One of the last remaining artists from the earliest days of the Marvel Age of Comics, Dick Ayers passed away yesterday, a few days past his 90th birthday.

After his co-creator, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers was likely THE artist most associated with Nick Fury and his Howling Commandoes.

In addition, Ayers inked Kirby on the earliest Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. stories in Strange Tales...

And after introducing Hydra a little (and showing that it was Tony Stark who called Fury here)...

In honor of Ayers' passing, I think it makes sense to share some pages he drew of the Commandoes reacting to Nick Fury's death (of course, Nick is not really dead)...

Ayers was right up there with Joe Kubert, Russ Heath, Alex Toth, Irv Novick and Jack Kirby as one of the greatest war comic artists of all-time.

He'll be greatly missed.