by Jason Inman
Chapter 16
Nick Fury
Obsessed with Fear
Only one man could command and control the Howling Commandos: Nicholas Joseph Fury. (Also, it felt fitting to make the final chapter of this book about the man who once gave orders to Captain America, the subject of the opening chapter.) Published four years after Sgt. Rock in 1968, Nick Fury first appears as Marvel’s direct copy of DC’s tough growling commando. However, the many years and transformations have cemented Fury as one of comic books’ greatest superspies and a deep, complex character. Most comic fans think of Nick Fury as a spy, rather than a soldier. It’s not surprising that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has never hinted at the character’s history as a war veteran. Keeping him a superspy who will do anything to obtain his outcome, the ends always justifying the means, helps to distance him from Captain America.
Nick Fury was born in the area of New York known as Hell’s Kitchen (which would later become the comic book neighborhood protected by Daredevil!). He was twenty years old when he was drafted into the US Army to fight in World War II. Fury was a competent soldier and never minded the tough missions or rough conditions of the military. His ability to put his head down and his “get the job done” attitude led to a series of promotions. Before he knew it, Fury was a sergeant. He was offered the command of a unit of highly trained soldiers, the Howling Commandos. This unit would later go on to fight alongside Captain America, the Invaders, and even the mutant Wolverine.
Nick Fury’s command style was shrouded by fear. Even in the first issue of Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos in 1963, the reader learns: “Fury believes in making his men fear him so much that they would rather face hopeless odds than face his anger.” This strategy would benefit him later in life when he became a spy. Overall, the Howling Commandos were not so much a strike team but more a goofy collection of soldiers who could barrel through any problem, usually by devising a solution at the last minute or having Fury yell the right combination of orders at them. One unique aspect of this team was its integrated nature, which was uncommon at the time. Also, the Commandos counted Private Cohen among its ranks, one of the first Jewish-American comic book heroes. Fury was a stereotypical Army leader. Most of his stories were classic action-adventure stories. There was never anything too deep about this group of battle-hardened heroes. For all his brusqueness, or perhaps because of it, Fury was still able to bring every one of his men home alive. The only member of the Howling Commandos that did not survive was his left eye. (Deathstroke and Fury are both members of the one-eyed soldiers club.) This eye was taken away by a grenade blast that hit Fury toward the end of the war. Fury began wearing an eyepatch, a physical characteristic that is an iconic look for the character, thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even though he was not a disabled veteran, Nick Fury was about to walk into a treasure trove beyond imagining. The Howling Commandos were offered injections of a serum called the Infinity Formula. If taken annually, this chemical would greatly slow the aging process. Like any other sane person, Nick Fury volunteered and gained a long and healthy life.
In 1967, writer Jim Steranko began to redefine Nick Fury. It was the age of James Bond, not the war comic, and Steranko transformed Fury into a secret agent who also happened to be a dynamo with the ladies. It fit the trend of the time and gave a new story element to a very tired war character. Previously, Fury was a cliché, a simple archetype. With Steranko’s dynamic storytelling, Fury ascended to a whole new level entirely. His rise was propelled by Jim’s groundbreaking art—mixing pop art and psychedelia. The secret agent tales of Nick Fury soon became his most popular stories.
Future Nick Fury stories would keep him in the secret agent realm as he began to recruit several of his old friends, including Richard and Mary Parker, the parents of Spider-Man, to join him in a new organization called SHIELD. Originally, the acronym stood for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage and Law-Enforcement Division, but the acronym—like Fury himself—has changed several times since. This comic book superspy organization made James Bond’s MI6 looks like child’s play. They had Helicarriers, floating aircraft carriers capable of circling the world, and flying sports cars at Fury’s command! He began to rally the many superhero teams into working alongside his new spy organization. Policing them, corralling them, and blocking them from many actions he deemed unsafe for the civilian populace quickly became his full-time job. This Fury still operated as an agent of fear, and his new organization gave him the power to take care of anything he deemed a threat without oversight or consequences.
There are many similarities in the soldier and spy games. Soldiers must be ever vigilant while in the field, the same as a spy. One simple mistake could lead to the end of your life. However, a soldier’s battle eventually ends. For a spy, there is always a new threat, a new terrorist, or new nation-state to endanger whatever way of life your organization is dedicated to protecting. Both occupations are built around the chain of command and the centralization of information. I would also contend that most fictional spies do not come off as honorable as soldiers. Even Nick Fury, in certain storylines, has assassinated people and threats without hesitation. Think about the countless assassin missions we’ve seen James Bond complete, probably the world’s most famous example of a spy. He’s not afraid to break the rules in many places where a service member would hold the line.
