Phil Coulson

"Just feel like we're only fixing problems that we created."

- Phil Coulson

Phillip J. "Phil" Coulson is a Former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Prior to his appointment, he served as one of the organization's best operatives. He acted as former Director Nick Fury's right-hand man for many important missions. He was put in charge of surveillance and served as the primary operative in Fury's Avengers Initiative. Agent Coulson also ran ground interference and tactical operations in Puente Antiguo, New Mexico as part of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investigation surrounding the incident with Thor and the Destroyer. Coulson was also the primary S.H.I.E.L.D. operative in the investigation into Stark Industries: Sector 16 and the incident on the Howard Stark Memorial Freeway.

During the Attack on the Helicarrier, Agent Coulson was killed by Loki. His death gave the Avengers the push they needed to band together and stop the Chitauri invasion. On the orders of Director Fury, Coulson was brought to the Guest House, a secret facility where he was brought back to life using treatments developed by Project T.A.H.I.T.I., a project which he had formerly presided over. To preserve his sanity after he was healed, all memory of these events were removed from his mind.

Coulson returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. to lead a new team to investigate the cases S.H.I.E.L.D. had not yet classified. While on this team, Coulson discovered the truth about the events after his death. During the HYDRA Uprising, despite the dissolution of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the betrayal of a member of his team, he led his team against the forces of HYDRA, attempting to stop his former colleague John Garrett, winning the final battle in which Garrett was ultimately defeated. After the battle, Nick Fury appointed him the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., ordering him to rebuild the organization from scratch.

To perform that task, Coulson led the remains of S.H.I.E.L.D. in many battles against HYDRA, crippling the terrorist organization. He even made some contacts with the US military via Brigadier General Glenn Talbot. However, he became a fugitive when another faction of S.H.I.E.L.D., led by Robert Gonzales, attacked and occupied his base. Now accompanied by only a few loyal friends, Coulson started a battle to reclaim S.H.I.E.L.D. He eventually made a deal with Gonzales, and they worked together against HYDRA, finally reunifying the two factions into one organization with Coulson as its rightful director. However, a new threat soon arose, the Inhumans led by Jiaying, the mother of Agent Skye. In the ensuing conflict, both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Inhumans suffered casualties, and even Coulson paid an extreme price to achieve victory, having his left arm cut off. But even that loss did not stop him, and he started a new project that would ensure the safety of humanity.

The mission of recruiting Inhumans for the team became more difficult, as the Advanced Threat Containment Unit led by Rosalind Price, was dealing with the threat of the new Inhumans. However, Coulson had a relationship with Price while facing the threats of Grant Ward's HYDRA, Lash and the Inhumans. After Ward killed Price, Coulson followed him to the planet Maveth and killed him to avenge all the people that he had murdered. As he thought that Gideon Malick was the last remaining leader of HYDRA, Coulson discovered that the ancient Inhuman, Hive, had returned to Earth from Maveth, using Ward's body as a host. With Malick's death, Coulson, with feelings of guilt for causing this threat, invested efforts to prevent Hive from accomplishing his plan to change all Humans to Inhumans and to control all of them. Once Agent Lincoln Campbell had sacrificed himself to kill Hive and saved humanity, the directorship of S.H.I.E.L.D. passed to Jeffrey Mace, while Coulson and Alphonso Mackenzie conducted a pursuit after the former agent turned vigilante Daisy Johnson.

With the revelation of Lucy Bauer and her ambition to find the dangerous Darkhold book, Coulson created an alliance with Johnson and Ghost Rider to find the book before the ghost did. He was caught in an explosion with Ghost Rider and Fitz by Eli Morrow and almost sank into another dimension, but managed to get out. Coulson then led the last fight against Morrow. Following the revelation that Mace was not actually an Inhuman, Coulson returned to the position of Director de facto while Mace remains de jure Director.

Early Life
"Why Manitowoc, Wisconsin?" "I was born there."

- Melinda May and Phil Coulson

The son of Robert and Julie Coulson, Phil Coulson was born in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on July 8, 1964. As an only child, he wished that he had siblings, idealizing what kind of relationship he would have with a younger brother. The Coulson family identified as Catholic, but they would only attend Mass on Christmas and Easter. Coulson grew up being a huge fan of Peggy Carter and Captain America, acquiring a vintage Captain America Card Collection over the course of two years. He played baseball in the Little League, batting with over a .400 average. His father introduced him into car tinkering, and together they worked on a red Corvette that Phil has kept to this day. Coulson lost his father at a very young age, and his mother is now deceased as well. After high school, while he was in college studying history and learning how S.H.I.E.L.D. shaped the times, he was recruited right away to the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, where he studied at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Operations , eventually becoming a special agent and was taught by his supervising officer Nick Fury alongside John Garrett.

First Actions
Coulson's first mission was with Melinda May. He was sent on a retrieval operation to a coffee shop in Sausalito. The mission did not have an exit strategy and resulted in May spending five hours in the bay until Coulson fished her out.

Over the years, Coulson and May developed a good friendship. During their time together the two often spoke about being able to pick their own ops and call their own shots.

In 2002, Coulson was sent to Cusco, Peru. During the mission, he met and befriended Camilla Reyes, an officer of the Peruvian Military. It is also possible that their relationship was greater than just a friendship.

Coulson also recruited a talented woman named Akela Amador into S.H.I.E.L.D. Amador was not a team player and did not see the value of teamwork, but Coulson felt that he could nurture these qualities in her. In 2006, Amador led a raid into one of the gulags run by the notorious criminal Vanchat that had a disastrous outcome. Fearing the worst, Coulson sent a second team to verify the loss of Amador's team. While the second team found evidence of carnage, there was no evidence that Amador was one of the victims, leading Coulson to believe she was still alive. Coulson followed up on rumors that Amador was being held in Shanxi Province, but she had already been moved by her captors. In 2008, Coulson and May joined a S.H.I.E.L.D. TAC team on a Index Asset Evaluation and Intake mission in Manama, Bahrain, in search of a potential "Gifted" individual, Eva Belyakov, suspected to possess super strength. Coulson attempted to approach Belyakov peacefully but she soon turned hostile as she and a group of gangsters took Agent O'Brien and a young girl hostage. Coulson tried calling O'Brien's phone to try to negotiate, only to hear O'Brien say, "Leave us alone." Agent Hart subsequently led the TAC team to deal with the threat, but they all dropped from contact as soon as they entered the building. Coulson tried calling S.H.I.E.L.D. for reinforcements, only to be met with red tape. With the Bahraini military approaching, Coulson was forced to send May in alone, while he stalled the Bahrainis by claiming there was a biological weapon inside. They later heard a gunshot, at which Coulson and the Bahrainis stormed the building to find Eva and the gangsters dead, the S.H.I.E.L.D. team unharmed, and May cradling the body of the little girl. Hart and his men had no memory of what happened and assumed May fought through thirty men to save them, nicknaming her "The Cavalry". Coulson comforted May over her failure to save the girl and encouraged her to let the girl go. The incident had traumatized May so greatly that she resigned from field work to work in the administrative division of S.H.I.E.L.D.

When Nick Fury encountered Bruce Banner in a bar and saw his transformation into Hulk, he called a meeting for some of his S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives. Coulson tried to tell him that he and the others would be better prepared the next time Hulk attacks, but Fury said that Hulk was now just a secondary matter.

Project T.A.H.I.T.I.
"Good morning, Director Fury. I regret to inform you that I’m handing in my resignation. I know you brought me on to Project T.A.H.I.T.I. because you trusted my judgment, and it’s that judgment that’s telling me I can no longer, in my good conscience, let the testing continue."

- Phil Coulson

In coordination with the Avengers Initiative, Nick Fury started Project T.A.H.I.T.I., and appointed Coulson its director. The goal of the project was to create a medicine that could save a mortally wounded Avenger. Located within the Guest House, the scientists assigned to the project used a decaying alien corpse so they could drain it of its bodily fluids and turn them into powerful drugs. A drug called GH.325, which had the capability to repair the injured tissue and to cure deadly diseases, was developed. Coulson then chose six agents who were dying of terminal illnesses. At first, the patients were doing fine, but soon started to speak gibberish and began writing strange symbols on anything, including their own bodies. Coulson, after seeing the extreme side effects on the test subjects, resigned from his position, recommending the project's shutdown and that the alien corpse should be destroyed. He also had the patients' memories erased and gave them new identities, giving them a chance of a normal life.

The Stark Problem
"I can be in Afghanistan by sunrise, Director Fury." "You can. But you won't. We're the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Note the word "Homeland". We're not currently authorized for foreign ops."

- Phil Coulson and Nick Fury

After wealthy industrialist Tony Stark was kidnapped in Afghanistan by the terrorist group called the Ten Rings, Coulson and Nick Fury feared that Stark, being just a wealthy civilian and not a trained soldier, could tell his kidnappers everything he knew about American national security, since Stark was involved in making many weapons for the United States Armed Forces. Coulson immediately offered to go searching for Stark himself, but Fury stopped him, saying that S.H.I.E.L.D. was not authorized for foreign operations in Afghanistan. Instead, he sent him to Stark's business partner Obadiah Stane, to see if Stark was a man who could sell his country to save his own skin.

When he arrived at the Stark Industries headquarters, Stane told Coulson that Stark could not tell the Ten Rings much about the American defense systems. After returning to Fury, Coulson's offered again to search for Stark but was denied the opportunity again.

Chasing Tony Stark
"I'm Agent Phil Coulson with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division." "That's quite a mouthful." "I know. We're working on it."

- Phil Coulson and Pepper Potts

Three months later, Tony Stark was found by the US Air Force in the desert. Nick Fury did not believe Stark's story that the terrorists' ammo dump accidentally exploded. He thought that Stark was actually recruited by the Ten Rings and sent to the only place where he could have all the necessary equipment to make more weapons for them, his home.

When Coulson met Stark's secretary Pepper Potts, he attempted to set up a meeting with Tony Stark regarding his abduction and subsequent "rescue" in Afghanistan. However, Stark was busy, as he organized a press conference where he announced that he was shutting down the weapon's manufacturing division of his company.

Months later, the agency's satellites detected something that looked like an unmanned aerial vehicle. When Fury and Coulson saw the footage of the "vehicle's" flight through the streets of Los Angeles, they realized the "vehicle" was actually Stark in a flying armored suit. To be sure, they hacked Stark's computers and found confirmation that Stark was working on the development of the armored suit.

Meeting Stark
"Mr. Stark." "Yeah?" "Agent Coulson." "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, the guy from the..." "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division." "Whew! God, you really need a new name for that." "Yeah, I hear that a lot."

- Phil Coulson and Tony Stark

Later, Coulson finally met Tony Stark at the Third Annual Firefighters' Fund gala. Stark was too busy to talk with Coulson, but he agreed to a meeting at some other time.

A few days later, both Coulson and Nick Fury were in Afghanistan, where they visited the village of Gulmira. When one agent found an abandoned camera, they saw footage of Stark in a repainted armor attacking the Ten Rings and destroying their piles of weapons. Back at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, Coulson and Fury saw that Stark was being chased by two F-22 Raptors. When one plane went down and Stark risked his life to save the pilot, Fury finally realized that he was wrong. He then ordered Coulson to check Obadiah Stane's activities with Stark's financials. Coulson immediately went to Stark Industries Headquarters where he encountered Pepper Potts who informed him about Stane's involvement in Stark's kidnapping and attempted homicide. Coulson and four other agents tried to arrest Stane, but their efforts were thwarted by Stane who was now wearing his own armor. However, in the ensuing battle, Stane was defeated by Stark.

I am Iron Man
"Agent Coulson, I just wanted to say thank you very much for all of your help." "That's what we do. You'll be hearing from us." "From the Strategic Homeland..." "Just call us S.H.I.E.L.D."

- Pepper Potts and Phil Coulson

A few minutes after Tony Stark's battle with Obadiah Stane, Stark and James Rhodes were taken to a secret base where they encountered Agent Coulson. Coulson told them that Stark's fight against Stane was good, but that he needed to learn how to become a real fighter, and that his colleagues would teach him.

The next morning, Coulson came to Stark Industries Headquarters where the journalists expected to hear from Stark about the incident that happened, and who the mysterious "Iron Man" really is. Coulson gave Stark a cover story for the incident, even procuring fifty people to all say that Stark was in Avalon. As Pepper Potts thanked him for all he did for them, he said they would hear from his agency again. When she tried to say the whole name of the agency, he interrupted her and spoke the acronym "S.H.I.E.L.D." instead.

When Coulson returned to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, both he and Nick Fury watched the press conference. When Coulson asked for Fury's opinion on Stark's possible future work with S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury liked the acronym so much that he decided to make it official. A few seconds later, both Coulson and Fury were shocked when Stark publicly revealed that he was Iron Man.

New Tasks
"...He didn't spill a drop of blood this time." "That's true. Perhaps he's finally figured out the role he could play here."

- A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Phil Coulson about Tony Stark

Right after Tony Stark revealed he was Iron Man, Nick Fury assigned Coulson to recruit Mr. Hendricks to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Later, after Stark rejected the offer to join the Avengers Initiative, S.H.I.E.L.D. started to watch him. After watching how Stark saved a pilot from an enemy area, Coulson wondered if Stark finally figured how to play the role he may play at S.H.I.E.L.D. He asked Fury his thoughts on this, but Fury told him to not mistake Stark's actions as any kind of new found maturity and that they will keep watching him.

Greenland
"We keep doing what we're doing and tell them that we're doing what they want us to be doing." "How?" "Hell, I dunno. Get creative. Cook the books. Whatever it takes to let us do this job right."

- Nick Fury and Phil Coulson

A few months later, Coulson and Nick Fury led an expedition to Greenland in hopes of finding Steve Rogers, the American war hero from World War II. They did not find Rogers, but they found one of the disabled flying bombs from HYDRA's super bomber, the Valkyrie. Though Fury wanted to continue the search, the World Security Council ordered them to shut down the operation and return to New York City. Twelve hours later, the Council ordered Fury to stop wasting time on what they called "wasteful programs" and focus on reigniting the Tesseract, naming that operation "Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.". Despite the direct order, Fury decided to continue with his usual activities, and he told Coulson to do the same.

Watching Over Stark
"If you try to escape, or play any sort of games with me, I will taze you and watch Supernanny while you drool into the carpet."

- Phil Coulson to Tony Stark When Tony Stark got drunk and had a battle with James Rhodes at his own birthday party, Nick Fury put Coulson in charge of guarding Stark, making sure he did not leave his house. Later, when Coulson went down to Stark's workshop and found one of the early prototypes of Captain America's shield in Howard Stark's casket, Stark took the shield and used it to balance the Particle Accelerator he was building.

Later, Coulson informed Fury about the appearance of a wormhole over New Mexico, and Fury agreed to send an expedition led by Coulson himself. When Coulson asked his colleague Natasha Romanoff, the famous Black Widow, if she could handle things at Stark's house, she said yes.

Finding Mjølnir
"Tell them those Tae-Bo tapes really paid off."

- Phil Coulson

While going to New Mexico, Coulson stopped at a Roxxon service station to buy some snacks and fill his car with gas. While he was in the shop, two robbers threatened the clerk with shotguns. Coulson intervened, passing them his car keys, but showing them his gun. When he gave the gun to them, he quickly knocked both of them unconscious. He returned to the counter and bought two snacks, payed, told the clerk to keep the change and then left the scene. Upon arriving in the deserts of New Mexico, Coulson and his team discovered the crater site with the mysterious hammer at the center. They labeled the object an 0-8-4, and called in a team to analyze it. Though the locals have discovered the hammer before Coulson's team, no one was able to lift it or move it, not even with the help of their vehicles. Coulson and his men quickly set up a perimeter and a base of operations around the crater. A professor who specialized in the fields of Norse mythology named Elliot Randolph helped Coulson and his group with discovering what the hammer was.

Meeting "Donald Blake"
"Sorry, ma'am, we're the good guys!"

- Phil Coulson to Jane Foster

Coulson's next mission was to confiscate all of the research about the mysterious wormhole that Jane Foster and her scientific team had collected. They traveled to Puente Antiguo, and despite Foster's protests, Coulson and his men took all of their equipment.

The same night, an unknown man infiltrated Coulson's base and managed to single-highhandedly take out a dozen of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with various fighting styles. Coulson observed from a distance but not before asking Clint Barton to prepare to take action if necessary. When the attacker tried and failed to lift the hammer, Coulson's men easily captured him. Shortly after, Coulson interrogated the stranger about his identity and his training believing him to be a warrior of some type. However, the stranger refused to answer his questions. The interrogation was interrupted when Foster's colleague Erik Selvig arrived and informed Coulson that the stranger is Donald Blake, a member of his scientific staff. An agent confirmed Selving's story by running a background check in the computer database and finding a falsified document created by Jane Foster. Though Coulson knew that Selvig was lying, he agreed to free "Donald", only to secretly assign agents to follow Selvig and "his friend".

Attacked by the Destroyer
"Is that one of Stark's?" "I don't know. Guy never tells me anything."

- Cale and Phil Coulson

A few days later, Agent Jasper Sitwell discovered the coordinates of another potential crater site that appeared to have an exact signature match to the mysterious hammer. When Coulson and a unit of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents went to investigate, they found a gigantic automaton of unknown origin. As the automaton slowly approached them, Sitwell asked Coulson if the automaton was one of Tony Stark's. Coulson replied that Stark does not tell him anything, and tried to speak with the automaton, but the iron giant attacked them.

Coulson managed to survive the attack from the automaton. When the automaton attacked Puente Antiguo, Coulson saw "Donald" gaining mysterious supernatural powers. When "Donald" summoned the hammer and defeated the automaton, Coulson realized that "Donald" is actually Thor, the Norse God of Thunder and Prince of Asgard. Coulson confronted Thor who offered his services in protecting Earth under the sole condition that Coulson returns all of Foster's research and material back to her. Coulson agreed to Thor's terms and requested that they be debriefed just before Thor flew upwards with Foster in his arms.

Later, Coulson and Clint Barton supervised the transport of the automaton to a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. facility.

The Big Problem
"They want Blonsky in the team." "The Abomination?" "They really don't like when you call him that."

- Phil Coulson and Jasper Sitwell

When the World Security Council ordered S.H.I.E.L.D. to recruit Emil Blonsky, the Abomination, for the Avengers Initiative, Coulson met with Agent Jasper Sitwell in a cafe to discuss that order. The Council considered Blonsky a war hero, and that he destroyed half of Harlem just because he was attacked by Hulk. Now S.H.I.E.L.D. had to convince General Thaddeus Ross to free Blonsky.

Both Coulson and Sitwell agreed that releasing Blonsky from the Army's custody would be foolish, and they decided to send a consultant to talk to Ross and convince him not to free Blonsky, someone so irritating and annoying that Ross would simply refuse to free Blonksy. Unwillingly, Coulson decided to send Tony Stark.

A few days later, Coulson and Sitwell met at the same cafe. Their plan worked as they expected because Stark's annoying behavior made Ross so angry that he refused to free Blonsky.

Russia
"Nat! Stay with me, Nat!" "Damn you, Coulson... Never call me "Nat"..."

- Phil Coulson and Natasha Romanoff

Some time later, when Natasha Romanoff was sent to Moscow to interrogate the arms dealer Mikhail Fjodorov, Coulson acted as control for her mission. After Fjodorov was killed, Romanoff cut off her contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. and started chasing Sofia, a woman who wanted to eliminate her and become the new Black Widow.

Coulson then followed a pair of goons working for the arms dealer General Starodoub. Two of Coulson's men were killed by Sofia, but Coulson came just in time to save Natasha's life. He gave her the necessary equipment to infiltrate the yacht belonging to Yuri Klementiev, one of General Starodoub's business partners, where she met Sofia again, an encounter which cost them the life of agent Gennady Markov.

