- "The bodies of Massachusetts Senator Christian Ward and both his mother and father were identified by police tonight in what appears to be a murder-suicide. A partial destroyed tape found in the fire is believed to be the Senator's confession."
- ―News Reporter[src]
The Assassination of Christian Ward was an attack on Senator Christian Ward and his family by his younger brother Grant.
Background
- "I want the truth... about this one event from my past. Admit you made me push Thomas down the well."
- ―Grant Ward to Christian Ward[src]
Growing up, Christian and Grant Ward did not get along. Christian was a bully who would have Grant do his dirty work in torturing their brother Thomas; Thomas was dropped into a well and Christian did not want Grant to retrieve him, lest he put Grant there as well.[5] The hatred that Grant had for his family, because of their allowing of the bullying, grew so great that Grant left military school so he could burn down the family's home.[6]
Christian grew up to become a Senator of Massachusetts; Grant became a HYDRA sharpshooter, working undercover in S.H.I.E.L.D. However, the press or general public never correlated the two as brothers; Antoine Triplett was surprised to learn of how influential the Ward family was.[7]
All records of Grant Ward's existence was erased by Skye when Odyssey Protocol was enacted during the HYDRA Uprising.[8]
Grant Ward was captured by Coulson's Team in the Battle at Cybertek,[9] and held at the Playground.[10]
When HYDRA led an Attack on the United Nations pretending they were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Director Coulson went to Senator Ward to have him drop his proposed legislation that S.H.I.E.L.D. be barred from operating in the United States of America. Ultimately, agreeing with Coulson after he explained the differences between the organizations, Senator Ward had a press conference, revealing that his brother Grant was a terrorist.[11]
Grant Ward escapes from the custody of the FBI
Phil Coulson proposed a deal with Senator Ward to hand over Grant to the United States Air Force. While being transported, Grant dislocated his thumb so he could slip his handcuffs and killed his guards.[12]
Coulson ordered Antoine Triplett, Bobbi Morse, Lance Hunter and Melinda May to locate and recapture Ward. The team tracked Ward to the Goldbrix Tavern in Boston. They stormed into the tavern, only to find Ward gone and Sunil Bakshi tied to a chair with a note saying "For Coulson".[2] Christian decided that he wanted S.H.I.E.L.D. off the search for Grant, deeming the organization "politically toxic", telling them that he would find his brother himself.[3]
Ward found a place to stay and shaved his hair and beard. He called Skye, asking if Coulson enjoyed his "present", and saying he had some private business to attend to.[2]
Assassination
- "I take responsibility for my actions, Christian. Now it's your turn."
- ―Grant Ward to Christian Ward[src]
Christian Ward arrived at his family's summer house while on the phone with his wife Anna. He cleared his weekend by lying to her by saying that he had to go to strategy meetings and called his mistress to set up a date. Outside the car, Grant Ward, who had tracked him down, killed the security detail. Grant threw Christian from the car and taunted him, asking if he had been looking for him.
Grant handcuffed Christian and led him through the woods to an unknown location. As the brothers walked, Christian tried to learn what interest HYDRA had in him but Grant informed him that this was personal. Christian tried to convince Grant that he had got him out of S.H.I.E.L.D. custody as he knew Grant would be able to escape from the guards Christian had put on him. Grant claimed he would not fall for Christian's emotional tricks any more despite Christian reminding Grant of the crimes he had committed. Before long, Christian realized that Grant was taking him to the well where Thomas had nearly drowned years before.
Grant forced Christian to uncover the well that their parents had buried. When Christian asked what this entire event was about, Grant told him that he simply wanted Christian to admit that he forced Grant to push Thomas down the well all those years ago. Christian refused and claimed it was all Grant's sadistic idea. When Christian eventually dug his way to the well, he hit Grant with the shovel and attempted to make a run for it. Grant quickly caught him and hit his face against the tree. As Christian bled from a deep cut on his forehead, Grant carried him to the well and removed the cover. Grant attempted to drop Christian inside. In tears and fearing for his life, Christian finally admitted he had tried to drown Thomas because their mother favored Thomas, and he wanted to show her their pain. Grant relented and told Christian that all he wanted was the truth, the pair hugged and Grant told him it was time to go home.
Grant took Christian to their family home, where he murdered Christian along with their mother and father and burnt the house down. Grant left a video recording that he made of Christian admitting that he hated his mother and wanted her to feel his pain, making it look like a murder-suicide and further ruining Christian's appearance to the public.[3]
Aftermath
- "More news on the investigation of the horrific murder-suicide of Massachusetts Senator Christian Ward. FBI sources claim that while the senator did leave a recorded confession, other evidence found at the scene suggests another party may have been involved."
- ―News Reporter[src]
Grant Ward found "closure" for all the events in his past by making his torturer confess and then killing him. In time, he came to believe that that was the way of getting over a traumatic event, and eventually aided Kara Palamas in an attempt to do the same to the person they believed was responsible for Palamas' most traumatic event.[13][14][15]
Grant went to see HYDRA leader Daniel Whitehall and asked if he could join his organization; during the interview, Whitehall showed Grant news footage of the assassination of Senator Ward.[3]
Watching the news, Skye and Melinda May learned of the assassination; May told Skye that they did the best they could for the Senator.
Despite Grant's attempt to cover the assassination making it appear as a murder-suicide by Christian Ward, as the news announced, the FBI found evidence that there was at least another individual involved in the deaths.[16] The Wards' youngest son Thomas was aware that Grant had murdered Christian and their parents and was disgusted, considering Grant's actions unjustifiable despite hating all three victims.[17]
References
- ↑ In The Things We Bury, Hunter states that "Red Skull's been dead for over 70 years." Red Skull disappeared on February 1945.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.07: The Writing on the Wall
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.08: The Things We Bury
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.09: ...Ye Who Enter Here
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1.08: The Well
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1.21: Ragtag
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1.16: End of the Beginning
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1.18: Providence
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1.22: Beginning of the End
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.02: Heavy is the Head
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.05: A Hen in the Wolf House
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.06: A Fractured House
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.20: Scars
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.21: S.O.S. Part One
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.22: S.O.S. Part Two
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.09: ...Ye Who Enter Here
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 3.09: Closure