Summary
- Nick Fury relies on pagers for reliable communication, even in the absence of SHIELD
- The use of pagers in the MCU ties in with Marvel Comics lore and shows Fury’s constant spy tendencies.
- Nick Fury’s choice of tools, such as pagers, underscores his dedication and importance in the Marvel Universe.
Warning: SPOILERS for Ms. Marvel Yearbook No. 1As the ultimate spy chief of the Marvel Universe, it is important that Nick Fury has a direct line to some of Earth’s mightiest heroes at all times. In the past, Fury had the resources of SHIELD to make this possible, but these days, Nick has to be a little less tech-savvy. And it turns out that Marvel Comics’ Nick Fury shares another habit with his MCU counterpart: He’s a huge fan of pagers.
Ms. Marvel Annual #1 contains the fourth chapter of the “Death Stone Saga” by Derek Landy, Sara Pichelli, Mattia Iacono and VC’s Travis Lanham and finds Fury investigating the desecrated grave of Phil Coulson. When Nick asks Captain Marvel for help identifying the energy floating around the grave, Carol can’t help but wonder why Fury buried Coulson with a gun and a pager.
When asked, Fury replies: “Pagers are reliable.“And while this may be a funny reference to the MCU, this argument makes sense for both versions of the character.
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The SHIELD agent only uses reliable technology
Coulson’s pager is not dissimilar the one Fury gave to Captain Marvel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But its adaptation into the Marvel Comics story has a completely different context. Like his father Nick Fury Sr. before him, Nick Fury Jr. must always stay at the top of his game if he wants to stay one step ahead of his enemies. And with the dissolution of SHIELD making that mission even more difficult, Fury has no choice but to work with the most reliable tools at his disposal.
Nick Fury is arguably the most famous spy in Marvel Comics, but he didn’t achieve that status without taking his job seriously.
In the MCU, Nick Fury’s gift of a pager to Captain Marvel is essentially played as a joking reference to ’90s culture. Captain Marvel (2019), but Fury’s cinematic counterpart clearly shares the comic iteration’s view on the reliability of a pager. After all, the MCU’s Nick Fury held on to it for decades, even after Carol’s return to Earthas the most reliable way to call on his greatest weapon. And if there’s one thing a spy needs, whether in comics or movies, it’s reliable communication.
Nick Fury is consistent in comics and movies
Marvel’s top spy gets the job done
Nick Fury is arguably Marvel Comics’ most famous spy, but he didn’t achieve that status without taking his job seriously. In any situation or in any adaptation, Nick Fury will always use all means at his disposal to accomplish his taskand it seems that his most important tool is just a simple pager. Fans can’t be sure how many pagers the former SHIELD agent has distributed over the years, but they can be sure of one thing – if Nick Fury gives someone a pager, the person must be pretty important.
Ms. Marvel Annual
#1
is now available from Marvel Comics.
