Inspired by her aunt's adventures, Sharon joins the international security agency S.H.I.E.L.D., and is assigned the code name Agent 13.[6] By this time, Steve Rogers, the patriotic hero known as Captain America, had been revived from suspended animation, and during one of Sharon's earliest missions, he comes to her aid when she is under attack by a mercenary known as Batroc the Leaper. The two of them cross paths often, teaming up on missions against A.I.M., HYDRA, Red Skull, and many others.[volume&issueneeded]
Sharon and Rogers eventually fall in love, and she becomes one of the first to know his secret identity. The dangerous nature of Sharon's work strains their relationship, and Rogers wants Sharon to give up her life as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.[7]
While working as a S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison with the New York Police Department, Sharon investigates and infiltrates a white supremacist terrorist organization known as the National Force. During one of the National Force's battles with street criminals in Harlem, the National Guard is sent in. Under the effects of a mind-altering gas, Sharon apparently activates a self-destruct device in her National Force uniform and dies. Rogers is shown the event on videotape.[8]
It is later revealed that Sharon's death was faked so she could go on a top secret mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. The mission did not go well, and Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Executive Director, believed her to have been killed in action; Captain America was not informed of the true circumstances of her "death".[volume&issueneeded]
Return
Sharon is not dead, but has been left behind in enemy territory, a captive of the dictator Tap-Kwai. Escaping, she spends several years working as a mercenary, until she encounters a group of Neo-Nazi extremists known as the Kubecult. Learning that they plan to use the Cosmic Cube to return Adolf Hitler to life, Sharon joins forces with the villainous Red Skull to stop them, but they also need Captain America.[volume&issueneeded]
At this point, Rogers is suffering health problems: the Super-Soldier serum that gave him his abilities is breaking down, and he has fallen into a coma. The Red Skull is currently occupying a cloned body of Rogers himself, and a transfusion of the Skull's blood, which contains an uncontaminated Super-Soldier formula, restores and revives Rogers. Rogers is shocked to find Sharon alive.
Over the course of the mission to topple the cult he learns that her years out in the cold have made her grimmer and more ruthless, and the two of them do not renew their relationship when Sharon rejoins S.H.I.E.L.D.[volume&issueneeded] A romantic tension still exists: Sharon teases him about his naïveté, such as when he lets a family of squatters stay in his apartment. The two battle the Red Skull, who possesses a cosmic cube that can do whatever he wishes. Sharon and Captain America argue about killing the Skull, with Sharon urging Rogers to use an energy-based shield that she has given him. Sharon tries and fails to kill the Red Skull, but he is soon defeated through trickery. The energy shield is lost in the time-stream.[volume&issueneeded]
Soon afterwards, Sharon assists Captain America in several cases where patriotic Americans go on violent rampages under the influence of a supernatural entity named Nightmare, who has found a way to influence this dimension through the 'American dream.' Sharon and Cap battle many patriotic people, including a temporarily insane U.S. Agent, and ultimately Sharon has to face down a Captain America under the influence of Nightmare.[9]
21st century
In the absence of Nick Fury, Sharon serves a brief term as Executive Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. She returns to field work, reporting directly to the new Executive Director, Maria Hill, as a liaison officer specifically assigned to support and report on Captain America's activities. While investigating the whereabouts of Jack Monroe, she is abducted by the Winter Soldier and used as bait to lure Captain America into a trap set by General Aleksander Lukin. She and Captain America later resume their relationship while on a field mission investigating the activities of the Winter Soldier.[volume&issueneeded]
