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"He has all of his own memories and has been upgraded with complete knowledge of everything he's missed. He has Chronicom hardware, which makes him our most advanced LMD. And there is no better person to be your right hand, sir."
Agent Phillip J. "Phil" Coulson[7] is the second Life-Model Decoy of the original Phil Coulson, created by Enoch, Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons, using Chronicom technology. With the Chronicom Hunters planning on wiping out S.H.I.E.L.D. throughout history so they could establish Earth as Chronyca-3, the Chronicom LMD was designed to help the team navigate the past as Alphonso Mackenzie's second-in-command. As he came to terms with his new reality, Coulson helped the team navigate 1931, 1955, and 1973, before making the heroic sacrifice by destroying the Chronicom Time Ship, with their Hunters and him still inside it.
Although his body was destroyed, his data was preserved on a hard drive. While stuck in the 1980s, Coulson's hard drive was recovered by Deke Shaw, who hooked it up to a TV system, before he, Shaw and Mackenzie were rescued by the team. Once back on Zephyr One, Coulson received a new LMD body, and, with the help of Leo Fitz arriving through the Quantum Realm, returned to 2019 for the team's final standoff against the Chronicoms. Following the defeat of the Chronicoms, Coulson decided to make the most of his third life, and took to exploring the world to find the new and unusual.
"It's like the worst episode of This Is Your Life ever. Was that even my life?" "It was Coulson's." "And he was against this. He didn't... I didn't want to be brought back."
Using the Chronicom hardware and all data about Phil Coulson they had from the backup of his mind in the Framework, along with the information he had missed since then, Enoch, Fitz, and Simmons managed to create a Life-Model Decoy of Coulson that would be their expert in S.H.I.E.L.D. history and help them find out what the Hunters were going to do. Deactivated LMD Coulson was taken to the Zephyr One and traveled with them to 1931. He was activated by Daisy Johnson, and upon his awakening, LMD Coulson greeted Simmons, Johnson, and Alphonso Mackenzie as if he was actually Coulson.[1]
Coulson feels a difference in himself
Sensing the awkwardness in the room, Coulson questioned why no one was talking, but none of them answered. He took note of Johnson's new hairstyle and told her he liked it. Simmons then informed him that he had missed a lot, before Coulson asked how they got into the Zephyr. While Simmons talked about his last scan being from the Framework and that he'll feel some disorientation as his mind catches up with what he's missed, Coulson was too focused on how different his hand and himself felt to pay attention.
Coulson questioned why he felt different and while Simmons tried to ease him into it, Johnson blurted out that he was an LMD, much to Coulson's horror. Coulson's mind then started to catch up on the last two years with him rambling how he died and came back, but how it was really Sarge. Johnson tried to calm him down to no success and he started to remember Sarge stabbing Melinda May, which he felt guilt over. Johnson assured him that wasn't him, but Coulson started to recite everything that happened in the last year that he was alive, ending with his deal with Ghost Rider, before Mackenzie shut him down.
Coulson is brought up on the situation
Mackenzie soon reactivated Coulson, with the latter believing he shouldn't have been built. Mackenzie questioned if he was stable and Coulson compared it as the worst episode of This Is Your Life. Coulson took a minute before reminding Mackenzie that the real Coulson didn't want to be brought back. Mackenzie informed him of the situation with the Chronicoms and how Simmons believed that he's their best chance to defeat them. Coulson asked for his thoughts, and he told him that he trusted Simmons, but wanted to know what Coulson thought.
Without hesitation, Coulson told Mackenzie that he'd do anything for them, but if they survive, he was going to reevaluate; Mackenzie agreed to do the same. Coulson asked what the next move was. Mackenzie told them that they needed to find the Chronicoms before they changed something, but Simmons and Enoch arrived to inform them they already had. Enoch told them that the NYPD radioed three bodies without faces and told them this was a technique used by the Hunters to blend in using a device called an Eraser. After Deke Shaw returned with their disguises, Mackenzie ordered Coulson to suit up with the others.[8]
After putting on the disguises that Deke Shaw acquired, the team, minus Jemma Simmons, Yo-Yo Rodriguez, Melinda May, and Enoch, started their investigation into a group of dead NYPD officers without faces. Once getting through a secret passage, the group, particularly Coulson, were in awe of the sight of 1931New York.
While the team walked the streets, Daisy Johnson and Shaw started gushing over how cool it was being in 1931, but Coulson reminded them that the era they were currently in wasn't all that great with everything that is and will eventually happen in the coming years. When Johnson started to become worried about changing the Timeline due to the Butterfly Effect, Coulson shared her concerns because he might show off his gears to the populace, only for Shaw to give them his view on the Timestream theory.
He explained to them how the time stream theory worked, which Coulson was able to understand and then listened as Shaw explained how they could avoid any serious damage while still being able to explore a little. Alphonso Mackenzie figured where he was going with this and told him that he wouldn't be filing patents. After Shaw assured the Director that he'd be fine, he bumped into a man and Coulson apologized for him, saying it was his first time in New York, and they continued on.
Coulson was then handed plastic badges that Shaw printed out before they left, but the others were less then impressed with his work on them, with Coulson questioning if he had gotten them out of a cereal box. Once they reached Cut Rate Drugs and got through the crowds, they were halted by Officer Fischer where Coulson used Shaw's badge to tell the officer they were part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and that the four of them were asked to assist in the investigation. When Fischer made fun of Johnson pretending to be a Mountie, Coulson watched in amusement with Mackenzie and Shaw as Johnson threatened to beat the Officer up in front of all of his police friends unless he moved. With that, Fischer let Coulson and the others into the store.
Once inside, the team started to investigate the three bodies, but Coulson questioned the fourth body who still had his face. After Shaw examined the box full of bottles and deduced it was Whisky, Coulson picked up one of the bottles' lids with a swordfish. He was amazed he knew what it meant and told the team about a S.H.I.E.L.D. safe-house that was an old speakeasy where the password was Swordfish, but Shaw figured it was a coincidence. Mackenzie, however, disagreed and ordered Shaw and Johnson to investigate the bodies while he and Coulson checked out the bar.[8]
"Apparently, there was an SSRasset who kept the peace and was always behind the bar, went by "Gemini." Don't know his real name." "Come on, I'll buy you a drink. Can you drink?" "Only one way to find out."
Coulson led Alphonso Mackenzie to The Krazy Kanoe where there were stairs they down. When the two reached the door, Coulson knocked on it and as they waited, he talked about the password being in a Marx Brothers movie, Horse Feathers and wondered in the glee of them hanging out in this bar. A man finally opened the slide in the door and requested the password. When Coulson answered with Swordfish, he and Mackenzie were aloud in.
Coulson look for "Gemini"
Once inside, Coulson told Mackenzie they were looking for an SSR asset who kept the peace behind the bar named "Gemini", but he didn't know what his real name was. Mackenzie offered to buy Coulson a drink, but then questioned if he could drink, to which Coulson replied there was only one way to find out. The two reached the bar and asked Tillman if they could speak to Gemini about the death of the fourth body, only for the bartender and everyone else to pull their guns at them.
Coulson attempted to ease everyone, to no avail. The bartender demanded to know what they did to Jimmy Bottles, but they told them they didn't kill him and requested their help in finding the ones who did. The bartender refused and prepared to kill Coulson, telling him he was dead. Coulson agreed and told the worried Mackenzie he was testing out a theory. He approached the bartender who warned him that he'd shoot. When Coulson grabbed the shotgun, he fired, but Coulson just shrugged it off and took his gun and aimed it at him.
After Mackenzie beat up the other gunmen, Coulson examined where he got shot and started to think being an LMD wasn't as bad as he originally thought, but Mackenzie believed he was crazy. Focusing back on the bartender, Coulson once again asked for his boss. They then heard a voice coming in, telling them if they spilled blood in his bar, they had better add their own. The two recognized the man as a Koenig and he introduced himself as Ernest Koenig. Coulson in turn introduced himself and Mackenzie and assured him they came in peace. Koenig, however, wasn't that moved with his men unconscious.
The three then sat down to negotiate, where Keonig wasn't that pleased since they beat up his guys. Though Coulson defended their actions by pointing out they started it. However, Keonig didn't want to hear excuses from or his "shadow", which caused Coulson to request to keep things civil, telling him he associates the Keonig name with more decency. Keonig defended himself by claiming he was a "Man of the People", but Coulson wasn't that convinced, even when Keonig told him he gave Freddy Malick a job and let him sleep at his bar at a discounted price.
Getting back on topic, the two explained to Keonig that they were the ones that give him his supplies and were after a new gang that was in town who killed one of their guys at Cut Rate Drugs along with Bottles. Believing their story, Keonig told them that he was supplying a political party for the Governor and that he paid off the cops not to arrest him just for having a few drinks. Coulson realized the Governor was Franklin D. Roosevelt and told Mackenzie about his influence in S.H.I.E.L.D.. The two then deduced that the Hunters wanted to kill FDR before he became President, which would prevent S.H.I.E.L.D. from being formed.[8]
Meeting Governor Roosevelt[]
Coulson as a bartender
"This LMD thing might not be all bad. We're together. At a party with FDR. I look good, you look great, and for the first time, we're both superheroes."
With the help from Ernest Koenig, Coulson and Alphonso Mackenzie attended the political party as bartenders. Coulson was bringing more Whisky to the front when Mackenzie threatened to kill the next 1931 moron, regardless of the consequences of the timeline. They were soon greeted by Daisy Johnson and Deke Shaw, who arrived as backup.
Coulson makes a dad joke
Coulson asked the two if they recognize any of the cops as the Hunters, but they didn't. However, they informed them that there was still one cop they didn't ID yet. When Mackenzie talked about the Chronicoms waiting for Franklin D. Roosevelt, Coulson joked about it being a whole new deal when he got here, which none of them got. He then apologized for the "glitch." Mackenzie then assigned Coulson and Johnson to wait by the door to protect FDR while he and Shaw stayed at the bar. Coulson complied and got into position.
Johnson walked up to Coulson and apologized for bringing him back by pushing the button, despite him not wanting it. Accepting Johnson's apology, Coulson joked about how weird it was that there was a button to push, which Johnson agreed. He continued the conversation by bringing up how he has data telling him he was dead and that he left Johnson a letter, but it wasn't really him. He acknowledged that it must have been a lot for Johnson to go through. To try and ease the awkwardness, Johnson told Coulson that it was a really nice letter he wrote and will let him read it someday, which he looked forward to.
When FDR took the podium, Coulson was amazed at him walking because he needed a wheelchair, but was wearing leg braces to hide his injury. When Johnson mentioned he was at an illegal party with dirty cops, Coulson corrected her by saying that it was only illegal now because his campaign is about overturning Prohibition and helps end in December 1933. Johnson joked that his fanboy was showing before they were offered glasses of wine, to which they accepted. They then listened to FDR's speech.
Coulson realizes something's wrong
After FDR's speech, Coulson and Johnson continued their conversation. After Coulson took another sip of his wine, he talked about being a LMD wasn't as bad as he thought as he was together with Johnson, at a party with Roosevelt, and for the first time, they were both superheroes. When Johnson believed something wasn't right, Coulson thought she as referring to him, before she corrected herself, saying if the cops were Chronicoms, why were they waiting. Coulson deduced that they wanted to wait for FDR to be isolated, so they wouldn't draw attention. FDR soon headed back to the service entrance to get to his wheelchair and Coulson and Johnson figured that was when they would strike.
They rushed after FDR, where Coulson warned him, only to see he wasn't in danger. He apologized and started to stutter at being in the same room as FDR. Johnson apologized for their interruption, saying Coulson was a big fan of his. FDR understood and asked if Coulson could help him into his wheelchair. Coulson accepted and FDR thanked him, by offering him his hand, saying his wheelchair would be their secret. Coulson took it and felt great joy shaking hands with the future President. After Roosevelt left, Mackenzie and Shaw arrived asking where the Chronicoms were, only for Coulson to realize they were missing something.[8]
"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." "So you're saying, to save S.H.I.E.L.D..." "We have to save HYDRA."
The team then got word from Jemma Simmons that her interrogation of Cain revealed they were actually after Freddy Malick, which confused them. When they caught up with him, the Chronicom Hunters had already made their move. Alphonso Mackenzie asked where Daisy Johnson was Coulson told him she was fighting the "Chroni-Cops." Mackenzie ordered Coulson to help Johnson while and Deke Shaw got Malick to safety and that they'd meet up at Ernest Koenig's bar. Coulson then kneeled down to examine the woman the Hunters severely injured, but had to leave her when he heard the fighting and rushed into the kitchen to help Johnson.
Coulson arrived just in time to save Johnson from Luke and Abel, throwing Luke into an oven. While he fought Luke, Johnson handled Abel. When Coulson threw a punch, Luke tried to block it with a metal pan, only for Coulson's LMD strength to dent it, much to his amusement. Luke tried to hit him with the pot, only for Coulson to charge throw a punch, but Luke dodges it. He then grabbed Coulson by the face and slammed him against a pillar repeatedly. Coulson managed to get out of his grip and tried to land a punch, only for Luke to grab him again and try to burn him on one of the oven's burners.
Ripping a steel pipe free, Coulson strikes Luke across the face, knocking him out. Going to help Johnson in her fight against Abel, he intervened just in time before the Chronicom killed her with a cleaver. He then kicked him to the ground and threw Johnson the metal pipe so she could finish the job. After she hit Abel with the pipe, causing him to be flown out into the crowd of people, Coulson and Johnson grabbed the injured woman and fled to Keonig's bar before they were cornered by the actual police.
