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

H.A.M.M.E.R.
H.A.M.M.E.R. logo
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Secret Invasion #8
Created by	Brian Michael Bendis
In-story information
Type of organization	Government intelligence agency
Leader(s)	Norman Osborn Deidre Wentworth Formerly: Victoria Hand
Agent(s)	Dark Avengers Dark X-Men Thunderbolts

H.A.M.M.E.R. is a fictional espionage and law enforcement agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The organization is led by Norman Osborn and was formed in Secret Invasion #8 to replace S.H.I.E.L.D.. The organization plays a large part in Marvel's "Dark Reign" and Siege storylines that ran from 2008 - 2010.

What "H.A.M.M.E.R." stands for, if indeed it stands for anything at all, has not been revealed. In Dark Avengers #1, Osborn told Victoria Hand that it does stand for something, and when she asked what it stands for, 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 says that it's classified and she does not have a security clearance.

H.A.M.M.E.R. first appeared in Secret Invasion #8 and was created by Brian Michael Bendis.

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 entire 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.

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