Massachusetts is a state located on the northeastern region of the United States of America.
History
World War II
In 1945, Johann Schmidt and his HYDRA division intended to wipe out the entire eastern seaboard of the United States of America. To do so, they developed a series of flying bombs to be launched from the Valkyrie, including specifically destined to be launched to Boston.[1]
Childhood of Grant Ward
- "You and your brothers, where'd you grow up?"
"Massachusetts, mostly." - ―Skye and Grant Ward[src]
Grant Ward was raised in Massachusetts, living with his parents, his brothers and his sisters.[2]
Grant's older brother, Christian was very abusive to his younger brothers, frequently beating both Grant and their younger brother Thomas.[3] However, Christian acted only out of jealousy and revenge, given their mother used to torture all their sons except Thomas, and he wanted her to suffer as much he was suffering. Christian lacked the courage to kill Thomas, despite he wanted Thomas to be dead, so he forced Grant to carry out many of the actual tortures.[4]
One of the tortures that greatly marked Grant for the rest of his life was the day that Christian ordered him to throw Thomas down to the bottom of a well. Thomas was terrified and almost drowned, as Christian threatened Grant to throw him as well if he saved Thomas. However, as Christian left, Grant was able to throw Thomas a rope, saving his life.[5]
Escape from Juvenile Facility
In 1999, Grant Ward was sentenced to be imprisoned in a Juvenile Secure Unit in Plymouth for setting his family's house on fire with his older brother Christian inside. Christian wanted Grant to be judged as an adult, charged with arson and attempted murder.
John Garrett visited Ward, as Ward's quartermaster in his military school spoke to Garrett about him, describing Ward as a pissed-off young cadet with a high level of eye-hand coordination, who escaped from the school and stole a car to burn his house. Garrett asked Ward if he knew that his brother was in the house, something Ward denied. Garrett informed him about his charges and his brother's petition to have a trial as if he were an adult.
Garrett offered an alternative to spend the following years imprisoned; he was working for a secret organization that recruited young men like Ward. He revealed that going with him would be the hardest thing Ward would ever do; nobody would pester him again.
Ward did not answer, so Garrett gave him ten seconds to accept before leaving, insisting that he had to agree. Once Ward finally said the word "Yes", a group of operatives under Garrett's command stormed the facility, entering the visit room pointing the guards, inmates and visitors with guns, in order to break Ward out of the prison.[6]
Imprisonment of Edison Po
In 2012, Edison Po reappeared in Boston, after having fallen off the grid in 2008. He met a man at a diner, and stabbed him in the eye with a steak knife. As Po revealed to Raina, he attacked the man for asking too many questions about the Clairvoyant.
Po was arrested for the incident, and eventually imprisoned at Havenworth Federal Penitentiary.[7]
Renegade
Grant Ward arrived from Atlanta to Boston in a bus, having escaped from both federal custody and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attempts to recapture him, being closely followed by Lance Hunter.
Ward entered the Goldbrix Tavern, an establishment that served as covert gathering point for HYDRA operatives. As soon as he entered, the bartender threatened Ward with choosing how would he prefer to be killed, with a Colombian necktie or simply a bullet in the head. Ward chose the second method, and the bartender served a drink while welcoming him back, as the threats were actually a password.
Hunter, waiting outside the tavern, witnessed the arrival of Sunil Bakshi, who entered the bar to meet with Ward. Hunter contacted Melinda May to inform her about Bakshi, while grabbing his weapon, just in case.
Bakshi greeted Ward, informing him how John Garrett often praised Ward's skills, and also his own surprise for being contacted, as everyone believed Ward to be dead. Ward told Bakshi how he had been imprisoned in a cell, and behind a S.H.I.E.L.D. badge before that, but now he was finally free.
Ward demanded a meeting with Bakshi's superior, guessing that as Wolfgang von Strucker was outside of the continent, there should be another leader. Despite telling him that HYDRA appreciated both his skils and loyalty, Bakshi informed Ward that his superior, Daniel Whitehall, was very busy to receive him.
Ward offered Bakshi a chance to meet Phil Coulson very closely in exchange, leading him to believe that he would infiltrate Bakshi close enough to kill Coulson if he had the chance.
Melinda May gathered her field agents Antoine Triplett, Bobbi Morse, and Hunter to raid the tavern, as according to Hunter, nobody else arrived or left after Bakshi entered the tavern. Hunter was sure that nobody saw him, but the way he said it made Morse believe he was suggesting she blew her cover. Hunter and Morse began another of their usual discussions, as Hunter assured that subtlety was the key to maintain a cover, despite being dressed like a cowboy.
May cut their argument, in order to discuss the actual parameters of the mission. Triplett pointed that Ward may be still weraing his explosive vest, so he could make the whole building explode if they did not manage to kill him quickly. Morse proposed calling outside reinforcements, like the police department, but May dismissed the idea, as Ward could easily see them coming and kill them, so the only plan was to kill him quickly.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents entered the establishment, finding the bodies of the bartender and the two operatives that accompanied Bakshi, while Bakshi himself was in a back room, tied, unconscious and with a piece of tape in his mouth with the words "For Coulson" written on it. May checked that Bakshi was alive, regaining consciousness and being visibly afraid.[8]
Personal Matters
Grant Ward changed his look as he was a fugitive, having escaped from both S.H.I.E.L.D. and federal custody. Ward shaved his beard and cut his hair, to completely break with the time he spent as a prisoner inside the Playground, even dressing with the suit he stole from Sunil Bakshi. As he finished, Ward called to Bakshi's cellphone, hearing Skye, who jokingly answered with a "Hail HYDRA".
