Destruction of Project Insight

For the destruction of Project Insight in the original timeline, see Battle at the Triskelion

"He discovered that there were universes stacked on top of his own..." The subject of this article comes from an alternate universe connecting to the main timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This universe is designated by the Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki as "History Altered by Chronicoms".

Destruction of Project Insight
Previous	Escape from The Krazy Kanoe
Concurrent	Assassination of Wilfred Malick Kidnapping of Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa
Next	Rescue of John and Lilla Mackenzie Destruction of the Chronicom Time Ship
War	Chronicom Colonization of Earth
Date	July 4, 1976
Location	Lighthouse, Lake Ontario, New York
Result (Outcome)	Project Insight is destroyed by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents
Combatants
S.H.I.E.L.D.
HYDRA
S.H.I.E.L.D. (1976)
Commanders
Alphonso Mackenzie
Wilfred Malick
Rick Stoner
Casualties
-
-
-

"Your friends blew up my rocket. On the Fourth of July."
"You didn't want that thing to reach orbit, General. You would have found that out the hard way."
"Because time-traveling robots would have turned their deadly lasers upon the Earth?"

―Rick Stoner and Phil Coulson^[src]

The Destruction of Project Insight was a mission undertaken by S.H.I.E.L.D. in an attempt to infiltrate the Lighthouse and stop HYDRA from launching Project Insight after the Chronicom Hunters helped them acquire the required technology four decades in advance. Although the mission was successful, it also led to the arrest of Phil Coulson and Melinda May, and forced S.H.I.E.L.D. to reveal the position of their aircraft, Zephyr One.

Background

"HYDRA's attempting Insight in 1973."
"With no Helicarriers."
"According to Malick, S.H.I.E.L.D. has a system of satellites and lasers."

―Alphonso Mackenzie, Yo-Yo Rodriguez and Phil Coulson^[src]

In an attempt to take over Earth and turn it into their home planet, the Chronicoms began a crusade against S.H.I.E.L.D., traveling into the past to prevent the formation of the organization. However, their assaults were systematically countered by a S.H.I.E.L.D. team who followed them through time. S.H.I.E.L.D. notably protected a young Wilfred Malick, whose survival was essential to the rise of HYDRA, and therefore the need to create S.H.I.E.L.D.; and later stopped the hijacking of Project Helius, which could have been used to eliminate many of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents.

Therefore, the Chronicom Hunters led by Luke decided to switch strategies, and forged an alliance with Malick, even though they had attempted to take him out years before. Indeed, since HYDRA was already active, the Chronicom Hunters decided to help the nefarious organization by granting them access to a technology that enabled them, through their already begun infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D., to develop Project Insight four decades before their counterpart in the original timeline, thus giving them early access to a method to eliminate their enemies, S.H.I.E.L.D. being chief among them.

Destruction

Phil Coulson and Melinda May infiltrating the Lighthouse

"Direct hit. Missiles detonated on impact. Insight has been destroyed."
"But we just gave up our position."

―Jemma Simmons and Alphonso Mackenzie^[src]

In 1976, the S.H.I.E.L.D. team decided to infiltrate into the Lighthouse, which had been turned into the launch base for the Project Insight rocket under supervision from Rick Stoner, a loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. high-ranking officer who was unaware of the HYDRA infiltration. Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa were sent to hack into the Lighthouse's security systems in order to enable Phil Coulson and Melinda May to plant bombs that would flood the base upon being detonated. Accessing the surveillance camera was also meant for S.H.I.E.L.D. to assess the presence of prisoners at the Lighthouse who could be drowned in the base's flooding.

Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa are captured by Nathaniel Malick

Using her advanced computer equipment, Johnson had no trouble accessing the security systems of the Lighthouse, thus allowing Coulson and May to enter the base and to pose as regular S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives after they knocked unconscious two agents to steal their suits. Coulson and May were able to go through the first checkpoint without any problem, but before Johnson could unlock the second checkpoint for them, she and Sousa were abducted by Nathaniel Malick, as Wilfred Malick had been alerted by his Chronicom Hunters allies that S.H.I.E.L.D. would attempt to prevent the launch.

Phil Coulson trying to reason with Rick Stoner

Since they could no longer open the checkpoint, Coulson and May were instructed by Alphonso Mackenzie to reach out to Stoner in an attempt to convince him to cancel the launch, mentioning the Chronicoms' interference. However, Stoner did not believe Coulson's story, which May sensed thanks to her newfound powers, causing her to knock Stoner unconscious before he could order their arrest. May and Coulson then stole Stoner's access card, enabling them to reach the point where they planted the bombs.

S.H.I.E.L.D. going to rescue Alphonso Mackenzie's "parents"

Nevertheless, upon reviewing the footage of the surveillance cameras, Mackenzie recognized two people that were held in a cell at the Lighthouse: his parents. Unaware that they actually were Chroncicom impersonators, Mackenzie feared that his parents would die if the base was flooded as planned, and ordered the whole operation to be aborted seconds before Project Insight was launched. Instead, Mackenzie ordered Enoch and Jemma Simmons to ready the Zephyr One in order to intercept the rocket.

Zephyr One destroying rocket that puts an end to Project Insight

Arriving in time at Lake Ontario, the Zephyr One was able to fire a missile that directly stroke the rocket, thus destroying it and putting an end to Project Insight. However, it also caused S.H.I.E.L.D. to reveal the location of their aircraft, enabling the Chronicom Hunters, who had taken control of the Lighthouse's defense systems, to fire missiles at the plane. Still, the Zephyr One was able to sustain enough damage to keep flying. Meanwhile, at the Lighthouse, May and Coulson were arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Aftermath

Alphonso Mackenzie rescuing his "parents"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. revealed their ship to destroy Insight. We have their location. Malick's son captured Daisy Johnson. They are divided. And Alphonso Mackenzie's parents will force them into the Lighthouse."

―Sibyl to Luke^[src]

Since Project Insight had been destroyed, Alphonso Mackenzie feared for his parents' life, as the Chronicom Hunters no longer needed hostages to be used as leverage against S.H.I.E.L.D. Therefore, he and Yo-Yo Rodriguez mounted a rescue mission to save them from the Lighthouse. It was only after they were safely boarded into a Quinjet that Mackenzie realized that his parents had been killed for a long time and that the people he had saved actually were Chronicom impersonators.

Phil Coulson destroying the Chronicom Time Ship

Phil Coulson and Melinda May were interrogated by Rick Stoner, who still refused to believe their story about the Chronicom Hunters having influenced S.H.I.E.L.D. and facilitated HYDRA's infiltration to complete Project Insight. Nevertheless, May was able to sense that Stoner was actually surrounded by Chronicom impostors, putting him in grave danger as he was nearly replaced himself. Coulson and May were later able to free themselves and to save Stoner, thus convincing him of the truth in their version of the development of Project Insight.