Peggy Carter
Character namePeggy Carter
PublisherMarvel Comics
DebutTales of Suspense #75 (March 1966; unnamed and obscured)
Tales of Suspense #77 (May 1966; unnamed)
Captain America #162 (March 1973; as Peggy Carter)
CreatorsStan Lee (writer)
Jack Kirby (artist)
Full nameMargaret Elizabeth "Peggy" Carter
SupportsCaptain America
AliasesDryad, Agent 13
Alliances
PowersSkilled martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant, markswoman, and tactician

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.

Hayley Atwell portrayed the character in several projects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe from 2011 to 2019, including films, a short film, and television series, before playing alternate versions of the character known as Captain Carter in the animated series What If...? (2021–2024) and the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022),[1] with the comic book version of the character subsequently being redesigned after Atwell.

Publication history

The character debuted in a single panel (and unnamed) as a wartime love interest of Captain America in Tales of Suspense #75 (March 1966), and then receiving a backstory in #77 (May 1966). She was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. She was created to give Sharon Carter a family background.[2][3] She appeared again as the older sister of Sharon Carter in Captain America #161 (May 1973). She was later retconned as Sharon's aunt, then later great-aunt, due to the unaging nature of comic book characters. The character has appeared frequently in Captain America stories set during World War II.[citation needed]

Fictional character biography

Dr.[4] Peggy Carter joins the French Resistance as a teenager and becomes a skilled fighter, who serves on several operations alongside Captain America.[5] The two fall in love, but an exploding shell gives her amnesia and she is sent to live with her parents in Virginia.[6]

During the "Original Sin" storyline, it was revealed in 1952 that Peggy Carter worked with Howard Stark and Woody McCord when they investigated an alien ship in Siberia.[7] The three of them worked to keep the alien from being taken by Hydra and had the alien live with Anton Vanko.[8]

In the 1960s, Peggy Carter joins S.H.I.E.L.D. for a long tenure.[9]

At the time when Captain America resurfaced, Peggy Carter was taking treatments from Doctor Faustus. When she was rescued by Captain America, she maintained her friendship with him.[10]

Peggy Carter later helped Captain America fight the Secret Empire.[11] She also dealt with his decision to stop being Captain America for a while.[12]

Peggy helps Captain America when her niece Sharon Carter and some S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents went missing while gathering information on the new Grand Director.[13]

Peggy Carter later joined the Avengers' support staff at Avengers Mansion.[14]

Following her retirement, Peggy lives in a nursing home, where she eventually dies.[15] Following her death, S.H.I.E.L.D. erects a memorial statue outside the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy in Newark.[16]

Through unknown means, Peggy Carter is resurrected and becomes a founding member of the Daughters of Liberty as Dryad.[17] She assists the group in clearing Captain America's name when he is framed for Thunderbolt Ross' death.[18][19]

Abilities

Peggy Carter is shown to be a superb martial artist, also excelling in using firearms. She is a highly trained spy and tactician.

As Dryad, Peggy wears a type of battle armor that is strong enough to protect her from a missile attack and keep her insulated when it is ablaze.

Other versions

Amalgam Comics

Mademoiselle Peggy, a fusion of Peggy Carter and DC Comics character Mademoiselle Marie, appears in the Amalgam Comics one-shot Super-Soldier: Man of War.[20]

Exiles

An alternate universe variant of Peggy Carter who became Captain America, based on Hayley Atwell's likeness and adapted from a similar character created for Marvel Puzzle Quest, appears in Exiles (vol. 3).[21][22][23][24]

Captain Carter

A character based on the What If...? character Captain Peggy Carter appears in a self-titled comic. Similarly to Captain America, this version was cryogenically frozen during WWII and thawed out in the present day.[25] Additionally, a separate Captain Carter appears in Avengers Forever #4 as a member of Avenger Prime's army.[26][27]

In other media

House of M

An alternate universe variant of Peggy Carter appears in "House of M". This version married Captain America shortly after WWII due in part to him having never been frozen.[28]

Spider-Gwen

See also: List of Spider-Gwen characters § Peggy Carter

An alternate universe variant of Peggy Carter from Earth-65 appears in Spider-Gwen. This version is the long-lived director of S.H.I.E.L.D. who, similarly to Nick Fury, wears an eyepatch.[29][30]

In other media

Television

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Main article: Peggy Carter (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Peggy Carter appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed by Hayley Atwell. This version is a British agent of the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR), co-founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. alongside Howard Stark, and aunt of Sharon Carter. She first appears in the live-action film Captain America: The First Avenger before making subsequent appearances in the live-action Marvel One-Shot Agent Carter,[33][34] the live-action TV series Agent Carter,[35] Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,[36] and the live-action films Captain America: The Winter Soldier,[33][37][38] Avengers: Age of Ultron,[39] and Ant-Man.[40] While she does not appear in the live-action film Captain America: Civil War, she is stated to have died.[41] Additionally, alternate timeline variants of Peggy appear in the live-action films Avengers: Endgame[42][43] and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)[1] as well as the Disney+ animated series What If...?.[44][32] Atwell will reprise the role in the upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday.[45]

