John Garrett was a major antagonist in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., serving as the "big bad" of Season 1. Initially appearing as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, he was secretly a member of the terrorist organisation HYDRA. As well as this, Garrett was also the mastermind behind Centipede, a project to create an army of cybernetically enhanced super-soldiers. Having access to most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence databases allowed Garrett to plan ahead and develop contingencies against S.H.I.E.L.D. interference which, to those not in the know, made it seem that Garrett possessed psychic abilities, earning the moniker "The Clairvoyant".
Garrett was portrayed by the late Bill Paxton.
Personality[]
John Garrett initially appeared to be a man of honour and principles, garnering respect, trust and even friendship from numerous high-ranking agents and operatives of S.H.I.E.L.D., such as Phil Coulson and Nick Fury due to his Clearance Level 7 and devotion to S.H.I.E.L.D.. He had a tendency to live in his war stories and was constantly retelling them. Nonetheless, Garrett would torture informants to get information from them, as when Ian Quinn mocked him during an interrogation, he threatened to rip out his tongue, allowing his immorality to slip through his facade.
Garrett was first and foremost a survivor and as such, disregarded loyalty or attachment to anything due to having been loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. previously and being disregarded as an asset. After being left to die with no assurance or backup, he survived by himself and this left him with numerous battle scars, leaving him in constant agony. This also enforced him to believe the only way to survive is by relying on himself alone and doing what is necessary, no matter how ruthless it may be. This allowed him to defect to HYDRA, betray and later torture his friends and submit himself to the Project Deathlok which enhanced his health but had negative affects on his sanity. Garrett only chose HYDRA for a personal reason and claims to not be a true believer of the foundation or beliefs that the organization was built upon, similar to his protege, Grant Ward, but he was loyal enough to assist HYDRA's and his own goals, simultaneously.
Despite his true allegiances, he was not above forming genuine friendships but his lack of morals and desperation to save himself allowed him to easily betray or kill people he respected or even slightly care about. After his betrayal, he admitted to Coulson that he genuinely considered him a friend and took no joy in submitting him to Project T.A.H.I.T.I. (as opposed to Garrett's usual charmingly sadistic attitude to inflicting pain on others). He has expressed a respect for other members of Coulson's team, telling Skye there was no need to call him "sir" and affectionately patting Leo Fitz on the side over him promising he would play a vital part in Garrett's demise. In reality, Garrett had no emotional attachment to anyone due to strongly believing that compassion is a weakness in itself and trained Ward to think the same way.
Many people under Garrett's servitude, namely Ward, have immense loyalty and dedication to Garrett himself rather than the cause he serves under, displaying impressive charismatic abilities. However, he was extremely manipulative and willing to change his character to take advantage of the needs of the person he was fooling. With Ward, he acts as a father-figure for the troubled young man, on account of sensing he was in need of one and preyed on this remorselessly in order to get him to join HYDRA. A toxic and abusive paternal figure towards Ward, Garrett utterly refused to allow him to feel attachment to anything and would manipulate Ward's loyalty towards him to abandon and kill whatever he may have cared about to please him, although it never did work as he expected, as exemplified by Ward's pet Buddy and friends Fitz and Jemma Simmons, whom he admitted he cared about before ejecting the two of them from a plane. He was not above emotionally blackmailing a person or threatening children by kidnapping Ace Peterson to force Deathlok into helping him.
To avoid his death, Garrett injected himself with GH.325, which radically changed his personality: he became more arrogant and insane and began to lose touch with reality, claiming to feel "the universe" and prophesying "the end", among other bizarre statements. The Kree formula caused him to view the coming Inhumans, such as Raina and Skye, as the next step of evolution and that the world would be theirs after the humans were killed, something which Garrett attempted to assist with using his Centipede soldiers. His apparent madness was so great that even Ward, his most loyal follower, began to question him.
History[]
Early Life[]
John Garrett joined S.H.I.E.L.D., where he was assigned to serve under a young Nick Fury as his Supervising Officer. Over the years, Garrett was partnered with Phil Coulson in many missions, had a mission with Victoria Hand in Lisbon, and later acted as Supervising Officer of Agent Antoine Triplett.
In 1990, he stepped on an IED during a mission in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The blast left him in a mortally-wounded state, and his calls for extraction were met with excuses. Realizing that he was more loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. than S.H.I.E.L.D. was to him, Garrett swore that if he survived he would treat S.H.I.E.L.D. in the same manner in which they treated him. Garrett moved his intestines back into place, duct-taped his wounds shut and made his own way to safety.
Garrett survived those wounds, and would soon be recruited into HYDRA, while maintaining his cover as a loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. With the help of the Cybertek Corporation, he became the first test subject in Project Deathlok, a project carried out by Garrett's new allies in HYDRA and Cybertek to build a super-soldier via cybernetic prostheses. Decades later, Garrett's organs would start failing, and his bio-mechanical parts would be the only thing that kept him alive.
