Morrison uses narrative misdirection not only to pay homage to Steranko’s past work, but to create an ambivalence in readers towards Fury. When the real Fury appears in the story to confront Kong, his actions are so extreme — so darkly silly — that Morrison risks making Kong a sympathetic figure. Even one of Fury’s colleagues remarks, “You went to a whole lot of trouble for one guy, Colonel Fury”, to which Fury responds, in a flippant machismo manner, “This is the free world we’re talking about, baby. Somebody’s gotta take care of the details.”

Indeed, Morrison’s story both celebrates and lampoons Fury. While the speed and strangeness of Fury’s lifestyle is presented as cool, the over-the-top machinations of both Kong and Fury, the bizarre virtual reality representations of Fury’s adventures, and the scatological humor all undercut the potential threat presented in the narrative, giving the whole story a whimsical quality.

Examining Mark Millar’s work on Marvel’s The Ultimates series (which also debuted in 2002, and also features Nick Fury, drawn to resemble actor Samuel L. Jackson) in his book Supergods, Morrison observes:

“Marvel stepped into the post-9/11 breach with global-political thrillers that acknowledged contemporary events without dwelling on them. The Ultimates, re-created with Mark Millar’s gleefully right-leaning heroes, gave a voice to Bush’s America’s posturing, superheroic fantasies of global law enforcement in a posttraumatic world. It was both a glorification and a satire of those attitudes, and Millar was savvy enough to maintain the ambiguity to the end.”

Judging from his “Nick’s World” story, had Morrison convinced Marvel to publish a Nick Fury series, his plans for Fury may have turned the hero into an ambiguous character having fast and fun (but also satirical) adventures, making — like Millar’s Ultimates — a sly commentary on America’s post-9/11 political and military power.