacked the Circle, they deployed their own superhuman response team called the Ascendants which consists of Devastator III, Monkey King, Sabre III, Vector II, and Weather Witch.


S.T.R.I.K.E.

S.T.R.I.K.E. (Special Tactical Response for International Key Emergencies) was a British agency, unrelated to but run along similar lines to S.H.I.E.L.D. Disbanded after being infiltrated and taken over by a criminal organization, one of its members was the future X-Men, X-Man Betsy Braddock, Psylocke. It was introduced in Marvel UK's ''Captain Britain'' #17 (February 2, 1977).


EuroM.I.N.D. and S.H.A.P.E.

EuroM.I.N.D. (European Monitoring Investigation and Enforcement Division) is a European subdivision of S.H.I.E.L.D. that later fell under the control of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, S.H.A.P.E. (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) council. EuroM.I.N.D.'s director is François Borillon. Its agents include the science reconnaissance group Eurolab and the combat specialist Task Force group, who both then merged into one group known as Euroforce.


S.T.A.K.E.

S.T.A.K.E. (Special Threat Assessment for Known Extranormalities) is a S.H.I.E.L.D. subsidiary that specializes in dealing with supernatural occurrences. S.T.A.K.E. first appeared in ''S.H.I.E.L.D. (comic book), S.H.I.E.L.D.'' Vol. 3 #9 (October 2015) and was created by Al Ewing and Stefano Caselli.


S.W.O.R.D.

S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department), works with S.H.I.E.L.D. but specializes in Extraterrestrials in fiction, extraterrestrial threats. It is first introduced in ''Astonishing X-Men'' (vol. 3) #6 (December 2004), written by Joss Whedon. Dialogue in the stories depicting both organizations has been ambiguous on whether S.W.O.R.D. is a branch of S.H.I.E.L.D. or a sister agency. Agent Abigail Brand, the S.W.O.R.D. agent the X-Men encountered, has green hair, a trait typical of agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s archenemy, Hydra. This unusual characteristic did not go unremarked; Wolverine (character), Wolverine referred to her as "Hydra-Hair" in ''Astonishing X-Men'' (vol. 3) #6. A similar group as S.W.O.R.D., likewise affiliated with the U.N., is Starcore, which has worked with S.H.I.E.L.D. on several projects of joint interest, including establishing and maintaining a crewed facility on Earth's Moon.


W.A.N.D.

W.A.N.D. (Wizardry, Alchemy and Necromancy Department) is a division of S.H.I.E.L.D that specializes in matters relating to magic. It is directed by Pandora Peters. First appearing in '' Thunderbolts Annual'' Vol.2 (2014), in which the Thunderbolts are recruited to assassinate
Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...
, who is eventually revealed as a faerie impostor called King Oberoth'm'gozz.


Orchis

Orchis is an organization dedicated to stopping the rapid rise of the mutant population and prevent humanity's impending extinction scenario with their theory that humans only have a limited number of years left before they become an endangered species. Formed by a human coalition of former scientists and espionage agents from the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D., S.T.R.I.K.E., S.W.O.R.D., A.R.M.O.R., A.I.M., Alpha Flight, H.A.M.M.E.R., Hydra, and even aspects of Damage Control, this organization truly believes itself as the only hope humanity has to keep mutants from ascending to control of the Earth within the next few generations. That belief has allowed Orchis to salvage the remains of Sol's Hammer and retrofit it into the Orchis Forge, a site for the creation of a Mother Mold. A strike force of X-Men led by Cyclops successfully destroyed the Mother Mold, which was believed to be the site of the creation of Nimrod, with heavy casualties on both sides.


Reception


Critical reception

''Screen Rant'' included S.H.I.E.L.D. in their "10 Best Teams That Captain America Has Joined In Marvel Comics" list. ''CBR.com'' ranked S.H.I.E.L.D. 1st in their "10 Most Powerful Secret Organizations In Marvel Comics" list, 5th in their "5 Instantly Recognizable Symbols In Marvel Comics" list, 5th in their "5 Instantly Recognizable Symbols In Marvel Comics" list, 5th in their "Every Marvel Superhero Team" list, 6th in their "5 Best & 5 Worst Spy Organizations In Comics" list, 7th in their "Avengers' 10 Best Allies In Marvel Comics" list, and 9th in their "10 Most Effective Comic Book Prisons" list.


