S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional
espionage
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...
, special
law enforcement
Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term en ...
, and
counter-terrorism
Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or el ...
agency appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. Created by
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
and
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gr ...
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), it often deals with
paranormal
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. Nota ...
and
superhuman
The term superhuman refers to humans or human-like beings with enhanced qualities and abilities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. Th ...
threats to international security.
The
acronym
An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...
originally stood for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage and Law-Enforcement Division. It was changed in 1991 to Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate. Within the various films set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
, 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
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
.
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.
''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by MGM Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who wo ...
'', which
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
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 an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
'
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
series ''
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos'' was a comic book series created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee and published by Marvel Comics from 1963 to 1981. The main character, Sgt. Nick Fury, later became the leader of Marvel's super-spy agency, S.H.I.E. ...
'') was reimagined as a slightly older character with an
eyepatch
An eyepatch is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, an adhesive bandage, or a plastic device which is clipped to a pair of glasses. It is often worn ...
(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 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. It has traditionally been worn ...
-wearing
aide-de-camp.
Its most persistent enemy is
Hydra
Hydra generally refers to:
* Lernaean Hydra, a many-headed serpent in Greek mythology
* ''Hydra'' (genus), a genus of simple freshwater animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria
Hydra or The Hydra may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Hydra (constel ...
, a criminal organization founded (after some
retcon
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
) by
Baron Wolfgang von 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 an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, and the ...
.
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. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charac ...
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 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 his retir ...
(#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, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...
(#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, comic book writer/artist, comics historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator.
His most famous comic book work was with the 1960s superspy feature " ...
, 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, usually in collaboration with other artists, who provide inks, colors ...
-
inker
The inker (sometimes credited as the finisher or embellisher) is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production.
The penciller creates a drawing, the inker outlines, interprets, finalizes, retraces this drawing by using a pencil ...
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 published novelizations and other work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson, Con ...
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 role ...
said Steranko "combined the figurative dynamism of Jack Kirby with modern design concepts. The
graphic influences of
Peter Max
Peter Max (born Peter Max Finkelstein, October 19, 1937) is a German-American artist known for using bright colors in his work. Works by Max are associated with the visual arts and culture of the 1960s, particularly psychedelic art and pop art.
...
, Op Art, and
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
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 Award
The Alley Award was an American annual series of comic book fan awards, first presented in 1962 for comics published in 1961. Officially organized under the aegis of the Academy of Comic Book Arts and Sciences, the award shared close ties with the ...
s 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
Doctor Stephen 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 Sorce ...
" 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–March 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
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
, ''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 easi ...
androids in a takeover attempt.
A year after that series ended, the
one-shot
One shot may refer to:
Film and television
* One-shot film, a feature film shot in one long take with no edits, or manufactured to look like so
* ''One Shot'' (2005 film), a Sri Lankan action film directed by Ranjan Ramanayake
* ''One Shot'' (2 ...
''Fury'' (May 1994)
retconned
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
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 American 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 and Al Parker.
Early life ...
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 long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
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, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, 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
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
miniseries published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, 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
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
miniseries published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, 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
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, that first premiered in 1997.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
''S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is a
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
title published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. The
first series premiering 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
A secret history (or shadow history) is a revisionist interpretation of either fictional or real history which is claimed to have been deliberately suppressed, forgotten, or ignored by established scholars. "Secret history" is also used to desc ...
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 (born September 3, 1972) 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 Ma ...
and drawn by Dustin Weaver.
The
second series premiering 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 ''
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and L ...
'', 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 '' Dar ...
. It was superseded by ''
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and L ...
''
Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D.
''Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is a
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, premiering 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 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
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, premiering 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 in 2016.
Fictional organizational history
Usually led by
Nick Fury
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 his Howling Commandos ...
as
executive director
Executive director is commonly the title of the chief executive officer of a non-profit organization, government agency or international organization.
The title is widely used in North American and European not-for-profit organizations, though ...
(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
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
government. Later, S.H.I.E.L.D. was depicted as under the jurisdiction of the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
, 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 U.N., 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. The third volume, an ongoing series, began in 2004, with its first run written by Joss Whedon and art by John Cassada ...
'' (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
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
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 easi ...
) — an extremely lifelike
android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
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 or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...
. 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
Latveria is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted within the storylines of Marvel's comic titles as an isolated European country ruled by the fictional Supreme Lord Doctor Doom, suppose ...
, 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 Hill ( ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch, the character first appeared in '' The New Avengers'' #4 (March 2005). As a form ...
