Fury (1994)
Cover artist: Lou Harrison
Writer: Barry Dutter
Penciler:  M.C. Wyman
Inkers: Chris Ivey and Greg Adams
Letterer: John Workman
Logo Design Dave Sharpe

Nick Fury brings the Delite LMD to Tony Stark in order to find some clue amongst its remains. The session prompts Fury to reminisce about the origins of SHIELD under its original director Rick Stoner and the events leading up to Fury taking command. Stark finds a microchip inside which plays a hologram of Von Strucker explaining that the Delite Affair and the Death Head's squad was all an elaborate ruse to deflect attention away from Von Strucker's resurrection plans. The LMD self destructs (in five seconds no less) but Stark manages to contain the explosion within a force field.

• Continuity Notes
• Cover Appearance
• First appearance of Rick Stoner, the original director of S.H.I.E.L.D
• Appearances by Tony Stark, Wolverine, Von Strucker, Scorpio, Jake Fury, and the Howling Commandos.
• Story reprinted in S.H.I.E.L.D.: Hydra Reborn. The cover for the oneshot features as the back cover to the trade.

Review
Another example of Marvel revisionism which in reality is no better then what stood before. A brief intro by Ralph Macchio explains that he and writer Barry Dutter didn't think that the Fury vs S.H.I.E.L.D.  limited series gelled too well on plausibility; so now we have that the Delite Affair, plus more, was all just a little diversion to keep Fury entertained(?!). That huge hurdle of logic aside, the book makes for a fair intro to new readers to S.H.I.E.L.D. about who the players are, but is bound to irrate and drive insane long time fans with its countless continuity mistakes.

I'm a big fan of Wyman's work, nothing too flashy or over-muscled, just plain old-fashioned solid artwork. Nick Fury has boasted some trippy artwork in his history, but in the end the character is best served by the more realistic artists who help set him apart from the other super-hero stuff going about. The cover artwork by Lou Harrison makes Fury looks a little too William Shatner.

As time goes on, this oneshot ages worse and worse; fitting no where really in continuity and would maybe be better treated as a What If, if not for its possible insights into the Fury/Agent 13 miniseries. The character of Rick Stoner would have made for a more interesting character if not for his many similarities to Fury himself.

Rating