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- "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."
- ―Phil Coulson to Daniel Sousa[src]
The Rescue of Daniel Sousa was a mission perpetrated by S.H.I.E.L.D. to prevent HYDRA from executing Daniel Sousa.
Background[]
- "His final mission. He delivered a groundbreaking S.H.I.E.L.D. device to Howard Stark, kept it from falling into Russian hands. And then he was killed. 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."
- ―Phil Coulson[src]
Daniel Sousa becomes the first fallen agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Sitting in Daniel Sousa's office, Phil Coulson looked around the room and not only noticed that he was handcuffed, but also noticed the date was July 22, 1955, the day that Daniel Sousa infamously became the first fallen agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Coulson then heard Sousa on the phone, saying something about a missing contact. Using his knowledge of Sousa's death, Coulson stated that he was actually the missing contact. He won over Sousa's trust by talking about the classified item that was supposed to be handed over, something only Sousa, Howard Stark and the contact would know. Sousa let Coulson go and the two went on Sousa's mission that Coulson knew would end in the death of the agent.[1]
Rescue[]
Ambush at the Train[]
Phil Coulson finds himself cuffed
- "Just to clarify, the history books say that tonight, Sousa delivers that thing and then he... he dies?"
"Unfortunately, yes." - ―Alphonso Mackenzie and Jemma Simmons[src]
In order to have his plan seem flawless, Phil Coulson called upon Yo-Yo Rodriguez to meet him at the train. As Coulson and Daniel Sousa boarded, Coulson kept telling Sousa there was nothing to worry about. However in actuality, Rodriguez had not shown up as she got caught up in other business.
Phil Coulson improvises his plan
Running out of options, Coulson acted quick on his feet and saw an innocent man simply put his hat over his face to sleep. Coulson used this to say that was the signal. He then got up and grabbed the man's suitcase with Sousa following. Unbeknownst to them both, two enemies were waiting in the cab and made their move.
Daniel Sousa talks to Phil Coulson
Now sitting in a new cab, Sousa and Coulson talked about lovers and how Coulson had one, but could not stick around long enough to make it last. Sousa then asked what was in the suitcase, but Coulson refused, saying it was Howard Stark's eyes only. Sousa then let him know Stark was not actually going to be at the drop, it would be his men. Sousa then got up, saying he was getting a drink and offered Coulson one. Knowing he could not drink due to his inner structures, Coulson declined.
Phil Coulson is met by Luke
As Sousa left, Luke sat in the empty seat, telling Coulson to relax as he was alone and only wanted to talk about a preposition. Meanwhile, Sousa is sneaked up on by a woman who tried to flatter him. Although Coulson and Luke begin to talk, Luke soon leaves revealing that they could just make one call and Sousa would be dead that second rather than later. As Sousa talked to the woman, he leaned in and made fun of her acting, noting how obvious it was that she was just a pawn.
Daisy Johnson saves Daniel Sousa
Suddenly, Sousa was hit from behind by a stronger man before being tripled teamed. As he tried to get his bearings, Quake and Alphonso Mackenzie joined the fight. Sousa remarked that it was Johnson and she told him that they were in fact the good guys like she said at Area 51. Coulson then took care of the last guy by hitting him with the briefcase, causing it to open and reveal there were only papers inside. Sousa was annoyed at the lie but asked who everyone was. Johnson said that they were friendlys and they had the package.
Daniel Sousa boards the Zephyr
They brought Sousa aboard Zephyr One and were very obscure about the nature of their futuristic ship. In the meanwhile, Sousa met Melinda May and shook her hand, only for May to feel his emotions and realized that he was very untrusting. However, she did not share this yet. The group then showed Sousa the package and he remarked about how he thought the men on the train were a branch of the thought dead HYDRA. Surprising Sousa, the group simply said they knew that. Coulson thought to himself how it was actually HYDRA who killed Sousa. He then asked Sousa if his suprerior was Wilfred Malick, then broke the news of Malick being HYDRA.
