Phil Coulson

Sharp Dressed Man

Phillip J. Coulson nurtured an interest in the exploits World War II hero Captain America, and the origins of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division as the evolution of Peggy Carter’s SSR.

The young man became an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. himself and soon found himself under the tutelage of Nick Fury, the man responsible for steering him toward events concerning unexplained phenomena and unclassifiable artifacts.  Eventually, Fury began to task Coulson with assignments involving high-profile individuals and through them gained the S.H.I.E.L.D. director’s trust as an agent who, while devoted to duty, also knew how to improvise in the field and find solutions to the stickiest of problems.

In the wake of Tony Stark’s kidnapping by the Ten Rings and subsequent escape and emergence as Iron Man, Coulson was tasked by S.H.I.E.L.D. to investigate the situation involving the billionaire industrialist.

Ready for S.H.I.E.L.D.

While he is not an enhanced human, Phil Coulson’s training makes him more than capable in hand-to-hand combat, weapon-use, tactics and strategy, technology assimilation, and leadership qualities. He has been able to endure extensive hardships, including physical abuse and torture, as well as psychological warfare, and can remain cool and aloof in stressful situations.

Enemies Elevated

In the years leading up to the Avengers forming, Coulson is there when Loki sends the Destroyer to New Mexico, with the God of Mischief ultimately proving to be a notably dark and fateful figure for Coulson. Indeed, it is Loki who murders Coulson onboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, stabbing him through the back when Coulson attempts to stop Loki’s escape.

Like Family

Coulson’s affable, mild-mannered personality and inner wisdom have earned him friends and allies that often times transcend normal relationships, starting at the very top of S.H.I.E.L.D. with Nick Fury. Though outwardly very much a boss-worker set-up, the bond between the two men covers trust and admiration.

Coulson forms a friendly dynamic with Tony Stark during his multiple interactions with him, and is well-liked by Steve Rogers, even though Coulson can’t contain his inner fanboy at meeting Captain America himself. Coulson also finds a friend in Stark’s longtime employee-turned-love, Pepper Potts, discussing his personal life with her.

The Avengers’ Inspiration

After tasking Phil Coulson with several missions, some of them concerning the retrieval of objects of unknown origin and capabilities. Nick Fury entrusted his prize agent with aiding him with his so-called “Avengers Initiative.” Coulson investigated wealthy industrialist Tony Stark first, discovering him to be the mysterious new Iron Man. During this period, Coulson got to know both Stark and Pepper Potts, and gave Stark a cover story for Iron Man’s fight with Obadiah Stane—which Stark would ignore when he impulsively told the press he was in fact Iron Man himself.

Coulson was later tasked with guarding Stark during a crucial time, though he was then reassigned after a strange hammer fell from the sky in New Mexico. In New Mexico, Coulson would encounter Thor, during his time without powers on Earth, and witness the God of Thunder once more prove his worthiness and regain his might during a battle with the Destroyer. Soon after, Coulson and Jasper Sitwell were tasked with convincing Thaddeus Ross to turn Emil Blonsky, the Abomination, over to S.H.I.E.L.D. as a potential Avenger. Agreeing this would be foolhardy, they recruited Tony Stark to approach Ross, knowing Ross would dislike Stark and refuse.

With S.H.I.E.L.D. attempting to harness the power of the Tesseract, Coulson was present alongside Fury, Maria Hill, Erik Selvig, and Clint Barton at a S.H.I.E.L.D. Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. facility when Loki arrived, taking the Tesseract and a mind-controlled Selvig and Barton, among others, with him, while the base was destroyed. Fury decided this threat meant it was time to fully activate the Avengers, and Coulson was sent to recruit Stark to help, before escorting the revived Steve Rogers AKA Captain America to a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.

Coulson was present on the Helicarrier when Loki, having been captured, was brought onboard. Unfortunately, Loki escaped, and Coulson attempted to stop him with a newly created S.H.I.E.L.D. weapon—only for Loki to fool him with an illusion and fatally stab him from behind with his scepter. With his dying breaths, Coulson managed to shoot and wound Loki, who fled. With his final words, Coulson told Fury that his death was worth it, because it would help motivate the squabbling heroes to truly become the Avengers—which indeed was the case, as Stark and Rogers put aside their differences, coming together with Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Thor to stop Loki.