Coulson and Johnson busted into Keonig's bar, the former carrying the unconscious Viola, much to the bar owner's annoyance, and told him that their "doctor friend" would be here soon to see to her. Koenig demanded to know what happened and Coulson told him that the "gang" was after Freddy and demanded to know why. Koenig told him it wasn't because of his father's money, mentioning his last name to be Malick. That caught their eye and asked what Freddy's full name was. Koenig revealed it was Wilfred Malick.
Coulson and Johnson soon realized that Freddy Malick was actually Gideon Malick's father, who would grow up and become the future leader of HYDRA in America in their time, and that the Chronicoms' true mission in 1931 was to kill him so HYDRA wouldn't become the force it would that S.H.I.E.L.D. was created to combat. Coulson and Johnson then came to the horrible realization that in order to save S.H.I.E.L.D. from being erased from history, they had to ensure HYDRA's very existence.[8]
While waiting for Jemma Simmons and Yo-Yo Rodriguez to arrive, Coulson and Daisy Johnson got to work stabilizing Viola. When Ernest Koenig questioned if they were really in the Import and Export business, Coulson assured him that all he needed to know was that they were here to help. Koenig didn't believe that as Coulson and Johnson had been nothing but trouble since they arrived and all but threatened them if any harm had come to Freddy Malick.
Simmons and Rodriguez then arrived and while Simmons got to work stabilizing Viola, Coulson and Johnson told Rodriguez that Freddy Malick was Gideon Malick's father, who they know would become the future leader of HYDRA. After Johnson informed Rodriguez that he was with Alphonso Mackenzie and Deke Shaw, she asked if they were aware of who Malick was. Coulson told her that they knew the mission was to protect Malick from the Chronicom Hunters or else there would be consequences, but Johnson questioned what those consequences would be.
Coulson reminded her that if HYDRA didn't form then S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't form to fight back, but Johnson pointed out that was because there would be no reason to and to think about the lives would be saved because of it. Coulson, however, denied altering the Timeline, believing if HYDRA didn't form, something worse could take its place. Johnson believed they would handle it when they returned, but Simmons pointed out that they would be returning to a future they wouldn't recognize and informed them that Viola will be fine.
Rodriguez suggested a third option where they stay behind for a while and become a good influence on Malick, but that plan was shot as it would still be altering Gideon Malick's future. Koenig soon returned and informed them that the NYPD were out looking for Malick. Coulson asked Simmons if they could move Viola, and she believed they could. Coulson then contacted Enoch and told him they needed a way to reach Mackenzie, thinking they were out of range. Enoch believed he could boost the signal on the radio transmitter.
Coulson told him to do what he could as they need to inform Mackenzie and Shaw of who Freddy Malick really was. Enoch then revealed to the team that Melinda May had awoken from her coma. Simmons grabbed the radio from Coulson and questioned what he meant. He clarified that she was up and active again. Coulson listened to Simmons tell Enoch that it was to soon and they had no idea of the consequences of May's premature awakening. Simmons ordered Enoch to sedate her and put her back into the Healing Pod.
Coulson lifted the unconscious Viola in his arms and the team readied to leave, only for Koenig to warn them that the police had arrived. Coulson and Rodriguez asked if there was a back or front exit, but Koenig told them that the way they came in was the only way in or out. With the police about to bust in, Koenig hid the group in a secret room in his office. While the others tried to keep Viola quiet, Coulson kept an eye on the situation with the "Chroni-Cops" and Koenig through the peeping hole. When it looked like they were about to be discovered, the Hunters were called away as they discovered Malick's getaway car.
When the coast was clear, the group brought Viola out and seated her at one of the tables. She questioned where Malick was and Coulson venomously told her that he was safe, no thanks to her. Johnson asked why she was meeting Malick, and when she said she was a friend of his father's, just trying to help him, Coulson told her that any friend of the Malick family was no friend of theirs. While they talked to her, Simmons noticed a droplet on her heal and requested certain ingredients to test it, fearing what it was.
After Simmons set up her homemade lab and started testing the droplet, Koenig was amazed by her work complimented her to Coulson, saying she "knew her onions." Once Simmons finished her diagnosis, she revealed the compound as part of a formula that first appeared in Germany during World War II, making Koenig believe that Simmons was high on moonshine as to him, WWII hadn't happened yet. Ignoring his interruption, she continued to explain that the serum was synthesized by the German scientist Abraham Erskine, which made Coulson uneasy, knowing where she was going with this explanation.
Coulson realizes what they had to do
She finished her debrief with the formula first being used on Johann Schmidt, who they knew as the Red Skull, the future leader of the WWII HYDRA. This made the team realize Malick was on the verge of delivering the key ingredient needed to create the Super Soldier Serum that would turn Schmidt into the Red Skull. Koenig commented that with an idiotic name such as Super Soldier Serum, it needed to have quite the kick to it, to which Coulson replied that he had no idea how right he was.
Johnson and Coulson soon got into an argument on whether they should stop Malick from delivering that ingredient. Coulson believed they shouldn't, as it had already happened, but Johnson and Rodriguez weren't that convinced. Koenig started to believe they were crazy as everything they were saying sounded like nonsense to him. Coulson tried to convince Johnson they can't tamper with a history like that, but she rebutted, saying it wasn't his call to make anymore as Mackenzie was the Director now and he didn't have all the information.
The team was then interrupted by their debate when May contacted them over the radio. Coulson went to talk to her, but intercepted him, saying she wasn't aware he was back. Coulson sadly let Simmons speak with her. She requested to know about Mackenzie and Shaw, but when Simmons refused to tell her anything, she opted to head out and find them herself, much to Simmons' dismay. Coulson told Simmons that at the moment they had to focus on the mission at hand and worry about May afterwards.
Johnson ungagged Viola and demanded to know where Malick was heading. She refused to give answers to them, saying they couldn't stop progress. Coulson told her that all they wanted was to find their friends, she then, in turn, told them to go to "Hell." This made Koenig realize he was heading to Hell's Harbor. Viola doubted they would reach him in time without a plane, but Coulson informed her they indeed had one and requested Koenig's information. He refused to say anything unless they took him alone as Malick was his responsibility. Left with no other option, they agreed.[9]
The team made it back to Zephyr One just in time to stop Melinda May from killing Enoch with a fire hydrant. Coulson ordered her to stop. May examined Coulson and figured he wasn't Sarge, but wasn't Phil Coulson either. Coulson answered that with yes and no. He noticed May wasn't at all surprised and questioned why, as he was dead. May just dropped the hydrant and walked off, saying he still was.
Jemma Simmons was able to get her back into the Healing Pod and Coulson stared at her unconscious body. Daisy Johnson stood by him and noted how she wasn't even phased when she saw him, believing that was strange. Simmons entered the room and agreed with them, telling them that she was able to sedate her with no trouble as if nothing was happening. Enoch told them that May was "malfunctioning" and that while he was unable to make contact with Alphonso Mackenzie and Deke Shaw, he did make progress and that once they were close they should be able to contact them.
Coulson took the blindfolded Ernest Koenig to the bridge of the Zephyr and revealed it to him, welcoming him aboard. Koenig was in amazement and Coulson watched in amusement as he marveled over the Zephyr and Enoch. After Enoch left to fix his face, Koenig accused Coulson and his team of being Martians, but while Coulson believed it felt like that sometimes, he denied being one. He then requested Koenig hold up his end of the deal and guide them to Hell's Harbor. The overwhelmed Koenig gave them the coordinates and they took off.
Coulson learns about the deadline
With five minutes away from Hell's Harbor, Koenig asked Coulson what they were and told them they were from the 21st Century, part of an organization called S.H.I.E.L.D. that protects the world from threats. Koenig questioned what this had to do with Freddy Malick and Johnson Yo-Yo Rodriguez told him of what his family's future is, but Koenig refused to believe it. They then got an alert and Simmons informed that in 17 minutes the Zephyr will be leaving this time period with or without them and that she had no idea as there was no way of knowing how long it will be. Coulson ordered Johnson to contact Mackenzie and Shaw and tell them they were on their way.
Coulson gives out orders
The team readied for battle against the Chronicom Hunters should they be at the harbor. Coulson said he and Johnson would locate Mackenzie and Shaw and get them safely back to the Zephyr, while Koenig finds and secure Malick, handing him a Thompson M1928. Enoch suggested he also accompany them as being a Chronicom himself, he could handle himself against other Chronicoms should they arrive. Agreeing to Enoch's logic, Coulson grabbed his own Thompson and the team headed out.
They arrived just in time to save Mackenzie and Shaw from the Chronicom Hunters. Coulson through Mackenzie a shotgun and the Hunters retaliated with their own rifles. Koenig asked those were the Martians, and Coulson just went with it and fired back. Noticing Malick fled, Mackenzie ordered Koenig and Enoch to find him while they held the Hunters off. Coulson and Johnson then informed the pair that if they didn't get back to Zephyr One in three and a half minutes it would jump to the next time period without them.
Coulson and the team leave 1931
Noticing the Hunters stopped firing on them, Shaw believed it was a trap. After Coulson checked to see the Hunters had fled, the group made haste to the Zephyr with only two minutes left. Coulson called Enoch and he reported that Malick was safe and Coulson urged him to hurry back. They made it on board, disgusted they secured HYDRA's future, and attempted to wait for Enoch before Simmons informed them they had to close the ramp or else the ship would be torn apart. Mackenzie gave the order, and as the ramp was closing, Enoch came running. They cheered him on, but it was too late and they jumped away without him.[9]
"Let's hope we didn't attract too much attention." "Well, about that... I may actually have some good news. We're just north Groom Lake, Nevada. Home of Area 51. Probably happens all the time."
Arriving in the new era, Zephyr One started to fall before its autopilot pulled them out of the dive. The team ran into the bridge and to different workstations to stabilize the Zephyr. Coulson noted that they should have someone piloting the Zephyr when they jump to a new time period. Though a rocky start, the ship skidded to a stop.
With everything stable, the team remembered that they left Enoch behind in 1931, but Coulson believed he'd be okay, as he had "time to spare." They questioned where they were and why they weren't back in their own time and Shaw reported that the GPS wasn't working. After Jemma Simmons picked up a walky-talky and tuned in on a signal, the team found out that they were in 1955. When they became concerned that the Zephyr may have attracted unwanted attention, Coulson gave them good news that they landed near Groom Lake, Nevada, which was the home of Area 51, so the idea of an alien spaceship was common here.
Coulson then set out to do research on when in 1955 they were in so they could get an advantage over what the Chronicoms were after. While he was scanning through the history books, the team discussed Daisy Johnson ordering Deke Shaw to kill Freddy Malick and how it was exactly what the Chronicoms wanted. The subject then moved to Simmons explaining how they were "drafting" through time in the Chronicom's wake and Coulson briefly turned to listen to her before returning to his research. He collected what he could and returned to the team.
He told them that Area 51 is a S.H.I.E.L.D. base, much to Johnson delight to know that she was right all those years ago. He then briefed them that in 1955 there was a project called Helius, and that could be the Hunters target. Simmons defunct Coulson's theory by explaining that Helius was an early attempt at an Ion Fusion Reactor, but never functioned properly. However, Shaw revealed that in the future, Ion Fusion was used to power the weapons on the ships that could destroy enemy ships. The team figured that was what the Chronicoms wanted so they could stop them by destroying Zephyr One.[10]
After retrieving era-appropriate clothing, Jemma Simmons and Deke Shaw remained on Zephyr One, while Coulson and the others went to Flying Rocket Diner to kidnapGerald Sharpe to gain access to his files and clearance to Area 51. Once their food arrived, Coulson talked to Daisy Johnson about how different Melinda May was, using her fight with Enoch as an example. However, Johnson figured that to be typical May, but that it was her showing no emotion when she saw him be weird.
Coulson notes the lack of progress
Coulson agreed, believing that even if she wasn't happy to see his face, she would still be either mad or confused by it. Though, Johnson assured him she'd be happy to see him. Johnson then talked about how weird was the new normal for them, with him being an advanced ChronicomLMD of the real Phil Coulson and them being at a diner in the 1950s as her examples. Coulson, however, considered that to be cool as they were at the precipice of the space race, which was a golden age of innovation.
Johnson then pointed to the restrooms and questioned if it was actually a golden age. Coulson turns around and sees arrows pointing to separate white and colored restrooms. He turns back to Johnson and agrees that they still had a ways to go. Alphonso Mackenzie then nods to Coulson from another booth, signaling that Sharpe had arrived. After Sharpe sat down at his table and Madge pored him a cup of coffee, Sharpe demanded cream and sugar. Johnson took the opportunity to drug her creamer and give it to Sharpe, which allowed them to drag the unconscious Sharpe back to the Zephyr.[10]
Coulson and Jemma Simmons made their way to Area 51 under the aliases of Gerald Sharpe and Peggy Carter. Reaching a checkpoint, Coulson showed an MP his ID and they were granted clearance into Area 51. Arriving at the base, Coulson and Simmons step out and are greeted by Lieutenant Carpenter. The lieutenant granted "Sharpe" access but told him his secretary had to wait outside. Coulson informed that Simmons was his boss and she introduced herself as Peggy Carter. The lieutenant apologized and let them pass. Coulson then muttered that Simmons was enjoying this way too much.
The two were led into the laboratory by Pascal Vega who introduced them to the prototype of the Walkie-Talkie Wristwatch. Coulson was left in awe at seeing the prototype of the wristwatch the real Phil Coulson on the Bus. Vega then presented the prototype of an EMP Generator before finally presenting the Helius, though Coulson thought it would be bigger. Believing "Sharpe" was playing with him, he revealed this as a model one-twentieth in scale, while the actual Helius was on the testing field and showed them surveillance of it.
