Roger Dooley

"I want action plans on my desk in one hour. Stay vigilant. I'm not losing any more of you."

- Roger Dooley to his agents

Roger Dooley was a World War II veteran and the Chief of one of the Strategic Scientific Reserve's offices in New York City. During the first months of 1946, Dooley's department was given the task to find the missing industrialist Howard Stark who was publicly accused of selling his inventions to the enemies of the United States. After a long investigation, during which they came in conflict with the Soviet spy agency Leviathan, Dooley and his men discovered that one of their own colleagues, Peggy Carter, was Stark's mole within their ranks. However, Carter managed to convince them of hers and Stark's innocence, but by that time, Dooley was brainwashed by the Leviathan scientist Johann Fennhoff into doing his bidding. Once Fennhoff escaped, he left Dooley wearing one of Stark's deadly inventions. Dooley was killed in the explosion of the device, but not before he jumped out of the building to save his agents.

Military Career
"I'm off risking my neck, serving my country, she cheats on me with some jerk from Hoboken." "You feel that it was more than a betrayal. Overseas, you rose to high-ranking officer and proved yourself again and again."

- Roger Dooley and Ivchenko

When World War II broke out, Roger Dooley joined the United States Armed Forces. Fighting against the Axis overseas, over the years he became a high-ranking officer. After the war, he returned home to discover that his wife Loretta was cheating on him. He eventually joined the Strategic Scientific Reserve.

Strategic Scientific Reserve
By 1946, Dooley became the Chief of the New York Bell Company Office, a covert Strategic Scientific Reserve facility in New York City.

Finding Howard Stark
"As of this moment, Howard Stark is not only in contempt of congress, he's a fugitive from justice. Find him, squeeze him, until he loses his sense of humour."

- Roger Dooley to the SSR

Howard Stark disappeared and did not go to a Congressional hearing about how his technology was stolen but appeared overseas in enemy hands. This brought Stark to the attention of the SSR and Roger Dooley. During the meeting, Dooley told Peggy Carter to man the phones, but she gave that job to Rose Roberts. Dooley assigned Jack Thompson as lead investigator, but when Carter objected to Thompson's directives, Dooley reprimanded her. Thompson sought Dooley's approval to infiltrate La Martinique with agents Yauch and Ray Krzeminski in order to question Spider Raymond, who was planning on buying one of Stark's weapons, a bomb known as Nitramene. When he caught Carter eavesdropping on the "need-to-know" mission while making coffee, he asked her what she wanted. Thompson suggested that she listen in so she might learn something about being an agent. Dooley approved Carter's request for time off as she claimed to be on her period.

Although Raymond was discovered dead at the scene before he could be questioned, Thompson interrupted Dooley's meeting with Daniel Sousa to report to him that he might have a lead as to who killed Raymond. He revealed that the photographer at the club had taken a picture of a woman who had been with Raymond moments before his death and assaulted his bodyguard. As they were speaking Sousa answered a phone call and informed them that a Roxxon Refinery had been destroyed in a massive explosion.

Field Assignment
"Do I even need to ask?" "Ask what?" "Yeah, I guess you're right. I used to strap a chair to my ass and take long walks around the neighborhood, too."

- Roger Dooley and Sheldon McFee

Dooley decided to go to the Roxxon Refinery with Agents Jack Thompson and Ray Krzeminski when it was reported that the building disappeared after an explosion. He told Krzeminski to take the imploded mass apart to see if any clues could be found as to how it happened.

He went with Thompson to see Hugh Jones at the Roxxon Oil Corporation Headquarters to learn what he knew. When Jones offered Dooley an alcoholic beverage, even giving ice, Dooley would not drink it; instead he stayed on duty, wanting permission to scan all the employees for Vita Radiation. He called Peggy Carter to bring the Vita-Ray Detector and to scan the females. Miles Van Ert was caught and Dooley offered him a deal to turn over a superior to be let go. When Van Ert refused the deal, Dooley gave Thompson the authority to interrogate the prisoner. He asked Carter to leave when the interrogation became intense.