Alternative versions of S.H.I.E.L.D.


Amalgam Comics

S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate) is the Amalgam Comics equivalent of S.H.I.E.L.D. from
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. They first appeared in ''Bruce Wayne Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' #1, though, in Amalgam continuity, they first appeared in the metafictional ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' strip. S.H.I.E.L.D. was first created by
Nick Fury Colonel (United States), Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and ...
and Sgt. Rock (Amalgam Comics), Sgt. Rock after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in order to tackle the danger posed by Hydra (Marvel Comics)#Amalgam Comics, Hydra. Both founders later trained and recruited Bruce Wayne (Amalgam Comics), Bruce Wayne into their ranks, who would become the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D. ;Members Members of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Amalgam universe include: * Moonwing, a superheroic agent * Iron Lantern, Tony Stark, disabled and uses a wheelchair * Sgt. Rock, former leader *
Nick Fury Colonel (United States), Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and ...
, former leader * Sue "Ace" Storm of the Challengers of the Fantastic


House of M

In an alternate reality where mutants rule over humans, S.H.I.E.L.D. was staffed completely with mutants, all serving the House of Magnus on Genosha. Sebastian Shaw (character), Sebastian Shaw is the executive director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Wolverine is in charge of the House of Magnus' Red Guard (Agents Rogue (Marvel Comics), Rogue, Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), Jessica Drew, Nightcrawler (character), Kurt Wagner, Toad (Marvel Comics), Mortimer Toynbee, and Mystique (character), Raven Darkholme) and the Marauders are S.H.I.E.L.D.'s black ops unit.


Mutant X

S.H.I.E.L.D. was mentioned briefly in the ''Mutant X (comics), Mutant X'' alternate universe series as a murderous anti-mutant group. S.H.I.E.L.D. stood for Saviours of Humanity by Intervention in the Evolution of Life-form Deviants. Their story is elaborated on later as one of their own gains powers.


Ultimate Marvel

S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Ultimate Marvel Multiverse (Marvel Comics), parallel universe was first led by General Thunderbolt Ross, "Thunderbolt" Ross. During the Gulf War, the Weapon X Project, headed by Kestrel (Marvel Comics), Colonel John Wraith, was sanctioned by S.H.I.E.L.D. and resulted in the creation of Wolverine (Ultimate Marvel character), Wolverine. After Ross stepped down and retired, Ultimate Nick Fury, Nick Fury was then selected as the organization's executive director. His first actions were to shut down Weapon X and resurrect the supersoldier, Super Soldier program, commissioning Richard Parker, Hulk (Ultimate Marvel character), Bruce Banner, Franklin Storm, and young intern Hank Pym to try to recreate the formula that made Ultimate Captain America, Captain America. This failed and resulted in the creation of the Hulk when Banner injected his serum into himself, leading to various "Hulk Outs" by Banner, yet still under Fury's service for his brilliance, as well as Pym re-hired. It was later revealed that the chemical called OZ (Ultimate Marvel), Oz, which turned Norman Osborn into the Green Goblin#Ultimate Green Goblin, Green Goblin, was also created in hopes of recreating the Super-Soldier formula. Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man was also a product of the Oz formula. Also, the creation of the supervillains Ultimate Sandman, Sandman and Ultimate Electro, Electro are due to Justin Hammer, Hammer Industries attempting to recreate the Super Soldier formula for S.H.I.E.L.D. Then S.H.I.E.L.D. created its own superhero team, the Ultimates, basing it out of Manhattan in its Triskelion HQ. Later still, it brought the Ultimate X-Men, X-Men and Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man under S.H.I.E.L.D. jurisdiction. In ''Ultimate X-Men'' #65 (January 2006), S.H.I.E.L.D. severed ties with the X-Men. After the events of ''Ultimate Power'', S.H.I.E.L.D. is under the directorship of Carol Danvers#Ultimate Marvel, Carol Danvers, as Nick Fury was temporarily stranded in the Supreme Power Universe. After "Ultimatum", the returned Nick Fury becomes head of the Black-Ops division in ''Ultimate Comics: Avengers#The Next Generation, Ultimate Comics: Avengers''. It is also revealed he is plotting to take back his position as director, from Danvers. After a mysterious force frames Danvers for selling super-soldiers to rival nations, it was revealed to be a ploy by Gregory Stark to become Director, until Fury, the Avengers, and Ultimates stop him, resulting in Thor electrocuting Dr. Stark to death. After the Death of Spider-Man, Mentallo, Marvin Flumm was promoted to Director by the U.S. President. After an arc called "Divided We Stand", a crossover involving ''Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man'', ''Ultimate Comics: X-Men'', and ''Ultimate Comics: Ultimates'', Black Widow (Marvel Comics), Monica Chang (one of Nick Fury's ex-wives and 2nd Black Widow (Marvel Comics), Black Widow) was promoted by Captain America to Director after Agent Flumm was dismissed. S.H.I.E.L.D. is later disassembled after the events of Cataclysm, for although the Ultimates were able to defeat Galactus, the destruction caused by Galactus's attack and the loss of Captain America and Thor make it the last straw for the United States Government, who immediately decide to shut S.H.I.E.L.D. down, resulting in villains such as Norman Osborn (Green Goblin) and Doctor Doom, Victor Van Damme (Doctor Doom), who are revealed to be alive, being released into the custody of other federal agencies. In the Ultimate Marvel universe, S.H.I.E.L.D. is controlled entirely by the United States but maintains ties with the European Defense Initiative (EDI) and the British-operated S.T.R.I.K.E. ;Members ; Divisions * Psi * Black-Ops * Eye * Combat-Unit


