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S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional paramilitary counterterrorism and intelligence organization that operates in the universe of Marvel Comics. It originated in Strange Tales #135 (1965) in a story created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Traditionally, the organization has been led by Nick Fury. It was created at a time when James Bond, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Secret Agent Man, and other fictional spies were the rage. The idea was to create a Marvel Comics version of this trend. The series title was officially Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

In those days S.H.I.E.L.D. stood for Supreme Headquarters International Espionage and Law-enforcement Division, and was a federal government agency. It featured characters that were prominent in the World War II military book Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandoes. Nick Fury, now wearing an eye-patch and having achieved the rank of Colonel, functions as the Director of the organization. His ex-corporal, Thaddeus “Dum-Dum” Dugan is his cigar chomping, bowler hat wearing second in command.

While Bond had S.P.E.C.T.R.E. and U.N.C.L.E. had THRUSH, S.H.I.E.L.D. had the evil organization Hydra, a terrorist organization with goals of world domination. Hydra was founded by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. Strucker was a Nazi who had worked for Hitler during the war, and had served as a villain in the Sgt. Fury series. Hydra agents were presented as fanatics, wearing a green uniform and mask that totally covered their heads. They would say, "Hail Hydra" as a salute. They would sometimes chant, "Hail Hydra, Mighty Hydra, Immortal Hydra. Cut off an arm, and two more shall take its place." They were sort of a cross between the Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan.

S.H.I.E.L.D. stories were like James Bond stories to the Nth degree, with incredible technology and mind-boggling danger that only an over-the-top Marvel comic book can provide. It was associated with two incredible pieces of technology.

The first was the organization's amazing helicarrier. The first S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters was located in a giant underground complex under an ordinary looking Barber Shop in Manhattan. This was replaced by the incredible Helicarrier, which was a flying and hovering giant aircraft carrier. Besides the Helicarrier, S.H.I.E.L.D. has secret bases all over the world.

Besides the famous S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, the other amazing piece of technology was the Life Model Decoys, or LMDs for short. LMDs are humanoid robots that look just like people. They can be made to replace or impersonate a real person, and are very convincing. They were supposed to be used to replace people who were in danger of being killed. Often, they were a handy plot devices when wanting to bring someone back who was killed in an earlier story. They could say, it wasn't really "he" that was killed, it was his Life Model Decoy.

In 1991, after being compromised by being infiltrated by enemy agents, S.H.I.E.L.D. was dispanded and reorganized. It now stood for Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage and Logistics Directorate under the funding of the United Nations. When circumstances forced Nick Fury to go underground, the organization was run by Maria Hill. She resigned because she did not want to be in charge of enforcing the Superhuman Registration Act (SHRA) and suggested Tony Stark, one of the SHRA’s strongest proponents, to replace her.

S.H.I.E.L.D. is currently directed by Tony Stark (Iron Man) on board the Helicarrier. Stark zealously enforces the SHRA, which requires that all superheroes become registered, licensed and supervised by the Federal Government. The faithful Dugan is still the second in command. Stark’s other priority is the Initiative, a plan to place a team of authorized trained and licensed superheroes in all fifty of the United States.