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Limited Variant Edition
Marvel
3 
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Reprints Nick Fury stories from Strange Tales (Marvel, 1951 Series) #135-153, Tales of Suspense (Marvel, 1959 Series) #78, and Fantastic Four (Marvel, 1961 Series) #21. Volume 83 in the Marvel Masterworks Library.
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Part 1 of 7. Fury's previous chronological appearance in FANTASTIC FOUR #21 (December 1963). 1st appearance of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division), LMDs, Fury's Porsche 904, HYDRA, Imperial Hydra, Laura Brown, The SHIELD Heli-Carrier. Story retold in NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. #4 (September 1968). Background info on the creation of SHIELD not revealed until FURY #1 (May 1994).
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Part 2 of 7. 1st appearance of the SHIELD barber shop, a tribute to the tailor shop secret entrance to UNCLE HQ in the TV show THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. 1st appearance of the "Hydra-Ram," a flying saucer-type vehicle. Nick Fury, SHIELD & HYDRA turn up at Reed & Sue's wedding in FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #3 (November 1965).
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1st modern-day appearance of Dum Dum & Gabe.
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Part 3 of 7. 1st appearance of the SHIELD Communication Center. The chase sequence, from train to car-turned-submarine vs. frogmen is strikingly similar to the one in the film THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977). 1st modern appearance of Dum Dum & Gabe (regular cast members in SGT. FURY AND HIS HOLWING COMMANDOS). The relationship between Imperial Hydra & Agent G pays tribute to that of Doctor Fu Manchu & Fah Lo Suee, or The Yellow Claw and his niece, Suwan.
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Part 4 of 7. The tank which crashes thru a wall and then launches a section of itself as a missile is remarkably similar to the one used by Mr. Freeze in the film BATMAN AND ROBIN (1997). The board room scene is reminiscent of the film EXECUTIVE SUITE (1954).
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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.
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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!
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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 & a long sleep) was in 2 places at the same time!
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Caption block reads: "We DO have a title for this thriller... honest!! But, Jolly Jack didn't leave us room to letter it!"
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Part 2 of 3. Story occurs concurrently with TALES OF SUSPENSE #75 (March 1966). First mention of "THEM." Fixer's "Thru-The-Ground-Tank" strikingly similar to the ones used by The Hate Monger in FANTASTIC FOUR #21 (December 1963) and The Rabble Rouser in STRANGE TALES #119 (April 1964), suggesting a connection between them and "THEM." Third and final SHIELD episode where Jack Kirby did full pencils. Kirby would next do full pencils on Nick Fury in the Captain America story in TALES OF SUSPENSE #78 (June 1966).
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Part 3 of 3. Fixer mentions the H-Bomb was supplied by "THEM". The "Metronome Units" join the ranks of Jack Kirby's wildest design ideas. Without their helmets, The Fixer & Mentallo bear a striking resemblance to DC's Lex Luthor & Brainiac! (The bearded mind-reading Mentallo in particular may well have been the inspiration for John Byrne's human mentalist "Brainiac" who debuted in ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #438 (March 1988)).
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Part 1 of 2. The opening sequence of a mystic rite above-ground while technos supply the goods bears a striking resemblance to the "graveyard" scene in the film LIVE AND LET DIE (1973). The car chase in this episode stands out as one of the most exciting (and fun) action scenes in the series. The "Air Sacs", which "airlines are experimenting with now", predate air bags in cars by decades! 1st appearance of Jasper Sitwell (based on Roy Thomas!).
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Part 2 of 2. Only SHIELD episode from STRANGE TALES never reprinted until 2007. Nick Fury looks into the mystery of "THEM" and meets Captain America in TALES OF SUSPENSE #78 (June 1966), then teams with him in flashback in STRANGE TALES #160-161.
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Part 1 of 5. 2nd-ever meeting of Cap and Fury, following the story in SGT. FURY #13 (December 1964). 1st on-camera appearance of "THEM", following mentions in STRANGE TALES #142-143 & 145 (March-April, June 1966). The hooded outfits worn by the evil scientists appear inspired by the ones worn in the 1st James Bond film, DR. NO (1962). Identity of "The Imperator" would not be revealed until STRANGE TALES #156 (May 1967). Cap and Fury team-up to battle mysterious invaders in the flashback in STRANGE TALES #160-161 (September-October 1967), apparently shortly after this episode. Meanwhile, this story continues directly into STRANGE TALES #146 (July 1966), while "THEM" also continue to appear (peripherally) in the next several issues of TALES OF SUSPENSE. The android-growing tanks appear to pay tribute to THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951). Thanks to Jack Kirby, D.N.A. experiments would play a large part in SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #133-148 (November 1970-April 1972). The "flying shock rollers" are identical to the ones used by Obi-Wan Kenobi to train Luke Skywalker in the film STAR WARS (1977)!