S.A.F.E.

S.A.F.E. (Strategic Action For Emergencies)—introduced in Marvel's line of novels in the mid-1990s—is the United States' answer to S.H.I.E.L.D. It first appeared in ''Spider-Man & the Incredible Hulk: Rampage'' (Doom's Day Book 1), and may not be part of the comics canon, although the novels it appears in have been referred to several times in Marvel's Handbooks. Whereas S.H.I.E.L.D. is a U.N.-chartered organization dealing with international incidents, S.A.F.E. is tasked with similar duties inside America's borders. It is run by Colonel Sean Morgan. A prominently featured agent is Joshua Ballard, who, among other things, survived an encounter with Doctor Doom and later Baron Zemo. In the novel ''Secret of the Sinister Six'', S.A.F.E. agent Clyde Fury (no relation to Nick Fury) distinguishes between espionage agencies (such as S.H.I.E.L.D.) and strategic action specialists such as S.A.F.E.


H.A.T.E.

H.A.T.E. (Highest Anti Terrorism Effort) is a parody of S.H.I.E.L.D. created for
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
' 12-issue series Nextwave by comics author Warren Ellis. The leader of H.A.T.E., General Dirk Anger is a parody of
Nick Fury Colonel (United States), Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and ...
. This series depicts H.A.T.E. as being a secretive organization with suspect motives led by the madman, Anger, who has self-control and sexual issues.


H.A.N.D.

H.A.N.D. (Heroic Anomaly Neutralization Directorate) is the equivalent of S.H.I.E.L.D in the Ultimate Universe imprint. Reed Richards#Ultimate Universe, Reed Richards describes it as the Maker (comics), Maker's secret police after the alteration of Earth-6160's history and the consolidation of his reign as "Imperator". The agency is implied to be a renamed and reorganized version of S.H.I.E.L.D after Nick Fury took over The Hand (comics), The Hand by killing its leader and uniting both groups. It utilizes disinformation through its Narrative Division and possesses a widespread mass surveillance apparatus for the purpose of eliminating or imprisoning possible dissidents, particularly superhumans. Its flag-ship "The Beast" is revealed as a Cumulo-Carrier capable of terminating ordinary citizens suspected of subversive actions and sympathies, disguised as a permanent mile-wide thunderstorm. In the Maker's absence, the agency operates under supervision of his Illuminati (comics)#Ultimate Universe, Council, working towards suppressing opposition to the status quo such as the The Ultimates (2024), Ultimates Network.