Briefly, I flirted with the idea of joining the CIA. It was during a period in my life when I wasn’t certain what avenue I was going to take. Was I going to be a writer, was I going to be a teacher, or was I going to be a lawyer? All of these occupations had different trials, and each offered exciting possibilities to my young career. Then I saw an ad for the CIA. I furiously typed in the website. Notions of being a superspy like Nick Fury danced in my head. I could do that! Surely, I wouldn’t have to work at Quantico all year long. They’ll send me to the exotic locales of Europe within days, just you see! I soon discovered the entrance exam to join the fabled organization. It looked complicated, it looked very long, and it soon brought me to a realization: if the entrance exam was this complicated and mundane, then that was probably what the rest of the organization would be like. Days in the CIA aren’t like the movies of James Bond. It soon dawned on me that, by joining, I would be signing up to fill out a ton of paperwork about foreign nations, something that I had no interest in. My fabled career track to SHIELD was over before I knew it.
War was never over for Nick Fury. Like the Punisher in his chapter, Nick couldn’t let his war end. He was seeking it out, judging the oncoming threats, and thinking outside the box to predict where the next biggest danger would come from. He was consistently over-prepared for unseen hazards. Nick Fury was one of the first Marvel Comics characters to predict the oncoming Skrull invasion during the comic event Secret Invasion in 2008. The Skrulls are green, pointy-eared aliens with the astounding ability to change their shape and look like anyone you know. Imagine Kermit the Frog, except with a really bad attitude and the drive to conquer innocents. Nick Fury is a powerful man in the Marvel Universe, but he’s also one of the most paranoid. So of course, when the Skrull Empire sent one of their shape-changing agents to capture and replace Fury, he was able to predict their movements and subdue the Skrull agent. He interrogated the creature and discovered a Skrull invasion was coming. Fury didn’t know when. Still, he prepared. He ghosted his position as the head of SHIELD and began to recruit. Similar to his World War II Howling Commandos, Fury gathered a team. He trained with them for months, motivating them with fear. Why? On the grounds that this Skrull invasion would be the most impossible situation Earth could ever face. This old Army veteran had to make sure his ducks were in a row; his soldiers were more than ready to handle the threat and ensure he could beat anything the Skrulls might throw his way. Because he was afraid. When the Skrull invasion came to Earth, Fury named his soldiers the Secret Warriors. They joined the battle with the Avengers. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes were
happy to have an ally. However, Nick Fury and his Secret Warriors teleported away as soon as the battle was won. They were ready to find the next threat. Fury had decided to permanently operate from the shadows. To be the ultimate “break glass in case of emergency” team for Planet Earth.
Nick Fury is ultimately a flawed man. A man who weaponizes his own internalized fear as a motivator for the people under his command. Sometimes it works and motivates them, but mostly it drives them away, forcing them to view Fury as an obsessive paranoid.
The overall view of his entire career can also be seen as a meta-commentary on America. Whether or not it was planned that way in the beginning, just like America, Fury fought a simple battle in World War II. His mind and career expanded to fight a subtle battle against the communists in the Cold War, and his paranoid suspicion of the men in charge post-Vietnam led him to build his own organization. Eventually, he became a free agent and operated without rules like the Punisher. Every American war and conflict has a man like Nick Fury—a man driven by fear, but always willing to do what is needed get the job done. In fact, if Nick Fury does his job properly, he’s able to save the day, and you won’t even know he’s been there.
To all the Nick Furys out there, currently reading this book in search of future threats, I salute you.
Honorable Mentions
If you’ve made it this far into the book, then I want to extend to you my genuine thanks for not immediately tossing it into the closest trash bin, deeming its clunky prose beneath you. Climbing over the hill of this book took several hours of research and exposed me to several characters and stories I hadn’t read in a very long time. I hope you were able to gain new appreciation for these comic characters the same way I did.
Whittling down the list for which service members were going to be featured in the book was one of the toughest tasks I faced. It soon became a Sophie’s Choice of which character got featured and which had to be cut. Thankfully for you, and unfortunately for my editor, I have stumbled onto the fabled and unsung hero of the novel: an extra chapter.
Please find below some marines, airmen, sailors, and soldiers that I couldn’t find space for in the main part of this book. In no way am I contending these characters were not worthy of a full chapter; all of them are. If your favorite military character is below, then I humbly apologize to you and its creator for sticking it in the back of my book. Please contact the publishing company for a location to direct your assassins toward. As I await my demise, let’s sally forth to the service members who are more than worthy of mention.
Wolverine
Yes, I know that the mutant Wolverine was the veteran of several wars! My only knock toward not including him was the fact that he served in the Canadian military. No, I’m not opposed to foreign armies, and I believe their service is just as valuable as the US military. However, this book needed focus and limiting it to characters who served the United States allowed me to do that.
James Howlett, a.k.a. Wolverine, fought in World Wars I and II and, in some continuities, the American Civil War, the Vietnam War, and the first Iraq War. As a result of his regenerative healing factor and slow aging, he’s probably fought in more wars than any character in this book. Still, I decided not to include him.
