Faced with a dark future, Nick Fury rallies his allies to confront this new threat, and fight in a Secret War!
The Story so Far...
Nick Fury: The New Initiative was pitched all the way back in 2019 as a prequel to the Infinity Showdown. While Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Loki were all supposed to deal with the fallout of Falcon's snap, Nick Fury was supposed to set the stage for how it all happened. Though some changes have been made since then, the base story is still the same at its core as it was all those years ago.
The New Initiative sees Fury in the aftermath of the Infinity War, which in the Face Front Universe played out a bit differently. Falcon never blipped, and as a result Thanos was killed in Wakanda and Thor was able to reverse his snap in 5 minutes instead of 5 years. Determined to make sure an extinction-level event like that never happens again, Fury tasks Captain Marvel with finding someone that can guard the Infinity Gauntlet full time, which as we saw led her to Adam Warlock.
Unfortunately, a simple mistake was made just after the Infinity War, with grave consequences. The Infinity Gauntlet was of course taken into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s possession, and Captain America was tasked with locking it away. Brining along Black Widow and Falcon, Commander Maria Hill led them to a top secret vault that only he and Widow had access to, per Fury's orders. But Steve felt that Sam should be able to get into the vault as well, convincing Hill to give the Falcon full unfettered access. The simple mistake I mentioned earlier.
As we all know, that decision backfired in a major way when Sam abused his privileges to gain access to the Infinity Gauntlet in order to get Episode 3 of his Face Front show, Sam Says, which had been cancelled due to lack of funds. We still don't know exactly why Sam went straight to the Infinity Gauntlet, but that may be revealed in time...
With the Gauntlet missing, and being thrust into the throes of a Secret War for the Cosmic Cube against the long believed to be dead Red Skull, Nick Fury decides that a new initiative is necessary. He creates a new team: The Secret Avengers. To fight the battles that only they can.
The Talent
I would like to welcome Face Front first-timer Leslie Schwan to the team! She brought her A-game to voice the most powerful hero in the Marvel Universe: Captain Marvel! Leslie is an experienced D&D player, so I knew she could do characters and voices. On top of that, she sounds just a little like Brie Larson herself! Leslie was so excited to be a part of the project, and I'm glad she came aboard.
I would also like to welcome back Rhema Thom as the voice of Commander Maria Hill! Rhema previously did a spectacular job as Mary Jane Watson-Parker in Spider-Man: Return to the Spider-Verse Episode 11: For the Love of MJ. Now Rhema's back, and in almost a complete 180 to the character she was before, is playing the no-nonsense Commander of S.H.I.E.L.D. And I must say, she CRUSHED the role!
Face Front veteran Eileen Nestman pulls double duty in this video as Black Widow and Minerva! Known mostly for her role as Ghost-Spider in the Spider-Verse videos, Eileen has done countless voices for the channel and I'm glad she's always down to do more for me. And let's not forget the beautiful sets and props she's built for the channel, several of which I use in this very video! Thank you Eileen! And make sure to Click Here to check out her YouTube channel!
Xavier Hernandez comes back as Nova, a character he previously did in Spider-Man: Web-Warriors Episode 7: Ultimate Spider-Man Part 1! Xavier is a big fan of Sam Alexander, and he captures the role so well. He's also not afraid to improvise a line or two, which is where Nova's vow to get the Infinity Gauntlet somehow came from!
And lastly, my sister Jaelen, who whenever I'm in a pinch and need a quick female voice, or just flat out forgot about one, she always comes through for me! She picked up additional voices for Gamora and the one female HYDRA agent in the bunch this time around. Thank you Jaelen!
Secret Wars Prequel Comic
Now, to longtime Face Front fans, the S.H.I.E.L.D. vs. HYDRA sequence may have looked familiar. Maybe a tickle in the back of your mind, some images unlocking core memories you didn't know you had? Well, that's because literal years ago, I told that story in a prequel comic detailing the beginning of the Secret War!
So why did I retell it in video form? Well, it's because the Secret War is a big part of the Face Front canon, and I'm not sure how many people read that comic from years ago. So I decided to make it a part of Nick Fury: The New Initiative, and bring it to life nearly panel for panel! Check it out below if you feel so inclined, and see the source material that part of the video was based on.
