| S.W.O.R.D. | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Peak, headquarters of S.W.O.R.D. Art by Steven Sanders. | |
| Group publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #6 (December2004) |
| Created by | Joss Whedon (writer) John Cassaday (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Type of organization | Intelligence agency |
| Base(s) | The Peak |
| Agent(s) | Beast Abigail Brand Agent Deems Henry Peter Gyrich Lockheed Spider-Woman Sydren |
| S.W.O.R.D. | |
| Series publication information | |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | January – May2010 |
| Number of issues | 5 |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Kieron Gillen |
| Penciller(s) | Steve Sanders |
| Inker(s) | Craig Yeung |
| Letterer(s) | Dave Lanphear |
| Colorist(s) | Matt Wilson |
| Creator(s) | Kieron Gillen Steve Sanders |
| Editor(s) | Daniel Ketchum Nick Lowe Joe Quesada |
| Collected editions | |
| No Time to Breathe | ISBN 0-7851-4076-X |
S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department) is afictionalcounterterrorism andintelligence agency appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Its purpose is to deal withextraterrestrial threats to world security and is the space-based counterpart ofS.H.I.E.L.D.
The organization appears in several forms of media, such asThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) /Disney+ miniseriesWandaVision.
S.W.O.R.D. was first introduced inAstonishing X-Men vol. 3 #6 (December 2004), and was created byJoss Whedon andJohn Cassaday.[1]
S.W.O.R.D. was originally an offshoot ofS.H.I.E.L.D., but relations between the two organizations have been strained sinceNick Fury's departure as director of S.H.I.E.L.D. The head of S.W.O.R.D. is Special AgentAbigail Brand, and its primary command-and-control headquarters are aboard the orbitalspace station known as the Peak.
S.W.O.R.D. had an undercover operative in theX-Mansion. InAstonishing X-Men vol. 3 #17, this undercover operative's identity was revealed to beLockheed.
TheAstonishing X-Men, as well asHisako Ichiki,Ord of the Breakworld andDanger, are taken to deep space by S.W.O.R.D. and Agent Brand. S.W.O.R.D. psychics fail to detectCassandra Nova inEmma Frost's shattered psyche. Though emotionally wounded, Emma recovered fast enough to be present for the team's departure to the Breakworld, where they planned to disable a missile aimed at Earth. Before they reached Breakworld, they were attacked by enemy vessels. After creating a diversion, the X-Men and Brand landed on the planet, where Agent Deems was being tortured in prison.
Brand,Cyclops, Emma Frost, and Beast landed together, whileWolverine, Hisako,Colossus, andKitty Pryde landed elsewhere. Wolverine's spacecraft disintegrated in mid-air and they were forced to abandon ship. Kitty and Colossus phased through the pod to the planet's surface, where they landed unharmed. Hisako and Wolverine landed with the impact burning Wolverine's skin.
Another team composed of Lockheed,Sydren and S.W.O.R.D. troops converged upon a place called "the Palace of the Corpse".
During the 2008 "Secret Invasion" storyline, the Peak is destroyed by aSkrull infiltrator posing asDum Dum Dugan. Many S.W.O.R.D. agents die in the initial explosion, though others survive due to hostile-environment suits. Brand is encased in one suit and manages to make her way into one of the Skrull ships.[volume & issue needed]
During the 2008 - 2009 "Dark Reign" storyline, S.H.I.E.L.D. is reformed asH.A.M.M.E.R. underNorman Osborn, but the position of S.W.O.R.D. under H.A.M.M.E.R. has not yet been revealed. In theBeta Ray Bill: Godhunter mini-series,Beta Ray Bill visits Brand aboard the rebuilt Peak to obtain information aboutGalactus's whereabouts.
During the 2009 Chicago Comic Con, it was announced thatKieron Gillen would collaborate with Steven Sanders on aS.W.O.R.D.ongoing series that began in November 2009.[2][3] The new series starts withHenry Peter Gyrich being assigned as S.W.O.R.D. co-commander alongsideAbigail Brand.
In the first arc, Gyrich is able to persuade the heads of S.W.O.R.D. to pass legislation to have all aliens currently living on Earth deported from the planet while Brand was distracted with another mission. He manages to take several notable aliens into custody includingNoh-Varr,Adam X,Beta Ray Bill,Jazinda,Karolina Dean, andHepzibah.[4]
The series was cancelled with issue #5. The first issue started with estimated direct sales of 21,988,[5] but that had dropped to 15,113 by the second issue.[6]
The Peak is later evacuated after it is damaged by theApocalypse Twins.[7] The debris from the station nearly destroysRio de Janeiro, but is safely vaporized bySunfire.[8]
The organization is shown as working smoothly and functioning when it sends a capture team to take custody of alien refugees and a paramedic assistance team to the Jean Grey School. Unfortunately, both teams are murdered by the same Brood-based threat.[9]
The rebuilt station is overtaken by aliensymbiotes andBrood warriors. The station's personnel are taken for hosts.[10]
| S.W.O.R.D. | |
|---|---|
_1_cover.jpg) Cover toS.W.O.R.D. (vol. 2) #1, by Valerio Schiti | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Main character(s) | Abigail Brand Cable Frenzy Fabian Cortez Magneto Manifold Wiz Kid |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Al Ewing |
| Artist | Valerio Schiti |
| Editor(s) | Editor Jordan D. White Assistant Editor Annalise Bissa Head of X Jonathan Hickman |
S.W.O.R.D. was relaunched in December 2020 as part of "Reign of X". Written byAl Ewing and drawn by Valerio Schiti, the initial team consisted of Abigail Brand,Cable,Frenzy,Fabian Cortez,Magneto,Manifold andWiz Kid.[11]
S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Directorate) was restored when Abigail Brand resigned from Alpha Flight after the Alliance-Cotati conflict feeling that the space program was not properly utilized and when the mutant nation repowered the abandoned Peak space station. In cooperation with theQuiet Council of Krakoa, it became the mutant nation's representative to the outer universe.
WithAbigail Brand as the Station Commander, S.W.O.R.D functions with a six-tier organizational structure:
S.W.O.R.D. also formedThe Six, a multiversal far-retrieval circuit, utilizing mutant technology. There are two stages required for a full retrieval:
| Character | Alias | Joined in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abigail Brand | Astonishing X-Men (vol. 3) #10 | Leader | |
| Sydren | A Drenx who is skilled in hacking and working on alien technology. | ||
| Agent Paulletz | Not known | Astonishing X-Men (vol. 3) #20 | |
| Cecilia | S.W.O.R.D. #2 | ||
| K'eel R'kt | Infinity: Against the Tide: Infinite Comic #1 | ASkrull science officer who was rescued from the Builders by Silver Surfer. | |
Former Members:
| Issues | Characters |
|---|---|
| #1 - #10 |
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| X-Men: S.W.O.R.D. - No Time to Breathe | S.W.O.R.D. (vol. 1) #1–5 | July 7, 2010 | ISBN 0-7851-4076-X |
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.W.O.R.D. by Al Ewing Vol. 1 | S.W.O.R.D. (vol. 2) #1–5 | September 7, 2021 | ISBN 978-1302927516 |
| X-Men: Hellfire Gala | Marauders (vol. 1) #21,X-Men (vol. 5) #21,Planet-Size X-Men #1,S.W.O.R.D. (vol. 2) #6 and material fromClassic X-Men #7 | March 1, 2022 | ISBN 978-1846533365 |
| S.W.O.R.D. by Al Ewing Vol. 2 | S.W.O.R.D. (vol. 2) #7–11,Cable Reloaded #1 | February 15, 2022 | ISBN 978-1302931469 |
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