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

S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
Name	S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
Aliases	The Beast, Cumulo-Carrier, Helicarrier, SHIELD Helicarrier
Owners
Current Owner(s)	S.H.I.E.L.D.
Physical Characteristics
Transport Method	By Air
Current Model	Aircraft Carrier
Origin
Origin	Proposed by Stark Industries as a political compromise among S.H.I.E.L.D.'s signatory nations.
Status	Active
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
First	Strange Tales #135 (May, 1965)
First	Strange Tales #135 (May, 1965)

The eggheads call it a "Helicarrier." I always been too embarrassed to ask 'em what that means.

—Colonel Nick Fury[source]

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 extra-governmental 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 wings of fighters and other aircraft, the Helicarrier bristles with advanced weaponry, including an intercontinental ballistic missile.

History

Origin

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 hostile organizations such as Hydra with domestic political fallout sure to follow immediately thereafter.

When Tony Stark himself became Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he ordered construction of a red-and-gold Helicarrier in the motif of his Iron Man Armor. This Helicarrier was brought down by the Red Hulk to be rebuilt as the Hellcarrier, the headquarters of the Intelligencia.

The main S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier was disabled by an alien computer virus unleashed by a Skrull agent posing as Edwin Jarvis as part of the Secret Invasion. When the Skrull Invasion was over and Norman Osborn became the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (now called H.A.M.M.E.R), he soon ordered to have it dismantled to build his own H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarrier.

After the Siege of Asgard, Steve Rogers became the world's new Top Cop, deposing Norman Osborn and dismantling H.A.M.M.E.R., but without reinstalling S.H.I.E.L.D.

After the attack of the Serpent and the return of H.A.M.M.E.R., Rogers decided to reactivate S.H.I.E.L.D. and build a new Helicarrier called Iliad. Iliad remains a primary vessel for Daisy Johnson, Maria Hill, and the current team of the Secret Avengers.

Known Helicarriers

• Assault Carrier Samuel Sawyer
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Battlecarrier Bellerophon
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Battlecarrier Pericles
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Argonaut
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Behemoth (a smaller version of this Helicarrier named Behemoth IV was used by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Godzilla Squad)
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Black Hawk (destroyed in action against the Hydra-Hand alliance)
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Circe (currently in use)
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Crescent
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Douglass - served as A.I.M. (American Intelligence Mechanics)'s headquarters
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Gold (destroyed by the Red Hulk)
• Gungnir - a Helicarrier which could transform into a giant robot; destroyed
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Gyges (destroyed by Pygmalion Project operatives)
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Hermes (a class Luxor Helicarrier) (allegedly scuttled after being hijacked by the Red Skull)
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Iliad (currently in use)
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Pericles - a decommissioned Helicarrier used as an X-Force base
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Pericles V (infiltrated by the vampiric Order of Tyrana and scuttled by Blade the Vampire-Slayer)
• U.S.S. Deadpool
• Hellcarrier (headquarters of the Intelligencia)

Please see the full list of S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarriers here.

It is not yet known what criteria S.H.I.E.L.D. has used to name the Helicarriers, but many share a relationship with Greek mythology.

Alternate realities

• Earth-1610:
  • Heli-Carrier Alpha
  • U.S.S. Jimmy Carter
• Earth-199999:
  • S.H.I.E.L.D. Aircraft Carrier Iliad
  • Project Insight

Alternate Realities

Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610)

Heli-Carrier Alpha

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. They are not S.H.I.E.L.D.'s primary headquarters, this being the Triskelion. 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.

One Helicarrier, the U.S.S. Jimmy Carter, was used as the command center for the New Ultimates briefly while they were under the direction of Gregory Stark. Gregory Stark also noted that this reality's Hank Pym was the original designer of the Helicarrier, although it has been enhanced and upgraded with Stark technology.

Zombiverse (Earth-2149)

The Helicarrier was used as the last remaining base of the resistance to the Zombie-contagion.

New Ultimate Universe (Earth-6160)

Earth-6160 was reshaped into the image of the Maker of Earth-1610, preventing the creation of most of the super-hero community. The Maker created H.A.N.D. as a clandestine law enforcement organization with the objective of maintaining order across his perfect world, directed by Nick Fury from The Beast, the flagship "Cumulo-Carrier" of the H.A.N.D. Heli-fleet. The Beast is powered by a thermonuclear core and is equipped with some of the most sophisticated surveillance technology on the planet. The ship has a range of surveillance of at least the whole North American Union, is disguised as a permanent mile-wide thunderstorm, and from there H.A.N.D. predicts and preemptively eliminates threats to the world order. The targeting system makes use of the thunderstorm disguise, as it can shoot lightning bolts to eliminate targets.

Inside The Beast, there is a warehouse full of Life Model Decoys of Nick Fury.

