Deathlok

"Coulson said to bring you in." "You can access my hardware and watch my every move. Go ahead. I will only be making amends for my actions." "Whatever you did, you did it for Ace." "And what I do now, that will be for him too."

- Skye and Deathlok

Michael "Mike" Peterson is a cyborg S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Peterson was an ordinary man until he was approached by a mysterious group who granted him superpowers through use of the Centipede Serum. However, when he compromised the secrecy of the project, they decided to eliminate him, but they were stopped by a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents led by Phil Coulson. Some time later, Peterson decided to join S.H.I.E.L.D. Peterson was later recaptured by the Centipede Project and transformed into the cybernetic operative, Deathlok. He was used by the Clairvoyant to keep people off his trail, including Coulson's team.

After the downfall of the Centipede Project and the death of John Garrett, he decided to go off on his own seeking redemption for his past crimes as Deathlok. During this period, he was again recruited by a resurrected S.H.I.E.L.D. now led by Phil Coulson and began working directly for him in the continued fight against HYDRA. Coulson gave him the mission to hunt down HYDRA Scientist Doctor List, who eventually captured and tortured Peterson until he was rescued by the former members of Coulson's own team.

Raising a Family
"Michael Peterson, factory worker. Married, one kid. Gets injured, gets laid off, wife jumps ship. Good guy, bad breaks. Best guess is, somebody tells him they can make him strong again. Make him super."

- Phil Coulson

Michael Peterson was a family man who lived with his wife and his son Ace while working in a factory. After a back injury that made him lose his job, his wife abandoned him and left him alone with his son. Despite his hard-times, Mike and Ace had grown ever closer, becoming extremely protective over one another and constantly reminding each other that they were an unstoppable team.

The Centipede
"I volunteered because you said things would change." "And you said you could keep it together!"

- Michael Peterson and Debbie

During his rehabilitation he was approached by Raina, who represented an organization that created a treatment that could restore his health and put him back to work. Raina introduced Peterson to a doctor known as Debbie. Debbie treated Peterson with the Centipede Serum, which utilized, among other things, unstable Extremis technology. Peterson's developed super-powers, including strength and durability.

Exposed
"What do you mean about danger?" "S.H.I.E.L.D." "Shield what? I should carry a shield?"

- Mike Peterson and Skye

One day Peterson was out in Los Angeles with his son Ace; looking at Avengers toys, he asked his son which toy he wanted but Ace made it clear he did not want a toy as it was too expensive. Suddenly Debbie's lab, which was nearby, was destroyed by the detonation of another Centipede user. Believing that he could help, Peterson left Ace with a friend and ran towards the burning building. Using his incredible strength he was able to climb up the outside and get into the lab. He made his way into the lab where he found Debbie unconscious and leaped from the building with her in his arms mere seconds before the lab exploded into a massive fireball. Peterson caused a large crack on the ground but the fall did not damage his body and he managed to save Debbie before escaping and reuniting with Ace. This action was observed and recorded by Skye, who was investigating Centipede for the Rising Tide. Skye posted her video online, giving Peterson an unwanted celebrity status, as he only desired to find work and raise his son in peace. Peterson was later tracked down by Skye who met him at Ruthie's Skillet while Peterson looked for a job; at first, he was confused by her appearance until she revealed she knew he was the "Hooded Hero". Peterson tried to deny that he was any kind of hero but Skye convinced him that he was in danger. She led him to believe that S.H.I.E.L.D. was hunting him, reminding him of their involvement in the Battle of New York. She tried to convince him that she could help him by revealing his identity online and become a true superhero but he was unconvinced and left, unaware that Skye had stolen his I.D. Soon afterwards, Peterson's condition began to deteriorate, both mentally and physically, due to the Extremis in his veins. As he began to take Skye's words to heart he called his doctors at the Centipede Project and tried to convince them that his exposure to the news due to the incident could be used to their advantage, as it proved that their Centipede Serum worked and therefore could be sold for millions. The doctors refused to help and instead advised him to return to his old life, angering Peterson as he threw his phone at a picture of him with his ex-wife. In desperation, Peterson returned to his former workplace, hoping to regain his old position, however his Supervisor refused to help him, claiming that he was let go for a reason and there were plenty of men waiting to take his place who did not have back issues. Peterson tried to convince Gary that he was stronger than ever before but was insulted again, angered Peterson attacked Gary, convinced that he was the hero and his old boss was the bad guy who was damaging people's lives, putting him in the hospital. Seeking help, Peterson then visited Debbie in the hospital, bringing flowers with him. Debbie pretended to be pleased to see her rescuer until the nurse left the room, at which point Debbie confronted him over exposing the organization, telling him that he was now at risk of exploding due to overdosing with the Centipede Device. She convinced him that he needed to disappear, as the people behind Centipede did not want to be exposed. As Peterson left the room, he told her that this was not a disaster but he was having his origin story before jumping out the window.

Confrontation with S.H.I.E.L.D.
"You said that if we worked hard, if we did right, that we'd have a place. You said it was enough to be a man. But there's better than man. There's gods. And the rest of us, what are we? They're giants. We're what they step on."

