Alphonso Mackenzie

"Like I told my man here, when you want something in life, you gotta grab it and walk out like you own it."

- Alphonso Mackenzie

Alphonso “Mack” Mackenzie is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Despite the heavy casualties S.H.I.E.L.D. took during HYDRA's attack on it, he stayed loyal to his oath and continued his service in the remains of S.H.I.E.L.D. under Robert Gonzales. However, as another faction of S.H.I.E.L.D. led by Phil Coulson emerged, he was sent along Bobbi Morse to infiltrate it. Now working undercover, he pretended to be a simple mechanic while searching for Nick Fury's Toolbox.

Early Life and Career
"You're a big brother, but you're not MY big brother."

- Bobbi Morse

Alphonso Mackenzie has at least one younger sibling. As a child, Mackenzie had an angry moment and punched a wall. A few days later, he noticed his hand was swollen and purple; he had broken his finger and had not noticed. This incident taught Mackenzie that the worst pain is the one unseen.

He eventually became an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., an international military counter-terrorism and intelligence agency.

Mackenzie worked with Agent Bobbi Morse in a case in Dubai; there he meet Lance Hunter for the first time. Mackenzie did not give Hunter much intelligence about the mission because Hunter was a mercenary.

Battle on the Iliad
Mackenzie worked as the chief engineer aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Aircraft Carrier Iliad.

When the S.H.I.E.L.D. Civil War occurred, Mackenzie and Tim Maguire were captured by HYDRA along with a group of other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The leader of the assault demanded to know who the chief engineer was, when Maguire tried to insist it was him, Mackenzie told the HYDRA leader that he was lying to protect him. The HYDRA leader casually killed Maguire in front of Mackenzie to show his seriousness, and ordered him to obtain blueprints of the ship. Mackenzie and the other surviving agents, Case and Susanna, were rescued by Bobbi Morse and Isabelle Hartley who were able to kill the HYDRA agents. Searching the ship, the group found Robert Gonzales wounded in the conference room after surviving an assassination attempt where he was attacked by a HYDRA assassin with an axe. Mackenzie talked to Gonzales about when he broke his hand to prepare him for when Morse reset his damaged leg. As they prepared to escape the ship, Morse revealed that Nick Fury had given her a secret mission to destroy the ship, ensuring HYDRA never got their hands on its cargo. Gonzales however insisted that they all go with her to ensure she completed the mission. Mackenzie fought against the HYDRA attackers, defending his fellow agents with a shotgun, until they reached the control room. Once there Mackenzie again tried to convince Bobbi Morse not to destroy the ship as it would cause the deaths of not only the HYDRA soldiers, but all the other innocent S.H.I.E.L.D. agents still onboard. Although Gonzales tried to remind her that she had received a direct order from Fury himself, she sided with Mackenzie and they agreed to stand up against their attackers. Together they fought back against HYDRA, eventually killing them all and retaking control of the ship.

Gonzales' S.H.I.E.L.D.
"For a while there, it all went to hell. It was bad. But now Bobbi and I work for an organization, an outlier that came out of the wreckage from what Fury left."

- Alphonso Mackenzie

Agent Mackenzie joined the reorganized remains of S.H.I.E.L.D. led by Gonzales. However, soon they discovered the existence of another S.H.I.E.L.D. faction, led by Agent Phil Coulson. Mackenzie and his colleague Bobbi Morse were sent by Gonzales to infiltrate Coulson's organization and retrieve the Toolbox.

Coulson's S.H.I.E.L.D.
When Skye, Melinda May, Antoine Triplett, Idaho, Lance Hunter, and Isabelle Hartley returned from unsuccessfully attempting to get a level ten file about an 0-8-4, Alphonso Mackenzie stopped watching a Glenn Talbot interview to greet them. Triplett explained to him that the mission did not go as planned and they did not get anything new.

Later, Director Coulson explained to him and Billy Koenig that he sent the six into a government storage facility that housed S.H.I.E.L.D. paraphernalia despite the odds of success because they needed a Quinjet's cloaking technology to travel secretly. Coulson beleived that in Fitz's state he was incapable of completing the job of making the Bus undetectable.

New Friendship
When Skye and Antoine Triplett returned to the Playground with a Quinjet, Mackenzie was tasked with reverse engineering its cloaking technology for the Bus. He went to Leo Fitz for advice, and during their interaction, he noticed that Fitz wanted to help against Carl Creel. Eventually, Mackenzie learned to understand what Fitz was trying to say and helped Fitz to modify the Overkill Device which allowed Phil Coulson to subdue Creel. This resulted in the forming of a friendship between the two, much to pleasure of the rest of the team, who were happy that Fitz was opening up to somebody.