With all that covered, you know what time it is now. All of the hints, homages, and little surprises I've sprinkled throughout the video! It's time for Easter Eggs!
Easter Eggs
The Blip
That's right! I recreated the post credits scene for Avengers: Infinity War shot for shot (ish)! If you didn't realize, the video opens with what is probably the most traumatic experience of Nick Fury's life. But just before all hope was lost, he was sure to page his most trusted Avenger, Captain Marvel!
Links to the Tesseract
When Coulson informs Fury of the Cosmic Cube construction, he mentions several things you should note:
-It is being created by A.I.M., who were the original creators of the Cosmic Cube in the comics.
-Project Pegasus in the MCU was the department dedicated to studying the Tesseract, spearheaded by Mar-Vell and her light-speed engine, and continued by Dr. Selvig in The Avengers movie.
-Stuttgart, Germany is the location in the first Avengers movie where Loki arrives and makes his big "You will always kneel" speech.
Return of the Red Skull
Red Skull returns in The New Initiative, but I didn't take bringing back one of the biggest Marvel villains lightly! I recreated the final battle between him and Captain America from Captain America: The First Avenger. He also addressed his stay on the "desolate void in space known as Vormir". This, you'll recall, is the planet where Red Skull was exiled after that fated battle to become the keeper of the Soul Stone.
If you do recall these scenes from Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, you'll also know he greeted Soul Stone hopefuls with their full names and the name of their father. That is why in my video, I kept it consistent, with him addressing Fury as Nicholas Joseph Fury, Son of Jack.
We're the Line
I had a few Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. references in here. From mentioning Agent May, to Quake joining the Secret Avengers. One you may have missed was pretty subtle, but when Fury is giving his speech, he says: "We're the line between the world, and the battles they could never fight. We are S.H.I.E.L.D."
This was actually inspired by a line from Grant Ward (yeah, the HYDRA scum!) during his interview with Maria Hill in the first episode of the show. During this, Hill asks Ward what S.H.I.E.L.D. means to him, and after a snide remark about the acronym, he says "It means we're the line. Between the world and the much weirder world." That line stuck with me, and so I used it here!
Even When I'm Out, I'm In
Aside from that quote (which, by the way, I believe is Nick Fury's hardest line in the MCU) Nick Fury references that Skrulls have been involved in US politics since the 90's. Both of these references are from the Secret Invasion TV show, where it was revealed that since the Captain Marvel movie, Fury had Skrulls in key positions in government, which also helped him rise through the ranks. This also is an example of how the Face Front Universe diverges from the MCU. We know that Fury went up to S.A.B.E.R. in the MCU, which is why Tales had to take his place, but in my universe, it's the Secret War that draws Fury's attention away from S.H.I.E.L.D.
Destroyer Rifle
We all know the big weapon Coulson used on Loki when he famously told him he lacked conviction. The weapon was used again against John Garret in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. But did you know it was officially called the Destroyer Rifle? Since it was built off the remains of the Destroyer from Odin's treasure vault. It's also been known as the 'Coulson's Revenge'!
Go Take a Lunch Break
You'll notice Talos told Coulson and Hill to go take a lunch break when they took down Grim Reaper and Crossbones respectively. This is a nod to the post credits scene in Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six, where Coulson reports that they found Peter Parker, and Face Front viewers are first introduced to Talos as Fury when he responds with a very out-of-character "Good job Coulson, go take a lunch break!"
His Callsign is Taskmaster
You all may remember that Taskmaster was revealed to be Antonia Dreykov in the Black Widow movie. But when I was first doing the Black Widow themed Secret Wars chapter back in 2020 to tie in with the movie, well, unfortunate world events postponed the movie by like, a year. So I moved forward with no knowledge, using Taskmaster's comic persona to base his Face Front appearance. Making him, canonically, a talkative man. Whoops.
So! Since Black Widow took place in 2016 and Antonia's version of Taskmaster was stopped, I worked some classic Marvel retcon magic. I made the official Face Front Taskmaster a new one, since it was stated that the Taskmaster was part of a program. And this one is more akin to the comic Taskmaster, that way, the MCU canon before 2018 (when Face Front diverged) is still in tact, and Antonia's Taskmaster is free to join the Thunderbolts! When that movie rolls around. I promise, I'll wait this time!
