Marvel has just released the one and only issue of the Captain Marvel Prelude comic. It finally partially answers one of the most enduring questions from Avengers: Infinity War.

What Has Nick Fury and Maria Hill Been Up To?

The Captain Marvel Prelude comic begins by showing us where Nick Fury and Maria Hill have been since we last saw them at the end of 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. During the events of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Nick Fury was aware of the growing rift between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers.

He even stated that we “can’t afford that kind of infighting.” What he means by that is that a house divided is never as strong as house united, and therefore a broken Avengers team might not have what it takes to save the world.

They also went into hiding after the Sokovia Accords were finally ratified. While Maria pointed out the Accords only restrict superpowered individuals and not superspies, Nick decided to go into hiding anyways because he needs them (the Avengers) to be something more. He’s essentially not sure anymore whether the Avengers will ever assemble themselves whole again.

What’s interesting here is that Maria Hill doesn’t know about Captain Marvel. This is apparent when she asked Nick Fury if he has other superheroes that they haven’t recruited yet.

Why Did Nick Fury Only Call Her As A Last Resort?

This question is answered by Nick Fury himself as he says that if they do their jobs right, they’ll never have to call “her.” “Her” obviously refers to Captain Marvel, though he doesn’t mention her name to Maria.

What Was Nick Fury and Maria Hill’s Mission Pre-Avengers Infinity War?

Nick Fury and Maria Hill attempted to fix the rift between the Avengers by confronting both Captain America and Iron Man. We already know the outcome of this. As we all know from watching Avengers: Infinity War, they never made up, which means that Nick Fury and Maria Hill failed to reunite the Avengers.

Check out their attempts in the pages below.

Full Circle

After those unfruitful meetings, the Captain Marvel Prelude comic fast-forwards to the post-credits of the Avengers: Infinity War movie. This scene makes much more sense now, especially when Nick asks Maria if they’ve heard back from Tony.

We get more details too, which wasn’t in the live-action scene. These include Nick Fury whispering “It’s time.” under his breath just before he turns into pixie dust.

Ultimately, it means that Nick Fury never intended for Captain Marvel to be part of the Avengers. She was meant as a last resort for when the Avengers failed, or in this case, broke apart.

Many lingering questions remain unanswered by the end of the Captain Marvel Prelude comic book, like what exactly has Carol Danvers been up to all these years? Where is she now? How powerful is she that Nick Fury seemed to regard her as a silver bullet of sorts?

We’ll know more when Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 7, 2019. To know more about Captain Marvel herself ahead of the upcoming movie, check out my introduction to the character here.