Vega then talked about their hope of creating an ion fusion reactor, but Simmons moved on by asking how the MPs arrive, but Vega said that they live here with him. Coulson then asked if anyone had entered the base, and Vega revealed that the science team comes in daily. Coulson told him that they needed to ask them a few questions, which led Vega to question if it had anything to do with a test that afternoon. Simmons confirmed it was about the test and Vega asked if they knew something he didn't. Coulson leaned in and replied that they did before taking his picture with his camera glasses and sending it back to Zephyr One.
Coulson and Simmons testing the scientists
When the scientists sat down, readied to be questioned, Simmons was less than hopeful they could ID the Chronicom, as they would all look and act like the stereotypical scientist. Coulson, however, told her that they just need to test them for an emotional response to see if they were Human. After running through a number of them, some harder then others, Vega arrived to let them know that a bus containing the VIPs for the Helius test had arrived. Coulson opted to clear the new arrivals while Simmons finished the scientists and left to meet them.
Coulson got on the bus and started questioning the VIPs to see if any of them were Chronicoms. After clearing a few, he approached an elderly woman and asked her a horrid question that brought her to tears, calling Coulson a sick man. He tried calming her down by saying she past his test, to no avail. Coulson then heard a man call out for his arrest, which confused him. He turned around to find out who this person was, only to become awestruck that it was Daniel Sousa. He told him he was a fan before taking his picture with his camera glasses.
Coulson and Simmons were then handcuffed and taken into custody, being placed in a holding cell. They were soon rescued when Daisy Johnson, disguised as an CIA arrived to bail them out. Sousa let them out, but refused to leave when Johnson requested a moment alone with them. Alarms then went off, which distracted Sousa long enough for Coulson to break out of his handcuffs and lock him in the holding cell. Coulson apologized for locking him in and again called himself a fan of his before leaving with Johnson and Simmons to see what the chaos was about.[10]
Foiling the Chronicom's Plans[]
Coulson is told the bad news
"They designed this EMP all wrong, but if I can get it working..." "We can block out Helius?" "Yeah, I hope so."
Coulson, Jemma Simmons, and Daisy Johnson arrived outside to see the Helius had powered up. The ran to Pascal Vega and asked what was happening. Simmons asked if they could stop it, but he sadly told them that once it started, there was no turning it off. When Vega answered Johnson's question of where the visitors were, Coulson told him they still had time to evacuate them to the bus and drive away. After Vega left to do that, Simmons reminded Coulson that there was no time, but Coulson said that Vega didn't need to know that.
The three were then joined by Melinda May and Yo-Yo Rodriguez who were searching for the Chronicom. When asked if they found the Chronicom they got their answer when they spotted it driving away towards Helius. May and Rodriguez assured them they could handle it and chased after it. As May and Rodriguez went after the Chronicom Hunter, Coulson, Johnson, and Simmons headed back inside the laboratory to see if they could find a way to deactivate Helius remotely in case May and Rodriguez failed to stop the Hunter from overloading the device.
Arriving in the lab, Coulson and Simmons ran to the EMP Generator, while Johnson looked over the computers to try and hack it. Simmons told Coulson that if she could get the EMP working, it could black out Helius and asked Coulson for tools, to which he replied. A scientist then arrived and Johnson and Simmons tried to warn him away, only for it to be revealed to be another Chronicom Hunter after a threw Johnson into a wall. Before the Hunter could kill Johnson, Coulson tackled the Chronicom scientist and drags him out into the hallway.
While Johnson and Simmons worked on the EMP, the two fought in a heated battle. The Chronicom scientist and Coulson slammed each other into walls, denting them, before Coulson held him in place and started choking him. He then snapped the Chronicom's neck, but he shrugged it off and shoved Coulson away. He attempted to punch Coulson, but he grabbed his arm and flipped the Hunter to the ground. He then lifted the Chronicom by the throat, but the Hunter threw Coulson over. He got up and the two grabbed each other by the throat.
The Hunter shoved Coulson into another wall, but he knocked his arm away, then dodged one of his punches. He then slammed the Hunter to the ground. He punched him, then shoved under his chin, trying to decapitate him. Daniel Sousa then arrived, demanding Coulson to get off him, distracting him long enough for the Hunter to roll Coulson over and bash his head on the ground. Sousa tried to intervene by hitting the Chronicom with his cane but failed. The Hunter then turned his attention to Sousa, allowing Coulson to get up, but before he could aid Sousa, the EMP went off, causing Coulson to shutdown. His eye then began to flicker.[10]
Getting History Back on Track[]
Coulson finds himself handcuffed to a table
"This was the day Daniel Sousa became the first fallen agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. I heard enough to know that this day had been knocked off course. I had to cook up a story to get things on track. Fortunately, I'd already read this one in the history books."
Coulson soon rebooted and found that all color had disappeared and had an internal monologue. He looked down to see he was handcuffed, but even though he could break out of them, he decided that it was best he hold off on the jailbreak. He saw Daniel Sousa talking on the phone about what happened at Area 51 before he noticed a newspaper and read the date as July 22, 1955.
While his head was "ringing like a bell", he was able to remember that this was the date that made Daniel Sousa a legend within S.H.I.E.L.D. history. He recounted that he learned about Sousa's final mission from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy like all the other recruits reading A History of S.H.I.E.L.D.. The history book spoke of Sousa becoming the first fallen agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. after he was killed by the Russians after successfully delivering revolutionary S.H.I.E.L.D. technology to Howard Stark at the Hotel Roosevelt in Los Angeles.
After Sousa hanged up the phone, Coulson was able to deduce that today's events had been disrupted, before Sousa demanded to know his name. Knowing he had to get history back on track, he used his knowledge of today's events to lie that he was his contact, but Sousa had hard time believing him after all the lies he's told. Coulson sarcastically suggested he ask the deceased Niles Lindmore, who he claimed help develop the device with him that he was to deliver before he double-crossed them and tried to sell it to the Russians and that he had tried to stop him before they got into a fight which Sousa witnessed.
Sousa still had a hard time believing Coulson's story has the fight he witnessed between him and "Lindmore" wasn't typical for regular scientists. Coulson claimed that typical times were over and Sousa decided to test Coulson by saying Lindmore melted like the Wicked Witch of the East, before Coulson corrected him with the correct comparison of the Wicked Witch of the West. He insisted that Sousa stop wasting time and get the package to Howard Stark, and Coulson could see that Sousa realized that he did not have any more time to question Coulson.
Coulson uncuffs himself
When Sousa asked where the package currently was, Coulson revealed he didn't bring it to Area 51 as there were to many variables that compromise its safety. Sousa told him that time was one of those variables and that he needed to deliver the device to Los Angeles by train as quickly as he could. Coulson requested he tell him which train so he could inform his contact to meet them there with the package. Sousa was confused as the mission was for him alone to deliver it, but Coulson suggested he adjust to the new plan where he accompanies him. Having no time to argue, Sousa gave Coulson the keys to his cuffs and the phone to call his contact.
Realizing he couldn't use a 1950s phone to get in contact with Zephyr One, he dialed the number to The Krazy Kanoe, hoping to reach Enoch. When he got a hold of the Chronicom, he was overjoyed to return to the team, only for Coulson to sadly tell him that they had to pick him up later and requested he relay a message to the team. Enoch, however, revealed he could transfer his call directly to the Zephyr. Once in contact with them, Coulson filled them in on what was happening and Alphonso Mackenzie ordered Yo-Yo Rodriguez and Deke Shaw to retrieve the package.[4]
Ambush on the Train[]
Coulsons grows worried
"So far, we've kept this fight neat. Refuse this and it becomes messy." "You're only making this offer because you found out we were on your heels. You time traveled, S.H.I.E.L.D. time traveled. If you escalate, we will escalate."
Coulson and Daniel Sousa made it to their train and Coulson noticed Sousa was getting impatient, so Coulson searched for Yo-Yo Rodriguez and Deke Shaw, but couldn't find them. Sousa questioned where his contact was and Coulson assured him that he'd be on the train. Coulson gestured Sousa to take a seat or get a drink in the bar car to calm his nerves, before sitting down himself. Sousa refused the drink and sat across from Coulson. While Coulson told Sousa not to worry, he himself was actually worried as the team didn't show.
Coulson continues to improvise
Seeing that Sousa was getting more and more impatient by the minute, "threatening to get loose" from his "hook", Coulson knew he had to improvise now that the team wasn't going to show. He noticed a guy with a briefcase in another seat, putting his hat over his head as he fell asleep and claimed that was his contact and all he was waiting for was the signal. Coulson got up from his seat and carefully picked up the man's briefcase, making sure not to wake him up. He and Sousa then exited the cart and moved to another one.
Coulson and Sousa talk about their love lives
As the two continued their journey to Los Angeles, Coulson tried making friendly conversation by asking if the agent's life that Sousa led was exciting. Sousa told him that the life filled the hours of the day with all the threats out there in the world. He then deduced that Coulson's science didn't leave him with much time for a life, but Coulson wasn't following. Sousa noted that he didn't have a ring on, so Coulson revealed that there was a woman, but he couldn't stay long enough to make it work. He asked about Sousa's love life, only for him to say it was the same as his.
Sousa then asked if he could examine the device, but Coulson denied him, saying it was for Howard Stark's eyes only. Sousa informed him that Stark wasn't coming in person and that it was going to be one of his men in L.A, leaving Coulson bum as he always wanted to meet him. This made Sousa confused, as he claimed to have worked on this device for Stark, yet has never met him. Coulson said he had sent "encouraging messages" to the lab, which Sousa could see him doing. Coulson asked what Stark was like, only for Sousa to describe him as a "pompous ass."
Coulson believed that big thinkers like Stark could come off that way and that it was what divided those who work in the lab as scientists versus those who worked in the field as agents. Sousa could attest to that, as he was starting to feel it between him and Coulson and decided to get a drink from the bar car and asked if Coulson wanted any. He said he never drank alcohol, which didn't surprise Sousa. After he left, Coulson was soon approached by Luke. He sat where Sousa was and assured Coulson that he didn't come here to fight, but to make a deal.
Coulson was surprised, as he didn't think making deals was what Chronicoms do, but Luke told him that they adapt. Coulson told the Hunter to pitch his offer to Alphonso Mackenzie, but Luke told him that the reason he was talking to him was because he was no longer a Human. He asked Coulson if he saw the absurdity to Human life now that he was a Life-Model Decoy, but Coulson believed Humans were what made life on Earth worth living. Luke, however, reminded Coulson that even if they left Earth alone, he would still lose everyone he held dear to time as they died around him.
Growing annoyed by Luke's chattering, Coulson told him to just say what his proposition was for them. The Chronicom offered if S.H.I.E.L.D. allowed them to establish Earth as Chronyca-3, they would spare their lives when they exterminated the population. Coulson, however, didn't believe him after seeing all the dead bodies with their faces erased and refused his offer of benevolence. Luke reminded Coulson that right now, the Chronicoms had kept this battle clean and if they refused their deal, they would retaliate tenfold.
Coulson didn't take Luke's threats seriously as he knew the only reason he was making this deal was because they found out they were on their trail and rebutted that if the Chronicoms escalated, then S.H.I.E.L.D. would do the same. Luke wasn't deterred by Coulson's claims and pointed out that they would never see the full picture like they did, revealing that they knew this was the day Sousa was to die as he got out of his seat. He then revealed that they made a phone call to someone to insure that he would die now, rather then at the Hotel Roosevelt and left.
Coulson officially introduces himself
Realizing that Sousa was in danger, Coulson headed to the bar car to save him before he was assassinated. He arrived just in time to see Mackenzie and Daisy Johnson arrive to save Sousa from the assassins. As one of the men were getting up to fight again, Coulson wacked the briefcase across his face, knocking him out. Unfortunately, the hit opened the case, revealing to Sousa that all it contained was paper. Sousa demanded to know who they were and Mackenzie introduced them by their last names. Johnson informed him that they had the package and took him into the Quinjet to retrieve it on Zephyr One.[4]
"Agent Sousa's sacrifice was an inspiration to others in S.H.I.E.L.D." "Like yours was for the Avengers." "Well, let's not oversell it." "No, it's a fact. And it's also a fact you got a chance to fight another day."
On the way back to Zephyr One, Coulson was relieved to see his team, but was informed that Deke Shaw had been kidnapped. Arriving on the ship, the team opted not to tell Daniel Sousa where they were from, but Coulson knew that he figured something wasn't right. After Sousa questioned what agency they were from, Melinda May arrived and shook his hand, causing Coulson to notice that something was wrong with May soon after she shook his hand, but she quickly recovered and Jemma Simmons took her to the med-bay.
Coulson talks about their "budget"
Coulson, Alphonso Mackenzie, and Daisy Johnson led Sousa to the Zephyr's hanger where they presented him with the S.H.I.E.L.D. device, though the agent was less then impressed with it, believing Howard Stark would be more amazed by their ship, which led Coulson to say that their budget was off the books. When they asked Sousa if he could assist them in finding Shaw, he told them that it was probably whoever ordered the hit on him. Though Johnson believed it to be the Russians, Sousa speculated it to be someone else who was after the device.
When Sousa gave them his suspicions that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been infiltrated by HYDRA, Coulson and the others revealed they already knew, leading Sousa to question how. Coulson then had a revelation; Sousa was actually killed by HYDRA to keep him from exposing them. He asked who knew about his delivery, and Sousa said only his superior, but refused to divulge his name, only for Coulson to ask if his last name was Malick, which Sousa confirmed by his expression. Coulson then realized Shaw was being held by Wilfred Malick, but figured he wouldn't recognize Shaw, allowing him to talk his way out his predicament.