His tenacity and grit were not in question. His love of war and mayhem was. Many of the stories featuring Wolverine in war are focused on the number of people he kills. When you take Wolverine off the chain, he can end conflicts simply as a result of the sheer number of people he murders. Plus, it’s a well-known fact that Wolverine did not calm down from his murderous tendencies until he met Professor Xavier and his famous X-Men, several years after all his wars.
While Wolverine’s courage is not being questioned, the quality of his service is. A soldier being ascribed an animal instinct is an abominable quality and unworthy, in my eyes, of earning a full chapter.
John Diggle
One of the more recent additions to DC Comics’ continuity is John Diggle. Created for the CW show Arrow in 2012, John is a bodyguard whose selection of skills makes him a perfect partner and best friend for Oliver Queen. His backstory revealed that he was a part of Special Forces in the Afghanistan War. Not only was John an outstanding soldier, loyal, courageous, and brave, but he met his spouse Lyla while serving as well!
The character became so popular on TV that DC Comics eventually decided to include him in the comic continuity, where he became a main character during Jeff Lemire’s Green Arrow 2013 comic run. Comic book Diggle features many of the same characteristics as John on the CW, and he quickly became Green Arrow’s backup whenever he found himself overwhelmed. An excellent example of using military service as the foundation upon which to create a powerful new character.
Wonder Woman
Diana, Princess of Themyscira, is a mystical Amazon with superpowers and abilities far above the average person. Her loyalty lies with her homeland and in protecting the fabled Paradise Island from harm or mystical threats. I know what you’re saying. “She didn’t serve in the US military, that’s why she’s back here.”
Wrong! When Wonder Woman was first introduced in Sensation Comics #1 in January 1942, she took up the secret identity of an Army nurse named Diana Prince. This identity even carried over into the Linda Carter television series, where we see Diana posing as an Army nurse in the pilot episode.
This Amazonian warrior didn’t stay an Army nurse for very long because she had to deal with the Justice Society of America relegating her to team secretary, despite her powers ensuring that she was the strongest member of the team! Luckily, she would serve as leader of the Justice League in future storylines, no thanks to those 1940s male stereotypes. Be more progressive next time, fellas.
Steve Trevor
The DC Comics airman who crash-landed on Paradise Island and brought Wonder Woman into the modern world. He’s been a member of the Army, the Air Force, a Navy SEAL, and a secret agent, depending on who is writing the story. Besides not being consistent in his origin, the man is constantly upstaged by the better warrior and soldier named Diana.
Unknown Soldier
This is the one character I fought hard to keep in the main section of the book. The Unknown Soldier is another DC Comics character who was introduced during the original run of their magnum opus war comic, Our Men at War. Meant to be an interpretation of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, this character is a perfect cipher for all the men and women who fight in armed conflicts but receive none of the praise.
Like Nick Fury, this soldier was more of a spy than a soldier, using uncanny Mission: Impossible-level disguises to foil Nazis and enemies alike. His one weakness is that the disguises could not stay on his face too long because he had scar tissue on his face that he would normally hide under bandages.
I decided to keep the Unknown Soldier unknown due to the fact that he has an immense temper. I felt this trait was better represented by other characters.
Captain Willie Shultz
Willie Shultz is the loneliest soldier in any war, a Charlton Comics character who first debuted in Fightin’ Army #76 in October of 1967. Willie is unique among comic characters who fight in World War II. He’s a German American. Willie’s conflict starts in his genes! He ascends to the rank of captain and then is falsely accused of murder. Willie’s solution to avoid his bogus rap? Blend into the German army!
Willie was a soldier whose battle was not on the fields of France, but inside himself. He had to contend with a battle of loyalties. An interesting character with an interesting journey and arc. I cannot say more without spoiling his story, so I would invite you to seek out more Willie Shultz.
The Comedian
Edward Blake was murdered in 1986. His death kicks off the events of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ famous graphic novel called Watchmen. His superpowered allies search for his murderer and discover the shocking conspiracy buried at
the core of their world. The Comedian was a brutal man with a sadistic love of war. He liked the power it brought him. The ability to take and steal from the countries he was ordered to invade. A personification of nihilism.
Deciding to exclude him from this book at large ensured I would not have to compete with the legendary prose powers of Alan Moore, a battle I would not have won. Plus Mr. Moore is a wizard. Seek him out for more conversations about the Comedian.
Spawn
Al Simmons was a highly decorated marine who became a black ops CIA member after he left the Corps. After he was brutally murdered, he made a deal with the devil to return to Earth and his wife. Al found himself back on Earth, clothed in a magically powered hell spawn and a giant red cape. Naming himself “Spawn,” this Todd McFarlane creation fights demons and ponders his old life while holding a human skull in his hands à la Hamlet.
Personally, I felt the story of Spawn and his military experiences was better told through other characters like Deathstroke. But I still like his cape!
The Losers
One of the most famous groups in DC Comics war comic publishing renaissance, this group of service members with the worst luck ever were first featured in G.I. Combat #138 in 1969. These “losers” were allies of some of the other DC war characters I featured in this book, including Sgt. Rock and Gravedigger.