Daniel Sousa escapes
Coulson then brought Mackenzie aside and talked about the possibility of keeping Sousa alive. The two talked and Mackenzie compared the weight of Sousa's death to Coulson's death to the Avengers. They both caused uniting of a group for the better. Meanwhile, Johnson and Sousa talked about HYDRA with Sousa very angry about their reemergence. As Mackenzie brought Johnson to the side to talk, May's feeling of untrusting proved correct as Sousa used a motorcycle to escape and make his drop with the package.[1]
Hotel Roosevelt[]
- "Sousa completed his mission. Died a hero. Just like what's in the history book. But not everything's in the book. Obviously, the answer to the question, 'Could we get to him before his killer'... was yes."
- ―Phil Coulson[src]
Daniel Sousa arrived at Hotel Roosevelt in the rain and planned to make his drop to Howard Stark's men. He was given a nod by the concierge. Meanwhile, Joe called Wilfred Malick, letting him know Sousa was in his sights.
Phil Coulson shoots Daniel Sousa with an I.C.E.R.
Sousa then got up and made his way down the hall with a sneaking suspicion that he was being followed. He looked behind once more before handing the package to the concierge who walked by, telling him to say hello to Stark for him. He then turned the corner and found Phil Coulson. Sousa sighed and said he thought he shook them. Coulson then pulled out his gun and shot am I.C.E.R. to knock Sousa out.
Phil Coulson poses as Daniel Sousa
As Sousa was carried off to Zephyr One, Coulson got dressed in Sousa's clothes and walked slowly towards the pool until Joe shot him from behind. He then fell into the pool recreating the Assassination of Daniel Sousa. Meanwhile, Joe called Malick, telling him the job was done. Soon, Daisy Johnson and Jemma Simmons arrived acting as a medical team to scoop up "Sousa". This act saved Sousa, but preserved the history books as everyone believed it was Sousa's death.[1]
Aftermath[]
Phil Coulson breaks the news to Daniel Sousa
- "The timeline is already broken. So I died for nothing."
"You look alive to me."
"But maybe you should've left me. I could've stopped HYDRA back then." - ―Daniel Sousa and Phil Coulson[src]
The water got caught in Phil Coulson's system causing him to only see black and white as well as narrate his perspective like a mid-1950s movie. Finally, Coulson's glitch wore off and he was back to normal. Daniel Sousa then woke up and met with everyone, who broke the news to him. Although he was shaken up, he decided to join S.H.I.E.L.D. on their Chronicom Colonization of Earth.[1]
Daniel Sousa and Phil Coulson see Wilfred Malick
As Sousa stayed with the team, he began to miss his old life more and more and became very annoyed with the messing of timelines. In the 1970s, he saw how Wilfred Malick never died which screwed up the timeline. This caused him to get angry with Coulson, saying that the timeline was broken anyway and HYDRA was still standing so he died for nothing. Coulson simply said he looked alive to him. However, Sousa rebuttaled that he could have ended HYDRA back then if they let him be.[2]
Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa kiss
However, Sousa started warming up to the group and even started falling in love with Daisy Johnson as the two hit it off. When everyone was stuck in a time loop, Johnson asked why Sousa would always be sleeping next to her Healing Pod and also always be so wanting to help. Sousa called back to his old life, saying he has known women like her. The two then shared a kiss in another loop.[3]
Daniel Sousa is interrupted by Deke Shaw
Later in The Krazy Kanoe, the team planned to use the Quantum Tunnel to send the Chronicoms back with them to their own timeline. However, someone had to stay behind to set everything up. Sousa spoke up and said even though he had met wonderful people like Johnson, he belonged there and should stay. He was suddenly interrupted by Deke Shaw who remarked that Sousa did not have the knowledge to do what was needed and he also did not want to mess up his life with Johnson.[4]