Agent of HYDRA[]
Garrett became the mastermind behind the Centipede Project, a science group dedicated to the creation of super-soldiers. Garrett, however, saw it as a means of finding a way to reverse his failing health. Garrett was also a mutual friend of fellow HYDRA agent Alexander Pierce and frequently contacted him for orders. Garrett recruited Edison Po into Centipede, and for a time, Po was the project's only means of contact with Garrett, even while Po was in Havenworth Federal Penitentiary. Garrett also recruited billionaire Ian Quinn.
Using his access to personal files, psych evaluations and other classified information, Garrett almost seemed to be able to read minds and foretell the future. Using this seeming ability, Garrett took on the alias of "The Clairvoyant" to those within Centipede. Garrett also recruited Carl Creel who was on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Gifted Index. Garrett was assigned to take him off the Index and terminate him. However, in reality, Garrett faked Creel's termination and recruited him into HYDRA as one of their assassins.
Grant Ward[]
In 1999, Garrett met Grant Ward in a juvenile detention facility in Massachusetts, where he was serving time for burning down his family home with his brother inside. Garrett informed Ward that his brother wished to have him tried as an adult to get the maximum penalty. Garrett explained that he worked for a secret organization that were looking to recruit young men like him where no one would ever screw with him. He made him a one-time offer to join HYDRA, when Ward agreed, Garrett's soldiers broke him out of prison.
Garrett took Grant Ward out to the Wyoming wilderness where they shoot ducks and Garrett discussed how he wished to retire out there one day in the future, while Ward continued to worry that the police might find him, although Garrett assured him that his brother and the rest of his family were happy to be rid of him. While Ward asked about S.H.I.E.L.D., Garrett informed him that he would be living him out in the wilderness for the next two months to fend for himself, leaving only Buddy as company and no equipment to survive.
Garrett was instead sent overseas from the United States of America for six months, leaving Ward with no communication and expecting him to give up during this time. When Garrett finally returned he was impressed to find that Ward had made a camp for himself and had survived along with Buddy. Ward however was less pleased to see Garrett and pulled a shotgun out, threatening to blow his head off, while Garrett offered him tacos to make peace. Ward explained that although his first few weeks had been rough, he had survived by raiding campsites and stealing food and weapons.
While Garrett complimented Ward's efforts, telling him that he had stepped up in a big way and that he could not be prouder of him even if he was his own son, he quickly changed the mood as Garrett pulled out a pistol out from the supposed bag of tacos and aimed it at Ward's chest. While Ward looked at the weapon in horror, Garrett explained that the gun was for his next lesson and fired four shots at Ward's camp with perfect accuracy before promising to train Ward ready to join S.H.I.E.L.D., handing him the gun and claiming that within two years Ward would be a better shot than he was.
For five years, Garrett taught Grant Ward how to survive at all costs, turning him into an expert marksman and fighter and giving him the emotional state to trust in nobody but him. While eating in their camp, Garrett told Ward the story of how he had gained his many cybernetic enhancements, noting that he had felt betrayed by S.H.I.E.L.D. and found new allies within HYDRA who had given him the chance to gain revenge against those who had left him to die.
Nearing the end of his training, Garrett succeeded in recruiting Ward into S.H.I.E.L.D. where he wanted him to work undercover as he secret HYDRA agent. While weapons training, Garrett informed Ward that he would be joining the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, Garrett ordered Ward to kill his dog Buddy. Despite the toughness of the training, especially during the first few months, Ward developed an almost blind loyalty towards Garrett, while Garrett always voiced his pleasure with Ward to other members of HYDRA, like Sunil Bakshi and Gideon Malick whom he continued communication with.
When several of Garrett's officers, including Agent Dan Monroe, began to ask the wrong questions or get too close to the truth during Garrett's "investigations" of Ian Quinn, Garrett had them eliminated. One secret Garrett did not know was the truth of the mysterious resurrection of Phil Coulson after the Battle of New York, as that Level 10 file was beyond his own access. Garrett arranged for Coulson's capture by Centipede[ and his interrogations by Edison Po and Raina and the painful use of a Theta Brain-Wave Frequency Machine, a device designed to bring out hidden or lost memories, but they were stopped before they could learn the truth.
Project Deathlok[]
After the Centipede Project delivered the latest Deathlok model, Garrett sought to have enslaved S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Michael Peterson outfitted with the latest technology. Arranging through Ian Quinn the purchase of a cybernetic leg for Peterson through Cybertek., Garrett lured Coulson and his team to Italy. When Skye, a member of Coulson's team, infiltrated Quinn's Italian mansion, Garrett ordered Quinn to shoot Skye twice in the stomach, forcing Coulson to seek out his own answers about his return in order to save Skye.
The Clairvoyant[]
Once Coulson had taken Quinn into his custody onboard the Bus, Garrett, along with his new S.H.I.E.L.D. protege Antoine Triplett, rendezvoused with Coulson under the pretense of being under orders to bring Quinn into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, thus putting himself in the centre of Coulson's search. Once he arrived on the Bus, Garrett spoke to Coulson and explained his reasons for being there while also introducing him as one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best to Triplett.