When Coulson discovered that Sofia's employer was the billionaire Richard Frampton, Natasha infiltrated his headquarters in Vladivostok. She discovered that Frampton works for the Ten Rings terrorist organization and that he has made a Jericho missile that would explode near the border between Russia and North Korea, greatly destabilizing the world peace. When Romanoff destroyed the missile, Coulson led a team of agents to the launching area where they captured all surviving members of the Ten Rings.

Finding Captain America
"Wasn't expecting you here." "I was woken up by a call this morning... a call from up north with big news. We've found Steve Rogers."

- Phil Coulson and Nick Fury

A year after the battle of Puente Antiguo, a group of scientists successfully reactivated the giant automaton that attacked the city. When Coulson saw this, he told the chief scientist to make the automaton a hundred times smaller and put a trigger on it.

A few minutes later, Coulson was called by Fury, who informed him that Steve Rogers was finally found. When Coulson arrived at the place of the discovery, he saw his colleagues excavating Rogers' completely frozen, but still living body from the wreck of HYDRA's giant plane, the Valkyrie. However, there was no time for celebrating, as Fury immediately sent Coulson on another mission.

Loki's Attack
"Dr. Selvig read an energy surge from the Tesseract four hours ago." "NASA didn't authorize Selvig to go to test phase." "He wasn't testing it, he wasn't even in the room. Spontaneous event."

- Phil Coulson and Nick Fury

A few months later, Coulson, Nick Fury, and Fury's second in command Maria Hill were at the secret S.H.I.E.L.D. facility where a group of scientists studied the Tesseract, an object of seemingly unlimited power. When the Tesseract suddenly activated, with no apparent reason, a man suddenly appeared, holding a Scepter of alien origin. The stranger displayed powers similar to those of Thor, and he made it clear that he wants to take possession of the Tesseract and conquer the Earth. The stranger introduced himself as Loki, and with the power of the scepter, took control over Dr. Erik Selvig, Agent Clint Barton, and several other agents. In the ensuing battle, Loki and his men escaped with the Tesseract, and the entire base was destroyed. Worried about the safety of Jane Foster, Coulson told a fellow agent to contact her and give her a lucrative job offer at a S.H.I.E.L.D. observatory in Tromsø, Norway which she took.

Contacting the Black Widow
"I'll brief you on everything when you get back. But first, we need you to talk to the big guy." "Coulson, you know that Stark trusts me about as far as he can throw me." "Oh, I've got Stark. You get the big guy."

- Phil Coulson and Natasha Romanoff

With the Tesseract in the hands of a hostile demigod, Nick Fury decided to form the Avengers, a group of extraordinary people who could protect the planet better than he and his men. The first candidate was Bruce Banner, but they needed Natasha Romanoff to convince him to join them. Coulson called Romanoff on the phone, and when he told her that Clint Barton had gone rogue, she easily defeated her captors, the Russian General Georgi Luchkov and his men, and went to Kolkata, India. Natasha was able to find Banner and convince him to join S.H.I.E.L.D.

Visiting Tony Stark
"Mr. Stark, we need to talk." "You have reached the Life-Model Decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message." "This is urgent." "Then leave it urgently."

- Phil Coulson and Tony Stark

A few days later, Coulson visited Tony Stark in his finished Stark Tower, where Tony and his girlfriend Pepper Potts were having a small party. Though Tony was reluctant to join the team, he agreed when Pepper convinced him, and after Coulson gave him all the available data about the Avengers Initiative and the Tesseract.

Meeting Captain America
"I gotta say, it's an honor to meet you, officially. I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping. I mean, I was... I was present while you were unconscious from the ice. You know, it's really, it's just a... just a huge honor to have you on board." "Well, I hope I'm the man for the job." "Oh, you are. Absolutely."

- Phil Coulson and Steve Rogers

Coulson's next assignment was to escort Steve Rogers, the hero better known as Captain America, to the Helicarrier. Onboard the Quinjet, Coulson was more than happy to meet his all-time hero, who has joined the Avengers Initiative on Fury's invitation. When Coulson asked Rogers to sign his vintage Captain America Card Collection which he gathered in around two years, he revealed the fact that Rogers has always been a model for him.

Death
"I'm sorry, boss. The god rabbited." "Just stay awake. Eyes on me." "No, I'm clockin' out here." "Not an option." "It's okay, boss. This was never gonna work... if they didn't have something... to..."

- Phil Coulson and Nick Fury

Once onboard the Helicarrier, Coulson took up other duties. After the first mission of the team, Coulson said to Nick Fury that the team was not prepared to face the common menace, and that they needed to be motivated in some way. When Stark managed to capture Loki in Stuttgart, Germany, Thor suddenly appeared, and tried to take Loki back to Asgard. However, the whole group assembled on the Helicarrier, where Thor informed them about Loki's plan to conquer the planet with the army of the Chitauri. During the meeting, Coulson informed Thor that he had moved Jane Foster to a safe place. When a brainwashed Clint Barton attacked the Helicarrier with the group of mercenaries, Loki managed to escape from his prison cell. When Coulson reached Loki's cell, he found the Asgardian free and Thor trapped in his place. Coulson threatened Loki with a weapon created from the Destroyer, but he was aiming the weapon at an illusion; the real Loki snuck up behind Coulson and stabbed him in the back with his Scepter. Severely wounded, Coulson could do nothing to prevent Thor's expulsion from the Helicarrier, but he managed to land a blow on Loki with his gun. Later, when the battle was over and lost, Fury reached his agent, just in time to hear him suggesting to use his death to motivate the divided Avengers into working together as a team.

Aftermath
"And there's one other person you pissed off. His name was Phil."

- Tony Stark to Loki

Coulson's death was the trigger which finally united the Avengers. A few hours later, when Loki led an army of the Chitauri against New York City, the Avengers fought a bloody battle against the alien invaders, showing that they will avenge Coulson. In the end, the Avengers were victorious, and Loki was captured and transported to Asgard.

The Procedure
"Let me die, please. Please. Please, I'm begging you let me die. Please! Please, let me die! Let me die, please! Please! Let me die! Please! Let me die!"

- Phil Coulson during the procedure

Days after his death Nick Fury ordered extreme measures be taken to save Coulson. They took him to a former World War II bunker called the Guest House. S.H.I.E.L.D. medical staff used an experimental drug, the product of Project T.A.H.I.T.I., to repair the wounded organs in a cellular level. After at least seven operations, Fury's doctors were actually able to bring Coulson back to life days after he had been killed. The process was extremely, inhumanly agonizing for Coulson, who begged the doctors to let him die.

Not long after he was brought back to life, Coulson began to experience the same mental breakdowns suffered by other patients of Project T.A.H.I.T.I.. He began craving alien symbols and screaming at his doctors that he needed to know what they meant. Fearing that he could suffer a horrible death the doctors choose to erase his memory. Nick Fury and Doctor Streiten ordered that altered some of his memories with a robotic-assisted neural micro-surgery, to make him believe that he was revived in Tahiti, in order to cope with the pain he felt and to make him less suicidal, as he wanted to die due to the intense agony he was experiencing. S.H.I.E.L.D. Doctor Streiten maintained that the methods used to restore Coulson to life were unethical and felt that they should have let him die. Coulson also forgot everything about Project T.A.H.I.T.I., including the fact he was the leader of the project. The details of his revival are only available for agents with Clearance Level 10 or above.

Recovery
Coulson had no memory of the time immediately following the incident. He was told that he was "dead" for only eight seconds, but Coulson knew that it was more than that. He remembered being somewhere else, in a beautiful afterlife. All he remembered was being attacked by Loki and recovering in a grass shack in Tahiti reading novels and having a physical therapist whose command of English was "relevant". Dr. Streiten was reluctant to release him back into active duty given the horrific nature of his recovery and was astonished to realize that Coulson was unaware of the truth of his survival. Agent Maria Hill told Streiten that Coulson could never know the truth.

The First Mission
"I'm clearance Level 6. I know that Agent Coulson was killed in action before the battle of New York. Got the full report." "Welcome to Level 7."

- Grant Ward and Phil Coulson

After his recovery, Coulson was re-inserted into duty and assembled a small, highly trained team of agents to tackle the cases that haven’t been classified yet, the new, the strange and the unknown. Among the recruited agents was also his old colleague Melinda May, one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best field operatives. In the team's first mission, they investigated the case of Michael Peterson, a man who had been given powers from an unknown benefactor using the Centipede Device. During this mission, Coulson and his team of scientists saved Peterson's life and he recruited the Rising Tide hacker Skye onto the team, whose impressive computer skills had given them leads into a new dangerous organization called Centipede. Coulson also felt that her compassion and street smarts could be of great value to the team.

New Actions
"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

Soon after, the team headed to Peru to investigate the appearance of an 0-8-4, where Coulson was reunited with―and betrayed by―his old flame Commandante Camilla Reyes.

This was followed by trips first to Colorado, and then to Malta to affect the rescue of S.H.I.E.L.D. asset Dr. Franklin Hall, an old teacher of Coulson's teammates Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons. Coulson and Agent Grant Ward infiltrated the compound of Ian Quinn to reach Hall, but Coulson found Hall unwilling to leave.

Hall was determined to destroy the supply of Gravitonium procured by Quinn. In the actions that followed, Hall was seemingly lost, enveloped by the Gravitonium. Coulson, believing that it was what Hall would have wanted, ordered the Gravitonium be stored in an unmarked vault in The Fridge without any record of its existence, keeping it out of the hands of any who would abuse it, even S.H.I.E.L.D.

Soon after, Coulson became aware of a number of jewelry heists that he suspected were being committed by his old protégé, Akela Amador. After confirming Amador's involvement, Coulson and the team tracked her from Stockholm, Sweden, to Zloda, Belarus, where they discovered that she was, in fact, being controlled by an unknown handler through a bionic implant in her eye. The eye was of a technology more advanced than anything at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s disposal and spoke to the resources of Amador's mysterious captors. Coulson and his team managed to track down and subdue Amador, hijack the signal that was controlling her, and ultimately remove the implant, freeing her. Coulson, with May's help, tracked down Amador's handler, but when confronted, the man dropped dead from his own implant, deepening the mystery.

Coulson again investigated the Centipede Project in Hong Kong, where he led an unsuccessful mission to rescue the Index-registered individual Chan Ho Yin, who had been kidnapped by the mysterious agency.

Skye's Mystery
"Why are you here? You've been keeping something from us this whole time. And it wasn't just a boyfriend. You have a secret, Skye, and one chance to come out with it. That's now, or I'm done with you."

- Phil Coulson to Skye

While tracking Rising Tide hacker Miles Lydon, Coulson and the team were seemingly betrayed by Skye, who warned Lydon that S.H.I.E.L.D. was on his trail, choosing loyalty to her boyfriend over S.H.I.E.L.D. After the incident, Coulson chose to give Skye another chance, but only if she came completely clean with him and agreed to wear a Tracking Bracelet at all times. Skye agreed and told Coulson of her life-long quest to find the truth about her parents, who disappeared mysteriously when she was an infant. The only evidence about them that Skye had ever found was a single document from the orphanage that she grew up in with all of the pertinent data redacted by S.H.I.E.L.D. Coulson agreed to help Skye and find out what he could about her parents, but warned her that she might not like what she finds.

Later, after a visit to The Hub, Coulson was true to his word and looked up the un-redacted file. Coulson told Skye that the document was actually about the woman who dropped her off at the orphanage, an un-identified S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Coulson discovered more than that however, but chose to keep the rest of the information from Skye until he knew more. To this end, he recruited Melinda May to help him uncover the truth.

"A Magical Place"
"It's a magical place."

- Phil Coulson

Coulson soon began to realize that the circumstances of his recovery didn't quite add up. He began having troubles with simple actions that should be performed through muscle memory, something that he originally wrote-off as his simply being "rusty". Also, every time his recovery in Tahiti was mentioned, Coulson would automatically reply, "It's a magical place" as if it were a programmed response, something Coulson himself eventually noticed. Akela Amador noticed something different about Coulson and was certain that something had been done to him. Coulson eventually decided to investigate the matter himself and requested access to his "Death and Recovery" report, only to be told that he didn't have access to the file despite having the appropriate authorization to see it. Coulson declined to put in a formal request to Nick Fury to see the file.

Soon after, Coulson began to have nightmares about Tahiti.

The Truth Revealed
"Whatever this is, whatever you think you’re doing, it won’t work. I won’t give you what you want." "You will. And what we want is simple: we want you to tell us about the day after you died."

- Coulson and Raina

The truth finally came out after Coulson was kidnapped by the Centipede Project, who sought the secret of Coulson's resurrection as the Clairvoyant foresaw that this information was the key to "Stage Three" of their super-soldier project.

Centipede operative Raina treated Coulson with a device that utilized Theta-waves to stimulate hidden memories. Coulson remembered the horrific, catastrophic pain that he endured in the process of bringing him back and the bizarre machine that worked on his exposed brain. Coulson was rescued by his team before he could reveal any of this to Raina, and soon after he confronted one of the doctors involved, Dr. Streiten. Streiten confirmed that the process had been ordered by Director Nick Fury himself and that Fury had brought Streiten in with the seventh procedure to restore Coulson.

Streiten informed Coulson that the process to restore him had robbed him of his will to live and that they had implanted the false memory of Tahiti to help restore the man he had been.

Soon after, Coulson was allowed to see the full report on his death and recovery.

Skye's Story
"When we started this, I told you that you might not like what you learn." "And I told you... That it can't be worse than what I've imagined." "It is."

- Phil Coulson and Skye

Soon after, while Skye and the rest of the team visited S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Science and Technology, Coulson and Melinda May traveled to Mexico City, Mexico, where they tracked down former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Richard Lumley, who had been involved with Skye's case and fell off the grid soon after.

Lumley told Coulson the story of that long-ago op. Soon after returning home, the other agents involved in the op began to be eliminated until only he and Linda Avery remained. Avery took steps to hide Skye in the foster care system, making sure she would never be in one place for too long, before being murdered herself.

Coulson, tiring of secrets, revealed this to Skye but feared that learning of all of the lives lost on her behalf would shatter her spirit. However, in the end, Skye's resilience surprised him. She was grateful that S.H.I.E.L.D. had protected her all of these years and now considered them to be the family that she never had.

The Mysterious Weapon
"Uh, Coulson? Should I set some extra place settings for dinner? Looks like you made some friends." "Skye. We're coming in hot."

- Skye and Coulson

After learning of Ian Quinn's ties to the Clairvoyant, Coulson focused his team's efforts on finding and apprehending Quinn. After the mission at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Science and Technology, the team was informed by John Garrett about some mysterious weapon in Jamaica. The team went to the town of Negril and found the weapon. After some skirmish with the guards they managed to get the weapon onboard the Bus and fly off. Once they examined the weapon, Skye was able to hack the weapon's code and track its origin to the remote town of Limoux, France. During the flight, Coulson had a video conversation with Garrett about the weapon and Garrett's former protege, Agent Ward.

Cybertek
"The world is full of evil, lies, pain, and death and you can’t hide from it. You can only face it. The question is when you do, how do you respond, who do you become?"

- Phil Coulson Upon finding records of Quinn making a ten-million dollar purchase from Cybertek, and Coulson's belief that Cybertek would deliver this purchase to Quinn personally, Coulson made arrangements for his team to go undercover.

Coulson made arrangements with the Italian authorities to allow S.H.I.E.L.D. to take over the investigations on Cybertek, and placed his team on the train which Cybertek security chief Carlo Mancini was traveling to make the delivery to Quinn. Unfortunately, Coulson and his team were betrayed by local officer Luca Russo, who was working with Cybertek, and was being paid large amounts of money to ensure that Cybertek's deliveries went unhindered. Coulson, and Agents Grant Ward and Melinda May, were separated from the train, leaving only Agents Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons and Skye to track the delivery.

Coulson managed to track down his team, Cybertek and Quinn at a mansion on the Italian countryside, but not before Cybertek delivered Quinn's purchase-- a Cybertek Prosthetic Leg -- made for captured former S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee Michael Peterson in the Clairvoyant's efforts to transform Peterson into the cybernetic assassin called "Deathlok", nor before Quinn shot Skye twice in the stomach at the behest of the Clairvoyant.

After taking Quinn into custody, Coulson found the wounded Skye and called for Simmons. Simmons managed to temporarily prevent Skye from dying by placing her into a Hyperbaric Chamber, which lowered her core body temperature for the two-hour transport to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Trauma Zentrum in Switzerland.

The Guest House
"I trust them, but we need to protect them from this. Fury went to dangerous lengths to keep this under wraps, lied to me, lied to S.H.I.E.L.D. This is a powerful secret – a secret men died for. Until we know why, we can't share this with anyone, for their safety and ours."

- Phil Coulson to Skye At the Guest House, Coulson found a shocking secret, the serum that saved his life was derived from an alien corpse. However, the drug was injected into Skye. After Skye recovered, Coulson told her his concerns about the side effects and banned Jemma Simmons from trying to reuse the blood samples with the drug. Meanwhile, Melinda May called a secret phone line and told Nick Fury that "Coulson knows" the truth.

Working with Lady Sif
"Lorelei's treachery has remained unchanged, no matter the world." "We'll find them. Every agent is out in the area looking." "To what end, hmm? The collar has been broken. Short of death, we have no means to end her enchantment." "Let me worry about that. Stay here. And try not to punch a hole in my airplane."

- Sif and Phil Coulson Coulson's team teamed up with Lady Sif of Asgard when an Asgardian sorceress named Lorelei escaped and began using an army of mind controlled men to take over Earth. Sif and Coulson's team located her and tried to capture her, but she was able to take over the mind of Grant Ward. With his help she took over the Bus and managed to also control the mind of Leo Fitz. Coulson was able to take back the Bus and Sif was able to capture Lorelei.

Chasing Deathlok
"The Clairvoyant only knew you'd be at Quinn's villa..." "After I dropped a tracker. And the only thing he's had trouble seeing is what happened to you after you died." "Because Director Fury wouldn't release that file to anyone. The Clairvoyant doesn't have abilities. He has security clearance. He's an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

- Phil Coulson and Skye Coulson and his team came to an abandoned race track where they found Deathlok and Thomas Nash. Nash was later killed by Grant Ward who believed he was the Clairvoyant. Coulson got concerned because he believed that the case was solved too simply. When Skye found S.H.I.E.L.D. psychological files had the same information the Clairvoyant knew, Coulson realized that the Clairvoyant was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, not a psychic. Believing that Ward killed Nash to cover up his tracks, Coulson interrogated Ward only for Ward to deny having any association with the Centipede Project. Skye quickly entered to tell Coulson that Melinda May had a secret phoneline on the plane. Coulson now believing that May was the Clairvoyant held May at gunpoint, when suddenly, Victoria Hand took over the Bus and ordered her men to kill everyone on board but to take Coulson alive.

Battle at the Hub
"I was happy when I heard you'd made it through." "So happy you had me tortured for three days to find out how I did it." "I didn't enjoy that. Phil, this is me being honest." "No, John, this is you being a psychopath."

- John Garrett and Phil Coulson After Captain America exposed to the public that HYDRA had been growing inside of S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA agents sent out a secret message to other agents that it was time to reveal themselves. Coulson and his team along with Agent John Garrett received the message and concluded that Victoria Hand must be the Clairvoyant. Knowing that Hand was leading them to the Hub to be killed but also knowing that Jemma Simmons was there, Coulson's Team and Garrett decided to fight their way through the teams of HYDRA agents to rescue Simmons and find and capture Hand.

Coulson argued with Garrett about whether they should kill Hand or capture her, only for Garrett to reveal that he was the Clairvoyant when he accidentally revealed that Raina and Coulson were both in the Theta Brain-Wave Frequency Machine: something he did not include in his report. Coulson then realized that Garrett masterminded everything including his torture and Skye's being shot, all so he could lead Garrett to the Guest House. Then suddenly, a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents burst in, to whom Coulson ordered to arrest Garrett, identifying him as the true Clairvoyant. However, Garrett ordered the HYDRA sleeper agents in the team to execute the legitimate S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Angered, Coulson rejected Garrett's offer to join HYDRA. As Garrett prepared to execute all of them, the group was rescued when Skye and Grant Ward successfully blew up the main generator. Coulson and the team then subdued Garrett and his men as Hand arrived having heard Garrett's confession. As true S.H.I.E.L.D. agents took all HYDRA agents into custody, Hand told Coulson to stay in contact as, with Nick Fury dead, they were highest ranking agents that were not HYDRA or dead.

