A Non-Comic Reader's Guide To "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Like the coming of Galactus, Marvel Entertainment has dominated everything in its path over the last five years. The company is number one in comic book sales and puts out movies every year that redefine the term blockbuster. Now the House of Ideas is looking to conquer the one medium that has always eluded it: television. The last time the company has had a top-rated show in primetime was back in the ‘70s, when Lou Ferrigno was stripped town to a tattered pair of shorts and covered in green paint.

A lot has changed since then, and with modern special effects and a new generation of fans, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is ready to bring the company to the small screen on Tuesday, September 24, at 8 p.m. The show picks up where 2012’s The Avengers left off with the skilled members of S.H.I.E.L.D. dealing with a new reality where superheroes are as common in Manhattan as naked cowboys and skyscrapers.

We’re still in the dark about many of the details of the show, but we do know that eagle-eyed comic book fans everywhere will be picking apart the debut episode, looking for easter eggs and clues that only hardcore followers will catch. But what about everyone else? Well, we’ve got you covered.

Even if you don’t know the difference between S.H.I.E.L.D. or S.W.O.R.D., or why Nick Fury is suddenly black, we’ll turn you into an expert with A Non-Comic Book Fan's Guide to Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

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Debut: Strange Tales #135 (1965)
Creators: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

During the mid-‘60s, when fictional spies like James Bond and the British version of The Avengers were causing mayhem on a global scale, Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby decided to bring some of that espionage flare to the pages of Marvel with the introduction of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Years prior, Nick Fury was the star of his own WWII comic titled Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos; Marvel dusted off the character and inserted him into the world of high-stakes action and espionage with a decidedly pop-art flavor.

While the original batch of stories focused more on Fury himself, with S.H.I.E.L.D. serving as background noise, Marvel soon expanded upon the concept by introducing new members of the organization and placing them throughout the company’s line of comics. Soon Fury was joined by agents like “Dum Dum” Dugan, Gabriel Jones, Clay Quatermain, Maria Hill, Jimmy Woo, and Sharon Carter to flesh out this international peace-keeping force.

In recent years, S.H.I.E.L.D has taken on a leadership role for some of the company’s most prominent heroes, most notably The Avengers. We expect Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D to ignore the groovy plots and sex appeal from the ‘60s and focus more on the modern incarnation of S.H.I.E.L.D.—a global force of agents that tackles any threat against Earth.

Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Dustin Weaver
In Jonathan Hickman’s S.H.I.E.L.D.: Architects of Forever, we’re given a look at the secret history of the Marvel Universe and how famous figures including Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newtown contributed creating the organization that we know today as S.H.I.E.L.D. As with all of Hickman’s work, this is a heady sci-fi epic with big ideas and widescreen action, courtesy of the meticulous artwork of Dustin Weaver.

Be warned, newcomers, this isn’t a book for lightweights. If you’re expecting a lot of Joss Whedon-esque quips and snark, look elsewhere. If you really want to know what makes S.H.I.E.L.D tick, Architects of Forever should give you the answers you’re looking for, with a touch of postmodern madness to go along with it.

Writers: Jim Steranko and Stan Lee
Artists: Jim Steranko and Jack Kirby
If you pick up one S.H.I.E.L.D. book in anticipation for the premiere of the show, make it Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. by Jim Steranko: The Complete Collection. This collection reprints the prominent S.H.I.E.L.D. stories from the '60s, which bring colorful spy action to the page in a way that no other book has been able to replicate since. It’s rare when the work by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby is nothing but an afterthought, but that’s just a testament to how jaw-dropping Jim Steranko’s art is here.

Steranko’s use of double-page spreads and pop-art is still regarded as some of the finest work to ever hit the medium. Think of him like Roy Lichtenstein with an imagination. In this collection, Fury and his agents cross paths with other Marvel heroes like the Fantastic Four and Captain America, while tangling with Hydra and a roster of other villains. This isn’t just the best S.H.I.E.L.D. book to read, it’s a must-have for any fan of Marvel.