Garrett ordered Triplett to collect Quinn while he spoke to Coulson in private. While Garrett joked that just because Nick Fury had given Coulson the Bus did not mean that he could disobey direct orders before admitting that his team had been chasing Quinn for months. Coulson told Garrett about Quinn shooting Skye, unaware that Garrett ordered the shooting. Garrett explained that he had lost three of his own Agents chasing Quinn, all of whom he had really killed himself including Dan Monroe, and told Coulson he would allow him to keep Quinn on the Bus until Skye's life could be saved.
Garrett and Coulson found Ward and Triplett fighting over the protection of Quinn and soon broke up the fight, explaining that they had come to an agreement about how to proceed. Garrett jokingly commented that he could also be a sweet talker when he needed to be, noting that he had been able to talk Ward into many things during their time working together. Once Garrett and Ward had happily greeted each other, Garrett explained that saving Skye was now their top priority as they believed that she could then also provide them with information about Quinn's activities.
Garrett joined Coulson in questioning Quinn, who had just been brutally beaten by Melinda May earlier that same day. When Quinn tried to mock Garrett, he threatened to rip his tongue out. Garrett asked about Cybertek and the Deathlok Program, only for Quinn to joke about Skye's shooting, giving Garrett a reason to hit him. Quinn explained he was ordered to shoot Skye by the Clairvoyant and claimed that the Clairvoyant had given him the information to kill Garrett's men but the one thing he didn't know was how Coulson had mysteriously returned to life after being killed by Loki.
Garrett agreed to assist Phil Coulson on his raid of the Guest House in order to obtain the mysterious miracle drug called GH.325 as a part of Coulson's desperate effort to save Skye's life, hoping also to gain the answers he sought about his resurrection. Upon arriving they were treated to a message demanding they use a code to enter the base; but, none of them recognized it. With no other alternative, they blew open the door and entered the base, prepared for a violent firefight.
The team went down the elevator shaft, only to find the agents inside had shut off the lights and armed themselves. As they prepared for the fight, Garrett teased Fitz while he was trying to communicate with Simmons about their chances of dying horribly during the mission, telling him that he should get a better sense of humor. Fitz assisted them in breaching the bullet-proof glass, before they were quickly shot at by the guards inside the base. Taking cover, Garrett and the team assessed how many enemies they had to deal with and prepared to fight back against them as quickly as possible.
After a brief and fierce skirmish, both guards were killed, with Garrett shooting Beta in the gut while Alpha was wounded and attempted to escape. Just before he died, Alpha revealed that the facility was rigged with explosives. Garrett and Grant Ward agreed to stay behind in order to find and disarm the bomb while Coulson and Fitz explored the facility searching for the drug they needed. They soon learned that the bomb could not be disarmed in enough time and helped Fitz to escape back to the Bus with Ward and the drug before Garrett went searching for Coulson deep within the facility.
While searching the facility for Coulson, Garrett, unbeknownst to either Coulson or Fitz, also took other drugs he could find in the hope of finding the correct one that had brought Coulson back from the dead and hid as many of them as he could in his vest. When Garrett eventually found Coulson, his friend had a look of confusion and horror upon his face as he had seen something hidden inside the facility which had clearly shaken him to his very core.
When Garrett explained that both Fitz and Ward had already taken the drug to Skye to try and save her life, Coulson begged them not to give it to her, with fear in his eyes. Garrett however managed to calm Coulson down and told him that they would tell her themselves but first they had to get out of the facility before the bombs exploded and they became buried in the rubble. Together they ran through the facility's corridors and up the escape stairway until they made it out of the facility and back onto the Bus moments before it imploded, allowing them to be flown into the air to safety.
They found Skye just after Simmons had injected her with the drug despite Coulson begging her not to. Simmons explained that Skye was already dying so the drug could not do any harm and the group watched as Skye had a sudden and violent seizure before calming down, with Triplett confirming that the drug had seemingly steadied her heart-rate. May asked to Garrett about what had happened inside the base and Garrett explained that he did not know as Coulson had been fine one moment and the next it was like he had seen some kind of a ghost down there.
With the mission a success, Garrett and Triplett spoke to Quinn in his cell and explained that all the Clairvoyant's predictions were false and that Quinn would now be arrested for attempting to murder an unarmed girl, noting that they had recorded him admitting to it. Quinn asked what the good news was that Garrett had promised him and was told that the only good news was that he still had his tongue. As he was leaving with Quinn, Coulson thanked Garrett for his assistance.
Garrett then asked if Coulson was really prepared to throw Quinn off the plane if Skye hadn't made it, and Coulson simply claimed that it was Garrett who had made the threat. Garrett then left the Bus and ensured Quinn was locked away in the Fridge. Skye managed to recover from her wounds; she informed them of everything she saw in Quinn's villa, especially the survival of Michael Peterson and the Cybertek prosthetic leg acquired by Quinn. Every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in the United States was later informed about Peterson, and Garrett's team were appointed as running point in his search.