Coulson and Mackenzie then retreated to the bridge, while Johnson stayed with Sousa in the hanger. Using the address they got from Sousa, they suspected Shaw was taken to his mansion. Coulson then questioned what they were going to do about Sousa, as he still had to make the delivery. When Mackenzie pondered what to do, Coulson reminded him they let Malick live despite the temptation and that Sousa's death was an inspiration to others in S.H.I.E.L.D. When Mackenzie compared to how his death was the Avengers' motivation, Coulson thought that was overselling it, but Mackenzie disagreed.
Mackenzie then brought up that Coulson was able to fight another day, and while Coulson agreed, he pointed out that they had no idea what Sousa's survival would have on history. Their debate on Sousa's future was interrupted when they were contacted by Shaw, who managed to escape. Shaw tried to reveal who had kidnapped him, only for Coulson to reveal they already knew it was Wilfred Malick, which annoyed Shaw. Ordering Shaw to stay put, Mackenzie told Coulson he was changing the mission and left Coulson on the bridge.
Mackenzie returned to the bridge with Johnson and he told the two that they were going to break his rules and change history to save Sousa from his fate. He said that they were going to make the delivery for him and then figure out what to do with him afterwards. Coulson and Johnson agreed, with Coulson noting it was the Director's call to make, not theirs. The three went down to the hanger, only for them to arrive to late as Sousa took off in one of their motorcycles to deliver the package at the Hotel Roosevelt.[4]
"We didn't change history, we just took you out of it, faked your death. You're alive, literally, but to anyone not on this plane, you were killed at that hotel. I'm sorry. Welcome to life after death. I'll tell you all about it."
Coulson and the team boarded the Quinjet, with the intent of saving Daniel Sousa from his death, but Coulson wondered if they would make in time. Arriving at the Hotel Roosevelt, the team decided to fake Sousa's death by having Coulson take his place. Coulson and Alphonso Mackenzie cornered Sousa after he made his delivery and Sousa thought he shook them. Coulson then aimed an I.C.E.R. at him, assuring him that this would probably make sense later before icing him.
Coulson then took Sousa's hat, raincoat, and cane and proceeded with the plan. He arrived at the pool where Sousa was found dead in the reports and waited for the HYDRAassassin to arrive. When he finally did and shot him in the back two times, Coulson proceeded to act as if they actually inflicted harm before falling into the pool. Being a ChronicomLife-Model Decoy, Coulson was able to stay underwater long enough for Daisy Johnson and Jemma Simmons to arrive, disguised as medical examiners to extract him to Zephyr One with the unconscious Sousa.
After the team got Sousa and picked up Deke Shaw, they prepared to jump to the next time period. On the bridge, Simmons ran a systems check on Coulson to repair his damaged eyes and internal monologue. Coulson felt good to be back on Zephyr One and as he was talking about feeling even better when his systems were restored, he was able to see color again just as Melinda May walked in. As he reported that everything was back to normal with his systems, May grabbed Coulson's and said she couldn't feel anything when she touched him before walking to the pilot seat.
Once they jumped to the next era, Coulson went to the med-bay to check on Sousa. As he was recovering, he questioned Coulson what he had shot him with, and Coulson told him that it was an I.C.E.R., which hadn't been invented yet in his time. Sousa looked in back of him to see the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo, only for Coulson to reveal that he and his team were part of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the future and that they were in his time period fighting "body snatching robots" from another planet that wanted to destroy them and take over the Earth. He then concluded his explanation by telling him that the "melting man" that looked like Niles Lindmore was one of them and handed him his cane.
Sousa accepted his cane back and took a moment to process the revelation, before asking Coulson why he hadn't just told him that from the beginning. Coulson, however, questioned if he actually had to answer that, but Sousa told him that he had seen a lot that would've made him believe their story, though Coulson doubted that to be true. Coulson then informed Sousa of his situation of having died at the Hotel Roosevelt and that they faked his death to insure his survival, but now he had been plucked from the Timeline, leaving Sousa in disbelief.
Coulson then took Sousa to the Zephyr's bridge, where he questioned if this ship was what allowed them to Time Travel, before asking what year they were in now, figuring they weren't in 1955 anymore. Coulson told him they were trying to find out right now and waited for Shaw to tune in a radio station. After Shaw found one and hijacked it, the song No More Mr. Nice Guy played throughout the bridge. Coulson and the others, minus Shaw and Sousa, were left in dismay as they knew what era they were currently in.[4]
"Nobody figures it's a HYDRA plot. Same happened in my time." "So the past is doomed to repeat the present. Any idea how HYDRA got Insight so early?" "I got a feeling it's the Chronicoms."
After arriving in 1973, the team realized they needed to retrieve Enoch from The Krazy Kanoe before they jumped again. So, after retrieving era appropriate clothing, Coulson, Melinda May, Daisy Johnson, and Daniel Sousa went to rescue the Chronicom. While walking the streets of New York City with May, Coulson was in glee to be in the time period of the city he was familiar with and talked about how much he appreciated the nostalgia.
However, May continued to show no emotion to Coulson, which bothered the Chronicom LMD. After May bumped into a busy man passing by and started to portray his emotions of anger and impatience, Coulson quickly got her away from him before she caused a scene. As they continued walking, Coulson made a dry joke about her doing a good job in labeling and communicating her emotions, which only made May angrier. The two soon met up with Johnson outside of Ziff's Clothing, where Coulson complimented Johnson's sense of fashion.
The three then waited for Sousa to come out with his disguise, only for him to decline any of the "elephant pants" they had. When Sousa questioned how the people of their time functioned with these clothing, Coulson broke the news to him that they weren't in their own time yet. The four then headed to The Krazy Kanoe, but Sousa asked how they knew he was supposed to die in 1955. Coulson reminded him that his death was in the history books, but Sousa began to question if he never died in the first place, and that he had always been saved by the team, though Johnson suggested he not confuse himself with it.
Coulson recommended Sousa return to Zephyr One to make himself more comfortable, but Sousa insisted he was fine and opted to embrace what the 1970s had to offer. After being disturbed by a rollerskating man with a boom box, the team made it to the entrance to The Krazy Kanoe. Coulson asked Sousa if he had ever been to the S.H.I.E.L.D. safe-haven, which he replied that he only been there a couple of times. Coulson expressed disappointment that he couldn't have seen it in its prime and started talking about what Roger Dooley used to do at the bar, before Johnson reminded him that Enoch had been waiting long enough for them to pick him up.
The four then walked down the stairs to the secret entrance and, now having upgraded to a keypad lock instead of a lookout to confirm the password, Coulson typed in the code word, Swordfish, on to the keypad. Once they entered the S.H.I.E.L.D. bar, they were taken back as they saw a party was currently being held. Coulson questioned what called for the celebration and figured Enoch would have the answers they sought. The four then split up into teams of two to search for the missing Chronicom, with Coulson taking Sousa as his partner.
Seeing no sign of Enoch, Coulson and Sousa settled at the bar, where Sousa commented he was happy to see S.H.I.E.L.D. growing, but wanted to know what they were celebrating. Coulson directed his questions to the man everyone was centered on, Rick Stoner. Sousa was left in disbelief that Stoner had become such a big deal in S.H.I.E.L.D. and revealed to Coulson that he knew "Little Ricky" from his days in the army, only Stoner was so green that he didn't know the difference between a mag and a clip, which left then Coulson in disbelief himself.
Stoner then took the floor, leading Coulson and Sousa to listen to the General. When he introduced Wilfred Malick, the two were left confused, as history depicted Malick dead in 1970. Coulson then listened carefully to Malick's speech about using targeted satellites to pinpoint hostiles and neutralize them before they posed a threat and came to a horrible realization. Seeing that what Malick said was familiar to Coulson, Sousa asked what it meant. Coulson revealed that HYDRA was forty years ahead of when it was originally pitched and watched in dismay as Malick presented a cake with Project Insight written on it.[5]
"Counter offer. Let us go, and the kid walks." "You wouldn't. Nathaniel's got nothing to do with this." "He's a ripple. Doesn't belong here." "I'd hate to do something we'd all regret. So what's it gonna be."
After Wilfred Malick's speech, Coulson and Daniel Sousa took a seat in the far corner of The Krazy Kanoe. Sousa questioned if all the people in the bar were secret HYDRA agents, but Coulson informed him that only some of the higher ups were moles, while others, like Rick Stoner, were loyal S.H.I.E.L.D.. When Sousa noticed that even the loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. were happy about Project Insight, Coulson told him it was them thinking it would protect the Earth and told him that happened in his time as well.
Sousa questioned how HYDRA infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. this early in the Timeline, but Coulson figured the Chronicoms were involved. When Sousa used the expression "A Trout in the Milk", Coulson was confused, but realized he was asking if he had any evidence to support his theory. He told Sousa that Luke warned him that they would alter the timeline if he and his team didn't accept his deal and that them keeping Malick alive past 1970 was evidence of that. Sousa then began think that since the timeline was already damaged, they should've left him back in 1955 so he could stop HYDRA.
Coulson told him that there was no way of knowing how that would've impacted the future, especially if the Chronicoms were involved. The two then opted to split up to get intel on Project Insight and search for Enoch. Before Sousa left, Coulson insisted he keep a low profile, as he was famous among S.H.I.E.L.D. and would be recognized. Coulson then contacted Jemma Simmons and informed her of the situation. When Simmons volunteered to search for Enoch on her own, Coulson told her that while he appreciated her loyalty to him, Insight took priority. Understanding what Coulson was saying, Simmons complied with his request to scan radio chatter and two hanged up.
Coulson regrouped with Melinda May and they waited for Daisy Johnson and Sousa to return. After spotting them, they headed for the exit, before being corned by Malick. He thanked Coulson for attending the celebration and asked for his name. Coulson pulled Sarge's real name from his memory files and introduced himself as "Patrick Kutik." Malick asked if he had ever been to River's End, mentioning he bought a house there, but Coulson denied ever being there. Malick then dropped his kind demeanor and revealed his "friends" told him otherwise. Coulson and May were soon surrounded by Luke and his Chronicom Hunters.
Malick recounted his first meeting with Coulson in 1931 at The Krazy Kanoe, and questioned what he had been doing while he had lived an entire lifetime. Before Coulson even answer, Luke butted in and mocked him for not taking their deal. Malick ordered their surrender, but was horrified when Johnson and Sousa arrived, holding Nathaniel Malick hostage. Coulson threatened to kill Nathaniel if he didn't let them go, but Luke refused to bargain and ordered his men to take aim. Malick quickly gave in to their demands and the for took off to the exit.
After making it outside the bar, Coulson noted they needed to get "some wheels" and flee the area before the Hunters caught up with them. At that very moment, a car drove up to them and the driver was revealed to be Enoch. He ordered them into the car if they wanted to survive. Getting into the vehicle, Enoch bitterly mentioned him being stranded for the last forty years in New York, to which Coulson apologized for leaving him behind. He complimented his ride, and after Enoch talked about it, he stepped on the engine and speed away to Zephyr One.[5]
Traveling to 1976[]
Coulson briefs the team on what he knows
"You tried. There's nothing else you could've done." "How far did we jump?"
After returning to Zephyr One, Coulson and the others informed Alphonso Mackenzie of HYDRA's goal of launching Project Insight in 1973. Coulson told the Director that Wilfred Malick intended to use the satellites and lasers that S.H.I.E.L.D., which he would find impressive if it wasn't used against them. Mackenzie figured it would explain the launchpad he and Yo-Yo Rodriguez found at the Lighthouse. After Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa revealed some of the names listed in the dossier, Mackenzie suggested if the move now, they could stop Insight before it launched.
Sousa then got everyone's attention when he noticed the countdown to when they will jumped next started malfunctioning. Coulson asked Jemma Simmons to explain what was happening, but she gave them the bad news that they were about to jump and she couldn't override it, as the Chronicoms changed their plan. Knowing they couldn't jump with the threat of Insight, Rodriguez tried escaping the Zephyr before it jumped, but failed. Coulson followed her down to the hangar and assured her she did her best. Rodriguez questioned when they jumped to and Coulson informed that they jumped to the day Insight launched: July 4, 1976.
The team then regrouped in the hangar to go over their plan to stop Insight's activation. Mackenzie ordered Coulson and Melinda May to infiltrate the Lighthouse and plant explosives in the right positions to flood the base, halting the launch, but preserving its state in the Timeline. Coulson then listened to Mackenzie give Johnson the order to hack into the surveillance feeds to insure there weren't any prisoners left behind and saw Sousa volunteer to go with her. After Enoch lowered the ramp, the four left to complete their assigned missions.[5]
Coulson and Melinda May were able to infiltrate the Lighthouse and steal the uniforms of two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, locking their unconscious bodies in a storage room. Alphonso Mackenzie contacted them and gave them the green-light to proceed. Coulson complimented the "throwback uniforms" they were wearing, calling them covert and fashionable.
Arriving at the first checkpoint, Coulson and May waited for Daisy Johnson to grant them access to the rest of the base. As they waited, Coulson brought up the good teamwork he and May had in the past, despite what the two of them later became, and wondered if they would ever be able to feel that sense of nostalgia again. May could only respond to Coulson by wondering if she would ever have the sense of feeling period. The discussion was interrupted when Johnson hacked the security and the two continued on with the mission.
