SWORD

This page is about the Phase 2 incarnation of the group. For other uses, see SWORD (disambiguation).

PHASE 2

Organization: Supernatural Watch Observation and Response Department


First Seen:	September 12, 2012

SWORD was created as a subdivision of SHIELD to address the increase in incidents involving magic or the supernatural. Formed in 2012 in the wake of a supernatural incident involving the Asgardian God Thor it is headed by Garrison Kane's former FBI partner, Abigail Brand.

Abigail Brand	SHIELD agent formerly assigned to the FBI's mutant division and now director of SWORD. See individual page for details. PB: Ally Walker, socked by Rossi
Agent Paulletz	Agent Paulletz was a SHIELD veteran born in Louisiana. Over the years he became an bit of an obsessive type, looking into rumors of magic and demons. He’s been going on for years about “weird things not of this ken” and his SHIELD colleagues made a joke out of it – but now he’s been recruited for the new division and is justified in his beliefs. PB: David Dulchovny, socked by Eva
Agent Ortiz	Agent Ortiz is a new recruit into the SWORD program. She is their supernatural researcher and also a witch. She is sensitive to the demonic and has a lot of contacts in all parts of the world. Her knowledge in the supernatural is second to none. She draws her magical powers from Moon, so she’s stronger when it’s full and weaker when it’s not. PB: Eva Mendes, socked by: Michael
Dr. Jane Foster	An astrophysicist contracted to work with SWORD to study Einstein-Rosen bridges. Introduced in Phase 2. See individual page for details. PB: Natalie Portman, socked by: TBD
Agent James Hendrickson	Clint’s former partner. In the wake of M-Day, his views on mutants took a decidedly negative turn, which led to a physical altercation prior to Clint being send to Alaska and, subsequently, resigning from SWORD. PB: Roger R. Cross, socked by Cai

Former Employees

Clint Barton	] He worked as a field agent specializing in ranged defense and containment/study of 0-8-4's, specifically with SSA Coulson, until late 2013, when a chance meeting with Dr. Jane Foster led Clint to request a transfer to SWORD. He worked as an Agent of SWORD until leaving after the events in Barrow, Alaska in May 2015. He was particularly intrigued by Jane's work on the Einstein-Rosen (Bifrost) Bridge. PB: Charlie Hunnam, played by Cai

Details

The Supernatural Watch Observation and Response Department (S.W.O.R.D.) is a subset of SHIELD specifically tasked with investigating incidents that appear to have a supernatural or magical origin. It is currently small and quite new, owing its existence to the direct evidence of magical and supernatural incidents over the last several years. SWORD has a small number of dedicated agents who specialize in their fields, and deploys with regular SHIELD personnel and support in the field. Abigail Brand is the Director and reports directly to Nick Fury.

The group was first introduced in the aftermath of the Aitkens, Minnesota incident. They cropped up again in August 2014, after D'Spayre and Spite released her master and, using Tandy Bowen as an avatar, tried to attack New York.

Following M-Day, things became more difficult, especially for the mutant members, even Brand herself. While protected from the public by their obscurity and secrecy, the group continued its actions. In May 2015, following his 'exile' to Alaska for assaulting his partner, Hendrickson, Clinton Barton was involved in the cover up of the 'theft' of an 0-8-2 kept in the warehouse there, in reality a cryostasis chamber containing the King of Atlantis. Fortunately for Barton, Brand is unaware of his actions, but she had no objections to him leaving SWORD not long afterwards.

SWORD came to the forefront again in 2021, when Brand made a deal with Garrison Kane and Amanda Sefton in return for help taking down a weapons smuggling ring that specialised in demonic magic-infused guns that inflicted unimaginable damage. SOWRD agents were involved in arresting the Maggia and Huns Motorcycling Club members who were taken down by the Secret Empire Motorcycle Club (X-Men in disguise]], but were unaware that their leader had been corrupted by Olivier. Over the next five months, SWORD members found themselves being sent on missions which didn't always make sense and which would result in casualties beyond what was considered normal. Then in January 2022 Olivier was banished and Brand was lauded as the agent responsible for taking down the secret Sentinel project, inflicting damage to the Brotherhood of Mutants and neutralising the West Coast Maggia, which meant she could ask for anything. She sought to increase SWORD's resources and reward those agents who had survived, but also kept the agreement with Kane and Sefton, meaning SWORD intel was channelled via Sefton to X-Force and the mansion.