Phil Coulson

"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

Phil Coulson is one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most legendary and best-of-the-best operatives. He served as Director Fury's man on the ground for his most important missions. Dependable, loyal, and one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most decorated field agents, Agent Coulson was put in charge of surveillance and served as the primary operative in Director Fury's Avengers Initiative.

Agent Coulson was tasked with establishing contact and running operational surveillance for the initial recruitment of Tony Stark and subsequent first contact missions as part of the 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.

Agent 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. When he was killed by Loki, The Avengers fought in the Battle of New York in honor of him.

Early life
A son of Robert and Julie Coulson, Phil Coulson was born in Boston, MA, on April 2, 1965. Not much is known about his early life, except that he joined the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.), eventually becoming a special agent and Director Fury's right-hand man.

Fury calls a meeting about Hulk
After Fury runs into Bruce Banner and sees him transform into the Hulk, he calls a meeting for some of his S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives. Phil tries to tell him that he and the others will be better prepared the next time Hulk attacks, but Fury says that Hulk is now just a secondary matter.

Iron Monger
As an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Coulson attempted to set up meetings with Tony Stark regarding his abduction and subsequent "rescue" in Afghanistan, but Stark refused. Instead, Coulson received information from Pepper Potts about Obadiah Stane's involvement in Tony's kidnapping and attempted homicide. Coulson and four other agents tried to arrest Stane, but their efforts were thwarted by the Iron Monger Armor.

Teaching Tony how to fight
"Phil Coulson, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Glad you could make it, Mr. Stark."

- Phil Coulson

After Tony Stark's battle with Obadiah Stane, Tony and Rhodes are taken to a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base where they encounter Agent Phil Coulson. Coulson tells Tony that his fight against the Iron Monger was good, but he needs to learn how to become a real fighter, and that the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents will teach him.

I am Iron Man
Coulson later derived a cover story for Stark of his secret identity, one which Stark refused to use.

Watching over Stark
Nick Fury put Agent Coulson in charge of guarding Stark, making sure he didn't leave his house. Later, Coulson went down to Stark's workshop and found a prototype of Captain America's shield in Howard Stark's casket, Stark took the shield and used it to balance the machine he was building. Coulson was assigned to a different mission so he bid farewell to Stark.

Gas station robbery
While going to New Mexico, Coulson stops in a service station to buy some snacks and fill his car with gas. While he's in the shop, two robbers threaten the clerk with shotguns. Coulson intervenes, passing them his car keys, but showing them his gun they panic, as he slides the gun to them, he quickly knocks both of them unconscious using his S.H.I.E.L.D. training. He goes to the counter and buys two snacks, pays, tells the clerk to keep the change and then leaves.

Finding Mjølnir
Upon arriving in the deserts of New Mexico, Agent Coulson along with a unit of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents set up a perimeter and a base of operations around the crater site containing Thor's hammer, Mjølnir.

Taking Jane Foster's research
Coulson then proceeds to gather all of the research Jane Foster and her scientific team had that was related. When Thor attempted to reclaim Mjølnir by infiltrating the Shield base and manage to single-highhandedly take out a dozen of Shield agents with various fighting styles. Coulson observe from a distance but not before asking Clint Barton to prepare to take action if necessary. After Thor failed to remove Mjølnir, Coulson interrogated Thor about his identity and his training believing him to be a warrior of some type despite Thor refusing to answer his questions. Thor's interrogation was interrupted when Erik Selvig appears and informs Coulson that Thor is actually Donald Blake a member of his scientific staff. An agent confirms it by running a background check in the computer database and turns up a falsified document created by Jane of Thor assuming the identity of Dr. Donald Blake. Coulson goes along with the charade but secretly assigned agents to follow them believing they know more than their letting on.

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

- Cale and Phil Coulson

When an agent discovers the coordinates of another potential crater site that appears to having an exact signature match to Mjølnir. Agent Coulson and a unit of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents go to investigate and find The Destroyer armor, One agent asked Coulson if the armor belongs to Tony Stark. Coulson replied that Stark doesn't tell him anything at first he assumes it is Stark when he address the armor until it attack them.

Coulson manages to survive the attack from The Destroyer and manages to see Thor regain his powers. Coulson confronts Thor and Thor offers his services in protecting Earth under the sole condition that Coulson return all of Jane's research and material back to her. Coulson agrees to Thor's terms and request that they be debrief just before Thor flies upwards with Jane in his arms.