- Michael Peterson to Phil Coulson

Peterson's condition from the Centipede Serum soon grew critical. However, he was still convinced that he needed to try to rebuild his life. He took his son and went to look for Skye, finding her with Melinda May, whom he attacked and knocked out. Peterson ordered Skye to take him to the nearest train station. As they went along, Peterson did all he could to ensure that his son remained calm while ordering Skye to delete all records of his existence, including work history and I.D.s. Once Skye had deleted all records of his existence, Peterson soon discovered that she was working with S.H.I.E.L.D.. Enraged, Peterson kicked the door of the van and escaped into the station, taking Skye and Ace with him. As they ran through the busy station, Skye managed to get away by forcing Peterson to find a group of thugs, who he easily overpowered before having Grant Ward put him in a choke hold. Peterson managed to slam Ward on the ground and found Skye before being shot at by a Centipede assassin. Peterson began furiously searching for Ace, believing that S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken him away from him, ignoring Skye's pleas for him to stop. He was suddenly ambushed by the Centipede assassin who fired at him, once Peterson had thrown Skye to safety he was shot and knocked off the ledge. Peterson survived the fall and was confronted by Agent Phil Coulson who tried to talk him down. Coulson tried to convince him to calm down so he did not overload and explode and they talked about how it mattered that Peterson was a good person in a world which included the Avengers. They agreed that Peterson could be a hero and Coulson promised to help. Just as Peterson calmed down enough for the Extremis to cool down in his system, he was suddenly shot by Agent Ward with the Night-Night Gun, which tranquilized him with a curative agent created by Agent Jemma Simmons, saving his life and forever keeping the Extremis in his system strong but stable. He was then taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. protective custody for rehabilitation, and his son taken to live with Mike's sister Mindy during his recovery while Coulson's Team focused their efforts in investigating who was funding the Centipede Project and what their intentions were.

Fighting Back
"Did I beat Captain America's time?" "Not even close."

- Michael Peterson and a S.H.I.E.L.D. trainer

After recovering and having numerous tests ensuring he was safe from harm, Peterson decided to make up for his actions by working for S.H.I.E.L.D. He was trained along with the other cadets, but his superior strength gave him a massive advantage. He trained by pushing entire fork-lift-trucks across football fields, his main aim being to beat Captain America's record time, although he was told he was not close to matching Rogers. Eventually Agent Phil Coulson asked for his help to help bring down the organization that gave him his powers: the Centipede Project. He happily agreed and joined the team on the Bus, expressing his desire to make up for his earlier run-in with the team and assuring them that his Extremis rage was subdued and he was no longer a danger. While on the Bus, there were some hostile feelings towards him from some members of the team, mainly Grant Ward and Melinda May, both of whom he had attacked when they tried to subdue him, although Peterson assured them he was a new man. Agent Coulson ordered Peterson to go down to the labs for tests conducted by Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons. Peterson explained his new diet and exercise routine to Simmons who appeared flustered while massaging Peterson's body. Fitz meanwhile tested him for a suit to wear while being distracted by the Centipede Device on his arm. Fitz and Simmons failed to withhold their curiosity and asked how the device was stabilized, but Peterson explained that it was due to the I.C.E.R. they had invented which had saved his life. They both enjoyed the comments while Simmons continued to awkwardly flirt with him until Fitz teased her about it. With all the tests having been completed, Peterson sat inside the Cage and looked at a photograph of his son. He was interrupted when Skye came to see him and they discussed how proud Ace would be to know his father was working for S.H.I.E.L.D., although Peterson explained that he had bought him lots of presents including toys of the Avengers. Skye made him think of how good it was to have a young boy looking up to him, although Peterson noted that he felt Ace was growing up fast. Agent Coulson then came in the room and offered Peterson a chance to join a mission. Having been outfitted with a Tactical Suit by Fitz and Simmons and agreeing to help Coulson and the team attack one of Centipede's bases he earned the group's trust. During the mission the team was ambushed by a team of Centipede Soldiers, although Peterson was able to defend Coulson using his incredible strength. Seeing that he was their greatest threat the soldiers attacked Peterson and seriously injured when Brian Hayward stabbed him in the side, he was able to survive the attack and witnessed Hayward being killed when his false eye exploded. With the others soldiers having escaped, Peterson returned to the Bus with the rest of the team. While back on the Bus, Peterson was treated by Simmons while Coulson's Team discussed the technology which they had first found in Akela Amador, theorizing that the soldiers they had fought were being forced against their will by someone known as the Clairvoyant. Although still in great pain, Peterson went into Coulson's office and they discussed him joining S.H.I.E.L.D. full time, with him being afraid to return to his son after he had seen his rage at the train station, but Phil Coulson assured him his son would think no different of him and told him to think on his decision.

The Bridge
"Ace, I've gotta make something right. Daddy loves you so much, okay. Stay with Skye, you remember Skye right? Keep him safe, take care of my boy!."