. 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 of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
revealed she was chosen for the post by
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
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
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
n — to be loyal first to the U.S., despite S.H.I.E.L.D. being a U.N.-chartered organization.
The passage of the United States
Superhuman Registration Act
Discrimination against superheroes is a common theme and plot element comic books and superhero fiction, usually as a way to explore the issue of superheroes operating in society or as commentary on other social concerns. Often in response to ...
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. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charac ...
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. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
armor designs, the introduction of a daycare center in the
Helicarrier
The Helicarrier is a fictional flying aircraft carrier appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted as the crucial mobile command center, forward operations platform, and signature capital ship of the fictional int ...
, 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 crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight-issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008. The story involves a subversive, long-term in ...
'' by the extraterrestrial shape-shifting race the
Skrulls
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated from ...
, 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 an urban legend focused on a loosely defined region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterio ...
. 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 deals with the aftermath of Marvel's "Civil War" s ...
, and the Avengers replaced by the Thunderbolts Initiative, which is placed under the supervision of
Norman Osborn
Norman Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first ...
.
Osborn uses the opportunity to transform S.H.I.E.L.D. into a new organization called "
H.A.M.M.E.R.
H.A.M.M.E.R. is a fictional espionage and law enforcement agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The organisation is led by Norman Osborn and was formed in ''Secret Invasion'' #8 to replace S.H.I.E.L.D. The organisat ...
", 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 pub ...
.
[''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
Secret Warriors may refer to:
* ''Secret Warriors'' (comic book)
** Secret Warriors (Team White)
Secret Warriors is an alias for the fictional group Team White created by Nick Fury, a team of superpowered agents appearing in American comic boo ...
'' 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'' ...
. The new S.H.I.E.L.D. subsequently saved US Army Ranger
Marcus Johnson from mercenaries hired by the
Leviathan
Leviathan (; he, לִוְיָתָן, ) is a sea serpent 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, the Book of Amos, and, according to some ...
. 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. 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 longtime partn ...
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 series published by Marvel Comics featuring a fictional black ops superhero team of the same name. The series started with Ed Brubaker on writing duties, depicting a black-ops sect of Marvel's premi ...
.
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 which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications. The original 15-volume series was published in comic book format in 1982, followed by sporadic u ...
'' (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 pronounced , and sometimes known as a quasi-stellar object, abbreviated QSO. This emission from a galaxy nucleus is powered by a supermassive black hole with a m ...
),
Texas Twister
Texas Twister is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and penciller George Pérez and first appeared in '' Fantastic Four'' #177 (December 1976). He w ...
,
Blue Streak
Blue Streak or Bluestreak may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Blue Streak'' (album), a 1995 album by American blues guitarist Luther Allison
* Blue Streak (comics), a secret identity used by three separate Marvel Comics supervillains
* Bluestreak (c ...
and the
but the latter two were secretly agents of the criminal organization
The Corporation, 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 or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.
Supervillains are oft ...
s as members, but not in a separate unit. (See "Membership")
Its headquarters is the
Helicarrier
The Helicarrier is a fictional flying aircraft carrier appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted as the crucial mobile command center, forward operations platform, and signature capital ship of the fictional int ...
, 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 facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
kept airborne at all times and, among other things, containing a squadron of
jet fighters
Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...
and housing an intercontinental ballistic missile (
ICBM
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...
). In addition, S.H.I.E.L.D. maintains strong ties to the
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
community, especially
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
, the
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
, and the
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
, 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'' 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 Hill ( ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch, the character first appeared in '' The New Avengers'' #4 (March 2005). As a form ...
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. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charac ...
. Other historically prominent members, who have appeared from the earliest stories to the modern-day, include
Thaddeus "Dum Dum" Dugan and
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;
Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine;
Clay Quartermain
Clay Quartermain is a fictional character, a secret agent appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Created by writer-artist Jim Steranko, he first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #163 (December 1967).
Cla ...
(Agent 9);
Jasper Sitwell
Jasper Sitwell is a fictional character, an espionage agent appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
The character was portrayed by Maximiliano Hernández in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Publication history
Created by wr ...
(Agent 12); and
Sharon Carter
Sharon Carter (also known as Agent 13) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted as a secret agent, an ex-field agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. under Nick Fury, and a love interest of St ...
(Agent 13), all introduced in the 1960s; and
Jimmy Woo
James "Jimmy" Woo (Woo Yen Jet) is a fictional secret agent appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by EC Comics writer Al Feldstein and artist Joe Maneely, the Chinese-American character first appeared in '' Yel ...