Hoping to throw off Coulson's search for the Clairvoyant, Garrett arranged for himself and Triplett to be attacked inside a S.H.I.E.L.D. safe house. Having completed a mission, Garrett and Triplett, who was unaware of the incoming danger, shared a drink and discussed the quality of the different safe houses they had visited over the years. Triplett took a moment to question if Garrett honestly believed that the Clairvoyant had been investigated and rejected by S.H.I.E.L.D. in the past and he claimed that he did.
Just as Garrett was expressing his hope that the Clairvoyant was not the Amazing Kreskin, there was a sudden security breach as then Deathlok charged inside to attack them. As soon as Deathlok arrived, Garrett and Triplett shot at him with their I.C.E.R.s but Deathlok's enhanced armour allowed him to withstand the attacks, even when Triplett fired two shots with the Taser Projectile Launcher. Seeing that he was outmatched, Deathlok escaped by jumping through the ceiling after the attack leaving Garrett and Triplett in a state of shock.
Garrett gave Coulson several false leads from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Index of gifted individuals as suspects for the Clairvoyant's identity. Garrett and Triplett joined Victoria Hand as well as Jasper Sitwell and Felix Blake on board the Iliad where they met with Coulson's team on the Bus to discuss what should be done about the Clairvoyant. As soon as they arrived, Garrett defused a potentially volatile situation between the agents by joking that if a fight broke out he would take on Agent Blake which got a laugh. Coulson informed the group that when the Bus was in the air they would all be briefed.
Unaware that the leads they had were in fact false ones that Garrett had leaked, Coulson's Team discussed the Clairvoyant's attacks, when Blake expressed his doubts on the concept, Coulson noted that his fight with the Asgardian called Lorelei who could control minds had changed his own opinion. Garrett pretended that the Clairvoyant's foresight had kept him one step ahead of them all, while also acting as if Mike Peterson's survival and Project Deathlok was all a surprise to him, claiming to Hand that Deathlok's attack on him meant they were getting close to finding out his identity.
Together, they formulated a plan to investigate each suspect in teams of two to try to deceive the Clairvoyant. Garrett was also present as Skye was promoted to an official S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent so that she could take charge of this mission. While Coulson sang her praises and explained why she had been given this honor, Garrett noted that her taking two gunshots to the gut from Quinn was more impressive than anything Sitwell had done during his own career. While everyone went back to work, Garrett personally congratulated Skye before leaving her to speak with Ward on their own.
While the plan was being worked out, Garrett spoke to Skye for the first time since her recovery as she explained the details of her plan for the mission. He introduced himself properly and asked her how she was feeling since being shot by Quinn before showing her his own battle scars, included a third degree burn and explaining how the burn itself did not hurt at all, but the area around the burn had caused him agony but noting a gut shot was worse.
Skye personally thanked Garrett for his part in saving her life and they discussed how Grant Ward was now her Supervising Officer; Garrett explained that Skye had changed Ward as joining Coulson's team had given him something or someone to fight for. As he left for the mission, Garrett told Skye to no longer call him sir, as they were both agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Garrett and Coulson were teamed up together and they drove to investigate one Index named Noriko Sato believed to be the Clairvoyant due to her genius intelligence. En route Garrett told the story of a previous mission.
Coulson laughed when he realized that Garrett was telling a story about a mission had been on together; when Coulson told him that he had been making up sections, Garrett smiled and said that it made it a better story. As they approached the suspect's location, they were diverted down an alleyway and followed by another car. When they heard that another team had been attacked by Deathlok, Garrett and Coulson made their escape. Garrett had arranged for Deathlok to attack Agents Melinda May and Felix Blake while they investigated Thomas Nash, resulting in Blake being wounded.
The teams regrouped on the Bus while Blake was being moved to a hospital. They discussed how Deathlok was much stronger than they originally believed as six shots did not stop him. Garrett commented that Nash was likely in hiding somewhere. Victoria Hand told them that this should not have happened as Blake and May should have had back up and the plan was flawed from the start. Coulson reminded her that Blake was still alive and they now had a suspect in Nash; so Hand ordered him to get their teams ready.
They were able to track down Deathlok to an abandoned race track in Pensacola, Florida, due to a tracking round that Blake had shot at him. Garrett joined Coulson and Ward. Garrett briefed his soldiers on what to expect during the fight, while Fitz noted that the area was likely empty of civilians. With their weapons ready, Ward asked Garrett what their tactic would be and Garrett informed him they would be knocking on the door, which was their code for blasting down the doors and charging inside.
When his team raided the race track, Fitz used the Golden Retrievers to scan the area until Skye confirmed that Deathlok was inside the building. Garrett and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents engaged in a firefight with Deathlok, who had orders not to kill anyone but used his own forearm rocket launcher to distract Ward's team before running through the facility while Coulson gave chase. Garrett quickly caught up with Coulson and together they continued searching for Deathlok, while Fitz confirmed that there was somebody else down there close to them. During this raid the decoy Clairvoyant that Garrett had also arranged named Thomas Nash was found and surrounded.
