Nick Fury

Real Name
Nicholas Joseph Fury

Occupation
Former S.H.I.E.L.D. director; former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, intelligence agent, soldier and commando leader, parachuting instructor, stunt flier

Citizenship
U.S.A.

Place of Birth
New York City

Known Relatives
Jack Fury (father, deceased), Katherine Fury (mother, presumed deceased), Jacob "Jake" Fury (Scorpio, brother), Dawn Fury (sister), Mikel Fury (Scorpio, son), Rex Fury (alleged ancestor, deceased)

Group Affiliation
Formerly Secret Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., Team Valkyrie, C.I.A., liaison to MI-5, O.S.S., Howling Commandos, U.S. Army

Education
High school, possibly unfinished; extensive military and intelligence training

Height
6'1"

Weight
221 lbs.

Eyes
Brown

Hair
Brown, white at temples

Powers
Slowed aging process, provided by the Infinity Formula.

Abilities
Nick Fury has trained as a paratrooper, Ranger, demolitions expert and vehicle specialist. He holds an unlimited-tonnage, all-seas license as a commander of ocean-going vessels. Fury has completed Green and Black Beret Special Forces training, and has been an agent of the O.S.S. (Office of Special Services) and a liaison of the MI-5 (British Secret Intelligence). He is a seasoned unarmed- and armed-combat expert, was a heavyweight boxer in the Army, and holds a black belt in Tae Kwan Do and a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu. Fury has honed his fighting skills sparring with Captain America, perhaps the world's finest unarmed-combat expert. Fury ingests the Infinity Formula annually, slowing the process of aging in his body. In his youth, Fury learned to fly planes and wing walking.

Other Info
Nick Fury is the son of noted World War I pilot Jack Fury. He is also an alleged descendant of one of the men who wore the Phantom Rider mask in the late nineteenth century. Nick was born in New York City's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood in the late 1910s. (Click on the Phantom Rider's name to learn more about it.)

Following high school, Fury and his longtime friend Red Hargrove joined Finley's Flying Circus (a traveling air show). They both became excellent pilots and stuntmen. When Finley's Flying Circus came to England in 1940, Fury and Hargrove gave parachuting instructions to Lt. Sam Sawyer, an American soldier attached to the British Army. Weeks later, Sawyer was assigned to rescue a British spy in Holland, and he persuaded Fury and Hargrove to accompany him. Their plane was downed in Holland, where they met circus strongman Timothy "Dum-Dum" Dugan, who joined their rescue mission. In the end, all five safely returned to England. Inspired by the adventure, Dugan joined the British Army, and in early 1941 Fury and Hargrove returned to America to enlist in the U.S. Army. (To learn about Dum Dum Dugan, just click on his name above. The third picture posted is of Fury is his military outfit.)

Fury and Hargrove were soon stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, where Fury rapidly rose to sergeant. On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese and Hargrove was killed. When America declared war on the Axis, Sawyer (now a captain) was reassigned to the U.S. Rangers and instructed to form the First Attack Squad (a special squad of rangers trained in military precision, but using individually developed combat techniques). Given the power to handpick Squad members, Sawyer appointed Nick Fury as field commander. The Squad members were made honorary commandos in the British army and codenamed "the Howling Commandos," or "Howlers."

For nearly four years Fury led the Howlers on combat and intelligence missions in virtually every recognized theater of war. During a mission, Fury's left eye was injured by an enemy grenade; Fury received a Purple Heart, but did not leave military service. Fury eventually regained sight in that eye. The Howlers clashed with many high-ranking German officers, most notably Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker. The Howlers proved so successful that Strucker was ordered to form a similar unit, the Blitzkrieg Squad, but the Howlers always triumphed over them. Occasional allies of the Howlers included other Sawyer-commanded units, the Marines of Captain Simon Savage's Leatherneck Raiders, and the costumed adventurers Captain America and Bucky. At some point, Fury befriended a Canadian soldier named Logan (aka future Wolverine). (To learn about the characters above, just click on their highlighted names.)

Early in the war, separated from the Howlers during a mission in France, Fury was gravely injured by a land mine. Discovered by French partisans, he was taken to a nearby doctor, Professor Berthold Sternberg. Unknown to Fury, Sternberg not only treated Fury's injuries, but also surgically altered Fury so he could withstand inoculation with Sternberg's so-called "Infinity Formula," intended to slow or even halt the human aging process. (Later, unknowingly to Fury, other Howlers who were exposed to his blood, their aging too was slowed down.)

At one point, the Howlers ventured into Romania and met the infamous vampire Dracula; Dracula disliked the Nazis as much as the Howlers did. (Click on Dracula's name to learn more about him.)