First appearance: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 (1963)
Over the years, Nick Fury has become synonymous with S.H.I.E.L.D. Whether you prefer the original version or the Sam Jackson iteration from the movies, Nick Fury is the preeminent super spy of the Marvel Universe and the most famous leader of the organization. He doesn’t have the super powers of a Captain America or Wolverine, but Fury’s presence alone commands the respect of the entire comic book world.

It’s simply not S.H.I.E.L.D. without a little Fury, and although nothing has been confirmed as of yet, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Samuel L. Jackson show up at least once during the first season of the show. This would mark the character’s triumphant return to the small screen after the ill-fated made-for-TV movie, Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., starring David Hasselhoff, crash landed in 1998. Yes, that really happened, and, yes, it was just as bad as you're picturing in your head.

First appearance: New Avengers #4 (2005)
Many of you probably know Maria Hill because of Cobie Smulders’ portrayal of the character in 2012’s The Avengers, but Hill also happens to be one of the most important female Marvel characters in the comics over the past decade. She first made an impact after being named interim Executive Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the wake of Fury’s exile following the events of Secret War. Since then, she has played a big part in Marvel storylines like Civil War, Dark Reign, and Siege, including a stint as Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. under Tony Stark.

While word on an appearance by Nick Fury in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn’t been confirmed, we do know that Smulders will make a cameo in the show’s pilot. We’re not expecting her to have a big impact on the series, but Hill will be making her proper return in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

First appearance: Tales of Suspense #39 (1963)
That’s right, comic book newbs, not only was Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, at one time a member of S.H.I.E.L.D., he was actually the director of the entire organization for a while. You see, after the heroes of Marvel ripped each other limb from limb during Civil War, the people of Earth viewed Stark as one of the only Avengers they could trust. He was quickly appointed as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and was in charge of overseeing a group of government-sanctioned Avengers on Uncle Sam’s payroll.

This was the beginning of the organization’s most prominent stretch of dominance in the Marvel storylines. Stark’s militaristic and overbearing work with the group eventually led to its undoing, climaxing with S.H.I.E.L.D. temporarily being taken over by Norman Osborn, a.k.a. the Green Goblin. After Osborn was ousted, the group was re-organized with Stark no longer involved, but still working alongside it from time to time.

First appearance: Iron Man (2008)

The character of Phil Coulson breaks all the rules of the comic book world. He has no super powers, he's going bald, and before debuting in 2008's Iron Man, he never once appeared in a comic book. Yet somehow, fans latched onto actor Clark Gregg's everyman performance as the good-natured agent. Now Coulson is a fixture of the Marvel movies, comic books, and is the star of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

We know what you’re thinking: “Didn’t Coulson die during The Avengers?” Of course he did, but as we all know, death is merely a temporary inconvenience in a world where super soldiers and gods walk the streets of Manhattan. We’re not sure how Coulson’s sudden reappearance in the world of the living is going to be explained, but S.H.I.E.L.D. has been known to use LMDs (Life Model Decoys) in the past—so we're not really expecting Shakespeare here.

Ignoring conventional wisdom, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is foregoing established agents and superheroes from the Marvel comics for this show, and instead the producers and writers are bringing in a roster of original characters. First up, there's Ming-Na Wen, who most famously played Chun-Li in the Street Fighter movie, as Agent Melinda May, an expert pilot and weapons tactician. She is followed by Brett Dalton as Agent Grant Ward, Chloe Bennet as Skye, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, and Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jenna Simmons.

Although we wouldn’t mind seeing authentic S.H.I.E.L.D. agents like “Dum Dum” Dugan, Gabriel Jones, Jimmy Woo, or Sharon Carter show up, an all-new cast of characters lends some much-needed unpredictability to the show. We won’t know much about these agents until the show begins to air, but with Coulson at the helm holding everything together, we’re more than willing to give them a chance.

