Peggy Carter

"The world has changed, and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes, the best that we can do, is to start over."

- Peggy Carter

Margaret "Peggy" Carter was an officer of the British Armed Forces before and during World War II. As an agent of the Special Air Service, she joined the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR), an Allied deep science agency formed to fight against HYDRA, the Nazi super weapons division. During the war, she met and fell in love with Steve Rogers, the US Army soldier who became the world's first super hero―Captain America. After the war and Rogers' disappearance, she helped Howard Stark found the new peacekeeping organization, the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.

Early Life and Military Career
Margaret "Peggy" Carter was born on Wednesday, April 9, 1919, in London, England. She received her education from.

In 1934, Carter joined the British Armed Forces and served as the Air Force nurse for the next two years. In 1936 she was moved to the Special Air Service (SAS).

Joining the Strategic Scientific Reserve
"Take your serum to the Allies, where it can be turned against HYDRA."

- Peggy Carter to Abraham Erskine

Peggy Carter was an agent of the British Secret Intelligence. In November 1940, she infiltrated Castle Kaufmann, the headquarters of the SS general Johann Schmidt, leader of HYDRA, Adolf Hitler's top secret science division. Disguised as a maid Eva, she freed the captured scientist Abraham Erskine, who created the Super Soldier Serum and escaped the castle.

Soon, Carter was assigned as a liaison from the British government to help the Americans combat against the Nazis. Carter served under Colonel Chester Phillips in the Strategic Scientific Reserve.

Project Rebirth
"Faster, ladies! Come on! My grandmother has more life in her, God rest her soul. Move it!"

- Peggy Carter

In June 1943, she met Steve Rogers at Colonel Chester Phillips' training base and oversaw his and the other potential candidates' training for Project Rebirth. When Rogers was selected as the candidate, she escorted him to the U.S. Army's secret base in Brooklyn under a pawnshop. After Dr. Abraham Erskine was murdered by Heinz Kruger after Rogers' successful transformation, she followed Rogers and the spy into the streets of Brooklyn and fired several rounds into the car the spy was using to escape.

Colonel Phillips was given a new assignment to take the S.S.R. to Europe to take the fight directly to HYDRA and made Agent Carter and Howard Stark apart of his staff. In November 1943, Agent Carter and Howard Stark helped Captain Rogers get to his destination to the secret HYDRA base in Austria where allied POWs were held. Carter soon developed a crush for Rogers, though referred to it as "having faith in him".

Working with Captain America
Peggy Carter was present at the meeting of the senior staff of SSR in London. They discussed the best way to take down HYDRA bases scattered across the Nazi-occupied Europe. Carter became furious at Steve Rogers after she saw him being kissed by Colonel Phillips' secretary Lorraine.

Losing Steve Rogers
"I'll-I'll get Howard on the line. He'll know what to do." "There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York. I gotta put her in the water." "Please don't do this. W-we have time. We can work it out."

- Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers

In May 1945, Carter was part of company of soldiers led by Colonel Chester Phillips to follow Captain Rogers into HYDRA's last base of operations. After a brutal fight to the death on a HYDRA plane, Johann Schmidt was finally defeated, along with his soldiers. Knowing that the plane Rogers was on would cause a lot of trouble for America, he was left with one option; forcing the large plane to land on the waters of the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Carter, knowing that this would result in his death, didn't give up hope. She pressed on the matter, implying that there would be time for them to sort the situation out. However, Rogers claimed that there wasn't enough time, and proceeded with the landing. As the plane made its final descent, Peggy and Steve set a date, where she would teach him how to dance. All communications with the plane were then lost, and all Carter could do was cry for his loss.

State Side
"You took a mission last night." "I completed a mission last night." "Without even attempting to report in or get the proper authorization?" "The mission was time-sensitive."

- John Flynn and Peggy Carter

After the end of World War II, Agent Carter moved to Brooklyn, New York City continuing to work with the SSR. Carter was stuck in an SSR office run by Agent John Flynn who patronized her and only used her for code-breaking and analysis believing that as a woman, she shouldn't be sent into the field.

Three months into her work there, after all of her fellow agents have gone out for drinks leaving her alone in the office, she receives a call directing her to the location of the Zodiac and requesting agents to retrieve the substance.

Carter used the absence of her co-workers as an excuse to take the mission, and travels to the Zodiac's location, carrying briefcase full of field gear with her. With some trouble Agent Carter recovered the Zodiac and brought it back to the SSR office.

The next day at the office, Agent Flynn admonishes Carter for her actions saying that the only reason that she was a agent was that people felt sorry for her after Captain America died. In the midst of his tirade, the office hotline rings and he is informed by Howard Stark that Flynn is to give the news to Agent Carter that she will be running S.H.I.E.L.D.. Stark also ordered Flynn "let her know you’re honored to bring her the news". Carter refused his offer to carry her things out of the office.

