Okay,
if you’ve seen the Avengers (and if you haven’t why not?) you might be familiar
with the secret spy organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Hazard/Homeland Intelligence/Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate, GEEK CRED BITCHES!) that is in
charge of keeping the world safe from massive super human threats that would
endanger the rest of us mere mortals. According to the movie, without them
there would be no Avengers. But is there a darker side to these benevolent
protectors?
In
the comics, SHIELD (I’m not going to type out all those periods every time) was
primarily represented by Nick Fury (Agent of… as the comic was titled). Nick Fury was a character that had been established in the various War Comics that had come out decades earlier. As the
series went on they added several of Nick Fury’s compatriots from his Howling
Commando days. Primarily the series was an attempt to cash in on the popularity
of James Bond, with Nick Fury sharing a similar love of women, alcohol and
gadgets, but with a slightly more eccentric flair. It wasn’t until more modern times when SHIELD became a hub for all
super hero activity in the Marvel Universe. A way to keep all the various heroes connected and also provide
resources and support to them when needed. That support becomes even more
pronounced when we look at the Ultimate version (Ultimate Universe explained here) of SHIELD. That version of SHIELD is similar to what appears in the
Avengers film.
In
the real world we have numerous law enforcement agencies, each with a specific
task and jurisdiction. But SHIELD is an international organization that appears
to have carte blanche to go wherever it needs to in order to deal with super
human threats. It conceivably answers to the UN but in the midst of a
world-threatening emergency there really isn’t time to get approval for what
needs to be done. So we can safely assume that SHIELD is answerable to no one.
Except
of course, Nick Fury. Nick Fury is the head of shield and in charge of making
sure they protect the world. Essentially this one man has an army at his
disposal. A man who has lived a life wrapped in mysteries and secrets. A man so
paranoid that he often replaces himself with robot duplicates (Life Model
Decoys) just in case someone tries to kill him. That suggests a very paranoid
and delusional mind. And he is in charge of the safety of the entire world.
What’s
worse than the power that Nick Fury wields is his influence. Nick Fury has the
respect of military men from around the world. Captain America looks to Nick
Fury for guidance. Captain America. A man who inspires so many takes his words
of encouragement from a man like Nick Fury.
Some
might wonder what evidence there is that Nick Fury might be corrupt. Well I
simply ask you to look at the pages of any SHIELD comic and see. If you look at
the ranking members of SHIELD you will see that they are all members of Colonel
Fury’s World War II compatriots the Howling Commandos. Nick Fury has surrounded
himself with men who would not countermand his orders because they have already
accepted his leadership. This is how dictators rise to power.
Plus
one has to consider precisely what type of threats it is that SHIELD deals
with. Superhuman. Which covers people with powers, aliens, advanced technology
and a whole host of other types of threats that normal law enforcement cannot
deal with. Which means they are packing far beyond your standard ordinance. The
type of weapons needed to take down the Juggernaut would easily outgun any
police, FBI or army arsenal. SHIELD helicarriers could launch an attack on
every major city in the world and receive little resistance.
In
short, SHIELD is a powder keg waiting to go off. No one group should have this
much power, even if that power is being used for good. And certainly such a
group should not be in the hands of just one man. The road to hell is paved
with good intentions.
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