The Moroccan Mission
Mackenzie and Lance Hunter made a bet with each other about whether or not Skye had been trained at the S.H.I.E.L.D. academy. Mackenzie won his bet with Hunter, causing him to do inventory. He told Hunter not to put lines through his sevens; Billy Koenig hates that.

When Coulson returned from his debriefing with Jemma Simmons, he had a meeting with his agents, including Fitz and Mackenzie. When Fitz was asked for input on Donnie Gill, Mackenzie helped to translate Fitz's thoughts.

Gill froze the Maribel del Mar in a harbor in Casablanca, alerting both S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA to his location. As the field agents left, Mackenzie told Fitz that they could play Xbox. Fitz was upset because he wanted to go as well; Mackenzie tried to make him feel better. After Fitz interrogated Grant Ward, he unplugged Mackenzie's game and told Mackenzie to contact the field agents about Gill's brainwashing.

Bonding with Others
Mackenzie was the driver of a 1962 Rolls Royce that Phil Coulson and Melinda May used to get to a gala held to rebuild Santa Maria de las Flores. He told Coulson that he would wait patiently for him to give him permission to repair Lola. After they exited, Mackenzie went to South Beach to get Lance Hunter to take him to the Bus.

At the Bus, Mackenzie was bored with the stories Hunter told of his ex-wife and read a magazine.

Agent 33, disguised as Melinda May, put a virus in the electrical system of the plane that, if left unchecked, would cause it to explode. Mackenzie acted as Fitz's translator to convey his thoughts on what was happening. Hunter and Fitz ultimately stopped the virus. When Mackenzie and Hunter were drinking together and telling stories, Fitz chose to bond with Hunter and Mackenzie by talking about his unrequited feelings for Jemma Simmons, Mackenzie told him he was better off without her.

Mackenzie greeted Bobbi Morse with a hug when she came to the Playground after her undercover HYDRA security assignment. The two old friends laughed together as they talked about Morse's favourite drink when her ex-husband Lance Hunter interrupted their reunion.

After helping Fitz access the hard drive Jemma Simmons retrieved from HYDRA Laboratories, he helped to discover that Vincent Beckers was a scientist for the Red Skull and Julien Beckers' connection to HYDRA.

Later, Mackenzie was approached by Jemma Simmons, who had recently been undercover within HYDRA and had been rescued by Bobbi Morse, Simmons thanked Mackenzie for everything he had for Fitz in his recovery. Mackenzie made it clear that he was very fond of Fitz despite his disability. Their conversation eventually led them to the fact Simmons had left and the effect that had had on Fitz. Mackenzie told her that the only thing that made him struggle with his mind was her, and Simmons agreed.

Hating the Weirdness
"I like my bosses unjumbled at all times."

- Alphonso Mackenzie

Mackenzie and Leo Fitz retrieved the body of Janice Robbins so Jemma Simmons could perform an autopsy. She berated him for the words of bravado he said as he turned over the body.

Mackenzie and Fitz were asked by Skye to come to the secret room containing the Theta Brain-Wave Frequency Machine; their strength might have been needed if Phil Coulson acted erratically during or after the session. As predicted, they had to hold Coulson down after the session ended. While playing video games with Leo Fitz, he complained about Coulson's brain being erased and how that effected his confidence in Coulson being the director. Fitz explained that memories are not truly erased because the brain creates back-up files and Coulson was using the machine to access them. He tried to convince Fitz to play the video game himself, as he believed it would help with his hand-eye coordination. During their conversation, Simmons arrived and showed them Skye had been locked in Vault D by Coulson, who had escaped to track down his former agents. After freeing Skye, the two took an SUV to find the residence of Hank Thompson, where they believed Coulson would have gone. During the drive, Skye explained Project T.A.H.I.T.I. to him. He highly disapproved with working with alien blood and being around aliens; Skye looked at him, ironically. Thompson flagged Mackenzie down and told them the situation which Mackenzie said he would handle. Mackenzie and Skye found Coulson engaged in a fierce fight with Sebastian Derik, Coulson was strangling him. Mackenzie and Skye held Coulson at gunpoint, begging him not to kill Derik. They learned that Coulson was not trying to kill Derik, only show him the train track erections that Thompson had built. Mackenzie was one of the senior agents that were assembled when Director Coulson gave the new mission: find the city that matched the City Blueprints before HYDRA can. Mackenzie stood next to Antoine Triplett and remained unconfident of Coulson's leadership.