A controlled voice from the computer mocked Coulson's efforts to stop him, explaining that he had been unable to see how Coulson had returned to life as Coulson himself could not understand it. While Garrett noted that they should take Nash to the Fridge, Nash insisted that his chair was his prison and even threatened to slowly and painfully kill Skye until she gave him what he wanted. Coulson told Nash that he would be arrested, however to ensure that Coulson's team did not learn the truth, Garrett ordered Ward to kill Nash, blaming it on Nash's insults driving Ward into a rage.
After the shooting of the fake Clairvoyant, Ward was arrested and taken to the Bus for questioning. While the teams regrouped, Garrett spoke to Coulson about the incident, Garrett said that Coulson may have done too good a job at making Ward a more compassionate agent, which was why Garrett had sent Ward to him in the first place. Garrett suggested that he escort Ward back to the Hub for debrief, but Coulson insisted that he wished to speak to him. With that Garrett left, claiming he would be going back on the hunt for Deathlok, promising to still keep Coulson updated.
HYDRA Uprising[]
Concurrent to the launch of Project Insight and HYDRA's subsequent exposure to the world, two UAVs were sent to attack Garrett's jump-jet on Hand's orders. Seeing them in time, Garrett piloted his jet towards the Bus where he survived this incident with help from Coulson, who shot the missiles out of the sky. Garrett then learned that Coulson's plane was being rerouted to the Hub under Hand's orders although they did not know why.
Garrett returned once again to the Bus and Coulson's team after being saved from the UAVs, furiously questioning what had just happened although Coulson explained that they had no idea. While their plane was being forced towards the Hub, the team made the discovery that S.H.I.E.L.D. had now been infiltrated by HYDRA, and theorized that Agent Hand was the true Clairvoyant who had been manipulating them all throughout their missions, with Garrett noting that they thought Ward killing Thomas Nash had ended the recent threats of the Clairvoyant's attacks against them.
The team then discussed HYDRA, with Fitz noting that the original HYDRA, led by Red Skull was destroyed in World War II by the SSR, with Garrett questioning what their motto was. Having discussed the concept that HYDRA had now indeed infiltrated their organization, Garrett recommended that they all escape the Bus while they still had a chance and live to fight another day, however Fitz demanded that they save Simmons and Triplett who were both still at the Hub and likely in danger, so Garrett then recommended using Ward who had been locked away.
Upon landing at the Hub, Hand's soldiers used the Overkill Device to take out the ship's guns while Garrett updated Ward on what was happening, telling him that Coulson's team mistakenly believed Hand was the Clairvoyant. They were then forced to hide as the entire Bus was shot at by the agents outside who shattered the glass. Having been told by May that Director Fury was dead, Garrett and Ward discussed if this was possible, with Garrett noting Fury had proven to be a hard man to kill before questioning if they needed to hide anything from Hand.
Once landed at the Hub, Garrett aided Coulson and his team into successfully sneaking past all of Hand's men, who had been ordered to open fire on the Bus's crew. With Hand's soldiers using a Pick-Lock Device to break onto the Bus, Garrett and Fitz left a small grenade behind to distract them while they made their escape. Using the Mouse Hole designed by Fitz, the team was able to successfully get off the plane without detection, as Garrett and Fitz discussed the Mouse Hole, Garrett noted that devices like that would have been taken by top brass.
When Coulson came to believe that Hand was the true Clairvoyant, Garrett encouraged the notion and also attempted to convince Coulson that she should now be executed, noting how the Clairvoyant had nearly killed Mike Peterson, although Coulson still insisted she should first be questioned. This however backfired when Garrett mentioned Raina being subjected to the machine used on Coulson during his own capture; something that Coulson had never mentioned. Coulson realized the reason behind Garrett's coincidental appearance: he had led the Clairvoyant to the GH.325 drug.
This revelation was also met with the confirmation that Garrett was the Clairvoyant and an agent of HYDRA, after ordering four of Hand's guards to kill their colleagues, he captured Coulson and all of his teammates. Garrett confessed to killing Dan Monroe and noted that the fact that Nick Fury had been killed meant he must have learned the truth. He began mocking the group, promising them all painful deaths, although he still offered Fitz a chance to work for HYDRA, which Fitz bravely refused, promising to kill Garrett himself some day soon.
While Coulson noted that Fury would have killed Garrett for such a betrayal against S.H.I.E.L.D., Garrett only mockingly noted that all Fury could do now was roll over in his grave. Garrett noted how he could have had Edison Po kill Coulson when he had the chance but did not because he still viewed Coulson as his friend. Garrett then ordered his men to execute Coulson's team, telling them to only shoot Fitz in the kneecaps. With thanks to Ward and Skye however, the power was cut out in the room and Coulson attacked Garrett while May fought the other agents.
