Deathlok

"So is someone playing God with you too? Seeing everything you see? Waiting to push a button and blow a hole in your head if you disobey?"

- Michael Peterson

Michael "Mike" Peterson was an ordinary man until he was approached by a mysterious group who granted him superpowers through use of the Centipede Serum. However, when he compromised the secrecy of the project, they decided to eliminate him, but they were stopped by a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents led by Phil Coulson. Some time later, Peterson decided to join S.H.I.E.L.D. Peterson was later recaptured by the Centipede Project and transformed into the cybernetic operative, "Deathlok". He was used by the Clairvoyant to keep people off his trail, including Coulson's Team.

Early life
"Michael Peterson, factory worker. Married, one kid. Gets injured, gets laid off, wife jumps ship. Good guy, bad breaks. Best guess is, somebody tells him they can make him strong again. Make him super."

- Phil Coulson

Michael Peterson was a family man that lived with his wife and his son Ace while working in a factory. After a back injury that made him lose his job, his wife abandoned him and left him alone with his son.



The Centipede
"You said that if we worked hard, if we did right, that we'd have a place. You said it was enough to be a man. But there's better than man. There's gods. And the rest of us, what are we? They're giants. We're what they step on."

- Michael Peterson

At some point during his rehabilitation he was approached by a woman known only as Raina, who represented an organization that created a treatment that could restore his health and put him back to work.

Raina introduced Mike to a doctor known as Debbie. Debbie treated Peterson with the Centipede Device, which utilized, among other things, unstable Extremis technology. A side-effect of the treatment was Peterson's development of super-powers, including strength and durability. When Debbie's lab was destroyed by the detonation of another Centipede user, Peterson saved Debbie from the burning building. This action was observed and recorded by Skye, who was investigating Centipede for the Rising Tide. Skye posted her video online, giving Peterson an unwanted celebrity status, as he only desired to find work and raise his son in peace.

Peterson was later tracked down by Skye, who led him to believe that he was in danger from S.H.I.E.L.D.. Soon after, Peterson's condition began to deteriorate, both mentally and physically.

In desperation, Peterson returned to his former workplace, hoping to regain his old position. After being rebuffed, he attacked his old manager, putting him in the hospital. He then visited Debbie in the hospital, who convinced him that he needed to disappear, as the people behind Centipede did not want to be exposed.

Mike's condition from the Centipede soon grew critical. However, Mike was still convinced that he needed to try and rebuild his life. He took his son and broke into Skye's Van, ordering her to take him to the nearest train station. He soon discovered that Skye was working with S.H.I.E.L.D., and escaped into the station. He was confronted by Agent Phil Coulson who tried to talk him down, before being shot by Agent Grant Ward with the Night-Night Gun, which tranquilized him with a curative agent created by agent Jemma Simmons, saving his life.

He was then taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. protective custody for rehabilitation, and his son taken to live with Mike's sister Mindy during his recovery.



Fighting Back
"Did I beat Captain America's time?" "Not even close."

- Michael Peterson and a S.H.I.E.L.D. trainer after strength training.

After recovering Mike decided to make up for his actions by working for S.H.I.E.L.D. Eventually Agent Coulson asked for his help to help bring down the organization that gave him his powers: the Centipede Project. While on the "Bus" their were some hostile feelings from some members of the team (mainly Ward and May), but after being outfitted with a Tactical Suit and helping Coulson and the team attack one of Centipede's bases he earned the group's trust. While back on The Bus Michael thought about joining S.H.I.E.L.D. full time, afraid to return to his son after he had seen his outrage at the train station, but Coulson assured him his son would think no different of him and told him to think on his decision.

The Bridge
Mike called his son to tell him he would return, only to have Raina, who had somehow found Ace's location, threaten to kill him if Peterson did not trade Coulson for Ace. With no choice Mike was forced to trick the team into thinking they wanted him.

When the exchange started Mike attempted to break off the deal by threatening Raina's life but Coulson told him it was okay, understanding that he had no other choice. After getting his son to safety Mike attempted to redeem himself by going back to rescue Coulson only for Raina and her group to have the Bridge explode, brutally burning him and destroying his right leg.

Deathlok
"The Clairvoyant isn't happy. You led S.H.I.E.L.D. right to us."

- Deathlok to Sofia

Mike was revealed to have survived the blast, and was ultimately recovered by Centipede agents, badly burned, missing his right leg, and implanted with a monitoring ocular implant similar to Akela Amador's Backscatter X-Ray Eye Implant.

Now under the thrall of the Clairvoyant, Peterson was ordered into the service of Ian Quinn, who arranged to have Peterson's destroyed right leg replaced with a Cybertek Prosthetic Leg (Labeled "Project: Deathlok") designed by Cybertek Industries at a cost of $10 million.

After the procedure to be outfitted with the prosthetic leg, which was witnessed by S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant Skye, the Clairvoyant ordered Peterson to kill the Cybertek representatives and exit the scene without engaging the just-arriving S.H.I.E.L.D. team, who had come to arrest Quinn.

Peterson was later seen asking his handlers if it were possible for him to see his son, and being told "Not yet".

Serving The Clairvoyant
"Mike Peterson is dead"

- Michael Peterson

Garrett later ordered Peterson to feign an attack on himself and his partner Antoine Triplett in Sydney, Australia as diversionary tactic to throw off suspicion and confuse the investigations into "The Clairvoyant". After taking a few shots, enough to convince Triplett in the veracity of the attack, Peterson jumped through the roof and left.