- Mike Peterson to Ace Peterson and Skye

Peterson took on Coulson's advice and phoned his son Ace to tell him he was busy working but would return home soon, only to have Raina, who had somehow found Ace's location, threaten to kill his son if Peterson did not trade Phil Coulson for Ace; however, she did not explain why they wanted Coulson. She then reminded him of when they had met and she had promised to change his life. With no choice, Peterson tricked Coulson's Team into thinking Centipede wanted him. Peterson and Phil Coulson arrived at a bridge and spoke to Raina, with Coulson's Team standing back ready. It was quickly revealed that the deal was for Coulson, not Peterson. When the exchange started, Peterson attempted to break off the deal by threatening Raina's life but she assured him that her employer did not care if she lived or died, and if she was killed then his son would die a horrific death. Coulson told Peterson it was okay, understanding that he had no other choice. Peterson tried to question how he could ever look his son in the eye again, but Coulson continued to reassure him, with Coulson agreeing to the transfer, Ace was freed from Centipede. After ensuring his son was okay and getting him to safety by leaving him with Skye, Peterson told him that he loved him and made a desperate attempt to redeem himself by going back to rescue Coulson alone. However before he could get to them, Raina and her men had the bridge explode with Peterson caught in the middle of the fireball, brutally burning him and destroying his right leg, leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. and his son believing that he had been killed, despite his body not being found.

Ian Quinn's Upgrades
"If I wanted you to hurt her, you know, to kill her, will you? I mean what would hurt Agent Coulson more than to lose his pet project." "Those arn't my orders, she's not who I'm supposed to kill."

- Ian Quinn and Deathlok

Peterson managed to survive the blast, and was ultimately recovered by Centipede Project agents, badly burned, missing his right leg, and implanted with a monitoring ocular implant similar to Akela Amador's Backscatter X-Ray Eye Implant. He woke up in a mysterious room alone, seeing his terrible injuries. He called out for help. When he looked in the mirror a message appeared from the Clairvoyant telling him to wait for further instructions; Peterson stared in horror realizing his fate. Now under the thrall of the Clairvoyant, Peterson was ordered into the service of Ian Quinn, who arranged to have Peterson's destroyed right leg replaced with a Cybertek Prosthetic Leg designed by Cybertek Industries at a cost of $10 million under their Project Deathlok. Peterson was kept in a Hyperbaric Chamber and transported across the country until he was delivered by Carlo Mancini's team to Ian Quinn's Villa where he was discovered by Skye who was investigating Cybertek's unusual activity for S.H.I.E.L.D.. Before Skye could rescue him, she was captured by Quinn's men. Peterson was awakened and given his new Cybernetic Leg. Although Skye tried to speak to him and convince him to leave, he ignored her, knowing he could not leave without endangering Ace. Quinn asked Peterson if he would kill Skye for him, to which Peterson told him those were not his orders; he had other people to kill, and promptly walked out of the room. The Clairvoyant instead ordered Peterson to kill the Cybertek representatives as he blamed them for leading S.H.I.E.L.D. to his location. When Peterson stepped into the room where the representatives were, he first grabbed Sofia by the neck, telling her that the Clairvoyant was unhappy that they had led S.H.I.E.L.D. to their location; the guards drew their guns ready for a fight. Peterson then broke her neck before killing the others with ease, breaking their necks and throwing them out of the windows. After he had killed them all, he was ordered to exit the scene without engaging the just-arriving S.H.I.E.L.D. team, who had come to arrest Quinn after he had shot Skye. Peterson left Ian Quinn's Villa without S.H.I.E.L.D.'s knowledge. Having escaped the facility before being captured by S.H.I.E.L.D., Peterson made his way to a children's park and hid in the bushes to hide his burnt face, watching the children play and thinking back to his own family. He wrote a note on a piece of paper asking his handlers if it were possible for him to see his son, and received a message telling him "Not yet". Devastated by the rejection, Peterson crushed the piece of paper and dropped it beside his new Cybertek Prosthetic Leg and continued to watch the children.

Serving The Clairvoyant
"Mr. Peterson stop, you have a son, Ace, he needs you. We can still help him Mike." "Mike Peterson's dead."

