Lash

Andrew Garner is a Neurologist and Forensic Psychologist who specialized in working with gifted individuals from the Index. During his career within S.H.I.E.L.D., he met and married Agent Melinda May, though they eventually divorced.

Early Life
"You're up early." "Hey, we got a family to make, and there's only one way to do that."

- Melinda May and Andrew Garner

Doctor Andrew Garner met S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Melinda May and they soon decided to elope and begin a life together. A few years into their happy marriage, they discussed beginning a family, and planned to start after the completion of May's mission in Bahrain. Garner greeted Phil Coulson when he arrived to collect May and offered him a cup of coffee before he said goodbye as she and Coulson left for the mission.

Later, May called from Bahrain, giving details of her task: to infiltrate a building in an attempt to free agents and a little girl. Garner gave her tips to approach the girl and told her to be careful. After the mission, May came home cold and mentally scarred from the experience, finding it difficult to even make skin contact with her husband. The effects of the mission caused her to leave field work and begin working in an office at S.H.I.E.L.D.. Eventually, Garner and May separated due to the change in May's personality.

May tended to avoid speaking about her marriage to Garner, as evidenced by her short answer when asked about the subject during her "orientation" by Eric Koenig.

Dinner with Lian
Garner was called by Lian May and was invited to dinner; she had taken Melinda from Canada to Washington, D.C. Garner learned from his ex mother-in-law that Melinda was alive despite the HYDRA Uprising, making him feel relief since Melinda was not returning his calls.

Clandestine Meetings
Garner and Phil Coulson had secret meetings after the HYDRA Uprising, as Coulson was suffering from a mental breakdown in which he would crave alien symbols onto walls; no one was informed, not even Melinda May.

Coulson felt that he had no one else with whom he could discuss his writings; so he went to Garner who he knew he could trust and who would understand.

Reunion with Melinda May
While at work at Culver University, Garner was speaking to a student when he spotted his ex-wife Melinda May waiting for him. She explained that Phil Coulson was now running S.H.I.E.L.D. and they required his help with a newly powered individual. They also discussed why May did not return his calls during the HYDRA Uprising; she said it was a busy time, to which he frowned, citing that Lian May kept him informed. Garner asked May if she had returned to field work; Garner disapproved when she said she had. Garner made it clear that his responsibility would be to the subject, not to her, not to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Working with Skye
"Sarcasm, same strategy, avoidance." "What am I avoiding exactly?" "The truth."

- Andrew Garner and Skye

Garner agreed to travel to the Playground where he was greeted by Coulson; May agreed to allow him to use personal information about their previous relationship to appease the subject, Agent Skye, who had developed the power to create earthquakes. Agent Jemma Simmons gave Garner a breakdown of Skye's medical situation, but Garner decided he would rather meet Skye to learn the information. Garner found Skye a fairly difficult patient to reach as she would often skirt around questions, often using humor to ignore the situation. Garner continued to get through to her all the same. After their first session, Garner took a break and spent time with May. They joked about May's poor cooking skills, but were interrupted by a sudden earthquake. They ran to the Bus and found Skye asleep, with bad dreams causing the quake; they were able to wake her and stop the shaking. Simmons recommended that Skye take a sedative, but Garner advised not to give her drugs. He then decided to speak to her about her levels of control. Skye insisted that due to May's training she could keep it controlled. During the session, the plane began to shake again. Garner tried to calm Skye down but they quickly learned that the shaking was not due to her. May had taken off in the plane to assist Agent Coulson. Garner was furious but May explained that there was not enough time and she did not want to interrupt him. They traveled to a high school in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where a team of villains, led by Skye's father, Calvin Zabo, had challenged Phil Coulson to a fight. When Skye offered to help in the battle, Garner felt that Skye was not emotionally ready for such a confrontation; he acquiesced when Skye convinced him and May that her relationship with Zabo could be used to their advantage. May arrived and pretended to use Skye as a bargaining tool, aiming a gun at her neck. Before Zabo could be stopped by S.H.I.E.L.D. however, he was teleported away from the scene by a mysterious eyeless man. A fight broke out between the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and the rest of the team of villains. Garner took Skye to a safe place; however she began to cause another earthquake. Skye absorbed the quake into her arms, causing them to bruise and her to faint; Garner ran to her aid.

Leaving S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Would you consider consulting for us." "No, I can suggest someone but it can't be me. S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't changed, none of it's changed. There was a reason I moved on back then, and I have another reason now. Those photos on my desk. Goodbye, Melinda."

- Melinda May and Andrew Garner

With Skye safely on the Bus once again, Garner witnessed Skye wake up with her bruised arms bandaged up. He decided to return to the university; May tried to convince him to stay at S.H.I.E.L.D., but he politely refused and left, claiming that his reasons had something to do with the pictures on his desk. Ultimately, Garner recommended that Skye be relieved of field assignments.

