Countdown to Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Day 16: Agent 13/Sharon Carter

We at GeekMom are counting down the days until the premier of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on September 24. You can find previous stories by clicking on the television show’s tag.

Today, an agent who is near and dear to my heart: Sharon Carter, Agent 13, Captain’s America’s lady love.

I always liked Sharon. But after doing more research on her character, I can say I’m not entirely sure why. With such a long history–she’s another Stan Lee/Jack Kirby creation from 1966–she’s been through the ringer.  Her initial appearances are a bit cringe-worthy to the modern-day reader.

Perhaps it’s that Sharon is the first female S.H.I.E.L.D. agent I read. I love her because she’s uncompromising and as hardcore as Nick Fury. She’s patriotic but also a cynic and tends, because of what she’s experienced, to be very pessimistic about people. She’s the half-empty to Captain America’s half-full, which makes them a fascinating couple. She’s also completely in love and loyal to Steve Rogers, even when she’s ordered to hunt him down in the Civil War event.

Without powers, that she’s so strong emotionally is why Steve loves her back.

Fun facts:

• Sharon was originally Peggy’s younger sister. It was later retconned to Sharon being her niece, though it’d have to be grand-niece at this point. Yeah, I’m not sure why they made her the sister either. Romantic conflict?
• Sharon was thought dead for a long time, until Mark Waid brought her back on a Captain America run that was truncated because of Waid’s clashes with Marvel Editorial.
• Sharon has a history of brainwashing, though the first, thought to result in her death, was a ruse. The second, though, resulted in Captain America’s death (for a while).
• Sharon was also once acting Director of S.H.I.E.L.D replacing Fury after one of his disappearances/possible deaths. She was replaced by…Fury.
• Sharon’s own niece, Shannon Carter, is a costumed hero called American Dream in an alternate Marvel reality where MayDay Parker (Peter and MaryJane’s daughter) becomes Spider-Girl.

Sharon has little chance of being in the television show, given she will appear in Captain America: The Winter Soldier coming out next year. But I’m hoping that we’ll get a reference or two here and there.

You can find quite a few Sharon Carter scenes, including ire and disinterest in her recent “death” by checking out her Tumblr tag.