As Project Insight prepared to launch in five minutes, the two reached another checkpoint, and contacted Johnson for her assistance, but, she didn't respond. Mackenzie contacted them and informed them that Johnson and Daniel Sousa weren't answering their comms and ordered them to get Rick Stoner to aide them, who was currently on route to their position. As Stoner was about to pass them, Coulson and May called out to him for his help. While Stoner recognized May as "Agent McBride" from 1973, he questioned who Coulson was.
Coulson ignored his question of his identity and insisted he not launch the Insight satellite, warning him that HYDRA had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. with the assistance of time-traveling aliens. Stoner questioned if the aliens were synthetic or organic, but Coulson, pleased that Stoner seemed to believe him, told him they were a combination of both. While Stoner and Coulson talked, May touched his shoulder, before knocking him out cold. Coulson questioned why she did that and she revealed that she felt his feelings and knew he didn't actually believe him. They then took his access card and carried on, with Coulson apologizing to the unconscious Stoner.
Reaching the area they needed to set the explosives, Coulson and May quickly got to work with less than three minutes left. As Coulson placed the last explosive on the wall, the countdown to zero began, and they awaited Mackenzie's signal to flood the Lighthouse. The two were heading to the exit when they received orders from Mackenzie to abort their mission. Coulson and May questioned Mackenzie's decision, but went through with it and halted the detonation just as the satellite launched. They were then surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, who demanded they surrender; the two complied.[5]
"So, sucker punching me wasn't enough. You're saboteurs. Your friends blew up my rocket. On the 4th of July." "You didn't want that thing to reach orbit, General. You would've found that out the hard way."
After their capture, Rick Stoner had agents bring them to the Lighthouse's command center, where he revealed that the Project Insight satellite had been destroyed. Coulson tried to convince him that his earlier statement about the Chronicoms was true, but Stoner still refused to believe him. He turned his attention to Melinda May, and when she revealed her real name and that she wasn't an HR Liaison, Coulson made a dry joke that Stoner was already aware of that given the bag of explosives they had.
Their conversation was interrupted by Agent Ford, who informed Stoner that they were able to get a lock on Zephyr One. Coulson and May were confused as they shouldn't be able to track the Zephyr using this time period's technology, but Stoner, overhearing them, revealed that Wilfred Malick gifted them with advanced targeting systems that were capable of such fetes. This caused the duo to become worried, as Stoner had every attention to shoot the Zephyr out of the sky.
Coulson talks about the lockdown
Things soon went from bad to worse, as the Lighthouse went into an emergency lockdoen caused by the Chronicoms. Stoner question who gave the order and Coulson tried to explain that the Chronicom Hunters were trying to divide and conquer, but Stoner ordered him to be quiet. Ford revealed to the General that the missiles had locked on to the Zephyr, which confused Stoner, has had given that order. Coulson warned him that anything computerized ha d been hijacked, but it was to late as the missiles had launched hit the Zephyr, leaving Coulson and May to believe they had been shot down.
The two were then taken to an interrogation room, where Stoner handled the questioning. Coulson told him that the Lighthouse had shot down a ship full of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but Stoner believed they were enemy combatants that blew up the Insight satellite, leaving them with no other option but to retaliate. Coulson, however, reminded him that his team weren't the ones who fired on the Zephyr, as it was someone else, who took control over the base just as they had tried to warn him about.
Stoner sat down across from them and decided to humor them. He asked what he should be looking for to spot the infiltrators. Coulson explained how the Chronicoms don't exactly Human, but to blend in, they steal a person's face. Stoner was hesitant to believe that, as Agent King arrived to tell them they'd be heading to prison and touched their shoulders as she said it. Stoner eased her off, saying they need to be professional. Coulson and May's interrogation then came to a temporary end when King told Stoner that Agent Ford requested him in the basement.
Pleased with the progress, Stoner insisted that they had a handle on the situation, but the Coulson was so confident. Before leaving, Stoner questioned if they payed Malick a visit at his estate, to which Coulson confirmed and revealed he was HYDRA. Stoner, however, revealed that Malick was killed and left. After the General left, May told Coulson that when King touched her shoulder, she felt no emotion much like when she touches Coulson, meaning the agent that left with Stoner was in fact a Chronicom.
Coulson, however, had a hard time believing it as she showed emotion, which Chronicoms can't mimic. May reminded him that he could, but Coulson made it clear that he wasn't like the Chronicoms and told her that he was tired of the lack of attitude she is giving him. He went on to remind her that given how smart she is, she should know that what is happening to him isn't normal for him and that he would turn to May for validation and while he came back against his wishes, she wouldn't even give him her opinion on the subject.
Finally having enough of Coulson's complaining, she told him that after all the times he's died and her grieving him, she wasn't about to do all over again with a Life-Model Decoy. Coulson thanked her for finally giving her opinion and joked that it looked liked her emotions were coming back by mimicking him. He then came to a realization and broke free from his handcuffs. He explained that back in 1955, Luke observed him and figured they could adapt and steal someone's identity and upload them into Chronicom bodies. Coulson then broke May free from her cuffs and the two escaped to save Stoner.[11]
Coulson and Melinda May tracked them down just as they were beginning the process of downloading Rick Stoner's memories into a Hunter using a Cerebral Fusion Machine. While May swiftly killed "King" by stabbing her through the neck, Coulson fought "Ford" for a Chronicom Rifle and succeeded in taking it. He then killed "Ford" and another Hunter using the rifle.
Coulson rips out a cable
After the coast was clear, Coulson ripped out one of the wires to the fusion machine, which woke Stoner up, who finally believed their story. He apologized to Stoner that he had to find out the truth this way and explained with May the Chronicom process of downloading your memories before taking your face to replace you. Stoner was horrified by the three dead bodies of his friends and revealed the Hunters still had his other agents trapped with the lockdown and that they need to help them evacuate.
Coulson opts to go down to the basement
Coulson noticed a latter that went further down into the Lighthouse and went to examine it. May reminded him that Alphonso Mackenzie was still with his parents and that he would be leaving with them and Yo-Yo Rodriguez. Coulson believed that was a good thing and ordered them to meet up the Director. Stoner asked what Coulson was going to do, and the LMD revealed that the Chronicoms mentioned bringing more Hunters online, so he was going to very bottom of the Lighthouse to investigate where they were coming from.[11]
"You said I was wrong about three things. What's the third?" "Me. You see, I haven't feared death in a long time." "Is that so?" "Yeah. The fact is, dying... it's kind of my super power."
Coulson traveled to the bottom of the Lighthouse, where he saw several Chronicom Hunters currently in stasis pods. He came across a Cerebral Fusion Machine and plugged his arms into the controls and found himself inside an all white room. He came across a Chronicom and sarcastically questioned if this was a bad time for her.
Coulson asked the Chronicom where he was and the latter replied that he was in a virtual world and his body was surrounded by Hunters in a spaceship that was located underground, therefore unavailable for S.H.I.E.L.D.. As Coulson walked around, he requested the name of the Chronicom he was speaking to, and she introduced herself as Sibyl, who was a Predictor for the Hunters. Coulson asked her if she predicted the future, but Sibyl replied that she predicted the past, as if it were written by only one future and gave him the example of a grown tree and what could have become together with the other trees.
While Coulson made a joke about Sibyl being a poet, he noticed that she was different from any other Chronicom he had met. Sibyl pointed out that he was also different from the others Chronicoms, but Coulson replied that he was not one of them and that he kept getting confused for one. She noticed that Coulson was not a person at all and asked what he was, but he did not say, as he was still coming to terms with it himself. He did, however, notice that Sibyl was answering every question asked and she asked why she shouldn't, leading Coulson to believe their conversation to be fun going forward.
Coulson demanded to know where Daisy Johnson was, and Sibyl answered that she had been kidnapped by Nathaniel Malick, who had the intention of stealing her powers. Coulson questioned Malick's odds of success, and Sibyl predicted he had a twenty two percent chance of success, while Johnson had an eighty six percent chance of surviving, which made Coulson proud of his daughter figure. He then asked what they wanted with Alphonso Mackenzie's parents, but Sibyl told him he already had the answer to that: to distract them so they could take the Earth.
Coulson asked why the Chronicoms wanted to take Earth for themselves, and Sibyl answered it was to insure the survival of their species, as Coulson noted that they had a lot in common and joked that they should talk more. He asked what was the difference between a Chronicom and a Human and she replied that it was the time that differentiated them: Humans have limited amount of life and therefore fear death and act irrationally to avoid themselves and others the existence of this form, but time has no consequences on the Chronicoms, and therefore do not fear it. Sibyl then asked Coulson which category he belonged to.
Coulson was disgusted that Sibyl believed these were the differences that made the Chronicoms the more superior species, to which Sibyl corrected him in saying that they were less pleading and that with their intact planet they would have existed for many centuries even when Humans were dead and that when the Humans themselves understood it they had to surrender or they will not have time. Coulson, however, noticed that Sibyl was wrong about three things and asked her if he could tell her, to which she accepted.
He told her the difference between a Chronicom and a Human was also in the sacrifice; Humans sacrifice themselves to save loved ones, or their country or nation or planet itself, and although time is limited, as Sibyl rightly said, sacrifice has a huge price to pay and Chronicoms do not have to be just data machines but must also have a heart, pain, blood, sweat and tears, all the things that make a human being worthy of being a human and another perspective of them is that they never give up.
Coulson calls dying his superpower
Sibyl, unfazed by Coulson's words of Humanity, noticed that he had neglected the third thing he had to say and asked him what it was. Coulson walked up to her face and replied that it was himself, because Coulson, unlike other Human beings, had not feared death for a long time. Sibyl replied if it was so, to which he answered yes and went on that dying had become, in the end, a superpower for him before transferring back his consciousness of his android body, leaving Sibyl to realize to late what he meant.
Coulson makes the ultimate sacrifice
Unplugging from the Cerebral Fusion Machine, Coulson heard voices coming from upstairs and realized that the Hunters were on to him. He turned back to the stasis chambers and saw more Hunters coming online, so he grabbed the bag full of explosives and readied to arm them. He contacted Melinda May and informed her that he found the Chronicoms ship and hoped that she was right about him always coming back from the dead. He threw the bag into the ship and activated them just as Hunters were coming down the ladder, destroying them and him in the process.[11]
Reduced to Code[]
Searching for Sibyl[]
Coulson's TV form
"Coulson?" "And not a bunch of ones and zeros trapped in a digital Hell? I'd like to think so. But admittedly, there's been some real soul searching here."
Despite the explosion destroying his body, Coulson's mind managed to survive through his LMD hard drive. For six years, Coulson's remaining codes remained on the hard drive, with Coulson describing the time as a "digital Hell" where he had time to reflect on himself. His hard drive was found by Deke Shaw in 1982, who founded a new team of S.H.I.E.L.D. units after he and Alphonso Mackenzie were accidentally stranded in the same year. Using the hard drive, Shaw transferred his data into a computer attached to a TV allowing him to communicate and act as an informant to the team while trying to find out what Sibyl's next plan was.
After Shaw retrieved Mackenzie from his self loathing after his parents' murder, he brought him to the Lighthouse and introduced him to Coulson's TV form. Mackenzie was taken aback by Coulson's form, but the android assured him it was him, though he admitted it was less then conventional. Shaw believed Coulson was being humble, noting him single-handily taking out the Chronicom Hunters, though Coulson joked that it cost him both his hands. He then told the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director that he was happy to see him again and informed that Sibyl was still alive.
Mackenzie was confused on who Sibyl was, so Coulson briefed him on how she was the head Chronicom that predicted the future using Time Streams. After Shaw mocked Sibyl for not seeing the explosion that destroyed the Chronicom time ship, causing a moment of awkward silence, Mackenzie questioned whether or not Sibyl would've perished in the explosion. Coulson believed it was possible, but figured since he survived on his hard drive, she could find a way and began thinking on how she could've accomplished it.
Shaw then showed Mackenzie Coulson's evidence that the Predictor slipped into the River's End power supply: paper with Chronicom writing all over them. Coulson told him that he had been monitoring River's End's local grid and revealed that whenever there was a power surge, those symbols appeared. Mackenzie deduced that Sibyl was reaching out for something and asked Coulson if he had any idea for. Coulson replied that he believed Sibyl had the intention of creating new Hunters to control.[12]
"I've been trying to figure out why Sibyl would attack the base. There have to be better ways to take out S.H.I.E.L.D., especially if you know which threads to pull." "Unless she no longer has the tools." "Which means the Time Stream is here on the base."
Alphonso Mackenzie took Coulson out of the control room and the two walked through the halls talking. Coulson noted that this last year mustn't have been easy for him with the loss of his parents, though Mackenzie figured he wasn't the only one. Coulson agreed that it has been tough being confined to his TV form, but commented that it had gotten better since Cricket stopped playing his videos in his VCR slot. He the mentioned that the hardest thing these last few years was not having the team and figured Mackenzie especially missed Yo-Yo Rodriguez
Mackenzie believed it was best she didn't see him this state, but Coulson told him that he needed his friends during these hard times and recommended he rejoin them. As they turned a corner, Deke Shaw walked up to them and asked Mackenzie and Coulson to watch one of his training sessions for his team that he called, "The Gauntlet". The two agreed and watched as Shaw's team attempted to take down an enemy combatant, but failed miserably. Cricket then arrived late, who believed they were shooting a music video, leading Coulson to comment that Shaw needed to fire him.
Coulson gives his theory
Sometime later, Sibyl sent her Sibyl-Bots to attack the Lighthouse, and the team, now including the rejuvenated Mackenzie, discussed a plan of attack in the control room. Feeling left out of the "planning circle", Coulson spoke up, and after Shaw scooted his set over, he gave his theory that Sibyl was after the Time Stream device that was still in the Lighthouse after the Chronicom Time Ship blew up.[12]
Reunited with S.H.I.E.L.D.[]
Coulson and the others celebrate
"Simmons gave specific orders to find your hard drive. Said it was our most important asset. I might even agree with her." "Did she mention anything about–" "Building you a new body? You'll just have to wait and see." "That's cold, May. Even for you."
