- "HYDRA is out there now but at least our team is still intact."
- ―Phil Coulson[src]
After Phil Coulson recovered from his injuries sustained before the Battle of New York, he put together a team which investigated the cases S.H.I.E.L.D. had not yet classified.
History
Coulson's Team
Some time after the battle of New York, Melinda May assembled a team of agents to keep an eye on Phil Coulson's recovery for Nick Fury. Coulson however believes he has set up the small, highly trained team of agents to tackle the cases that haven’t been classified yet. The team originally consists of Phil Coulson, Melinda May, Grant Ward, Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons.[1][2]
Agents Coulson and Ward.
They are first sent to investigate a superhuman, Mike Peterson, who is able to survive an exploding building and a hacktivist group called the Rising Tide that seems to have information. Skye, a member of the Rising Tide, meets with Peterson to warn him about S.H.I.E.L.D., saying that they cover up superhero-based events and that she can help him, which he declines.
Later, Skye is abducted by Coulson and Ward and questioned on their plane. She does not cooperate initially, but eventually reveals what she knows. It is later revealed that Peterson had been supplied with the Centipede serum giving him his powers, by an unknown organization.
After visiting the explosion scene, Coulson's team is able to recreate it and learn that it was caused by another subject exploding due to Extremis. While attempting to get info to the team, Skye is kidnapped by Peterson (who is now on the run) and makes her give him a clean slate. Coulson's team is able to track them down and subdue Peterson without him causing mass damage while stopping an assassin that was sent by Dr. Debbie. With Peterson in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, Coulson offers Skye a place on the team and they go to investigate a 0-8-4 [2]
Phil Coulson in Peru
Peru
- "You used to have 100 men at your disposal...and now?"
"A hand-picked team, and yes, they're that good." - ―Camilla Reyes and Phil Coulson[src]
Skye was integrated into Coulson's team as a consultant and the team's next assignment was in Peru. Their mission was to track a "an object of unknown origin." or "0-8-4". The team arrived and quickly realized that the object was actually a piece of forgotten HYDRA technology powered by Tesseract energy. Coulson met with a former ally, Camilla Reyes, and brung her team aboard the plane.
While on the plane, Reyes betrayed Coulson and had planned to take the HYDRA weapon for herself so she could destroy the Peruvian rebels. The squabbling team members banded together, utilized each of their talents, and took out Reyes' men. Reyes was taken into custody and Skye texted another member of the Rising Tide, confirming that she has infiltrated Coulson's team. Director Fury later met Coulson on the Bus and scolded him for the damage to the plane and reminded him about the risk Skye poses.[3]
The Asset
S.H.I.E.L.D. then searched for one of its assets, Dr. Franklin Hall, who was kidnapped by his former research partner and CEO of Quinn Worldwide named Ian Quinn. His soldiers used a gravity device on the S.H.I.E.L.D. convoy that was transporting him. Quinn wanted to use Hall to take control of the planet's gravity by building a giant gravitonium generator. Coulson's and his team headed to Malta and Skye volunteered to infiltrate Quinn's mansion during his party so that Coulson and Ward could rescue Hall. Skye tricked Quinn into believing she is betraying S.H.I.E.L.D. for Rising Tide to get his guard down. However, Coulson discovered that Hall perpetrated his own escape and wanted to destroy the massive device as believed he is in the right. Coulson warned him that doing so would end up killing millions. There is a violent disagreement which lead to Coulson being forced to leave Hall to die as he fell into the middle of the generator. Coulson ordered that the gravitonium be placed under high security and off the books in the Fridge.
S.H.I.E.L.D. did not notice that Hall is still somehow alive but trapped within the gravitonium.[4]
Akela Amador
After a series of thefts throughout the world that were almost impossibly premeditated, Coulson and his team investigated and uncovered the identity of the thief: his former protégé Akela Amador.
Phil Coulson with Akela Amador in the Bus
Coulson had presumed that she was dead and did not believe that she was capable of turning on S.H.I.E.L.D. The team nearly caught up to her, but she managed to evade them. May took matters into her own hands upon finding Akela's hotel room. Coulson caught up to her and found out she was being blackmailed through a camera (with X-ray backscatter functions) that had replaced her right eye. The device also had a fail-safe bomb in case she rebeled.
Coulson took her to the Bus and hijacked her feed so Ward could take over her new mission. Ward discovered an image of a mysterious chalk drawing. Fitz took out the bomb while the others worked to remove the camera from Akela's right eye. Coulson caught up to who he thinks is the mastermind behind Akela's thefts, but the man is quickly killed through a similar device to Akela's. Coulson and Ward are left to wonder who was behind Akela's thefts. Akela is taken away by S.H.I.E.L.D. officers.
