The following contains spoilers for Secret Invasion #5, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
In Marvel's latest Secret Invasion comic, Nick Fury appears to have been deceived, but in the original series, he was the one pulling the strings. During the first event, Fury provided Agent Maria Hill with a critical tactical plan to defeat the Skrull army. However, the new Secret Invasion storyline portrays Fury as incapacitated and eventually imprisoned, alongside S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill.
This is a vastly different fate for a character who was behind several crucial moments (with good and bad outcomes) during Marvel’s first Secret Invasion saga. In Secret Invasion (2008), Nick Fury took on the role of a puppet master. He acted as an advisor and a leading soldier. He put the pieces together, figuring out which heroes were Skrull agents during the conflict. In the saga, Fury left his post at S.H.E.I.L.D., engaging in freelance law enforcement and international incident management.
Nick Fury Excels as a Super Spy in Marvel’s Original Secret Invasion
The Mighty Avengers #12 (by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Matt Hollingsworth, and Dave Lanphear) explains Fury's covert attack on Latveria and his use of Design Life Model Decoys. By creating copies of himself, Fury can be in multiple places at once while keeping himself safe. In Bendis' series, Fury is in hiding in Mexico with his lover, Countess Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, after the Secret War. However, he discovers she is a Skrull in disguise and is forced to kill her. Finding the Skrull ultimately seals Fury's fate in the ongoing events. He takes quick action, delivering a cryptic message to Maria Hill, telling her to send out the same Life Model Decoys to do her bidding during moments she feels suspicious/unsafe. Fury also seeks Jessica Drew’s Spider-Woman since she’s his closet agent and sets her up as a double agent for both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra.
In Bendis’ Mighty Avengers #13 (by Bendis, Maleev, Hollingsworth, and Lanphear), Fury’s meeting with Spider-Woman is featured in more detail, revealing he’s working out a plan relating to his secret super-powered taskforce, the Caterpillars. This is one of Fury's smartest moves, developing a team of heroes no one knows about so that there’s little risk they’ll be compromised by the Skrull agents. Fury leads his team of Secret Warriors in the Battle of Manhattan during events in Secret Invasion #6 (by Brian Michael Bendis, Leinil Francis Yu, Mark Morales, Laura Martin, Emily Warren, Christina Strain, and Chris Eliopoulos).
Nick Fury’s Mistakes Leave Room for An Awesome Character to Shine
These bold feats differ greatly from the lagging role Nick Fury takes in the Secret Invasion sequel (by Ryan North and Francesco Mobili). The most recent Skrull invasion is largely thwarted by Maria Hill, while a conglomerate of alien copies of Fury attempts to infiltrate major government offices. Using a code phrase set up by her and Fury in the initial invasion, she immediately determines that he’s been compromised. Nick Fury's response to Maria Hill thriving in his old role suggests he's a true professional who just wants the best for Earth. In the end, he acts like he's impressed with Hill's performance and supportive of her abilities.
Nick Fury regularly lives up to his title as Marvel’s ultimate spy, but even legacy heroes can’t win them all. By taking a lesser role in the new Secret Invasion series, Nick Fury moves over for Maria Hill, a fantastic character in her own right. Watching Hill step in and successfully trick Skrulls at their own game is a refreshing twist. However, comic fans know Nick Fury copies are lingering, leaving open the possibility that one of Marvel’s most important players is a major wild card.