Phil Coulson LMD

Phil Coulson LMD
Aliases:	Phil Coulson
Continuity:	Marvel Cinematic Universe
Series:	Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Notability:	Main character
Type:	Robot
Gender:	Male
Race:	Life Model Decoy
Location:	Zephyr One
Associations:	S.H.I.E.L.D.
Relatives:	Phil Coulson
Status:	Active
Born:	1931
First:	"New Life"
Actor:	Clark Gregg

Phil Coulson is a fictional robot and a central character featured in an offshoot continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is associated with the ABC television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and first appeared in the season six finale episode, "New Life". He made regular appearances on the show all throughout season seven.

Biography

The individual named "Phil Coulson" is one of the most unique forms of artificial intelligence ever devised. His base physical structure is that of a Life Model Decoy, or LMD, which has been enhanced through futuristic Chronicom technology that had been provided to S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jemma Simmons. The LMD's memories and personality were based on that of the original S.H.I.E.L.D. director Phil Coulson, which was appropriated from computer files from a virtual reality system known as the Framework. The original Phil Coulson, whom this model is based on, died a year prior to the LMD's creation as a result of a deal he had made with Ghost Rider.

The emergence of the Coulson LMD caused great discomfort amongst the members of S.H.I.E.L.D., given how they all had a very close personal tie to the original Coulson. As this Coulson was an LMD and not an actual living person, he was not able to resume duties as director of S.H.I.E.L.D., nor did he wish to. He respected the job that Alphonso Mackenzie had done since the demise of his predecessor and offered his full support. Being an LMD gave Coulson several advantages. In a sense, he could not truly die as there were a myriad of ways that his persona could be re-downloaded into a new host body. As Coulson himself once said, "Dying. It's kind of my super-power".

Coulson began working with his S.H.I.E.L.D. allies in the middle of an ongoing conflict between themselves and the Chronicoms, who were a race of androids that had begun assuming human form in a bid to take control of the Earth as their new homeworld. To this end, the Chronicoms had used time travel technology to go backwards in time to affect changes that would prevent the formation of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well as their adversaries, Hydra. During these misadventures, the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. operated from the Zephyr One aircraft, which had been retrofitted with time-travel capabilities.

Coulson and the agents first traveled to the 1930s prior to the formation of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s predecessor, the Strategic Scientific Reserve. They passed themselves off as Canadian agents and met with Ernest Koenig at an illegal bar, which was destined to become the future New York City S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. After saving the life of future U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Coulson learned that one of Ernest Koenig's contacts, Wilfred Malick - the father of future World Security Council member and Supreme Hydra, Gideon Malick, would play a key role in the Chronicoms' plans.

Phil Coulson and the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. then traveled to the 1950s. They attempted to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters posing as high-ranking members of the agency, with Jemma Simmons assuming the guise of famed secret agent Peggy Carter.

It was during this time that S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Daniel Sousa was fated to die as a result of a shooting at a hotel while delivering an important item to Howard Stark. Phil Coulson took Sousa's place at the delivery and changed history be taking the bullet intended for Sousa. Being a robot, Coulson emerged unharmed. Unfortunately for Sousa, he had to be removed from the timeline as history acknowledges that he had died. Sousa reluctantly became a member of the team and remained on the Zephyr One and joined them in other time traveling ventures.

Coulson and the agents traveled to the year 1976, only days prior to the Bicentennial. They infiltrated the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in New York City as low-level S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and met with veteran hero General Rick Stoner. They learned that the Malick family had been working closely with Stoner in the development of a satellite defense system known as Project: Insight. The team knew based on information from their own timeline that Project: Insight was really a Hydra designed operation that would enable them to target and destroy anyone on Earth that they deemed undesirable. Due to the Chronicoms altering history however, Project: Insight was about to go online nearly forty years early.

Working closely with Melinda May, Phil Coulson scoured the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in an effort to route out Chronicom agents. Previously, this was accomplished through questioning other agents and gauging their reactions to a series of predetermined questions designed to provoke an emotional response. In short order however, the Chronicoms learned to adapt and were able to convincingly imitate human emotions. Melinda May, now gifted with the power of empathy, was able to suss out Chronicom infiltrators through tactile contact.

Phil Coulson found that the Chronicoms had maintained their time ship underneath the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility. After saving General Stoner from being killed and replicated as a Chronicom, Coulson met with Sibyl - the Chronicom Predictor. Coulson interfaced with a Chronicom computer system so he could communicate with her directly. After keeping her occupied for a time, Coulson then detonated an explosive charge, which destroyed the time ship as well as his artificial body.

The Coulson LMD's persona was preserved in computer form. It re-emerged in 1982 as a digital image on a computer screen. This "Max Headroom" version of Coulson made contact with Alphonso Mackenzie and Deke Shaw. He coordinated with them as well as Deke's newly formed D-Squad to stop Sibyl, who had been downloaded into a new non-humanoid robotic body. Despite the untrained nature of Deke's new team, they succeeded in destroying the killer robots that sought to exterminate all of the humans at the base.

Once the agents were able to get Coulson's consciousness back aboard the Zephyr, they were able to replicate a new body for him. Unfortunately, he was only midway through reconstitution during a crisis involving the malfunctioning time drive and was unable to assist. After the crisis was abated, Jemma Simmons suggested that Coulson should power down for a while to completely recharge. Phil did as instructed, but the experience made him feel more like a robot than ever before.