- Felix Blake and Deathlok

After receiving further cybernetic enhancements, the Clairvoyant later ordered Peterson to feign an attack on John Garrett and his partner Antoine Triplett in Sydney, Australia. Peterson stormed into the safehouse and was able to absorb the power of two shots from a Taser Projectile Launcher as well as a shot to his head with an I.C.E.R.. However as both agents aimed their guns at him, Peterson jumped through the roof and made his escape, leaving his targets in a state of shock. Following that encounter, Peterson returned to the his secret base and examined the wound on his forehead caused by a shot from the I.C.E.R. fired by Antoine Triplett, which exposed a metal plate under Peterson's skin. As he looked at the wound, Peterson heard a knock at the door and was then given the Forearm Rocket Launcher from the Clairvoyant. As he put it on his arm it caused him great pain as it drilled and fused itself onto his body. Peterson then received a message on his Backscatter X-Ray Eye Implant and was told that it was time for him to meet the Clairvoyant. Deathlok was then sent to the Tranquility Bridge Assisted Living home in Macon, Georgia to convince Agents Melinda May and Felix Blake that Thomas Nash was the real Clairvoyant. Once he was alone, Deathlok sneaked up on Blake and threw him across the room; Blake recovered from the impact and fired six shots at Peterson, which barely slowed him down. As Blake attempted to stand up and fight, Deathlok grabbed him by the throat and lifted him high in the air, slowly choking him. The desperate Blake tried to convince Deathlok to stop, reminding him of his son, Ace. Believing that he could never return to his old life, Deathlok told Blake that Mike Peterson was dead and threw Blake onto the ground before crushing his chest with his prosthetic leg, breaking his ribs and putting Blake in critical condition. Agent May arrived just too late to save Blake and called the rest of Coulson's Team for backup and informed them of Deathlok's presence. As she fired at him, Deathlok attempted to take out May by firing a rocket at her; however she managed to dodge out of the way of the blast. Knowing that reinforcements were now on their way Deathlok was forced to retreat. Due to the Tag Rounds that were planted on him when he was shot by Agent Blake, Deathlok was tracked to an abandoned racetrack in Pensacola, Florida. A S.H.I.E.L.D. team led by Phil Coulson and John Garrett soon raided and Deathlok was spotted by Leo Fitz's Golden Retrievers, which scanned his body and revealed his armor plating. Deathlok destroyed the Golden Retriever and went on the hunt for the agents. When he spotted Grant Ward, Deathlok fired a missile at him and his team, barely missing as Ward was able to roll out of the way and warn his team. As Ward's team recovered from the blast, Deathlok escaped on foot, chased down by Agent Coulson. With his Prosthetic leg increasing his speed, Deathlok leaped down a stairway and got away before anyone could catch up to him. As had been planned, Coulson followed the path Deathlok had run down and soon discovered Thomas Nash. As they questioned Nash, the true Clairvoyant ensured that the computer keeping Nash alive spoke to the team and allowed them to believe Nash was the true Clairvoyant they had been hunting. Eventually Nash was shot and killed by Ward.

Questioning Skye
"He's having a heart-attack, I can restart it, or not. It's your choice." "You think I don't want to watch him suffer?" "Not suffer, die. Garrett doesn't think you're going to let that happen."

- Deathlok and Skye

All along, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent John Garrett was the true Clairvoyant. After he established a base in Havana, Cuba, he sent Grant Ward to retrieve the necessary pass codes to access a hard drive with the research that had been done on GH.325 that Skye had encrypted. Deathlok tailed Ward and was forced to assist him when Skye attempted to escape in Los Angeles. As Skye got into a car to drive away, Deathlok leapt into the air and landed on the car, forcing her to stop. Deathlok and Grant Ward took Skye back to the Bus and demanded to know how to unlock the hard-drive. When it became clear that Skye would never answer when Ward asked as she was still furious about his betrayal, the Clairvoyant ordered Deathlok to try a different tactic and used a device to give Ward a heart attack. He gave Skye a choice, either unlock the drive or watch Ward suffer a slow a painful death. Skye chose to save Ward and agreed to unlock the drive by having to Bus fly to a certain altitude. Deathlok restarted Ward's heart and continued the mission. Later when Phil Coulson infiltrated the Bus to rescue Skye, he was unaware that Deathlok was also onboard. The pair made a desperate attempt to escape by jumping into Lola. Having discovered their presence Deathlok and Ward fired upon them as they took cover inside Lola. Coulson was able to use Lola's machine guns to defend them and drove the car off the Bus just as Deathlok fired a missile at them which barely missed, they escaped and managed to survive the fall, causing Ward and Deathlok to argue about their next move, with Deathlok insisted that he was only following Garrett's orders.

Motivation
"I was following orders, just like you." "So is someone playing god with you too? Seeing everything you see, waiting to push a button and blow a hole in your skull if you disobey?"

- Raina and Deathlok

When Ian Quinn needed a demonstration to show the effectiveness of the Deathlok Soldiers, Deathlok was sent to Bogotá, Colombia to kill drug lord Alejandro Castillo. He decapitated him. John Garrett boasted about this success to Grant Ward, congratulating Deathlok for the successful mission which was being broadcast across the world. As the reward for the assassination, Garrett allowed Peterson a chance to see footage of his son uploaded into his hardware. Later, Peterson approached Raina and confronted over her motives for working with HYDRA and kidnapping his son. He explaining to her that he feared for his life and that of his son, Ace, whose pictures were being used by Garrett as a reward for Peterson's continued cooperation. Raina told him she was simply following orders like him, Peterson then questioned if she also had a bomb in her head ready to kill her if she disobeyed. She explained she was there for enhanced people, looking to study them, including Skye with whom she believed she shared DNA.

Battle at Cybertek
"You don't need to be set to default, you haven't left me alone all day." "I was told to never leave your side sir." "I love you too."

