Phillip CoulsonPhil Coulson

Army Cheese

Something of a Super Hero fanboy due to his grandfather’s rescue by the original Human Torch in World War II, Phillip Coulson joined the U.S. Army to work his way into the elite ranks of Rangers. Sent to Afghanistan, he formed a strong bond with fellow Ranger Marcus Johnson and earned the nickname “Cheese.” When Johnson announced his intention to return to the States to investigate his mother’s murder at the hands of an organization called Leviathan, Coulson partnered with him on the mission and proved invaluable in helping solve the mystery surrounding the heinous act.

Coulson learned that his friend Johnson was in reality the son of the infamous Nick Fury, longtime director of the spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D. and a World War II hero. Both men joined S.H.I.E.L.D. to become agents and Coulson swiftly proved to be an excellent recruit.

Capabilities

Phil Coulson is a highly skilled marksman, combatant, and tactician exhibiting strong leadership qualities and steadfast devotion to duty. Though sometimes seen as dour and unflappable, he possesses a passion for his work, as well as for the culture and history of Super Heroes. He is most likely seen in an immaculate suit and a pair of sunglasses, the epitome of the government agent.

Associates

Marcus Johnson, aka Nick Fury Jr., stands as Phil’s closest friend, thanks to their tour of duty together as U.S. Rangers and many close calls under fire. Johnson’s heritage and desire to follow in his father’s footsteps inspired Coulson to tread the same path, devoting himself to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Within the organization, Coulson works well with fellow agents Melinda May, Leopold Fitz, and Jemma Simmons. Though respectful of former S.H.I.E.L.D. director Maria Hill, their relationship would never be described as warm. Coulson has also earned the admiration of such luminaries as Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Natasha Romanoff, among others in the Super Hero community.

Enemies

Beyond the enemy forces he fought in Afghanistan, Coulson’s first real larger-than-life opponents can be counted among the members of Leviathan, a terrorist cell with roots in Russia’s Soviet era. He gained invaluable experience in confronting such organizations and one of its most dangerous operatives, code-named Orion.

Since then, Coulson has battled many other menaces as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, including frost giants, rogue Inhumans, the “mad god” Thanos, and traitors within his own agency.

Missions

Many of Phil Coulson’s missions as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent remain classified, but one of his earliest successes was in recruiting former Avengers Hawkeye and the Black Widow into a “Secret Avengers” black ops group. He also provided valuable assistance to founding Avenger Tony Stark during a nuclear crisis, as well as longtime Stark associate James Rhodes of the War Machine program.

Coulson himself joined a later version of the Secret Avengers under the direction of Maria Hill. Around that time, he and Fury Jr. were tricked into boarding a space station controlled by the villainous M.O.D.O.K. and were briefly stranded in orbit before being rescued by their comrades seconds before a fiery re-entry. Because of the extreme nature of the incident, Coulson developed post-traumatic stress disorder while tracking M.O.D.O.K.’s machination throughout S.H.I.E.L.D.