Later, as they watched Bobbi Morse interrogate the recently captured HYDRA agent Sunil Bakshi in Vault D, Mackenzie and Lance Hunter discussed how a week earlier Mackenzie had to hold down the Director, Mackenzie made it clear that he felt that the director was out of his mind during the incident. Before they could discuss it further Jemma Simmons entered, interrupting the conversation.

Transformation
"That wasn't Mack."

- Phil Coulson

When the team discovered the entrance to the underground city beneath San Juan, Puerto Rico, Mackenzie, Bobbi Morse, Phil Coulson, Leo Fitz, and Jemma Simmons went to investigate. Aboard the Quinjet, Mackenzie asked Morse if Lance Hunter would replace Isabelle Hartley in their mission. She said that Hunter did not know and will not be involved. In San Juan, Mackenzie used a Mouse Hole to make an opening to the underground city, realizing that the shaft was a hundred feet down. Fitz first sent some D.W.A.R.F.s down, but they mysteriously lost their connection. Mackenzie was then lowered down and discovered the drones, before noticing a strange pattern in the floor. As he touched a section of the floor, the pattern began to glow before symbols similar to what was on the Diviner appeared on Mack's palm, causing him extreme pain. The team quickly pulled him back up, unaware of how to treat him. Knowing that his body was being taken over, Mackenzie then told Coulson to run as his eyes suddenly turned red, before he knocked Coulson into a wall as if he were possessed by a powerful force. Mackenzie began to attack every member of the team, Morse went for the attack but her blows were ineffective. As Mackenzie was distracted, Fitz shot him in the back with an I.C.E.R., but his body absorbed the hits. As Mackenzie went to attack Simmons and Coulson, Morse stuck both of her staves against his neck, electrocuting him enough to stun him; his body fell down the entrance to the underground city and hit the ground hard. Coulson ordered the hole be sealed. When Morse asked if they could save Mackenzie, Coulson told her that was not Mackenzie. While Mackenzie did fall very far, he survived, though still brainwashed and silent, in the Kree City. He aided Raina in finding the Temple due to her Inhuman heritage, and did not attack Skye for the same reason, but would not approach the temple further than a certain point. He did not move except to defend the temple, as was the case when Coulson came to him, and he reacted violently once more. Jemma Simmons theorized that the city co-opted Mackenzie to defend itself. Mackenzie reverted back to his normal self when the Diviner was activated in the chamber within the Temple in the Kree City, he and Coulson managed to escape as the Temple shook.

Chain of Command
"You got something to say, Mack?" "Plenty, but I'll keep it to myself."

- Phil Coulson and Alphonso Mackenzie

Mackenzie kept himself busy upon his return from the Kree City to the Playground. During a conversation with Leo Fitz, Fitz tried to help Mackenzie deal with what had happened to him and Antoine Triplett's death, but Mackenzie was not receptive. Looking at Skye who was in quarantine after her experiences, Mackenzie asked for blueprints to the Playground so that if Skye was contagious, it would not spread. When the senior agents got together to discuss what to do with Sunil Bakshi, Mackenzie disagreed with Coulson's plan. Originally, he did not want to voice it, but, as the conversation continued, Mackenzie became enraged that Coulson was asking them to lay down their lives if necessary. An argument ensued; Mackenzie believed that Coulson was asking for too much from them, especially without well thought-out plans and with an alien obsession. Coulson cut the conversation short; he let everyone, especially Mackenzie, know that Triplett knew his place and followed orders.

During their mission, Lance Hunter asked Bobbi Morse why, during the argument, she tried so hard to keep Mackenzie from talking; he wondered if she was trying to keep him from revealing the duet's secret mission. Morse told Hunter that she and Mackenzie did not have a secret mission; they were a part of a support group that catered to those who felt betrayed during the S.H.I.E.L.D. Civil War. Later, at the vigil for Triplett, Mackenzie and Morse went to get a snack. He told her that using the blueprints of the Playground he had gotten earlier, as well as the camera in the miniature version of Lola that Coulson had, he determined that the Toolbox was in Coulson's office. They decided that everything was on schedule.

Muscle Man
"No Fitz, we're the ones who need protection from her."

