Abigail Brand
Abigail Brand | |
---|---|
Portrayed by Ally Walker | |
Known Aliases: | |
Affiliations: | SHIELD, SWORD |
Socked By: | Rossi - clear logs with the mods before posting |
Introduction: | September 6, 2011 |
Garrison Kane's former partner at the FBI, Brand is now the Director of SWORD (Supernatural Watch Observation and Response Department), a part of SHIELD
Contents
Details
Name: Abigail Brand
Aliases: Unknown
Occupation: SHIELD agent, Director of SWORD
First appearance: September 6, 2011
Family: Unknown
Biography
Phase 1
Brand is a SHIELD agent who has been secretly seconded to the FBI under General Nick Fury’s orders. Fury had been growing concerned about the level of cooperation between the FBI’s Mutant Division and the X-Men. In addition, the apparent reach of Agent Garrison Kane’s family allowed him to 'subvert' Luke Cage, a SHIELD agent in Asia. Fury, known for his distrust of potential security risks, decided that the status quo was carried too much potential risk to national security to be allowed to continue unmonitored. However, DAD Duncan has an impeccable record and plenty of political support, especially in the higher levels of the Bureau and the Department of Justice. Fury decided that he wanted someone to assess the relationship objectively and secretly, and that person was Agent Abigail Brand.
Agent Brand is an open mutant; possessing green hair and the ability to generate blue flame. Ambitious and a touch ruthless, Brand made her reputation in the ATF before being selected for SHIELD. She's proved to be a resourceful agent with a track record of success, however, her ambitious and willingness to sell out other agents to superiors have not made her well liked among her peers. Brand was ‘transferred’ to Duncan from a north-west field office, hiding her real rank and position in SHIELD's hierarchy. While Duncan wasn't impressed by the sudden imposition, he understood the political dangers in fighting it, and instead did his best to welcome Brand to the Bureau.
Brand was tasked to work with Kane on a number of cases. This has proved to be fraught with conflict: in the Sons of Liberty investigation, she went behind Garrison's back to call in SHIELD to take over a hostage situation; in Milwaukee, she shot a fleeing suspect - if he had not been a mutant, it would have been fatal. Her demeanor and attitude have also done little to endear her to her colleagues, which also includes Theresa Cassidy, whom she treats as a raw recruit.
After the disappearance of two Genoshan refugees, Brand assisted Kane and Terry in their continued investigation, helping them chase up leads on the disappearances of several other mutants that shared similar MOs with that of the Genoshans. When the X-Men set a trap to capture the person responsible for buying young mutants, Brand helped in the capture of the man and woman responsible, as well as the interrogation that briefly followed.
In September 2012 she accompanied Kane to Minnesota to investigate a biker claiming to be Thor. After a week of investigating, she was called back to DC, only to return a few days later with a team from SWORD, taking control of the situation in Minnesota and bringing Thor into custody. It was later revealed that she'd been promoted to director of SWORD. Since then, she has been focused on her new agency although did take time to ensure that Garrison would not face charges from the events in Minnesota.
In October 2013, Kane approached Brand about getting Vanessa Carlysle out of some legal trouble. Brand helped, but it left Kane owing her a favor. She later made an appearance at a Red-X charity event, attempting to outbid Adrienne Frost for a "date" with Garrison, but left in confusion when Adrienne completely failed to react the way the agent had anticipated she would. In August 2014 she took on her first 'real' mission with SWORD during a battle with demons in New York - only a deal struck with Namor Mazur, posing as the leader of the "Weird Shite Department of X-Force and Amanda's students (Topaz, Billy Kaplan and Megan Gwynn) prevented a total disaster. Brand is aware she owes her position to the mansionites, and it grates on her.
Phase 2
Following M-Day, Brand's position changed little. She was disgruntled to find her division was considered a 'dumping ground' by her superiors for agents who needed a low profile, such as recently discovered mutant, Clinton Barton. She barely tolerated the man, and when he turned on his partner during an operation to identify a potential magic-user messing with anti-mutant groups in New York, she was happy to ship him off to Alaska as punishment. It didn't stop her from using the X-Men when needed, however, such as when the Avengers fell victim to a magical booby-trap and the mansion's magic users came to 'consult' on what was controlling them. She came calling again in 2021, this time to make a deal with Garrison Kane and Amanda Sefton to obtain their help in stopping a magical weapon smuggling ring. The mission went sour, however, with Brand injured by the demon in charge, Olivier and Garrison apparently left for dead. It was not until months later that it was revealed that Brand had become enthralled by Olivier as a result of him drawing her blood; she was carrying out his orders, the resources of SWORD effectively at his disposal.
During the final battle against Olivier, Brand abruptly appeared on the scene, intent on revenging her 'master'. Her appearance meant Garrison gave up the amulet that would let him escape Olivier's dimension so that she would be freed while he suffered catastrophic injuries finding another way out of the Hell Lord's realm. With Olivier exiled from Earth, the curse on Brand was broken and she found herself being lauded for taking down the illegal Sentinels project when in fact she had been involved in promoting it. Suffering an unusual crisis of conscience and then faced with Garrison and the sacrifices he had made, she readily agreed to fulfill the deal she had made, providing X-Force with a new source of intelligence directly from SWORD.
Powers/Abilities
Brand possesses the ability to generate green flame of up to high intensity. She can project it across short distances and wrap herself in it as a kind of protective shield. It also allows her to withstand fire and heat to a significant level. However, due to M-Day, Brand rarely uses her powers, even in combat, preferring her sidearm.
Plots
Phase 1
Christian's Angels (aftermath)
X-Men Mission: X-Mas in Milwaukee
London to Ladysmith via Pretoria
Operation: A Roving Commission
X-Men Mission: Amid These Storms
Phase 2
The Nowhere King - mentioned
Meta
PB: Ally Walker
Socked by: Rossi for the mods