In mid-1942, while stationed in London, Fury fell in love with Lady Pamela Hawley (a British noblewoman serving in a London ambulance unit). Then by 1943, Fury had decided to propose to Lady Hawley; however, she was tragically killed during a London air raid by the raid's final bomb as she was helping the wounded.

Months later, when Fury was home on leave, his brother Jake, jealous of Nick's fame, was abducted by the Nazi Colonel Klaue. Nick freed Jake but was captured himself. But, then Jake helped the Howlers rescue Nick. Following these events, Jake enlisted in the army; he soon regretted his choice, and his resentment of Nick grew. (Click on Jake's name to learn more about Nick Fury's brother.)

Many times Fury and the Howlers fought alongside Captain America and Bucky against the Nazi mastermind, Red Skull. (To learn more about Red Skull, just click on his name.)

The Howlers were also among the Allied forces who halted German advances in the Battle of the Bulge in the last days of 1944. When the war finally ended in August 1945, Fury led the Howlers on European "mop-up" missions against remaining Axis operatives. It was during this period that the Howlers shut down the death camp laboratories of Nathaniel Essex (aka Mister Sinister). Fury was then reassigned to Okinawa, Japan to shut down remnants there, while the other Howlers returned to civilian life. (Click on the highlighted name to learn more about Mister Sinister.)

Fury was soon recruited by the Office of Strategic Service (O.S.S.) full-time. Working with agents of the British MI-5, he was sent after Colonel Ishii, a renegade Japanese scientist with a cache of bio-weapons; Fury captured Ishii, but was the mission's only survivor.

In 1946, Fury aged sixty years in minutes due to long-term effects of Sternberg's Infinity Formula. However, Sternberg had anticipated this, and had mailed Fury a mutated version of the formula, and Fury immediately inoculated himself with it: restoring his youth. However, the effect lasted only one year, and Sternberg began extorting money from Fury in exchange for a yearly supply of the formula. Unable to locate Sternberg, Fury gave in and bought doses from him for the next several decades.

After serving time in the O.S.S., Fury was reassigned to Army Intelligence and eventually saw action in the Korean War. At some point, Fury re-formed the Howling Commandos, who re-enlisted for a special mission to blow up a missile base behind enemy lines. At the successful close of this mission, Fury was promoted to second lieutenant.

Soon afterward, Fury was transferred to the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.). In this capacity, he led a unit known as Team Valkyrie until the war's end in 1953. (To learn about Team Valkyrie, just click on their highlighted name above.)

By 1967, Fury was active in the Vietnam War, where he again re-formed the Howling Commandos as volunteers on special assignment.

A year later, Fury underwent training in the Green Beret Special Forces, which he followed up with Black Beret training in 1973. Little else is known of Fury's C.I.A. activities, but during this period he frequently worked with his wartime comrade Logan (now a Canadian intelligence operative).

In the early 1980s, Fury was recommended for "Project S.H.I.E.L.D." (a government operation still many years from completion). Later, Fury went undercover in Macao to investigate Amber D'Alexis (who ran an espionage and weapons smuggling ring out of her casino). Fury romanced D'Alexis to win her confidence, only to learn that she was romantically involved with his brother Jake, now a biophysics researcher. Nick ultimately took D'Alexis into custody, and Jake's resentment for Nick turned into hatred.

A few years later, Fury re-formed the Howling Commandos at least once more, for a mission with pilot Ben Grimm (aka future Thing). During the same time frame, Fury worked with two brilliant scientists, Reed Richards and Tony Stark (aka future Iron Man). (Unknown to Fury, both scientists were involved in Project S.H.I.E.L.D., and Jake Fury soon became a Stark employee). (To learn more about the above characters, just click on their names.)

In recent years, Nick Fury aided the Fantastic Four against the Hate-Monger. Following this mission, Fury was assigned to investigate a spy at Stark International, unaware that Stark himself was involved in the new international espionage unit known as S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division), the finalized version of Project: S.H.I.E.L.D., whose director, Colonel Rick Stoner, had recently been slain by the high-tech terrorists Hydra. Fury was dismayed to discover that the spy was his brother Jake, who had defected to Hydra. Confronting his brother, Fury was shot in the left eye, reinjuring his old war wound. Though his operations were exposed, Jake escaped, and Nick, his left eye now almost totally useless, began wearing an eyepatch. (Click on the names above to learn about the characters, team, and groups.)

Returning to America, Fury was, at Tony Stark's recommendation, recruited to head S.H.I.E.L.D., which was facing renewed attacks from Hydra. Fury accepted the role and soon recruited Dum-Dum Dugan, who became his second-in-command, some other Howlers. Fury led S.H.I.E.L.D. against Hydra, A.I.M., the Druid, and other terrorists; never one to risk subordinates' lives on jobs he could do himself, Fury continued to act as a field agent. During his early clashes with Hydra, Fury fell in love with Laura Brown (daughter of the organization's supposed leader, the Imperial Hydra). However, when that relationship ended, Fury began romancing fellow agent Contessa Valentina de Fontaine. Later, Fury found out that Hydra was actually secretly led by none other than his old nemesis, Baron Strucker. (To learn about the above teams and character, just click on their highlighted names.)