Video games

References

  1. ^ Garbutt, Emily (May 5, 2022). "The Illuminati members in Doctor Strange 2, listed and explained". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived May 5, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  2. ^ "Peggy Carter". IGN. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  3. ^ "If a Hostage Should Die!" Archived 2018-01-06 at the Wayback Machine, Tales of Suspense #77 (May 1966) at the Grand Comics Database
  4. ^ Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 2 #4
  5. ^ Catherine Saunders, Heather Scott, Julia March, and Alastair Dougall, editors, 2008, Marvel Chronicle: A year by Year History, London: Dorling Kindersley, p. 115; ISBN 978-1-4093-8399-4.
  6. ^ Tales of Suspense #77. Marvel Comics.
  7. ^ Operation S.I.N. #1. Marvel Comics.
  8. ^ Operation S.I.N. #2-5. Marvel Comics.
  9. ^ Agent Carter: S.H.I.E.L.D. Anniversary #1. Marvel Comics.
  10. ^ Captain America #161-163. Marvel Comics.
  11. ^ Captain America #174-175. Marvel Comics.
  12. ^ Captain America #176. Marvel Comics.
  13. ^ Captain America #231-236. Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ The Avengers #300. Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ Captain America (vol. 5) #45 (February 2009)
  16. ^ Silk vol. 2 #8. Marvel Comics.
  17. ^ Captain America (vol. 9) #19 (April 2020)
  18. ^ Captain America vol. 9 #9-11. Marvel Comics.
  19. ^ Captain America vol. 9 #12-13. Marvel Comics.
  20. ^ Super-Soldier: Man of War #1 (June 1997). Amalgam Comics.
  21. ^ Holub, Christian (19 April 2018). "Peggy Carter is Captain America in new Marvel comic". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  22. ^ Exiles (2018) #8-12
  23. ^ Future Foundation (2019) #3
  24. ^ "Archived copy". Archived 3 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  25. ^ Captain Carter #1. Marvel Comics.
  26. ^ Avengers: Forever Vol. 2 #4. Marvel Comics.
  27. ^ Avengers: Forever Vol. 2 #14. Marvel Comics.
  28. ^ Captain America vol. 5 #10 (Oct. 2005). Marvel Comics.
  29. ^ Spider-Gwen #2
  30. ^ Spider-Gwen Vol 2. #20
  31. ^ Awesome, Amy (October 8, 2016). "Hayley Atwell Returning As Agent Carter". ComicBook.com. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  32. ^ "Peggy Carter Voices (Captain America)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 13, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  33. ^ Breznican, Anthony (July 11, 2013). "'Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter' -- First Look at poster and three photos from the new short!". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  34. ^ Breznican, Anthony (July 11, 2013). "'Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter' --First Look at poster and three photos from the new short! (Part 3)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  35. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (January 17, 2014). "Marvel's 'Agent Carter': Hayley Atwell, Writers, Showrunners Confirmed for ABC Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived March 28, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  36. ^ "Learn How Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Begins Its Second Season". Marvel.com. September 8, 2014. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
  37. ^ "Captain America: The Winter Soldier Begins Filming". Marvel Comics. April 8, 2013.
  38. ^ Failes, Ian (May 1, 2014). "Captain America: The Winter Soldier – reaching new heights". Fxguide. Archived May 5, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  39. ^ Dumaraog, Ana (2023-02-20). "Captain America's Age Of Ultron Vision Revealed 1 Big Avenger Difference". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  40. ^ Panos, Maggie (2015-07-25). "Ant-Man: Why the 3 People in That Opening Scene Are Important". POPSUGAR Entertainment. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  41. ^ Romano, Nick (19 May 2015). "The First Captain America: Civil War Death Has Already Been Leaked". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  42. ^ Robinson, Joanna (April 25, 2019). "Avengers: The Hidden Meaning Behind That Final Endgame Song". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  43. ^ Sirikul, Laura (April 27, 2019). "Why 'Avengers: Endgame' Final Scene Isn't What It Seems". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  44. ^ Chitwood, Adam (April 12, 2019). "Marvel's What If? Disney+ Series Will Launch with Peggy Carter Episode". Collider. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  45. ^ Couch, Aaron & Kit, Borys (March 26, 2025). "Marvel Unveils 'Avengers: Doomsday' Cast with MCU Mainstays and 'X-Men', 'Fantastic Four' Stars". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived March 26, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  46. ^ Kevin Kelly (July 27, 2011). "Captain America: Super Soldier Review - Xbox 360". G4. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
  47. ^ Slead, Evan (27 June 2016). "Captain America: Peggy Carter wields the shield in new Marvel Game". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  48. ^ "New Character - Peggy Carter (Iron Carter / Worthy)". D3 Go! Retrieved 19 April 2024.