Sharon Carter

• Core Identity: A highly skilled and decorated intelligence agent, Sharon Carter is a defining figure in the world of espionage within the Marvel Universe, whose unwavering idealism has been repeatedly tested and ultimately fractured by betrayal, tragedy, and the harsh realities of her profession.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: Originally introduced as a love interest for Captain America and a loyal agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Sharon Carter evolved into a formidable operative in her own right, serving as a key ally, a field commander, and even the Executive Director of the agency, acting as the moral and tactical compass in Marvel's covert world.
• Primary Impact: Carter's most profound impact stems from her complex relationship with Steve Rogers and her central, tragic role in the “The Death of Captain America” storyline, where she was manipulated into assassinating him. This event fundamentally reshaped her character, leading to a period of intense trauma and hardening her resolve.
• Key Incarnations: The chasm between her comic and MCU versions is one of the most significant in modern adaptations. In the Earth-616 comics, she remains a deeply principled (though hardened) hero, often fighting from the shadows for the greater good. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she is a disillusioned fugitive who, after being abandoned by her country, reinvents herself as the cynical and ruthless crime lord known as the power_broker.

Sharon Carter made her debut in the heart of the Silver Age, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #75 in March 1966. She was co-created by the legendary Marvel architects Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, with artist Dick Ayers also contributing. Her creation was a direct product of the era's cultural zeitgeist. The 1960s were dominated by the “spy-fi” genre, popularized by James Bond, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and The Avengers (the British spy series, not the superhero team). S.H.I.E.L.D. was Marvel's answer to this trend, and Sharon Carter, codenamed Agent 13, was conceived as a capable, front-line operative within that world. Initially, she was introduced as the younger sister of peggy_carter, Captain America's lost love from World War II. This created an immediate and poignant romantic tension, positioning Sharon as a living link to Steve Rogers' past while representing a new future. This familial connection, however, would later be the subject of a significant retcon. As the sliding timescale of the Marvel Universe advanced, it became implausible for Peggy to have a younger sister of Sharon's age. The continuity was later adjusted to establish Sharon as Peggy Carter's grand-niece, a change that has been adopted by most modern interpretations, including the MCU. This alteration preserved the crucial legacy connection while making more logical sense within the ever-expanding timeline.

The origin of Sharon Carter is a tale of legacy, duty, and the immense pressure of living up to a legendary name. While the core elements remain similar across continuities, the specifics of her journey and the ultimate destination of her character diverge dramatically between the comics and the cinematic universe.

In the prime Marvel comic continuity, Sharon Carter grew up idolizing her great-aunt, Peggy Carter, a celebrated hero of the French Resistance and a foundational agent of what would become S.H.I.E.L.D. Inspired by Peggy's stories of adventure and heroism alongside Captain America, Sharon was determined to follow in her footsteps. She joined the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, or S.H.I.E.L.D., and quickly proved herself to be one of its most promising recruits. She excelled in all areas of espionage: infiltration, marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and tactical analysis. Her path inevitably crossed with Steve Rogers. Her uncanny resemblance to Peggy, combined with her own formidable skills and unwavering moral code, drew Captain America to her. They became partners in the field and, eventually, romantically involved. Operating under the codename Agent 13, Sharon fought alongside Captain America against threats like Batroc the Leaper, the subversive organization Hydra, and the machinations of the Red Skull. Their relationship was a cornerstone of Captain America's life in the modern era, grounding him and giving him a profound personal connection outside of the Avengers. Tragedy struck during a mission involving the National Force, a white supremacist group led by the manipulative Doctor Faustus. Sharon was seemingly incinerated by a self-destruct sequence while under Faustus's mental control. Steve Rogers and the world believed her dead for years, a loss that deeply scarred him. However, this was a ruse. S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury had faked her death, sending her on a deep-cover solo mission behind enemy lines. This long, isolating assignment fundamentally changed her. When she finally returned, she was no longer the optimistic agent Steve had known. She was a hardened, cynical, and pragmatic operative, bearing the psychological scars of her solitary war. Her reunion with Steve was fraught with the complexities of her trauma and the time they had lost, but their bond ultimately endured, and they resumed their partnership, now as equals forged in fire. This transformation from idealistic sidekick to a hardened, independent force is the defining arc of her comic book origin.

