Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) might not be able to come back from his latest mistake in Secret Invasion, and that’s saying a lot, considering the entire series has been tracking his unraveling. Up until Secret Invasion, Fury was a larger-than-life figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. was the mastermind behind the Avengers initiative that saved Earth from extraterrestrial threats countless times. He was the thread that connected almost every hero in the shared universe, and his brilliance, resourcefulness, and ability to stay one step ahead of Earth’s threats seemed infallible.
Unfortunately, from the onset, Secret Invasion paints a very different picture of Fury. We find that Skrulls infiltrated Earth in a large-scale invasion completely undetected and undeterred by Fury. Additionally, he dropped the ball badly in Russia, failing to stop Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir)’s devastating terrorist attack on Vossoyedineniye Square. Then, in Secret Invasion episode 2, “Promises,” we learn that he indirectly caused the Skrull invasion; his broken promises to the Skrulls ignited the rebel spark among Gravik and his allies. Meanwhile, Fury has been refusing help, taking drastic measures, and costing allies their lives in his messy attempts to rectify the situation.
Some grace is necessary for Fury, considering that he was clearly changed by the Blip and unable to come to terms with his disappearance, resulting in him leaving Earth behind for a time. Even so, it has been hard to watch and comprehend the enormous mess he has made of things in Secret Invasion. Now, Secret Invasion episode 5, “Harvest,” has introduced one final mistake Fury has been carrying on his conscience, and it may be the most unforgivable one yet.
What did Nick Fury do in Secret Invasion episode 5?
Prior to “Harvest,” Secret Invasion revealed that Gravik had gotten his hands on the nanotech Extremis and the DNA of Groot (Vin Diesel), Frost Beasts, and Cull Obsidian, using both to give himself healing abilities and superpowers. Up until now, it wasn’t clear how Gravik obtained the super-powered DNA. Unfortunately, we learn that Fury is behind this, as well. In “Harvest,” Fury admits to Sonya Falsworth (Olivia Colman) that he harvested the DNA of the Avengers after the final battle in Avengers: Endgame. During this decisive battle, all of the Avengers shed blood, including Captain Marvel (Brie Larson). After it concluded, Fury sent his Skrull recruits out to collect DNA samples from all of the Avengers.
Gravik was among the Skrulls who retrieved the samples, making them aware that the Avengers’ DNA existed, though Fury hid them after collection. This is how Gravik managed to get the DNA samples of Groot and Obsidian, but now he’s going for the motherlode, and if he succeeds, it could have devastating consequences.
What will be the consequences of Fury’s mistake?
It remains to be seen if Gravik will morph into a Super-Skrull with the Avengers’ combined powers. One can only imagine the casualties and damage that would result from this happening, and Fury would be partially responsible for it. However, even if Fury somehow prevents that from happening and comes out of Secret Invasion alive, it’s hard to see him avoiding other consequences for this mistake. The mistakes he has made so far have been bad, but it can be argued that he didn’t anticipate the consequences of breaking his promise to the Skrulls. In this situation, though, it’s impossible to understand how he couldn’t have seen this backfiring.
Even the DNA of just one member of the Avengers could be used for nefarious purposes. Yet, he compiled all of the Avengers’ DNA into one vial, called it “The Harvest,” and didn’t think of what would happen if it got into the wrong hands. Not only that, but Fury instructed Skrulls—who he had no way of knowing he could trust—to collect the DNA of superheroes and allowed them to be privy to the existence of The Harvest. What on earth was he thinking?!
Not only does this mistake raise the question of Fury’s ability to continue the work he has done in the past, but also if the Avengers or any other heroes will want his aid in the future. This wasn’t just a bad decision, it was a betrayal of trust. On top of that, it isn’t even very clear why Fury would harvest the DNA of the Avengers. It was most likely part of some kind of contingency plan, but this wasn’t the same as him strategically planning ahead with things like the Avengers initiative. This just seems to be extreme paranoia to think some situation would arise where Fury would need the DNA of all of Earth’s major heroes, and that the necessity outweighed the risks. It also seems very callous that, at a time when members of his team were killed, injured, and at their lowest point, he would have the thought to betray their trust.
Fury will have a lot of people to answer to once his actions become known. While he was technically fired from his position earlier in the series, the firing was done by a Skrull, meaning he might get his old job back once the invasion is over. However, this development really raises the question of whether he should get his job back and work with heroes again, without at least taking some time off, acknowledging the impact the Blip has taken on him, and receiving support. This is why it’s concerning that The Marvels seems to show him at his old post again, though it’s unclear if the film will take place before or after Secret Invasion. It would be very odd, though, for the MCU to not acknowledge the consequences that should surely arise from Fury’s breach of trust.
(featured image: Disney+)