, introduced in the 1950s comic ''
Yellow Claw'' and reintroduced in the ' 60s.
Prior to the events of the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, 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
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. 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
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 is the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.
History of the term
The term was first used in "Rough Justice", a story credited to both Alan Moore and Alan Davis p ...
, and is directed by
Charles Little Sky. It was introduced in the ''
Marvel Zombies 3
''Marvel Zombies 3'' is a four-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics beginning in October 2008. It is part of the ''Marvel Zombies'' series. The series is written by Fred Van Lente, penciled by Kev Walker, with covers by Gre ...
'' 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'', 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,
Lyra
Lyra (; Latin for lyre, from Greek ''λύρα'') is a small constellation. It is one of the 48 listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and is one of the modern 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Lyra was ...
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
Norman Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first ...
is appointed the new head following the conclusion of the
Skrull attack.
It was not established what H.A.M.M.E.R. stands for; in ''Dark Avengers'' #1, Osborn told
Victoria Hand
Victoria Hand is a fictional supporting character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those featuring the American espionage organization S.H.I.E.L.D. of which Hand was a member.
Saffron Burrows portrayed th ...
, 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 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 his Howling Commandos ...
,
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
, or
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
with agents loyal to himself. Also, in the ''
Captain America: Reborn'' Prelude, when
Sin
In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...
, 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
''Avengers World'' is an ongoing comic series that was published by Marvel Comics as part of the third wave of ''Marvel NOW!'', from January 2014 until July 2015.
Publication history
Spencer said, "What the book is all about is really in the tit ...
''—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
Thanos is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, and first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 ( cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Deviant w ...
'
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-Man
Nathaniel Grey (X-Man) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Steve Skroce, the character first appeared in ''X-Man'' ...
Psylocke
Psylocke is the name of two connected fictional Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutant superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men.
The first character to use the Psylocke moniker, Betsy Braddoc ...
. It was introduced in
Marvel UK
Marvel UK was an imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint US-produced stories for the British weekly comic market. Marvel UK later produced original material by British creators such as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dill ...
's ''
Captain Britain
Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain Weekly'' #1 by writer Ch ...
'' #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
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
an subdivision of S.H.I.E.L.D. that later fell under the control of the
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.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
extraterrestrial threats. It is first introduced in ''Astonishing X-Men'' (vol. 3) #6 (December 2004), written by
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television series: ...
. 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
Hydra generally refers to:
* Lernaean Hydra, a many-headed serpent in Greek mythology
* ''Hydra'' (genus), a genus of simple freshwater animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria
Hydra or The Hydra may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Hydra (constel ...
. This unusual characteristic did not go unremarked;
Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
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
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
.
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
Doctor Stephen 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 Sorce ...
, 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
Accolades
* In 2019, ''
CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked S.H.I.E.L.D. 1st in their "10 Most Powerful Secret Organizations In Marvel Comics" list.
* In 2021, ''
CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked S.H.I.E.L.D. 5th in their "Every Marvel Superhero Team" list.
* In 2022, ''
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'' included S.H.I.E.L.D. in their "10 Best Teams That Captain America Has Joined In Marvel Comics" list.
* In 2022, ''
CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked S.H.I.E.L.D. 7th in their "The 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
Amalgam Comics was a collaborative publishing imprint shared by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters into new ones (e.g., DC Comics'
Batman and Marvel Comics' Wolverine become the Amalgam C ...
equivalent of S.H.I.E.L.D. from
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. 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
Metafiction is a form of fiction which emphasises its own narrative structure in a way that continually reminds the audience that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. Metafiction is self-conscious about language, literary form, and story ...
''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' strip. S.H.I.E.L.D. was first created by
Nick Fury
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 his Howling Commandos ...
and
Sgt. Rock
Sgt. Franklin John Rock is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Sgt. Rock first appeared in ''Our Army at War'' #83 (June 1959), and was created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. The character is a W ...
after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in order to tackle the danger posed by
Hydra
Hydra generally refers to:
* Lernaean Hydra, a many-headed serpent in Greek mythology
* ''Hydra'' (genus), a genus of simple freshwater animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria
Hydra or The Hydra may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Hydra (constel ...
. Both founders later trained and recruited
Bruce Wayne
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
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
*
Tony Stark
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charac ...
, disabled and uses a wheelchair
* Sgt. Rock, former leader
*
Nick Fury
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 his Howling Commandos ...
, former leader
* Sue "Ace" Storm of the
Challengers of the Fantastic
The following is a list of fictional characters that appear or are only mentioned in the comic books of Amalgam Comics. They are listed by comic book and a team section is also provided. The amalgamations of characters or the Amalgam versions of o ...