May's Phonecall
"Andrew, there's a lot I didn't say that I wish I did." "Me too. Do good Melinda, and get home safe."

- Melinda May and Andrew Garner

Garner received a phone call from Melinda May, who claimed to simply want to hear his voice. Garner noted that he had not had a call like this from May since the mission in Bahrain, meaning that she was in a mission that would not end well. May told him there were many things she never said to him that she wished she had; Garner told her he did too and told her get home safely.

Working with Coulson
"So, May asked off some time for the first time in the history of ever. Does that have anything to do with you being around these last few days?" "Now, you know I can't discuss personal matters with patients."

- Phil Coulson and Andrew Garner

Melinda May survived her ordeal and reconnected with Garner, spending more time together and even arranging holidays and drinking together. Garner was also called by Phil Coulson to assist him in evaluating his team and assessing if Skye was ready to lead a new team of powered people to assist S.H.I.E.L.D. Although Garner pressed, Coulson claimed he did not wish to speak about the fact that he had lost an arm during his last mission. Garner gave Coulson his folder on his recommendations for Coulson's new program before joining May on their holiday.

Vacation with May
Garner took Melinda May to Maui in hopes of rekindling their relationship. Things did not go well, as she was uncomfortable, thinking of her duties to S.H.I.E.L.D., Grant Ward, and the possibility of Ward hurting her family. When May got word that her father was involved in a car accident, she left Garner behind and went to Sun City, Arizona to watch over and care for him. Garner returned to Culver University to begin teaching the next semester of Psychology 101.

Assessing the Secret Warriors
"Let me guess, Joey Gutierrez is unfit for action physically, psychologically and emotionally?" "The man can't open a doorknob without melting it."

- Daisy Johnson and Andrew Garner

Phil Coulson called Garner to assess for the Caterpillars program Joey Gutierrez, an Inhuman who had gone through Terrigenesis and gained the ability to melt metal when he was nervous. A Quinjet was sent to transport Garner to the Playground for the evaluation; though Garner was impressed to have a private jet carry him, he found the seats uncomfortable which he complained about to Johnson and Mackenzie.

When Garner arrived, he was greeted warmly by Daisy Johnson and Alphonso Mackenzie; Johnson offered him food and drink, but Garner told her that her bribes would not make his work any faster. Johnson told him that she did not want to be analyzed and that she only wanted Gutierrez assessed. Garner went to do his interview as Johnson asked him about Melinda May; he retorted that she should ask May herself.

Later, Johnson had an attitude, guessing that Gutierrez had failed. Garner told her that he lacked control and was not ready for field work in S.H.I.E.L.D. Johnson told him that there were new impending threats, like the Advanced Threat Containment Unit and Lash; Garner replied that there will always be threats, but the safety of everyone was his concern. Hearing Johnson's reasoning, Garner assessed that Johnson was trying to build a halfway house for Inhumans; Johnson dismissed the idea, citing that Jiaying had already done that with Afterlife and it failed. She wanted Inhumans to feel that they belonged, unlike the way she felt when she transformed.

Garner gave an assessment of Phil Coulson, citing that Coulson was being reckless risking all for one person and allowing Lance Hunter to seek revenge on Grant Ward. Garner wanted Johnson to be more careful as he saw her as a leader; Johnson laughed because Garner had analyzed her anyway. Garner then told her that Bobbi Morse was trying to over-compensate for the injury she sustained during her kidnapping instead of accepting her new limitations. Johnson and Mackenzie were then called away to England.

Garner called May and let her know that Jemma Simmons was saved before returning to Culver University.

New Student
"You know why most people take Psych, right? They're trying to figure out families." "You got me there; you wouldn't believe how messed up mine is."

- Andrew Garner and Werner von Strucker

With the new fall semester, Garner taught Psychology 101 at Culver University. As he was finishing a class, a new student approached him, asking permission to join. Garner told him that he would have to get caught up with his previous lessons; Garner then signed the permission slip. Noting that students join psych 101 to gain insight on their family issues, Garner asked the student why he was joining; Werner von Strucker said that he had family issues.

Family

 * Lian May - Former Mother-in-Law
 * William May - Former Father-in-Law

Allies

 * S.H.I.E.L.D. (First Incarnation)
 * Nick Fury - Director
 * Maria Hill - Deputy Director
 * S.H.I.E.L.D. (Second Incarnation)
 * Phil Coulson - Patient and Friend
 * Melinda May - Ex-Wife
 * Jemma Simmons
 * Leo Fitz
 * Daisy Johnson - Former Patient
 * Alphonso Mackenzie
 * Joey Gutierrez
 * Werner von Strucker - Student

Enemies

 * Slicing Talons
 * Karla Faye Gideon
 * David Angar
 * Francis Noche
 * Wendell Levi