John Garrett (Marvel Cinematic Universe)/Synopsis

The story of the traitorous HYDRA operative John Garrett from the TV series Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Past
During the 1980s, Garrett joined S.H.I.E.L.D. as an agent and become the protege of Nick Fury alongside Phil Coulson. The two would be partnered on several assignments over the years, which included assisting Victoria Hand during a mission in Lisbon, Portugal. He eventually became the Supervising Officer of Antoine Triplett. In 1990, during a mission Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, he got fragged by an I.E.D. which mortally wounded him. After his colleagues refused to extract him, Garrett lost all regard for S.H.I.E.L.D. and swore to take revenge on the agency. After escaping with his injuries duct-taped, he joined HYDRA and became the first patient to go through Cybertek's Project Deathlok, giving him bio-mechanical organs.

With his newfound hatred of S.H.I.E.L.D., he continued operating for HYDRA within the agency and became the head of the Centipede Project, a science-group that sought to create super-soldiers with the assistance of Cybertek. In truth, however, he intended on using it to save himself from dying due to his mechanics slowly starting to less effective on his dying organs. He also became friends with HYDRA leader Alexander Pierce. He then started going by the alias "the Clairvoyant" during his time as the head of the Centipede Group, to which his associates started believing him to have actual psychic abilities. In truth, he used his clearance level to access agents' profiles to predict their movements. In the group, he have his commands through genius scientist Edison Po, had Raina recruit soldiers and billionaire Ian Quinn become its beneficiary. During his "hunt" for Quinn, three of Garrett's men in his unit asked the wrong questions and so he had Quinn kill them for it.

In 1999, Garrett went to a juvenile facility in Massachusetts and met Grant Ward, who was incarcerated for burning his family's home with his brother in it. Garrett told him that his brother plot to get him tried as an adult and offered him a chance for belonging, in which he accepted immediately. Garrett then breaks him out and brings him to the Wyoming wilderness before leaving him there with a dog named Buddy. Although he promised to return in two months, he returned after six due to being overseas. He was impressed to see Ward making camp after raiding campsites. For the next five years, he teaches Ward how to survive no matter the cost and to trust nobody. He then told him of his life story and how he joined HYDRA to get revenge. At the end of his training, by which Ward was scheduled to participate in the SHIELD Training Academy, he gave him one final task: kill Buddy. It is unknown if Ward actually proceeded with the order, but it still had an everlasting impact on his life onwards. Over the years, Garrett spoke highly of Ward to HYDRA members such Sunil Bakshi and Gideon Malick, considering him like the son he never had. To keep his cybernetic parts from failing to early, Garrett began using the Centipede Serum (which included Aldrich Killian's Extremis serum, Chituari metal and gamma radiation), but it lacked a true cure for his condition.

Searching for the Answer
After Coulson's near-death experience at the hands of Loki before the Chitauri invasion in 2012, Garrett realized that whatever brought him back could be whatever he needs to save his own life. In order to get clues, Garrett had Ward placed on the team to get information. To that end, he has Raina and Po kidnap him by forcing Mike Peterson to cooperate by threatening his son. In a confrontation, Mike was presumed dead during this, but was secretly brought back as a Deathlok and used a explosive eye to ensure his cooperation. After Po fails to get the answers from Coulson, Garrett kills him for his constant failures and promotes Raina to being head of the science division in Centipede. Despite this, Garrett was furious to learn that Coulson knew nothing. Later on, he had Quinn shoot the hacker Skye twice and leave her for dead so that it would force Coulson to uncover the truth.

With Quinn in custody, Garrett was sent to retrieve him due to Coulson's noncompliance. Upon arriving on the Bus with Triplett, Coulson informed Garrett of what Quinn did and the two agreed to help each other. He and Coulson then interrogated Quinn for information on Project Deathlok and information on the Claivoyant. During this, Coulson revealed to Garrett that he was actually revived days after his death, which is medically impossible. Upon arriving at the "Guest House", Garrett, Coulson, Ward and Leo Fitz raided the base to search for anything to save Skye. After handling the two guard who had the whole place rigged to blow, Garrett and Ward attempted to defuse the bomb. After that failed, they used C4 to blow the doors open so they can escape. Coulson and Fitz then returned and the four escaped to Bus and Garrett watched the GH.325 drug save Skye's life. He and Triplett then brought Quinn with them. Little did anyone know, Garrett secretly stuffed his jacket with Guest House vials so he could recreate the drug.

Deflecting Suspicions
Over the next few weeks, S.H.I.E.L.D. was informed of Deathlok with Garrett and Triplett tracking him down. During this time, Garrett assessed the rejected Index candidates who claimed to have psychic powers, for which it was possible one could be the Clairvoyant. To cement that theory, Garrett had Deathlok attack him and Triplett whilst in a safehouse in Sydney. Afterwards, Garrett and Triplett assembled with Coulson, Ward, Melinda May, Hand, Jasper Sitwell and Felix Blake on the Bus to conduct notes on hunting the Clairvoyant. The agents agreed to check out Garrett's "leads" and Skye formulated a plan to help get the advantage on the "psychic's" movements. In three teams of two, Garrett and Coulson were given name of candidate Noriko Sato, in which a black car was following them very closely. In secret, Garrett had Deathlok ambush and cripple Blake at the location of candidate Thomas Nash to further suspicion on him.

