Since Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created him in the 1960s, Nick Fury has been everything from a war hero to a hard-edged espionage agent. While the ensuing decades saw him evolve into Marvel's chief spymaster and keeper of secrets, his most surprising role saw him learn that he was the father to the hero who would go on to replace him in the 2010s.
After Samuel L. Jackson was the visual basis for Fury in the Ultimate Marvel Universe in the '00s, the actor brought the character to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. With Jackson's take on Fury now the dominant one in popular consciousness, the classic Fury was replaced by Nick Fury, Jr., who resembles the MCU's Fury more closely in several ways.
First appearing in 2012 -- the year that The Avengers was released -- in Chris Yost, Cullen Bunn, Matt Fraction, Scot Eaton, and Andrew Hennessy's Battle Scars miniseries, Marcus Johnson was introduced as the son Nick Fury never knew he had. A decorated Army Ranger, Johnson was pulled into his father's world as a part of a conspiracy against the former director of SHIELD. Johnson served in Afghanistan during the events of Fear Itself by Matt Fraction, Stuart Immonen, and Wade von Grawbadger. Days after the crisis, he received word that his mother had died.
Shortly after his mother’s funeral—which had been secretly attended by Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter—Johnson investigates her home, only to find spilled blood along with a bullet casing. Only moments after learning his mother was murdered, he’s confronted by the Taskmaster.
The hired gun almost manages to kill Marcus as well before Captain America intervenes to save the Army Ranger. He’s taken into protective custody by SHIELD without answers as to why he and his mother were targeted. But just like his father, Johnson was far too stubborn to let that stand. Escaping from SHIELD, he set out to unravel the mystery himself alongside his best friend and fellow Ranger, Phil Coulson.
Along the way, Johnson survives encounters with the Serpent Society and even Deadpool before he comes into contact with his father, Nick Fury. Fury explains their relationship and the situation to his son. Having known about his son for years, Fury thought it best to stay away, keeping his distance to keep his son safe. Now, an old enemy named Orion sought to use Johnson as a pawn against his old foe—with Johnson’s mother caught in the crosshairs.
But just after Johnson meets his father for the first time, the pair are captured by Orion's organization, Leviathan. Ultimately, Orion sought to drain the Infinity Formula from Nick, killing his enemy and gaining longevity in the process. The Fury family resemblance begins to set in once Leviathan removes Johnson’s eye, taking it as a tissue sample to test for remnants of the Infinity Formula that his father may have passed down to him.
Eventually, the pair manage to defeat Orion and the rest of Leviathan thanks to the help of Coulson and the Avengers, but it comes at a cost. With the elder Fury drained of the Infinity Formula, the serum that once slowed his aging no longer holds any sway. Knowing his days are numbered, Fury essentially passes down his legacy to his son: Nick Fury, Jr. according to his birth certificate.
Fury Jr., along with Coulson, joined SHIELD, and in the years since, he’s worked pretty closely with the superhuman community. Not only has he aided Captain America, but he also served with the Secret Avengers for some time. Much like his father, Jr. has had his fair share of ups and downs both with SHIELD and Marvel's superhero community. But when push comes to shove, the citizens of the Marvel Universe can rest easy knowing that Nick Fury is keeping his eye out for trouble.