Let’s face it, no matter how great the new agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. may be, we’re all waiting for some name-brand superheroes to show up and kick some villainous ass. Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of Marvel heroes take on stints in the organization including Elektra, Captain America, Iron Man, and even Wolverine. With the cross-pollination that Marvel is planning between this show and the movies, it only makes sense for Cap and Iron Man to show up at some point, especially during sweeps season.

If Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. are too busy being mega-millionaires to show up, Marvel could also introduce some of its lesser known properties, like Luke Cage and Iron Fist, instead. These heroes may never get their own big-budget movies, but appearances on the show could create enough interest among fans to get the green light for their own spinoff series. Imagine a Heroes for Hire TV series.

As we’ve seen in recent years, TV shows can be even more cinematic than blockbuster movies, with the right creators at the helm. We would gladly trade in a Luke Cage adaptation or a Daredevil reboot movie for a TV series with the same love and care that Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad get.

First appearance: Strange Tales #135 (1965)
It would be a sin against the comic book gods if HYDRA doesn’t rear its ugly venomous heads at some point, especially considering this was the first terrorist organization S.H.I.E.L.D. ever fought. In the comics, HYDRA is a cult led by Baron Strucker that is dedicated to the destruction of freedom and democracy. With the screams of "Hail, HYDRA”, this global threat would share some real world similarities with real terrorist organizations we see on the news every day, which would help give the show some gravitas.

An appearance by HYDRA would also tie into the Marvel Cinematic Universe even more because the group first appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger. However, their movie debut left much to be desired, so we would hope they get a facelift for S.H.I.E.L.D.

A.I.M.

First appearance: Strange Tales #146 (1966)
We know that A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) technically made its debut in Iron Man 3 this past summer, but it was such an inconsequential disappointment that we wouldn’t mind if the folks behind S.H.I.E.L.D. ignored it altogether and gave us a fresh look at this terrorist organization. In the comics, A.I.M. is a group of genius scientists who use their brilliance to build sophisticated weapons of destruction in order to overthrow the governments of civilized society.

We could see A.I.M. being a constant threat to S.H.I.E.L.D. that lurks in the background of the entire series. Unlike HYDRA, their plans aren’t as bombastic and public. Instead, A.I.M.’s goals are slow and meticulous, and we would love to see the conflict boil over during the course of a season or two.

Zodiac

First appearance: Avengers #72 (1970)
Alright, so we chose the first two S.H.I.E.L.D. threats because they were classics from the comics and they are more grounded in the real world for a TV budget. Zodiac is none of those things, which makes this group a whole lot more interesting. In the comics, Zodiac is the name of multiple groups of villains based on the astrological signs of Taurus, Aries, Virgo, and the rest of the horoscope standards. Armed with advanced weaponry and gaudy costumes, the members of Zodiac are the perfect foils for the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents because they would bring that trademark Marvel action to the small screen.

Obviously some much-needed updating would be necessary for Zodiac to be considered legitimate, especially since the group’s most diabolical scheme in the comics involved them bullying some farmers out of their land. But with the right tweaking, this could be a serious threat for S.H.I.E.L.D. to face.

Part of the brilliance of what Marvel has done with its films in recent years is that everything is connected to a larger overall storyline, and one of the consistent threads throughout this entire saga has been S.H.I.E.L.D.’s role in the world. When we first saw the organization in Iron Man, it consisted of a few agents who looked like they just aped the Men in Black motif. As the movies have progressed, we’ve seen the group take on a much more active role in Earth’s affairs to become the backbone of the Avengers Initiative.

In Iron Man 2, Nick Fury became a more fleshed out character as he openly tried to court Tony Stark to work for him, and we also got our first look at the Black Widow in action. Thor showed us S.H.I.E.L.D.’s involvement with the paranormal and supernatural when they tried to secure Thor’s hammer when it fell to Earth.

It wasn’t until Avengers that we finally saw the team as the paramilitary force they are in the comics. For those new to this world, you can expect the show to follow this theme by being part cop drama, part mystery, and part comic book adaptation to satisfy all of our basic television cravings.