Thompson learned where Sheldon McFee lived and Dooley rode with him. En route, they saw him tied to a chair, wandering the road. Eventually, Dooley found the body of Leet Brannis.

Hard Day
"Whatever happened last night, don't any of you forget Krzeminski would still be with us today if it wasn't for Howard Stark, whether he pulled the trigger or not. We're only neck-deep in this mess because of him."

- Roger Dooley

Dooley and Ray Krzeminski went to Hotel Cosmopolitan and retrieved the Remote Typewriter and fake passports from the room of the Man in the Green Suit. He then sent Jack Thompson to research the man's background since he had contacts in Moscow. Edwin Jarvis was brought in for questioning as to why the bumper and license plate of the car he drove was at the Roxxon Refinery. Fearing that he would tell her connection to the investigation when Ana Jarvis was threatened with deportation, Peggy Carter disturbed the interrogation. Dooley was clearly angered and made Carter apologize to Agent Thompson.

He assigned Daniel Sousa and Krzeminski to night shift duty; they called him when they eventually found a boat with the inventions of Howard Stark inside. Dooley warned the agents not to sink Manhattan through carelessly handling the items. The next morning, Chief Dooley was saddened to learn of the murder of Agent Krzeminski along with their main witness Jerome Zandow at the hands of an unknown assassin, and felt that the blame was on Howard Stark, regardless of whether or not Stark was the one who had pulled the trigger. He promised his agents that he would find Krzeminski's killer and that he would not allow any more of them to lose their lives. He then returned to his office and phoned Krzeminski's wife to inform her of his tragic death while Agent Thompson phoned his girlfriend.

Trip to Germany
"Chief, you're really gonna rely on the word of a Nazi?" "Son, I'd let give me a hickey if he'd get me to the bottom of this. Till I get back, you're in charge." "Good luck, chief."

- Jack Thompson and Roger Dooley

As part of his investigation into who Leet Brannis and Sasha Demidov were, Dooley decided to go to Nuremberg Prison to see Colonel Ernst Mueller, the Nazi war criminal connected with the Battle of Finow. Dooley left Jack Thompson in charge of the New York Bell Company Office while he was overseas. In Nuremberg Prison, Dooley saw Colonel Mueller being fitted for a noose. He told Mueller that he would give him a cyanide pill to defy his jailers and die on his own terms, if Mueller told him what truly happened in the Battle of Finow. Mueller told Dooley that it was not his regiment that killed the Soviets; they were already massacred when his people arrived. Dooley went into his watch and gave Mueller a pill. Upon leaving, Dooley went into his watch and offered the prison escort a pill also, a breath mint. Dooley returned to the New York Bell Company Office and relieved Thompson of command of the SSR and updated him about Mueller's status, as he would have been executed by hanging at this time. Staying behind late into the night in the office once again, Dooley sat outside his office reviewing paperwork. In the quiet, Dooley heard the keys of the Remote Typewriter typing a message and looked up to see a new vital piece of evidence which could finally link Howard Stark to the case.

Further Investigations
"Three sides to every story Mr. Jarvis, your side, my side, and the truth. Tell Stark I'm not interested in any witch-hunt, I just want to get to the truth. If he's willing to tell his side of the story I'd really like to hear it."

- Roger Dooley to Edwin Jarvis

The next morning, Dooley had a cryptographer from Virginia come to decode the message that the Remote Typewriter produced. However, Peggy Carter deciphered the code. The translated message stated that Howard Stark would be in Belarus to receive a check for one of his inventions.