Crossoververse (Earth-7642)

The Helicarrier was the mobile base of S.H.I.E.L.D. Aboard the ship, Deadeye was recruited into S.H.I.E.L.D. and armed with the equipment he would use as the Grifter. The Helicarrier then transported Cash and Ms. Honeygate to Australia.

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Earth-8096)

Earth-8096 Helicarrier

S.H.I.E.L.D. used this Helicarrier as its main headquarters and military command airship.

It was destroyed during the Skrull Invasion.

Ultimate Spider-Man (Earth-12041)

Original Helicarrier

The Helicarrier serves as the mobile airborne headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D.; that is, until its destruction at the hands of the Green Goblin. It was later replaced by the larger and more versatile Tri-Carrier. The wreckage of the original was later converted into a base for the Goblin nicknamed the "Hellcarrier". Ultimately, it was taken over by Electro and set to both self-destruct and take out New York, but the timely intervention of Spider-Girl and Spider-Ham launched it into outer space where it could detonate harmlessly.

Spider-Dreams (Earth-13017)

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

The Helicarrier was a flying aircraft and the base of the spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D.. It was here that Spider-Man was given a new identity.

Insane Impossible Man (Earth-14845)

The Impossible Man had the ability to shapeshift into anything he wanted to at will. When the Controller slapped a Slave Disc on him, the Impossible Man went crazy and crashed the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, but not before transporting all of the agents, along with the rest of the people in Washington, D.C. to "Mouse-Land" in California.

Marvel Zombies: Resurrection (Earth-19121)

S.H.I.E.L.D. used a Helicarrier to fight off the Respawned's zombie invasion of Earth.

House of M (Earth-58163)

These Helicarriers were owned and operated by S.H.I.E.L.D. and its elite unit, the Red Guard.

Bullet Points (Earth-70105)

The Helicarrier was fortified and upgraded by S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Reed Richards.

Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-199999)

The Helicarrier

The Helicarrier is a seaworthy ship capable of VTOL flight by way of four huge lift fans mounted on its sides. It has two runways; one with direct access to a hangar at the rear is aligned along the spine of the vessel and is used for forward launches of aircraft, and the other is a diagonally aligned runway above that is suitable for landings. Refractive panels on the underbelly offer the craft a broad camouflage of clouds or sky when viewed from below. The Helicarrier was heavily damaged in an attack, yet it was still able to limp to open water on the strength of only three of its colossal fans. It could carry many aircraft, including F-35s.

A second generation series of Helicarriers are larger than the original, and built with a stronger focus on direct combat capability. Ventral gun batteries offer a wide area of fire below, while front- and side-mounted cannons provide some coverage to the surrounding area. Networked fire control systems employ satellite links and allow for the combination of three Helicarriers to operate in harmony, sharing targeting data and firing solutions on distant targets as small as man-size. Upper level armaments are limited by the carrier flight deck. Four huge repulsor engines address the vulnerabilities of the earlier lift fans by having no reliance on a fast-spinning mass, and avoiding the need for a dense enough air mass to remain aloft. This ensures that these next generation Helicarriers can attain a higher altitude than their predecessor.

Hydra took over S.H.I.E.L.D. (Unknown Reality)

Hydra Helicarrier

A version of the Helicarrier that was taken over by Hydra was present among the things that got pruned to the Void by the Time Variance Authority

Earth-10005's dystopian future averted (Earth-10005 Revised)

Ajax held Vanessa Carlysle captive aboard a derelict Helicarrier, though its manufacturer and operator were unknown.

Dark Ages (Earth-80763)

S.H.I.E.L.D. operated from a Helicarrier. When a worldwide EMP wiped out technology all over the planet, the Helicarrier was among the technology affected, causing it to fall out of the sky and crash.

Years later, a Helicarrier, possibly the same one that had crashed, was converted into a vessel that could travel by sea. It had both steam engines and large sails that utilized powerful winds generated by the mutant Storm for propulsion. Because of its mammoth size, the Helicarrier was capable of holding more than 100,000 people. It was often used to transport refugees from Europe to Africa.

Unknown Reality

A version of a Project Insight Helicarrier from an unknown reality was present among the things that got pruned to the Void by the Time Variance Authority.

Notes

• The British organization W.H.O. and many other organizations used Helicarriers and similar crafts of their own.
• According to intelligence gathered by Project Livewire, five Helicarriers are known to have been wrecked, two of them off the coast of New York City, though several more are known to have been lost since then.
  • One of the five wrecked Helicarriers was rebuilt by an illegal black ops project and then subsequently destroyed by the Livewires.

See Also

• 1195 appearance(s) of S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
• 10 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
• 53 minor appearance(s) of S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
• 102 mention(s) of S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
• 7 mention(s) in handbook(s) of S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
• 183 image(s) of S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier