You probably think you know Nick Fury. You see the eye patch, the leather trench coat, and the cool-headed authority of Samuel L. Jackson and think, "Yeah, that's the guy." But if you pick up a nick fury comic book from 1963, you’re going to be staring at a cigar-chomping white dude leading a squad of soldiers through the mud of World War II.
It’s jarring. Honestly, the history of this character is one of the weirdest, most convoluted games of "identity telephone" in publishing history. He wasn't always a super-spy. He wasn't always the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. And for a long time, he wasn't even the guy we see in the movies.
The Sarge and the Spy: Two Very Different Furys
Most fans don’t realize that Nick Fury actually had two distinct "lives" before the MCU even existed. He started in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1. This was Stan Lee and Jack Kirby basically doing a war movie in print. He was loud. He was messy. He didn't have an eye patch.
Then, the 1960s happened. James Bond became the biggest thing on the planet, and Marvel wanted a piece of that "spy-fi" pie. Suddenly, in Strange Tales #135, the Sergeant was promoted to Colonel and put in charge of a high-tech agency called S.H.I.E.L.D.
This is where the nick fury comic book truly became legendary. Jim Steranko took over the art and turned the series into a psychedelic, pop-art masterpiece. He introduced the "Life Model Decoys" (LMDs)—those android body doubles that let writers kill Fury off every three issues only to reveal it was a robot all along. It was weird. It was experimental. It changed how comics were drawn forever.
The Infinity Formula Problem
How does a guy who fought in WWII still look like he’s in his 40s during the 1990s? The comics came up with a classic trope: the Infinity Formula. It’s basically a serum that slows his aging to a crawl. But there was a catch—if he stopped taking it, he’d age 50 years in a week. This "forever young" status lasted for decades until Marvel decided they needed to align the comics with the movies.
How Samuel L. Jackson Actually Entered the Comics
This is the part everyone gets mixed up. People think Marvel cast Sam Jackson and then changed the comics to match him. It was actually the opposite.
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Back in 2002, writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch were reimagining the Marvel Universe for a new line called "Ultimate Marvel." They wanted a more modern, cinematic feel. When Hitch drew the Ultimate version of Nick Fury, he intentionally used Samuel L. Jackson’s likeness without actually asking him.
There is a famous scene in The Ultimates #2 where the heroes are discussing who would play them in a movie. Fury’s answer? "Mr. Samuel L. Jackson, of course. No discussion."
When Jackson saw his face in a nick fury comic book, he didn't sue. Instead, he called his agent and basically secured the right to play the character in any future films. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy.
[Image comparing original 616 Nick Fury and Ultimate Nick Fury]
The "Secret Son" Strategy: Bringing "Movie Fury" to the Main Universe
By 2012, Marvel had a problem. The "main" comic universe (Earth-616) still had the old, cigar-chomping white guy, but the movies had the Sam Jackson version. They couldn't just magically turn one into the other without a massive reboot.
So, they introduced Marcus Johnson.
In a miniseries called Battle Scars, we meet Marcus, an Army Ranger who discovers his real father is the original Nick Fury. Through a series of traumatic events—including losing his eye—Marcus takes on the name Nick Fury Jr. He looks exactly like the movie version. He joins S.H.I.E.L.D. He becomes the "main" Fury. Meanwhile, the original Fury was turned into "The Unseen," a cosmic entity forced to watch Earth from the moon as punishment for killing a Watcher. Yeah, comics get pretty wild.
Essential Nick Fury Runs You Should Actually Read
If you want to understand the character beyond the surface level, you can't just read the modern stuff. You have to go back to the shifts in tone.
- S.H.I.E.L.D. by Jim Steranko: This is essential for the visuals alone. It’s 1960s spy-chic at its peak. It feels like a fever dream.
- Secret Warriors by Jonathan Hickman: This is arguably the best "master manipulator" version of Fury. He’s gone rogue, he’s outsmarting Hydra, and he’s using a team of superpowered kids as pawns. It’s cold, calculated, and brilliant.
- Fury MAX: My War Gone By: Written by Garth Ennis, this is for adults only. No superheroes. Just Nick Fury navigating the dirty side of the Cold War. It’s gritty, depressing, and incredibly well-written.
- Original Sin: This is the event that effectively "retired" the original Fury. It shows just how many dark secrets he was keeping to protect the planet.
Why Nick Fury Still Matters
The nick fury comic book archetype is the "man with the plan" who doesn't have powers but controls the people who do. He is the ultimate cynic. While Captain America represents the dream, Fury represents the reality of what it takes to keep that dream alive.
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He’s a liar. He’s a manipulator. He’s probably the most untrustworthy "good guy" in fiction. But that’s what makes him fascinating. He’s the only person in the room who knows exactly how many ways the world could end by Tuesday.
Next Steps for the Budding Historian:
- Check out "The Scorpio Connection": It’s a classic graphic novel that explores Fury's relationship with his brother and defines the personal stakes of his spy life.
- Look for the "Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D." miniseries (1988): It’s a great entry point for seeing the organization crumble from within, long before Captain America: The Winter Soldier did it on screen.
- Track down "Get Fury": A recent 2024/2025 release by Garth Ennis that goes back to the Vietnam era. It’s a masterclass in tension between Fury and Frank Castle.