- Alphonso Mackenzie

Phil Coulson decided to help with taking inventory; Mackenzie asked him if he was doing it because of their squabble earlier. Coulson told him that he had no ill feelings about that; he just wanted to do it to assure that it was complete. Coulson asked Mackenzie to become a field agent, citing his fighting skills and brute strength, but Mackenzie declined, feeling that hurting people was not within him. Coulson nonetheless sent him to Faro, Portugal to assist Leo Fitz and Lance Hunter in their investigation of who battled Sif on a beach there. While they worked, Hunter told them that he was going to take Coulson's offer to be a permanent member of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Upon returning to the Playground, Mackenzie approached Bobbi Morse about Hunter's promotion. She asked him if Hunter could join them in the duo's mission; Mackenzie adamantly refused, telling her that Hunter is no longer an option now that he has joined Coulson. Mackenzie recommended to Morse that the couple part ways.

When Hunter left Morse after a brief argument, he bumped into Mackenzie on his way out. Together, Mackenzie and Morse ran to see what was happening when a earthquake occurred. As they were approaching where Coulson was interviewing Vin-Tak, they saw Melinda May running with Skye and the Kree chasing them. Mackenzie challenged Vin-Tak by punching him in the jaw; Vin-Tak responded by knocking Mackenzie across the room and into unconsciousness.

While Coulson and May escorted Vin-Tak and Sif away from the Playground so the Kree could return to Hala, Mackenzie and others cleaned the mess that Skye's power display caused. Fitz was the only one who sided with Skye; Mackenzie and the others felt that she was dangerous and that they should be protected from her. Later, Mackenzie was doing mechanical work when Hunter demanded full disclosure about his mission with Morse, telling him that he knew the two were conspiring together and that she had a flash drive of his in her possession. The mechanic panicked, grabbed Hunter, and put him in a choke hold which put him to sleep. Laying Hunter beside the S.H.I.E.L.D. SUV, Mackenzie regretted his action.

Broken Cover
"Who the hell are you working for?" "S.H.I.E.L.D. The real S.H.I.E.L.D."

- Lance Hunter and Alphonso Mackenzie

Mackenzie took Lance Hunter to a S.H.I.E.L.D. Safe House and locked him in the bathroom; he then called Bobbi Morse, telling her that he did not like this situation and had no exit strategy. When Hunter heard the two talking, he began to shout insults; Morse told Mackenzie to get Hunter a beer to keep him calm.

Phil Coulson asked Morse about Hunter's absence; she told Coulson that Hunter ran off after she ended their relationship and Mackenzie went to find him.

Mackenzie brought Hunter a Hawaiian style pizza and beer. He then asked Hunter to trust him as they reminisced about the first mission he, Hunter, and Morse had together. Hunter said that the main point he remembered about that mission was that Mackenzie kept him in the dark since he was not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Hours later, Mackenzie returned and blindfolded Hunter, saying their ride had arrived. With armed guards, Mackenzie removed Hunter's blindfold and told him that he and Morse worked for "the real S.H.I.E.L.D.", showing Hunter its logo on the wall.

Return to the Playground
"I guess one boss wasn't enough for you and Bobbi." "Seems the road trip hasn't dampened your friend's spirits." "Gonzalez. It's good to see you, sir."

- Lance Hunter, Robert Gonzales, and Alphonso Mackenzie

Mackenzie was greeted warmly by Robert Gonzales and then introduced him to Lance Hunter. Mackenzie sat as the leaders of Gonzales' faction of S.H.I.E.L.D. explained their disapproval of the leadership of Phil Coulson. Hunter could not believe that Mackenzie was allied with them; he had more issues when Bobbi Morse arrived.

Mackenzie was sent back to the Playground to gather further intelligence. When he came across Melinda May, she questioned him about the absence of Hunter and Morse. Mackenzie said that he found Hunter in Athens, Georgia drunk and he had not seen Morse. May said that she would tell Coulson. Mackenzie passed the laboratory and was eavesdropping on the argument between Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons about her treatment of those who have changed. He made sure that Simmons saw him as he left.

Meanwhile, May and Coulson decided that they need to confront Mackenzie on his lies.

Confrontation
"What did you say when I asked if you were loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D.?" "I said I was because I am, and that's the truth, sir." "Look... you've always been brutally honest with me, and I value that. So I'm giving you a chance here. Just tell me who you're working for." "I work for S.H.I.E.L.D."

