S.H.I.E.L.D.


 * For the planned film, see S.H.I.E.L.D. (film).

"What does S.H.I.E.L.D. stand for Agent Ward?" "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division." "And what does that mean to you?" "It means that someone really wanted our initials to spell S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

- Maria Hill and Grant Ward

The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, better known by its acronym S.H.I.E.L.D., is a secret United States extra-governmental military counter-terrorism and intelligence agency run by Nick Fury.

Protecting the mankind
"I can be in Afghanistan by sunrise, Director Fury." "You can. But you won't. We're the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Note the word "Homeland". We're not currently authorized for foreign ops."

- Phil Coulson and Nick Fury

The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division is a U.S. government agency. Howard Stark was a founding member. Nick Fury is the current executive head of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents have included Phil Coulson, Natasha Romanoff, Jasper Sitwell, Clint Barton, and Maria Hill.

After Tony Stark escaped from captivity in Afghanistan using a special armor he built, Agent Phil Coulson repeatedly attempted to talk to him. Later on, Pepper Potts informed Agent Coulson of Obadiah Stane's armor. Coulson and several other agents attempted to arrest Stane, but were defeated. Coulson later came up with a cover story for Stark, one which Stark refused to use. S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury informed Stark of the Avengers Initiative.

In the following year, S.H.I.E.L.D agents Phil Coulson, and Natasha Romanoff, alongside Fury watched over Stark. Stark panned the agency as running a "superhero boy band" and later learned that his father was a founding member.

General Thaddeus Ross used the S.H.I.E.L.D. servers to help him track the e-mails from the fugitive Bruce Banner.

The Big Week
"What is all this?" "S.H.I.E.L.D. Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Your tax dollars at work. Hard work. We keep our fingers on America's pulse, and believe me, America has veins in every section of the world."

- Tony Stark and Phil Coulson

The World Security Council ordered S.H.I.E.L.D. to send an agent to ask General Thaddeus Ross to release Emil Blonsky into their custody. They see him as a war hero and a perfect addition to Fury’s Avenger Initiative, and blame his fight in New York City with Bruce Banner on Banner. At Sitwell's urging, Coulson reluctantly sends the consultant: Tony Stark to annoy the General so that Blonsky will remain in prison. The next day, Sitwell informs Coulson that their plan worked and the Abomination would remained locked away. S.H.I.E.L.D. investigated the discovery of Thor's hammer on Earth. When Thor broke into the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound to recover his hammer, he was thwarted by the hammer's power to refuse him and was then captured and interrogated. After releasing the Asgardian, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents then moved to investigate a series of arcane rings carved into the earth not far from the compound. They were interrupted from their investigation by the arrival of the Destroyer, a colossal sentinel sent by Loki to eliminate Thor. The Destroyer, having swept the S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel aside effortlessly, was soon beaten by Thor who then announced that S.H.I.E.L.D. could count him as an ally.

Dr. Selvig was taken to a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility where he met Nick Fury. Fury asked Selvig to study the recently-discovered Tesseract, an object of limitless power. Selvig agreed while Loki watched. A year later, S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives in the Arctic uncovered Captain America's body in the Red Skull's airship from WWII. Rogers awoke in a room designed to appear as if it were still the early 1940s. Deducing the truth and escaping to Times Square, Rogers learned from S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Nick Fury that he had been asleep for nearly 70 years, and they had wanted to acclimate his reentry into modern times.

War for Earth
When Loki stole the Tesseract and escaped along with several enslaved S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, Director Fury reactivated the Avengers Initiative to counter the threat. Agent Romanoff was sent to bring in Dr. Banner, Agent Coulson was sent to retrieve Tony Stark, and Fury himself approached Steve Rogers, all in the hope that together these individuals might combine their respective talents to help with the problem of Loki and the missing Tesseract. S.H.I.E.L.D. assisted Rogers in his capture of Loki, and then provided a prison on the Helicarrier once Loki had been apprehended. It transpired that Loki had intended to be captured however, a ruse to sow the seeds of discord throughout the ranks of the forces assembled against him. His mind-controlled agents later attacked the Helicarrier to free him, heavily damaging it in the process. The attack became a bitter defeat for S.H.I.E.L.D, although Fury turned one of its defining losses into the motivational push that Stark and Rogers needed. In short order the remaining heroes set off in pursuit of Loki, and began referring to themselves as the Avengers.