With Nash as their primary suspect, the team tracked Deathlok to a racetrack and they attempted subdue him, only for him to overpower the agents. Under Garrett's secret orders, Deathlok lured him and Coulson into the base where they found Thomas Nash who was surrounded with TV screens and a computer that spoke "for" him. In truth, someone else spoke for him and after he threatened Skye, Ward shot him dead under Garrett's secret orders to end the investigation together. As Ward was detained for questioning, Garrett parted ways with Coulson to continue searching for Deathlok and promised to keep him updated.

True Allegiance Revealed
The next day, Garrett was attacked by two S.H.I.E.L.D. UAVs, in which Coulson was able to destroy. After docking the Bus, they learn that Hand sent them and hijacked the plane to head for the Hub. Coulson then suspects Hand to be the real Clairvoyant and that Nash was actually a proxy due to the so-called psychic actually being a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. The team then learn of HYDRA's return and that the organization has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. deeply. Realizing that Triplett and Jemma Simmons were at the Hub, Garrett went along with his plan to extract them and confront Hand.

After arriving, the team learn of Fury's "death" and had Skye install all of their intel on a hard-drive. They then escape using Fitz's Mouse Hole gadget the Bus before S.H.I.E.L.D. agents could kill them. With Ward and Skye heading off to defuse the power, the others head for the security room and locate Simmons and Triplett with Hand in the control room. As the four argue about how to handle Hand, Garrett gave away his identity by revealing how Raina went through the memory machine, a fact that Coulson never told to Garrett or anyone else. As other agents barged in, Garrett ordered some double agents to kill the S.H.I.E.L.D. loyalists, revealing his true allegiance to HYDRA. He then revealed that he had his three men killed for asking the wrong questions and that he has become a true believer in HYDRA's cause.

He then offered them a place in HYDRA, and after they refused, he cruelly ordered operatives to kill them painfully. Just as they were about to, Ward and Skye shut down the power and threw them off guard. As May overpowered the operatives, Coulson engaged Garrett in a brutal fight. Just as Garrett was about to overpower and kill him, Fitz threw him Thunderstick to save his life. Hand, Simmons and other agents arrived, revealing that they heard everything. They then bring Garrett into custody and sent him to the Fridge with Hand and Ward on point. During the Quinjet flight over, Hand offered Ward the chance to kill Garrett for what he did, only for Ward to also reveal his true allegiance by killing her and the other agents.

Raiding the Fridge
During the ongoing HYDRA uprising, Garrett sent Ward to break out Raina to further his plans. After establishing a home base in Havana, Cuba underneath a barber shop, Garrett meets her while getting a shave, only to disappoint her that he wasn't a real clairvoyant. He compliments her work in Centipede and welcomed her to HYDRA while showing her the secret base. While working on their next plan, Ward is called by Skye and plays along with his persona as Garrett listens. Afterwards, the two argue about Garrett's decision to shoot Skye without notifying him. After ending the argument, the two visit Raina and show her the drugs he stole from the Guest House. As Ward gives her the hard drive so she could use them to recreate the GH.325 serum, the two head off to lead a raid on the Fridge.

Upon arriving at the Fridge, the two tricked the guards into being let inside and after killing them, the two released gas into the building to incapacitate all of the security. They then bust into a vault containing all of the weapons that Slingshot supposedly sent to be destroyed in the sun, including the Asgardian Berserker staff and the Peruvian 0-8-4. Using this weapon, Garrett released all of the prisoners, including Marcus Daniels, to keep Coulson and his team busy. He then watches Ward blast open the bottom floor to reveal where the Gravitonium was being kept, pleasing Garrett to know that he could now coerce Quinn for his plans.

Ward's New Assignment
After returning to the base, the two learn from Raina that Skye programmed the hard drive so that if it wasn't opened correctly, it would erase all data. Realizing that they need Skye, Garrett ruthlessly beats up Ward and sends him to the Providence to get the hard drive opened. After he leaves, Garrett is confronted by Quinn for being a fake clairvoyant, but Garrett was able to coerce his help by showing him the retrieved Gravitonium.

As Ward tried to get the password from Skye, Garrett sent Deathlok to shadow him, knowing of his feelings for Skye. After Ward's cover was blown, Garrett ordered Deathlok to nearly kill to use Skye's conflicted feelings to force her cooperation. Instantly, the plan worked and Skye opened the hard drive, only for Coulson to sneak up on the Bus and extracted her via Lola.