Ward called to make sure that they received his present, a captured Bakshi, as he had promised him an encounter with Phil Coulson, but surely Bakshi thought Ward was referring to another kind of encounter. Ward promised to send more gifts, but Skye dismissed it, comparing him to a cat bringing dead birds.
Ward also evaluated Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter, thinking they would not stay much longer in S.H.I.E.L.D., as he thought that Coulson could find better agents, because Ward also thought it should be hard to replace him. Skye asked Ward where he was, but Ward ended the conversation saying he had personal matters to attend to, promising to see her soon.
Ward then finished preparing a box filled with matches, ropes, tape and a recorder, throwing a newspaper with a picture of his older brother, Senator Christian Ward, inside.[8]
Assassination of Senator Christian Ward
- "More news on the investigation of the horrific murder-suicide of Massachusetts Senator Christian Ward. FBI sources claim that while the senator did leave a recorded confession, other evidence found at the scene suggests another party may have been involved."
- ―News Reporter[src]
Senator Christian Ward retired to his family's summer place in Massachusetts, calling his wife Anna, excusing his absence saying he had to attend strategy meetings. However, as soon as he hung up the phone, Senator Ward called his mistress to meet her at the summer place.
Senator Ward's escort was easily defeated by Grant Ward, who took his older brother out of his car, taunting him as he heard that the Senator had been looking for him.
Grant handcuffed his brother and took him to a nearby place. While on their way, Senator Ward tried to manipulate his brother, as he first thought that HYDRA had ordered to kidnap him, so he offered to devise a better plan between just the two of them.
As Grant told him that HYDRA was not concerned about him, Senator Ward tried to explain that he staged the agreement with S.H.I.E.L.D. to get Grant out of their custody, as he announced a public trial and gave a pro-S.H.I.E.L.D. speech just to make Phil Coulson release Grant, and the Senator placed only four men on detail to facilitate Grant's escape.
Grant explained he was enjoying watching Christian work, lying as the politician he was, though Christian claimed he was only trying to have an honest conversation. Grant recognized all the tricks Christian was using, such as changing tactics, using Grant's name or mentioning his wife Anna, and then Christian used another one, turning the tricks on Grant.
Christian blamed Grant for the acts that he was undeniably responsible for, such as burning their family house or killing all the people he killed, to make him believe that Grant twisted every act and blamed them on other people. Grant, on the verge of crying, explained that he left his family because they were trying to hollow and control him, but despite all of that, he was taking responsibility for his own actions.[4]
Senator Ward realized that Grant was talking about the incident at the well, where Christian ordered Grant to let their younger brother Thomas almost drown.[5]
Christian told the lie that he has been telling since the event happened, that it was Grant who nearly killed Thomas in the well.
Grant asked Christian if blaming others allowed him to sleep better, though Christian tried to convince him that, whatever Grant believed happened at the well, it had been buried by their parents. Grant told Christian that it had simply been covered, and handed him a shovel to start digging.
Christian started to dig, but did not the understand the reason Grant had for doing all of this. Grant explained that he just wanted the truth about that particular event from his past, and wanted Christian to admit he was the one who forced Grant to push Thomas down the well. Christian maintained his version, that Grant forced Thomas, and despite Thomas being terrified Grant enjoyed it.
Grant recognized what Christian was doing, trying to put thoughts in his head like he did before, as Christian had always been able to convince him they were his own thoughts, but not anymore. Christian explained the reasons Grant was lying to himself for a simple reason, to reconcile the things he did with the hero he wanted to become.
Christian finally came across the well that Grant wanted him to dig out; he then used the shovel to attack Grant in an attempt to escape. However, Grant was able to catch him and hit Christian's head against a tree.
Grant opened the well, and threatened to throw Christian inside unless he admitted the truth of the incident. Christian continued to deny all responsibility, pleading to Grant, but given that Grant was going to throw him inside the well, Christian finally admitted the truth.
Christian admitted that he wanted Thomas to be dead, as he was the only one that their mother did not torture, something their father allowed her to do to the rest of their sons, so Christian wanted to kill Thomas and make their mother feel the pain he was suffering. As Christian did not have the courage to do it, he tried to force Grant to do it. Christian apologized in tears, and Grant seemingly forgave her, embracing his older brother, and telling it was time to go home.
However, Grant had recorded Senator Ward's confession, and used it to kill Christian and their parents, staging the whole event as a murder-suicide by Christian.[4]
Appearances
| Appearances for Massachusetts |
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In chronological order:
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References
- ↑ Captain America: The First Avenger
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1.19 The Only Light in the Darkness
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1.03: The Asset
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.08: The Things We Bury
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1.08: The Well
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1.21: Ragtag
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1.10: The Bridge
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.07: The Writing on the Wall