With both Garrett and Coulson soon proving to be equally matched, Garrett managed to take advantage in the fight and attempted to plunge a knife into Coulson's throat to kill him. Coulson however was able to use a Thunderstick to knock out Garrett, ending the fight. Garrett was arrested by Hand and her loyal agents. As Garrett was being escorted out, Triplett screamed at him, horrified by his betrayal and part in Dan Monroe's murder. It was then confirmed by Hand afterwards that Garrett would be taken to the Fridge, Ward asked to personally ensure he is locked away.
While being transported to the Fridge, however, Garrett stayed silent while Chaimson and Jacobson sat either side of him to keep him from breaking free. Hand mocked the fact that he was no longer telling his trademark stories seemingly due to his situation. Hand then turned to Ward and asked him if he would like to kill the real Clairvoyant and drop his corpse off the plane to disappear into the mountains. However, Garrett just locked eyes with both Ward and Hand, waiting for his chance. Ward stood up and loaded his gun while Hand smugly waited to see Garrett get a bullet in his skull, and immediately shot and killed the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents guarding Garrett. Ward then turned his gun on Hand and shot her once in the gut then twice in the back of the head, killing her. Ward and Garrett looked each other in the eye to celebrate their victory. The pair then made their escape, taking control of the Quinjet while Garrett happily told one of his old war stories while flying them to a HYDRA base to hide out and continue their plans to build an unstoppable army.
After managing to establish a home base in Havana, Cuba in a barber shop, Garrett arranged to have Raina released from prison so she could meet him at last. She entered the shop while Garrett sat in a chair, revealing himself to her as the true Clairvoyant. Despite Raina's belief, he wasn't really clairvoyant, which made her assume him to be a fraud, but he said that he was a clever con artist to be able to pull this all off. He compliments her for her efforts in Centipede and reminds her of their ambition to change the world, welcoming her to HYDRA through a secret room in the barber shop that contained several laboratories to further her research.
While they worked on a plan to raid the Fridge, Ward is called by Skye, and so they listened to her say that she'd erased all of Ward's files for his own safety. Garrett teased Ward for his S.H.I.E.L.D. personality, but was impressed that he could fool everyone so well, believing that even Natasha Romanoff couldn't have done it better. Ward told Garrett that he disapproved of his decision to have Skye shot, but he believed that he shouldn't have gotten attached to her at all and that his priorities may be tampered with if he doesn't stay on target. Garrett then puts Raina back in charge of the Centipede Project so they can finish what they started; though Raina believed that their failure to learn how Coulson was resurrected meant they couldn't go any further, Garrett said that he has had science teams working on GH.325, and told her that her bank account had all she needed to continue her own research. Ward gives her a hard-drive that had all of Skye's Centipede research in it, allowing them to continue. As they prepared to raid the Fridge, Garrett thanked an agent for getting a helicopter ready; the agent said "Hail HYDRA", but Garrett mocked his over-enthusiasm before going to inspect the weapons of the other soldiers.
Upon arrival at the Fridge, Garrett had himself hand-cuffed while Ward "escorted" him inside to fool the guards, but when the guards said that only Victoria Hand's presence could let them through, Garrett orders the helicopter to shoot the guards; they let them in due to fear of being killed. In the elevator, Ward kills both the guards then takes Garrett's hand-cuffs off. Garrett releases gas into the building to knock out other guards present there, allowing the rest of the HYDRA agents to enter without killing anyone. Using his memory of all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret valuables, Garrett retrieves all manner of weapons and devices from the building. While exploring, Ward told Garrett about one time that he escorted a man named John Horton here, a man that could turn his hands into lion paws, but Garrett found himself questioning the logistics of that ability. As he explains to Ward, Fury's "Slingshot" Program to get rid of all of these dangerous weapons was a lie, and he kept all the valuables here, including Chitauri technology and other alien technology, from 0-8-4s to Asgardian wares.
They retrieved items that Coulson's team had previously-collected, such as the Berserker Staff and the Peruvian 0-8-4, which Garrett used to blow open walls so as to get more of the facility's hidden treasures. The base's entire population of prisoners, including Marcus Daniels, were then released by Garrett, hoping that Coulson would have to focus on the prisoners and take his search for HYDRA more time to do. Garrett then learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. was on its way there, forcing the team to collect anything they could carry and escape before the reinforcements arrive. Ward uses the 0-8-4 to open a hole in the floor; while Garrett thought that nothing was there, Ward knew that the Gravitonium previously-used by Ian Quinn was kept under the floor.
Now aware that Coulson and the others were at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base Providence, Garrett told Ward that he has to once again pretend to be their ally; the codes to the GH.325 files were encrypted by Skye, so he had to find the codes and get the information back to the barber shop. He tells him that if he doesn't get it done within 24 hours, he will kill the entire team and bring Skye in for questioning. They came up with a cover story to account for the Fridge raid, which Coulson would now know about; the story was that Garrett had been executed during HYDRA's sudden raid, but Ward was able to fight his way out. To make the story more believable, Garrett punches Ward multiple times in the face, giving him real battle injuries, and asked him multiple times who he really was; he says he is agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., forcing the concept into his head further. Ward later arrives at Providence and tells Coulson and the others about what supposedly happened, which they fell for just as Garrett predicted.
