The Watchtower Incident saw the disappearance of most of the world's heroes. What wasn't widely reported that among the missing, were the leaders of many of the world's metahuman-aware security bureaus. These bureaucrats developed a deep bond of friendship, not only with each other but also the other heroes that were trapped in what would later be discovered to be a dimensional fragment. When the new Avengers team managed to rescue the exiles and bring them back to the real world, they found the United States under the control of Checkmate.
With the majority of the American heroes safely hidden in the extradimensional Outland, the international heroes were able to return home to great fanfare. They used their newfound popularity to begin the process of solidifying the connections between their organizations and the nations they represented.
The world was in turmoil after the loss of Stormwatch and the reveal that the United Nations Secretary-General Lex Luthor had been working for the very aliens who were seeking to invade the world. Leaders within MI13 and Le Bureau Discret began sowing the seeds which would prompt the nations of the world to seek out an independent agency to protect the planet against extraordinary threats.
The final brick fell into place with the end of Checkmate - after a serious of disastrous public relations debacles the entire leadership of the organization was murdered by the metahuman supremecist known as Magneto. With Checkmate in chaos and the American public demanding answers, the President and the Cabinet were open to Nick Fury's offer of joining a new agency.
Its official name is the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division which was abbreviated under the acronym S.H.I.E.L.D. in honor of the original name of the Avengers. Unsanctioned by the United Nations, S.H.I.E.L.D. holds direct jurisdiction in North America, Great Britain, the European Union, the Russian Federation, Israel, Japan, and the People's Republic of China. As many of the member nations of special security arrangements with other nations, S.H.I.E.L.D's reach is further expanded into Africa and the Middle East.
The main center of operations for S.H.I.E.L.D. is in the Triskelion, the former headquarter of the Office of National Emergency. There are further administrative and operations hubs in London, Paris, Moscow, Tel Aviv, Beijing, and Tokyo.
As the world looks to a new war between Orchis and the Brotherhood of Mutants, it may require all of the resources of S.H.I.E.L.D. to keep humanity from tearing itself apart.
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