Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #17

(January 1971)

The Brave Die Hard! (Table of Contents)

Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jack Kirby (plot); Stan Lee (dialogue)

Pencils:

Jack Kirby (layouts); Joe Sinnott

Inks:

Joe Sinnott

Colors:

?

Letters:

Artie Simek

Content Information

Genre:

Spy

Characters:

Nick Fury; HYDRA; Supreme Hydra [?]; Tony Stark; Dum Dum Dugan; Gabe Jones; Agent G [Laura Brown] (unnamed); Leslie Farrington; Wilson; Vincent Vandergill; Arnold Brown

Synopsis:

Despite their "Image-Inducer", HYDRA is unable to get Fury to pass on info about Stark's "Braino-Saur". Stark tells SHIELD's directors that the "Braino-Saur" is designed for one purpose-- to disarm HYDRA's Betratron Bomb while in orbit above the Earth! Agent G goes to see Fury-- then helps him escape, although he refuses to promise not to harm her father, the Supreme Hydra. Dum Dum, Gabe & a crack SHIELD squad use the captured HYDRA saucer to locate HYDRA HQ. In the Imperial Industries International board room, chairman Farrington refuses to stop the meeting, despite tremors in the building-- until they get so violent, everyone flees the room. Below, Supreme Hydra learns his daughter helped Fury escape. He sends a "Hunter" robot after Fury. Only when Dugan & his men arrive on the roof and attack does he finally send in the "Tiger" squad (assassins), knowing it will mean his own daughter's death...

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• from Strange Tales (Marvel, 1951 series) #139 (December 1965)

Indexer Notes

Part 5 of 7. The title predates the film DIE HARD (1988) by 23 years! Name of HYDRA's leader changed from "Imperial Hydra" to "Supreme Hydra" in this episode.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

cover reprint (on interior page) / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Pencils:

John Severin, Jack Kirby

Inks:

John Severin

Colors:

?

Letters:

Sam Rosen

Indexer Notes

covers to Strange Tales 137 and 138 are reproduced.

The End of Hydra! (Table of Contents)

Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jack Kirby (plot); Stan Lee (dialogue)

Pencils:

Jack Kirby (layouts); Don Heck

Inks:

Joe Sinnott

Colors:

?

Letters:

Sam Rosen

Content Information

Genre:

Spy

Characters:

Agent G [Laura Brown] (unnamed); Nick Fury; HYDRA; Dum Dum Dugan; Gabe Jones; Imperial Hydra [Arnold Brown]; Tony Stark

Synopsis:

Fury just barely manages to stop the "Hunter" robot. Surrounded on all sides by HYDRA's "Tiger" squad, Dum Dum, Gabe & the SHIELD squad use a "Flying Wedge" formation with an "Electro-Jab" weapon to push thru. HYDRA retaliates with "Skate Board Units". Meanwhile, Tony Stark arrives at the Heli-Carrier via the flying Porche 904, then takes off with the Braino-Saur via a 2-stage Atlas booster rocket. Fury joins up with Dum Dum and turns the tide of battle, causing Imperial Hydra to realize he must use "Operation Last Resort". In space, Stark manages to disarm the Betraton Bomb, and SHIELD orders the arrest of all HYDRA agents worldwide. Fury & co. blast into HYDRA's "Nerve Center", while its leader slowly walks up the stairs leading to Imperial Industries International's boardroom. As he prepares to hit the "destruct" button, we finally learn his real identity...

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• from Strange Tales (Marvel, 1951 series) #140 (January 1966)

Indexer Notes

Part 6 of 7. Arnold Brown revealed as Imperial Hydra in this episode. The "Flying Wedge" and the "Skate Board Units" must rank among the most outrageous ideas ever from Jack Kirby. In this episode, Nick Fury is a dead ringer for Ralph Meeker, who played Mike Hammer in the film KISS ME DEADLY (1955), while Arnold Brown bears a resemblance to Warren editor Archie Goodwin!

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

cover reprint (on interior page) / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Pencils:

Marie Severin, Jack Kirby; Joe Sinnott

Inks:

Marie Severin; Joe Sinnott

Colors:

?

Letters:

Artie Simek; Sam Rosen

Indexer Notes

covers to Strange Tales #139 and 140 are reproduced.

Operation: "Brain Blast!" (Table of Contents)

Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jack Kirby (plot); Stan Lee (dialogue)

Pencils:

Jack Kirby

Inks:

Frank Giacoia

Colors:

?

Letters:

Sam Rosen

Content Information

Genre:

Spy

Characters:

HYDRA; Nick Fury; Dum Dum Dugan; Agent G [Laura Brown] (unnamed); Imperial Hydra [Arnold Brown]; Gabe Jones; E.S.P. Division; Mentallo; The Fixer

Synopsis:

As SHIELD mops ups the HYDRA thugs, Fury, Dum Dum, Gabe and Agent G head upstairs to capture Imperial Hydra, using a "Bazooka Drill" to tear thru a solid steel door barring their path. In the Imperial Industries International boardroom, Arnold Brown hesitates over the destruct button, unable to kill his daughter along with everyone else. His bodyguards emerge from the passageway, and not believing he's their leader, shoot him dead! Fury and his men burst into the room, killing the assassins as they attempt to flee. Fury has Agent G demonstrate a pair of "Vacuum-sole" shoes, which allow one to walk up or down a sheer wall-- and in front of a dumbfounded Dum Dum, he allows her to escape. Fury gives them each a week off, saying he's "sicka lookin' at yer ugly pans". He then pilots the stolen HYDRA saucer thru a secret "escape tunnel" under the city. Elsewhere, SHIELD's new E.S.P. Division decide to demonstrate their "Brainwave Stimulator" by sending Fury a mental warning of a mock attack. Elsewhere we meet Mentallo, who can project thoughts into images. Formerly a member of SHIELD, he'd tried using his power to take over, but escaped when he was discovered. SHIELD is working to duplicate his power with machinery, and he fears he must destroy them before they can find a defense against him. He picks up mental images of a criminal known as The Fixer, who manages a seemingly-impossible jailbreak with equipment built from using common objects! Mentallo hatches a plan to join forces with The Fixer, and together, "rule mankind". Fury fears that Mentallo could destroy SHIELD single-handedly...

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• from Strange Tales (Marvel, 1951 series) #141 (February 1966)

Indexer Notes

Part 7 of 7 / Part 1 of 3. 1st appearance of SHIELD's E.S.P. Division, Mentallo, The Fixer. In this episode, Arnold Brown bears a resemblance to actor Walter Pidgeon. 2nd of only 3 SHIELD episodes on which Jack Kirby did full pencils. The new story starts on page 8; when Stan Lee wrote "at that very moment", he should really have said "a week later", as reading the page literally makes it appear Fury (who was heading for dinner and a long sleep) was in 2 places at the same time!