Depictions in translation

S.H.I.E.L.D. stories have been translated into several other languages, including French, Finnish and Italian. Occasionally, these translations will show S.H.I.E.L.D. with an altered name. In the case of selected French editions, the name of the agency was depicted as S.E.R.V.O., which sounds like "brain" (''cerveau'') in French. In later editions, S.H.I.E.L.D is maintained, with the acronym translated as Stratégie, Habilité, Intervention, Exécution et Logistique Défensive (Strategy, Empowered, Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Defensive). In Finnish the name that applies to S.H.I.E.L.D. in mainstream Marvel continuity is Y.P.K.V.V. (Ylimmäisen Päämajan Kansainvälisen Vakoilun Vastustamisjaos), a direct translation of the original English. In translations of the Ultimate Marvel comics, the name is K.I.L.P.I., with "kilpi" being the translation for the word (as opposed to the acronym) "shield". In Greek, the organization name is Α.Σ.Π.Ι.Δ.Α. (pronounced ASPIDA, meaning "shield" in Greek). The initials stand for Supreme Military and Political Foundation of International Counter-espionage (Ανώτατο Στρατιωτικό Πολιτικό Ίδρυμα Διεθνούς Αντικατασκοπείας). In Portuguese, the name S.H.I.E.L.D. remains, but it is translated as "Superintendência Humana de Intervenção, Espionagem, Logística e Dissuasão", i. e., Human Superintendence for Intervention, Espionage, Logistics and Dissuasion. In Dutch the name S.C.H.I.L.D. (schild = shield) has been used by the publisher Williams, but was dropped by Junior Press in favor of S.H.I.E.L.D. In Mexico, it was translated by La Prensa and later Novedades, as C.I.D.E.L., Centro Internacional De Espionaje Legal (International Center of Legal Espionage), but later Novedades changed the acronym to C.S.E.I., Cuartel Supremo de Espionaje e Inteligencia (Supreme Headquarters of Espionage and Intelligence). In Spain, the initial publisher Vértice translated S.H.I.E.L.D. as "Escudo" (always without a determinant), but never showed the meaning. Later publisher Planeta DeAgostini used the name S.H.I.E.L.D., but translating the acronym as "Organización Internacional para la Ejecución y el Cumplimiento de la Ley" (international organisation for implementation and fulfillment of law). It has been suggested, as a joke, that the acronym does not correspond to the meaning because the acronym itself is undercover. Now, Panini translates the acronym as "Servicio Homologado de Inteligencia, Espionaje, Logística y Defensa" (Accredited Service of Intelligence, Espionage, Logistics, and Defense) to keep the original acronym; being this the name used in the current movies or series. In Danish, S.H.I.E.L.D. was originally known as S.K.J.O.L.D., "Skjold" being the Danish word for a shield, though the meaning of the abbreviation would differ. In Russian, S.H.I.E.L.D. is named Щ.И.Т. (pronounced SCHIT; "shield" in Russian) or З.А.Щ.И.Т.А. (ZASCHITA, meaning "protection"). This name often describes as Sixth Intervention Logistics Agency (Шестая Интервенционная Тактико-оперативная логистическая служба). In Poland, S.H.I.E.L.D. is known as T.A.R.C.Z.A. ("shield" in Polish). This name describes as Secret Agency of Anti-terrorist Cybernetics Applications Development (Tajna Agencja Rozwoju Cybernetycznych Zastosowań Antyterrorystycznych).


In other media


Television


Animation

* S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in the ''Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'' episode "Mission: Save the Guardstar". * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in the second season of ''Iron Man (TV series), Iron Man''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Spider-Man: The Animated Series'', consisting of Nick Fury and Sharon Carter. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''X-Men: Evolution''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''The Super Hero Squad Show'', consisting of Nick Fury and Carol Danvers, Ms. Marvel. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Iron Man: Armored Adventures''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in a flashback in the ''Marvel Anime, Marvel Anime: Wolverine'' episode "Omega Red". * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series), Ultimate Spider-Man'', consisting of Nick Fury and
Phil Coulson Agent Phillip J. "Phil" Coulson ( ) is a fictional character portrayed and voiced by Clark Gregg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Coulson is depicted as a high-ranking member of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and longt ...
as leading members, Midtown High's janitor Stan Lee, Stan as a founding member who created the organization's name, and Spider-Man, White Tiger (Ava Ayala), White Tiger, Luke Cage, Power Man, Iron Fist (character), Iron Fist, and Nova (Sam Alexander), Nova as students. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Avengers Assemble (TV series), Avengers Assemble''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur''.


Film

* S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (film), Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.''. Following Nick Fury's exile, the organization falls under the control of Jack Pincer. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Iron Man: Rise of Technovore''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher''.


