Secret Warriors #24-28 "Wheels Within Wheels"
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Alessandro Vitti
Color Artist: Imaginary Friends Studio
Letterer: Dave Lanphear
Cover Artist:Paul Renaud

In 1961, the ancient and mysterious Shield group gathers together the future spy masters of S.H.I.E.L.D., Leviathan, The Hand, and Hydra for secret missions to obtain alien technology buried around the world. This leads to betrayal among the recruited spies. The group led by the Russians are imprisoned by Von Strucker after trying to appropriate enhancement and life-extension technology. The Furys uncover the alien tech that would eventually lead to the Life Model Decoy.

Following the death of Mikel Fury on a mission to destroy the last of the Hydra Hives bases, Fury and Von Strucker are seemingly captured by Kraken. The long-missing Jake Fury reveals himself to be Kraken, and Von Strucker learns that Fury has always been pulling strings behind the Leviathan/Hydra war. Fury shoots Von Strucker in the head, ending their decades-long feud. Orion finds his enhanced Leviathan soldiers exploding, also a result of a long-planned ploy by Nick Fury.

The United Nations establishes a new S.H.I.E.L.D. agency under the supervision of Senator Reb Ralston with Daisy Johnson as director. The new agency combines the formerly secret caterpillars teams run by Fury and former members of the old S.H.I.E.L.D. like Dum Dum Dugan and Alexander Pierce..

Following the demise of Leviathan, the Countessa turns herself in to German security forces, where Fury watches closely, seemingly intent to break her out.

Continuity Notes

Final appearance by Mikel Fury.

An alternate take on the origins of Life Model Decoy technology is presented.

Jake Fury is revealed to be alive and was working as a deep-cover operative, posing as Kraken.

These issues claim that Nick Fury battled an early unstable LMD of Jake Fury as Scorpio.

Nick Fury shoots Baron Von Strucker in the head.

Fury leaves a new S.H.I.E.L.D. for Daisy Johnson to lead.

Review:
The culmination of this ambitious series does not disappoint, although I can't pretend to understand everything.

The final mission by Mikel Fury validates a character that had tons of potential. The recruitment of his team is mildly interesting, although like many of these "secret warriors", it's mostly a case of overload with too many characters. A team-up between Mikel and Marcus Johnson would have made a great What If issue. .

The final showdown between Fury and Von Strucker is quieter than expected. Hickman plays against expectations, with the opposite of the big physical brawls seen in pages of Strange Tales and S.H.I.E.L.D. (2). Instead we get an overturning of the twist presented at series opening (and the same twist used in Nick Fury Vs S.H.I.E.L.D.) with Fury revealed to be pulling the strings. It's satisfying as it presents both antagonists as master tacticians. Hickman punctuates the sequence with perhaps one of the most violent acts we've seen Fury commit outside of the MAX comics, but it's well earned. The end of Leviathan is a bit under whelming, but it works. The Gorgon escapes the series unscathed so here's hoping he'll rematch with Fury one day..

The ties presented in these last issues to Hickman's SHIELD series involving the Zodiac and the hunt for alien technology I have to admit goes over my head. I only read the first volume of the series, and I'm not altogether sure what was the plan behind the gathering of the spies was about. The idea that Jake Fury was alive the whole time and posing as Kraken I suppose doesn't contradict much continuity with the LMD ploy (the originals were always a little twitchy) but as I've said before the Life Model Decoy gag is so overdone that even when it's used well, it ultimately disappoints. The origin of the Life Model Decoy itself as alien has been seen before back in S.H.I.E.L.D. (2).

The new status quo established at series end is a good one, fulfilling Bendis' plans for Daisy "Quake" Johnson way back in the Secret War miniseries. Seeing her take command of a new team made up of old favorites and new characters introduced in this series makes for a very satisfying ending. Fury's meeting with Steve Rogers is a poingiant one and showcases why a hero likes Captain America has Nick Fury as a friend. Hickman acknowledges the intriguing difference between them Captain America and Nick Fury; one leapfrogging from WW II into the modern day, the other living through all the history and facing it, having to struggle to maintain his ideals. The final coda with Fury and Val is the best ending one could ask for.
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