Achieving Full Power
To ensure that Deatlok would be marketed to the United States Armed Forces, Garrett had Deathlok kill a drug kingpin named Alejandro Castillo, in which he rewards him by showing him footage of his captive son Ace. Garrett is also pleased with Raina's progress with replicating the GH.325 serum, insulting Ward for his lack of progress. He then argues with Ward for letting him nearly die in order to get Skye to cooperate. During this, his systems start failing and forced Ward to fix the mechanics. Garrett then reveals that the mechanics are fine, but his organs are still failing on him regardless, meaning that he'll die within two months. At the barber shop, he converses with Quinn on getting Deathlok soldiers sold for their armies worldwide, and that they would meet with the buyers in Washington.

Afterwards, he learns that Coulson's team have stolen the Deathlok files at Cybertek and orders his unit to pack up and move the equipment onto the Bus. He is then given the only vial of the replicated GH.325 serum by Raina for safekeeping. As the Bus is about to take off, he is brought Fitz and Simmons by Ward, in which Fitz uses an E.M.P. to short-circuit his mechanics and mortally wound him. As Fitz and Simmons are escorted away, an enraged Garrett orders Ward to kill them, to which he reluctantly agrees to. After Ward leaves, a dying Garrett persuades Raina to give him the drug in order to save his life. After doing so and Ward returns, the two witness the Garrett react to its effects as it fully heals him, in which he apparently feels "the universe".

Total Loss of Sanity
Afterwards, Garrett loses his mentality as he doesn't care if the Deathloks at the barber shop didn't kill Coulson's team. He then begins to carve markings in a glass door, frightening Ward and poising him to question his sanity. Garrett then declares that they lead a coup on the rest of HYDRA, claiming himself to be an unstoppable power with limitless knowledge. As he later examined the Gravitonium, he speaks with Raina about his degrading mental state, to which he replied by claiming that he had become a true clairvoyant and knew the answer to both translate the "Words of Creation" and what she would become in the future.

After arriving at the Cybertek headquarters in Washington D.C., Garrett approached the potential buyers who were interested in buying Deathlok soldiers, which were in fact members of the United States Armed Forces, and began mocking them in their faces. As Coulson's began an attack on the facility, one general began questioning his sanity, only for Garrett to threaten him into giving them whatever they wanted. As Quinn suggested a demonstrated, Garrett plunged his hand into his chest and ripped out a piece of his ribs, he continued to make no sense as he mercilessly butchers the general, ultimately jeopardizing his own plans. This forces Ward to lock the other generals while a fearful Quinn and Raina take off with the Gravitonium.

Final Battle and Death
As Coulson's team initiated their final assault on the base, Garrett continued making no sense to an irritated Ward by making jokes and riddles. As Skye rings Garrett from Cybertek head's phone, Garrett taunted her over Fitz and Simmons' deaths and provoked her to hang up instantly, unaware that Ward didn't directly kill them as he was ordered. Fed up with Ward's request for orders, Garrett orders him to bring Skye to him, as he then turned to Deathlok and mockingly said that he loved him for not leaving his side.

As Garrett tells Deathlok to check out strange noise, he is attacked by Coulson but then surprises him by demonstrated his Centipede-enhanced strength. As Coulson then uses a Destroyer Gun to overpower the Deathlok soldiers, Garrett is repeatedly shot by Nick Fury, who revealed himself to be still alive. As Deathlok returns, Garrett shows his total lack of sanity and his complete disregard for other people's needs, which he had long before he joined HYDRA. As Coulson monologues how selfish people will always be beaten by those who care, Garrett is attacked and beaten to death by an angry and vengeful Deathlok, who learns of his son's rescue.

After Ward was taken into custody along with all of the Deathlok soldiers and other HYDRA operatives, Garrett came back to life and crawls onto a chair with robot arms that then cover his body in Deathlok armor as yells in pain. Afterwards, he steps up proudly as a Deathlok even more powerful than Mike. As he declares himself to be unstoppable, his sentence is suddenly interrupted by Coulson, who then shoots and disintegrates him into a pile of blood, thus ending his pathway of terror and insanity once and for all.

Legacy
With Garrett finally dead, Ward was taken into custody by S.H.I.E.L.D. for his crimes and forced give them intel on HYDRA. After he was deemed no longer useful and sent to be placed on trial, Ward escaped and started to forge his own path outside of being Garrett's loyal attack dog. After he eventually rejoined HYDRA as one of their leaders to avenge the death of his lover Kara Palamas, he joined forces with Gideon Malick to bring back the organizations original leader: Hive. When Malick remarked that he wanted someone to seize the moment with him, he deemed Garrett too selfish and explains to Ward that Garrett recruiting and training him is the greatest thing that ever happened to the organization. So even though Garrett is remembered as a traitorous narcissist who went insane, his legacy lived on through Ward, who went on to continue hurting S.H.I.E.L.D. in numerous ways, even after being killed by Coulson.