- John Garrett and Deathlok

Deathlok remained constantly by John Garrett's side onboard the Bus as he began to experience the side-effects of G.H. after forcing Raina to inject him with it when Leo Fitz damaged his cybernetic implants. Deathlok watched as Garrett's mental state began to dwindle and he began carving strange symbols on walls and doors while Grant Ward looked on in fear. Ward began to ask Raina to check in on Garrett as he stared into the Gravitonium while Deathlok stood outside waiting for new orders. When Garrett brought his team of HYDRA soldiers into the Cybertek Manufacturing Facility Deathlok acted as Garrett's personal bodyguard, remaining close to him at all times and kept a constant look out for threats while the other Deathlok Soldiers protected the Facility from the outside. He remained motionless as he witnessed Garrett interrupting Ian Quinn's presentation about Project Deathlok to mock and insult the Generals in attendance. Garrett then proceeded to murder General Jacobs simple to demonstrate his power as he began to drastically lose his sense of reality. When Coulson's Team attacked the facility and took Kyle Zeller and the Cybertek team hostage, Ward went to Garrett and demanded orders about how to proceed. Garrett however remained strangely as he refused to give Ward any commands. They were interrupted when Skye called Garrett and informed him that his Deathlok Soldiers were now leading them to Garrett's exact location. While Ward went to capture Skye, Deathlok swore he would not leave Garrett's side, to which Garrett mockingly said loved him too. Phil Coulson eventually reached Garrett and attacked, only to discover that Garrett's strength had greatly increased due to the G.H. in his system. However rather than being defeated, Coulson reemerged armed with the Destroyer Armor Prototype Gun and Nick Fury. The pair fired shots at Garrett and his Centipede Soldiers, leaving only Deathlok and Garrett still standing. Ever confident and able with withstand normal gunshots, Garrett mocked their efforts before ordering Deathlok to take aim at Coulson and Fury with his Forearm Rocket Launcher. Unknown to Garrett, Skye had become Peterson's new handler, having captured Kyle Zeller and overriding the computer systems. Ultimately, Skye found and freed Ace and assured Peterson that the Backscatter X-Ray Eye Implant would not be used against him and that his son was safe. Deathlok responded by shooting Garrett with his Forearm Rocket Launcher. Despite Garrett's desperate pleas for Deathlok to stop, Peterson ignored him and stomped him to death with his prosthetic leg. As the last of Garrett's HYDRA Soldiers were arrested and Ace was reunited with his aunt Mindy, Peterson watched from afar with Skye, too ashamed to approach. When Skye asked him to join Coulson's Team, he declined, deciding that he wanted redemption before developing a relationship with anyone. He told her that they were welcome to hack into his cybernetic implants and track his every move, because all he would be doing would be making amends for his past actions. With this he left.

Hunting Doctor List
"Agent Peterson has been doing some overseas work for me."

- Phil Coulson

Peterson was given upgrades to his arsenal designed by Jemma Simmons, including his EMP Launcher. Peterson accepted Phil Coulson's invitation to join S.H.I.E.L.D. as an agent with Coulson as its director. Coulson then sent Peterson overseas in pursuit of the HYDRA scientist, List, which Peterson did for six months. During this time, he discovered List's intent of hunting down powered people and experimenting on them.

Backup
"I intercepted a coded transmission from List, mentioning his interest in powered people." "Yeah they seem to be trending these days." "He's hunting them down and experimenting on them."

- Deathlok and Lance Hunter

Phil Coulson, with an intent to capture a Quinjet, called Peterson to meet him at the Retreat. While waiting, Coulson alerted Robert Gonzales' faction of S.H.I.E.L.D. to his presence there, and they responded with several teams of agents. However, Peterson was unable to arrive before Coulson and his ally, Lance Hunter, were captured. Before they could be taken to the Playground, Peterson intercepted them and freed Coulson and Hunter, defeating the enemy, disabling a Quinjet and taking over another. Peterson quickly hacked into the Quinjet's controls and piloted them away from danger while Hunter and Coulson discussed the thrill of having him come to their rescue. Once they were safe and Peterson put the Quinjet into autopilot, Peterson explained that during his hunt for Doctor List he had discovered that HYDRA was finding powered people and experimenting on them. Believing List's knowledge of powered people could help them find the teleporter who had taken Skye, they agreed to find and recruit Grant Ward.

Building the Team
"Mike." "Ward, turn around. You know what needs to happen."