Stopping Abomination from joining the Avengers
Jasper Sitwell meets with Coulson in a cafe. Coulson has been informed that the Government wants to free Emil Blonsky, considering him a war hero, who destroyed half a city just because he was attacked by The Hulk. The two are tasked with preventing Blonsky's release, and decide to send a consultant to talk to General Ross and convince him not to free the Abomination, someone so irritating and annoying that Ross would be forced to give up his plans. Unwillingly, Coulson accepts to send Tony Stark, The Avengers's consultant.

Loki's attack
Agent Phil Coulson is veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. operative who is always seen in a suit and necktie despite the fact that he is the agent most often in the trenches, carrying out Director Nick Fury's directives. The go-to agent for Fury's sometimes secretive missions, Agent Coulson has proven himself to be more than capable of handling the world's most powerful Super Heroes-though he is a human being with no super powers or super abilities. As S.H.I.L.D.'s "everyman" Coulson is dependable and loyal and unabashedly a fan of Captain America. When a threat to the world requires the formation of a team of Super Heroes to defeat it, Coulson takes on the task of assembling Nick Fury's Avengers as just another day at the office.

Convincing Tony Stark and meeting Captain America
He manages to convince Tony Stark to join the team, with the help of Pepper Potts, whom he befriended during his assign on Stark. Back on the base, Coulson is more than happy to meet his all-time hero, Captain America, who has joined the Avengers Initiative on Fury's invitation. Coulson asks to Rogers to sign some vintage collectible sticker cards he's gathered in around two years, stressing the fact that Rogers has always been a model for him.

"Death"
"It's okay, boss. This was never gonna work if they didn't have something to..."

- Phil Coulson

After the first mission of the team, Coulson remarks to Fury that the team is not prepared to face the common menace, and that they need to be motivated someway. When Stark manages to capture Loki Laufeyson and to bring him on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, when a brainwashed Clint Barton attacks the Helicarrier and Loki breaks free. Coulson reaches Loki's prison, only to find the villain out of his cage, and Thor trapped in his place. The agent threatens Loki with a weapon created from The Destroyer's body, but the Asgardian teleports and stabs him in the back. Laying on the floor, Coulson assists powerless to Thor's expulsion from the Helicarrier, but manages to land a blow on Loki with his gun. Later, when the battle is over and lost, Fury reaches his agent, just in time to hear to his last words and to see him dying. Coulson suggests Fury uses his death to motivate the Avengers into working together as a team.

Legacy
"And there's one more person you pissed off... his name was Phil."

- Iron Man to Loki

The team fought and defeated Loki and his army in the Battle of New York, showing that Earth is ready for any battle as retribution for Coulson.

Character traits
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 "everyman" 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.''"

Joss Whedon has revealed that Phil Coulson will play a large role in the upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D. television show.

Friends and Allies

 * Steve Rogers/Captain America - Heroic idol
 * Tony Stark/Iron Man
 * James Rhodes/War Machine
 * Virginia Potts - Friend and Ally
 * Nick Fury - S.H.I.E.L.D. Director
 * Black Widow - Fellow S.H.I.E.L.D member
 * Thor - Ally
 * Hawkeye - Fellow S.H.I.E.L.D member
 * Maria Hill - Fellow S.H.I.E.L.D member
 * Jasper Sitwell - Fellow S.H.I.E.L.D member
 * Blake - Fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. member
 * Erik Selvig - Aquaintance

Enemies

 * Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger
 * Ivan Vanko/Whiplash
 * Justin Hammer
 * The Destroyer
 * Loki Laufeyson - Killer
 * Thaddeus Ross - Opposing General
 * Emil Blonsky/Abomination - Coulson prevented him from joining the Avengers
 * Chitauri

Behind the scenes

 * During his first meeting with Stark in the second film, Coulson states that if Stark tried anything, he would "tase you [Stark] and watch Supernanny while you drool onto the carpet".

Trivia

 * According to screenrant.com, Joss Whedon has hinted that Coulson may actually have superpowers. This has yet to be confirmed soon.
 * Clark Gregg is voicing Agent Coulson in the TV series Ultimate Spider-Man and in the show he is drawn in his likeness.
 * Coulson appears in Marvel Universe - THE AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES #1 comic book tie in to the smash hit tv series, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
 * Due to the popularity of the character, Coulson was introduced into the main Marvel Comics universe.
 * Even though he died in The Avengers, it's rumoured that he may return as Vision.