During the "Civil War" storyline, Sharon is initially a supporter of the Superhuman Registration Act, but she is averse to actually aiding in the capture of her lover, Captain America, who is the leader of the "Secret Avengers" opposed to the Act. At the same time, she is an unknowing pawn of the Red Skull and his associate Doctor Faustus. She later comes into contact with Nick Fury's underground organization, even as she is reassigned to the S.H.I.E.L.D. task force charged with locating Fury. She switches her allegiance to Captain America, citing the death of Goliath as the primary reason; it is unclear how much of this is the result of Faustus's influence.[volume&issueneeded]
In a follow-up, a sniper shoots Steve Rogers in the shoulder while he walks up the steps to the Federal Court. In the ensuing crowd chaos, Rogers is shot three times in the abdomen with a pistol, and later appears to die of his wounds. It is later revealed that the plan was orchestrated by the Red Skull; the sniper was Crossbones, and Sharon Carter shot Rogers in the abdomen while under a hypnotic suggestion by Dr. Faustus.[10]
Sharon is still under the influence of Doctor Faustus, who uses her to disable Black Widow and Falcon before she joins the Red Skull's organization as a minion. She is apparently pregnant with Rogers's child, but she loses the baby during a fight with the Red Skull's daughter, Sin, during one of several attempts to escape. Later, Sharon says that she, not Sin, stabbed her womb and caused the miscarriage, to keep the Red Skull from getting his hands on anything of hers. Doctor Faustus makes her forget ever being pregnant, and he also gives her the tools to escape. Sharon frees herself, killing Aleksander Lukin in the process (and narrowly missing killing the Red Skull himself), before being found by Black Widow and the Falcon. Iron Man and Falcon decide to tell her about her pregnancy at a later date, after sufficient recovery time.[11] As a result, Sharon decided to leave S.H.I.E.L.D.[12]
Sharon Carter is featured in the storyline Captain America: Reborn, where she learns that she killed Captain America and plans to figure out a way to revive him.[13] Unfortunately, Norman Osborn also plans to revive Captain America, so that he can complete the Red Skull's plan to transfer his consciousness into Steve's body and have him lead the Avengers to increase his popularity. He frames Sharon as an accomplice in Rogers' murder and threatens to kill the second Captain America if she doesn't turn herself in, which she does.[14] She is brought to Latveria, where she is attached to a machine to bring Rogers back, but with the Red Skull controlling his body. Mr. Fantastic determines that Sharon has chronal tracers in her blood meant to pull Steve to her.[15] She surrenders to Norman Osborn to save the life of Bucky (who had already escaped, unbeknownst to her), and she is delivered to the Red Skull and Dr. Doom, who use her to retrieve Steve, with the Skull's mind in control. Sharon ultimately escapes with the help of Henry Pym, and uses the Red Skull's own ship to blow him up. Reconciling with Steve (who was able to assert control over his body), they take some time off at her Virginia estate.[16]
Sharon appeared to sacrifice herself to stop Arnim Zola's massive flying fortress from invading Earth[18] but she is alive in Zola's captivity and she is found by Falcon and Jet Black.[19]
When Sharon Carter and S.H.I.E.L.D. arrest Tomoe and her Biohack Ninjas, she meets Riri Williams who helped Pepper Potts defeat them.[20]
During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Sharon Carter is on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier at the time when Captain America, whose history was rewritten by Red Skull's clone using the powers of Kobik to make him a Hydra sleeper agent, reveals his association with Hydra as the Hydra Helicarrier rams into the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier that Sharon Carter is on as Doctor Faustus arrests her.[21] Sharon Carter pretends to be brainwashed by Doctor Faustus, but incapacitates him by spiking his tea with a non-lethal toxin.[22]
Sharon is a highly trained martial artist and extremely adept at various fighting techniques.[24] She is highly trained in espionage, weapons, firearms and computers. After being brainwashed by Doctor Faustus into shooting Captain America, she spent some time training herself to resist similar brainwashing attempts in future, to the extent that she tricked Faustus into thinking he had brainwashed her again and attacked him while his guard was down.