- Grant Ward and Mike Peterson

Alongside Coulson and Hunter, Peterson set up a plan to rescue Leo Fitz in San Francisco with their Quinjet. When Fitz knew he being followed by Robert Gonzales' soldiers, Fitz ran as fast as possible onto a roof where Peterson was waiting in the Quinjet. The Quinjet was cloaked so it appeared invisible to the enemy soldiers who proceeded to run straight into it. As they took off, Peterson greeted his old friend who asked about Peterson's upgrades before Coulson informed Fitz of their plan to recruit Grant Ward. The team then traveled to Tijuana to recruit Ward and Agent 33. Peterson went in first and held 33 hostage, Coulson then took her phone and ordered Ward to come for a meeting. While they waited, Peterson asked 33 about the Photostatic Veil she wore to hide her own facial scars. When Ward arrived, Peterson greeted him and using his x-ray vision, located all the weapons he was carrying and ordered him to set down the knives and guns. Ward then had a meeting with Phil Coulson while Peterson kept watch, Coulson offered to erase Ward's memories to help him build a new life if he helped them on this mission to infiltrate HYDRA and locate Skye, Ward agreed. Ward revealed that he and Agent 33 had successfully kidnapped and brainwashed Sunil Bakshi with the Faustus method, who HYDRA believed had been captured by the United States Armed Forces. Deathlok transported Ward and Agent 33 to Bakshi's location and locked him in the boot of the car before driving back to meet with Coulson. While Deathlok spoke with Coulson about the plan, Ward and Agent 33 expressed their love for each other until Deathlok interrupted them and ordered them out of the car so they could give their new orders to Bakshi with Coulson looking on. A plan was worked out that they would use Bakshi's high-ranking status to gain access to the current leaders of HYDRA, including Baron Wolfgang von Strucker who had been performing barbaric experiments on enhanced people to discover how their power could be replicated. Peterson was able to pose as Bakshi's bodyguard to attend a meeting between Bakshi and Strucker's head scientist, Dr. List. They claimed that Deathlok was responsible for breaking Bakshi out of prison, reminding List of the work John Garrett had put into creating him during HYDRA's Project Deathlok plan. During List and Bakshi's conversation, Peterson quietly listened while his eye-piece allowed Coulson and the team to watch closely. Eventually Bakshi won over List's trust, assuring him he was not to blame for the Assassination of HYDRA Leaders and revealed that he intended to trade Deathlok to List to be used for his experiments, in exchange for a meeting with Baron von Strucker. Mortified at the thought of being tortured to death, Peterson readied his weapons for a fight for freedom, but was ordered by Coulson to play along, which he reluctantly obeyed although remaining on edge.

Battle at Calvin Zabo's Building
"Whoever you are, you don't want to do this. I'm a friend of Skye's." "Sure. And I'm the Hulk."

- Deathlok and Lincoln Campbell

List was informed of the location of a group of powered individuals, and before they went to meet Wolfgang von Strucker, List sent Sunil Bakshi, Deathlok and a team of HYDRA soldiers to capture the individuals as they had discovered the signal of a teleporter they had been tracking. While the soldiers fought Calvin Zabo and Skye, Phil Coulson, Lance Hunter, Agent 33 and Grant Ward attacked the base at the same time, avoiding direct conflict with Deathlok while HYDRA was present in order to still maintain his undercover mission with them. While still walking through the hallways searching for the teleporter as though he was working for HYDRA, Peterson encountered Lincoln Campbell, who used electricity powers to shock Peterson, using the power to levitate Peterson. However Campbell discovered that due to Deathlok's cybernetic enhancements the electric shock did not come close to stopping him, leading to Campbell questioning what he was made of to have survived the attack. As Deathlok tired to insist he was a friend of Skye's, Campbell did not believe him and claimed to be the Hulk as a joke before attacking him once again, engaging in a brief fight before reaching physical exhaustion. While they lay injured together, Coulson and Ward came to their aid but Peterson ordered them to go after Skye, claiming that Campbell was an ally and not to be harmed. The electric attack did however damage Deathlok's own Eye Implant which S.H.I.E.L.D. was still attempting to hack into. While Deathlok and Campbell still lay on the ground, Bakshi then appeared and betrayed Peterson, and he and Campbell were then knocked out by a Pulse Grenade and captured by HYDRA, ready to be taken to the Arctic HYDRA Research Facility for List's experimentation on their enhancements.

Captured by HYDRA
"It's not as bad as it looks." "Really?" "Nah, it's pretty bad."

- Mike Peterson and Jemma Simmons

Peterson awoke in a cell within the Arctic HYDRA Research Facility only to discover that all his weapons had been deactivated. When Lincoln Campbell awoke in the cell next to him, Peterson explained the situation to him. Campbell asked if Peterson could use his weapons to help them escape but Peterson assured him that they had been deactivated. Peterson asked if Campbell's friend the teleporter could help them escape, but Campbell told him it would be far too dangerous and could endanger his people. Seeing that they were helpless, Campbell introduced himself. Shortly afterward the pair were gassed and knocked out, ready for experimentation. Both Peterson and Campbell were then taken away by the HYDRA scientist, Doctor List, Peterson was forced to endure terrible torture during HYDRA's experiments, beginning by removing his cybernetic eye and dismantling his prosthetic leg. After hours of experiments, Peterson was returned to his cell, only to be found by Phil Coulson's team including Skye and Jemma Simmons. Peterson sent Skye to save Lincoln Campbell while Simmons and Grant Ward tended to his injuries. When Simmons sent Ward away to find a stretcher to get Deathlok out, Deathlok asked her why she was working with Ward again and she explained she was taking an opportunity. Deathlok was taken back to the Playground where he, Leo Fitz and Simmons discussed repairing his destroyed cybernetic parts so he could soon return to active field work for S.H.I.E.L.D.. Fitz explained that not only had his leg been removed but the HYDRA teams had dismantled it but assured him that they were sending him to a facility where he could be helped. When Deathlok asked how he had been found Fitz explained that Sunil Bakshi had led them there under Ward's orders. When Deathlok asked where Bakshi was, Simmons noted that he had been killed during the fire-fight.

Return and Aiding Coulson
Deathlok is later shown to have fully recovered and was taken to the Lighthouse by Deke Shaw, along with several other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. He came to Coulson's aid as he was being choked by dimensional manifestation of the former's pre-Deathlok form, shooting the manifestation in the head. The two agents proceeded to fight against multiple foes including manifestations of Vrexnellians, Lash, and Hive. Eventually, they succeeded in closing the rift using the Gravitonium Containment Device.