Taking Coulson's suggestion seriously, Alphonso Mackenzie and Deke Shaw devised a plan and defeated the Sibyl-Bots, using tactics from Shaw's Gauntlet. After their victory, Mackenzie reported that he scanned all the levels of the Lighthouse, but couldn't find the Time Stream, which meant Sibyl was still alive and managed to escape with the device. Shaw then joined them and figured they would sit back and wait for Zephyr One to pick them up, but Mackenzie told him the two of them had somewhere else to be first; Mackenzie's uncle's house.
After Mackenzie and Shaw returned, the three didn't have to wait long for a rescue as Melinda May and Yo-Yo Rodriguez soon arrived and greeted the three. May walked over to Coulson and Shaw and told him that Jemma Simmons gave orders to retrieve his hard drive, saying it was their most important asset in their War Against the Chronicoms. When he asked if she planned on making him a new body, May simply told him he'd have to wait and see, which he found cold, even for her.[12]
"I was thirsty for a year and a half with no way to... No body, no stomach, no throat." "That must have driven you crazy." "It did. I'm happy to see you healing. At least, it feels like happiness. I wonder how many ones and zeroes it takes to achieve that fuzzy feeling."
After waiting until October 6th, the away team regrouped with Zephyr One; Deke Shaw carrying Coulson's hard drive. Coulson was then put in a machine to recreate his body and as he was halfway done, he was rebooted by Jemma Simmons. When he awoke, he noticed that he wasn't completely finished reassembling and joked that they couldn't have waited.
Coulson gives his advice
Daisy Johnson informed him that the situation they were currently in was dire and that Alphonso Mackenzie wanted his opinion. Coulson listened to Mackenzie tell him that the Time Drive was malfunctioning and when he was about to tell him what their best chance could cause, Coulson beat him to it and figured that it would disturb the timeline. Mackenzie told him that if they mess up, it could cause major damage, but Coulson was confused to what could've been worse then Mackenzie losing his parents. He revealed that this mission was to see Jiaying before Johnson was born, which could affect her future. Coulson, however, signed on to the mission, giving Melinda May and Yo-Yo Rodriguez the go ahead.
Coulson talks about the last year and a half
A few minutes later, the team jumped away to their next destination in 1983. Coulson was drinking a glass of water for the first time in seven years when Simmons told him of the situation not looking good in repairing the Time Drive. After she left to talk with Daniel Sousa in the hangar, Johnson noted that the two of them weren't in the best of shape. After she walked over to him, he told her how after Shaw reassembled his codes, he felt thirsty for the year and a half that he was stuck in the TV system and that it drove him crazy.
Coulson ponders his programming
After taking another sip, Coulson told Johnson he was happy to see her healing, but noted that it was all ones and zeros that were making him feel that way, and wondered how many of those made him achieve that. Deciding to change the subject, Johnson noted she was lucky that Sousa got her back to the Zephyr after Nathaniel Malickkidnapped them and was happy that he was currently with them. Coulson returned that sentiment. His body eventually finished repairing, and he joined the others on the bridge, when it looked like Rodriguez wasn't going to return in time.
Coulson begins his recharge
With 30 seconds till their next jump, Coulson told the team that there was no sign of the Quinjet. Seeing no other option, Mackenzie ordered them to abandon ship just as they jumped again. Rodriguez, however, soon returned and was able to shutdown the Time Drive. With the threat of destruction passed them, Coulson returned to the pod he awoke for the first time, after finishing his glass of water, to power down so his body could finish charging. Simmons compared it to a nap, but Coulson didn't share the feeling. He requested he be the one to power himself down and Simmons obliged.[13]
Stuck in a Time-Loop[]
Coulson at the beginning of each loop
"You won't believe this, but I keep–" "Repeating the same events over and over again? Yeah. How long did it take you to figure it out this time?"
After the Time Drive caused Zephyr One to jump again, the team found themselves trapped in a time storm. The malfunctioning Drive then propelled the team into a time-loop with Coulson and Daisy Johnson being the only ones who remember as they were in different pods when they jumped. They went through the loop 87 times as far as Coulson was aware of as Johnson didn't power him up every time, but each time Johnson died in a loop she lost her memory of it, forcing Coulson to recap everything that happened in 14 different loops.
In one of the loops they tried flying out, but failed as there was no navigation because radiation fried the controls. They soon learned that with each loop, they get closer to the incoming vortex and destruction, so they tried to expand the time they had in loops 23 through 42, but failed. In the latest loop, after Johnson died again, she powered Coulson up and asked for his help. She was about to explain her situation, but he cut her off and revealed he already knew about the time-loop and questioned how long it took for her to figure it out this time around.
Coulson became frustrated that he had to refresh Johnson's memory, yet again, but deduced it meant she died again, much to Johnson's confusion and dismay. He explained that whenever she dies in a loop she has to learn all over again and that he was forced to catch her up all those times she died. After cooling off, he told her it wasn't her fault, but mentioned it wasn't pleasant to be powered down during each loop. She questioned why they were the only ones who remembered and Coulson gave her theory that since they were in pods when it happened, it shielded them.
At that moment, the loop began to reset and Coulson annoyingly threw his activation button at the door and pleaded that she power him up in the next loop. Once the next loop started, Johnson ran into the LMD lab and activated Coulson. Through the next few loops, Coulson told her what they knew so far, while also making a reference to Vinyl, that apparently Johnson continuously gives him confused looks in each loop. After the latest loop, Coulson mentioned them running out of time, which confused Johnson. Coulson told her to look at the number of kilometers Deke Shaw gives them in each loop and return to him.
By the next loop, Johnson realized that with each loop, they grow closer to destruction, with them 79 kilometers away, and brainstormed with Coulson on how to stop it. With the next loop approaching Coulson urged them to think fast. Johnson asked if they tried extending their time table, but Coulson revealed they had tried that in multiple loops and failed, which left them with the only other option of repairing the Time Drive, though they had little idea on how to accomplish that. The loop then restarted.
In the next loop, Johnson felt as though Shaw was hiding something about the Time Drive, so she and Coulson followed him to the workshop, where they overheard he and Jemma Simmons talking about an implant that was blocking her memories and requested know what they talking about. After she explained it as a way to keep the Chronicoms from accessing her memories to find Leo Fitz, Coulson agreed to her methods of protecting Fitz’s location, but explained that the situation was dire, and they needed what she knew.
Seeing they were running out of time, Shaw agreed with Coulson and Johnson’s reasoning of removing the implant, so, after Johnson proved the loop was real by repeating the same made up word Simmons said, she reluctantly agreed. Coulson stayed back in the workshop with the others as Simmons prepared to remove D.I.A.N.A. in the lab. She, however, began to cough viciously, causing Coulson and the others to try and get in, but couldn’t as the door was locked. He then watched in horror as Simmons died.
Coulson becomes frustrated
During the next loop, the same events happened, except Johnson went with Simmons this time, but they both ended up dead after Johnson opened the door. With the revelation that there was toxic gas in the lab, while Coulson and Enoch checked their vitals. When Enoch confirmed them as deceased, Coulson expressed his annoyance as he knew Johnson would lose her memories during the next loop. Enoch then noticed that someone tampered with the gas line, making this a deliberate attempt at murder, which Coulson had already figured out before walking out of the lab.
The next loop then proceeded as the original one did because of Johnson's death with Simmons, with them now 41 kilometers away from the vortex, until she woke up again after the loop reseted. After she activated Coulson again, he brought her up to speed on what happened. The two then rounded Simmons, Shaw, and Enoch into the lab to figure out which of them killed Johnson and Simmons in the previous loops. Coulson ruled Simmons out as a suspect as she was the one killed in the previous loops, leaving Shaw and Enoch.
The former was horrified that they would think he would murder his grandmother and Enoch concurred that the action would be shortsighted and counterproductive. Coulson agreed that it didn't make sense, but confirmed it happened. Simmons defended them by telling them that she didn't think they would resort to such drastic measures. Getting nowhere, Coulson decided go search for answers with Alphonso Mackenzie and Melinda May. Mackenzie had a hard time believing any of them would kill another, and Coulson agreed, but believed that something must've happened to them, such as being replaced by a Chronicom.
Mackenzie offered Yo-Yo Rodriguez as a solution to remove Simmons' implant fast enough so no one could stop her. Coulson agreed with the idea and attempted to free her from the Quinjet hangar during the next loop. While he was getting her out, he apologized putting her to work as soon as possible. Rodriguez assured him it was fine, but Coulson couldn't help but ask if she had committed the murders and recounted what had happened in the past loops. Once he finally got her out, she questioned what he needed her to do, but the loop began to restart, causing Coulson to curse to himself.
Coulson questions his lack of soul
After going through the loops another time, Johnson, thanks to Daniel Sousa, deduced that someone had tampered with Simmons' equipment. She activated Coulson, and the latter started melting down over seeing her and Simmons die over and over again. When he started talking about not having a soul, Johnson halted him and assured him he did. Coulson disagreed with her, reminding her that he was a "thing" now, and that this loop, watching his friends die over and over again, was a metaphor to what his life was now.
Coulson figures out the mystery
Johnson reminded him that she had gone through the same pain of watching the real Phil Coulson die repeatedly before her, but the android saw no comparison as he will have to eventually watch his whole team die of old age while he remained the same age for eternity. He went on to talk about his programming not enabling him to do things, when he came to realization that it was Enoch killing them due to his programming. The two then brought Simmons, Shaw, and Enoch into the hangar bay to confirm their theory.
Coulson explained that Fitz and Simmons programmed Enoch to protect the implant from being removed even if it meant killing them, to keep whatever Simmons needed to forget just that. Shaw, however, had a hard time believing Enoch would such a thing, so Coulson went on to explain that his programming would make him take drastic action, despite their friendship. Deciding to test their theory, Johnson attempted to remove D.I.A.N.A. from Simmons' neck, but Enoch halted her and grabbed her by elbowing Coulson to the head and grabbing Johnson's throat, confirming their suspicions, and catching Shaw off guard. Coulson held Shaw back as Johnson quaked Enoch off her and into the hangar door.
Now knowing Enoch was the variable they needed to take out of the equation before they take out D.I.A.N.A., Coulson and Johnson attempted to remove him in multiple loops. They first tried removing D.I.A.N.A. quickly, but failed as Enoch overheard them when he went to see Simmons in the lab as he did per every loop. In the next attempt, they had Sousa try and distract Enoch while they removed the implant, but Enoch caught wind of what was happening, restraining Sousa and once again stopping them, resetting the loop.
Deciding to go with a more direct approach, they tried reasoning with Enoch, but failed. They then tried to get Simmons to overwrite his programming, but it required a passcode that Simmons had forgotten, leading to their failure yet again. In their fifth attempt, they got the whole team together to take on the Chronicom. They then surrounded Enoch as he came down the hangar's stairs and demanded they talk. They tried to fight him together, but still failed, ending with Shaw being murdered by Enoch. His death was soon undone when the loop restarted.
Coming up with another idea, Coulson and Johnson had Sousa lead Enoch into a trap while he, Johnson, and Shaw removed D.I.A.N.A.. However, the loop started again, so they did the exact same thing, but faster. With the implant removed, Coulson told Simmons that they had 2 minutes before Enoch arrived. This caused Simmons to chuckle as she revealed Enoch was the solution; he had a Electrochron Displacement Mechanism that could regulate energy stability in the Time Drive. Simmons sadly revealed it would be like removing a Human's heart, leaving them with the hard decision to kill Enoch to save them all. Simmons then started melt down as her memories started to return before the loop restarted.
With the answer to save them revealed, Johnson took Shaw to the LMD lab and activated Coulson. When Simmons and Enoch arrived, Coulson questioned if she told them what had to be done, but she said she wanted to wait until they were all here. They explained the situation and that they needed Enoch's "heart to save them, but Simmons was against it and demanded they find another way, only for all of them to be taken back by Enoch freely removing his Displacement Mechanism.
After Shaw and Simmons left to repair the Time Drive, Enoch realized he wasn't feeling well after removing his mechanism, and started to collapse. Coulson and Johnson caught him and helped him ease to the floor to rest. Mackenzie contacted them that Shaw managed to fix the Time Drive and that they'd be able to escape the time storm at any minute. Enoch questioned if the two of them should head to the bridge for the incoming jump, but Coulson assured his friend that they would be fine without them.
Coulson laments on feeling loneliness
Johnson asked if he was in pain, and confirmed so, but revealed he wasn't troubled by the physical pain. He explained that he was feeling anxiety over the idea of being alone, but Coulson made it clear that he and Johnson weren't going to leave him. He thanked him, but was still terrified of the idea of feeling lonely when he die. Coulson spoke of "his" experience of death and assured him that the feeling of loneliness was temporary for the person who dies, but for the people left behind, it would last forever, and figured that was the one advantage of going first; to not feel that loneliness forever.
Enoch agreed with his observation and apologized to the android that he had to now go through that pain with his team. After Johnson thanked Enoch for his sacrifice, he solemnly revealed that he had seen the future and that while everyone would survive this War Against the Chronicoms, the team as a whole would dissolve permanently. Coulson then listened to Enoch talk about the cycle of life and death and that not even he could escape it, to which Coulson referred to him as part of the cycle like every other living being. After a brief conversation about Fitz, Enoch finally deactivated and the two mourned his death just as the team jumped to safety.[2]
"No, enough of the formalities. We're dead in the water here. I need you to be you. So if you have a mission for us, let us know." "Timeline's coming apart. We have to put it back."
