The Power of SHIELD!
Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD!
Release: October 11, 1966
Cover: January 1967
12 cents
Script: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Layouts: Jolly Jack Kirby
Artwork: Jaunty Jim Steranko
Lettering: Adorable Artie Simek
12 pages
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| Strange Tales #151, Story B | Reading order | Strange Tales #152, Story B |
| Strange Tales #151, Story B | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #152, Story B |
So long as men such as you exist– men who are dedicated not merely to the cause of nationalism– but to international freedom– to global justice– so long will the lamp of liberty continue to burn bright– until men of good will, everywhere, put down their arms and come forth to reason together!
Once again, Kirby is on layouts with Steranko on art, but the character work looks more like Steranko this issue than last, perhaps suggesting looser layouts from Kirby.
Worth noting this will be Stan Lee’s final work on Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD. He remains the editor, of course.
Last issue, Nick had escaped Hydra, but was unwittingly piloting their Overkill Horn. We pick up there this issue. Sitwell is in charge of SHIELD, and manages to destroy the Horn, fearing he has killed Fury in doing so. But Nick gets free.
Don Caballero is not the real identity of the Supreme Hydra. It’s one of many guises, one that has outlived its usefulness. His new identity will be Emir Ali-Bey. However, we learn he has a true identity, though none in Hydra know it. It’s left as a mystery to us.
The reveal will come. Plenty of this blog’s readers are long-term Marvel readers who already know the secret identity of the Supreme Hydra. But some of you are not. I recommend you pay attention to clues over the next couple issues and see if you can deduce it before the big reveal.
SHIELD had redirected the Overkill Horn and destroys the Hydra base of Karnopolis. It’s not over yet for Hydra, though. I hear that if you cut off one head…
The daughter of the original Supreme Hydra had betrayed them and sided with SHIELD. I don’t think we ever learned her name. But her father was named Arnold Brown, so presumably she is Ms. Brown.
Hydra has now captured her in Egypt. The new Supreme Hydra escaped the destruction of Karnopolis and is now in Egypt. But Nick is coming to the rescue.
And gets a kiss on the cheek for his trouble.
Don Caballero has just assumed the identity of Emir Ali-Bey, but already all the Hydra people are calling him by the new name. It’s apparently not that hard to call people what they wish to be called.
I’m not quite sure who that’s supposed to be talking to Sitwell, but he gives a nice speech. Perhaps it’s President Johnson?
Sitwell tries to light a cigar, imitating his hero, Colonel Fury.
He doesn’t like it.
This is a decent breaking point in the SHIELD/Hydra saga to pause, but since Dr. Strange continues his battle against Umar in the other half of the comic, we’ll read further.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 57/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
Characters:
- Colonel Nick Fury
- Jasper Sitwell
- Gabe Jones
- Supreme Hydra/Don Caballero/Emir Ali-Bey/Imperial Hydra
- Dum Dum Dugan
- Agent H/Ms. Brown
Story notes:
- Picks up where last issue left off. Nick Fury flying stolen Hydra plane, only now realizing his escape was part of Hydra’s plan and he is carrying the Overkill Horn
- Fury rolls ship over and wiggles wings; international SHIELD distress signal.
- Overkill Horn building energy, about to go off and trigger every atomic stockpile on Earth.
- Sitwell ordered Dum Dum back to hospital.
- Sitwell readies Strato-mine, but it’s untested and could blow up half the atmosphere.
- Sitwell orders the launch, even though it will kill Nick along with the Horn.
- Hover-limousine descends over Karnpolis.
- Plan Take-Over will follow release of Overkill Horn.
- Don Caballero just a disguise. None know his true identity. He sheds the disguise to assume the disguise of Emir Ali-Bey.
- Daughter of former Supreme Hydra captured in Egypt.
- Fury escapes plane and a Stark-designed rescue sub picks him up. Pickup No. 7, SHIELD Marine Division.
- Fury redirects plane to Karnopolis. Strato-mine launches and Karnopolis is destroyed.
- Dugan won’t follow nurse’s instructions.
- Dugan a SHIELD Senior Sentinel.
- Sub takes Fury to Egypt to rescue Agent H.
| Previous | #618 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Strange Tales #151, Story B | Reading order | Strange Tales #152, Story B |
| Strange Tales #151, Story B | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #152, Story B |
It took me almost a full 20 years after THIS point for me to read almost aa many pages of verified Jack Kirby dialogue as I had read Marvel to this point. I can safely state that Fury’s adrenaline packed dialogue during stress matches Jack’s AND the speech patterns of so many combat veterans with PTSD. Stan could emulate it to a point, but Fury definitely is barely controlling his fear for his friends and is shouting uncontrollably. This is the way a courageous person who fears losing everything, using out of control language to keep sane and push on.
Fury is Orian holding onto control – and will require time to decompress. He’s not going to get it.
Well observed. And it’s impressive how Kirby told stories like that even without the words.