Age of Miracles
Eagle-eyed Marvel fans will recognize the conversation between Zola and Red Skull as a direct reference to the one between Baron Strucker and Dr. List in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. When they were referring to Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch with the "Nothing more frightening than a miracle" line. Even more eagle-eyed fans will recognize Zola's line about the land of opportunity coming from Zola himself in the season 1 post credits scene of Agent Carter!
Captain Marvel and the Kree
Okay, so a few things here. Yes, Ronan the Accuser is alive. If you'll remember The End of the Marvel Universe Part 1: The Unknown, Thor wished to bring back not only all snapped away by the Infinity Gauntlet, but everyone lost to Thanos' quest as well. This carries some implications, as most Phase 1-3 MCU deaths tied back to Thanos or an Infinity Stone in one way or another. Ronan's was very clearly because he was pursuing the Power Stone for Thanos, so he definitely got revived.
Then there's the differences in the plot for The Marvels. Captain Marvel is still the Annihilator, since she took down the Supreme Intelligence between movies. But since Ronan returned, he stopped the Kree civil war that started because of Carol's actions. He mentioned 'self-appointed' Supremer Dar-Benn, the villain of The Marvels, speaking of myths such as Quantum Bands. Recall in The Marvels, Dar-Benn's plan was to use the Bands, the one she found and the one possessed by Ms. Marvel, to restore Hala. But in this world, because of Ronan's return, she never got a chance to carry her plan to fruition.
Genis-Vell, as mentioned in the video, is the son of Mar-Vell. He's actually an aged up clone in the comics, but I took some liberties in the Face Front Universe, especially since the MCU version of Mar-Vell is quite different from her comic counterpart. Also, fun fact, Kree Sentry 459 is the most popular Kree Sentry. Why 459 in particular? I have no idea, but he's always the one they use whenever a Kree Sentry shows up!
The Ravagers
As mentioned earlier, a lot of folks came back due to Thor's wish while he had the Gauntlet. This includes the Ravager, Yondu Udonta! Having taken control back over his old group, he's teamed up with Minerva, who despite Korath the Pursuer's disgust of Ravagers, has joined up as a side hustle, and his former right hand Kraglin, who still wields a version of Yondu's Yakka Arrow-controlling fin! But alas Brigadiers, there's a new member of the Ravagers that joins the fray...
Adam Warlock
As mentioned, I planned this video back in 2019, when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 had yet to come out. I made some changes here and there, but the majority of the video's premise remained the same, and one part that was alway there was Adam Warlock. I was going to simply use the comic version of the figure, but since I took so dang long that Adam eventually made his MCU debut, I used that version, and slightly adjusted his personality, to keep it inline with the rest of my universe.
One big liberty I took was the gem in his head. In the MCU, I don't believe it had any specific purpose, while Vision's was made to be the Mind Stone. In the comics, Vision's gem is the one with no significance, and Adam Warlock's is actually the Soul Stone! I wanted to have that aspect to connect him to the Infinity Gauntlet so that he could sense Sam was taking it, but the Stone itself was supposed to be locked away with the Gauntlet! So instead, I made it so that his gem has access to Soulworld, which is actually where the Soul Stone takes you in the comics, and the place in the MCU where Thanos spoke to Gamora (What did it cost?) as mentioned in the video. I liked using the movie Warlock while keeping true to some of his comic roots!
Also, I couldn't resist the "Wait, you guys are getting paid?" meme, since Will Poulter is also the actor that portrays Warlock in the movie!
Mitchell Carson
After he's busted by Woo and Fury, Ant-Man spills that he was stealing back Pym Particles from the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Head of Defense Mitchell Carson. For those of you who don't remember, that's the man in the beginning of the Ant-Man movie that got his head slammed into the desk by Hank for bringing up Janet, and later tried to buy the Yellowjacket off of Darren Cross. In the confusion of the final battle, he nabbed a vial of Pym Particles and slipped away. The MCU is usually good about circling back and paying off small moments like this, but this one seems to have slipped through the cracks. So I decided to tie up that loose end myself!
The New Initiative
In an homage to Fury coming up with the original Avengers Initiative in the end of the Captain Marvel movie, he sits alone at a desk pens a new initiative. One that seeks to fight the battles only they can. This leads to the Secret Avengers Initiative.