With the team back in 1983, Coulson and the team arrived at the Lighthouse to deal with the threat of Nathaniel Malick, while Deke Shaw opted to stay back on Zephyr One to make sure the Time Drive was truly repaired. As they headed down to the command center, Coulson and the others listened to Alphonso Mackenzie complain about being stuck in the 1980s.
Arriving at their floor, they were greeted by Roxy Glass, who was pleasantly surprised to see them again so soon. As she led them to the command center, Coulson congratulated Glass for making it into the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. Glass thanked Coulson, before revealing that the rest of the Deke Squad had also signed up at the Triskelion. Finally noticing that Coulson wasn't in his TV setup anymore, the android told Glass that he'd rather not explain how that came to be, before she headed back to the Triskelion.
Coulson takes the lead
After Glass departed, Coulson took note that she talked about the Triskelion, despite it not being operational in 1983, much like how Project Insight was ahead of schedule in 1976. When Mackenzie asked Coulson what his plan was, he referred to his leadership, but the Director decided it was pass time for formalities and gave Coulson the authority to lead them. Now in charge, Coulson declared that with the Timeline off track, it was time they got it back in order, starting with dealing with Malick and saving Jiaying's people at Afterlife.
Coulson detailing their current delema
Once Daisy Johnson and Jemma Simmons arrived in the control center, Coulson and Mackenzie debriefed the team on the objective; the Time Drive's countdown wasn't working, but even still, they needed to act now and save the Inhumans from Malick's grasp. After Simmons was ordered to send their coordinates to Jiaying, Johnson became worried about seeing her mother again, which Coulson understood. He believed they could minimize what they revealed to her, including Johnson being her daughter. Melinda May was then about to reveal something when Jiaying and Gordon arrived, with the news that Malick was hunting them.
Coulson calls himself recyclable
Coulson remained quiet while the others brought Jiaying up to speed on Malick's plans for his Inhuman prisoners, before Yo-Yo Rodriguez volunteered to go and get them out. Believing it to be to risky to have Malick capture her and lose her powers all over again, Coulson offered himself up to do recon, as his LMD body was "recyclable". Gordon volunteered his services to get him into Afterlife, giving Mackenzie the plan to let Coulson and Gordon go in to find the prisoners before he and Rodriguez go in after them.
Jiaying deemed she was going as well, but Coulson said it was best she stay here for her protection so she could lead her people once this ordeal was over. She, however, refused to stay back, as a girl named Kora needed her. After being reasoned by May and Gordon, who believed her presence would only provoke Kora, Jiaying reluctantly agreed to stay, but made them promise to save her daughter, shocking everyone in the room, minus May and Rodriguez, that Kora was actually Johnson's older half-sister.[14]
"I'm sorry- have we met?" "Not yet, but I got a sneak peek at my future, and you play a big part in it. Here's a hint- you vaporize me with a space laser." "Garrett. Clever. Digging up our greatest hits."
Coulson and his team approached Afterlife, with Yo-Yo Rodriguez saying they were 20 minutes away. After Alphonso Mackenzie denied Gordon an I.C.E.R., Coulson asked the Inhuman how he could be so calm despite them heading into a war zone. Gordon simply told him that since the fight was a necessary thing, it made it easier for him, to which he could understand.
After landing and Mackenzie giving them their objective, Coulson asked Gordon if he had to do anything special like hug him to teleport, to which Gordon found hilarious before he grabbed a hold of him and teleported them in the Inhuman sanctuary. Coulson felt tingly after it was over and was pleased that he could feel that at all. Just as the two were about to start searching, Gordon was shot in the back by one of Nathaniel Malick's men. Seeing he was outnumbered, Coulson handed over his I.C.E.R. and surrendered to Malick. He also came to realize he had the Time Stream since he knew the percentage they would be here.
As Malick led Coulson to his destination, the LMD tried to convince him that Sibyl had no interest in helping them, but Malick was unswayed by his attempts at reason. When Coulson tried again, this time mentioning his father's death was because of his alliance with the Chronicoms, Malick reminded him that it was his team that killed his father, not the Chronicoms. Seeing no point in reasoning with him, Coulson started to mock Malick not following in his father's foot steps, which led Malick to finally snap and make it clear to him that he no interest in being apart of HYDRA.
The false Inhuman explained that his father trapped himself in HYDRA's history and rules and what he wanted was to destroy that way of thinking forever and create anarchy. Coulson was then brought into a room where Gordon was being hooked up to a machine to have his powers transferred to another person. Coulson tried to persuade them not to do this to the young Inhuman, saying he was just a kid, but was denied by a woman who Coulson figured was Kora. The woman in question also knew that he was Coulson.
They were then interrupted by the man who would be getting Gordon's power and Coulson became confused as to how he knew him. When he mentioned that Phil Coulson would vaporize him with a space laser in the future, he realized he was talking to a younger version of John Garrett. Garrett then talked about how he got to see him die over and over again, including his original death at the hands of Loki, which led Coulson to make the comment that Garrett hadn't changed at all, which he knew didn't make any sense.
With the process to transfer Gordon's teleportation powers into Garrett underway, Coulson tried to convince Kora that what Malick was doing wasn't anarchy, but evil. Kora, however, believed it was a necessary evil and thought a man that has died a number of times would understand that. While Garrett started to back out because he was afraid he would lose his sight, Coulson tried to reason with Kora again, but Malick reminded him that Gordon helped Jiaying keep Kora was prisoner in Afterlife for all those years.
Garrett's continued protests pulled them out of their debate until he accidently teleported out of the room. When he came running back in, Coulson tried to warn Kora that giving a man like Garrett that kind of power was a mistake, but she believed it was "written in the stars". Garrett then started spouting on how his power needed a name, so Coulson, annoyed by Garrett's childlike behavior, told him that his power was called teleportation. He then watched helplessly as Malick and Garrett teleported away.[14]
Coulson and Gordon were then locked in a chamber, where Coulson finally broke free from his cuffs. When Coulson prepared to bust down the chamber's doors with his android strength, Gordon halted him, saying it wouldn't be enough. Despite Coulson's protests, Gordon used what little energy he had left and telelported them out. Coulson then stayed by Gordon's side as he died from his injuries.
Coulson is given his orders
With Gordon's death, Coulson headed to where the Inhumans were being held. He waited until Alphonso Mackenzie joined him and he informed his Director of Gordon's passing. After Coulson told him that the Inhumans were bring held in the room in front of them guarded by Nathaniel Malick's men, they were joined by Yo-Yo Rodriguez, who sped to their location. She told them that Melinda May contacted her to inform her that Malick had infiltrated the Lighthouse and Coulson added that he was with John Garrett.
Mackenzie gave Coulson the order to retrieve Kora and meet back at the Quinjet, and when Rodriguez handed Coulson another I.C.E.R., he started searching. He eventually found Kora in another chamber, who was actually wanting to go with him so she could meet her sister. Just as she started talking about what Sibyl had revealed to her about Johnson, Coulson iced her. He then carried her back to the Quinjet, where the surviving Inhumans and two prisoners were with Mackenzie and Rodriguez. They then headed back to the Lighthouse.[14]
After dropping the Inhumans off at a hospital for their safety, Coulson and his team returned to the Lighthouse with their prisoners. Coulson and Mackenzie personally escorted the restrained Kora through the hallways until they met up with Daisy Johnson, Melinda May, and Daniel Sousa. He informed them of the Inhumans safety, but was caught off guard when Johnson furiously quaked Kora to the wall and grabbed her throat, demanding to know where Nathaniel Malick and John Garrett took Jemma Simmons in Zephyr One. After Alphonso Mackenzie ordered Johnson to release her, Coulson, as well as the others, were surprised when Kora expressed the desire to become an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D..
They brought Kora to the command center, where Coulson questioned her motives. She explained that she was the perfect candidate with the perfect instrument the save lives, but they were less then convinced of her intentions, especially after she revealed she killed Li during his last attempt to do the same to her. Coulson asked what Kora meant as an instrument, so she revealed that since she had knowledge of history yet to happen, it could help them save the lives of people destined to die, using herself and Sousa as prime examples.
Coulson realizes they're in a new Timeline
Mackenzie then arrived, after locking Durant and his partner up, and reminded her that not all lives were saved, referring to his parents. When Kora called them proof, Coulson knew she meant that their deaths were proof that they were a new Timeline now. Kora confirmed Coulson's suspicions and used other examples such as Mackenzie still remembering growing up with his parents and Johnson not knowing she had a sister because of her death, despite her standing in front of her. Johnson, believed they had more proof, indirectly referring to Jiaying's death, and Coulson stood in silence, knowing what she meant.
When Kora called this a brand new day for S.H.I.E.L.D. to be the best they could be by killing, calling it protecting their loved ones, Coulson, pulling the murder of Grant Ward at the hands of the real Phil Coulson out of his memory files, said they've all made hard choices. Not giving up on her point of view, Kora recommended killing 30 individuals that would save thousands of lives, but Coulson didn't buy into it, as it sounded like Project Insight, just with a "fancy new bow". Seeing that the conversation was going no where, Johnson insisted she talk with her sister along and brought her into the Director's office.[15]
Throwing Sibyl Out[]
Coulson approves being unpredictable
"Hey, can you read the rest of it? You just said you know what it's like to be code." "I don't... think so..."
When Daisy Johnson took Alphonso Mackenzie and Daniel Sousa on a mission to save Jemma Simmons and Deke Shaw, Melinda May became worried about the bold decision, but Coulson thought it was the wise move to become unpredictable if they were to defeat Sibyl. He then turned his attention back to Kora and asked May to talk to her so they could predict what her next move would be.
Their plan to get inside Kora's head took an unexpected turn when the misguided Inhuman had a meltdown when May tried to reason with her and used her powers to take down the entire Lighthouse power grid with one punch to the wall of the Director's office. After May returned to Coulson in the command center, the computers started displaying the Chronicom language and Coulson realized that Kora was a Trojan horse meant to lower their firewalls for Sibyl to regain access to them. Some of the Chronicom language then decrypted into the English language, saying "Hello Coulson".
Despite Sibyl being inside the Lighthouse's system, May was relieved that she was just code, to which he said he understood. He sarcastically asked if Sibyl was thirsty, but she responded with a creepy threat. May then started to read the rest of Sibyl's threats out load, but Coulson asked her not to as he could read it without her assistance. After the Lighthouse's backup power came one, May questioned if he could read the Chronicom code since he was once that very concept. Coulson was uncertain, but started to try.
Coulson works on decrypting
May then went to check on the rest of the base and when she returned, Coulson was in the midst of decrypting the Chronicom code. He told her that Sibyl was looking for communication files, and that all he was doing was slowing her down by disrupting log aggregation, to which he was surprised he even knew of. Unfortunately, with Coulson only being able to slow her down, they needed Kora to purge her from the power, so he recommended May go and talk to her. She was hesitant as she failed the first time, but Coulson told her that the first time was to see how dangerous she was, while this time was to see how good she could be just as she had always done for the rest of the team, including him.
Coulson tries to prove his point
Coulson's work was interrupted when Yo-Yo Rodriguez came speeding in with Durant and his teammate. With the automatic locks disabled, they were then joined by Kora, who stated that S.H.I.E.L.D. killed Durant in the original Timeline. When Rodriguez revealed that Durant tried to cut her throat open, Coulson used him as an example of the people Nathaniel Malick was saving; hit men, not heroes. Kora questioned if he would've preferred Malick let them die, but he claimed that all he wanted was for to stop helping Malick disrupt the timeline.
Kora then killed Durant and sarcastically asked if that was better. She then suggested she keep killing to restore the original timeline, including Daniel Sousa, or they start killing people from her list. While Coulson refused, he was shocked to hear Rodriguez want to hear who was on the list. The debate that was to soon follow was interrupted by Kora revealing the first name was Grant Ward. Not hearing Ward's name for a long time, Coulson was taken aback for a minute, before reminding her that he was just a child in 1983.
Kora, however, persisted by listing all the people that be returned to them if they kill Ward now, but Coulson reminded her that it was John Garrett who made Ward into the coldblooded murderer he was. When Kora said Ward would've been worse without Garrett's influence, Coulson revealed they had seen a world where Ward was good had he been recruited by someone else, showing that anyone could change, even her. Kora denied it and said she would show her true self to her mother, resulting in May offering to take her to Jiaying to show her.[15]
While Melinda May took Kora to see Jiaying's dead body, Coulson got back to work accessing the last thing Sibyl did, with Yo-Yo Rodriguez calling him a computer genius. He pulled what he found on the big monitor; a map of all the S.H.I.E.L.D. bases in the world. He started listing them, but then came to a horrible realization to why Nathaniel Malick actually went to space.
May returned without Kora, who had been rescued by John Garrett, Coulson tried contacting any S.H.I.E.L.D. base that was listening. He finally got through to the Hub, who thought the Lighthouse was decommissioned years prior, before the signal cut out. Knowing what that meant, Coulson watched in horror as every S.H.I.E.L.D. base on the monitor was taken out by the arrival of the Chronicom Destroyer Ships. He then solemnly admitted that the Chronicoms completed what they set out to do; destroying S.H.I.E.L.D.[15]
Coulson observed, to his horror, that all the foundations of S.H.I.E.L.D. fell, including the Triskelion. Yo-Yo Rodriguez asked why Sibyl didn't attack them, which Coulson said was because she knew that the Lighthouse could withstand an attack, and that she must have other plans. All of a sudden, the three of them heard strange sounds, so Coulson ordered Melinda May and Rodriguez to implement the Lockdown protocols, as he figured it out.
