Scorpio is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Most of the characters to use the Scorpio identity have been supervillains affiliated with the Zodiac criminal cartel, and in this context were enemies of the Avengers and other superheroes.
Publication history
Jake Fury first appeared in Strange Tales #159 (Aug. 1967), and was created by Jim Steranko. He also appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #68-69 (July–Aug. 1969).
The character subsequently appeared as Scorpio in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 (June 1968), #5 (Oct. 1968), The Avengers #72 (Jan. 1970), The Defenders #46 (April 1977), #48-49 (June–July 1977), #50 (Aug. 1977), West Coast Avengers vol. 2 Annual #1 (1986), West Coast Avengers vol. 2 #26-28 (Nov. 1987-January 1988), Wolverine/Nick Fury: The Scorpio Connection (1989), Fury #1 (May 1994), and Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. #4 (July 1995).
Jacob Fury received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #17.
Fictional character biography
Scorpio (Jake Fury)
Jacob "Jake" Fury was born in New York City. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #159 (Aug. 1967).
As a young man, he came to resent his brother Nick Fury. As the original Scorpio, he operated as a spy, terrorist, and criminal. Using his Scorpio secret identity, he first battled Nick at a Las Vegas S.H.I.E.L.D. base. He again battled Nick in Manhattan, then disguised himself as his brother to infiltrate the New York SHIELD base, although his real identity was then discovered by Nick. Nick later went undercover as Scorpio, and took his brother's place in the Zodiac who battled the Avengers. Disguised as Jacque LaPoint, he played a minor role in the Zodiac's attempt to kill all Manhattan residents born under the sign of Gemini (save for Zodiac's Gemini). He attempted to kidnap Kyle Richmond and battled the Defenders. Scorpio constructed a set of android Zodiac members to serve him in his base at Belleville, New Jersey. However, his plan was thwarted by the Defenders and he committed suicide through self-inflicted gunshot wound in despair.
In the final arc of the Secret Warriors series, it was revealed that Jake's death and much of his villainy was all part of a long-game plan of his brother's. In 1961, Jake was duplicated by ancient technology (which would later be developed and modernized as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s LMD program); the evil Jake would go on to be the agent known as Scorpio. The real Jake, however, was in deep cover within HYDRA, co-opting the identity of the high-ranking agent known as Kraken and infiltrating the highest rungs of the organization and helping his brother bring about its destruction.
LMD and Jacques LaPoint
Scorpio was later revived in an android body by the intelligent, extra-dimensional Zodiac Key from which he drew his power. The real Jacques LaPoint became the second Scorpio and led the Zodiac until Jake (in his second android body) killed him. Impersonating LaPoint, Fury led eleven other Zodiac-themed androids to kill and replace the rest of the human Zodiac members, and took over the organization's criminal operations. Scorpio and the other androids were deactivated when they were transported to the Zodiac Key's dimension of origin during a battle with the West Coast Avengers, and abandoned there.
Ecliptic Scorpio
Another Scorpio was the leader of Ecliptic's Zodiac team who fought Alpha Flight and was later massacred by Malcolm Colcord's Weapon X team.
Scorpio (Mikel Fury)
Mikel Fury, Nick Fury's illegitimate son, has also used the Scorpio identity. Mikel originally believed himself to be Jake Fury's son, and used a duplicate of the Zodiac Key to battle his father and Wolverine. When he learned that his mother had lied about his parentage, Mikel switched sides and became affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. for several months, following intensive therapy. When he was led to believe that the Punisher had killed Nick, he pursued the vigilante until persuaded to back down by fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives and ousted from the agency. He makes a brief appearance in Secret Warriors, issue 11 as the leader from one of Nick's secret independent teams and is later killed in a mission.
Thanos' Zodiac
The sixth Scorpio is an unnamed man with a half-burned face who Thanos recruited to join his incarnation of the Zodiac. He and the other Zodiac members perish when Thanos abandons them on the self-destructing Helicarrier where Cancer was the only survivor.