How to Survive
"The world needs us. HYDRA is out there. We cannot let them win. We cannot let them define us. Do you understand that? We are not agents of nothing. We are agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and that still carries weight. It has to carry weight. After everything we've been through, that carries weight."

- Phil Coulson to his team

After the attack on the Hub, Colonel Glenn Talbot contacted Coulson and told him that he would be sending a peace keeping force to establish order. Coulson seeing through Talbot's lie quickly left the Hub with his team and Agent Antoine Triplett. Once in the air, Coulson, knowing that every government agency was going to be after them, had Skye collect everyone's badges and delete all of their information; before he could dispose of them, Coulson received some coordinates. Believing that only Nick Fury could have sent them, Coulson took a leap of faith and followed the coordinates to discover a secret base called Providence where Agent Eric Koenig revealed to Coulson that Fury was indeed still alive but threatened him not to inform the rest of his team as only he, Captain America, and Maria Hill were the few allowed to know of his status.

The Cellist
"You're safe. I'm still here. I promise. I'm still here with you."

- Phil Coulson to Audrey Nathan

Grant Ward soon arrived to Providence where he told the group that HYDRA had raided the Fridge, took all of the weapons S.H.I.E.L.D. had recovered, and released the entire criminal population, including Marcus Daniels, a man Coulson put away after he began stalking his former lover Audrey Nathan. Coulson took a team out which consisted of Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, and Antoine Triplett. When Coulson and his team encountered Daniels in the park, he revealed to them that S.H.I.E.L.D had made him stronger. Realizing that Daniels would not stop until he got Audrey, the team convinced a reluctant Coulson to use her to draw him out so that they could subdue him with concentrated light powered by the Gamma Power Reserve. The plan was successful and Daniels was killed. On their way back from Portland, Coulson decided to forgive Melinda May for keeping secrets, realizing that he would not be able to accept forgiveness from Audrey for hiding from her unless he was willing to do the same. However, when the team returned to Providence, they found the base empty with May, Eric Koenig, Skye, and Grant Ward gone.

The Shield That Protects
"If I come out, will you shoot me? 'Cause then I won't come out." "Hold your fire, soldiers."

- Phil Coulson and Glenn Talbot

As the others who went to Portland tried to get their bearings, Coulson continuously watched Providence's camera footage in hopes of learning what happened to his missing teammates. When Jemma Simmons found Eric Koenig's body and Leo Fitz found a message from Skye saying "Ward is HYDRA," he knew Skye was in trouble and needed their help. Colonel Glenn Talbot found them with help from Maria Hill. After Coulson explained to her the situation, Hill assisted Coulson's Team in escaping from Providence to Los Angeles and acted as a distraction so Coulson could board the Bus which contained Skye and Ward. Unknown to Coulson, Deathlok was also on board. As the Bus ascended and Deathlok and Ward attacked, Coulson retrieved Skye by using Lola and landing outside a hotel where the team, and Melinda May who returned, met to rest.

Before he could rest though, Coulson was given by May the information he wanted: who led Project T.A.H.I.T.I.. Ironically, it was Coulson himself who had resigned from the project and asked Nick Fury not to use it.

Hunt for Garrett
"We have no authority to do this. We're no longer S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. We're..." "We're vigilantes." "I was gonna say, 'doing this because it's the right thing to do,' but... yeah."

- Phil Coulson and Leo Fitz

The next morning, Coulson met with his team to make plans to stop John Garrett and retrieve the Bus. Since Cybertek linked most of his team's missions, Coulson decided that he and Melinda May should go undercover as unemployed S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists seeking work with them to obtain information on Deathlok to lead them to Garrett. Coulson learned that John Garrett was "patient zero," the first Deathlok. Eventually, Coulson's team found the Barbershop Headquarters in Havana, Cuba Garrett was using. Proceeding inside, they were surrounded by Centipede Soldiers and Kaminsky with the Berserker Staff.

Battle at Cybertek
"It'll be just the four of us. We'll be outmanned and outgunned. But Fury always said... a man can accomplish anything when he realizes he's a part of something bigger. A team of people who share that conviction can change the world. So, what do you say? You ready to change the world?" "No. I'm ready to kick some ass."

- Phil Coulson and Melinda May

Coulson and his team then fought their way out after Skye hacked the Barbershop Headquarters's computers. Coulson and his team then decided to take the fight to John Garrett using a tracker Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons were able to plant on the Bus. After landing at the Cybertek Manufacturing Facility in New Mexico, Coulson and Antoine Triplett created a diversion and stole a heavily armed armored Humvee and stormed the facility. Coulson then confronted Garrett and Deathlok. After being thrown around by Garrett in a fight, Coulson was joined by Director Nick Fury, who gave him the Destroyer Armor Gun. Coulson and Fury then took out the other Centipede Soldiers. Coulson and Fury confronted Garrett as Deathlok targeted them. However, Deathlok turned on Garrett. Garrett then tried to convince Coulson to call off Deathlok, but Coulson and Fury decided to leave it up to Deathlok.

Coulson oversaw the taking of the Centipede soldiers and Grant Ward into custody by United States Armed Forces. However, Garrett survived and tried to use the Cybertek machines to heal himself. Coulson destroyed Garrett using the Peruvian 0-8-4.

The New Beginning
"How should I proceed?" "That's up to you... Director."

- Phil Coulson and Nick Fury

Onboard the Bus, Coulson and Melinda May spoke to Nick Fury about Project T.A.H.I.T.I. and why he used it on him after Coulson's recommendation to terminate the project. Fury told him that he wanted to keep Coulson since he's one of his most trusted agents. While touched, Coulson still asked why Fury would take that risk, since the project had been designed to resurrect an Avenger; Fury responded by expressing his belief that Coulson, due to his great heroics and leadership in leading his team, was considered an Avenger. After telling Coulson that May believes him to be okay and fit for duty, Fury named Coulson as director and gave him the Toolbox with the task of rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. before disappearing. Within the box was a map that led Coulson and his team to the Playground where Jemma Simmons was waiting for them, after they hugged she assured them that Leo Fitz was alive, although she did not comment on his mental health. They were then greeted by the Playground's guardian, Billy Koenig, the twin brother of the late Eric Koenig. Koenig welcomed them to the base and assured them that whatever resources they had were Coulson's to use as he deemed fit, the team then prepared to begin the mission Nick Fury left them of rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D.. Later that night, Coulson awoke from bad dreams and began writing in a symbolic language.

Rebuilding the Agency
"Just 'cause you're Director doesn't mean everything's on you, Phil." "Yes, it does."

- Melinda May and Phil Coulson

Despite all the odds against him, Coulson began slowly rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D., with his old team serving as the core around which he assembled more agents. For three months, Coulson sat outside the cell of Grant Ward, but Ward refused to speak to him, wanting only to speak to Skye. Meanwhile he recruited Isabelle Hartley, Idaho, and Lance Hunter. He also gave Skye an assignment to study the Words of Creation, but also he consulted with Andrew Garner about his urge to write the same drawings, and he didn't tell anyone about those meetings, even not to Melinda May, Garner's ex-wife. He sent two agents to infiltrate HYDRA, Jemma Simmons to become a scientist for HYDRA, and Bobbi Morse to watch Simmons' back. However, to maintain her cover more easily, Coulson did not tell Simmons about Agent Morse and her mission. Morse eventually became the Head of Security at HYDRA Laboratories. A month later, Coulson informed Melinda May that he was heading to London to recruit more former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents into their organization, but in reality he met with Sam Koenig in America to discuss Theta Protocol. The pair discussed recent events and Koenig informed Coulson that Jemma Simmons was doing well undercover at HYDRA and that Robert Gonzales had unfortunately not been located and had likely been assassinated by HYDRA. Koenig asked Coulson how Leo Fitz was doing, and Coulson told him there had been some progress with his mental state. Koenig handed Coulson his new lanyard before looking over Theta Protocol, which was the repair and storing of Helicarrier No. 64 so that it could be ready to be used in case of a world-endangering emergency. Upon returning to the Playground, Coulson sent a team consisting of Hartley and Hunter to buy an 0-8-4 from a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Roger Browning. However, the operation failed because Browning did not bring an 0-8-4 but a file on it, and that file was stolen by an unknown assassin who killed Browning and escaped. Later, at the Playground, after receiving information about the assassin's identity, Coulson ordered Skye to talk to Grant Ward to get intelligence about him.

Coulson then sent Hartley, Skye, and Melinda May to kidnap Glenn Talbot so they could talk. Talbot refused to cooperate, so Coulson tricked him into relinquishing his fingerprints and codes to the Government Storage Warehouse holding the Obelisk, the first 0-8-4.

All of Coulson's field agents went undercover to the storage facility. Hartley found the artifact, but, to defend herself against the Absorbing Man, she touched it. Coulson was called for instructions since Hartley was fatally injured, but he ordered them to proceed. Only May knew that it was a two-pronged mission; the second part was to obtain a Quinjet with cloaking technology since Leo Fitz's brain damage made him incapable of duplicating the technology for the Bus.

Tracking Creel
"I know you're the boss and you have to compartmentalize everything, but it's not healthy. You need to loosen up. Try yoga or something." "I tried it, but I'm really not flexible. But thanks."

- Skye and Coulson

As May went after Carl Creel, Coulson ordered her not to engage despite May pointing out he killed Hartley and Idaho. May, feeling guilty when Creel killed a waitress who accidentally touched his Obelisk-infected skin, told Coulson that she should have stopped Creel as she planned. Coulson explained that she would have died also and decided that Hartley's and Idaho's deaths were on him despite May's reassurance it wasn't. At the Playground, as Coulson and the field agents tried to find a solution for Creel's powers, the group was contacted by Raina who revealed the Obelisk had a tracker installed in it. Lance Hunter then arrived, having seemingly escaped from General Glenn Talbot. Coulson ordered him to come for a debrief and asked what Talbot offered him to sell him out. Hunter was initially furious that Coulson had not sent out a team to stop and kill Carl Creel, but in the end was honest, telling him Talbot had offered him two million dollars and a proper burial for Hartley, but he assured Coulson that he had declined the offer. When the team finally tracked Creel down Coulson ordered Hunter to stay at the base but, after Hunter begged him, Coulson allowed him to accompany the others. As Skye, May, and Antoine Triplett got prepared, Coulson ordered the team to wait until Creel revealed his HYDRA contact before engaging. Hunter, however, wanting revenge, knocked out Skye, Triplett, and May with an I.C.E.R. and attempted to kill Creel himself. Fortunately Coulson arrived with the Overkill Device which had been modified by Fitz and Alphonso Mackenzie and stabbed Creel in the back causing the Obelisk to fully take over his body, incapacitating him. Coulson gave Hartley a proper burial service, receiving Hunter's gratitude. Coulson then convinced him to join S.H.I.E.L.D. full time, claiming he needed agents to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. Hunter agreed and Coulson ordered him to rat him out to Talbot. At the Playground May berated Coulson for going into the field like he did and told him she knew that he was resisting his urges to write the Words of Creation. Coulson tired of fighting it and began writing it while May recorded. Later Coulson met Talbot and dropped Creel off to him telling him to lock him up more securely this time. He promised to drop "gifts" like that from time to time so Talbot could get new promotions and then asked for a favor in return: for Talbot to give S.H.I.E.L.D. breathing room. Talbot openly refused, but before he could order his men to capture Coulson, the team arrived with the now cloaked Bus, warning him to not get any ideas. Secretly, Coulson told them to hurry up before their artillery ran out of fuel.

The Race Against Time
"At least tell me that Agent 33 retired." "Nope. They got to her first. It's gone from being a land grab to a talent grab. And I'm getting damn tired of losing our best and brightest to HYDRA."

- Melinda May and Phil Coulson

As Coulson attempted to make contact with Agent 33, he discovered that she was kidnapped by HYDRA. Returning to the base, he informed Agent May about the situation. Coulson then went to have dinner with Jemma Simmons, his mole in HYDRA. As they ate they discussed Donnie Gill and the fact that HYDRA has a file on him. When Simmons asked about Leo Fitz, Coulson told her that he was fine. Coulson took the intel Simmons gave and prepped his field agents for their mission without revealing Simmons' part.

When Gill revealed himself in Casablanca on the Maribel del Mar, Coulson accompanied the others in the cloaked Bus, desiring that Gill become an asset for S.H.I.E.L.D. When he learned that Gill was brainwashed into taking the Sandbox for HYDRA, Coulson ordered that no HYDRA agent to communicate with him. This order caused Lance Hunter to almost kill Simmons, but she was saved by Melinda May, who was ordered to maintain Simmons' cover.

After the mission in Morocco, Coulson confronted Fitz torturing Ward, about his being director and the secrets he keeps, including keeping Grant Ward in the basement.

Search for Creation
"Isn't this fun? Look, cufflinks!"

- Phil Coulson to Melinda May

Later, Coulson and the team investigated the retrieval of a painting which had mysteriously survived a fire unharmed and also had the Words of Creation carved on its back. Thanks to the assistance of Hunter and Skye, Coulson and May were able to infiltrate the party where the painting was the main attraction. During their mission the team discovered Glenn Talbot was also there and had taken the painting. Strangely, Talbot made a deal with them to examine the painting as long as they were in a secure location. May, wanting to make sure Talbot was telling the truth, tailed him, only to be subdued by Agent 33 and Sunil Bakshi. The former took May's place and lied to Coulson, claiming Talbot was telling the truth. As the two arrived at the location, Coulson discovered 33's deception when he mentioned them going to get a cup of coffee, a drink May hated. As the real May battled Agent 33, Coulson pursued and knocked out Bakshi and retrieved the painting.

Afterwards, Coulson told May that he wanted her to kill him if he were to go insane because of the GH.325.

Search for Skye's Father
"I believe Garrett and I had a negative reaction to the alien DNA in our system. Maybe you didn't because it was already there." "Right, like I'm an alien. Hold on. Are you saying that I am an alien?" "It's a theory."

- Phil Coulson and Skye

Later the team was contacted by Raina who wanted to meet up with Coulson. At a restaurant, Coulson met Raina while Hunter, May, and Skye watched from a distance. During the conversation, Raina admitted she knew Skye's father, and threatened to blow Simmons' cover if Coulson did not release Skye to her custody. Coulson, having a back-up plan, refused the deal. Turning the tables on Raina, Coulson got her to admit where Skye's father was and had her agree to draw out Daniel Whitehall in exchange for protection. Skye beat the team there only to find the location empty with two dead bodies, having been killed by her father. Skye horrified called him a monster. Back at the Playground, Hunter met his ex-wife again Bobbi Morse. Shocked and surprised to see her and her dyed hair, he asked Coulson what she was doing here. Coulson told Hunter to "play nice".

In Coulson's office, Coulson tried to apologize to Skye. He revealed that he is writing the Words of Creation and that May was monitoring him. Coulson was upset that the symbols are incomprehensible to him. Skye said that it is a map.

Cleaning S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Reputation
"What do you want?" "An opportunity to clear the air. The attack on the U.N. wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D., it was HYDRA. Specifically, a man named Daniel Whitehall." "You didn't come here to clear the air. You need something from me. And all this swaggering simply tells me you have nothing to offer in return."

- Christian Ward and Phil Coulson

Daniel Whitehall hired Marcus Scarlotti and his mercenaries to pose as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and to attack the United Nations as Glenn Talbot gave a speech there. Director Coulson sent Bobbi Morse, Lance Hunter, and Melinda May to Japan to follow a lead on Scarlotti's weapon while he had Agent Noelle Walters put her team on standby until he learned more information.

He watched Senator Christian Ward, brother of Grant Ward, have a televised debate with Julien Beckers, where the Senator denounced S.H.I.E.L.D. and proposed the eradication of the organization. Understanding the long term implications this would have on agents around the world, Coulson asked Skye to postpone researching the Words of Creation and to talk to Grant about his brother. He was forced to activate the Inertial Confinement Laser Barrier to interrupt their conversation when it strayed into discussing her father. Coulson went and talked to the Senator personally to ask him to recant his position. He agreed to do so if Grant was relinquished to him. Coulson then allowed Skye to learn all Grant knew about her mother and father before having him exported. Senator Ward then kept his word and told the world that S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA were separate organizations, one dedicated to law enforcement, the other towards world domination.

Coulson learned that Scarlotti was seeking Beckers, so he told Walters' team to find and protect him. Coulson did not know that Beckers was a HYDRA agent; she and her team were slaughtered. When May called Coulson to inform him that the HYDRA agents were in custody, he was more concerned about the loss of his agents. Later, Coulson and a team of agents delivered Grant Ward to the FBI. However, Ward escaped shortly after.

Solving the Mystery
"The writing's coming more and more frequently. Used to be two, three times a month. Then once a week. Now it's every day, every night. I can't turn it off." "How do you function? When do you sleep?" "That's why we need answers."

- Phil Coulson and Skye

Coulson was once again writing the symbols when Skye walked in and told him that despite all her leads, she could still not find out where the supposed map led. Coulson replied that his urges to write it were increasing more and more to the point that he could not stop. When Skye asked him what to do if they could not find the answer, Coulson said nothing and instead changed the subject to Melinda May's and the other agents' progress on finding Grant Ward and contacted them. When Agent Antoine Triplett informed Coulson about finding Ward at a Philadelphia bus station with a large number of explosives attached to him, Coulson told him to continue following Ward but not to engage him.

Later, Skye told Coulson that a contact of hers, who was a "crime scene junkie", informed her of the murder of Janice Robbins, a woman who had the symbols carved into her skin. When Coulson saw her picture he said Robbins was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. At the crime scene, Coulson and Skye found out that Robbins was writing the symbols in her artwork. Back at the Playground, Coulson noticed that her artwork had more pieces than Coulson's carvings. Skye then found out that Coulson was right. Janice Robbins' original name was Rebecca Stevens, a level 6 agent who worked at the Triskelion but contracted cancer and apparently died from it. Wanting to find out how that was possible, Coulson had Alphonso Mackenzie and Leo Fitz retrieve Stevens' body. After the autopsy, Jemma Simmons revealed that Stevens had the same GH.325 serum in her as Coulson and Skye. Coulson blamed himself for Stevens' death as he was in charge of Project T.A.H.I.T.I. Wanting to save others like Stevens, Coulson went into the Theta Brain-Wave Frequency Machine where he found out that Stevens and numerous others suffering from deadly diseases were administered the serum. As Coulson went as deep as he could, Skye contacted May and told her of Coulson's use of the machine. May ordered them to get him out of it. After a struggle Skye managed to snap Coulson back by holding him at gun point and told that May said he should be locked up for awhile. Coulson agreed, and, as the two went down to Vault D, Coulson told her that Sebastian Derik was the murderer and he was going after Hank Thompson.

Skye said she would send some agents to Thompson's location to protect him. However Coulson said that would be unnecessary and pushed Skye into the cell and trapped her, telling her he had to finish this on his own. Coulson arrived at Thompson's house and asked him at gunpoint if he was drawing the symbols in any shape or form. Thompson denied ever seeing them and indirectly revealed that Derik had beat him there, who then knocked Coulson out. Tying him up, Derik revealed to Coulson that despite having his memories erased, he managed to remember because of the pain the carvings on his skin caused and he only killed the other patients to help them remember. He soon began doing the same thing to Coulson when he revealed to him that he was trying to find out what the writing meant too. Meanwhile, Thompson, having remembered some of his S.H.I.E.L.D. training, managed to free himself and his family. Derik witnessed this and threw his knife at him only for Thompson to catch it and free Coulson. Coulson and Derik dueled which ended with Coulson nearly choking Derik trying to show him the answer to the symbols. Skye and Mackenzie arrived and threatened Coulson to release Derik. Coulson eventually managed to show Mackenzie the answer to everything they had sought with Thompson's train model, revealing that the symbols were not a map but a city. Derik was then turned over to the authorities. At the Playground, Coulson asked Thompson to rejoin S.H.I.E.L.D. but he refused, choosing to live a simple life. When Thompson departed, Coulson revealed to the others that his urge to write the drawings was gone, having finally discovered what they were. Coulson gave his senior agents a new mission: find the city that matches the Words of Creation before HYDRA does.