During the Chitauri invasion in Manhattan, the World Security Council ordered the deployment of nuclear missile to the city in the hope of stopping the invasion. Nick Fury was able to stop a jet carrying a nuke from taking off, but was unable to prevent another. With Fury's help, Iron Man was able to prevent the other missile from detonating over New York City.

New actions
After the Avengers' victory and departure, S.H.I.E.L.D. continued its normal military activities. When two bank robbers, Claire Wise and Benjamin Pollack, come into possession of a Chitauri weapon, Agent Blake sends Jasper Sitwell to kill them and retrieve the weapon. Sitwell tracks them to a motel and stays in the room next to theirs. He disturbs them with loud music and Benny goes to investigate. Sitwell attacks Benny, who warns Claire of the ambush. Claire then attacks Sitwell with the Chitauri weapon. During the struggle, the gun destroys most of the room, but is broken in the process. Sitwell ties up Benny and Claire, but decides not to kill them when he discovers that the gun was working because Benny, who was a scientist, had repaired it. Seeing a great potential in the couple, Sitwell recruits Benny and Claire in S.H.I.E.L.D. as special agents, much to Blake's disappointment.

Some time after the battle of New York, Phil Coulson assembled a small, highly trained team of Agents to tackle the cases that haven’t been classified yet, the new, the strange and the unknown.

Weapons
Regular S.H.I.E.L.D. field agents are usually equipped with a 9mm pistol. A military branch used for heavy security has access to military grade personal armaments. A few selected elite agents carry less conventional armaments, such as explosives, or bows. The S.H.I.E.L.D. project titled, "Phase 2", is dedicated to advancing alien technology weapons and reverse-engineer them into laser weapons.
 * Destroyer Armor Prototype Gun

Equipment
S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel have access to an extensive array of cutting edge technology at their disposal. A supply contract with Stark Industries ensures that they have some of the most advanced weapons and equipment available. S.H.I.E.L.D. maintains a fleet of Acura vehicles for the regular deployment of field agents and scientists. S.H.I.E.L.D. editions of the Acura MDX, Acura TL, and the Acura ZDX are painted in black and equipped with sophisticated surveillance technology. The military arm of S.H.I.E.L.D. uses a range of surface vehicles suitable for urban security, and aircraft with combat capabilities extending to fighter jets and helicopters. This branch also has access to previously unknown aircraft types.
 * Helicarrier - Airborne aircraft carrier
 * Quinjet - Armed VTOL transport

Notable Members

 * Nick Fury
 * Phil Coulson
 * Natasha Romanoff
 * Clint Barton
 * Maria Hill
 * Sharon Carter
 * Alexander Pierce
 * Jasper Sitwell
 * Erik Selvig
 * Steve Rogers
 * Tony Stark
 * Jane Foster
 * Blake
 * Claire Wise
 * Benjamin Pollack
 * Grant Ward
 * Melinda May
 * Leo Fitz
 * Jemma Simmons
 * Skye
 * Sam Wilson

Former members

 * Howard Stark (Deceased)
 * Peggy Carter
 * Flynn

Allies

 * Thor
 * Bruce Banner
 * Darcy Lewis
 * Thaddeus Ross
 * Pepper Potts
 * James Rhodes
 * Avengers

Enemies

 * Obadiah Stane
 * Ivan Vanko
 * Justin Hammer
 * Hammer Drones
 * Emil Blonsky
 * Georgi Luchkov
 * The Destroyer
 * Loki
 * Chitauri

Video game only

 * A.I.M.
 * Kearson DeWitt
 * Crimson Dynamo