Secret Invasion’s Avengers betrayal was a shocking one, but it might not have happened if Iron Man was still alive. Though Earth’s Mightiest Heroes were formed as theMCU’s ultimate hero team, the Avengers did not go without their own ups and downs. One of the most notable obstacles put in their way was undoubtedly the dismantling of S.H.I.E.L.D. after it was revealed that the organization had long been infiltrated by HYDRA personnel. The incident proved that even individuals who seemed like trusted allies could turn their backs at any time.
The MCU timelinehas also shown that a betrayal doesn’t have to be explicitly physical. Betrayal isn’t limited to two former allies battling each other, but it’s sometimes conveyed through their passive actions instead. Nick Fury will always be known as the founder ofthe original MCU Avengers team, butSecret Invasiondetailed howhe betrayed the very team he createdsince there was no one present to hold him accountable. Even if there was never any ill intent behind Fury’s actions, it’s a situation that should have huge consequences for the Avengers inupcoming MCU releases.
Nick Fury Betrayed The Avengers In Phase 4
The focus ofSecret Invasionwas on the Skrull species and exposing just how many of them had made their homes on Earth. Several familiar MCU characters were revealed to actually be Skrulls in disguise, such as James Rhodes and Everett Ross, showing that even society’s trusted heroes weren’t always who they said they were. However, the biggest betrayal revealed inSecret Invasionwas Fury’s. In the show it was revealed he sent a squad of Skrulls tocollect DNA from theAvengers: Endgamefinal battlefield, combining it all into one vial known as the Harvest.
The DNA in the Harvest includes the likes of Hulk, Drax, and even Fury’s trusted friend Captain Marvel. The fact that Fury’s collection was a secret proves that he knew it was unethical.Fury intended to weaponize their powers without their knowledge, which is incredibly dehumanizing for the heroes. He might’ve done this with the hope that it’d be a powerful tool in the future, but he should’ve known that it could also fall into the wrong hands. Considering that Fury is the creator of the Avengers, it feels like an even more devastating betrayal to his own team.
Iron Man Proved In The Avengers Why He’d Stop Fury’s Plan
None of the Avengers seem to be aware of the Harvest yet, so there’s still time to hold Fury accountable, but one hero definitely would have ensured that this never happened in the first place. Tony Stark is known for his bluntness, and he’s proven that he is not afraid to call someone out. WhenTony found out that S.H.I.E.L.D. was planning to use the Tesseract to produce weaponsinThe Avengers, he immediately held Fury accountable, and it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t have had a similar reaction to this particular plan as well.
It’s not like Tony would’ve been monitoring Fury’s actions at all times, but he would’ve definitely had a much harder time executing his Harvest plan if Tony had still been around. It’s no one’s fault that Fury did what he did, but knowing Tony’s personality,he would’ve kept a close eye on the aftermath of the Battle of Earth if he had survived. The fact that Fury had already experienced so much betrayal at the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA makes hisSecret Invasionreveal all the more confusing to understand.
