File:Strange Tales Vol 1 149 001.jpg

Description
A pair of A.I.M. agents, fleeing the fight with Fury, are picked up on the road by "Number Nine" of "The Secret Empire"-- which turns out to be another branch of "THEM"! But as they drive off, the A.I.M. men are gassed unconscious, as "Number Nine" turns out to be the long-missing Gabe Jones, working undercover! Fury clues in the V.I.P.s as to the situation, while Jasper trails Royale to A.I.M.'s mountain-side hidden base-- just before the entire place is destroyed in a colossal explosion! Dugan comments on how they preferred blowing themselves up because they were discovered, while Fury feels "someone bigger" finished them off when their usefulness ended. When they're almost killed by a mysterious energy ray, Fury realizes "THEM" and HYDRA are one and the same, and it's up to SHIELD to find them, before they strike first.