Reception
Critical response
Deirdre Kaye of Scary Mommy called Sharon Carter a "role model" and a "truly heroic" female character.[25] Joe Anthony Myrick of Screen Rant called Sharon Carter a "popular ally to Captain America."[26] Rob Clough of Looper described Sharon Carter as one of Captain America's "central love interests," writing, "She's a scrappy, clever, and tough agent who never backs down from Cap, despite his status as a living legend. Of all the women that Steve has dated, Sharon is one of the few to truly understand him."[27]
Mark Waid asserted, "The reason she works so well with Cap is because she's a complete cynic and he's a complete idealist."[28] Megan Nicole O'Brien of Comic Book Resources ranked Sharon Carter 1st in their "Every Member Of The Daughters Of Liberty" list, saying, "Sharon Carter aka Agent 13 may not have superpowers, but this does not make her any less heroic,"[29] while David Harth ranked her 5th in their "10 Best Directors Of S.H.I.E.L.D." list.[30]
Other versions
Earth X
An alternative version of Sharon Carter appears in the Earth X continuity. She has fallen victim to Hydra, a squid-based alien life form that absorbs minds and people to expand.[31]
Marvel Mangaverse
An alternative version of Sharon Carter appears in the Marvel Mangaverse continuity. She is the supposed orchestrator of the destruction of almost the entire superhuman population in the Marvel Mangaverse. It turns out that she has been under mind control. She becomes the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. when Nick Fury supposedly dies.
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Sharon Carter
An alternative version of Sharon Carter appears in the Ultimate Universe. She is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., but is much closer to the environment of Spider-Man. She often appears as one of a pair of wise-cracking S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, the other one is Jimmy Woo.[32] She can display humor at times, but mostly keeps her mouth shut in public. As seen in Ultimate Spider-Man #46, she is a practicing Christian and has strong morals, which lead her to want S.H.I.E.L.D. to destroy individuals such as Doctor Octopus rather than 'lock them away for poking'.[33] Carter and Woo survive the Super-Villains escape that occurs in Ultimate Six. Carter is seen next in the Silver Sable arc and Woo in the Hobgoblin arc. Carter is later involved with the Clone Saga arc, telling the people evacuated from Peter Parker's neighborhood that all is well, and Agent Woo is later seen in the Death of a Goblin arc, letting Carol Danvers know about the Goblin's most recent murder. In a 2008 storyline, Carter is the acting head of S.H.I.E.L.D.. She asks the Fantastic Four to investigate a confusing situation at Project Pegasus.[34]
Marvel Future Fight
In an alternate universe where Captain America was never frozen in ice at the end of World War II, Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers have a daughter named Sharon Rogers. Created as part of Captain America's 75th anniversary, she now serves as Captain America following her father's retirement.[35][36]
A character based on Sharon Carter named Sharon Stewart appears in Captain America, portrayed by Kim Gillingham. This version is a civilian and the daughter of Bernice "Bernie" Stewart. After the Red Skull's daughter Valentina de Santis kills her parents, Sharon accompanies Captain America to Italy to defeat the villains.
The Red Skull is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by France Herron, Jack Kirby, and Joe Simon, the character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1, in which his secret identity is revealed to be George Maxon. It would later be retroactively established that Maxon was merely a decoy who was working for the real Red Skull, Johann Shmidt. Other individuals, including Albert Malik and Shmidt's own daughter Sinthea, have also adopted the Red Skull persona.
The Falcon is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was introduced by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan in Captain America #117
Georges Batroc the Leaper is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #75, 1966. He is a mercenary and a master of the French form of kick-boxing known as savate, commonly depicted as an adversary of Captain America, and a mentor of Gwen Poole. Batroc's name derives from the word batrachia, a classification of amphibians that includes frogs, which also plays on the stereotype of calling French people frogs.
Hydra is a fictional terrorist organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Its name alludes to the mythical Lernaean Hydra, as does its motto: "If a head is cut off, two more shall take its place," proclaiming the group's resilience and growing strength in the face of resistance. Originally a Nazi organization led by the Red Skull during World War II, Hydra is taken over and turned into a neo-fascist international crime syndicate by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. Hydra agents often wear distinctive green garb featuring a serpent motif. Hydra's plans for world domination are regularly foiled by Marvel Universe superheroes and the intelligence organization S.H.I.E.L.D.
Captain America's shield is a fictional item appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is the primary defensive and offensive piece of equipment used by Captain America, and is intended to be an emblem of American culture.
Crossbones is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Mark Gruenwald and Kieron Dwyer, the character first made a cameo appearance in Captain America #359, before he was fully introduced later that month in issue #360 and his name was revealed in issue #362.
