S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier

From Marvel Database

Contents 1 History 2 Alternate Realities 2.1 House of M 2.2 Ultimate Universe 2.3 Bullet Points 2.4 Zombiverse 2.5 Insane Impossible Man (Earth-14845) 3 Notes 4 Trivia 5 See Also 6 Links and References

History

The Helicarrier, an aircraft carrier specifically designed to be itself capable of independent powered flight in addition to the standard functions of aircraft carriers, is the world headquarters and signature capital ship of the extragovernmental intelligence/defense agency S.H.I.E.L.D..

Built by Stark Industries and designed by Tony Stark, Dr. Reed Richards, and former X-Man Forge. In addition to housing a wing of fighters and other aircraft, the Helicarrier bristles with advanced weaponry, including an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The first Helicarrier was proposed by Stark Industries as a political compromise among the signatories of the treaty in response to fears that any nation hosting the Directorate's main headquarters would be subject to attack by organizations such as HYDRA with domestic political fallout sure to follow immediately thereafter.

Constructed in secret there are at least eight Helicarriers have been built over the decades, and at least two have been in simultaneous service in the last decade on several occasions. Also, at least six Helicarriers have been named over the years:

• Luxor (not yet seen - a class prototype)
• Behemoth (smaller version used by SHIELD's Godzilla Squad)
• Hermes (allegedly scuttled after being hi-jacked by the Red Skull)
• Argus (a Luxor-class Helicarrier)
• Black Hawk (destroyed in action against HYDRA-Hand alliance)
• Alpha
• Pericles V (infiltrated by the vampiric Order of Tyrana and scuttled by Blade)

It is not yet known what criteria S.H.I.E.L.D. has used to name the Helicarriers.

When Tony Stark himself became Director of SHIELD, he ordered construction of a red-and-gold Helicarrier in the motif of his Iron Man Armor. This helicarrier was destroyed by the Red Hulk.

The main S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier is disabled by a computer virus unleashed by a Skrull agent posing as Edwin Jarvis as part of the Secret Invasion. It is soon destroyed by Maria Hill.

Alternate Realities

House of M

The Helicarriers of the House of M Universe were owned and operated by Magnus' House of M.

Ultimate Universe

The Ultimate version of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a fleet of airborne aircraft carriers (prior to the assault by the Liberators), one of which was referred to, at one point, as the Helicarrier. The engines that keep the carriers aloft were designed by Tony Stark and were modular enough to be used in a space shuttle by the Ultimate Fantastic Four. These fleets of Helicarriers are smaller than the Earth-616 Helicarriers and are more conventional aircraft carrier shape, but are far more plentiful.

Bullet Points

The Helicarrier of the Bullet Points reality was fortified and upgraded by SHIELD Director Reed Richards.

Zombiverse

The Helicarrier of the Zombiverse was used as the last remaining base of the resistance to the Zombie-contagion.^[1]

Insane Impossible Man (Earth-14845)

On Earth-14845, The Impossible Man has the ability to shape-shift anything he wants to at will. When The Controller slaps a Slave Disc on him, The Impossible Man goes crazy, and crashes the SHIELD Helicarrier before transporting all of the agents along with the rest of the people in Washington, D.C. to "Mouse-Land" in California.

Notes

• The British organization W.H.O. utilized a Helicarrier of their own.
  

Trivia

• No trivia.

See Also

• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier's Comic Appearances
• Vehicle Gallery: S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
• Images that include S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier

Links and References

• None.