Ian Quinn is later freed from prison by Garrett's henchmen, who send him to the barber shop in Havana to meet the Clairvoyant himself. Quinn blamed Garrett for destroying his fortune and credibility and for making him an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D., but he still didn't know why he was here at the shop, since Raina didn't tell him. Garrett then lets Quinn into his secret lab, where he shows him the glass container with the Gravitonium ball in it, and gives it to him as a gesture of good will. Quinn agrees the join HYDRA and help however he can, while back at Providence, Ward murders Agent Eric Keonig to keep his true allegiance secret. Skye left behind an autopsy report on Eric for Coulson and Triplett to find, and thus they realized that Ward was with HYDRA and Skye was in danger. To make sure the mission was still accomplished, Garrett sent Deathlok to follow Ward and watch him through his robot eye.
In Los Angeles, in a cafe where Skye regularly went to before meeting S.H.I.E.L.D., Skye pretends to decrypt the GH.325 files, but actually sends a message to Coulson to come save her. She tries to escape, but Deathlok brings her to the Bus with Ward, and stops Ward's heart as incentive for Skye to open the GH.325 files; she does exactly that and thus Coulson arrives to save her.
Failing Body[]
To make sure that Deathlok was successfully marketed to the United States Armed Forces, Garrett ordered Deathlok to kill a drug kingpin named Alejandro Castillo; he congratulates him for this and lets him watch a video of his captive son Ace as a reward. Ward arrives and confronts Garrett for ordering Deathlok to bring him to near-death, but Raina then tells him that the GH.325 is nearly-done being replicated. Garrett, sitting in Coulson's former office, is confronted again by Ward over what happened, believing that his loyalty would've made sure he wouldn't be targeted like this. However, Garrett says that it was necessary, since Skye's connection to him wouldn't have allowed her to let him die, despite his true nature. Ward defends himself as being nothing like the same boy that Garrett had left in the woods all those years ago, but Garrett tells Ward that he is a weak child who always plays victim, questioning why he decided to keep him around. At that moment, however, Garrett's cybernetic parts begin to fail on him, causing him to go into cardiac arrest. Ward brings Garrett into the lab to save him, telling everyone, including Raina, to leave so that he can save him in peace. After Ward manages to stabilize Garrett, he confesses that his moments of near-death are coming closer and closer together, and he had two months to live unless the GH.325 could save him.
Garrett, now okay for the time being, goes to Ian Quinn at the barber shop in Havana to discuss their plan; Garrett calls Quinn the "poster boy" of HYDRA, and Ward said he was still a fugitive, but Quinn said that the accusations were done by S.H.I.E.L.D., and since the whole world had been convinced that S.H.I.E.L.D. cannot be trusted and is no more, the assassination of the drug kingpin meant that more and more buyers were coming in looking to get some Deathlok Soldiers for their armies. They would be going to Washington to meet with all the buyers, and so Ward goes to update Raina on what's happening. As they all packed-up their belongings and technology, ready to leave the barber shop behind, Ward tells Garrett (who found Raina's eyes "unnerving") that Raina is questioning the decision to move the lab. Raina then gives Garrett a successfully-recreated version of the GH.325 drug, but this was the only vial left in the entire world, meaning that it will have to be used wisely.
Garrett oversees people placing the barber shop lab's contents into the Bus so that they can leave for Washington before S.H.I.E.L.D. finds them, intending to use the Cybertek Manufacturing Facility for their operation. Just in case S.H.I.E.L.D. had already arrived, Garrett leaves behind a squad of HYDRA soldiers, including the one he mocked before raiding the Fridge, armed with the Berserker Staff. As the Bus flies away, Ward discovers Fitz and Simmons hiding and watching them and brings them to Garrett on the Bus. Immediately as he saw them, Garrett mocked Fitz and Simmons, who wanted the plane back, but Garrett just laughs, contacting the HYDRA squad at the barber shop and then getting the Bus in the air.
Fitz uses an EMP Joy Buzzer to short-circuit Garrett's robot parts, causing him to enter cardiac arrest again. Ward runs over to save Garrett; Fitz tells him to let the man die for his crimes, but Ward said that his death warrant has just been signed. He tells the HYDRA goons present to empty the room and take Fitz and Simmons away so he could save Garrett himself. Garrett, knowing that he's dying, gives Ward what he believes to be his final order; kill Fitz and Simmons. Though Ward believed that he could do it after saving him, Garrett says that he's cheated death plenty of times and he'll do it again, and thus Ward leaves to do what he said. Raina enters to help Garrett while Ward locks Fitz and Simmons in a Medical Pod where they were hiding and drops it into the ocean. Garrett's condition worsens as he confesses to using Extremis in place of the GH.325, thus forcing Raina to inject him with the GH.325; at first, it has no effect, but then, Garrett's skin starts to glow orange-gold and his body starts to spasm. Once the glow stopped and his body began normal again, Garrett begins to feel stronger and his mind begins to expand, flooding him with the secrets of the universe; Ward asks him how he feels, and Garrett says that he feels the entire universe within him.
