Nick Fury is a character every Marvel fan should be familiar with. But do the comic fans know him as well as they think they do? In the beginning of Irredeemable Ant-Man and implied behind-the-scenes in Nextwave there’s a rumor about him. That in reality, Fury is an urban myth. Wait hang on, the original Agent of SHIELD and Fury Jr. prove that this isn’t the case. Or is it? Recalling a story Grant Morrison changes into The Filth, Nick Fury is said to be an identity SHIELD brainwashes individuals into becoming. Is that still the case?
Nick Fury Introduction
The original Nicholas Joesph Fury debuts in Marvel’s early days as a US army sergeant in WWII. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as Marvel gets itself off the ground, he brings a sense of reality to an otherwise extravagant world. Together with the classic Howling Commandos they tackle many war stories from WWII to Vietnam. Two years after his debut, Fury returns in the present barely older than his war days. Except for some graying hair streaks and an eyepatch.
Unlike the soldier, this super-spy takes a James Bond-like approach to the world of superheroes. Accompanying this change are gadgets like the Helicarrier and the Life Model Decoys. But the most outlandish piece is the Infinity Formula, a lesser super soldier serum. Like Captain America’s it keeps his prime physique, but it takes annual injections. With that in mind, are there details that we’re missing? Oh right.
Fury vs Retcons
If anyone asks how Fury lost his left eye it involves two things. The sergeant lost it through grenade shrapnel in the Howling Commandoes finale. Meanwhile the super spy says he was blown “into a jigsaw puzzle”. Hence how serious the Infinity Formula’s power is with how it restores Fury semi-perfectly. But I don’t know, there’s something sketchy.
And no, I don’t mean Fury’s secret wars with HYDRA. That was a plot by HYDRA’s commander Baron Von Strucker to take over SHIELD. I swear some of the comic publishers really like to make thing more complicated for themselves. I really have to ask; is Nick Fury Sr. really the former sergeant who pals around with Captain America? Or is he something else?
The Nick Fury Program
If you think I’m crazy, listen to this. Fury’s brother Jake is confirmed to have the Infinity Formula in Marvel’s handbooks, probably from low exposure from tussles with Nick’s blood? Yeah, that went beyond sibling rivalry, Jake joined some terrorist cells after becoming disillusioned with army intelligence. But if that’s the case and some of the original commandos, why didn’t Fury age like when he gave a transfusion to the Winter Soldier? And why isn’t Jake suffering from Infinity withdrawal? I don’t see secret service doctors giving super immunizations to terrorist leaders.
Which brings me to my first major theory, super-spy Nick and formerly known as Scorpio are actually clones of Sgt. Fury. Colonel Fury (the spy) was the prototype subject for the Infinity Formula while Jake would be the perfected version. But that didn’t go as well, with Jake becoming mentally unstable.
Failsafes
So what happens then? Because of Fury’s tenacity and loyalty, his higher ups would have someone else take the mantle. Like the first appearance of Fury in the Ultimate Comics, who looked like the classic David Hasselhoff unlike the Samuel L. Jackson character. Or Nextwave’s Dirk Anger, who Warren Ellis says is “most definitely not Nick Fury. At all”. Then there’s Marcus Johnson a.k.a. Nick Fury Jr. You know, the shoehorned Samuel L. Jackson. “Sr.” went AWOL.
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But how? Probably like how this Metal Gear Game Theory video explains a plot to condition soldiers to become more like Big Boss or Solid Snake.
As well as how serious mental scars can be, just look at Dirk Anger. Hence the Fury LMDs; backups or a less controversial means of this program. At least until the LMDs form a destructive hive mind and everyone decides it’s not worth the trouble.
What Gives Fury?
With all of this in mind it seems Grant Morrison is leaving some infectious ideas around. Marcus is probably going to need a lot of therapy at some point or another. Mockingbird and Winter Soldier are also gonna need to check themselves to see if the Infinity Formula actually leaves Fury around. Otherwise if they lose an eye, they won’t be just wearing the eye patch, they’ll be total control freaks. Fury, SHIELD, Hydra, whoever’s responsible better have the means to counter this.
Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.