The Secret Avengers
A new team has been introduced into the Face Front Universe! They're called, The Secret Avengers. So let's go over each member one by one, and see exactly where they are and how they fit in to this new version of the Marvel Universe!
Ant-Man (Scott Lang)
After the Infinity War, having completed the terms of his house arrest, Ant-Man was recruited by the Avengers to help clean up the mess left after Thanos snapped. This included fighting the dragon Fin Fang Foom, where his assistance was personally requested by Captain America, much to Sam Wilson's dismay (Sam Says Episode 1: That Blue Feeling).
Ant-Man now finds himself recruited to Nick Fury's Secret Avengers. Having not been in contact with the Avengers proper since his last mission with them puts Scott in a perfect position to fight the battles that only they can.
Quake (Daisy Johnson)
Quake has been through a lot. From her hacker days in the Rising Tide as Skye, to finding her mother in the Inhuman city of Afterlife, and her deranged father Mr. Hyde. Becoming an Inhuman with earthquake powers, fighting against foes such as Lash, LMDs, Ghost Rider, Madame Hydra, and Graviton. Her last mission saw her traveling through space with her time displaced sister Kora and sweetheart SSR Agent Daniel Sousa.
However, she's been summoned back to Earth with the emergence of the Red Skull and the Secret War. Daisy's no stranger to covert teams, having been part of the Secret Warriors herself. But Nick Fury now calls upon her to become something more: A Secret Avenger.
Monica Rambeau
Monica is the daughter of trailblazer, and friend of Captain Marvel, Maria Rambeau. In the Face Front Universe, being that the Blip only lasted 5 minutes as opposed to 5 years, Monica was able to be there for her mother when she passed away of cancer. This led to her becoming the director of S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division) instead of the crooked Tyler Hayward.
Monica's experience makes her a prime candidate for Nick Fury's Secret Avengers. But the events of WandaVision never happened in this world, so how she obtained her powers, remains to be seen...
White Vision
During the Infinity War, the Vision fought valiantly against the forces of Thanos, but was unfortunately destroyed, once by his beloved Wanda attempting to keep the Mind Stone away from Thanos, and then again when Thanos revived him and ripped it from his head. Luckily, Thor stopped Thanos and reversed his snap, but without the Mind Stone, Vision could not be revived in Thor's wish.
Tony Stark, along with Peter Parker and a restored JARVIS AI, worked around the clock to restore the Vision, stripping him down to brass tacks, meaning no color, to initiate repairs (The End of the Marvel Universe Part 2: True Believers). White Vision has not necessarily completed his repairs, but he functions well enough for Nick Fury and his Secret Avengers.
Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff)
Quicksilver sacrificed his life to save Hawkeye during the Age of Ultron, leaving his sister Wanda with immense grief and pain. But, being that he was killed by Ultron, a product of the Mind Stone as he himself was, Pietro was brought back to life after Thor's wish.
He wants nothing more than to reunite with his sister, but having been returned to his home nation of Sokovia, he finds that it has now been taken over by the tyrannical Victor Von Doom, and renamed Latveria (The End of the Marvel Universe Part 2: True Believers). Before he and Wanda can return to their home, Quicksilver must free it from the shadow of Doom. But that doesn't stop Nick Fury from bringing him into the Secret Avengers.
Namor (K'uk'ulkan)
Born as the first Mutant of Talokan, Ch'ah Toh Almehen quickly became the K'uk'ulkan of his people, their Feather Serpent God. However, after being branded El Niño sin Amor (the child without love) by Conquistadors, he took on a new name to his enemies on the surface world: Namor.
Namor's solitary goal is to keep the underwater nation of Talokan hidden and protected from the violent natives of the surface, going as far as to kill anyone that discovers their existence. So one would imagine that could be problematic for Nick Fury, who boldly approaches Namor in the arctic. Whatever Fury's sales pitch for the Secret Avengers was seems to have been enough to get Namor to join the team. But Fury feels this alliance will be tentative at best.
And there you have it! This video was so much fun, and now I'm finally done with the 4 tie-ins for the Avengers: Infinity Showdown video! It only took 5 years! But I'm glad it's here, and I truly hope you all enjoyed it. Next project is Spider-Man: Return to the Spider-Verse Episode 12, which I know you're all looking forward to after the shocking ending of Episode 11! But until then, that's it for me. Face Front True Believers, and I'll see you in the Multiverse!