The MCU introduces Sharon Carter in a more clandestine fashion. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, she is first known only as Kate, Steve Rogers' friendly next-door neighbor who works as a nurse. This persona is a cover for her true identity: Agent 13 of S.H.I.E.L.D., assigned by Nick Fury to protect Captain America. When Hydra's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. is revealed and the agency collapses, Sharon proves her loyalty by fighting against Hydra agents, including Brock Rumlow (Crossbones), at the Triskelion. Following S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fall, she joins the CIA. In Captain America: Civil War, she reconnects with Steve Rogers, revealing that she is Peggy Carter's great-niece. This reveal provides context for her admiration of Captain America and her commitment to his ideals. She proves to be a crucial ally, risking her career and freedom by illegally returning Captain America's shield and the Falcon's wings to aid his fight against the Sokovia Accords. This act of defiance, which she states is what Peggy would have done, culminates in a brief kiss with Steve before he goes on the run. This is the critical turning point where her MCU origin diverges catastrophically from the comics. For her actions, Sharon is branded an enemy of the state and forced to become a fugitive. Unlike Steve and his team, who had the support of a network of allies, Sharon was seemingly left to fend for herself. As revealed in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, this betrayal and abandonment curdled her idealism into pure cynicism. She relocated to the lawless city-state of Madripoor and, using her skills and contacts, clawed her way to the top of the criminal underworld. She became the Power Broker, a shadowy figure who deals in stolen art, advanced technology, and super-soldiers. By the time she re-enters the lives of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, she is a ruthless, manipulative, and powerful crime lord, a stark and tragic departure from the hero she was destined to be. Her origin in the MCU is not one of heroic hardening, but of a hero's complete and bitter collapse into villainy.

While sharing a foundation as a non-super-powered human operative, the full scope of Sharon Carter's capabilities and personality showcase the vast differences between her two primary incarnations.

Sharon's abilities are the result of reaching the absolute pinnacle of human potential through rigorous, lifelong training with S.H.I.E.L.D.

• Peak Human Conditioning: While she has not been enhanced by a Super-Soldier Serum, Sharon's physical attributes—strength, speed, stamina, agility, and reflexes—are honed to the level of an Olympic athlete. She is capable of astounding feats of acrobatics and endurance.
• Master Martial Artist: She is an expert in numerous forms of armed and unarmed combat, including Krav Maga, Boxing, and various martial arts. She is one of the most formidable hand-to-hand combatants in the Marvel Universe, capable of holding her own against super-powered individuals through sheer skill.
• Expert Marksman: Sharon is a crack shot with virtually any firearm, from standard-issue sidearms to high-powered sniper rifles.
• Master Spy: Her true expertise lies in the arts of espionage. She is a master of disguise, infiltration, sabotage, intelligence gathering, and interrogation. She can seamlessly blend into any environment and manipulate targets to extract information.
• Expert Tactician and Strategist: Having led countless S.H.I.E.L.D. missions and even served as its director, Sharon possesses a brilliant strategic mind. She can assess complex battlefield situations, formulate effective plans, and lead teams with decisive authority.

As a top S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Sharon has access to some of the most advanced technology on the planet.

• S.H.I.E.L.D. Body Armor: Typically wears a state-of-the-art uniform made of a Kevlar-like material, offering protection from ballistic and energy-based attacks.
• Standard Sidearm: Often carries a modified 9mm handgun, but is proficient with a wide array of weaponry.
• Energy Shield Projectors: For a time, she utilized wrist-mounted devices that could project a small but durable energy shield, a defensive tool that paid homage to her partner, Captain America.
• Iron Patriot Armor: Briefly, during a time when she was physically aged and weakened, Sharon piloted a version of the Iron Patriot armor, granting her superhuman strength, flight, and a formidable weapons array.

Sharon Carter of Earth-616 is defined by a resilient idealism tempered by deep-seated trauma. She is fiercely loyal to her ideals and to the people she cares about, particularly Steve Rogers. However, her experiences—believed dead for years, brainwashed into killing the man she loved—have left her with a pragmatic, sometimes ruthless, edge. She is no-nonsense, incredibly tough, and carries a weight that few can understand. Despite her cynicism, her core heroic nature always wins out. She is a soldier and a spy who has seen the worst of humanity but continues to fight for its best.

The MCU's Sharon Carter displays a skill set consistent with a top-tier agent, which she later parlays into her criminal enterprise.

• Expert Covert Operative: As demonstrated by her Agent 13 cover, she is highly skilled in surveillance, infiltration, and maintaining a deep cover persona for extended periods.
• Expert Combatant: She is shown to be a highly effective fighter, proficient in CQC (Close Quarters Combat) and able to take on multiple armed opponents simultaneously, as seen during the S.H.I.E.L.D. collapse and in Madripoor.
• Skilled Marksman: She is proficient with handguns and other firearms.
• Criminal Mastermind (as the Power Broker): Her greatest “ability” in her current state is her intellect and ruthlessness. She successfully built a criminal empire from scratch in Madripoor, controlling vast resources, technology (including the recreated Super-Soldier Serum), and a network of informants and enforcers. She is a master manipulator and long-term strategist.