The Hunt for Ward
"Any news on Ward?" "We'll find him. In the meantime, we'll take advantage of his gift, Mr. Bakshi. Here's his cellphone. See what you can find inside." "All right."

- Skye and Phil Coulson

Meanwhile, Coulson gave Skye the assignment of downloading the phone of Sunil Bakshi, who was captured in Boston and held in Vault D.

He put Melinda May in charge of the Playground while he took Skye, Antoine Triplett, and Leo Fitz with him to Hawaii. May told him that Christian Ward wanted his people to find Grant, so Coulson allowed it.

Search for the Kree City
"The satellite network we need to map the Earth and find the city is controlled by the U.S. Air Force facility at Kaena Point, Oahu, And it's too heavily guarded to infiltrate. Which is why we came to Australia instead. There's a small station here that comes online whenever Kaena Point's feed goes down."

- Phil Coulson

In Oahu, Coulson gave orders to his away team that seemed weird, but Triplett and the others trusted that he had a plan. They soon traveled to Australia. Coulson explained that the Kaena Point Air Force Base was too difficult for them to infiltrate, but, at Laura Creek was a satellite relaying station that was easier. The station went online as a backup for the Hawaiian one when it was down; Coulson's weird orders set up an EMP that would disable it for six minutes. When Coulson's away team went inside, they were ambushed by HYDRA. Originally pretending to be a captive, Calvin Zabo offered to help save Triplett when he was fatally shot. However, Coulson realized who he was, but he had to allow his escape in order to save the wounded agent. Coulson promised that they would finish their conversation. Coulson arrived back at the Bus, clearly shaken by the experience. Before he and Fitz could tell Skye that they had seen her father, the satellites found the Kree City.

Beating HYDRA to the City
"There are three million people on this island, and I won't let HYDRA turn them into collateral damage."

- Phil Coulson to Bobbi Morse

After having located the city, Coulson and the others briefed the agents on the plan to stop HYDRA from using the the Diviner to kill hundreds of people. The plan: a survey team would enter the city through an opening in San Juan, test the integrity of it, locate the temple, and then they would blow it up. Bobbi Morse asked about the Obelisk since, even without the temple, the weapon was still dangerous. Coulson reassured her that when it got to that moment, they would deal with it. Later, when Sam and Billy Koenig saved Raina from being captured by Agent 33, Coulson talked to Billy who revealed to him that Agent 33 was still alive and that HYDRA was trying to catch Raina rather than kill her; Coulson told him he would be sending Melinda May with an extraction team to help them safely transport Raina. Coulson went to Skye and May as they watched news on the death of Senator Christian Ward and told them they would be splitting up the teams since HYDRA had finally located Raina. Coulson told Skye that she would be aiding in the interrogation of Raina, claiming that Raina would probably respond better to her. Coulson revealed to May that he did not want Skye on the city mission because he did not want her to encounter her father and told May to keep an eye on her.

Coulson and Morse searched for the entrance to the Kree City in Puerto Rico. While they searched, Coulson reassured Morse that he had no intention on keeping the Diviner as he was fighting for the lives of innocent ordinary people. Morse met with her contact who was unwilling to help them get down to the garrison because he was scared of the legend that the place was haunted and that those who entered did not return. Inside, Coulson watched as the D.W.A.R.F.s were sent down a hundred foot shaft leading to the hidden underground city. Leo Fitz told him when the drones lost their signal, though the tablet control still worked. Alphonso Mackenzie was sent down to investigate. When Coulson heard his screams, Mackenzie was hoisted back up. Mackenzie then slapped Coulson into a wall as his eyes turned red.

As the team attempted to subdue him, Morse ended up electrocuting him with her staves causing him to fall back down into the hole. Coulson ordered them to seal the shaft, much to the others' dismay. Morse yelled that Mackenzie was still down there; Coulson told her that Mackenzie was no longer himself.

Stopping HYDRA
"It's not ideal, but assaulting from up here is our best bet. The narrow quarters reduce HYDRA's numerical advantage." "Sounds perfect."

- Phil Coulson and Lance Hunter

Melinda May went to San Juan to inform Coulson, Fitz, Morse and Simmons that Grant Ward had taken Skye and Raina. Coulson surmissed that Ward was probably taking Skye to meet her father. Coulson told Bobbi Morse to make sure Diego did not reveal anything to HYDRA and told her that they would do everything they could to help Alphonso Mackenzie but they had to stop HYDRA from entering the city first. May and Coulson talked about what happened with May blaming herself for letting Ward take Skye; Coulson assured her that Skye would be fine as May had turned her into a capable agent who could handle herself. As the team prepared, Coulson told Sam Koenig to report back to the Playground claiming that if things went south, he would need him and his brother to enact the Theta Protocol much to Koenig's dismay. Coulson received a call from Morse who told him that HYDRA was in Puerto Rico in force based in the old abandoned Ponce de León Theater‏. Coulson quickly figured out that they were based over the chamber. Coulson and May then left to help Morse and Hunter stop HYDRA. Together all four stormed the theater. May and Coulson then split. Coulson killed Daniel Whitehall as the latter was about to shoot Skye's father, Calvin Zabo. Angered that he lost his chance for vengeance, Zabo attacked Coulson and nearly beat him to death only to be stopped by Skye who held him at gun point and told him to leave. Skye apologized to Coulson and told him she was going destroy the Diviner and stop HYDRA's plan much to his dismay. Chasing after her, Coulson met up with May again and had her lower him down into the city so he could save Skye. Inside, Coulson was confronted by Alphonso Mackenzie whom he briefly managed to subdue. With Skye inside the chamber and no one else around, Coulson was confronted by Mackenzie again. Fortunately the latter was cured thanks to the Diviner being activated. Helping Mackenzie to his feet, the two watched as the city began to crumble.

The Director's Duties
"Sunil Bakshi ... the man tied to the Navy wedding massacre, the U.N. attack, and who tried to kill you, Coulson." "While dressed up as you, sir." "Safe to say, I'm not a fan." "Perfect. I'll trade him to you to add to your collection."

- Glenn Talbot and Phil Coulson

Coulson, not being able to sleep, observed Skye as she slept in quarantine. When she awakened, they talked about how the death of Antoine Triplett was affecting the other senior agents in the Playground. Coulson told Skye, who blamed herself, that HYDRA was going to pay for his death. Coulson called a meeting of his senior agents to discuss with them his plans for Sunil Bakshi. During the conversation, Alphonso Mackenzie, who was still suffering from the effects of going down into the Kree Temple, challenged Coulson's authority, believing his plan unsound. An argument ensued among the agents until Coulson had enough and told everyone, especially Mackenzie, that Triplett knew his place and would not hesitate to obey Coulson's orders; Coulson then dismissed everyone. The next morning, Coulson made a deal with General Glenn Talbot to give him Sunil Bakshi, who had now recovered from his suicide attempt, in exchange for Talbot's assistance in handling any remaining HYDRA forces. Coulson and Melinda May were transferring Bakshi to the custody of General Talbot when the S.H.I.E.L.D. SUV he was in was hit by a truck filled with mercenaries, Coulson and May were seemingly both fatally shot in the ensuing gunfight and one of the mercenaries escaped with Bakshi after a firefight. This was a ruse to have Bakshi take S.H.I.E.L.D. to the new leader of HYDRA since Daniel Whitehall was dead. Coulson's plan was successful and, using Bakshi as bait, they were able to trick HYDRA into assassinating three of their own leaders before recapturing Bakshi and delivering him to Talbot. Back at the Playground, Coulson listened as Mackenzie apologized and asked to work on Lola. Coulson asked if the miniature version that he had in his office could fly; Mackenzie told him that it could not. The S.H.I.E.L.D. leader then left and returned the Howling Commando Gear to Mrs. Triplett and informed her of the death of her son Antoine. As she began to cry, Coulson hugged her and looked at a photograph of the Howling Commandos. Later, Coulson secretly sent Mike Peterson to search for Dr. List, one of the few remaining heads of HYDRA.

Aliens
"So you are not Kava." "No. But I'm a friend. "Son of Coul"? See? We've worked together before." "I apologize. I do not remember." "You have no memory of who you are?"

- Sif and Phil Coulson

Coulson was having a conversation with Alphonso Mackenzie about him becoming a field agent when Melinda May informed them about a situation in Portugal. Once the team arrived to Faro, they found the amnesiac Lady Sif who did not recognize them and could not tell them why was she on Earth. As they investigated, Skye found an online video of Sif fighting an unknown man. Back on the Bus, they discovered the stranger was wounded by Sif and that his "blood" was blue. On the site of the battle, Sif still could not remember anything but Coulson deduced that she was working undercover because she was not wearing her Asgardian armor but clothes from Earth. As Coulson spoke with one witness, Mr. Cardozo, they discovered the stranger took the helium from the balloons. Bobbi Morse then called and informed Coulson about the possible lead in the local hospital. Morse and Skye were attacked by the stranger who managed to knock down Morse and escape. Back on the Bus, when Skye mentioned that the stranger might be Kree, Sif realized that "Kava", which she was seeking, was not a person, but the Kree word for keys. They realized Kava was actually Chaves, the city in Portugal where the HYDRA leader Daniel Whitehall discovered the Obelisk in 1945. The agents then ambushed the Kree and captured him. When Coulson and Sif interrogated the Kree, he introduced himself Vin-Tak and said he would earn their trust. Back in the Playground, Vin-Tak took his Truncheon from Coulson and touched Sif with it, restoring her memories. Vin-Tak then told them about the Diviners and the Inhumans. When they asked Skye about what she saw in the Kree City beneath Puerto Rico, the building started shaking. Coulson asked Skye what was causing that, and she said it was her.

Sif then wanted to take Skye to Asgard, but Coulson would not let her. As May told Skye to run, Coulson tried to stop Sif and Vin-Tak, but Vin-Tak attacked him and threw him across the room. May then took Skye to Vault D where Sif soon found them. Coulson arrived just in time to see Skye shooting herself with an I.C.E.R., which finally convinced Sif she would sooner hurt herself than anyone else. Sif then took Vin-Tak, who had lost his memory after a fight with Bobbi Morse, back to his home planet. Before she departed, she warned Coulson that the incoming threats could be more than he could handle.

Vengeful Father
"This is between us! No one else needs to get hurt. Let them go." "They can't go anywhere." "What did you do?" "Took a cue from S.H.I.E.L.D. We took their potential and contained it - inhibited it like you do."

- Phil Coulson and Cal

Coulson visited Skye in the interrogation cell on the Bus, where she moved after the violent display of her powers. Coulson told her that they put her name on the Index, with which she was okay, because she managed to have some control over her powers. Later, Coulson had a conversation with Agent May and they decided to call May's ex-husband, Dr. Andrew Garner, a psychologist who specialized in working with gifted individuals from the Index. Later, after welcoming Garner into the Playground, Coulson was called by Agent Royce who informed him about the break into the Brynmore Psychiatric Facility. Coulson talked with Agent Morse about the break into the facility and asked her about Agent Hunter's apparent disappearance. Morse replied that a permanent job in S.H.I.E.L.D. was not something Hunter would take. Once they arrived in the facility, Coulson and Morse discovered the attackers were led by Skye's Father. In the facility's secret sub-basement Coulson and Morse were attacked by John Bruno, a former government assassin, but Morse easily overpowered him. The other individual they sought, David Angar, was missing. Back on their plane, Coulson used traffic cameras to search for the license plate on Skye's father's RV. Once he realized what Cal was planning, Coulson and Morse went to Manitowoc, Coulson's home town. At the Manitowec High School, Coulson and Morse discovered that Angar had rendered an entire field of students unconscious for Cal to hold hostage. Coulson surrendered to Zabo, who declared that he was planning on exposing S.H.I.E.L.D. for their "barbaric" inhibitions of gifted individuals before it could do the same thing to his daughter; Coulson replied that it was to stop criminals, not cheerleaders. Suddenly, Agent May turned up with a gun to Skye's head, threatening to kill her if Cal did not surrender. Zabo called her bluff and admitted that no one in town was even listening to him; he passed the microphone to Angar so his voice would affect all of Manitowec. Suddenly, a mysterious man appeared on the field and teleported Cal away. Coulson, May, and Morse then quickly defeated the remaining members of the Slicing Talons, but Skye suddenly unintentionally generated an earthquake and fell unconscious. Later, in the Playground, Jemma Simmons told Coulson that whatever powers Skye and Raina have were already inside them, and not artificially created like the powers of Angar or Michael Peterson.

Tough Choices
"Skye, I'm afraid I have to pull you from active duty." "I get it. I do. I just didn't think that you'd lock me up - like a werewolf during full moon." "You're not alone here." "Feels pretty isolated to me."

- Phil Coulson and Skye

In his office, Coulson talked with Melinda May about what to do with Skye. Though May agreed with Andrew Garner's suggestion that Skye should be removed from active S.H.I.E.L.D. duty, Coulson hesitated to do anything. However, he eventually decided to move her into an isolated cabin which Nick Fury once used to house superpowered individuals. Jemma Simmons then brought him special gloves for Skye to wear, telling him the gloves would minimize the effect of Skye's powers. Coulson then took Skye to Nick Fury's cabin, actually a safe house for people with powers. He told her that he had to pull her from active duty. Before he departed, Coulson gave Skye the gloves Simmons made, and advised her to try to learn how to control her powers. Back in the Playground, Leo Fitz asked Coulson where Skye was and he replied that that information was confidential, but that she was safe. In his office, Coulson and May had a video conversation with General Glenn Talbot who informed them about Agent 33 and Grant Ward breaking into his base to liberate Sunil Bakshi. After the conversation with Talbot, Coulson and May agreed that Alphonso Mackenzie was hiding something, and that they should find out what.

Attacked
"I wish you were the man you were even two years ago. But by all accounts, you're not." "You didn't know me then, and you don't know me now." "I know that Fury brought you back from the dead." "Right. I didn't ask for that."

- Robert Gonzales and Phil Coulson

While Alphonso Mackenzie was looking under Lola's hood, Coulson confronted him about the extra component he put in the model of Lola in his office, revealing that he knew about Mack hiding something. When he asked him about his loyalty, Mack replied that he was only loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. Coulson then ordered three agents to point their guns at Mackenzie. Suddenly, an EMP burst through the base, shutting down all the electronic equipment and Mackenzie used the opportunity to escape. Coulson and his agents then encountered Leo Fitz, who was immediately sent to turn the power back on. Coulson and Melinda May continued the search for Mackenzie and Bobbi Morse, who had attacked May a few minutes earlier while claiming to work for "the real S.H.I.E.L.D." Just after Jemma Simmons called Coulson and informed him about taking down Morse, an unidentified gas began pumping through the Playground's vents, knocking out Coulson and all of his agents. When Coulson awakened, the base was controlled by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents led by Robert Gonzales, a high ranking agent about whom Coulson had not heard anything since the revelation of HYDRA's existence. Coulson and Gonzales then talked in Coulson's office about Coulson's and Nick Fury's abilities as director, and Gonzales tried to convince him about his way of leading S.H.I.E.L.D. as the right one. Coulson refused to open the Toolbox for Gonzales, who gave it to one of his agents to give to Anne Weaver. Suddenly, Melinda May entered the office, knocking out Gonzales and two of his agents with an I.C.E.R. Coulson then escaped from the base via the secret elevator while May stayed behind and surrendered to Gonzales' agents.

Later, Coulson came in contact with Lance Hunter, who managed to escape from Gonzales' headquarters, the aircraft carrier Iliad. Hunter accepted Coulson's offer to be a full-time S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and Coulson told him that he plans to retake S.H.I.E.L.D. from Gonzales.

Getting Back up
"Well, maybe we should forget all this, head down to Mexico. We can lay low, enjoy the quiet life." "That's not an option. The problem is, there are no good options." "Well, maybe it's time for the bad ones."

- Lance Hunter and Phil Coulson

Stealing a car from Honest Eddie's Car Dealership, Coulson and Lance Hunter went to the Retreat, where they found video footage of Skye using her powers to cause a massive shockwave, throwing back two of Gonzales' agents. During that time, Hunter offered Coulson a drink, taking out two glasses, one for himself and the other for "the person keeping me warm". He jokingly stated that he would make an exception in Coulson's case. Coulson told him that he needed to keep his head clear. While Hunter slept, Coulson made a decision to contact Mike Peterson before alerting Robert Gonzales about their location. The next morning Gonzales' S.H.I.E.L.D. agents arrived to arrest them both; over Hunter's protests, Coulson told him that his plan was to steal one of their Quinjets. Coulson used his 21st Century Howling Commando Gear to create a hologram illusion, tricking the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, before stealing their uniforms. Before they could escape, however, they were caught by another team of Gonzales' agents and arrested. They were rescued by Mike Peterson, who attacked the guards and took out the agents. With the Quinjet now under their control, Hunter asked Coulson why he had not informed him that backup was a super-powered cyborg. Coulson simply told him that he wanted to see the look on Hunter's face. Coulson told Hunter that he had been using Peterson to track down, HYDRA scientist, Dr. List. Coulson explained that his next step would be to find a recruit, the only man who had a connection between S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA: Grant Ward.

Leo Fitz opened the Toolbox and contacted Coulson; Coulson and Lance Hunter decided to retrieve him.

Finding Ward
"You're resourceful. Bet you know a guy who knows a guy." "You know, last time I suggested we work together, you called me a deluded son of a bitch." "Things change. I'm offering you a deal help me, and I'll let you walk away, free and clear. No more looking over your shoulder."

- Phil Coulson and Grant Ward

Coulson, Lance Hunter, and Deathlok took the Quinjet to retrieve Leo Fitz, then flew to find Grant Ward. Coulson confronted Agent 33 in a Tijuana diner, and used her phone to call Ward; Coulson told Ward to meet him in the diner. When Ward arrived, Deathlok sent him to a booth where Coulson waited. Coulson offered Ward a deal; if he helped them, he would go through the Project T.A.H.I.T.I. protocol, getting his bad memories wiped. Ward eventually accepted the deal and left to get his things with Agent 33 and Deathlok. Ward explained he would use the recently brainwashed Sunil Bakshi to infiltrate HYDRA, gaining a meeting with Dr. List who could bring them into contact with Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. While in flight, Coulson and Hunter were forced to restrain Fitz when Ward unintentionally provoked him. Fitz voiced his discontent with allying with Ward, believing he and Bakshi, who had been brainwashed to serve Ward, would betray them. Coulson assured him that he was sending in Deathlok as Bakshi's bodyguard so they could watch through his implant. Though Ward reminded that List wanted only Bakshi, Coulson was confident that Bakshi could talk his way out of trouble. As the meeting went underway, Bakshi went off-script and offered Deathlok to List for experimentation. Ward admitted that it was the only way to get close to Wolfgang von Strucker, resulting in a standoff on the Quinjet. When Fitz noticed that Deathlok was preparing to kill all HYDRA agents present, both parties lowered their weapons so Fitz could tell Deathlok to play along. Coulson's party then followed List's jet on its way to Strucker, only for the HYDRA scientist to stop over in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Through Deathlok's Backscatter X-Ray Eye Implant, they learned that List was tracking down occurrences of quantum entanglements across the planet, which Fitz realized was referring to the teleporter who took Skye. However, Coulson claimed ignorance over what HYDRA wanted with Skye to Ward and Agent 33. Coulson's Quinjet then landed on the roof of a building where Bakshi was searching for the Enhanced. Through Deathlok's implant, they were able to confirm that Skye was in the building, though Coulson warned Ward against making contact with her. Coulson then took everyone but Fitz to take on HYDRA. As he and Ward went on ahead, they ran into Deathlok, who had a tussle with an unidentified Enhanced who possessed electrical powers. Deathlok suspected that the young man was protecting Skye and pointed Coulson in her direction. But before he could reunite with Skye, without warning, the teleporter appeared to take her, accidentally taking Calvin Zabo along with them. Agent 33 and the wounded Hunter regrouped with them, and Ward asked Coulson what they should do next as both S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA were incoming, Ward ordered the others to escape while he stayed behind. Bobbi Morse and Alphonso Mackenzie soon arrived at the scene some time later, and Coulson surrendered himself to them.

