Al MacKenzie

Al MacKenzie is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history

Al MacKenzie first appeared in Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #3 (August 1988), and was created by Bob Harras and Paul Neary.

The character subsequently appears in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1-7 (September 1989-January 1990).

Al MacKenzie received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #4.

Fictional character biography

Al MacKenzie was born in Austin, Texas. He was once the C.I.A. liaison to S.H.I.E.L.D.^[1] He became romantically involved with Contessa Valentina Allegra di Fontaine after a while, which led to an estrangement between him and Nick Fury.^[2] Because of this, he returned to the CIA with the Contessa.^[3]

MacKenzie later joined the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization full-time, and spent considerable time as the senior liaison officer to the C.I.A.^[4] Subsequently, under unknown circumstances, MacKenzie resigned from S.H.I.E.L.D., and wrote a "tell-all" book entitled UnSHIELDed: an Unauthorized Insider's Look Behind the World's Most Powerful Global Spy Network, which purportedly explained some of the history behind the organization from his point of view.^[5] Since then, he also acted as an unofficial source to Ben Urich, prodding Urich and Jessica Jones to attempt to expose Fury's unauthorized mission to Latveria.^[6]

In other media

• Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie appears in the TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., portrayed by Henry Simmons. He is depicted as an African-American mechanic and engineer who is recruited into the newly rebuilt S.H.I.E.L.D. by Phil Coulson after the events of the film Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He is also old friends with Barbara "Bobbi" Morse. In the episode "One of Us," it is revealed that he and Bobbi are secretly associated with "the real S.H.I.E.L.D." In the episode "One Door Closes", it is revealed that during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, when Hydra infiltrators attempted to target their enemies with three new repulsor-powered Helicarriers, Mack was on the S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft carrier Iliad, and that he and Robert Gonzales were saved by Bobbi Morse and Isabelle Hartley. At the time when Inhumans have been emerging in the world, Mack started to develop a relationship with an Inhuman named Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez. In the episode "Closure", Phil Coulson appoints Mack as interim Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. The episode "Watchdogs" introduces Mack's brother Ruben (portrayed by Gaius Charles) who later discovers his brother's job as S.H.I.E.L.D. even at the time when the Watchdogs raid Mack's house upon mistaking him for an Inhuman. He mentions to Daisy Johnson that he was originally nicknamed "Mack" before his brother was called that by Daisy and the rest of Phil Coulson's group. In season 4, Mack is revealed to be in constant pain due to the loss of someone called "Hope", which is revealed when Mack briefly becomes the Ghost Rider. He eventually reveals to Yo-Yo Rodriguez in the episode "Wake Up" that Hope was his daughter who died as an infant four days after birth due to an unstable and unidentified medical condition. In the episode "Identity and Change," Mack is shown in the Framework to have Hope (portrayed by Jordan Rivera) alive in there. Upon Mack and Hope being apprehended by Hydra, Madame Hydra had Melinda May manipulate events with Mack that would lead to Daisy Johnson being apprehended. Afterwards, Mack stumbled upon the S.H.I.E.L.D. resistance where Jemma Simmons vouched for her. He tells Jeffrey Mace and Phil Coulson about Daisy's capture and wants to side with them. In the episode "No Regrets," Mack has gotten Hope to the base of the S.H.I.E.L.D. resistance for her own safety.
  • Simmons reprises his role in a six part web series titled Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot.^[7]

References