- "Wilfred Malick. As in father of Gideon Malick, future head of HYDRA in America?"
"If the Chronicoms kill Malick, then HYDRA is stamped out before it ever takes hold and S.H.I.E.L.D. is never formed." - ―Daisy Johnson and Phil Coulson[src]
The Attack on Freddy Malick was an attempt by the Chronicom Hunters to assassinate Freddy Malick to prevent HYDRA's further existence in the future in order to erase S.H.I.E.L.D. from history.
Background[]
- "The Chronicoms want to establish Chronyca-3 as their new home planet here, on Earth. They believe only S.H.I.E.L.D. can stop them, so they sent Hunters to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. and everyone within it."
- ―Jemma Simmons[src]
The Chronicom Hunters decided to make Earth their new home, Chronyca-3, after Chronyca-2 was destroyed. They quickly realized that S.H.I.E.L.D. would be the only threat in their plans, so they traveled across time to alter certain events to ensure S.H.I.E.L.D. never existed.[2] The Chronicoms, with the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. following them, traveled back to 1931 and created an alternate timeline in the process, although both parties believed they were in the past of their prime timeline and that their actions would affect their native timeline's history.[3]
Entering a bar in New York City of 1931, Luke, Cain and Abel killed and assumed the identities of three New York City Police Department officers, including Captain William Dole. While investigating the officers' apparent murder, Alphonso Mackenzie and a Life-Model Decoy of Phil Coulson investigated a speakeasy run by Ernest Koenig. Koenig told Coulson and Mackenzie that New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt would be holding a campaign party that night, the two predicted that Roosevelt would be the Chronicoms' intended target since Roosevelt founded the Strategic Scientific Reserve, which would eventually become S.H.I.E.L.D.
They met a bartender named Freddy Malick, who had made contact with a HYDRA operative named Viola, who wanted to give him a vial to deliver to HYDRA, which contained a key ingredient to the development of the Super Soldier Serum. Meanwhile, Cain and Abel attacked Johnson and Shaw, which resulted in Cain being brought to Zephyr One, where Jemma Simmons, Enoch, and Yo-Yo Rodriguez could interrogate him.
Preparing to defend Governor Roosevelt, Coulson, Mackenzie, Deke Shaw, and Daisy Johnson arrived at the campaign party in various covers. Roosevelt delivered a speech, and as the party continued, Coulson and Johnson became increasingly suspicious about why the Chronicoms had not yet attacked the Governor, given the many opportunities with which they had been presented. Meanwhile, Mackenzie and Shaw discussed the Governor's future, and Freddy had overheard, wondering why Roosevelt was a big deal.
Roosevelt began to leave the room, causing Coulson, Johnson, Mackenzie, and Shaw to chase after him, making sure he was safe. Meanwhile, Luke and Abel prepared to kill Malick after the handoff planned between Malick and Viola. Coulson and Johnson rushed over to Roosevelt and realized that he was not the intended target. Coulson helped the Governor into his wheelchair, and Roosevelt left. Simmons managed to learn from Cain that a boy named Freddy was the target, so Johnson, Coulson, Mackenzie, and Shaw began looking for Malick.[1]
Attack[]
Deke Shaw helping Freddy Malick up
- "Who are you? Why are you doing this?"
"Because you are the thread." - ―Freddy Malick and Luke[src]
Viola and Freddy Malick found a private place together and briefly discussed Malick's father before Viola handed the Super Soldier Serum. Immediately after, Luke and Abel appeared, and Luke shot Viola, who fell to the ground. Malick hid, but Luke approached him with the gun, referring to Malick as the thread that had to be pulled in order to prevent S.H.I.E.L.D. from existing. Daisy Johnson managed to rescue Malick, using her powers to send Luke and Abel flying into the kitchen. The three began to fight, as Alphonso Mackenzie and Deke Shaw brought Malick to safety. A Life-Model Decoy of Phil Coulson noticed Viola bleeding out on the floor, alive. He heard Johnson fighting, and promised to return for Viola.
Daisy Johnson defeating Abel with a pipe
Coulson entered the kitchen and joined the fight, fighting Luke while Johnson fought Abel. Luke tried to use a pot to defend himself from Coulson's punch, but Coulson's robotic strength allowed him to dent the pot. Coulson soon defeated Luke and helped Johnson defeat Abel, as Johnson used a steel pipe to push Abel into the reception hall. Several police officers noticed Abel, who had been disguised as a New York City Police Department officer, and rushed to his aid. However, when they ran into the kitchen, they found that Coulson and Johnson had fled.[1]
Aftermath[]
Viola getting questioned by S.H.I.E.L.D.
- "So you're saying, to save S.H.I.E.L.D..."
"We have to save HYDRA." - ―Daisy Johnson and Phil Coulson[src]
The Chronicom-upgraded Life-Model Decoy of Phil Coulson and Daisy Johnson brought Viola into their car and asked Jemma Simmons to meet with them and help heal Viola. They drove to Ernest Koenig's speakeasy and let Viola rest there, despite Koenig's objections. While asking Koenig why the Chronicoms would want Freddy Malick dead, Koenig casually mentioned his last name, which the agents had not previously known. Coulson and Johnson realized that if the Chronicoms successfully killed Malick, then his son, Gideon Malick, would not be born, and would therefore not play his influential part as a HYDRA agent who began HYDRA's influence over S.H.I.E.L.D.. This caused them to realize that saving S.H.I.E.L.D. required saving HYDRA.
Freddy Malick chooses to leave with HYDRA
Meanwhile, Alphonso Mackenzie and Deke Shaw fled the campaign party with Malick, asking him where they should go.[1] Malick told them that he had to complete his delivery, and Mackenzie and Shaw helped him arrive at Hell's Harbor to complete the delivery, despite debate within S.H.I.E.L.D. about whether they should kill Malick and prevent future misery. When Malick was attacked again, S.H.I.E.L.D. defended him and themselves, allowing him to complete the delivery. The ingredient was then sent to HYDRA, and was a key ingredient to creating the version of the Super Soldier Serum that turned Johann Schmidt into Red Skull.[4]