Bringing the Team Back Together
"We have a chance to hit HYDRA hard. They're operating on powered people. We can shut that down and save lives." "Perhaps, but I'm gonna ask again - why should I trust you?" "Because we all have our secrets. You have one sitting in the cargo hold of your ship, but I'm still willing to work with you."

- Phil Coulson and Robert Gonzales

Coulson was brought to the Bus, where he eventually conferred with Robert Gonzales. When Gonzales asked why he had surrendered, Coulson revealed the situation where he needed Gonzales' help to rescue Mike Peterson and the other enhanced individuals being held hostage by HYDRA. Gonzales asked why he should trust him and Coulson said it was because they both had secrets, saying he knew that Gonzales had a secret hidden in his cargo hold, which he had learned from the Toolbox. The two came to a deal where Coulson and his original team would infiltrate the Arctic HYDRA Research Facility to free Deathlok and Lincoln Campbell. In return, Coulson promised he would open the Toolbox for Gonzales. With the deal made, Coulson called for Grant Ward to fly the Quinjet onto the Playground; once he arrived it was agreed that Ward would have armed guards with him at all times. Coulson, Gonzales and the others watched the feed from Deathlok's eyepiece which showed the HYDRA scientists removing his eye. They began discussing how to attack the base; Gonzales suggested that they simply bomb the base, but Coulson insisted he would not risk the lives of the enhanced prisoners. Coulson developed a plan in which he would take a small team to attack the base with Sunil Bakshi's help. Gonzales put the matter to a vote, with both Anne Weaver and Oliver voting against the idea, but Gonzales and Bobbi Morse voted to move forward. To Coulson's surprise, everyone turned to Melinda May for the tiebreaking vote. However, she asked to speak with Coulson in private before makes her decision. As soon as they were alone in Coulson's office, Coulson confronted May for joining Gonzales. May defended her actions, stating that she had to watch over the Playground in his absence and she did it to protect him. Coulson insisted that he was fine on his own, to which May retorted that solo is how he operated best. She then confronted him for the truth behind his overseas trips, as Gonzales' people suspected that he was not trying to recruit new agents and demanded to know what Theta Protocol was. Coulson refused to answer, not because he did not trust her, but because she was not Director. May retorted that Coulson was no longer Director as far as anyone was concerned, and admitted that she had personal reasons for her actions. Coulson deduced that she had learned about his secret meetings with Andrew Garner and explained that he only went to him for counseling on his alien writing compulsions. May insisted that he should have told her. Coulson promised to apologize later at length and asked that they focus on the mission at hand. As Coulson prepared for the mission he was approached by Jemma Simmons who insisted on joining them on the mission; Coulson was unsure but Simmons explained that they would need someone to treat Mike Peterson's injuries who was also aware of his medical history and cybernetic enhancements. The team arrived on the Bus and immediately heard a loud thud. The team immediately turned their guns on Ward, believing him to have sabotaged the Bus, but it was soon revealed that Skye had been teleported aboard to assist them in the mission. With the team en route to the HYDRA base, Coulson asked Ward to brief them on the upcoming mission; Ward began to explain Sunil Bakshi's role in the plan but quickly decided to use the time to try to explain and apologize for his previous actions since being revealed to be an undercover HYDRA agent. He claimed that his greatest regret was the fact that his actions had destroyed the team; Skye however made it clear that she was still happy she shot him. As the team neared the HYDRA base, the Bus was targeted by HYDRA's defense systems. Coulson and the team escaped to the Quinjet just as the Bus was destroyed. Landing the Quinjet they made their way to the base. Once they arrived inside the base, they regrouped with Sunil Bakshi and prepared for the mission; as Skye, Grant Ward, Jemma Simmons and Bakshi were sent to rescue Mike Peterson and the other enhanced individuals, Coulson, Melinda May and Leo Fitz went to take down the base's defence systems ready for Robert Gonzales' men to destroy it. While May defended Fitz as he began the hack, Coulson sneaked away to download HYDRA files containing information about the location of Baron Wolfgang von Strucker and the Scepter. The team regrouped with Skye and Simmons, who had rescued Peterson and Lincoln Campbell; although Ward and List escaped and Bakshi lost his life during the mission, they evacuated just as Gonzales' men destroyed the base. Back at the Playground, Peterson and Campbell were treated for their injuries. Shortly after arriving, Coulson received a phone call from Grant Ward, informing him that he preferred the idea of escaping rather than being arrested or having his mind wiped. Ward explained that he knew the team would never forgive him but Agent 33 did deserve forgiveness as she was a victim of Daniel Whitehall's experiments, and so he was leaving her at S.H.I.E.L.D. to rebuild her life as an agent. Coulson promised Ward that he would take care of her and treat her well. Coulson then spoke to Robert Gonzales and Bobbi Morse who were discussing the idea of having enhanced individuals in the base. Coulson honoured their agreement and opened the Toolbox before casually mentioning the fact that Nick Fury was still alive.

Call in the Avengers
"I'm guessing HYDRA doesn't know that Loki's Scepter was the weapon that killed me, but I bet they know it can control minds." "In their hands that's catastrophic; Coulson please tell me you know where it is." "Sokovia, pretty sure List is headed there right now."

- Phil Coulson and Maria Hill

Coulson received a phonecall from Maria Hill wanting an update on the recent events. Coulson explained that he was keeping Gonzales in the dark about certain details as he felt his method of votes was ineffective. Coulson revealed the location of the Scepter to Hill, who then asked if Theta Protocol was ready. He confirmed that it was ready and ordered her to send in the Avengers to bring down the HYDRA base and capture it and Wolfgang von Strucker.

Reunification of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"I tried to do it all alone. That was a mistake. Even Fury had a World Council watching over him, providing guidance." "What are you suggesting?" "One S.H.I.E.L.D., where I operate as director, under your advisement. This way, we'll have a cool underground base and a boat."

- Phil Coulson and Robert Gonzales

As the Avengers successfully defeated both Wolfgang von Strucker and later Ultron, Theta Protocol was activated and Nick Fury and Maria Hill assisted in the Battle of Sokovia, using the Helicarrier No. 64 to save thousands of innocent lives. After the battle, Coulson was on the Iliad, where he had a meeting with Robert Gonzales and his council to discuss the recent events, revealing the true history of Theta Protocol. Coulson then proposed that he and Gonzales join forces to build one S.H.I.E.L.D., with Coulson as director and Gonzales and his council as his advisors. Shortly after this discussion, the alarms on the ship were triggered when the teleporter and Raina were found to have broken onboard, seemingly searching for what was in the cargo hold. Coulson and Gonzales sent their agents to find them but the pair escaped before managing to destroy the Monolith they were looking for. At a debrief, Gonzales revealed that the stone was indeed alien and had been found on Earth over one hundred years ago, Coulson explained that the only information on the Toolbox about it was that HYDRA was looking for it.

The New Threat
"What's our plan of attack?" "Who said anything about an attack?" "These people are a threat." "We don't know that. We don't know anything about them."

- Robert Gonzales and Phil Coulson

At the Playground, after Gonzales' people successfully found the Inhuman's home, Gonzales called for them to prepare for an attack. Coulson convinced him that instead they should have a meeting with the Inhuman leader Jiaying and try and resolve the matter peacefully. Coulson met with Skye to see if she had known anything about the stone, but she assured him that neither she nor Lincoln Campbell knew anything about it. Coulson asked Skye about her connections with the Inhumans and her changing loyalties. Skye suggested that if the Monolith was a weapon then maybe the Inhumans were just afraid of what Gonzales might do with it. Skye revealed to Melinda May that she had heard the story of what had happened to her in Bahrain and revealed that the two people killed were in fact Inhumans. Coulson later spoke to Skye again, who insisted they do not go searching for the Inhuman's home, Coulson insisted; however, that they needed to assess how many people they were dealing with so they could be put on the Index. Skye insisted that he let her and Campbell go first, before revealing that Jiaying was her mother.

Coulson later found May in the aircraft hanger and they commented on how much they missed the Bus. Coulson informed May that Jiaying was Skye's mother, but May did not seem to react. Coulson tried to apologise to May for lying to her about Theta Protocol, but May did not seem to want to listen. May then revealed that the little girl who died in Bahrain was not killed in the crossfire, but was instead shot by May before she could kill everyone. They discussed their history and how Coulson had lost control when he began carving the Words of Creation on the walls. May told him that Skye was living proof that he had lost control. When Skye and Lincoln Campbell prepared to leave the Playground, Coulson spoke to the pair. When they spoke about the Index, Campbell compared S.H.I.E.L.D. to HYDRA, but Coulson insisted that he could trust them.

As Coulson briefed the team on the plan for visiting the Inhumans' home, Gonzales informed him that he should not be the one going in as he had too many personal connections to the people involved. When Coulson tried to argue his case, Gonzales used Tony Stark creating Ultron as an example of what happens when one man was allowed to go unquestioned. The matter was put to a vote and it was decided that Gonzales should be the one to go. Coulson agreed, as he did not wish to ignore the views of his council. As the team left the base on the Quinjets, Coulson was visited in his office by Alphonso Mackenzie. Mackenzie informed him that he intended to leave as he did not wish to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. under Coulson's leadership; although Coulson tried to convince him to stay, he soon accepted Mackenzie's choice and let him go. As the mission went ahead, Coulson watched the mission unfold from his office alongside Lance Hunter and Leo Fitz. Although Hunter and Fitz remained skeptical of the idea of Gonzales taking over the mission, Coulson insisted that he had to put his faith in the council, otherwise S.H.I.E.L.D. would fall apart again. As Hunter and Fitz made some casual comments about the dangers of enhanced people, Coulson made the comment that they had maybe been spending too much time together. He was later contacted by Melinda May, who informed him that Jiaying had handed over Calvin Zabo.

Open War
"Jemma, do we have confirmation on who actually fired the missile?" "No, sir, we're still sorting out what happened with that Quinjet. Our priority was to get all S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel out safely." "Was there any resistance to that from the locals?"

- Phil Coulson and Jemma Simmons

Melinda May informed Coulson that they had lost communication with Bobbi Morse, sensing something was wrong, Coulson sent Lance Hunter to investigate. They were interrupted by Jemma Simmons, who informed them that Jiaying had been shot, allegedly by Robert Gonzales. Not believing that that would be Gonzales' move, Coulson sent the team to learn more to ensure a war was not started. Melinda May was returned to the Quinjet unconscious after a fight with Skye, they continued their discussions about the events and debated if Robert Gonzales was really responsible. Anne Weaver defended her former Director and revealed that he had gone to great lengths to secure a peace offering for Jiaying, Coulson agreed but still refused to begin a war with the Inhumans. He sent Weaver back to the Iliad to take command before speaking to Melinda May and Jemma Simmons about Skye's seeming betrayal and suggested that Calvin Zabo may know the answers. When Zabo arrived on the base, Coulson demanded to know why he was there, but Zabo insisted he was a gift from his family. Coulson sent Zabo into a cell before Jemma Simmons revealed that Zabo had seemingly taken some kind of drug before arriving.

Coulson later learned through video footage that Jiaying had sent Gordon to take control of their Quinjet to fire upon their city, and had likely been responsible for Robert Gonzales' murder, resulting in every Inhuman believing S.H.I.E.L.D. attacked their home. Lance Hunter and Leo Fitz then stormed in, having learned that Bobbi Morse had been kidnapped by Agent 33. Hunter and Melinda May were sent to locate and rescue Morse and kill 33 and Grant Ward.

During a video conference with Anne Weaver and Oliver, Coulson once again expressed his desire not to attack the Inhumans, as he did not wish to start a war and risk the life of Agent Skye, Oliver however argued that leaving Skye with the Inhumans could risk her exposing all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s weaknesses. Coulson then spoke to Alphonso Mackenzie, who had joined the discussion, Mackenzie explained that although he wished to leave S.H.I.E.L.D., with Robert Gonzales dead he needed to see the matter resolved. Coulson then requested time to speak to Calvin Zabo and gain valuable information, Weaver agreed and gave him three hours.

Dealing with Calvin Zabo
"Jiaying's out for blood, and there's no way in hell Skye will go along with that. Think about the danger that puts her in. She's not my daughter, but she's as close to family as I've got, and I will save her, no matter what the cost."

- Phil Coulson to Calvin Zabo

Coulson visited Calvin Zabo in his cell, where Zabo was complaining about suffering from the intense cold. When Coulson asked Zabo why he had surrendered, Zabo responded by telling Coulson that because he did not have children, he would never understand what a father would do for his child. When Coulson began asking how Zabo had slaughtered an entire village, Zabo simply told him he had done it with style.

Taking a break from the questioning, Coulson went to speak to Jemma Simmons about what drugs had been detected in Calvin Zabo's Formula; she revealed she had found traces of anabolic steroids, methamphetamine, and liver inhibitors, as well as less conventional ingredients such as gorilla testosterone and peppermint, which was likely Zabo's ill-conceived attempted at enhanced strength. When Coulson asked if the mixture would kill him, she informed him that a single vial should kill a normal man, and that Zabo had taken three.

Coulson went back to question Calvin Zabo, who was now suffering from intense heat and kept requesting more water. Coulson revealed that Jiaying had assassinated Robert Gonzales with the intention of starting a war between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Inhumans, but Zabo refused to believe him. Coulson asked if Jiaying had forced Zabo to inject himself with his Formula as part of the distraction. Zabo divulged to Coulson that it was a formula of his own invention, designed to enhance his strength in order to protect his family, and he had taken it under his own free will with the intention of killing as many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as he could.

When Coulson casually referred to Skye as Daisy, Zabo's rage intensified, as he claimed only Skye's family should use her real name. Coulson attempted to reason with Zabo, pointing out that everything he had done, including wiping out the village and taking the vials of his formula, was all on Jiaying's behalf, but Zabo refused to believe he was being manipulated by his wife, claiming that she was not a monster like him. As he grew more and more angry at Coulson accusations, his heart gave out and Zabo went into cardiac arrest and collapsed. Coulson had Zabo rushed to the emergency room and ordered Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz to try and save him. Simmons was forced to inject Zabo with a shot of adrenaline, which caused him to have a seizure and fall off the table. When he reappeared, he had undergone a repulsive physical change and become a seeming monster with incredible strength. Coulson attempted to lock Zabo in the medical pod, but he broke out with little effort before being shot by I.C.E.R.s with still no effect. Coulson ordered Fitz and Simmons to flee while he tried and failed to reason with Zabo.

With Calvin Zabo running through the Playground destroying everything he came across, Coulson set up a plan to trick Zabo and pin him against a wall with a van and a battering ram. The plan was a success and Zabo was trapped as Coulson attempted to reason with the mad man. Coulson tried to convince Zabo that they both wanted the same thing, which was to protect Skye, and he believed Zabo was a good man who was being manipulated by Jiaying. Zabo told Coulson that he had reassembled his wife when Daniel Whitehall had murdered her, but she was never the same. He explained that Jiaying's power was to take lives to heal; and that in the past, an Inhuman elder would sacrifice their own life so she could live on and pass on tradition. Zabo admitted to having sacrificed an entire village to revive his wife, but that Jiaying no longer cared for human life, so Zabo tried to find Skye in the vain hope that it would restore his wife's humanity. Coulson then questioned if he was willing to protect his daughter from his wife, pointing out that Jiaying was out for blood and there was no way Skye would go along with her plan. Seemingly angered by his words, Zabo managed to free himself, as Coulson declared that Skye was as close to family to him and vowed to save her no matter the cost. Instead of harming Coulson; however, Zabo swore to help him defeat Jiaying and save his daughter.

Zabo was put under armed guard while Jemma Simmons helped counteract the effects of his Formula, resulting in the reverse of his physical changes. Leo Fitz then informed Coulson that while they had been fighting Zabo, Jiaying and an army of Inhumans had taken over the Iliad. Coulson ordered Fitz to contact Lance Hunter and Melinda May, but Fitz told him they had already gone on their mission to rescue Bobbi Morse from Grant Ward and Agent 33. Fitz later told him that he had invented a device to trap Gordon in a single room. As Coulson discussed with Fitz and Simmons whether or not Calvin Zabo was prepared to join them on the mission, they were interrupted by the arrival of Lance Hunter and Melinda May bringing in the wounded Bobbi Morse.

Retaking the Iliad
"I hate this guy." "Fitz, hurry the hell up!" "Yeah, I'm almost there."

- Phil Coulson, Alphonso Mackenzie, and Leo Fitz

Once Morse was safe, Coulson, May and Zabo flew to the Iliad with the intention of fighting back against the Inhumans. May expressed her disapproval of Zabo's presence but Coulson insisted his knowledge of the Inhumans would be beneficial and if need be, he could be a powerful weapon for S.H.I.E.L.D. to use. Fitz recognised a code being included in the distress beacon, which Coulson knew was a message from Skye warning them they were going into a trap. Coulson ordered the other Quinjets to fall back while his own continued on. Coulson and Leo Fitz found Alphonso Mackenzie protecting the Terrigen Crystals from Gordon, and joined him in the fight, using Fitz's Quantum Field Disruptors to trap Gordon in the room. The team continued to fight Gordon, until the teleporter made a fatal mistake and teleported behind Fitz, causing the iron pole Fitz was holding to be embedded in his chest. As Gordon fell dying, he dropped the Terrigen Crystal he was holding. Knowing that if the crystal broke it would kill everyone onboard the ship, Coulson dove to catch it. However, the moment he touched it, it began turning his arm to stone; just as Coulson accepted his fate, Mackenzie used his axe to cut off Coulson's arm, saving his life.

New Objectives
"We have to do this. We don't have a choice. It may feel like things have cooled down right now, but this... this is my permanent reminder that we'll always be paying the price, that we'll never get ahead of the consequences that I, that you, that S.H.I.E.L.D. have set in motion."

- Phil Coulson to Skye

With the Inhuman threat eliminated, Coulson returned to work and began planning out new ways of dealing with threats against the earth, employing his S.H.I.E.L.D. agents into new positions which best supported their views. He brought Andrew Garner back to assess his team and judge their readiness to continue working in the field. They discussed having Alphonso Mackenzie back on the team in charge of all alien dealings before Coulson teased Garner about getting back together with Melinda May. Garner then handed Coulson a file of his recommendation for Coulson's new program. Coulson put the order in for Calvin Zabo to go through the T.A.H.I.T.I. program, allowing him to begin a new, peaceful life as a veterinarian named Dr. Winslow. Coulson joined Skye as she went to visit Zabo at his new office before asking Skye about her thoughts on leading a new team for people with powers, where they could use their abilities to help protect the world. Skye insisted that if they did this, the team should be kept a secret so the people involved could still live their own private lives. Coulson agreed, noting that his missing arm would be his personal reminder of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s past mistakes.

A New Organization
As new Inhumans began to emerge, Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. began the task of trying to find them. However, the first four who emerged disappeared, just as a new organization called the Advanced Threat Containment Unit appeared. When a fifth Inhuman named Joey Gutierrez gained his abilities in Seattle, Washington, Coulson sent Daisy Johnson, Lance Hunter, and Alphonso Mackenzie to get to him before the ATCU could. While the others collected Gutierrez and transported him to the Zephyr One, Coulson stood with the crowd of onlookers. When Rosalind Price arrived and spoke to her subordinate, Coulson took her picture.