Later Life
"What is it?" "For as long as I can remember, I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I'm not quite sure what that is anymore, and I thought I could throw myself back in, follow orders, serve. It's just not the same." "You were always so dramatic. Look, you saved the world. We rather mucked it up." "You didn't. Knowing you helped found S.H.I.E.L.D. is half the reason I stayed." "The world has changed, and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes, the best that we can do, is to start over."

- Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers

Peggy Carter continued working for the SSR until 1949. Steve Rogers had survived, but in a quite unexpected matter. He had been frozen for 70 years. The experiments done on him in the past allowed him to survive, and retained his youthful appearance.

Sometime after the war she met and married a man whom Steve had saved throughout the course of the war. It is implied from photographs that she had children.

Sometime in 1953, Peggy Carter was interviewed about Steve Rogers and their involvement in the war. This footage was on display at the Captain America Exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution.

Carter seems to have quit her job and retired over 70 years later. Her profile documents, which include her retirement home address and number, were seen by Rogers, but he hesitated to call her because he was afraid of her seeing him like this.

Long after Peggy Carter quit S.H.I.E.L.D., she developed some form of dementia, which caused her to have to stay at a retirement home in Washington, D.C..

After Steve Rogers returned from being frozen for nearly 70 years, he was given files about his friends and allies from the 1940's, including Peggy Carter's. He wanted to call her but grew scared and decided against it.

Two years after he was saved, Rogers eventually discovered where she was staying and went to visit her at the retirement home where she lived. Due to her dementia, she was calm at first, but a few minutes later she acted as if she had found him directly after he had crash landed after the Battle in the Valkyrie.

Equipment

 * Weapons:
 * : Carter carried a Walther PPK as her sidearm during her time serving with the Strategic Scientific Reserve. As such, she used the weapon to shoot at Heinz Kruger while trying to prevent his escape following the Assassination of Abraham Erskine, and to raid a warehouse in New York City during the search of Zodiac.
 * M1911A1: Carter used this pistol to shoot at Steve Rogers, testing the resistance of a Vibranium Shield.
 * M1928A1 Thompson: Carter used this weapon during the Attack on HYDRA Headquarters, killing many HYDRA soldiers, specially making explode a soldier carrying a HYDRA Flamethrower.
 * MP 40: Carter managed to obtain one of these weapons while undercover on Castle Kaufmann, using it to liberate Abraham Erskine.
 * Grappling Hook Gun

Friends and Allies

 * Harrison Carter - Father
 * Amanda Carter - Mother
 * United States Armed Forces
 * Steve Rogers/Captain America - Love Interest
 * Bucky Barnes
 * Abraham Erskine † - Friend
 * Chester Phillips † - Former Army Commander
 * Strategic Scientific Reserve
 * Howard Stark † - Weapons Producer and Friend
 * John Flynn - Superior Officer
 * Johnson - S.S.R. colleague
 * Miller - S.S.R. colleague
 * Wilkes - S.S.R. colleague
 * S.H.I.E.L.D.
 * Roger Hooley - S.H.I.E.L.D. Deputy Director
 * Jack Thompson - S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague
 * Daniel Sousa - S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague
 * Angie Martinelli - Friend

Enemies

 * HYDRA
 * Red Skull
 * Arnim Zola †
 * Heinz Kruger †

Trivia

 * In the comics, Peggy Carter was a freedom fighter with the French Resistance during World War II.
 * According to S.H.I.E.L.D. files, Peggy joined the Special Air Service (SAS) in 1936. In reality, SAS wasn't formed before July 1941.
 * At the end of Captain America: The First Avenger when Nick Fury first encounters the bewildered Steve Rogers, Steve mentions that he is 70 years late for a date that he planned with Peggy.
 * In The Avengers, Peggy appears in short flashbacks conceived by Steve Rogers when he was using a punching bag in the gym.

Behind the Scenes

 * There was a scene intended for The Avengers where Steve reunites with an old "Peggy Carter," but this was never released into the theatrical cut and was never even filmed. They reintegrated the scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. However, there is a Deleted scene in The Avengers where Steve finds files about the deceased Howling Commandos and Peggy Carter. Her address and telephone number are on the file, but Steve decides to not make a call.
 * Peggy Carter is the only female character so far that has been the female lead in a movie, a one-shot and a TV series.

Appearances
In chronological order--
 * Captain America: First Vengeance
 * Captain America: The First Avenger
 * Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter
 * Agent Carter
 * Captain America: The Winter Soldier