FBI, CIA, S.H.I.E.L.D., The Secret Service...

[mgs]

Sorry all, this is a question I should know, and have briefly looked up, but can't get enough facts on...

What is the relationship to all these agencies in the Marvel U? Are they all even in the Marvel U? And if so, how do they relate to each other?

It seems like with Shield being so powerful that there might not be a need for the other agencies, but that is also not very realistic and I'm sure there are multiple government agencies in the Marvel U. that check and balance each other, right?

O.o *Seriously wondering*

[seekquaze]

Sorry all, this is a question I should know, and have briefly looked up, but can't get enough facts on...

What is the relationship to all these agencies in the Marvel U? Are they all even in the Marvel U? And if so, how do they relate to each other?

It seems like with Shield being so powerful that there might not be a need for the other agencies, but that is also not very realistic and I'm sure there are multiple government agencies in the Marvel U. that check and balance each other, right?

O.o *Seriously wondering*

Technically, CIA, FBI, and the Secret Service would all be the same as their real world counterparts and would fulfill those functions as American Agencies.

Technically, SHIELD is supposed to be an international agency run by the U. N., but writers either forget this or due to American influence (maybe America foots most of the bill?) it tends to be run by Americans and answer more or less to the president.

In purpose, SHIELD tends to have access to better technology, able to function on foreign soil with less hassle, and generally deal with any other major issues that those other agencies don't or can't.

In short, while those others are American law enforcement agencies SHIELD in theory is meant to be a world law enforcement agency.

[mgs]

So they all do exist in the Marvel U, and SHIELD acts like the hammer of the UN? O.o

Thanks for the info, seek. :)

[mikekerr3]

Technically, CIA, FBI, and the Secret Service would all be the same as their real world counterparts and would fulfill those functions as American Agencies.

Technically, SHIELD is supposed to be an international agency run by the U. N., but writers either forget this or due to American influence (maybe America foots most of the bill?) it tends to be run by Americans and answer more or less to the president.

In purpose, SHIELD tends to have access to better technology, able to function on foreign soil with less hassle, and generally deal with any other major issues that those other agencies don't or can't.

In short, while those others are American law enforcement agencies SHIELD in theory is meant to be a world law enforcement agency.

Just a question when did the world get laws and who has the authority to make them. The UN is not a goverment.

[Expletive Deleted]

Just a question when did the world get laws and who has the authority to make them.

When we started talking about a fictional world where international terrorists wear silly costumes and have lots of kirbytech doomsday devices?

[RonnieThunderbolts]

Just a question when did the world get laws and who has the authority to make them. The UN is not a goverment.

The purpose of the UN is to facilitate International Law and ensure Human rights. What exactly would there purpose be if there were no laws and regulations to uphold and facilitate. The UN was created in 1945, but I get the feeling you were being facetious when you asked when the world got laws. While they don't create or enforce rules and regulations on non-UN Nations, they are a governing force of sorts to those nations who are UN members. The UN is not a government that governs people, no, but it does deal with governing nations.

[TotalWorldDomination]

Sorry all, this is a question I should know, and have briefly looked up, but can't get enough facts on...

What is the relationship to all these agencies in the Marvel U? Are they all even in the Marvel U? And if so, how do they relate to each other?

It seems like with Shield being so powerful that there might not be a need for the other agencies, but that is also not very realistic and I'm sure there are multiple government agencies in the Marvel U. that check and balance each other, right?

O.o *Seriously wondering*

In the Marvel Universe, SHEILD acts as an extragovermental agency that appears to have jurisdiction over any and all situations where "The Peace" will be disturbed. Amazingly enough, while being a UN agency, SHEILD is propagated by Americans, and has a fairly "pro-American" slant- it differs to the american goverment and uses it's power to further the western NATO alliance power structure.

It's an agency with a mandate that lets them investigate ANYTHING, ANYWHERE for ANY REASON, something that no real-world agency has. It's power is nearly unquestioned, it's been seen to override and deputize law enforcement of every nation, and though it serves the entire planet it seems to spend 90% of it's time worrying about american security.

In the "The Hood" Miniseries, 2 FBI agents complain that there agency is totally useless in the face of SHIELD's slow overtake of the US law enforcement. The Initiative was shown protecting the President rather then the secret service in Past issues of "Avengers: The Initiative". I can't think of an instance where the CIA affected comics, perhaps someone else can help you with that.

On a side note, I'd say that the goverment and constitution of the United States must be very different in the MU, because I know of no goverment that would allow an agency that is answerable to the UN to enforce law on american soil. I can see it during the Civil War (time of war after all, we called for Allied assistance), but the concept of SHIELD makes little sense if you try to apply real-world logic or law enforcement systems to it.

Technically, SHIELD is supposed to be an international agency run by the U. N., but writers either forget this or due to American influence (maybe America foots most of the bill?) it tends to be run by Americans and answer more or less to the president.

America foots most of the Bill for the UN, but the UN spends most of it's time criticizing the united states. The UN Human Rights Commission has had nations on it that have horrible human rights records, precisely because America has little power to influence there appointment. China, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria, Libya, and Vietnam have all been members of the commission, and Sudan was elected to it without objections by committee member nations DURING THE ETHNIC CLEANSING IN DARFUR.

Marvel should cut the cord and make SHIELD an American agency. It basically is already. Having it tied to the UN is folly.

When we started talking about a fictional world where international terrorists wear silly costumes and have lots of kirbytech doomsday devices?

