Lance Hunter

"Hunter." "What?" "Don't be yourself right now."

- Isabelle Hartley and Hunter

Lance Hunter is a former British soldier and mercenary that joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and went to work alongside Isabelle Hartley.

Early Life and Career
Lance Hunter was a Lieutenant in the (SAS). In 2008, he participated in an operation in Basra, Iraq and another in Sierra Leone in 2011 before becoming a mercenary for hire.

He was introduced to Jane and Isabelle Hartley through his ex-wife. After leaving the SAS and becoming a mercenary, he joined Hartley's team.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Mercenary
Lance Hunter, Isabelle Hartley, and Idaho went undercover to meet with Roger Browning, an ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who had acquired a file on an 0-8-4 and its location. During negotiations, the meeting was interrupted by Carl Creel who killed Browning, stole the file, then leapt from a twenty-five foot high window.

When Director Phil Coulson saw Hunter and the others to be debriefed on what happened in Alexandria, Hunter constantly reminded Coulson that he was working for the money.

After the location of the Government Storage Warehouse holding the Obelisk was located, Hunter was sent with Melinda May, Skye, Antoine Triplett, Idaho, and Hartley to obtain the artifact. Hartley found it, but, as she tried to defend herself against Carl Creel, she touched it bare-handed. As it began to kill her, Hunter chose to get her medical attention instead of completing the mission as Coulson ordered. Inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. SUV driven by Idaho, Hunter amputated Hartley's hand to save her. However, she and Idaho died when Creel caused the vehicle to flip. Hunter then pretended to be dead as Creel took the Obelisk.

Joining S.H.I.E.L.D.
"I need you because I can't be you, not any more."

- Phil Coulson to Hunter

Hunter called out to Idaho to see if he was alive, but his friend didn't answer. After May gave him a Mouse Hole to escape the S.H.I.E.L.D. SUV, Hunter was captured by the United States Armed Forces. The soldiers dropped Hunter in a field where he was confronted by Glenn Talbot, who offered him a lift in helicopter.

In the helicopter, Talbot attempted to convince Hunter to give up the location of Phil Coulson. Hunter seemingly agreed in exchange for two million and a proper burial for Hartley, claiming her family deserved to know what happened to her. After arriving at the Playground and being checked by Antoine Triplett, Hunter confronted Coulson and reassured him that he did not betray him.

Hunter talked to Skye and told her to remember that S.H.I.E.L.D. was not a life, just a job. When the team finally tracked Carl Creel down Hunter begged Coulson to let him go into the field again, promising to follow orders. As the team prepared to initiate the plan Hunter knocked Melinda May, Skye, and Triplett unconscious with an I.C.E.R., unwilling to let Creel go or take him down non-lethally after Creel killed Isabelle Hartley. He took Triplett's rifle and ran to the plaza where Creel was preparing to make an exchange with his HYDRA contact, who managed to calm Creel down enough to stop the growth of the Obelisk's material over Creel's body.

Hunter attempted to kill Carl Creel, but is spotted at the last second and Creel successfully transformed and deflected the lethal bullet. Creel chased Hunter and almost killed him, revealing that he could push a small amount of the Obelisk through his palm to petrify whoever he wanted with a touch. Hunter was saved when Coulson snuck up behind Creel and neutralized him with the Overkill Device.

Hunter went to watch Isabelle Hartley's funeral, and left Isabelle's pendant in her sister Jane's car. Coulson appeared and offered him a job, saying that he needed someone who would do the wrong thing for the right reasons. After some consideration, and despite the loss of the two million dollars and the warning that May will "savour" a grudge, Hunter accepted the offer.

Relationships

 * Family
 * Former Wife
 * S.H.I.E.L.D. (Second Incarnation) - Allies
 * Phil Coulson - Director
 * Isabelle Hartley † - Colleague
 * Idaho † - Colleague
 * Melinda May - Colleague
 * Skye - Colleague
 * Antoine Triplett - Colleague
 * Leo Fitz - Colleague
 * Billy Koenig - Colleague
 * Alphonso Mackenzie - Colleague
 * HYDRA - Enemies
 * Carl Creel

Appearances

 * Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
 * Shadows
 * Heavy is the Head
 * Making Friends and Influencing People
 * Face My Enemy
 * A Hen in the Wolf House
 * A Fractured House

Trivia

 * In the comics, Lance Hunter is the director of S.T.R.I.K.E., the British equivalent of S.H.I.E.L.D.