Her equipment reflects her journey from government agent to criminal kingpin.

• S.H.I.E.L.D./CIA Gear: As an agent, she utilized standard-issue equipment, including a sidearm, communication devices, and tactical gear.
• Power Broker Technology: As the Power Broker, she has access to a vast arsenal of cutting-edge and black-market technology. This includes advanced surveillance systems, weaponry, vehicles, and access to scientific assets like Dr. Wilfred Nagel, the scientist who recreated the Super-Soldier Serum.
• Mercury Vapor Device: A particularly nasty piece of personal tech she used to assassinate Karli Morgenthau's Flag Smasher allies.

The personality of the MCU's Sharon Carter is a study in tragic transformation. Initially, she embodies the principled, loyal, and brave agent who mirrors Steve Rogers' own values. She is willing to risk everything for what is right. However, after being disavowed and abandoned following Civil War, her personality undergoes a complete inversion. She becomes bitter, cynical, and deeply resentful of the heroes and the system that cast her aside. As the Power Broker, she is pragmatic to the point of being ruthless, driven by a desire for power, control, and security. The idealism is gone, replaced by a cold, transactional worldview. Her willingness to play the long game, deceiving even Sam Wilson to secure a pardon and a position back inside the U.S. government, reveals a level of duplicity and ambition that makes her one of the most complex and morally ambiguous characters in the current MCU.

• Steve Rogers (Captain America): This is the defining relationship of Sharon's life in the comics. It's a partnership built on mutual respect, shared ideals, and deep affection. They are one of Marvel's most iconic couples, having faced down world-ending threats and deeply personal tragedies together. Their bond was strong enough to survive her supposed death, her traumatic return, and even her role in his assassination. In the MCU, this relationship is significantly truncated. They share a clear mutual respect and a brief romance born from their shared connection to Peggy, but his journey into the past to live out his life with Peggy effectively erases any potential future they might have had, a factor that likely contributed to Sharon's later disillusionment.
• Nick Fury: A complex and often strained professional relationship. Fury was her commanding officer and mentor at S.H.I.E.L.D. He respected her skills immensely, enough to entrust her with a dangerous deep-cover mission by faking her death. However, his methods often put them at odds. Their dynamic is one of a grizzled spymaster and his most capable, but also most independent, operative. There is respect, but not always trust.
• Sam Wilson (Falcon/Captain America): In both universes, Sam is a trusted friend and ally. In the comics, they have worked together on numerous occasions as part of Captain America's inner circle. In the MCU, their relationship is more complicated. He trusts her enough to seek her help in Madripoor, and he fights to get her name cleared. However, he remains completely unaware of her true identity as the Power Broker, a deception that hangs over their future interactions.

• Doctor Faustus (Johann Fennhoff): Perhaps Sharon's most personal nemesis in the comics. Faustus is a master of psychological warfare and mind control. He orchestrated the brainwashing that led Sharon to believe she was dead and, most horrifically, manipulated her into shooting Steve Rogers during the aftermath of Civil War. His violation of her mind and use of her as a weapon against the person she loved most makes him the source of her deepest trauma.
• Red Skull (Johann Shmidt): As Captain America's greatest foe, the Red Skull is by extension one of Sharon's primary antagonists. She has battled his various schemes and his organization, Hydra, throughout her entire career. He was a key figure in the plot to assassinate Captain America, working alongside Doctor Faustus and Aleksander Lukin to break Steve Rogers both physically and psychologically.
• The U.S. Government / Sokovia Accords (MCU): In a unique twist, Sharon's greatest enemy in the MCU is not a single supervillain, but the very system she swore to protect. The implementation of the Sokovia Accords and the government's decision to brand her a criminal for helping Captain America is the singular event that breaks her spirit and sets her on the path to becoming the Power Broker. Her enmity is directed at the bureaucracy and the “heroes” who she feels abandoned her.

• S.H.I.E.L.D.: Her primary and longest-standing affiliation. Sharon joined S.H.I.E.L.D. as a young woman and rose through the ranks from field agent to, at one point, its Executive Director, second only to Nick Fury. Even after its multiple collapses and reformations, she is intrinsically linked to the organization.
• CIA: In the MCU, after S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fall, Sharon transitioned to the Central Intelligence Agency, working with the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre. This was her official position before she was forced to go on the run.
• Secret Avengers: During the period when Steve Rogers was leading a covert black-ops team of Avengers, Sharon was a key member, providing intelligence and tactical support.
• Daughters of Liberty: A more recent affiliation in the comics. The Daughters of Liberty are a clandestine, ancient organization dedicated to protecting America from threats both foreign and domestic. Sharon joined them and became one of their leaders, operating completely off the grid to achieve her objectives.