Marriage of Fitz-Simmons
Deathlok was present at Fitz and Simmons' wedding, along with the rest of the agents. During the ceremony, he converses with Deke Shaw, asking the latter if he was with bride or groom, to which Deke replied he was with neither.

Personality
Being chosen for a super-soldier project modified from Abraham Erskine's in 1945, Mike Peterson was presumably a good man at heart. A family man, since his wife left, he loved his son more than anything but he became crushed when an injury caused him to be laid off at work and, in desperation agreed to test the Centipede Project on himself to make ends meet. Though seemingly successful, the negative effects prompted a violent and unpredictable outrage.

Unlike the rest of the subjects, Peterson initially retained his original personality, stablity and hard-working ethics such as rescuing Debbie from her burning lab. Unfortunately due to the haste of revealing Centipede to the public, Peterson had no choice but to return to his old workplace. When meeting with his former boss, he releases so much anger and stress over how he was willing to use men like him as disposable machinery, that he becomes violent which accidentally begins the Centipede Serum's combustion.

Now thinking himself as a hero, he only claims to want to "look out for the little guys" against people like his supervisor, going as far to claim that this was his "origins story". This is also supported by how he proceeded into an angry rant towards Phil Coulson, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the government workforce in general; expressing how he was always told to remain clean-nosed and do what he was told but was disposed of nevertheless. Although he only attempted to fight against this system, he now believed that Coulson's Team were only there to make an example of him, attributing to his anger. However, he still had enough common sense to listen to Coulson who reminded him of what he was; a hero.

Ultimately, Peterson's love for his son is what caused him to listen reason, eventually calm himself down from his Centipede-induced rage and join S.H.I.E.L.D. to hone his newfound enhanced-abilities. However, Peterson became deeply remorseful over his actions, having his son witness him as a monster led him to feel undeserving of his love and cut off connection for as long as possible due to shame. Peterson's love for him was so much that he was prepared to kill or even die for him, when HYDRA also exploited this by kidnapping Ace, he was forced to kill on John Garrett's orders and did such with tremendous regret. When broken free of Garrett's control, Peterson became wracked with guilt again and wished to do good further to make amends for his actions and for Ace.

Peterson has a strong sense of loyalty as he thinly veiled his disgust at Grant Ward for betraying his team. He has a sarcastic sense of humor which Lincoln Campbell observed to when in captivity together.

Powers and Abilities
"What the hell did they do to him?" "What are you seeing?" "It's not just his leg or his eye they did stuff to him, it's all under his skin."

- Skye and Phil Coulson



Powers

 * Artificially Enhanced Physiology and Bionic Enhancements: Due to use of the Centipede Device, a blood-filtering device made of Chitauri metal that delivers a combination of Extremis, Gamma Radiation, and elements of the Super Soldier Serum into his system, Michael Peterson has come to possess various superhuman abilities. Some of his superhuman abilities are derived from bionic enhancements he gained after he became a cyborg.
 * Superhuman Strength: Peterson possesses strength that is greater than a normal human. He can lift much heavier objects that cannot be moved otherwise without use of machinery and overpower normal humans and send them flying about tens of feet away. With his strength, he can tear apart any solid objects like concrete with ease. In addition, his strength extends into his leg muscles as he is able to leap great distances, improved even more with a cybernetic leg.
 * Superhuman Speed: Peterson is able to move at great speeds thanks to both his physiological improvements and his cybernetic leg. He managed to outrun from a full S.H.I.E.L.D. tactical team, leading them to Thomas Nash under orders of the real Clairvoyant.
 * Superhuman Durability: Before his transformation into a cyborg, Peterson could withstand physical damage much greater than a normal human, withstanding a fall from a building and the fall from the higher level of Union Station down to the ground level. Once he was outfitted with internal prosthesis, he managed to fully withstand shots from different weapons, including common and heavy firearms, a Taser Projectile Launcher and an I.C.E.R.; and even Lincoln Campbell's electric powers.
 * Enhanced Stamina: Deathlok is more resilient to fatigue and exhaustion, especially after getting his cybernetic implants. He showed signs of fatigue while training with S.H.I.E.L.D. before getting them, but after the upgrade, he could fight and exert himself for long periods without any sign of strain or weakness.
 * Regenerative Healing Factor: Peterson was able to heal his injuries much faster than a normal human being, as evidenced when he took a shot from a shotgun but showed no significant damage upon getting up. However, he was unable to regenerate the missing leg that he lost in an explosion or the facial scars he suffered from burning, needing treatment inside an Hyperbaric Chamber to heal those wounds.
 * Enhanced Vision: Thanks to the Backscatter X-Ray Eye Implant he possesses, Deathlok is capable of seeing through solid objects, which also allowed him to see in the darkness as a form of night-vision. His vision was later upgraded to include a targeting system, thermal vision, and a visual output to his audio scanner. It can also see through a Photostatic Veil.
 * Data Upload and Instilled Knowledge: His new upgrade also gave him a new ability to upload information into his mind and gain expertise in an ability. He was able to use it to instantly learn how to fly a Quinjet for Coulson and Lance Hunter.