Later, Coulson talked to Johnson about how Gutierrez was adjusting to having powers and knowing that he was an Inhuman. During their conversation, Johnson noted how much Coulson loved the new vehicle. The two were concerned about how the ATCU were finding the newly-powered before them and causing them to disappear. Coulson met with Mackenzie and Hunter in his office at the Playground; they discussed Price and how she had past relationships with MI6 and the CIA. When Coulson asked Hunter to see Bobbi Morse with the technology they had procured from a ATCU soldier, Hunter refused.

Coulson went to the lab and saw Morse himself. Once there, he asked her about the whereabouts of Leo Fitz; Morse covered for him, but both knew that he was chasing leads on how to free Jemma Simmons from the Monolith. Coulson and Morse devised a plan to talk to Price without her entourage since Morse noted her routine throughout Washington, D.C. In the Washington, D.C. subway, Coulson and Hunter confronted Price, thinking they had tracked her; ATCU soldiers soon surrounded the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents since it was Price who had set the trap. Both leaders exchanged quips, acknowledging the past of the other. After a few minutes of talking, each leader realized that neither organization was killing newly-transformed Inhumans. When Price's phone rang, Coulson's did as well; both then knew that a new Inhuman had emerged. As Price went to take the call, Coulson and Hunter escaped the subway.

Returning to the Playground, Coulson confronted Fitz on his obsession to save Simmons. Coulson compared Fitz's loss to his own loss of Melinda May, who never returned from vacation months ago.

Coulson left to watch President Matthew Ellis have a press conference officially announcing the creation of the ATCU; Coulson noted that the President said the same Catch phrase that Price said to him about the "laws of nature" changing.

Rescuing Simmons
"I don't have to remind you that I saved your life, though I did just mention it in case you forgot. But I'd still have no problems contacting those task forces you mentioned. I bet they'd go bonkers to have a real-life Asgardian to dissect in their labs. I don't know how comfy you'd be there." "Why, Agent Coulson, are you threatening me?" "I wouldn't call it a... Well, yeah, I guess I am. That's absolutely a threat."

- Phil Coulson and Elliot Randolph

Coulson called Andrew Garner and asked him to assess Joey Gutierrez to see if he was fit for the Caterpillars program.

Coulson was in the process of putting on another Prosthetic Hand when he had to run into the previously sealed room that contained the Monolith; Leo Fitz had broken the seal and the other senior agents were inside also pulling him out. Coulson berated Fitz for his emotional breakdown, citing that he could not afford to lose him to the Kree stone as he had already lost Jemma Simmons. Suddenly, Fitz ran from the room.

In Coulson's office, the senior agents had a meeting where Fitz showed them that the sample of sand found on him predated the Earth by a billion years, proving that the Monolith was a portal and Simmons was somewhere consistent with that sand. Coulson watched as they all decided that Simmons had to be returned from there; though Coulson stated that, with so many months having passed since Simmons' disappearance, she could be dead, Fitz was not to be dissuaded. Coulson told Daisy Johnson and Alphonso Mackenzie to stay at the Playground to meet Garner when he arrived. Bobbi Morse volunteered to help Fitz with his search; Coulson noted that she was already helping him since she covered for him when he went to Morocco to get a scroll. Coulson ordered Lance Hunter to continue on their pre-discussed mission for him. Coulson then got his file on Elliot Randolph.

As everyone departed on their assignments, Coulson gave Morse the file on Randolph and told her that since he was an alien who had been on Earth for centuries, he might have insight into the Monolith. After Morse kissed Hunter farewell and asked him not to get killed, Coulson told Hunter to assure that Grant Ward did.

Fitz, Coulson, and Morse took a Quinjet to Norway where they found Randolph in prison; he was charged with being drunk and disorderly. Randolph originally refused to go with the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents because he felt that being an alien was dangerous at the time as well as the jail having a good reading selection and good meals. Coulson threatened Randolph, telling him that the Advanced Threat Containment Unit would love to dissect a member of the Asgardians. Randolph noted that Coulson had changed and asked about his hand; Coulson said that he adapted to the changing times. When Randolph used his strength to escape his cell, he told the guards that Coulson did it.

Randolph looked at the Monolith, telling them that he would escape them to stay away from the portal, but he had no idea what "Amazon Woman" and "Robot Hand", as he called Morse and Coulson respectively, would do. He received the scroll Fitz had gotten and read it; he, with permission from Coulson, told them to board the plane and take him to England. In an English castle, Coulson found a secret doorway that lead to a room specially made for the Monolith. He then called Mackenzie and told him to pilot the Zephyr One to bring them the stone.

Johnson came with Mackenzie when he brought the portal and told the others how Garner had evaluated them in their present mental and physical conditions. Activating the Monolith, they saw a portal open, but there was not enough light for Fitz to see to the other side, so Coulson gave Fitz a flare gun which he fired into the void. When the machine sustaining the portal fell apart, Coulson saw Johnson faint. Trying to awaken her, Coulson called Johnson "Skye". Her first act upon gaining consciousness was to correct Coulson of her name change; Morse noted that Coulson was having difficulty in accepting the change. Fitz realized that the room was a sound amplifier and sound opened the portal; Johnson understood what Fitz was saying and decided that she could open the portal with her powers.

As Morse prepared a probe to send into the void, Johnson used her power to activate it; Fitz, tied to a life line, entered instead. Watching Johnson straining and the life line falling apart, Coulson ordered the others to bring Fitz back and stop the voyage. Ultimately, Fitz returned, with Simmons.

Taking Simmons to a Medical Pod, Coulson and Morse determined through tests that she was not contagious and that she was normal after her experience. When Randolph asked Coulson what was Johnson, he told him that she was an Inhuman, something that Randolph had not heard for some time.

Compromising Solution
"You know, my agency exists because yours imploded." "But we came back, albeit with less real estate and a lower profile."

- Rosalind Price and Phil Coulson

Coulson had Alphonso Mackenzie put a Tracker on Lincoln Campbell. When Daisy Johnson came to him frantic about Campbell being chased by the Advanced Threat Containment Unit, he was not worried; he revealed that he had been tracking Campbell since he had left the hospital. He watched as Johnson called Campbell asking him to accept help from S.H.I.E.L.D.; Campbell did not, found his Tracker, and destroyed it.

Coulson grew tired of "good guys" fighting one another instead of their common foes, so he ordered Mackenzie to get the phone number of Rosalind Price so they could talk. Coulson accessed the line that Price used to talk to the President of the United States and requested a meeting. At the meeting place, Coulson admired Price's car; Price teased Coulson about his prosthetic hand. Coulson told Price that he knew that she was under pressure from the President to have results, but declaring Campbell an alien fugitive on national news reports was not a good idea. Coulson also knew that Price had something hidden or she would not have met him with such confidence. Price revealed that she knew that Johnson had powers, and, when the time was right, she would have her arrested. Coulson decided to strike a deal with Price; he would work with the ATCU as a consultant if Johnson was left alone.

Coulson returned to the Playground and told Mackenzie and Johnson about his compromise to protect Johnson. The phone rang; Price was calling to verify Coulson's number.

Divided Attention
Coulson was in a Quinjet with the original Alisha Whitley as her clone, Alphonso Mackenzie, and Daisy Johnson sought to recruit Shane and Lori Henson to the Caterpillars program. Coulson was getting real time information from Alisha about how the recruitment was going when suddenly the monstrous man appeared, attacked and killed the Hensons. Coulson ordered Johnson and Mackenzie to assist the clone as she fought the monster; Alisha lost control of her powers as her clone was killed.

Coulson called Rosalind Price and the Advanced Threat Containment Unit to support his S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as they pursued Lash; when the two groups ran into each other from opposite directions, Coulson was with the ATCU. Johnson asked Coulson why he was with them and he reminded her that they agreed to work together and share information. Johnson was angry, but Coulson had other concerns.

He had called Leo Fitz and Bobbi Morse to do forensics on the scene of the assassination and the samples were brought to the Playground. There Andrew Garner was evaluating Jemma Simmons and Alisha; after the interviews, Garner accused Coulson of hiding Inhumans from him to fast-track the "Secret Warriors" project. As they talked, Melinda May entered the facility. May and Coulson met and discussed that Lance Hunter had recruited her to assist him in his desire to get revenge on Grant Ward. Coulson wanted to know if his friend had left S.H.I.E.L.D. because he was working with Garner; May was more concerned that Hunter was involved in an uncontrollable situation. Coulson assured May that when he was needed, he would have a support team ready to assist her and Hunter. On a lighter note, May asked Coulson why he was not wearing a tie; he showed her his prosthetic hand and told her that he was still learning. Coulson sent an agent to tail Garner as added protection against Ward. Johnson had found that an e-mail virus was sent to the Hensons from Dwight Frye, a resident of Baltimore, Maryland, so Coulson called Price and the ATCU to meet him, Johnson, and Mackenzie at Frye's residence. During the initial interrogation of Frye, Frye started to act unruly so Coulson used his prosthetic hand to hold the man, threatening that he had a finger which could emit a laser. Price wondered if it was true, but Coulson would not verify.

He then abruptly left and returned to the Playground, but he permitted Johnson and Mackenzie to accompany Frye to the ATCU Facility to discover what will happen there to Frye. At the Playground, Coulson had Fitz prepare the Zephyr One to carry him and a support team to the location of Hunter and May to assist in their Attack on Grant Ward. When May asked for an estimated time of arrival, Coulson told her that he was twenty minutes away and suggested that they retreat. En route, a local convenience store exploded and Coulson had the plane diverted that location.

Visiting the Facility
"I need her to trust me today."

- Phil Coulson

Coulson retrieved Andrew Garner from an assassination attempt at a local convenience store and brought him to the Playground, where Garner was examined by a medic. Melinda May returned to the facility simultaneously after her Attack on Grant Ward; she could not believe that Garner was alive and wanted full disclosure on how he survived. Garner thanked Coulson for saving his life and told them a tale of how he escaped.

Deciding to allow medics to examine Garner, Coulson left the room to see May and Lance Hunter arguing. Coulson told Hunter that he was relieved of duty from the hunt for Grant Ward and made May the new officer-in-charge of that mission, as May declared that she was now back with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Coulson went to his office and listened to Daisy Johnson's disappointment in not seeing the ATCU Facility and her theory that Lash was a member of the ATCU. Coulson advised her to keep her research into Lash off the radar of Rosalind Price because he wanted her trust so he could see the facility. Johnson asked him if he and Price were getting close, but Coulson dismissed the idea.

To keep the Playground secret, Coulson had Price pick him up from a street corner. Suddenly, Price received a phone call stating that there was a break-in at her residence; she asked Coulson to allow her to attend to it without him, but he refused to leave her car, telling her that she was lying and trying to delay his visit to the facility. Price allowed him to accompany her. At her residence, Price introduced him to Officer Stuart, who asked if he could search her place to see if anything was missing. Price told Coulson that he could not, but he looked around anyway, noting that she owned many biographies of. He found that Price had expensive paintings and a baseball bat with many iconic autographs, but no evidence of theft. Price then brought in food from one of Coulson's favorite fast food restaurants. Coulson accused her of staging a break-in to garner sympathy from him and delay him from seeing the facility. Angered by his accusations, Price tossed the food into a waste basket and told Coulson to ride with her. Price took Coulson to Endotex Labs where they watched as an Inhuman was brought in to be locked away while in an induced coma. Price tried to justified this action. She told him that they were working on a cure and they will keep them in coma until they will find it. Coulson realized that Price had lost a person. She said that it was her husband who died from a cancer and explained that she wanted to help save these people pain like she wished she could have done for her husband. She then confessed to wanting Coulson to like her as he had predicted.

Confronting Lash
"We're old friends. That's why I'd prefer to see everyone walk out of here unharmed. But in case you got something else in mind, I'm not alone."

- Phil Coulson to Andrew Garner

As Coulson and Daisy Johnson were arguing Rosalind Price and the Advanced Threat Containment Unit intention to cure the Inhumans, he explained that he would meet with president Matthew Ellis about the Inhuman threat. He asked Johnson to talk with Price while they would head to the meeting on the Zephyr One. Andrew Garner went to do Joey Gutierrez's evaluation in the Cocoon. On Zephyr One, Price came on board and he told her that Johnson will show her around.

Coulson received a call, which informed him that Melinda May and Garner were missing. Price then helped him tie his tie, while he told her why he had a robotic hand. Suddenly, Johnson entered the room and informed him that Lincoln Campbell and Alphonso Mackenzie had docked on board. Campbell explained why he thinks Garner might be Lash, as he was the only person possessed Jiaying's book in which all the names Lash had killed. Coulson ordered to change direction to find him and May. Campbell also told them that Garner was in a change process becoming Lash forever. They located them in an abounded building in Culver University. With the help of the ATCU, they entered the building and readied the Containment Module. Coulson found the two and saw May tied up. He said to Garner that he didn't want to fight against him, but Garner defended his action and everything he had done against the Inhumans he had killed. Campbell then attacked him and Garner transformed into Lash and attacked him back. He gave May a key to release herself and went after them. He save Mackenzie from Lash and the ATCU soldiers shot him. Lash threw Price from a great high, and as Coulson screamed, Johnson used her powers to save her. May calmed Lash down and as he transformed back to Garner, May shot him to kill him, but he just felt into the Containment Module and passed out. After the fight, Coulson offered Campbell a position in S.H.I.E.L.D.. Garner was taken by the ATCU to find for him a cure and Price spoke to Coulson and offered to buy him a drink, which Coulson happily accepted. The next day, Coulson was in Price's home and she suggested that they go out and eat. Couslon agreed and the two kissed.

Operation Spotlight
"Today, we're launching Operation Spotlight. The objective... to peer into every shadowy corner of the ATCU."

- Phil Coulson

Coulson's team and Rosalind Price overlooked Lash's Containment Module being loaded onto a van ready to be transported to Endotex Labs. Coulson questioned if they were truly doing the right thing but Price insisted that they were as it meant Garner had a chance of being cured and remaining human, promising they would continue working on a cure. Coulson suggested that she visit the Playground to continue discussing the work. Later, Coulson was asked by Alphonso Mackenzie if he and Price were sleeping together, but Coulson refused to answer and told him that he wanted to trust her while the rest of them had to go behind her back. Coulson then summoned his agents and explained them Operation Spotlight, an infiltration mission to the base of the Advanced Threat Containment Unit and to uncover its secrets. Then he gave each team member his task in this mission. After the briefing, he asked Mackenzie if he had answered his concerns, but he replied that it had only raised new ones. After that, Coulson welcomed Price to the base and requested that they be able to scan her phone for any virus. Coulson realized that Price had brought her normal phone only and they continued to flirt and tease one another. The information in the phone was delivered to the team in Zephyr One. While being shown through the base's science lab, Coulson told Price about their team's breakthroughs in alien biology as well as robotics and prosthetics. As Price received a call, informing her that the Containment Module caused a security breach in the ATCU base, Coulson was asked by her if this was true, which Coulson revealed that it would indeed scan all networks it was near. She informed him that they would shut it down and Coulson said her that the two had to find other ways the flirt. Coulson continued his tour in his office and he showed her his collectible items he had acquired over the years. However, he was informed by Bobbi Morse, that the ATCU did not try to find a cure for the Inhumans, but they tried to make many Inhumans as they could. Coulson led Price to the containment room and as they entered the room, he locked them up inside it. At first believing it to be a flirtatious move, Price teased him, but Coulson remained serious and explained she would now have to convince him that she was not HYDRA, revealing that his team had infiltrated her base. Coulson tried over and over to get from her the truth, as she continued to reject his questions and accuse him for wanting to have with her meaningless sex only to get closer to her. Price confirmed that Andrew Garner was not being kept at Endotex Labs and Coulson revealed that he believed she was lying as only a HYDRA agent could know about T.A.H.I.T.I. and demanded she reveal her source. Price confessed she had fallen for him but claimed he was no longer human after being stabbed through the heart. When Coulson informed her his agents had learned the ATCU was not working on a cure, she questioned it, but Coulson did not listen to her, until she suddenly mentioned that Gideon Malick gave her all the updates from the science division, including the T.A.H.I.T.I. information, reviling that he was HYDRA. After Coulson understand his agents were in dangerous, he let Price ordered Luther Banks to evacuate Coulson's agents. Once the agents had been returned to the Playground, they gathered together and Price revealed how she had met Malick in 2001 and he had advised her in many key factors, starting when she was working for NASA. Having done further research into the subject, Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz revealed that they had discovered that a division of NASA was connected to an ancient HYDRA order obsessed with studying the Monolith for unknown reasons, showing them the HYDRA logo in ancient symbols.

Losing Rosalind
"Want to take me out? Come and get me. We'll settle this right now." "I have people who take care of that sort of thing for me now. No, I just wanted to hear the panic in your voice before you died. This isn't over."

- Phil Coulson and Grant Ward

Coulson and Rosalind Price had dinner together at her apartment. Coulson lighted candles while Price brought in their meal: takeout burgers. The two sat down and began to eat, with Price telling Coulson about her plans for the next day, including returning to her job in the Advanced Threat Containment Unit. Coulson asked if that was the best idea, and Price reassured him that she would be fine as she felt confident in the ATCU and would not be suspected.

Coulson heard a sharp sound and looked over to Price's window, which had been broken by a bullet. Looking back at Price, Coulson saw with shock that blood was seeping from a wound in her neck. Coulson dragged Price from her chair and laid her on the ground, begging her to stay with him; however, Price lost too much blood and died, leaving Coulson shocked and broken.

As he struggled to grasp what had happened, a phone rang. Coulson picked up to hear Grant Ward mocking him for experiencing what Ward himself had felt when Kara Palemas was shot. Ward warned Coulson that he had sent men to kill him and hung up. Coulson had just enough time to call for extraction and hide behind a wall when two men entered the apartment. Coulson shot the two and quickly rigged an explosive to serve as a distraction. The distraction worked and Coulson brought down three more agents, leaving the apartment and jumping out a window. Evading more men outside, Coulson found shelter and exchanged gunfire with the agents until Alphonso Mackenzie arrived and extracted him. On the return to the Playground, Mackenzie asked Coulson about Price, but Coulson told Mackenzie to just drive.

Revenge Mission
"I figured out a way to track down Ward, but we got to go off book." "My specialty." "I'm not sure taking Hunter is really such a good idea." "You're going, too, Agent Morse. We need a pilot."

- Phil Coulson, Lance Hunter and Bobbi Morse

At the Playground, Coulson told Alphonso Mackenzie to ready the interrogation room and went to his office without saying anything more. Standing in the room, he looked down at his bloodstained shirt before tearing it off and throwing items around his office. Eventually, he calmed down and returned to his team, proceeding to interrogate each member of his original team in an attempt to find anything about Grant Ward he could use against him. Talking to each of the remaining agents, Coulson pieced together that Ward loved his younger brother, Thomas, and that it could be a weak spot to exploit.

Coulson returned to his office and began collecting files. Mackenzie asked him what he was going to do, and Coulson replied that he was about to cross lines the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. should not cross. Coulson made Mackenzie the Acting Director until he returned from his mission.

Finding Lance Hunter with Bobbi Morse, Coulson ignored Hunter's condolences, grabbing him by the throat and pushing him against the wall. While Morse asked him to calm down, Coulson blasted Hunter for not killing Ward when he had the chance. When Hunter apologized and swore he would do anything to try again, Coulson released him and informed him that he and Morse would be joining his mission. On the Quinjet, Coulson told Hunter and Morse that their target was Ward's younger brother Thomas. Hunter came up with a plan to rob the jewelry store where Thomas worked and kidnap him. As they flew, Coulson received a call from Mackenzie informing him that HYDRA had kidnapped Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons. Coulson threw the phone into the wall and continued his mission. Entering the jewelry store, Coulson and Hunter successfully retrieved Thomas, and returned to the Quinjet. Coulson called Ward and informed him that he had Thomas, showing him a video feed of Hunter holding a gun to Thomas' head. Once Ward had seen his brother, Coulson terminated the call, trying to make Ward dependent on him. Coulson realized that he needed time to track Ward's location, and Thomas offered to talk to his brother long enough to trace the location. Within minutes, Ward called back and Coulson let him talk to Thomas until Morse retrieved his location. Coulson warned Ward that they were coming and hung up. Dropping off Thomas, the Quinjet continued on to the HYDRA base.

