Secret Invasion: Fury's Post-Endgame Scheme Undid A Powerful Peggy Carter Moment

Contains spoilers for "Secret Invasion" Episode 5 — "Harvest"

Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) sure has one convoluted plan, as more layers get added in Episode 5, "Harvest." It turns out the Skrull rebel leader not only wants to create Super Skrulls; he wants to obtain the Harvest, which consists of the blood of various Avengers, no doubt allowing him to mimic their powers and have an easier time taking over the world. It's all the more impactful, seeing how Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) was the one leading the charge to collect such blood, so in a very palpable way, he could be complicit in the destruction of humanity. 

Fury taking heroes' blood just in case is very in character for him. He always wants to be one step ahead of any possible threats, but having him collect Avengers' blood flies in the face of a decisive moment from the short-lived TV series, "Agent Carter." The Season 1 finale of the show sees Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) acquire the last of Steve Rogers' (Chris Evans) blood, holding the potential to create more super soldiers. On a personal level, the blood represents the last of Peggy's beloved, but she knows there are greater things at stake. She drops the blood in the river, symbolizing her letting go of her former paramour. It's a powerful moment, but it seems to get hand-waved away with Nick Fury's actions. 

While Peggy Carter dumping Steve Rogers' blood is a symbolic way to show how she needs to move on from him, there's a practical component to it, too. No one should be trusted with the same kind of power. Steve Rogers was good, but his blood could cause unknown levels of destruction in the wrong hands. Executive producer Michele Fazekas told Entertainment Weekly as much, "She could've kept it, but there's too much risk. It was more important for her to protect him than to keep him." She knew what she had to do for both herself and the world, and Nick Fury really should've taken notes.

Granted, Peggy and Fury have very different approaches when it comes to superheroes. Peggy is selfless and understands the necessity of de-escalation. On the other hand, Fury keeps many secrets and always looks for ways to give the Earth the upper hand regarding extraterrestrial threats. But that plan could prove to be Earth's undoing if Gravik obtains the Harvest. If there's one thing to learn through all this, it's that Fury needs to learn how to stop inadvertently putting the world in danger because he's too scared of what could happen if a potential enemy gets even the slightest bit of power. 

Fury not only inspired Gravik's plan by failing to find a new home for the Skrulls, but he may have led him to the power to destroy humanity. Things may have been better off if Fury kept a lower profile and not acquired such a dangerous concoction. Right now, everything in "Secret Invasion" looks like Fury's fault, and he may have been better off simply destroying any leftover blood from the Battle of Earth rather than keeping it for his own means.