Sinthea Shmidt is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by J. M. DeMatteis writer and artist Paul Neary, the character first appeared in Captain America #290. Shmidt is the daughter of the Red Skull and an antagonist of the superhero Steve Rogers / Captain America. She has occasionally used the codenames Sin and Mother Superior. She is also the leader of the Sisters of Sin and an ally of Hydra.
American Dream is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Tom DeFalco and artist Brent Anderson, the character first appeared in A-Next#1. Shannon Carter comes from an alternative future timeline of the Marvel Universe known as the MC2 Universe. She wears a costume similar to that of the comic book superhero Steve Rogers / Captain America. Her weapons are throwing disks and the trademark shield.
The Howling Commandos is the name of several fictional groups appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team also appears in the franchises developed for other media.
Arnim Zola is a supervillain appearing in American comic books by Marvel Comics. He is a master of biochemistry and a recurring enemy of Captain America and the Avengers. The character first appeared in Captain America and the Falcon #208, and was created by writer/artist Jack Kirby. When he was first introduced, Zola was a Nazi scientist experimenting with genetic engineering during World War II. His skills as a geneticist drew the attention of the Red Skull, who recruited him into Hydra to aid their efforts to create super soldiers. One of his experiments led to the brain of Adolf Hitler being copied into a being later known as Hate-Monger. Later in life, Zola transferred his own mind into a sophisticated robot body which protected it by storing it in its chest and displaying a digital image of Zola's face on its chest plate. This robot body allowed Zola to survive until modern times, as whenever it is destroyed, Zola could simply upload his consciousness into a new body.
Doctor Faustus is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted usually as an adversary of Captain America. An Austrian psychiatrist and criminal mastermind who employs psychological manipulation on his enemies, the character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Captain America #107.
Since the 1940s, the comic book character Captain America has been presented in a wide variety of other media, including serial films, feature films, animations, and video games.
Madame Hydra is the name of several different fictional supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a name given to a top female operative of HYDRA.
"The Death of Captain America", also known as "The Death of the Dream", is an eighteen-issue Captain America story arc written by Ed Brubaker with art by Steve Epting and published by Marvel Comics. The arc first appears in Captain America #25–30. The first issue of the story arc, Captain America #25, was the highest selling comic for the month of its release. The story arc had wide-sweeping effects throughout the Marvel Universe and was accompanied by the miniseries Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America.
Captain America: Reborn is a six-issue monthly comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics between July 2009 and January 2010. The series was written by Ed Brubaker, illustrated by Bryan Hitch, and inked by Butch Guice. The series reveals the truth regarding the death of the original Captain America, Steve Rogers and revives him in the contemporary Marvel Universe.
Ultimate Comics: Avengers is a comic book published by Marvel Comics that began in August 2009 as part of the relaunch of the Ultimate Universe under the "Ultimate Comics" imprint. It is a direct follow up to the events of "Ultimatum." The series was written by Mark Millar, creator of The Ultimates and Ultimate X-Men, and co-creator of Ultimate Fantastic Four.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism government agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this agency first appeared in Strange Tales #135, and often deals with paranormal activity and superhuman threats to international security.
Margaret Elizabeth "Peggy" Carter is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted as a supporting character in books featuring Captain America. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, she debuted, unnamed, in Tales of Suspense #75 as a World War II love interest of Steve Rogers in flashback sequences. She would later be better known as the aunt of Sharon Carter.
James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Originally introduced as a sidekick to Captain America, the character was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Captain America Comics #1. Barnes' original costume and the Bucky nickname have been used by other heroes in the Marvel Universe over the years.
Sharon Carter is a fictional character portrayed by Emily VanCamp in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Carter is portrayed as the great-niece of S.H.I.E.L.D. founder Peggy Carter.
↑ Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p.115. ISBN978-1465455505.
↑ Detora, Lisa (2009). Heroes of film, comics and American culture. McFarland. p.113. ISBN978-0-7864-3827-3.
↑ Captain America #237 (Sept. 1979). Marvel Comics.
↑ These events took place in Captain America vol. 3 #9 and #12 (1998), reprinted in the hardcover "Captain America: American Nightmare".
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