Superhero Sundays: Nick Fury
By Ian T. Wilson
Rating: G
Word Count: 360
Summary: A brief biography of Marvel’s Nick Fury
Good day, beings of the universe and welcome again to Superhero Sundays. I’m Fellowship and Fairydust’s comic and superhero expert, Ian Wilson. If you’re American, you know that this weekend is Memorial Day weekend. For many of us, this isn’t just about big sales and barbecues; this is a day about sacrifice and service. So I thought it fitting to discuss a Marvel character who played an important role in World War II. No, not Cap; Nick Fury.
Sgt. Nick Fury was the tough, cigar smoking leader of the Howling Commandos; an elite military team made up of multiple ethnicities. At the time (early 60’s) it was pretty groundbreaking. The stories were mostly set in the European Theater of World War II. Fury was the epitome of ideal GI. The Commandos fought alongside Captain America, and even a young Reed Richards.
Later, Fury was outfitted for the Cold War as Agent Fury, an American James Bond. Now a Colonel, Fury was the chief agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. a secret military agency based in the floating Helicarrier. From the Helicarrier, Fury carried out top secret espionage missions.
Later writer/artist Jim Steranko took over the series from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and pushed boundaries of comics at the time. His modernized, vibrant art style and intense plots made comics “hip” and his work on Nick Fury made it one of the most iconic series in comic history.
Later, Nick Fury was reinvented once again for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where is portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson. This Nick Fury was the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and probably the most important character in the MCU. Up until this point, Fury had been portrayed as a Caucasian; obviously, Samuel L. Jackson isn’t Caucasian, but Jackson’s portrayal of Nick Fury became so popular that Marvel retconned him into the comics. Technically speaking the MCU Nick Fury is Nick Fury Jr. the son of the original Nick Fury.
Nick Fury was created by the writer/artist team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 in 1963.