H.A.M.M.E.R.

H.A.M.M.E.R. is a fictional espionage and law enforcement agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The organisation is led by Norman Osborn and was formed in Secret Invasion #8 to replace S.H.I.E.L.D. The organisation plays a large part in Marvel's "Dark Reign" and Siege storylines that ran from 2008 to 2010. What "H.A.M.M.E.R." stands for, or whether it stands for anything at all, has not been revealed. In Dark Avengers #1, Osborn told Victoria Hand that it does stand for something, but when she questioned him further, he told her to "get on that for [him]". Also, in the Captain America: Reborn Prelude, when Sin, who is captured by H.A.M.M.E.R, asks what it stands for, the agent present claims that it's classified information which she does not have the necessary security clearance to divulge. Publication history H.A.M.M.E.R. first appeared in Secret Invasion #8 and was created by Brian Michael Bendis. Fictional organization history The ramifications of the alien Skrulls' invasion of Earth forced a massive restructuring of the United States' defense network. At the time, the country's primary peace keeping agency was S.H.I.E.L.D., led by civilian industrialist Tony Stark, aka, Iron Man. Because the Skrulls were able to compromise S.H.I.E.L.D.'s StarkTech technology, it was decided that S.H.I.E.L.D. was no longer an effective organization and Tony Stark was personally held accountable for the Skrull invasion. In the wake of this controversy, Thunderbolts leader Norman Osborn manipulated the U.S. government into allowing him to serve as director of a replacement agency called H.A.M.M.E.R. Under Osborn's leadership, H.A.M.M.E.R. had administrative control over the entire Fifty State Initiative.