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
Genosha ( or ) is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe and a prominent place in the X-Me ...
.
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,
Jessica Drew
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Marvel Spotlight'' #32 (cover-dated February 1977), and 50 issues of an ongoing series title ...
,
Kurt Wagner,
Mortimer Toynbee, and
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'' 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
Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters in ...
parallel universe was first led by General
"Thunderbolt" Ross. During the Gulf War, the Weapon X Project, headed by
Colonel John Wraith, was sanctioned by S.H.I.E.L.D. and resulted in the creation of
Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
.
After Ross stepped down and retired,
Nick Fury
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 his Howling Commandos ...
was then selected as the organization's
executive director
Executive director is commonly the title of the chief executive officer of a non-profit organization, government agency or international organization.
The title is widely used in North American and European not-for-profit organizations, though ...
. His first actions were to shut down Weapon X and resurrect the
Super Soldier
The supersoldier (or super soldier) is a fictional concept soldier, often capable of operating beyond normal human limits or abilities either through genetic modification or cybernetic augmentation.
Overview
Supersoldiers are common in military ...
program, commissioning Richard Parker, Dr. Bruce Banner, Franklin Storm, and young intern Hank Pym to try to recreate the formula that made
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
. 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, which turned Norman Osborn into the
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known incarnation Norman Osborn, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is generally regarded as one of the a ...
, was also created in hopes of recreating the Super-Soldier formula.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
was also a product of the Oz formula. Also, the creation of the supervillains
Sandman
The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes.
Representation in traditional folklore
The Sandman is a traditional charact ...
and
Electro are due to
Hammer Industries
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places fe ...
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
The Ultimates is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics and created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, which first started publication from ''The Ultimates'' #1 (March 2002), as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel i ...
. Later still, it brought the
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
and
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
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
Norman Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first ...
(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 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 an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
' 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 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 his Howling Commandos ...
. 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.
In other media
Television
Animation
* S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first television appearance was in the ''Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981 TV series), Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'' episode "Mission: Save the Guardstar".
* S.H.I.E.L.D. is featured in Season Two of the 1990s ''Iron Man (TV series), Iron Man'' animated series.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. made several appearances in the 1990s ''Spider-Man (1994 TV series), Spider-Man'' animated series, beginning in the first-season episode "Day of the Chameleon". All subsequent S.H.I.E.L.D. appearances on the show included Nick Fury. Sharon Carter, Agent 1 was the only other identified agent.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. made several appearances in ''X-Men: Evolution''.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. is featured in ''The Super Hero Squad Show''. Outside of Nick Fury being featured, Ms. Marvel is depicted as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Iron Man: Armored Adventures''.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in the ''Marvel Anime, Marvel Anime: Wolverine'' episode "Omega Red". In a flashback, a S.H.I.E.L.D. commander sends Wolverine on a black ops mission to infiltrate and steal the carbonadium from the Russians.
* 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''. Nick Fury and Phil Coulson are the identified members of S.H.I.E.L.D. that appears in the show. The series itself revolves around a S.H.I.E.L.D. training program held by Nick Fury and Phil Coulson for young superheroes consisting of Spider-Man, White Tiger (Ava Ayala), White Tiger, Luke Cage, Power Man, Iron Fist (comics), Iron Fist and Nova (Sam Alexander), Nova. At the end of the episode "Stan By Me", it is revealed that Stan the Janitor was one of the original members of S.H.I.E.L.D. and came up with the organization's acronym. In the episode, "The Parent Trap", it is revealed that Power Man's parents worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. and used their version of the Super Soldier Serum to give their son superpowers. In the episode, "Ultimate Venom", Spider-Man discovers that he has inspired a new generation of young heroes by becoming an Avenger. He convinces Fury to recruit them to form a new team, the New Warriors.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. is featured in ''Avengers Assemble (TV series), Avengers Assemble''.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. is featured in ''Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.''
Film
* S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in the 1998 TV film ''Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (film), Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.''. After the retirement/exile of Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been under the control of rival General Director Jack Pincer.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in the anime projects of Madhouse (company), Madhouse that are similar to the ''Marvel Anime'' franchise:
** 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''.
** S.H.I.E.L.D. is featured heavily in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series of films, led by Nick Fury, who in this universe is portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson.
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 a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
:
* S.H.I.E.L.D. is first referenced in ''Iron Man (2008 film), Iron Man'' when Agent
Phil Coulson
Agent Phillip J. 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 longtime partn ...
