Peggy Carter

"Any hope of reproducing a program is locked in your genetic code. But without Dr. Erskine it will take years." "He deserved more than this." "If it could only work once, he'd be proud it was you."

- Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers

Margaret "Peggy" Carter was an officer of the British Armed Forces before and during World War II. As an agent of the Special Air Service, she joined the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR), an Allied deep science agency formed to fight against HYDRA, the Nazi super weapons division. During the war, she met and fell in love with Steve Rogers, the US Army soldier who became the world's first super hero―Captain America. After the war and Steve's disappearance, she was among the first who joined the new peacekeeping organization, the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.

Early life and military career
Margret "Peggy" Carter was born on Wednesday, April 9, 1919, in London, England. She received her education from St Martin-In-The-Fields High School for Girls.

In 1934, Peggy joined the British Armed Forces and served as the Air Force nurse for the next two years. In 1936 she was moved to the Special Air Service (SAS).

Joining the Strategic Scientific Reserve
"Take your serum to the Allies, where it can be turned against HYDRA."

- Peggy Carter to Abraham Erskine

Margaret Carter was an agent of the British Secret Intelligence. In November 1940, she infiltrated Castle Kaufmann, the headquarters of the SS general Johann Schmidt, leader of HYDRA, Adolf Hitler's top secret science division. Disguised as a maid Eva, she freed the captured scientist Abraham Erskine, who created the Super Soldier Serum and escaped the castle.

Soon, Peggy was assigned as a liaison from the British government to help the Americans combat against the Nazis. Peggy served under Colonel Chester Phillips in the Strategic Scientific Reserve.

Project Rebirth
"Faster, ladies! Come on! My grandmother has more life in her, God rest her soul. Move it!"

- Peggy Carter

In June 1943, she met Steve Rogers at Colonel Phillips' training base and oversaw his and the other potential candidate's training for Operation: Rebirth. When Rogers was selected as the candidate, she escorted him to the U.S. Army's secret base in Brooklyn under a pawnshop. After Dr. Erskine was murdered by Heinz Kruger after Rogers' successful transformation, she followed Rogers and the spy into the streets of Brooklyn and fired several rounds into the car the spy was escaping in.

Colonel Phillips was given a new assignment to take the S.S.R. to Europe to take the fight directly to HYDRA and made Agent Carter and Howard Stark apart of his staff. In November 1943, Agent Carter and Howard Stark helped Captain Rogers get to his destination to the secret HYDRA base in Austria where allied POWs were held. Peggy soon developed a crush for Steve, though referred to it as "having faith in him".

Jealousy
Peggy was present at the meeting of the senior staff of SSR in London. They discussed the best way to take down HYDRA bases scattered across the Nazi-occupied Europe. Peggy became furious at Steve after she saw him being kissed by Colonel Phillips' secretary Lorraine.

Losing Steve
"I'll-I'll get Howard on the line. He'll know what to do." "There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York. I gotta put her in the water." "Please don't do this. W-we have time. We can work it out."

- Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers

In May 1945, Peggy was part of company of soldiers led by Colonel Phillips to follow Captain Rogers into HYDRA's last base of operations. After a brutal fight to the death on a HYDRA plane, Johann Schmidt was finally defeated, along with his soldiers. Knowing that the plane Steve was on would cause a lot of trouble for America, he was left with one option; forcing the large plane to land on the waters of the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Peggy, knowing that this would result in his death, didn't give up hope. She pressed on the matter, implying that there would be time for them to sort the situation out. However, Steve claimed that there wasn't enough time, and proceeded with the landing. As the plane made its final descent, Peggy and Steve set a date, where she would teach him how to dance. All communications with the plane were then lost, and all Peggy could do was cry for his loss.



Zodiac
One year later, Agent Carter is working in data analysis and code breaking for Agent Flynn in the midst of an old-boys network, where she’s patronized and under-used. Meanwhile the agents are in pursuit of ‘Zodiac’ but fail to call on Peggy for help – she’s gone three months without an assignment.

One night, Flynn and the boys are going out for drinks, leaving Peggy to clean up the office when the hotline goes. The caller directs her to the location of ‘Zodiac’ and suggests she draft 3-5 agents.

Instead Agent Carter goes alone, carrying a tricked out briefcase with her. At her location, she beats the crap out of two goons throwing one through the window in the first of her kick-ass action scenes.

The third guard-goon she handcuffs to a pipe and tells him to scream for help. When two further heavies arrive she ambushes them in her second butt-kicking bonanza. Finally she locates the room where ‘Zodiac’ is – throwing in a smoke bomb to lay out what she thinks is the final guard before finding the vial marked with a strange symbol that is ‘Zodiac’. Only there’s one last heavy – the biggest yet, decked out in a gas mask. The two battle until Peggy looks finally beaten when, at the last moment, she slips a knife from her briefcase and stabs him. Mission accomplished.

Back at the office and Agent Flynn disciplines Carter for insubordination until the phone rings. It’s Howard Stark. Stark says the mission was more a notch in Carter’s belt than a feather in her cap and informs Flynn that Carter is to run S.H.I.E.L.D. with him.

Flynn is to inform Carter and ‘let her know you’re honoured to bring her the news’. Carter rebukes his offer to carry her things out of the office.

Later life
"You've been asleep, Cap. For almost 70 years. You gonna be okay?" "Yeah. Yeah, I just... I had a date..."

- Nick Fury and Steve Rogers

Peggy continued working for the SSR until 1949. Steve had survived, but in a quite unexpected matter. He had been frozen for 70 years. The experiments done on him in the past allowed him to survive, and retained his youthful appearance.

Peggy seems to have quit her job and retired over 70 years later. Her profile documents, which include her retirement home address and number, were seen by Steve, but he hesitated to call her because he was afraid of her seeing him like this.

Friends and Allies

 * United States Armed Forces
 * Steve Rogers/Captain America - Love Interest
 * Bucky Barnes
 * Abraham Erskine - Friend
 * Chester Phillips - Former Army Commander
 * S.H.I.E.L.D.
 * Howard Stark - Weapons Producer
 * John Flynn - Superior Officer

Enemies

 * HYDRA
 * Red Skull
 * Arnim Zola
 * Heinz Kruger

Trivia

 * At the end of Captain America: The First Avenger when Nick Fury first encounters the bewildered Steve Rogers, Steve mentions that he is 70 years late for a date that he planned with Peggy.
 * In The Avengers Peggy appears in short flashbacks conceived by Steve Rogers when he was fighting a punching bag in the gym.
 * There was a scene intended for The Avengers where Steve reunites with an old "Peggy Carter." Although this was never released into the theatrical cut and was never even filmed. However, there is a deleted scene where Steve finds files about the deceased Howling Commandos and Peggy Carter. Her address and telephone number are on the file, but Steve decides to not make a call.
 * Peggy Carter was portrayed by Hayley Atwell in the Captain America: The First Avenger movie. Atwell also voiced the character in the Captain America: Super Soldier video game.
 * In Marvel Comics, Peggy Carter was a freedom fighter with the French Resistance during World War II.
 * According to S.H.I.E.L.D. files, Peggy joined the Special Air Service (SAS) in 1936. In reality, SAS wasn't formed before July 1941.