To be fair to Mike (I know, this is ME defending Mike here...) Marvel purports to be "The Real World, With Superheroes". DC is the break from reality, Marvel claims to be grounded in it. I have no qualms about the DC heroes doing whatever they do and very few real-world effects coming in. Marvel should be darker and take the real socio-political consequences in hand. Either that or start making a clean break from reality (electing a fictional president might be a good start). They can't have it both ways.

The purpose of the UN is to facilitate International Law and ensure Human rights. What exactly would there purpose be if there were no laws and regulations to uphold and facilitate. The UN was created in 1945, but I get the feeling you were being facetious when you asked when the world got laws. While they don't create or enforce rules and regulations on non-UN Nations, they are a governing force of sorts to those nations who are UN members. The UN is not a government that governs people, no, but it does deal with governing nations.

The UN can't enforce it's regulations at all in the real world, every time they try to they vote not to. The Security Council would have at least one member vetoing almost all of SHIELD's actions, and due to biases in the organization there is little chance of an American getting voted in as it's leader.

[Expletive Deleted]

They can't have it both ways.

Sure they can. The mission statement of "real world, with superheroes" is already trying to do that. The "with superheroes" addendum implies some amount of unreality. SHIELD's mere existence indicates that the setting has to work slightly differently from the real world in order to accommodate it. If the setting were the real world, SHIELD could never exist because the UN isn't set up to do that sort of thing.

[jackolover]

Wasn't it mentioned in the books, that Nick Fury went from the CIA, into the Director of SHIELDs chair?

[Willowhugger]

Assume that the United States' stated policies on sovereignty were run by Woodrow Wilson ideals and the American Congress ratified treaties that allowed a international military force to exist with direct authority answering to the United Nations as a State Body as opposed to a diplomatic forum.

[These are huge What Ifs, I know. Effectively, it's going with the idea that a World Government theoretically DOES exist in the form of a Confederation in the Marvel Universe. I.e. The United Nations Members having semi-autonomy but fundamentally being answerable to a higher authority]

Now assume this International Military Force is given authority to deal with international terrorism, super villains (potatoe---tomatoe), alien attack, and assist nations in tackling criminal enforcement within the bounds of their territory.

S.H.I.E.L.D. is that agency.

Ironically, the old Doctor Who is a good example of how to deal with this. UNIT is essentially the same organization as S.H.I.E.L.D. In Doctor Who, the Brigadier and his men are all soldiers of the United Nations but are all British soldiers. There's an understated assumption that the chain of command with alien threats is meant to be international but the Host Government will provide all of the troops and commanding officers.

That actually might explain SHIELD and the United States/U.N. fairly well.

In the United States, all the troopers are provided for by America but with the permission of the Host Government (directly given or ratified by treaty), S.H.I.E.L.D can intervene directly with foreign troops.

It flies in the face of how our government reacts to things with the U.N. but something very similiar existed in microism with NATO. In the face of Skrulls, Kree, Hydra, Magneto, and so on then there might actually be a world-wide treaty for it.

Of course, even this theoretical government would be aghast at Tony Stark overthrowing Madripoor's government of his own initiative.

Marvel should cut the cord and make SHIELD an American agency. It basically is already. Having it tied to the UN is folly.

I remind you that S.H.I.E.L.D was set up during the 1960s and Cold War era. The United Nations was created during an optimistic period when it was believed that the entire world might actually come under some basic human rights. Furthermore, the modern state of the United Nations as a lame duck is a bit of a new incarnation.

As early as George Bush Sr., he was attempting to enforce the doctrine that the United States would not go to war with any other nation (himself a former CIA director) without the United Nations' explicit seal of approval. Likewise, the interventions in Somalia and Bosnia were both done under United Nations seals of approval.

It's really only during the War of Terror that the United States has thoroughly shredded the notion of it having any particular hold on its stronger nations (and don't think I'm being accusatory---China and Russia had already started showing the flaws by that point as well). When the USA, China, and Russia all start ignoring the United Nations then its pretty much dead in the water.

But yes, basically, in short in Marvel continuity it goes like this.

1. S.H.I.E.L.D like U.N.C.L.E. (it's obvious inspiration) is created to destroy Hydra. All the world's resources is devoted to destroying HYDRA. Just like Thrush and Uncle.

2. Shield works out pretty well.

3. Its mission is expanded to destroy all terrorists.

4. It's mission is expanded to destroy aliens.

5. It's mission is to help with huge nasty Law enforcement.

6. Shield is everywhere.

7. Oddly, the USA rejects SHIELD and turns over the Initiative to the Comission on Superhumans lead by Norman Osbourne.

[HartyPotter]

I figure that SHIELD is a global intelligence agency that specializes in superhumans.

[RonnieThunderbolts]

7. Oddly, the USA rejects SHIELD and turns over the Initiative to the Comission on Superhumans lead by Norman Osbourne.

Very good points all around, but Norman Osborn works for the CSA as the head of the Thunderbolts, he doesn't head the CSA as a whole. It is made up of a council, with several heads, not including Osborn.

[RolandJP]

When we started talking about a fictional world where international terrorists wear silly costumes and have lots of kirbytech doomsday devices?

Viva la Kirbytech.

Kirby invented the internet. the Blu-ray disc, and Quiznos

[Michael P]

Fun Fact: The Secret Service is technically an arm of the Treasury Department. So, in addition to protecting the President and other officials, they also investigate counterfeiting and other monetary crimes.

[Whitster]

Technically, SHIELD is supposed to be an international agency run by the U. N., but writers either forget this or due to American influence (maybe America foots most of the bill?) it tends to be run by Americans and answer more or less to the president.

This was one of the key themes in the Fury MAX series.