Dooley appointed Jack Thompson to take a team to the Soviet Union to retrieve Stark; Carter insisted to go also, saying that she could get the 107th regiment to escort them. Dooley and Thompson did not believe that she knew the famous soldiers, but Dooley said that if she did get their assistance, she could go, despite Thompson's protest. Carter made a phone call and enlisted the Howling Commandos; Dooley kept his word. Later, Dooley noticed that Daniel Sousa was working late. After a brief conversation with him about women, Dooley went to a nearby bar, meeting a New York Times Reporter, who was an old friend. Dooley agreed to buy the drinks in exchange for information and they talked about the Battle of Finow and a fist fight that Howard Stark had with General John McGinnis, although the reason were never clear and there were seemingly no consequences for Stark. The two agreed that there was more occurring than they knew. Dooley approached Edwin Jarvis, who he had followed after easily learning his daily routine. Dooley asked Jarvis about the Battle of Finow and Stark's relationship with General McGinnis, however Jarvis was uncooperative in revealing any information pertaining to Stark's fistfight, because he wanted an apology from the Strategic Scientific Reserve for threatening to deport him and his wife. Dooley assured him know that all he wanted was the truth of what happened in Finow and gave him his business card, saying that he would listen when Stark was ready to talk.

Thompson and Carter returned from Belarus with Ivchenko, reporting that Agent Mike Li was killed in battle. Dooley listened to the report and asked for the psychiatrist to enter his office.

A Day with the Doctor
Chief Dooley, Peggy Carter, and Jack Thompson listened as Doctor Ivchenko told them how he was captured by Leviathan and forced to cooperate to save his and his family's lives. Carter was more interested in the Red Room Academy she saw in Belarus and if female spies were being used to infiltrate the United States. Dooley told Carter to leave his office; he told her to follow her lead, while he followed his to learn more about Leviathan. Carter left the office, stunned. Dooley tried to get information from Ivchenko about the Photonic Amplifier, but Ivchenko said that he was a psychiatrist, not an engineer, so he could tell him little. Taking a break from the interrogation, the two had a drink and began talking about New York City and its skyscrapers. Ivchenko opened a window and beckoned Dooley to show him landmarks; Dooley refused to leave his seat.

Ivchenko then spoke to Dooley about the chief's home life. Dooley listened to the doctor as he tried to advise him about how to fix his relationship with his wife and children. Dooley was captivated by what the doctor was saying; Ivchenko started rubbing his ring as he spoke in a hypnotic tone. Suddenly, Daniel Sousa entered the room, wanting to talk to his leader immediately.

Chase of Peggy Carter
Later, Agent Yauch brought the news that the Strategic Scientific Reserve Agents who were deployed from Washington, D.C. failed to capture Peggy Carter at the L&L Automat. Dooley was so angry that he said that everyone would be demoted to grade school hall monitors if Carter was not apprehended. Ivchenko exited Dooley's office and heard the threat; Dooley told Yauch to babysit Ivchenko while he dealt with the Carter debacle.

When Thompson and Sousa brought the handcuffed Carter before him, Carter said to Dooley that she could explain it all as he looked at her silently. Thompson handcuffed Carter to the desk of the interrogation room as Sousa laid out the evidence against her; Dooley told his men not to go easy on the woman.

Questioning Peggy Carter
"I'm supposed to believe that you pulled off your own investigation without any of us noticing?" "Now, why would you go through all that trouble instead of coming to one of us?" "I conducted my own investigation because no one listens to me."

- Roger Dooley, Daniel Sousa and Peggy Carter

Dooley, along with Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa, questioned Peggy Carter but made little headway, until Edwin Jarvis managed to bluff his way into the SSR office with a supposed signed confession from Howard Stark, accepting responsibility for the sale of his weapons and claiming Carter had been a patsy. Dooley agreed to the exchange for Stark, but told Carter she would be dismissed from the SSR. After observing Ivchenko communicating with someone across the street in Morse Code, however, Carter admitted the "confession" had been false and admitted to Dooley, Thompson, and Sousa the entire story of what had happened since Stark first approached her. She told them that she believed that Ivchenko was working for the enemy and communicating with them. Knowing that Carter should have no reason to lie to them now, Dooley decided to trust her. Dooley sent Thompson, Sousa, and several other agents across the street to investigate, while Dooley stayed with the doctor.

Final Instructions
"Promise me, you'll get the son of a bitch who did this. Say it!" "We'll catch him." "Attagirl."