- Phil Coulson and Alphonso Mackenzie

Phil Coulson allowed Mackenzie to look under the hood of Lola, citing how he was impressed with the toy replica he had created and how it was so exact in its duplication. Coulson then told him that because of his own personal knowledge of the vehicle he knew that there was an extra mechanism in it. Mackenzie feigned ignorance, but Coulson told him to be honest and to tell him where his loyalty lied. Though Mackenzie told Coulson that he worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., Coulson had him surrounded by other armed agents. Mackenzie escaped when Bobbi Morse set off an EMP.

Mackenzie found Leo Fitz in a maintenance closet; Fitz had discovered the bomb that Morse had set there. Mackenzie leapt upon Fitz and saved him from the explosion which allowed Robert Gonzales and his faction to enter the Playground.

Anne Weaver convinced Jemma Simmons to tend to Mackenzie's injuries.

Request to Stay
Mackenzie saw Bobbi Morse sitting aboard the Bus and asked her why she was practically hiding; Morse was watching video feed of Robert Gonzales interrogating Melinda May and felt uncomfortable being around other agents. She told Mackenzie that others feel that they are traitors, even Leo Fitz was planning to resign from S.H.I.E.L.D. Mackenzie told her to remain vigilant, because they were doing the right thing for the future of the organization.

Mackenzie then went to Fitz and asked him to stay; he wanted his friend to understand that everyone else was onboard with the new regime, citing that Jemma Simmons was helping in the decoding of the Toolbox. He watched as Fitz went to the Holocom to see what Simmons had accomplished. Mackenzie was present when Fitz confronted Simmons for her apparent betrayal and watched as Fitz left the Playground.

Abilities
"You know how some guys can play a tune by ear? Well, I need sheet music."

- Alphonso Mackenzie


 * Expert Engineer: Mackenzie was the chief engineer of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s aircraft carriers, the Iliad. However, as part of his cover to infiltrate Phil Coulson's faction of S.H.I.E.L.D., Mackenzie posed as a simple mechanic, spending time checking on the gears of the Bus or Quinjet, even on his spare time. When Leo Fitz was unable to create a cloaking device for the Bus, Mackenzie was tasked to recreate the technology after a Quinjet was stolen. He had a desire to work on Lola to get close to Coulson and gain his trust, reconstructing a 1962 limousine in hopes of impressing him enough to get the chance.
 * Marksman: As the rest of field agents were busy chasing a fugitive Grant Ward, Mackenzie had to accompany Skye to stop Phil Coulson, who went alone to pursue serial killer and former Project T.A.H.I.T.I. patient Sebastian Derik. Upon arriving, Mackenzie had to threaten Coulson with his handgun, though Coulson released Derik before having to do so.

Equipment

 * : Mackenzie used the compact version of the Smith & Wesson M&P pistol when he accompanied Skye to stop Phil Coulson, who was acting erratically due to having unlocked the memories from Project T.A.H.I.T.I. Mackenzie threatened to shoot Coulson if he did not release Sebastian Derik, though he did, having realized the true meaning of the Words of Creation.
 * : A firearm he used during the Battle on the Iliad.

Allies

 * S.H.I.E.L.D. (First Incarnation)
 * Nick Fury - Director
 * Maria Hill - Deputy Director
 * Robert Gonzales - Commander
 * Bobbi Morse - Colleague and Friend
 * Isabelle Hartley † - Colleague and Friend
 * Tim Maguire † - Subordinate
 * Case - Subordinate
 * Susanna - Subordinate
 * S.H.I.E.L.D. (Second Incarnation)
 * Phil Coulson - Director
 * Melinda May - Colleague
 * Antoine Triplett † - Colleague and Friend
 * Skye - Colleague
 * Leo Fitz - Colleague and Friend
 * Jemma Simmons - Colleague
 * Lance Hunter - Colleague
 * Bobbi Morse - Colleague and Friend
 * Isabelle Hartley † - Colleague
 * Idaho † - Colleague
 * Billy Koenig - Colleague
 * Sam Koenig - Colleague

Enemies

 * HYDRA
 * Lead HYDRA Agent †
 * Sebastian Derik
 * Vin-Tak

Trivia

 * In the comics, Alphonso Mackenzie is a veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and former CIA liasion to S.H.I.E.L.D.
 * Mackenzie likes singing in the shower. He also admits to being afraid of the dark. and appears to be afraid of ghosts, but refuses to admit it.
 * Mackenzie has seized any opportunity to express his desire to work his mechanic skills on Lola.