Later on, Professor Sternberg was slain by the criminal, Steel Harris. Harris attempted to up the extortion on Fury's supply of the Infinity Formula; however, with the help of de la Fontaine, Fury defeated Steel and obtained the secrets of the Infinity Formula for himself.

As S.H.I.E.L.D. director, Fury fought various superhuman foes alongside New York's super heroes, many of whom he befriended. (As director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury has access to some of the most advanced technology on Earth; he often wears a bulletproof, fireproof uniform of Kevlar and Beta Cloth, and always carries some sort of firearm.) Despite his respect for super heroes, Fury recognized them as potential loose cannons, and S.H.I.E.L.D. formed more than one contingency plan against them. S.H.I.E.L.D. also created an airborne base known as the Helicarrier. (To learn about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s airbase and/or the Beta Cloth, just click on their highlighted names above.)

A few years later, Fury was stunned to meet a new Scorpio named Mikel Fury who claimed to be Jake Fury's son by Amber D'Alexis (the old "Scorpio" was his brother, Jake). Working alongside Wolverine, Fury shut down D'Alexis's latest criminal operation, but D'Alexis herself held Fury at gunpoint and revealed that Nick, not Jake, was Mikel's father. D'Alexis was defeated by Wolverine shortly afterward, and Fury took Mikel into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, although Mikel soon escaped. (To learn more about Nick Fury's son, just click on his highlighted name above.)

Soon afterward, Fury learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been infiltrated by artificial life-forms called Deltites, who deceived most of Fury's agents, including de la Fontaine, into turning against him. Fury and a handful of loyal agents eventually defeated the Deltites, but not before almost all remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were seemingly slain. Unknown to Fury, the Deltites had been directed by Baron Strucker who kept the supposedly dead agents in stasis. S.H.I.E.L.D. was formally disbanded, and Fury traveled the world to close S.H.I.E.L.D.'s bases and destroy its most dangerous technology. Physically and emotionally exhausted, Fury briefly retired and became romantically involved with Kate Neville. (To learn about Kate Neville, click on her highlighted name.)

Soon afterward, a new S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate), was formed, and Fury became its director. Under Fury, the new S.H.I.E.L.D. renewed ties with the superhuman community.

Despite the new S.H.I.E.L.D.'s early successes, tragedy again struck when Hydra massacred hundreds of new S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. However, Hydra inadvertently provided replacements when Fury discovered the comatose agents believed slain by the Deltites. Learning of Strucker's involvement, Fury again confronted his nemesis and defeated him. Unfortunately, Strucker once again escaped. Reunited with his longtime agents and friends, Fury set about expanding the new S.H.I.E.L.D.; Fury even made peace with his son Mikel, whom he recruited as an agent to help him when internal strife in Hydra fueled subversive activity in his home neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen.

During a time, Fury briefly stepped down from S.H.I.E.L.D. directorship. However, he soon returned, driving himself harder than ever. One of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most serious setbacks came when the Helicarrier was hijacked by the Red Skull, who joined forces with the Hate-Monger in an effort to spread hatred across the world. But, the villains were defeated by Fury, Captain America, and their fellow wartime veteran, Namor the Sub-Mariner. (To learn about Namor, just click on his name above.)

Ultimately, despite Fury's best efforts, the second incarnation of S.H.I.E.L.D. has proven no more immune to corruption than the first, and Fury has grown uncertain of some of the agency's more inhumane operations, such as the so-called Deathlok project. Fury even briefly lost command of S.H.I.E.L.D., being demoted to a desk job. Fury had to struggle to regain his position. In addtion, as superhuman incidents become more widespread and devastating, Fury, despite his efforts to steer government attention away from such allies as Spider-Man and Daredevil, has found himself at odds with the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and even his old friends Captain America and Wolverine, whom he has been reduced to manipulating on more than one mission. One of these missions included a trip to Latveria that left hard feelings all around and resulted in Fury losing directorship of S.H.I.E.L.D. and going into hiding. (Click on the highlighted characters and/or team to learn more about them.)

Fury is now working underground. It remains to be seen how long Fury can tread the line between conflicting loyalties.

To learn more about Nick Fury, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Fury,_Nick.

As you can tell, for the Marvel movies, Nick Fury has been changed from Caucasian to African-American. On occasions, Marvel seems to change skin color or even genders of their characters.