Marvel Cinematic Universe


Films

S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in several films set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
. * S.H.I.E.L.D. is first referenced in ''Iron Man (2008 film), Iron Man'' when Agent
Phil Coulson Agent Phillip J. "Phil" Coulson ( ) is a fictional character portrayed and voiced by Clark Gregg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Coulson is depicted as a high-ranking member of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and longt ...
attempts to talk with Tony Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Tony Stark about his escape from captivity. As a running gag, the agency is always referred to by its full name, followed by remarks to the effect that it needs something shorter; near the film's end, Coulson stops Pepper Potts midway through saying it and says, "Just call us SHIELD." In a post-credits scene, Tony Stark meets Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, who says he wants to talk to him about the "Avengers Initiative". * S.H.I.E.L.D. is briefly referenced in ''The Incredible Hulk (film), The Incredible Hulk'' when it is shown that S.H.I.E.L.D. was aware of Bruce Banner (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Bruce Banner's experiments in gamma radiation. Later, Thunderbolt Ross, General Ross states that Banner and his partner's aliases "have been added to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Operations Database". In the post-credits scene, General Ross is approached by Tony Stark (a consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D.), who reveals that they were gathering a "team". * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Iron Man 2''. Black Widow is introduced as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Howard Stark is stated to have been a founding member. In the post-credits scene, Coulson arrives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and discovers Thor's hammer Mjolnir and Stormbreaker, Mjölnir. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Thor (film), Thor''. In a follow-up to the post-credits scene of ''Iron Man 2'', Coulson leads a S.H.I.E.L.D. team to protect Mjölnir. In the film's post-credits scene, Fury recruits Erik Selvig to study the Tesseract (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Tesseract. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Captain America: The First Avenger'', where they greet Steve Rogers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Steve Rogers following his arrival in the modern day. * S.H.I.E.L.D. is featured in ''The Avengers (2012 film), The Avengers''. Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Natasha Romanoff, Jasper Sitwell (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Jasper Sitwell, and Clint Barton (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Clint Barton appear, as well as Deputy Director
Maria Hill Commander Maria Christina Hill is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch (comics), David Finch, the character first appeared in ''The New Avengers (comics), The Ne ...
(portrayed by Cobie Smulders). * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Iron Man 3''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' with Captain America as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, along with Black Widow, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Jasper Sitwell, Sharon Carter,Captain America: The Winter Soldier Begins Filming
/ref> Brock Rumlow, Jack Rollins (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Jack Rollins, and Alexander Pierce. Pierce, Rumlow, Rollins, and Sitwell are revealed to be sleeper agents of Hydra, leading to the organization disbanding. * In ''Avengers: Age of Ultron'', S.H.I.E.L.D. is said to have collapsed. Fury appears to encourage the Avengers while Hill now works for Stark. Fury later appears at the final battle in Sokovia, evacuating the country during Ultron (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Ultron's attack. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in a flashback in ''Ant-Man (film), Ant-Man'', which reveals Hank Pym and Wasp (comics), Janet Van Dyne to have been agents during the Cold War. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Captain Marvel (film), Captain Marvel'', with Talos (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Talos posing as Fury's boss, R. Keller. * An alternate version of S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Avengers: Endgame''. When Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Scott Lang (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Scott Lang quantum travel to an alternate 2012, they encounter Hydra sleeper agents posing as S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives. Stark disguises himself in a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform. Later, Rogers and Stark travel to an alternate 1970 to steal the Tesseract from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s base in Camp Lehigh. * In ''Spider-Man: Far From Home'', a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent makes a stealth suit and gives it to Peter Parker (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker in Europe.


Television

* A S.H.I.E.L.D. television series was greenlit by American Broadcasting Company, ABC in 2012, first aired as ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', on September 24, 2013, and concluded on August 12, 2020. * Alternate versions of S.H.I.E.L.D. appear in the animated series ''What If...? (TV series), What If...?'' * In ''Hawkeye (miniseries), Hawkeye'', it is revealed that Laura Barton was a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.