Following that encounter, Peterson was then given the Forearm Rocket Launcher from Garrett and told him that it was time to meet.

Peterson was then sent to the Tranquility Bridge Assisted Living home in Macon, Georgia to convince Agents Melinda May and Felix Blake that Thomas Nash was the Clairvoyant. During his fight, Agent Blake tried to convince Peterson to stop, knowing that he had a son, Ace. Peterson told Blake that Mike Peterson was dead and put Blake in critical condition before trying to take out May. However, he was forced to leave and eventually lead Coulson and the others to Nash.

All along, John Garrett was the Clairvoyant. After he established a base in Havana, Cuba, he sent Grant Ward to retrieve the necessary pass codes to access a hard drive with the research that had been done on GH.325 that Skye had encrypted. Deathlok tailed Ward and was forced to assist him when Skye attempted to escape in Los Angeles. When Phil Coulson infiltrated the Bus to rescue Skye, Deathlok fired upon them as they jumped into Lola.

When Ian Quinn needed a demonstration to show the effectiveness of the Deathlok Super Soldiers, Deathlok was sent to Colombia to kill drug lord Alejandro Castillo. He decapitated him.

Later, Peterson asked Raina her motives for working with Garrett, explaining to her that he feared for his life and that of his son, Ace, whose pictures were being used by Garrett as a reward for Peterson's continued cooperation.

Redemption for Deathlok
Deathlok stayed constantly by Garrett's side as Garrett killed General Jacobs in the Cybertek Manufacturing Facility. Unknown to Garrett, Skye had become Peterson's new handler, having captured Zeller and override the computer systems. Ultimately, Skye found and freed Ace and assured Peterson that the Backscatter X-Ray Eye Implant would not be used against him.

Deathlok responded by shooting Garrett with his Forearm Rocket Launcher and stomping him to death with his prosthetic leg.

As Ace was reunited with his aunt, Peterson watched from afar with Skye, too ashamed to approach. When Skye asked him to join Coulson's Team, he declined, deciding that he wanted redemption before developing a relationship with anyone.

Cybernetic Enhancements

 * Centipede Device: Deathlok is outfitted with a device made of Chitauri metal which injects a serum based on Abraham Erskine's Super Soldier Serum mixed with Gamma Radiation and the Extremis virus, designed to enhance his physical attributes to a super-human level.


 * Backscatter X-Ray Eye Implant: A prosthetic occular implant that allows Deathlok to see through solid objects when his eyes are closed and is also the means used by his handler to send orders and instructions.


 * Cybertek Prosthetic Leg: Deathlok's missing leg has been replaced with a cybernetic prosthetic designed and built by Cybertek, Inc. that enhances his speed.


 * Forearm Rocket Launcher: Installed on to his left forearm, this unit allows Deathlok to fire guided mini-rockets at his targets.


 * Computer Enhancements: Deathlok has two USB ports, one of which he used in his attempt to download Skye's encrypted hard drive.
 * Heart Stopper: Deathlok used this on Grant Ward to make Skye unlock her hard drive, stopping his heart from beating and duplicating a heart attack. When Skye acquiesced, Deathlok tapped the device once to make Ward's heart beat, twice to accelerate the pulse.

Former Equipment

 * Tactical Suit: During his brief time as a S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee in the field, Michael Peterson wore a Tactical Suit designed by agents Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons. It was made of a polymer blend with ten layers of treated composite materials, and its main function was to monitor Peterson's vitals while providing a state-of-the-art ballistic protection for him.

Powers and Abilities
Due to use of the cybernetic Centipede Device, a blood-filtering device made of Chitauri metal that delivers a combination of Extremis, Gamma Radiation, and elements of the Super Soldier Serum into his system, Michael Peterson has come to possess various superhuman abilities.


 * Superhuman Strength: Mike possesses strength that is greater than a normal human. He can lift much heavier objects that cannot be moved without use of machinery and overpower normal humans and send them flying about tens of feet away. With his strength, he can tear any solid objects like concrete with ease. In addition, his strength extends into his leg muscles as he is able to leap great distances.


 * Superhuman Speed: Mike can move at speeds much faster than any normal human athlete. After exiting the building, he was able to reappear behind his son to leave the scene.


 * Superhuman Agility & Reflexes: Mike has agility and reflexes far greater than a normal human being.


 * Enhanced Durability: While he is not bulletproof, Mike can withstand physical damage much greater than that of a normal human. He was able to withstand a fall from the higher level of the train station down to the ground.


 * Regenerative Healing Factor: If injured, Mike is able to heal much faster than a normal human being. He took a shot from a shotgun but showed no siginificant damage upon getting up.

Allies

 * Family
 * Ace Peterson - Son
 * Mindy Peterson - Sister
 * Kisha Peterson - Niece
 * Coulson's Team - Ally turned enemy (under HYDRA coercion), now Ally
 * Phil Coulson
 * Melinda May
 * Leo Fitz
 * Jemma Simmons
 * Skye - Friend
 * Antoine Triplett

Enemies

 * HYDRA / Centipede Project
 * John Garrett † - Controller
 * Debbie † - Doctor
 * Raina - Reluctant Ally turned enemy
 * Grant Ward - Reluctant Ally turned enemy
 * Brian Hayward † - Enemy
 * Ian Quinn - Reluctant Ally turned enemy
 * Gary - Former Boss

Trivia

 * An unrelated character named Mike Peterson appeared in the comic books. He was the best friend of Slapstick.
 * Michael Peterson shares the first name and many traits with the Michael Collins version of Deathlok in the comics.