- Roger Dooley's final words with Peggy Carter

Ivchenko witnessed the men crossing the street. Knowing he had been discovered, Ivchenko brainwashed Dooley into helping him obtain two of Stark's inventions: a substance labelled Item 17 and a Stark Heat Vest that had proven to be explosive. Using Dooley's memories of his family, Ivchenko manipulated Dooley to put on the vest and go back to his office as a distraction, while Ivchenko escaped with the other device. As he sat in his office and imagined himself with his wife repairing his marriage, the vest began to heat up. After being brought back to his senses by Carter and apprized on the nature of the vest by Jarvis, Alex Doobin informed him the vest could not be safely removed. Jack Thompson and the other SSR agents did all they could to try to work out a solution. The suit continued to heat up and burnt his skin. Realizing his fate, Dooley ordered Thompson to help him to his feet; once standing, he stole Thompson's gun. He told Carter to go after Ivchenko, before shooting and jumping out a window, as the vest exploded. He was able to save the lives of the other agents with his sacrifice.

Legacy
"Explore all avenues for unturned stones."

- Peggy Carter and Daniel Sousa remembering Roger Dooley

Roger Dooley was remembered and emulated by the New York Bell Company Office agents who worked closely with him, namely Peggy Carter, Daniel Sousa, and Jack Thompson. When Thompson was interrogating Dottie Underwood, he told her of how Dooley and he would play "good cop, bad cop" with their interviewees, but since Johann Fennhoff caused Dooley's death, there was no longer a "good cop". Sousa and Carter reminded each other of the words of Dooley as they began an investigation, citing that he would tell them to "leave no stone unturned" during an investigation.

Personality
One of the leaders of Strategic Scientific Reserve, Roger Dooley was observant, hardworking and principled, but, unfortunately, he was also filled with sexism and stereotypes. When he saw Peggy Carter eavesdropping on a meeting, he quickly asked her to leave; when that did not happen, he wanted to know her real purpose there. Carter was able to fool him by playing his stereotypes to her advantage.

Though determined and single-minded, Dooley was not unwilling to reassess his opinions in the face of new evidence. After hearing of a run-in between Howard Stark and a general during World War II, Dooley reached out to Edwin Jarvis to tell Stark that he was willing to hear his side of the story. He also permitted Carter to follow up on her theory that the robbery of Stark's vault and the murder of Agent Krzeminski were both the work of a female Leviathan operative.

Dooley did not judge his co-workers, but, with a look, he showed his disapproval. He gazed at Jack Thompson when he took a drink while on duty; when a prostitute spoke familiarly with Ray Krzeminski, he looked at the agent. When the handcuffed Carter was brought before him, his look of disgust was more frightening than his words later.

Dooley was bothered by ongoing problems in his personal life as well as the challenges of his day job. Though he felt betrayed after his wife had an affair, he still loved Loretta and their children, and dreamed of the day that they could be a reunited family.

Weapons

 * : The Smith & Wesson Model 36 is the standard sidearm carried by the agents of Strategic Scientific Reserve. Dooley used his revolver to threaten Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis while hypnotized by Johann Fennhoff, and then he used Jack Thompson's weapon to shoot at a window and jump through it, saving everyone at the New York Bell Company Office from dying in the explosion of the Stark Heat Vest he was forced to wear.

Family

 * Loretta Dooley - Wife
 * Emmett Dooley - Son
 * Daughter

Allies

 * Strategic Scientific Reserve
 * Peggy Carter - Subordinate
 * Jack Thompson - Subordinate
 * Daniel Sousa - Subordinate
 * Ray Krzeminski † - Subordinate
 * Butch Wallace - Subordinate
 * Yauch † - Subordinate
 * Howard Stark - Former Suspect
 * Edwin Jarvis - Former Suspect
 * Roxxon Oil Corporation
 * Hugh Jones
 * Winston
 * New York Times Reporter

Enemies

 * Leviathan
 * Leet Brannis †
 * Sasha Demidov †
 * Johann Fennhoff - Killer
 * Miles Van Ert
 * Ernst Mueller †

Trivia

 * In the comics, Roger Dooley is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that molested She-Hulk, only to be killed shortly after when infected by sentient cockroaches that used his body as a nest.