One-Shots

S.H.I.E.L.D. was featured in the ''Marvel One-Shots'' films (which tie into the Marvel Cinematic Universe): * The ''Marvel One-Shots'' film ''The Consultant'' featured Phil Coulson and Jasper Sitwell trying to keep the World Security Council from putting Abomination into their services. * The ''Marvel One-Shots'' film ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer'' features Phil Coulson traveling to New Mexico between ''Iron Man 2'' and ''Thor''. * The ''Marvel One-Shots'' film ''Item 47'' featured Agent Blake (portrayed by Titus Welliver) who helps Jasper Sitwell secure "Item 47" (a discarded Chitauri gun) which ended up in the possession of a down-on-their-luck couple named Bennie and Claire (portrayed by Jesse Bradford and Lizzy Caplan). In the aftermath, the couple joins up with S.H.I.E.L.D. where Bennie is assigned to the R&D "think-tank" to reverse engineer the Chitauri technology, and Claire becomes Blake's assistant. * The ''Marvel One-Shots'' film ''Agent Carter'' features Peggy Carter being made an offer to lead S.H.I.E.L.D. by Howard Stark. Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan (portrayed by Neal McDonough) also appears.


Video games

* S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in the 2005 video game ''The Punisher (2005 video game), The Punisher''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Marvel: Ultimate Alliance''. After the Masters of Evil attack their Helicarrier, S.H.I.E.L.D. subsequently oversees the creation of a special strike force of heroes to oppose the Masters' scheme to steal Odin (Marvel Comics), Odin's power for Doctor Doom. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in the 2005 video game ''Ultimate Spider-Man (video game), Ultimate Spider-Man''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Spider-Man: Friend or Foe''. They work to stop Mysterio's P.H.A.N.T.O.M. invasion around the globe, recruiting several superheroes and villains such as Spider-Man, Black Cat (Marvel Comics), Black Cat, and Prowler (Marvel Comics), Prowler to provide assistance. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Spider-Man: Web of Shadows''. They arrive in New York to help Spider-Man fight off the Symbiote (comics), symbiote invasion and set up a base at Stark Tower. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents serve as allies and can offer various missions, such as escorts and evacuations. * S.H.I.E.L.D. plays a prominent role in ''Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2'', with the passing of the
Superhuman Registration Act Superhero fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction examining the adventures, personalities and ethics of costumed crime fighters known as superheroes, who often possess superhuman powers and battle similarly powered criminals known as super ...
. * The Ultimate Marvel incarnation of S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions''. Carnage (character), Carnage launches an attack on the Triskelion and uses a fragment of the Tablet of Order and Chaos to reanimate the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents it kills into zombies. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Marvel: Avengers Alliance''. Outside of Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Phil Coulson appearing as members, the player controls a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent when fighting villains. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Marvel Heroes (video game), Marvel Heroes''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes''. Nick Fury is a playable character and S.H.I.E.L.D. directs the player on several missions throughout "The Avengers" and "Spider-Man" playsets. * S.H.I.E.L.D. makes a minor appearance in ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'', due to most of the game taking place in Chronopolis (Marvel Comics), Chronopolis and Kang the Conqueror vaporizing the Helicarrier upon his arrival. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Marvel Strike Force''. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Iron Man VR''. They used to buy weapons from Stark Industries, including the Helicarrier, before
Tony Stark Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
became Iron Man and announced that his company would stop manufacturing weapons. During the game, S.H.I.E.L.D. joins forces with Iron Man to thwart Ghost (Marvel Comics), Ghost's attack on the Helicarrier. * S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in Marvel's Avengers (video game), ''Marvel's Avengers''. Following the "A-Day" tragedy, the organization is forced to go underground and surrender most of its resources to Advanced Idea Mechanics, A.I.M. The S.H.I.E.L.D. remnants are commanded by Maria Hill, as Nick Fury disappeared without trace after the aforementioned events, though not before he hid copies of resources and protocols to enable the organization to rebuild itself when the right time came. After the Avengers defeat MODOK, S.H.I.E.L.D. is apparently restored and partners with the Avengers to take down A.I.M.


Miscellaneous

* S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in the ''Marvel Universe Live!, Marvel Universe LIVE!'' stage show.


See also

* List of government agencies in Marvel Comics * A.R.G.U.S., similar governmental organization from the DC Universe which is also concerned with superhero/supervillain-related matters


References


External links


S.H.I.E.L.D.
at Marvel Wiki

at Marvel Appendix



{{Authority control S.H.I.E.L.D., 1965 in comics Fictional intelligence agencies Fictional paramilitary organizations Fictional paranormal investigation agencies Marvel Comics law enforcement agencies Marvel Comics superhero teams