Abilities
"I didn't just want to cross him off, I wanted to make a spectacle. People are killed by guns everyday in Bogotá but how often does a monster punch a drug lord's head clean off."

- John Garrett


 * Combatant: During his months as a S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee, Peterson was taught basic combat skills to take advantage of his strength, and he managed to overpower skilled Centipede Soldier Brian Hayward despite having been injured. As Deathlok, his fighting style changed to take advantage of his immense strength and durability, often breaking his enemies' necks or stomping them with his bionic leg.
 * Pilot: Upon rescuing Phil Coulson and Lance Hunter from Gonzales' S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Deathlok captured and flew a Quinjet after downloading instructions and the plane's schematics.

Cybernetic Enhancements
"Three men, heavily armed - bet there's more where they came from." "Does it matter? They got a cyborg on board with rockets in his arm." "He's not a cyborg - he's a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent... with rockets in his arm."

- Lance Hunter, Grant Ward and Phil Coulson


 * Centipede Device: Deathlok is outfitted with a device made of Chitauri metal which injects a serum based on Abraham Erskine's Super Soldier Serum mixed with Gamma Radiation and the Extremis virus, designed to enhance his physical attributes to a super-human level.
 * Forearm Rocket Launcher: Installed on to his left forearm, this unit allows Deathlok to fire guided mini-rockets at his targets. With his new upgrade from S.H.I.E.L.D., the explosives were replaced with EMP rockets, strong enough to take down a Quinjet.
 * Computer Enhancements: Deathlok has two USB ports, one of which he used in his attempt to download Skye's encrypted hard drive.
 * Heart Stopper: Deathlok used this on Grant Ward to make Skye unlock her hard drive, stopping his heart from beating and duplicating a heart attack. When Skye acquiesced, Deathlok tapped the device once to make Ward's heart beat, twice to accelerate the pulse.
 * Ballistic Armor: Deathlok was equipped with armor plating that can withstand high caliber gunfire, such as shotguns, with very little to no damage at all. It could also withstand an electrical shock.
 * Internal Prostheses: Deathlok was implanted with cybernetic enhancements underneath his skin, enhancing his strength, cybernetic bodily functions, and endurance even more.

Other Equipment

 * Tactical Suit: During his brief time as a S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee in the field, Michael Peterson wore a Tactical Suit designed by agents Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons. It was made of a polymer blend with ten layers of treated composite materials, and its main function was to monitor Peterson's vitals while providing a state-of-the-art ballistic protection for him.

Former Equipment

 * Backscatter X-Ray Eye Implant: A prosthetic ocular implant that allows Deathlok to see through solid objects when his eyes are closed and is also the means used by his handler to send orders and instructions. It was removed when he was captured by HYDRA.
 * Cybertek Prosthetic Leg: Deathlok's missing leg has been replaced with a cybernetic prosthetic designed and built by Cybertek that enhances his speed. It also enhances the strength of his leg, allowing him to crush a man's chest with a single stomp. It was removed and dismantled when he was captured by HYDRA.

Family

 * Former Wife
 * Ace Peterson - Son
 * Mindy Peterson - Sister
 * Kisha Peterson - Niece

Allies

 * S.H.I.E.L.D. (First Incarnation) - Allies turned Enemies (under HYDRA coercion, now Allies)
 * Nick Fury - Former Director
 * Coulson's Team
 * Phil Coulson
 * Melinda May
 * Leo Fitz
 * Jemma Simmons
 * Skye - Friend
 * Antoine Triplett †
 * Felix Blake
 * S.H.I.E.L.D. (Second Incarnation)
 * Phil Coulson - Director and Friend
 * Lance Hunter - Colleague
 * Leo Fitz - Colleague
 * Jemma Simmons - Colleague
 * Daisy Johnson - Colleague and Friend
 * Davis
 * Lincoln Campbell †
 * Deke Shaw

Enemies

 * Gary - Former Boss
 * HYDRA
 * List † - Target
 * Sunil Bakshi † - Situational Ally
 * Centipede Project
 * John Garrett † - Controller and Attempted Victim
 * Debbie † - Doctor
 * Raina † - Reluctant Ally turned Enemy
 * Brian Hayward † - Enemy
 * Ian Quinn - Reluctant Ally turned Enemy
 * Cybertek
 * Kyle Zeller - Former Handler
 * Carlo Mancini † - Victim
 * Sofia † - Victim
 * Alejandro Castillo † - Victim
 * Grant Ward † - Reluctant Ally turned Enemy
 * Agent 33 †
 * Mike Peterson (Illusion) † - Victim
 * Lash (Illusion) † - Victim
 * Hive (Illusion) † - Victim

Trivia

 * In the comics, Mike Peterson is an unrelated character that was the best friend of Slapstick.
 * Michael Peterson shares the first name and many traits with the Michael Collins version of Deathlok in the comics. On the other hand, the Henry Hayes version of Deathlok was inspired by Michael Peterson.

Behind the Scenes

 * Terrence Julien and Jerry T. Adams were stunt doubles for J. August Richards in the role of Deathlok.