Purpose
The team's goal is to deal with super human cases that S.H.I.E.L.D has not classified and are usually called upon to deal with cases involving superhuman or supernatural events.[5] It has also been revealed that the team had a secondary purpose assigned by Director Nick Fury: the observation of Agent Coulson after his resurrection. [6]
Skills
Each member of the team has their own special skill set that contributes to the team. Grant Ward and Melinda May being the team's Combat specialists, Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons the Scientists, and Skye the Hacker of the team.
Members
| Image | Name | Clearence Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Phil Coulson | Level 8 | Phil Coulson is one of the highest ranking operatives under S.H.I.E.L.D. employ, often working closely with Nick Fury himself. When he was seemingly killed by Loki during the War for Earth, the Avengers fought in the Battle of New York in honor of him. However, Coulson's death lasted for nearly a week before scientists working at the Guest House revived him using advanced technology in conjunction with DNA recovered from an alien creature. After his body was revitalized, the scientists ensured that Coulson did not remember all of the painful procedures by forcing a memory of a grass shack in Tahiti into Coulson's memory. After recovering from his wounds, Coulson returned to assemble a new team of young agents to lead them against other supernatural threats. While on this team, Coulson worked to discover the truth about the events after his death. |
|
Melinda May | Level 7 | Melinda May is an elite S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and one of the agency's veteran field operatives. A veteran pilot and soldier with years of experience, she withdrew from field duty after an incident in Bahrain which left her mentally shaken. The ordeal earned her the nickname "The Cavalry", a name that she highly detests. However, she returned to the field when Agent Coulson recruited her onto his team, becoming the pilot of the Bus and taking part in most of the team's field operations. She is romantically involved with teammate Grant Ward. |
|
Grant Ward | Level 7 (Former Member) | Grant Ward is a S.H.I.E.L.D. field operative. As a child, he was constantly abused by his older brother, Maynard, and that constant trauma has left him bitter and poor at interpersonal relations. Fortunately, he compensates in combat and espionage, and is fiercely loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Coulson. Before he was recruited into the team by Coulson, Ward served as a solo operative, working occasionally with his former superior, John Garrett. He is romantically involved with teammate Melinda May. |
|
Leo Fitz | Level 5 | Leopold "Leo" Fitz is a S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist. A genius-level engineer, Fitz attended the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Science and Technology along with his teammate Jemma Simmons. The top of his class, Fitz works well alongside Simmons. Despite his brilliance, Fitz is socially awkward and does not excel at communication. He rarely ever goes onto the field, preferring the safety of his lab. |
|
Jemma Simmons | Level 5 | Jemma Simmons is a S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist. A genius bio-chemist, she is one of the youngest and most prominent members of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s research division, having graduated early from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Science and Technology. Simmons has a love for science and a wide-eyed enthusiasm for the world that make this opportunity to work in the field the adventure of a lifetime. She rarely ever goes onto the field, preferring the safety of her lab. |
|
Skye | Level 1 |
Skye, whose full name hasn't been determined, is a genius-level hacker who worked for the Rising Tide "hacktivist" group so she could unveil the mystery behind her background. Skye's origin is shrouded in mystery, other than the fact that her entire family was massacred when she was an infant, and she was temporarily taken in by S.H.I.E.L.D. until the team protecting her was confronted by similar dangers. During S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first encounter with Mike Peterson, Skye attempted to help him evade S.H.I.E.L.D., only to fall under their radar. Instead of arresting her, Coulson recruited her into his team. |
Relationships
Allies
- S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Nick Fury
- Phil Coulson
- Maria Hill
- Eric Koenig
- Felix Blake
- Antoine Triplett
- Streiten
- Shaw†
- Victoria Hand†
- Anne Weaver
- Tyler
- Mack
- Kwan Chen†
- Jazuat
- Sif
- Akela Amador (former enemy turned ally)
- Archaeologist
- Elliot Randolph
Enemies
- HYDRA
- John Garrett (Clairvoyant), former ally turned enemy.
- Jasper Sitwell †, former ally turned enemy.
- Grant Ward, former member turned enemy.
- Raina
- Ian Quinn
- Debbie†
- Englishman†
- Marcus Daniels
- Scorch†
- Edison Po
- Deathlok
- Donnie Gill
- Seth Dormer†
- Camilla Reyes
- Perez (Soldier)
- Nahui†
- Lopez
- Cusi†
- Vilca
- Petra Larsen
- Jakob Nystrom
- Tobias Ford †
- Luca Russo†
- Sofia (Cybertek) †
- Carlo Mancini †
- Lorelei