Ultimate Power[]
The HYDRA squad at the barber shop calls Garrett and notifies him on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s arrival; however, Garrett, changed by the GH.325, ignores their pleas for rescue. He rips the glass door off the Bus' on-sight lab and leans it on the wall, using a nail to carve the Words of Creation (a series of lines and circles that mapped out Kree-related maps and images) onto it, which led Ward to believe that his sanity was slipping; Garrett insisted that he was just fine, and that he had so much information in his head that he needs to write some of it down. He then took time to stare at the glass case with the Gravitonium in it, which reminded him of what a lava lamp looks like, and seems to be able to see its true potential. Raina came in to see him and says that her disappointment in him not being really clairvoyant didn't matter anymore. Garrett goes on a rant about his newfound power and knowledge, claiming to be able to see the future and read Raina's mind, saying to her "what" she would become someday; an Inhuman.
Coulson arrives at the Cybertek Manufacturing Facility with the rest of his team as Garrett arrives; while Quinn was giving a tour of the facility to the Deathlok buyers from the United States Armed Forces, Garrett suddenly-interrupts it by calling the Deathlok Soldiers the military of the future, while Ward and Deathlok listened to his ridiculous ranting and raving. Quinn tries to cover for Garrett, saying that he's his "strategy consultant", but Garrett just continues to mock the generals and claiming that he could see their futures, leading one General to question his sanity. Upon hearing gunfire from elsewhere in the base, the General asks for an explanation, but Garrett instead threatens him and demands that they be given all that they want. The General tries to stand up for himself, but Garrett, seemingly-bored, kills him by ripping one of his ribs right out of his body; Ward became horrified at what had just happened, but Garrett says it's to be "the beginning of the end", then stabs the General in the neck with his own rib, while another General present could only watch in horror.
The facility came under attack by S.H.I.E.L.D., and thus Ward, realizing that Garrett had become truly-insane and no longer has his sense of reality, demands for orders, only to be given riddles and jokes instead, irritating Ward and forcing him to tell his master to snap out of it. Garrett's phone then rings and he proceeds to answer, hearing Skye on the other end. Skye said that S.H.I.E.L.D. now had the upper hand, but Garrett instead insulted her and commenting on Fitz and Simmons' supposed demise, at which point Skye immediately hung up. Garrett, fed up with Ward's requests for orders, tells him to go get Skye and bring her here. He turns to Deathlok and tells him to never leave his side, mockingly-saying "I love you too", despite that Deathlok was in pain and anger at his current situation.
Garrett hears the sound of the Noisemaker and tells Deathlok to check it out; his back turned, Coulson appears behind Garrett and attacks him, hitting his jaw. However, feeling no pain, Garrett punches Coulson, sending him flying to the other side of the room. Deathlok Soldiers then fire on Coulson, who takes cover, then re-emerges holding the Destroyer Armor Prototype Gun, the same weapon he was holding when he was slain by Loki, given to him by Nick Fury, who was still alive and had arrived just in time. The Soldiers were defeated while Garrett just looks on in amusement. With the Destroyer Gun out of power, Fury shoots at Garrett multiple times in the chest with no effect. Garrett mocks them for their failure to even graze him and that all four of them in the room (Deathlok included) have died once and returned, ranting about his greater understanding of the universe. Fury and Coulson believed that he's been insane ever since getting the GH.325 into himself. Garrett quotes Fury on how he can be part of something greater and bigger and that he is now greater and smarter than ever before, which Fury says he got wrong all along, and questioned if he joined HYDRA just because he misheard his quote. Fury and Coulson discussed their own understanding of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s true values, annoying Garrett, who orders Deathlok to kill Fury; however, unbeknownst to Garrett, Deathlok was given a message by Skye that his son was now safe. Deathlok then turns his weapons on Garrett and fires his Forearm Rocket Launcher right at Garrett's chest. He tries to reach for his gun in his nearly-dead state, telling Deathlok to help him, but ends up being stepped on by his cybernetic leg, seemingly killing Garrett.
Death[]
Bill Paxton as Deathlok in Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Season Finale
S.H.I.E.L.D. leaves the facility, having taken Ward into custody and believing Garrett to be dead. However, Garrett opens up the duffel bag in which his body was placed, his face covered in horrible burns, and crawls onto a chair with robot arms hanging over it. The arms then cover Garrett's body (excluding his head) in Deathlok armour as he yells in pain while it happens. Once the process is over, he stands up proudly at now becoming a more powerful Deathlok than Mike was. He says aloud, "There's a reason they say cut off the head. Now, I'll be unstop --" But his sentence is interrupted suddenly. As he is talking, Coulson, standing from afar holding the Peruvian 0-8-4, uses the weapon to immediately disintegrate Garrett, jokingly walking away while a bloody stain marks the floor where Garrett was standing.