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Part 2 of 5. Story continues from TALES OF SUSPENSE #78 (June 1966), and presumably the flashback in STRANGE TALES #160-161 (September-October 1967), which was "too secret" for anyone to talk about. The android-growing tanks appear to pay tribute to THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951). 1st published appearance of Count Royale; based on the dialogue it actually takes place after his appearance in this month's TALES OF SUSPENSE #79 (July 1966), as the readers are left unsure as to his motives in this episode (while his guilt is made clear in the Captain America episode). Tony Stark's problems with the Senate in TALES OF SUSPENSE #72-84 (December 1965-December 1966) are mentioned; his plant being forcibly shut down in SUSPENSE #78 (June 1966) presumably gave A.I.M. an "in" to peddle their technology to SHIELD.
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Part 3 of 5.
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Part 4 of 5. 1st Jack Kirby-dialogued Marvel Comic of the 1960's. The pen-radio Fury uses is similar to the one regularly used by agents on THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. tv series. This is the 2nd time Fury smashed a glass viewport on the Heli-Carrier, the 1st time being in STRANGE TALES #135 (August 1965).
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Part 5 of 5. Secret Empire storyline continues from Hulk story in TALES TO ASTONISH #83; then concludes in Sub-Mariner stories in TALES TO ASTONISH #83-85 (September-November 1966). "THEM" is revealed to be a cover-name for HYDRA; as they supplied The Fixer who appeared in STRANGE TALES #141-143 (February-April 1966), this means HYDRA has never really gone away at this point! It's revealed that Count Royale was not killed in the massive explosion, in the Captain America story this month's TALES OF SUSPENSE #82 (October 1966), as Cap winds up facing one more of A.I.M.'s artificial androids.
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Part 1 of 9. 1st appearance of the "new" Supreme Hydra, later revealed to have been its real leader all along, behind-the-scenes. In this episode, Jasper Sitwell is a dead ringer for Roy Thomas! John Buscema's 1st 1960's Marvel work (even though Stan welcomed him back in the credits of TALES TO ASTONISH #85 the same month).
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Part 2 of 9. The "new" Supreme Hydra reveals that he had previously "masqueraded" as The Grand Imperator of "THEM" (A.I.M.), and that Supreme Hydra is his "true" identity, the first indication that he had been the real behind-the-scenes architect of HYDRA all along. The plot to cause nuclear fallout while those responsible sit it out underground is similar to that in the Matt Helm film THE SILENCERS (1966). Jim Steranko's 1st work for Marvel.
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Part 3 of 9. The method Fury used to contact SHIELD without a radio was later used in the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA episode, "The Hand Of God". Laura Brown's previous appearance in STRANGE TALES #141 (February 1966).
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Part 4 of 9. Clipper Charlie named in STRANGE TALES #164 (January 1968). Fury's Porsche 904, which has been in use since STRANGE TALES #135 (August 1965) is destroyed in this episode; he would get a new car in STRANGE TALES #162 (November 1967). After 2 episodes where Fury's appearance remained the same, he appears to lose a lot of weight in this one as Steranko begins to modify his appearance. Jack Kirby, who plotted every SHIELD episode up to this point, finally departs. While known for "seat-of-the-pants" plotting, it appears that on the next-to-last page of his final episode, he'd figured out the true identity of the Supreme Hydra-- but readers would have to wait 3 more months to learn the truth! Until next Masterworks volume is published, reprints of this story continue in NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (Marvel, 2000 series) nn (May 2000).
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1st modern-day appearance of Nick Fury. A villain very similar to the Hate-Monger, The Rabble-Rouser, fought the Human Torch in STRANGE TALES #119 (April 1964). The identical piece of equipment, a "Thru-The-Ground Tank," was used by The Hate Monger, The Rabble Rouser, and by The Fixer in STRANGE TALES #142 (March 1966), suggesting HYDRA supplied all 3 of them with equipment! (Very fitting that one neo-Nazi group was supplying equipment to another, though each may not have known of the other's true connection to the actual Third Reich.) Despite his obvious death, The Hate-Monger would return in NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD #9-11 (February-April 1969); the truth about The Hate-Monger would finally be revealed in SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #16-17 (May 1979-June 1980).
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