They discovered that John Garrett had infiltrated the Lighthouse, and was planting Chroni-Bombs that could flatten the base, so Coulson brought up the Quantum Field Disruptors plans, so they could trap him. Once they built the panels, Coulson prepared the trap, by anticipating where Garrett would appear next, while talking with May about how they are both severely different from who they used to be. When Garrett arrived, Rodriguez put the disruptors on him, allowing them to talk with him and disable the bombs.
Instead, the bombs were set off early, so Coulson protected May from the destruction, as Rodriguez moved the bombs to one location. After Rodriguez found them in the rubble, Coulson decided to save Garrett, who was injured in the explosion, as he could get them to the rest of their team in space. Once Garrett awoke, Coulson convinced him to join them, and then suddenly picked up a signal, which was for an 0-8-4, so Garrett said he could teleport them to the signal's location.[16]
The signal brought them to The Krazy Kanoe, where they were surrounded by armed people, with one of them killing John Garrett immediately. Coulson introduced himself to the people in the room, figuring out they were all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and they stood down. Brandon Gamble informed them of the 0-8-4s they were asked to bring, but none of them knew what the pieces were for.
Suddenly, Alphonso Mackenzie, Daisy Johnson, Jemma Simmons, Deke Shaw, and Daniel Sousa arrived at the bar, so they all embraced each other. Coulson learned that the Chronicoms had affected Simmons' memory, and he told the rest about the 0-8-4s, which Simmons had begun assembling, much to all of their confusion. An Old Man arrived with the final piece, telling Coulson that Enoch gave it to him, and Simmons completed the machine, which opened up a room, and activated a portal, that Leo Fitz came out of.[16]
Coulson and the team plan their way home
The team questioned Fitz about his absence, and he explained that they could still return to their main timeline, but Coulson stated they couldn't leave this timeline while the Chronicoms were still a threat. Shaw came up with the idea to bring the Chronicom ships with them to the main timeline, but that meant one of them would have to stay behind. Johnson confirmed this, as Enoch told them this was their last mission together, so Shaw decided to stay behind, while the others boarded the Zephyr One, successfully leaving the timeline with the entire Chronicom fleet into the Quantum Realm.[3]
Splitting into the two teams, they were successful in sneaking onto the Chronicom ship, and went to fulfil their own task, with Coulson being captured by Sibyl, who brought him to the bridge. Coulson tricked Sibyl into entering her authorization to contact all of the Chronicom Hunters on Earth, by revealing their team was retaking the Lighhouse. Once Sibyl did so, May knocked her out, and she and Coulson proceeded to defeat the remaining Chronicoms in the room.
Once Mackenzie brought Kora, Coulson told her what they were fighting for, and she and May used their powers to give the Chronicoms empathy. This would bring an end to their desire to wipe out Earth, ultimately ended the war. The team went to return to the Zephyr One, where they noticed Quake still fighting Nathaniel Malick, but they could not interfere, which resulted in her destroying the fleet, with her inside. They were able to retrieve her body, and Kora revived her, with Coulson telling Quake that family was what they were fighting for.[3]
Exploring the World[]
Taking a Sabbatical[]
"You said you were going to would take the year to reassess." "Well… I figure I can always, you know, turn off. I'm gonna take a little time, continue my reassessment. See the world."
With the War Against the Chronicoms over, Coulson, who initially planned on shutting himself off, decided to take a sabbatical from S.H.I.E.L.D. to see the world and reassess his position on whether he would opt to continue living. As foreseen, the S.H.I.E.L.D. team never were in the same room all at once, however, they all still stayed in each other's lives.[3]
One year after Coulson's former team's last mission together, they all decided to get together and catch up. However, with all of them being far away, including Coulson being at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, they used a virtual reality simulation. Coulson was the first to enter the simulation, which he chose to be The Krazy Kanoe, and was soon joined by the rest of the team.
Coulson talks about his plans
After exchanging the latest news on what they've all been up to over the past year, Coulson updated everyone on what he was going to do, and how he was choosing to travel, knowing he could turn himself off at any point. Melinda May, Alphonso Mackenzie, and Daisy Johnson invited Coulson to stop by. They all at that moment had to conclude their gathering. They jokingly recounted over how most of them had died, with Coulson having done it the most, and they all promised to make the reunion a tradition every year.
One by one they all departed, with Coulson telling May that she'll probably be seeing him at some point before she left, until it was just Coulson, Johnson, and Mackenzie. Coulson confirmed to Mackenzie that he received his package, switch, and learned that there was a new L.O.L.A. that Mackenzie had built waiting for him. When it was just Coulson and Johnson, they reflected over what they had accomplished as a team, and Coulson told Johnson to call her when she returns, before they both left the simulation.[3]
Coulson disconnected from the virtual meeting, and opened the package, which had his control switch and a set of keys belonging to the new L.O.L.A.. Coulson sat inside and started the engine, activating its flight systems, where he discovered Alphonso Mackenzie's upgrades, as it turned from red to black, and changed morphed into a new design, which Coulson felt was cool. Coulson then flew away, continuing his travels.[3]
Personality[]
"Can I count on you?" "I'll do anything for you guys."
According to Jemma Simmons, the ChronicomLMD of Phil Coulson has been programmed with not only all of Coulson's memories but also the events that have taken place after his death. While having unusual cold moments of stoicism he retains many of Coulson's personality traits including his sense of humor and dedication and loyalty to his team.
At first, Coulson was weary of being an LMD as he had the memories of the real Coulson's protests against it but accepted it so he could help his team. However, during his first mission with Alphonso Mackenzie, he began to see the perks of being a Life-Model-Decoy, such as being bulletproof and getting to spend time with Daisy Johnson and his other loved ones. After talking with Luke, Coulson's opinion changed again, as he realized that being an LMD meant he would have to watch all of his love ones die around him, leaving him alone, and that terrified him.
Coulson inherited the original version's admiration for S.H.I.E.L.D. history as when meeting Daniel Sousa for the first time, he was filled with glee for meeting a S.H.I.E.L.D. legend.
Coulson has also maintained from the original Coulson the indomitable will not to be afraid of death; so much so that he told Sibyl that dying is a super power for him.
Another aspect of Coulson's personality was that, being an android, he could enjoy all the pleasures of life more calmly than when he was a human, managing to find an inner monologue between his life and his work in S.H.I.E.L.D ..
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
"Turns out being an LMD has its perks. Like taking two in the back without a fuss. And being able to spend some time under water."
Android/Chronicom Physiology: Being an android, the Life-Model Decoy Coulson's physiology allows him to do much more than his human self could do. He is also built with Chronicom technology, allowing him even greater strength, durability and stamina than if he was built with only LMD parts.
Superhuman Strength:
Coulson denting a pan
Due to being an android, Coulson has immense strength. When Luke attacked Coulson with a metal pan, he caused the metal pan to have a deep dent with one punch. He later broke free from his handcuffs three times, while in custody, without issue, going as far as to state he could snap them, but refused to as he was sitting in front of Daniel Sousa. While fighting a Chronicom Hunter, he was able to push him into a wall with great force and was strong enough to almost snap his head off before he was distracted by the arrival of Sousa. Though not being given the chance to do so, Coulson believed he was strong enough to break through a chamber that was designed to hold the strongest of Inhumans. He also easily snapped off wires at the Lighthouse. During the final battle against the Chronicoms, Coulson got the chance to snap the neck of a Hunter with ease. He also lifted up Viola and carried her with no fuss.
Superhuman Durability: Due to being an android, Coulson's synthetic nervous system prevents him from feeling pain, and damage he sustains actually has little effect on his performance. When Tillman shot Coulson, he felt no pain and didn't even feel the bullet. Fighting the Chronicoms, Coulson didn't even feel the attacks. When bombs that John Garrett placed in the Lighthouse went off, Coulson's android body was strong enough to withstand the explosion, and shield Melinda May. He also survived Enoch's attack, with Enoch even killing Deke Shaw.
Superhuman Stamina: With no respiratory system, Coulson could perform with great energy for large amounts of time.
Enhanced Reflexes: Coulson also has great reflexes, allowing him to fight well against Abel as well as Niles Lindmore Chronicom at Area 51. While facing a bartender holding a shotgun, Coulson brushed off a shot before swiftly grabbing the gun and pointing it back at the bartender.
Enhanced Vision: Due to his Life-Model Decoy parts, Coulson possesses good vision as his eyes are mechanical.
Longevity: Being an android, Coulson lost his ability to age, being trapped for eternity at the age he died in 2018, and his life can span several thousand years. Coulson is also immune to biological diseases, although he is susceptible to computer viruses. This longevity worried Coulson as he hated continuously being brought back to life without his control. In a time loop, he and Quake were the only ones who remembered the loop due to her being in a Cryostasis Chamber and Coulson being turned off. When the mission was over, Coulson had the option to turn himself off whenever he wanted using the LMD Switch.
Pain Immunity: Coulson was unable to feel pain as he realized when he tested a theory at The Krazy Kanoe. He brushed off a shotgun shot to the shoulder before turning the gun on the shooter. He also punched through a metal pan and a wall without feeling the pain. When posing as Daniel Sousa, Coulson took two shots to the back from Joe without feeling anything.
Computer Interaction: Using his Chronicom technology, Coulson was able to interact well with computers, allowing him to easily understand how to communicate with Sibyl. When he exploded and lost his mechnical body, Coulson was merely just code until Deke Shaw was able to put him into a television. Coulson then lived as a two dimensional "Max Headroom" for a year.
Expert Martial Artist: Programmed with all of Phil Coulson's fighting abilities, ChronicomLMD Coulson is able to hold his own just as well as the real version. He was able to fight both Luke and Abel, two skilled Chronicom Hunters with little trouble and come out victorious. He was also able to fight off a Hunter at Area 51 and nearly won had Daniel Sousa not interfered. He, however, was able to go toe-to-toe with several Hunters in the final battle on a Chronicom Destroyer Ship.
Expert Marksman: Programmed with all of Coulson's firing capabilities, the Chronicom LMD is able to fire just as well as the real version. While using a Chronicom Rifle, Coulson was able to kill two Hunters with one shot each. He also used a machine gun effectively in 1931 while fighting Chronicoms.
Master Tactician: Programmed with all of Coulson's tactical knowledge, the Chronicom LMD is an exceptional tactician more than capable of handling various situations. When stuck in a time loop, he worked together with Quake and was able to figure out what was happening and easily realized that they were closer to the end on every loop. He also figured out that Enoch was the key and formed a plan around it. At the Lighthouse, he successfully tricked Sibyl into acccessing her fleet so that Coulson and Melinda May could give them empathy.
Master Spy: Coulson also retained the fact that he was an incredible spy. He posed as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in Area 51 and did not crack while being interrogated by Daniel Sousa until he felt Sousa could help him. Coulson also did not break while in Chronicom possession as he pretended to be a man named Patrick Kutik.
"You can read it!" "Eh, I'm getting bits and pieces."
Bilingualism: Due to Coulson's time as code, he is able to read computer language.
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
Colt M1911A1: S.H.I.E.L.D. agents stationed at the Lighthouse for the launch of Project Insight carried these handguns as their sidearms holstered in their jumpsuits. Coulson obtained one of them when he knocked out an agent and stole his uniform, though it was confiscated when he was arrested.
I.C.E.R.: Coulson used an I.C.E.R. to ice Daniel Sousa and take his place in his death to save his life. He later used an I.C.E.R. on Kora to take her into custody peacefully.
Cadillac Series 353: With two minutes left until Zephyr One jumped away, Coulson drove the Cadillac with his colleagues to the ship before it was too late.
Lighthouse: After Coulson's body was destroyed along with the Chronicom Time Ship, Deke Shaw found his hard drive in 1982 and hooked it up to a TV system, where he became voice of council for Shaw's team that were operating out of the Lighthouse. He aided them during the Attack on the Lighthouse, before he, Shaw and Alphonso Mackenzie were rescued by the team. When the team were stuck in 1983, they returned to the Lighthouse, where Mackenzie gave Coulson the reign to give them their orders.
Area 51: After Coulson and Jemma Simmons' cover was blown by Daniel Sousa, they were held in a holding cell until Daisy Johnson was able to secure their release. Not long after Coulson was shut down by an EMP blast, he awoke handcuffed to a table in a interrogation room, questioned by Sousa, before tricking him into thinking he was scientist assigned to help him deliver a S.H.I.E.L.D. invention to Howard Stark in Los Angeles.
Lighthouse: While trying to escape from the Lighthouse, Coulson and Melinda May were cornered and taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. The two were interrogated by Rick Stoner, before they escaped and saved him from being scanned and erased by the Chronicom Hunters.
Afterlife: When infiltrating Afterlife with Gordon to rescue the Inhumans from Nathaniel Malick, the two were quickly captured by the anarchist. Coulson was then forced to watch helplessly as they transferred Gordon's teleportation power to John Garrett before being locked in a Inhuman chamber with the weaken Gordon. Coulson was able to escape when Gordon used to last of his energy to teleport him out of the chamber, at the cost of Gordon's life.
Coulson claims his "dad jokes" are a glitch in his programming.
The "turtle on its back" question which Coulson presented to the Stern Woman to determine if she was a Chronicom in Alien Commies from the Future! originated from the Voight-Kampff test in Blade Runner, which was used to determine whether or not someone was a Replicant.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. uniforms that Coulson and Melinda May wore in 1976 were reminiscent of the classic costumes from the comics.
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