What’s the first thing that comes to mind whenever you hear the name – Nick Fury? Oh, the director of SHIELD? or a master tactician? Of course, we think about these things but while admiring him for his qualities, you might often wonder, “What’s with the eye patch?”, “How did he lose that eye?” Well, the story differs in both movies and the comics. So, in this article, we will address this question and familiarize you with the story of how Nick Fury lost his eye and got himself the signature look we know him for.
How Did Nick Fury Lose his Eye (MCU Version)
Since the MCU kickstarted with Iron Man (2008), Marvel fans knew that the Avengers might one day show up on the big screen. And this speculation by fans came true when we first saw Nick Fury in Iron Man 2 (2010). We see that Nick Fury was wearing his eye patch in the movie, but it was not always like this. Even though Iron Man 2 came before Captain Marvel if we see it in a chronology of events, Fury wasn’t wearing an eyepatch during the majority of Captain Marvel (2019).
Since there are different versions of the story of Nick Fury losing his eye in the comics (described below), the movie adaptation of the story took a completely different approach. We get to know the story in Captain Marvel (2019), where Nick Fury is seen playing with Goose the Cat in a spaceship, and it scratches Fury’s eye.
If Goose was a regular cat, Nick’s wound would have healed, just leaving a scar, but this was no ordinary cat. Goose is a Flerken, an alien species that resembles an earthly cat. One of its abilities is if it scratches the skin of other living organisms, that part of their body slowly degenerates, hence, the little scratch near Fury’s eye, made him lose sight in his left eye permanently. This is why Nick Fury is seen wearing an eyepatch in the movies after Captain Marvel.
How Did Nick Fury Lose His Eye (Comic Version)
If you look up Nick Fury in Marvel Comics, you will be surprised to see a clean-shaven white man as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Initially, Marvel Comics made Nick Fury a white man, but later on, Fury was given the personality of Samuel L. Jackson in The Ultimates series.
According to the comic Sgt. Fury#1 published in 1963, Nick Fury and his Howling Commandoes got the information that the Nazi forces are building a powerful ray beam to shoot down American bombers. Fury and his team parachuted down at their camp, engaging in battle during which a grenade was thrown at them. Nick picked it up, and while he was throwing it back at the enemy, the grenade exploded and injured his eye.
He was told by the doctors that if he wishes to make a full recovery he will have to take some time off the field and rest. However, if he wishes to go back into the field right away, the doctor could patch him up but that will cause him to lose vision in one eye. Since his Howling Commandos needed a leader, Fury chose the latter and eventually lost vision in his eye. And this is why Nick Fury started wearing an eyepatch in the comics.
Why Nick Fury Does not Wear Eyepatch in Secret Invasion
In Marvel’s Secret Invasion series on Disney Plus, we get to see a brand new side of Nick Fury’s character. The series shows his vulnerable side, his side of a family man, and a man who has lost a lot. We see him being tired and weak as well. And the eye patch Nick Fury wears is a symbol of his strength, his power, and his strength as an individual.
Till episode 4 of Secret Invasion, we see Nick Fury is not wearing his eyepatch; he is seen wearing a pair of glasses instead. This is solely because he is not the Fury he used to be, he tried his best to stay away from his past but it came back haunting him.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Samuel L. Jackson answered why Nick Fury does not wear an eye patch in the Secret Invasion series. He said, “He just doesn’t wear the patch. The patch is part of who the strong Nick Fury was. It’s part of his vulnerability now. You can look at it and see he’s not this perfectly indestructible person. He doesn’t feel like that guy.”
So, in the fifth episode of Secret Invasion, we see him get back to his iconic leather trench coat and his eyepatch, symbolizing the return of the Fury who died after Thanos’s snap and marking his acceptance of what he is meant to do — be the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and play his role in saving the earth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nick Fury lost his eye in Captain Marvel (2019) when Goose the cat scratched his eye.
Nick Fury never got his eye back, he just doesn’t wear the patch. The patch symbolized the strong Fury and since he feels weak and vulnerable he is not wearing the patch.
Goose, even though not a cat, has all the traits of it. Like all the cats, Goose doesn’t like being held as well, so she scratched Fury when he did so. Initially, it did not seem to be that serious an injury, but by the end of the movie, Fury lost vision in one eye.
Fury’s eye was scratched by a Flerken named Goose. Flerken are really dangerous alien creatures who look like earth cats but are far more dangerous.
Featured Image Courtesy: YouTube/Marvel Entertainment
Aparna Ukil