This is arguably the most significant storyline in Sharon Carter's history. Following the superhero Civil War, Steve Rogers surrenders to the authorities. As he is being led up the courthouse steps, he is shot by a sniper (Crossbones) and then, amidst the chaos, shot three more times at point-blank range and killed. The world is horrified to discover the assassin is Sharon Carter. The story reveals the depths of the Red Skull's and Doctor Faustus's plan. They had captured and brainwashed Sharon, implanting hypnotic suggestions in her mind. Faustus used a combination of drugs and psychic manipulation to make her a sleeper agent. When the time was right, they triggered her programming, and she carried out the assassination without any conscious control over her actions. The subsequent arc follows Sharon on the run, grappling with fragmented memories of the event and immense guilt. She works with the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, to uncover the conspiracy, clear her name, and ultimately rescue the “real” Steve Rogers, whose consciousness was trapped in a fixed point in time by the villains. This event tested her to her absolute limit and cemented her status as one of the most tragic and resilient characters in Captain America's world.

Sharon's role in the Civil War event highlights her unwavering loyalty to Steve Rogers' principles. In the Earth-616 comic storyline, she immediately and unequivocally sides with Captain America's anti-Registration faction. As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, this puts her in direct opposition to her employers and the law, but she believes passionately that the Superhuman Registration Act is a violation of civil liberties. She serves as a key intelligence operative for the Secret Avengers, coordinating their movements and feeding them information. In the MCU film Captain America: Civil War, her role is smaller but no less pivotal. She is not a combatant in the core conflict, but she uses her position within the CIA to provide Steve with critical intelligence on the Winter Soldier's location and the conspiracy orchestrated by Zemo. Her most significant act is illegally providing Captain America and Falcon with their confiscated gear, an act of open defiance against 117 nations. This single decision, born of her belief in Steve, is the catalyst for her downfall, forcing her into a life on the run and directly leading to her transformation into the Power Broker.

This Disney+ series marks the dramatic re-introduction of Sharon Carter to the MCU after years of being a fugitive. She is found living a lavish but dangerous life in Madripoor, now a black market art dealer with extensive underworld connections. She aids Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes in their search for the origins of a new Super-Soldier Serum, using her resources to protect them and guide them through the city's criminal landscape. Throughout the series, she maintains the facade of a jaded but ultimately helpful ally. The series finale delivers a shocking twist: Sharon Carter is, and has been all along, the Power Broker. She was the one who funded the research to recreate the serum and who was hunting down Karli Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers for betraying her. In the final act, she kills Karli to protect her secret and is subsequently granted a full pardon by the U.S. government, who also offer her a position back in her old division. In a post-credit scene, she makes a call to an unknown contact, gleefully announcing that while the “super soldiers are off the board,” she is about to have full access to government secrets, weapons, and prototypes, ready to sell to the highest bidder. This storyline completely redefines her character in the MCU, turning a fallen hero into an active, high-level antagonist operating from within the system.

• Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610): In this darker, more militarized reality, Sharon Carter is a veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, but her personality is much tougher and more cynical from the start. She is a key part of the investigation into the mysterious Spider-Man and has a working, though not romantic, relationship with Captain America. She later becomes the acting Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. following the “death” of Nick Fury.
• Earth-81131 (Agent Carter): In the reality depicted in the mobile game Marvel Avengers Academy, a teenage version of Sharon Carter is enrolled at the academy. She is depicted as a bubbly and enthusiastic spy-in-training, eager to live up to the legacy of her great-aunt Peggy.
• Marvel's Avengers (Video Game, Earth-TRN814): Sharon Carter appears as a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative in the 2020 video game. She is shown working alongside Maria Hill and Nick Fury to coordinate the resistance against A.I.M. following the A-Day disaster. This version is a capable and loyal agent, much more in line with her traditional comic book depiction.
• What If…? (MCU, Earth-82111): While Sharon herself does not play a major role in the first season of the animated series, her timeline was directly affected by the events of the episode “What If… Zombies?!”. In this reality, she was one of the heroes who responded to the zombie outbreak in San Francisco and was subsequently zombified. She is last seen as part of the zombie horde attacking Vision's camp.

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