Following the end of the incursion crisis and the resurgence of Hydra, marked by its employ of guerrilla tactics to create a climate of fear and anxiety through the United States and Europe, Captain America and Sharon Carter proposed to the U.S. Senate Select Committee the creation of a bill known as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Act. Unbeknownst to anybody, at this point Captain America had been secretly supplanted by a fascist version of himself from an alternate timeline that acted as a sleeper agent for Hydra.
Once the bill was signed into law with bipartisan support in Congress, it drastically expanded S.H.I.E.L.D.'s authority within the United States in areas concerned with law enforcement, mass surveillance, and resource allocation, even allowing the organization to become the de facto "top cop" in an event of a national state of emergency. The passing of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Act coincided with the reinstatement of Captain America as director of S.H.I.E.L.D. after Maria Hill faced trial and was found guilty for the events that occurred in the secret superhuman prison known as Pleasant Hill, which led to her deposition.
This fascist Captain America subsequently manipulated the events behind three crises that hit the world at the same time: a Chitauri invasion, the Army of Evil's attack on Manhattan, and Hydra's uprising in Sokovia. The escalation of these events put into action S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new powers, and control of the United States was handed over to him. Using hypnotist Doctor Faustus, Hydra took over an entire S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, whose forces combined with Hydra took over the entirety of the organization. As Captain America conquered the United States, all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources were essentially absorbed by Hydra. After the fall of Hydra's empire, what remained of S.H.I.E.L.D. was effectively dissolved, though for a brief period of time they continued to guard black sites prisons, while transferring prisoners, as well as turning over numerous artifacts to the U.S. Army.
Director:
Maria Hill
Commander:
Sharon Carter
Agents:
Nick Fury Jr.
Phil Coulson
Dum Dum Dugan
Melinda May
Leo Fitz
Jemma Simmons
Monica Chang
Wendall Vaughn
Roz Solomon
Superhuman Operatives:
Captain America
Mockingbird
Quake
Deathlok
Songbird
Quasar
Free Spirit
Jack Flag
Supporting Staff:
Rick Jones
Dr. Erik Selvig
Sub-Groups:
Special Ops Division
The Howling Commandos
Equipment:
S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
Former Members:
Hawkeye