Once over the castle, Coulson watched the thermal scans of everyone in the base, noting that HYDRA had opened the portal and that Ward was one of the people entering it. Coulson began putting on a parachute; though Morse tried to talk him out of jumping, Coulson ignored her and leapt from the Quinjet, falling straight through the opened portal and through to the alien planet.

Battle on Maveth
"How many people? The lives you've taken! It's over, Ward."

- Phil Coulson to Grant Ward

Upon impact with the planet, Coulson was knocked unconscious. While he lay there, he dreamed of Rosalind Price, who told him to wake up as his team still needed him. Coulson awoke and began his trek in search of Grant Ward and Leo Fitz. Eventually Coulson spotted tracks and followed them until he found Ward and two guards. Killing the two guards, Coulson wounded Ward and handcuffed him, with Ward warning that he was the only one who knew where to return home, and that Fitz was also on the planet. Coulson continued to the exit portal with the prisoner Ward as guide.

As they walked, Ward confided that being on the planet had helped him find his true purpose, allowing him to accept that he was a part of a grand plan where as he had previously looked for father figures in HYDRA and John Garrett. Coulson listened with distaste as Ward told him that he had realized his obsessions over revenge were insignificant, and that he was a part of something bigger. In response, Coulson wounded Ward again, telling him that he had no idea what he meant and the pair of them continued on through the desert. The two reached the exit point, where Coulson saw Fitz being attacked by Hive. Coulson shot at the man, saving Fitz, but in doing so gave Ward the opportunity to free himself and attack Coulson. However, since Ward was wounded and weak, Coulson overpowered him and beat him, reminding Ward of all the lives he had taken. As Coulson fought, Fitz warned him that the portal home was closing; still thinking of all the people Ward had murdered, including Rosalind Price, Coulson made the decision to kill Ward and slowly crushed his ribcage until he stopped breathing. Immediately horrified by what he had just done, Coulson removed his robotic hand and left it next to Ward's corpse. Leaving the body, Coulson returned home through the portal. Coulson and Fitz barely made it through the portal before it collapsed, successfully reaching the Containment Module before the HYDRA Castle was destroyed. They returned to Zephyr One with Alphonso Mackenzie and Daisy Johnson and were greeted with joy. While the group were reunited with each other and celebrated their victory over HYDRA, Coulson embraced Melinda May while sharing a look with Fitz, knowing Fitz had watched him murder Ward in cold blood and leave his body to rot on the planet.

Meeting the President
"So we're your black-ops response." "Isn't black ops where you feel most comfortable?" "I certainly prefer it to bureaucracy."

- Phil Coulson and Matthew Ellis

President Matthew Ellis wanted to meet Coulson. Coulson, not willing to revel the location of the Playground, set the meeting in Rosalind Price's home. Coulson was accompanied by Melinda May in the meeting. Ellis then entered the apartment and the two started to talk on the Inhumans issue. Ellis thanked Coulson for his actions to solve that problem. Coulson asked if he legalized S.H.I.E.L.D., and Ellis responded that they would continue their work while the Advanced Threat Containment Unit would serve as their public face. Ellis promised to appoint a new head for the ATCU, that would answer to Coulson. Before Ellis exited, Coulson asked him about Gideon Malick, but Ellis said he could not help him to catch, because Malick was too powerful. May then said to him that she was sorry that Ellis had given him nothing, but Coulson said that he might had. Sometimes later, Coulson asked Leo Fitz about his opinion on Lincoln Campbell, to which Fitz responded that he was helpful to them understanding the Inhumans' biology. Coulson then ordered him to turn on the Theta Brain-Wave Frequency Machine. At first, Fitz refused, but Coulson said that he would not use it, but Werner von Strucker, who was still in a coma. Von Strucker was put in the machine and Coulson asked him about Malick, but he only said "just kill me". He asked Campbell to use his powers and draw him out from his memories. After he did that, Coulson asked him again about Malick, and von Strucker gave him the information how to communicate with him. Coulson went to a remote location, when he managed to get in a make a call to Malick. He had May to trace everywhere the line connected. Malick answered and Coulson mocked him, noting that since the Attack on the HYDRA Castle Malick had lost his Inhumans and had been forced into hiding. Malick remained confident however and assured him that his influence was stronger than Coulson understood. Afterward, Coulson tried on the new robotic hand, which looked human, that Fitz had built for him. May comforted him about what had happened in Maveth. Coulson then said that Malick still collected Inhumans for unknown reason. Later, Ellis called Coulson, informing him that he appointed Glenn Talbot to the new head of the ATCU. Coulson was not thrilled about the idea.

Working With Glenn Talbot
"You know I'm technically your boss now, right? But I'd prefer to be partners."

- Phil Coulson to Glenn Talbot

Coulson tried to call Glenn Talbot, but he didn't return his calls. So he met Talbot in the airport after his wife had left. Coulson said that he preferred they would work as partners, but Talbot rejected the idea. Coulson told him that they should prepare for the Symposium on Alien Contagion about the Inhumans. On their way to Talbot's car, Coulson revealed that he would try to find out which country possessed Inhumans during the symposium. He also wanted to know which one of the delegates was working for Gideon Malick. In the parking, Melinda May and Lincoln Campbell warned him that someone was was coming to their direction. Coulson saw that it was Carl Creel. May and Campbell defeated him and but the he almost killed him. Coulson ordered him to stop using his powers. Talbot then got out of his car and said that Creel was his bodyguard. At Coulson office, Talbot demanded Creel would be joined to the mission. Coulson's agents refused, claiming he couldn't be trusted. Coulson knew the head of the ATCU must be present at the symposium, so he agreed to Talbot's demand. He then explained that Inhumans weren't welcomed to the symposium, and they couldn't bring weapons. On the Zephyr One, Coulson explained to May, Lance Hunter and Bobbi Morse that their mission was to enter the delegates' rooms, find clues of foreign Inhumans and uncover Malick's inside man. During the symposium reception, Coulson introduced himself as an expert on Inhumans. Using his Prosthetic Hand, he shook the delegates's hands to copy their fingerprints for May, Hunter and Morse. Talbot suspected everyone for working with Malick. Coulson, Talbot and the delegates gathered in the meeting room and Talbot gave a brief opening statement. The conversation quickly turned to Inhumans, with Coulson attempting to convince the group that they were only seeking peace. While Haruto Yakimura remained skeptical, Anton Petrov suggested that Russia was willing to make themselves a sanctuary state for the Inhumans. Nathi Zuma agreed with Petrov and called for a vote. Talbot and Coulson briefly discussed what their options were. Moments before Chen called for the vote, Talbot interrupted her and called the guards in, announcing that there was a traitor in the room, accusing Coulson and showing the room how Coulson had been spying on them all and was not Sean Lundwall as he claimed to be. Malick then entered the room and accused Coulson of being the Director of HYDRA. Coulson then realized that Talbot was the traitor. Malick used images of Lash's victims to accuse Coulson of wanting to exterminate Inhumans. The guards took Coulson while he asked Talbot what Malick had done to him.

Coulson was brought to the basement and the guards removed his robotic hand. Malick and Talbot entered and the latest begged that his son would return to him. Coulson cursed Malick for his extortion so the guards punched him in the stomach. However Malick refused to complete the deal on his end and instead locked Talbot in a cage beside Coulson, handcuffing them to each other. When Coulson questioned his motives for what he was doing, Malick explained that he was building an army. Coulson said that another army would face against him and Malick left the room, ordering his men to execute the pair of them. While waiting for their deaths, Talbot joked that he prefer Coulson die first so he could be left in peace at last, but when Coulson questioned why he remained confident, Talbot explained that he had a man on the inside. At that moment Creel burst into the room and defeated the guards, explaining that he and Hunter had found Talbot's son. When another guard burst in, Talbot and Coulson were forced to run while still handcuffed, with Talbot grabbing Coulson's Prosthetic Hand on the way. Creel then released them and Coulson ordered Morse and Hunter to get on Malick's plane to truck his location. May then told him that she found Talbot's son. Coulson, Talbot and Creel entered the truck which Talbot's son was inside.

Back on Zephyr One, Talbot sat beside his sleeping son as he slowly recovered from his ordeal. Coulson stood by and commented on how happy his wife would be now that he had fixed the situation. They briefly discussed their partnership and when Coulson casually called him General, Talbot told him to call him Glenn, although he noted this would only be occasionally. Coulson then expressed his concerns to May, that perhaps Malick was reporting to someone or something else.

Mission in Russia
"I would like to thank you both for your bravery and for the sacrifice you made, giving up your vacation. Whether anyone will ever admit it or not, you saved the Prime Minister's life, and, doubly fortunate for him, managed to wipe out his entire opposition. They're all dead now, so well done."

- Phil Coulson to Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter

Coulson asked Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter if they were listening, but they said they couldn't speak, since they were inside Gideon Malick's plane. Coulson followed Morse and Hunter to Russia, overseeing their actions from Zephyr One. On Zephyr One, Coulson listened in as Malick held a meeting with Russian leaders, discussing the Inhumans and the proposed sanctuary. Coulson and the team learned that the Russian minister of defense, General Androvich, was an Inhuman, and Coulson realized that Malick planned to use the minister to stage a coup and kill the prime minister of Russia, who did not support the sanctuary.

Coulson ordered his team on the ground to rescue the prime minister before he was killed. However, to do so, Morse killed Androvich and was captured along with Hunter, forcing Coulson to find a plan to rescue them from prison, knowing that if Russia knew S.H.I.E.L.D. still existed and was working with the United States of America, it could be viewed as an act of war. Coulson, along with President Matthew Ellis, visited the prison where Morse and Hunter were being held.

Posing as an advisor to the Advanced Threat Containment Unit, Coulson was granted permission to speak with Morse and Hunter. Shorting out the prison's video system, Coulson told the two that he would set off an EMP allowing them the pair to escape. However, Morse and Hunter refused to run, stating that to protect S.H.I.E.L.D. and the United States, they would allow themselves to be disowned. Though deeply saddened, Coulson allowed Morse and Hunter to make the choice and left the room, negotiating their release in return for them never being agents again. Later, Coulson, along with Daisy Johnson, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, Melinda May, and Alphonso Mackenzie all visited a bar where Morse and Hunter were. Without directly contacting them, Coulson and the others all ordered shots for the two, saying goodbye in the only way they could. Coulson was the last to leave, and took one last look at the pair before departing.

Testing Lincoln Campbell
"You did it right. Offered a dissenting opinion, but when the time came, you did what I asked. Well, a slightly less lethal version. Well-done."

- Phil Coulson to Lincoln Campbell

Following the Attack on the ATCU Headquarters by the Watchdogs, Coulson called Alphonso Mackenzie and ordered him to check the scene. As he accompanied Daisy Johnson and Leo Fitz to Zephyr One, Lincoln Campbell returned fro, his evaluation at the Cocoon. Coulson told them that he had received Campbell's evaluation and had decided not to take him on Johnson's mission, despite Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter now having left the team, but did not explain why. Johnson then called Coulson and informed him that the Watchdogs used Nitramene to collapse the building. Coulson remembered that the former agent Felix Blake had always wanted to improve its formula.

Campbell later found Coulson walking around the Playground looking for him; Coulson told Campbell that he was going on a mission to find Blake, Coulson explained that he knew where Blake's safe-houses were and he wanted Campbell to join him on the mission to find him. At first Campbell was pleased that Coulson was inviting him on missions but Coulson explained that he was not happy with Campbell's evaluation but wanted to watch him first hand.

As they rode in the Quinjet to Blake's possible location, Campbell asked Coulson about his evaluation and was told how it read that Campbell was there for Johnson not the cause and how he had trouble with control and taking orders, which had been proved in his battles with Lash and Carl Creel and therefore was not a part of their team. Campbell argued that it was not easy as he felt he was being constantly tested but Coulson insisted that he was the only team member who still needed to be fully checked over.

They eventually arrived at Blake's safe-house which they found to be in darkness, so they began exploring with their weapons drawn ready for a fight. Coulson received from Johnson Blake's location, so he ordered her not to attack. Surprisingly, they soon found Blake in the basement, who drew a gun on the pair as Coulson noted how well he had recovered since his encounter with Deathlok. As Coulson told Blake how he was working for the ATCU now, Blake began ranting about how there had never been a S.H.I.E.L.D., just HYDRA and how S.H.I.E.L.D. was now working with Inhumans, whom he called freaks. Coulson suspected that Blake was not actually there. Blake commented on how S.H.I.E.L.D. caused the Battle of New York while the Avengers created Ultron. Coulson ordered Campbell to kill Blake, although he tried to argue against the idea, but Coulson insisted it was an order. Campbell fired a blast of electricity at Blake only to learn it was merely a hologram, just as Coulson suspected. Coulson said he was impressed by how Campbell had handled the situation so effectively and they later learned that the Watchdogs were coming after Johnson and Mackenzie.

Later, Johnson informed Coulson that Gideon Malick supported the Watchdogs with weaponry.

Preparing for the Future
"Wish we could practice every moment of our life like this."

- Phil Coulson

While riding in Zephyr One a call came through in which Edwin Abbott desperately called for Daisy Johnson's help. Coulson and his team went to investigate as Abbott desperately tried to explain that he had seen these events already happening in a vision of his own death given to him by Charles Hinton. They were suddenly attacked by HYDRA who killed Abbott and used the Extraction Claw to kidnap Hinton just as he gave Johnson her own vision.

The team returned to the Playground where Johnson explained her vision, telling that she had seen Coulson shooting her. They began discussing how they could try and get ahead of the vision and change the future, but Leo Fitz insisted that it was a fixed point in time which could not be altered no matter what they did. Coulson suggested that they ensure that Johnson would not leave the Playground in order to change the course of the future. Instead, Coulson suggested Melinda May would go to save Hinton. Coulson discussed the matter with Lincoln Campbell inside his office where Coulson used the example of as a confusing depiction of time-travel, when Campbell admitted never having seen the original film Coulson joked that he was fired. Campbell suggested that Hinton's visions were a part of his design as all Inhumans' powers where created to fill a need, using the example of how Raina's vision allowed Johnson to stop Jiaying. They soon found Hinton's family and Campbell threatened that he would kill Coulson if he harmed Johnson. Coulson then joined the team as they were training May to ensure Melinda May would undergo her mission as fast as possible in order to change the vision's outcome. After the first round, Coulson said he wished they could practice for every battle like that. May eventually managed to beat the time limit. Agent Anderson entered the room and said to Coulson they had found the building where Hinton was held. Couslon said he heard before on Transia Corporation, so Fitz said he had used its technology for his prosthetic hand. Coulson gave May his orders for the mission when suddenly the alarms in the base went off, telling them that there was an intruder. Andrew Garner was brought into the base and explained that Lash was taking over and he wanted to say goodbye to May. Coulson urged May to stay with Garner since she would not see him again. May disagreed, claiming Garner was a killer, so Johnson said she would go. At first Coulson disagreed, but Johnson explained she was their best agent who could save Hilton, and Coulson could stay in the base to change the outcome. Coulson agreed and accompanied her to a Quinjet. He asked her to go back safe and accidentally called her "Skye".

Battle at the Transia Corporation Building
"Wait. What are you gonna do?" "Find Grant Ward. Yeah. Day got weirder."

- Daisy Johnson and Phil Coulson

In Coulson's office, he, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons and Lincoln Campbell watched as they managed to hack into the Transia Corporation's CCTV feed. As they spotted Giyera on the feed Coulson and Campbell discussed his higher purpose theories, but stopped suddenly when the video seemed to show Grant Ward in the building, while Fitz claimed it was likely to be Hive. They hurried to the building to help Daisy Johnson and find Ward. Coulson saved Johnson by shooting a one-way mirror at a HYDRA guard. He ordered her to go to the roof tho rescue Charles Hinton from there. As she asked him what he was going to do, Coulson replied that he would find Ward, to Johnson's surprise. Campbell found Coulson and he ordered him to find Ward while he went to Gideon Malick. Coulson entered an office and Campbell said he saw Ward. Coulson, watching in horror at charred skeletons, ordered Campbell not attacking him.

Compunction
"It was payback. That's not what we do here." "What was the alternative? Letting him live, letting him win?" "Don't you see? When I killed him, he did. I knew it would come back to haunt me, I just didn't think it would actually come back to haunt me."

- Phil Coulson and Leo Fitz

Coulson was in his office, staring furiously at a screenshot of Hive. Melinda May entered and asked him what was Hive, so Coulson replied that the lab was working to find an answer. He gave his condolences on Andrew Garner, but May said she did not want to talk about it. She reminded him he did not have a lot of kills like in Ward's case, especially those he enjoyed. Coulson said he had a feeling they fixed problems they had created. The team then had a meeting in Coulson's office. They discussed how the being they had encountered was not Grant Ward, and set up a plan to defeat Hive. They planed to go to GT Agrochemical facility which had been raided by HYDRA. Coulson asked what was their advantage, so Alphonso Mackenzie answered that they were not afraid.

On Zephyr One, Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz explained to Coulson that Hive had created small organisms which had consumed the victims' flesh. Simmons theorized that the organisms also been used to reanimate dead flesh. Coulson looked at her shocked so Simmons explained she could not believe Hive was on Earth. Mackenzie approached Coulson and showed him a screenshot of Giyera in the facility. Coulson explained to the team that they needed to take Giyera with them, even though Giyera was also dangerous without his powers. Coulson, May and Mackenzie entered the facility and went to the research room. They noticed that the equipment had been taken and the rest had been destroyed. Coulson examined a dead bug and Mackenzie told him that the data of the facility had been moved. An agent informed Coulson that Giyera was in the move. Coulson shot two HYDRA agents before Giyera noticed him. Coulson ran to an empty room and got out, with Giyera trapped inside it with May. May managed to knock him out and they put him in the Containment Module in Zephyr One.

Fitz told him that the facility's data had been moved to an oil field in Schoonebeek. Coulson noticed that some object were flying, so he hurried the agents to get out from the Module before he closed it. Coulson asked Simmons for the reason Hive had destroyed the researches in the facility, so Simmons said either he wanted to use them, or he was afraid of them. Coulson then asked what was Hive, so Simmons said she was thinking the little organisms were Hive itself. Coulson realized Hive was a parasite which possessed the memories of its host.

Coulson was upset and remembered how he had killed Ward. Fitz asked him if he was fine, so Coulson realized he bent a pipeline with his robotic hand. Coulson explained that in contrast to the justified act against Hive Fitz had done on Maveth, he should not had kill Ward. Fitz tried to conform him by saying Ward had to die, but Coulson said that now he Ward was basically after him. Giyera then escaped the Module, so Coulson tired to stop him. Giyera however used his power to block Coulson's robotic hand and knocked him out. Giyera landed Zephyr One in the oil field.

Personality
"I'm not Fury."

- Phil Coulson to Bobbi Morse

Agent Coulson has many different aspects to his personality. He will often be serious and even threatening when a situation calls for it, shown prominently in the fight against HYDRA. He was harsh to Thomas Nash while he was still believed to be the Clairvoyant, even telling the man to go to Hell. He is also practical, calmly facing the difficult truth that he was going insane from Project T.A.H.I.T.I.. He will put others' needs before his own, illustrated when he was determined to keep Audrey Nathan from knowing of his existence, as he wanted to allow her to heal from her grief. For the greater good, Coulson will put himself through much suffering, as he put himself back into the Theta Brain-Wave Frequency Machine to dig up necessary information. "If you try to escape, or play any games, I will taze you and watch Supernanny while you drool into the carpet."

