The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, better known by its acronym S.H.I.E.L.D., is a United States extra-governmental military counter-terrorism and intelligence agency, tasked with maintaining global security. Founded in the wake of the Allied victory over the Axis powers and HYDRA in World War II, S.H.I.E.L.D. was organized to protect the United States, and later the entire world, from all possible threats. With its advanced weapons and extraordinary agents, S.H.I.E.L.D. was maybe the greatest military power on Earth. Run by Nick Fury and the World Security Council in the modern age, S.H.I.E.L.D. had to deal with the significant rise in enhanced individuals, dangerous advanced technology, and alien contact. But all the problems S.H.I.E.L.D. had to solve eventually led to the formation of the Avengers, a response team that was recruited to save the world during the alien invasion of Earth in 2012. The agency became publicly known after the Battle of New York, partially because of the Rising Tide website.
In 2014, through the actions of Captain America, the world became aware of the fact that S.H.I.E.L.D. was infiltrated and largely controlled by the terrorist organization HYDRA. After the battle in which S.H.I.E.L.D.'s primary headquarters, the Triskelion, was heavily damaged, all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s classified files were dumped on the Internet, and the agency was disavowed by its commanding governments and labeled a terrorist organization. Many S.H.I.E.L.D. officials were taken into custody and subjected to rigorous questioning. However, despite the massive manhunt on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents, a few operatives scattered across the world in most secret bases remained loyal to their oath, saving the most necessary paraphernalia for future use. But the team most responsible for the survival of S.H.I.E.L.D. was the team of Agent Phil Coulson, who valiantly led his teammates against the forces of HYDRA led by the traitors John Garrett and Grant Ward, winning the battle in which Garrett's plan ultimately failed. After that battle, Nick Fury appointed Phil Coulson the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and tasked him with rebuilding the agency from scratch.
Now working from the shadows and hunted by almost every army in the world, Coulson used his old team as the core of S.H.I.E.L.D. and recruited mercenaries, former agents, and others to help fill the organization's ranks, while simultaneously continuing the fight against HYDRA. At the same time, another faction of S.H.I.E.L.D. arose, this one led by Robert Gonzales, who refused to accept Coulson's authority, believing his faction to be the only "real S.H.I.E.L.D.". After the Battle for the Kree City, Gonzales' faction revealed its existence, attacking and capturing Coulson's base, the Playground. This ignited an open conflict between the two S.H.I.E.L.D. factions. However, after successfully working together to attack and destroy the Arctic HYDRA Research Facility, Coulson successfully proposed a merge of the two factions which occurred in mid-2015. But the peace did not last long, as the Inhumans, a super powered humanoid race led by Jiaying, declared war on S.H.I.E.L.D. The fight was short and S.H.I.E.L.D. was able to prevent any further damage. After the war, Coulson started a new program of recruiting and training Inhumans for a team to deal with various threats.
The Inhuman Outbreak soon followed, and S.H.I.E.L.D. had to stand against the implications it caused. Following the exposure and the abrupt end of HYDRA's infiltration of the ATCU, S.H.I.E.L.D. was semi-legalized as the black ops division of President Ellis' administration, with the ATCU serving as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s public face. With HYDRA suffering a crippling blow, S.H.I.E.L.D. became aware about the dark Inhuman, Hive, and soon had to fight against his Inhuman army, which intended to transform all humanity into Inhumans. As the war with Hive reached its end, Agent Lincoln Campbell sacrificed his life to destroy Hive in a nuclear explosion in space.
In the aftermath of Hive's defeat, S.H.I.E.L.D. was once again legalized following the signing of the Sokovia Accords, but under a new Director, Jeffrey Mace. Daisy Johnson abandoned S.H.I.E.L.D. and became a vigilante known as Quake. At the same time they had to deal with a new threats, Eli Morrow, who with the knowledge of the mysterious book called the Darkhold, managed to received powerful powers. In order to defeat him, S.H.I.E.L.D. worked together with Johnson and Ghost Rider. After the victory over Morrow, Johnson rejoined the organization. The revelation that Mace was not an Inhuman caused Coulson to return to the possession as the Director de facto. Following Holden Radcliffe's betrayal for the Watchdogs and the replacement of almost every key agent by an LMD by him, Agents Johnson and Jemma Simmons entered the Framework in order to rescue their missing friends. Despite the operation's success, they soon had to deal against Aida, who became an Inhuman seeking to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. With the help of Ghost Rider they killed her, but it caused the organization's shutdown.
Current Version:
S.H.I.E.L.D. (Director Mace)
Former Versions:
S.H.I.E.L.D. (Director Fury)
S.H.I.E.L.D. (Director Coulson)