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 the experiment on which Dr. Bruce Banner was working about making humans immune to gamma radiation. Later, Thunderbolt Ross, General Ross states that Bruce Banner's 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 some kind of a special "team".
* S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Iron Man 2''. Black Widow is shown to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent when Nick Fury sends her to keep an eye on Tony Stark. Phil Coulson was also featured, overseeing Tony Stark's S.H.I.E.L.D. style house arrest until being called away.
It is stated that Howard Stark is one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the post-credits scene, Phil Coulson arrives in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he calls Nick Fury and tells him that he found the item Fury wanted him to look for, as the final shot shows Thor's hammer, Mjolnir (comics), 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'', Phil Coulson leads a S.H.I.E.L.D. team to safeguard the area that Mjölnir landed. Jasper Sitwell (portrayed by Maximiliano Hernández) is also featured in the film. In the post-credits scene, Erik Selvig is brought onto S.H.I.E.L.D. by Nick Fury to study the Tesseract.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. appears at the end of ''Captain America: The First Avenger''. When Steve Rogers awakens in modern times and makes his way out of a building, he is greeted by Nick Fury and some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. is featured in the 2012 film ''The Avengers (2012 film), The Avengers''. Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Natasha Romanoff, Jasper Sitwell, and Clint Barton appear as well as S.H.I.E.L.D. Deputy Director
Maria Hill
Commander Maria Hill ( ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch, the character first appeared in '' The New Avengers'' #4 (March 2005). As a form ...
(portrayed by Cobie Smulders). A substantial part of the film takes place within the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. is mentioned only once in ''Iron Man 3'' by Tony Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Tony Stark. Stark hacks into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Mandarin investigation database (and reveals that S.H.I.E.L.D. was, in fact, working on the Mandarin threat).
* S.H.I.E.L.D. features prominently 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](_blank)
/ref> Crossbones (comics), Brock Rumlow, Jack Rollins (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Jack Rollins, and Alexander Goodwin Pierce, Alexander Pierce. The history of S.H.I.E.L.D. is further explored in the film. It is revealed that Arnim Zola was Operation Paperclip, brought on board in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s inception for his scientific expertise, but he secretly regrew Hydra within the organization with the purpose of identifying and eliminating potential threats to Hydra's goals. Pierce, Rumlow, Rollins, and Sitwell are revealed to be sleeper agents of Hydra within the agency. When Rogers exposes Hydra within S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury, Romanoff, Carter, Hill, and others leave the agency as it falls apart.
* In ''Avengers: Age of Ultron'', S.H.I.E.L.D. is said to have collapsed. Fury appears to encourage the Avengers while Maria Hill now works for Stark. Fury later appears at the final battle in Sokovia with a Helicarrier pulled out of mothballs, some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and James Rhodes to help. When asked, Steve Rogers comments that "this is what S.H.I.E.L.D. is supposed to be" as the Helicarrier is used to rescue thousands of people from their now-floating landmass before it is destroyed by Thor and Iron Man to save the world.
* In ''Ant-Man (film), Ant-Man'', Hank Pym and Wasp (comics), Janet Van Dyne were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who worked with Peggy Carter and Howard Stark during the Cold War.
* In ''Captain Marvel (film), Captain Marvel'', set in 1995, Nick Fury and Phil Coulson were low ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who formed an alliance with Carol Danvers.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in ''Avengers: Endgame''. When the Avengers travel back in time to 2012, they encounter Hydra sleeper agents posing as S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives. While traveling in 2012, Tony Stark also uses a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform. Later in the movie, Captain America and Iron Man also traveled to 1970 to steal the Tesseract from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s base in Camp Lehigh.
Television
* A S.H.I.E.L.D. television series was greenlit by American Broadcasting Company, ABC in 2012, first aired as ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', on September 24, 2013, and concluded on August 12, 2020.
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 2004 video game ''The Punisher (2004 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
Discrimination against superheroes is a common theme and plot element comic books and superhero fiction, usually as a way to explore the issue of superheroes operating in society or as commentary on other social concerns. Often in response to ...
.
* 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 ''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. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charac ...
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 the 2020 ''Avengers (2020 video game), Avengers'' game. Following the "A-Day" tragedy, the organization was 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.
Theatre
* S.H.I.E.L.D. appears in the ''Marvel Universe Live!, Marvel Universe LIVE!'' stage show.
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
Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters in ...
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).
See also
* List of government agencies in Marvel Comics
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 government investigations of the paranormal
Fictional intelligence agencies
Flying cars in fiction