- Phil Coulson

Coulson also has a humorous side, often displayed in the form of witty or sarcastic comments, especially when hanging around the few people he fully trusts, such as when he and Melinda May went undercover as a married couple. He can be carefree when off-duty, such as when bonding with the members of his team following a successful mission and Leo Fitz fell for a prank. He is also caring, treating his team as family, and protecting them at all costs. While sometimes he presents bad news gently, he knows when it is necessary to present it bluntly. An example of this is when he told Melinda May that she would need to put him down if he went insane. On the other side, Coulson can be quite giddy on occasion, as when he finally met Captain America after being a fan his whole life. He became nervous, and was quite awkward during the meeting.

Coulson has also displayed great interpersonal skills, being able to handle Tony Stark and make him join the Avengers Initiative when S.H.I.E.L.D. needed him most, to recruit Skye from being an anti-S.H.I.E.L.D. "hacktivist" and transform her into a loyal field agent, and calm down emotionally unstable Michael Peterson due to the effects of the Extremis in his body.

However, after the events that caused Coulson to lose his hand, as well as to lose Rosalind Price, he has begun to demonstrate a colder and ruthless side, as shown when he chose to kill Grant Ward in cold blood, while Ward was handcuffed and defenseless.

Powers

 * Enhanced Strength: Coulson's cybernetic hand gives him some degree of enhanced strength. He was able to keep Lash, an Inhuman with great physical strength, from killing Alphonso Mackenzie by gripping his arm, and also to kill Grant Ward by crushing his chest.

Abilities
"That wasn't an accident. Coulson's too smart for that. He sent for us."
 * Expert Martial Artist: Coulson is highly trained in multiple martial arts and hand-to-hand combat styles, taking on a highly-trained specialist as Grant Ward, easily holding his own against a brainwashed Agent 33 and even fighting Calvin Zabo, a man with enhanced strength, on equal terms. He easily subdued Sebastian Derik, a highly trained assassin, even after having being tortured by him, and handled himself against Alphonso Mackenzie, who had gained strength from being under the control of the Kree City.
 * Expert Marksman: Coulson is skilled in use of military assault weapons as well as edged weapons. He has wielded a variety of weapons in his missions, including experimental weapons. Coulson1.jpg
 * Expert Spy: Coulson is an expert at intelligence and espionage. He could tell what the man controlling Akela Amador looked like just by her description of how he typed. He has maintained very good covers on multiple occasions including when pursuing Ian Quinn on a train, at Cybertek's offices, and at Gabriel Soto's party in Miami, where he, along with Melinda May, were able to locate all the security cameras.
 * Multilingualism: Coulson is fluent in English and Spanish, though claiming he is only able to speak "vacation Spanish". Coulson used this skill in multiple missions, especially in Peru, where he had been stationed in 2002.

- Bobbi Morse to Robert Gonzales


 * Master Tactician: An accomplished logistics specialist, Coulson assesses tactical situations and implements equipment and personnel as needed. He is also very proficient at designing ops. He is also a recognized expert on analysis, being able to run possible scenarios for any given information, and quickly recognize the probable one, such when deducing the Clairvoyant was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, or the reason why Skye accompanied Grant Ward out of Providence despite knowing he was a HYDRA operative. He also excels at tracking fugitives, being able to locate Grant Ward in Tijuana while he was running from justice. Once he become the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Coulson was able to develop plans and strategies that gave severe blows to HYDRA and to end the threat posed by Jiaying and her community of Inhumans intending to develop an open war against S.H.I.E.L.D.
 * Expert Interrogator: Coulson is an expert in interrogations, knowing how to gather intelligence from rather small bits of information. While talking to Erik Selvig, Coulson knew that he was lying about the true identity of "Donald Blake". He had figured out that Elliot Randolph was an Asgardian based on how he interrogated Thor. During an interrogation of Glenn Talbot, Coulson knew what to say to get the emotional reaction he wanted to glean Talbot's fingerprints. Coulson interviewed each remaining member of his team to learn that Grant Ward loved his brother Thomas.

Equipment
"With all the high-tech gadgets and gizmos at our disposal, it's easy to forget about the simple tools of the past."

- Phil Coulson

Weapons

 * : The Smith & Wesson M&P pistol is the standard sidearm carried by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and as such, Coulson uses it to threat or shoot most of his enemies.
 * : Coulson has used the compact version of the Smith & Wesson M&P pistol in some missions that required high mobility, such as the infiltration into the Guest House to quickly obtain medical assistance for Skye, being involved in a shootout with the security guards of the base.
 * : The Glock 17 was the standard sidearm used by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, before being replaced by the Smith & Wesson M&P. As such, Coulson and a team of agents carried those weapons when they tried to capture Obadiah Stane, raiding Stark Industries sector 16, and when Coulson prevented a theft in a gas station in New Mexico.
 * : Coulson obtained Luther Banks' handgun when he was tied up by the ATCU during his attempt to ambush Rosalind Price. He removed his prosthetic hand and knocked Banks over, taking his gun and pointing at all the ATCU operatives inside the train while Lance Hunter summoned a Containment Module in order to escape.
 * : The standard side-arm used by HYDRA operatives after its apparent demise and under Gideon Malick's leadership. Coulson took one of these weapons from one of the men sent to finish him off when Rosalind Price was killed. He managed to use it to defend himself and kill many of the operatives that attacked him, until Alphonso Mackenzie successfully extracted him.
 * : Coulson and Lance Hunter took these shotguns to stage a jewel store robbery, while their main purpose was to kidnap Thomas Ward in a way that made him fear for his life. That way, Coulson and Hunter would make Grant Ward reckless and successfully locate her and get revenge for what he did to Rosalind Price and Bobbi Morse, respectively.
 * : The standard weapon used by S.H.I.E.L.D. Strike team members, that Coulson also used while tracking Deathlok and the Clairvoyant in Florida, and during his attempt to defend Providence base from intruders.
 * : The IWI Tavor TAR-21 was the standard weapon carried by tactical agents of the S.H.I.E.L.D. faction led by Robert Gonzales, and it became the main weapon of all tactical agents when that faction reunited with the one led by Phil Coulson. Coulson took one of these weapons when he dressed as the tactical agents that were sent by Gonzales to trap him and Lance Hunter at the Retreat. Hunter tried to convince him that they should have used them instead in order to escape, not knowing that Coulson had another plan in mind.
 * Thunderstick: Coulson was forced to use this device to defeat John Garrett, who had just revealed his true allegiance to HYDRA and his identity as the Clairvoyant. Coulson fought Garrett at the Hub, and finally defeated him by stunning him with the Thunderstick.
 * Night-Night Pistol: Sometimes Coulson needs to apply non-lethal force to subdue a target without permanent harm, favoring the use of the Night-Night Pistol designed by Agents Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons. This weapon allows to render the target unconscious to be safely captured, such as when he captured Akela Amador while she was fighting against Agent Melinda May.
 * I.C.E.R. (Pistol Version): After Agent Leo Fitz improved the technology of the Night-Night Gun, Coulson changed the now obsolete weapon and favored the use of the pistol version of the I.C.E.R.s. He used one of these in a gunfight against some men enthralled by the Asgardian Lorelei, to take them out without having to kill them.
 * Destroyer Armor Prototype Gun: When Loki escaped confinement aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Coulson retrieved the Destroyer Gun from secure storage. He confronted Loki, pointing the gun at him, and although he was stabbed from behind, Coulson managed to fire off one powerful shot that severely hurt Loki, but did not prevent him from escaping the Helicarrier. He used the weapon again during the Battle at Cybertek, where he managed to use it to easily defeat a whole squad of enhanced Centipede Soldiers.
 * Peruvian 0-8-4: Coulson retrieved the Peruvian 0-8-4 from the Cybertek Manufacturing Facility, and used it to obliterate John Garrett and prevent him from reanimating again after having been killed once by Deathlok.

Other Equipment

 * Bulletproof Vest: Although Coulson's role as a field agent is not focused into combat operations, whenever he feels hostilities may arise during a mission, he wears a bulletproof vest under his jacket, able to withstand ballistic impact from many calibers.
 * Pick-Lock Device: One of Coulson's favorite gadgets, a little explosive used whenever he has to infiltrate a compound and finds closed doors too difficult to hack immediately.
 * Flash Bomb: Coulson used a Flash Bomb during the shootout at the Guest House, using to blind one of the security guards shooting at them and let Grant Ward have a clear shot of him.
 * QNB-T16 Truth Serum: A seemingly powerful truth drug that Coulson used on Grant Ward to earn Skye's trust. However, Ward later told Skye that it was uneffective, and he told her a few minor secrets in order to make her cooperate.
 * Cigarette Laser: Coulson took the Cigarette Laser from Antoine Triplett's Howling Commando Gear, during his mission to infiltrate Cybertek Corporate Headquarters. He used it to open a secure door inside the building and access the files about Project Deathlok housed in the room.
 * Overkill Device: Coulson himself, despite his new position as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., went to confront Carl Creel in person using an Overkill Device that, according to Leo Fitz, would disrupt Creel's powers and allow to defeat him. Coulson ambushed Creel while he was busy attacking Lance Hunter, and stabbed Creel with the device, disrupting his body so much that he was petrified in the same way that the victims who touched the Obelisk.
 * Toolbox: A gift from Nick Fury, containing all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files, including many that were only previously known by Director Fury himself. Coulson found the coordinates of the Playground in order to serve as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new headquarters, and he continued to analyze it whenever he needed information that did not appear anywhere else.
 * Prosthetic Left Hand: After the amputation of his left hand, Leo Fitz built over three cybernetic replacements for him. Coulson had trouble adjusting to the prosthetic hand, and stated that "nothing feels normal".

Hobbies
Coulson is an avid connoisseur and collector of antiques and memorabilia, particularly in regard to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the history of espionage, knowing in detail the original specifications of such items as Elliot Randolph's Waterfield 44 pen or Antoine Triplett's Howling Commando Gear inherited from his grandfather.

Notable items in Coulson's collection have at one point included all of the following--
 * Lola: The jewel of Coulson's collection, Lola is a vintage 1962 Corvette with modifications based on designs and technologies created by Howard Stark, including flight capability (VTOL).
 * Captain America Card Collection: A complete set of vintage Captain America trading cards from the World War II era.
 * Walkie-Talkie Wristwatch: An original walkie-talkie wristwatch made in Poland in 1936. There were fewer than 20 ever made.
 * : A prototype handgun that uses two 7-round 9mm barrels and two 3-round 15mm barrels for non-lethal ammunition.
 * : A subminiature camera developed before World War II and favoured by intelligence agencies due to its small size and macro focusing ability.
 * CXD 23 Airborne Mobile Command Station Scale Model: A scale model of The Bus rested in Coulson's desk in his office of the plane, and was moved to his new office in the Playground.
 * 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Scale Model: A scale model of Lola rests in Coulson's office in the Playground.
 * Captain America's USO Poster: A promotional poster edited during World War II by the, displaying the motto "Trust Cap to lead the way".
 * Alphonso Mackenzie's : An emergency handaxe that Alphonso Mackenzie used as a weapon when a group of Inhumans led by Jiaying attacked the Iliad, that Mackenzie had to use to cut Coulson's hand when he prevented a Terrigen Crystal from breaking, and his hand began to turn into stone. Coulson hung the axe in his office, as both a memento and a reminder.
 * Platinum Tie-clip Camera: A tie-clip used as a camera.
 * S.H.I.L.E.D. Pin: The personal pin of Peggy Carter, with the symbol of S.H.I.E.L.D. on it.

Family

 * Robert Coulson † - Father
 * Julie Coulson † - Mother

Allies

 * S.H.I.E.L.D. (First Incarnation) (Former Relationships)
 * Nick Fury - Director and Friend
 * Maria Hill - Deputy Director and Friend
 * Victoria Hand † - Colleague
 * Felix Blake - Colleague and Friend
 * Streiten - Lifesaving Doctor
 * Goodman - Lifesaving Doctor
 * Eric Koenig † - Colleague
 * Robert Gonzales † - Colleague
 * Garrett's Team
 * John Garrett † - Colleague and Friend
 * Antoine Triplett † - Subordinate
 * Coulson's Team - Subordinates
 * Melinda May - Friend
 * Jemma Simmons
 * Leo Fitz
 * Skye - Friend
 * Project T.A.H.I.T.I.
 * Hank Thompson - Patient
 * Janice Robbins † - Patient
 * Lewis Seaver † - Patient
 * Unnamed T.A.H.I.T.I. Patient † - Patient
 * Unnamed T.A.H.I.T.I. Patient † - Patient
 * S.H.I.E.L.D. (Second Incarnation)
 * Jeffrey Mace - Director
 * Melinda May - Colleague, Friend and Former Subordinate
 * Leo Fitz - Colleague, Friend and Former Subordinate
 * Jemma Simmons - Colleague, Friend and Former Subordinate
 * Daisy Johnson - Colleague, Friend and Former Subordinate
 * Antoine Triplett † - Subordinate
 * Billy Koenig - Former Subordinate
 * Sam Koenig - Former Subordinate
 * Isabelle Hartley † - Subordinate
 * Idaho † - Subordinate
 * Nick Fury - Adviser and Friend
 * Noelle Walters † - Subordinate
 * Alphonso Mackenzie - Colleague, Friend and Former Subordinate
 * Mike Peterson/Deathlok - Ally turned Enemy (while under HYDRA coercion), now Former Subordinate
 * Robert Gonzales † - Former Enemy turned Adviser
 * Anne Weaver - Former Enemy turned Adviser
 * Oliver † - Former Enemy turned Adviser
 * S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent † - Subordinate
 * Anderson - Colleague and Former Subordinate
 * O'Brien - Subordinate
 * Davis - Colleague
 * Nathanson † - Colleague
 * Cecilio - Colleague
 * Burrows † - Colleague
 * Flynn - Colleague
 * Navarro - Colleague
 * McCafferty † - Colleague
 * Secret Warriors - Subordinates
 * Lincoln Campbell †
 * Elena Rodriguez - Colleague and Former Subordinate
 * May's Team - Colleagues
 * Piper - Colleague and Former Subordinate
 * Prince
 * Avengers
 * Steve Rogers/Captain America - Heroic Idol
 * Tony Stark/Iron Man - Friend
 * Thor - Friend
 * Bruce Banner/Hulk
 * Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow - Former Colleague
 * Clint Barton/Hawkeye - Former Colleague
 * James Rhodes/War Machine
 * Stark Industries
 * Pepper Potts - Friend
 * Maria Hill
 * Andrew Garner/Lash † - Former Therapist, Friend and Situational Enemy
 * Sif
 * Jane Foster
 * Erik Selvig - Acquaintance
 * Akela Amador - Former Subordinate and Protegé
 * Elliot Randolph
 * Audrey Nathan - Former Lover
 * Lance Hunter - Former Subordinate and Friend
 * Bobbi Morse - Former Subordinate
 * Advanced Threat Containment Unit - Situational Allies
 * Rosalind Price † - Love Interest
 * Glenn Talbot
 * Luther Banks †
 * Christian Ward † - Situational Ally
 * Carl Creel/Absorbing Man - Enemy turned Situational Ally
 * Matthew Ellis
 * Joey Gutierrez - Former Subordinate
 * Charles Hinton †
 * Holden Radcliffe
 * Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider

Enemies

 * Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger †
 * Ivan Vanko/Whiplash †
 * Justin Hammer
 * The Destroyer
 * Thaddeus Ross - Opposing General
 * Emil Blonsky/Abomination
 * Georgi Luchkov
 * Loki - Killer
 * Chitauri
 * Camilla Reyes - Former Ally and Former Lover
 * Franklin Hall - Ally turned Enemy
 * Chan Ho Yin/Scorch †
 * Luca Russo † - Ally turned Enemy
 * Cybertek
 * Ott
 * Diaz
 * Raina †
 * Calvin Zabo - Enemy turned Situational Ally
 * HYDRA
 * Grant Ward † - Former Subordinate and Victim
 * Wolfgang von Strucker †
 * List †
 * Daniel Whitehall † - Victim
 * Gideon Malick † - Situational Ally
 * Jasper Sitwell † - Former Colleague and Friend
 * Centipede Project
 * John Garrett/The Clairvoyant † - Former Colleague and Friend turned Enemy
 * Edison Po †
 * Ian Quinn
 * Kaminsky
 * Sunil Bakshi †
 * Giyera †
 * Turkish Old Man
 * Sebastian Derik - Former Colleague and Patient
 * Lorelei
 * Marcus Daniels/Blackout †
 * Kara Palamas/Agent 33 † - Former Colleague
 * Slicing Talons
 * Karla Faye Gideon
 * Wendell Levi
 * Francis Noche
 * David Angar
 * Honest Eddie
 * Ultron †
 * Afterlife Inhumans
 * Jiaying †
 * Gordon †
 * Dwight Frye †
 * Watchdogs
 * Felix Blake - Former Colleague and Friend turned Enemy
 * Briggs
 * Chinatown Crew
 * Symposium on the Alien Contagion Delegates
 * Anton Petrov
 * Xiao Chen
 * Ellen King
 * Haruto Yakimura
 * Nathi Zuma
 * Hive † - Attempted Killer
 * Alisha Whitley † - Ally turned Enemy
 * Primitives
 * Lucy Bauer †
 * JT James/Hellfire
 * Eli Morrow †
 * Aida - Ally turned Enemy

Behind the Scenes

 * In the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Agent Coulson is generally depicted as a supporting character of the protagonists and used to represent S.H.I.E.L.D.'s presence in the plots of the films, to the point that Clark Gregg has described Coulson as "the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent". However, in the "Marvel One-Shots", Coulson is given "a chance to stand in his own spotlight for once", when the character is put in a position where there is an imminent threat and no superheroes around. The decision to give more focus to Coulson was "a natural" for "Marvel One-Shot" co-producer Brad Winderbaum.
 * Gregg has stated, "I think of Agent Coulson, after all these years, as a guy with a full life. I think every day he's somewhere doing something for S.H.I.E.L.D., and yet I don't always know what that is... There's always a different twist. In this one he gets to show more of his wisecracking wit, and in this one he's a little bit more of a badass."
 * Despite Coulson being called "the most recognizable face in the Marvel Comics movie universe", he is depicted as an "" in a universe full of superheroes – "the glue that binds" the characters together. In Thor, Coulson complains that Tony Stark "never tells [him] anything." In an interview with WNBC, Gregg explained his portrayal of the character as 'just a guy grumbling about his job "He's the guy who's tasked - a very disciplined guy in my opinion who possesses secrets that would turn your hair white - but at the same time he's tasked with handling these kind of diva superheroes, you know? Oh, really, Asgard? Dude, just get in the car."

Trivia

 * Clark Gregg also voices Agent Coulson in the TV series Ultimate Spider-Man, where Coulson is drawn in Clark Gregg's likeness.
 * Coulson appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Adventures #1 comic book tie in to the TV series, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
 * Due to the popularity of the character, Phil Coulson was introduced into the main Marvel Comics universe.
 * During a flashback to his time in Tahiti, Coulson used the question "Did I fall asleep?" to which his masseuse replied "For a little while." This was a programmed response used in Joss Whedon's TV show  whenever one of the characters was being brainwashed.
 * With appearances in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, The Consultant, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer, The Avengers and all episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Coulson has become the most featured character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
 * Coulson has killed three major Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. antagonists: John Garrett, Daniel Whitehall, and Grant Ward.
 * Coulson is often called by the name "Son of Coul" by Asgardians. This is because in Asgard, a man's last name is his father's first name with the word "son" appearing at the end.
 * Coulson has his hand cut off, as a reference to . Every movie and television show featured in Phase Two has this reference in some form.
 * Coulson enjoys playing the  franchise of video games.
 * Coulson appears to be a fan of the  franchise, comparing Maveth with Tatooine and revealing he had always wanted to quote Princess Leia during a holographic conversation. He even mentioned that Admiral Akbar is one of his favourite characters.
 * Coulson is one of only three humans to survive physical contact with Diviner metal, the others being Isabelle Hartley and Absorbing Man.
 * When discussing with Melinda May about a contingency plan in case he went insane like Garret he mentioned that he likes kangaroos.