Harold "Happy" Hogan is a character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, first appearing in 2008's Iron Man. He is Tony Stark's chauffeur, bodyguard, and best friend, who is now the head of security of Stark Industries.
Following Tony's death, Happy becomes a comfort for Spider-Man and assists him in his battle against Mysterio, while also starting a fling with the teenager's aunt, May Parker. However, this is short lived and Happy is one of millions of people who forgets who Peter Parker is due to a spell performed by Doctor Strange to ensure Spider-Man's identity is kept a secret once more, following a multiversal crisis.
Harold Hogan was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.
Background
Personality
Contrary to what his nickname suggests, Happy is actually cynical and dry. He takes his job and skills seriously, and almost with great pride, and becomes humiliated at times when he is beaten by opponents with greater skill than himself (Natasha Romanoff in combat or Tony Stark in-car driving). With his cohorts, however, he shows a more positive side - that of a loyal friend and a good partner, always ready to take any risk to protect Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. More of a friend than an employee, Happy always has Tony's back too, even when the eccentric billionaire doesn't think he needs him. Steadfast and loyal, Happy would do anything to keep Pepper and Tony safe. Although rude at times, he is willing to apologize when he is proven to be in the wrong.
Appearances
Iron Man
Harold Hogan, commonly called "Happy", is Tony Stark's personal chauffeur and bodyguard, and one of his closest friends. He often encourages Tony's excesses, as seen when he challenges his boss in a race from Stark's mansion to the airport, where James Rhodes is waiting for their arrival to take Stark in Afghanistan for the promotion of the new Stark Industries' weapons. He stays with his boss during all of his adventures, but he only acknowledges his secret identity of Iron Man during Stark's communication to press after the incident with the Iron Monger.
Iron Man 2
Happy Hogan, Stark employee.
Happy Hogan is still at Tony Stark's employment and has added to his routine duties even the assistance to his superhero identity. He's initially seen sparring with Tony inside his mansion, in a boxing ring built in one of the many rooms. During their training, Pepper introduces one of the candidates for the role of Stark's personal assistant, Natasha Rushman. Impressed by the girl's curriculum, Tony asks Natasha to spar with Happy, but the bodyguard is quite humiliated when she annihilates him with a single, quick acrobatic move.
Happy accompanies Tony to Montecarlo, where the playboy enjoys himself in racing in the Gran Prix. During the race, Whiplash attacks him, and Happy, along with Pepper, intervenes, bringing the new armor to Tony. Happy too is attacked by the villain, but, once dressed up with the armor, Iron Man saves him.
When Whiplash' connection with Justin Hammer is revealed and Hammer Drones go on a rampage during the Stark Expo, Happy follows Natasha Rushman, aka the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow, to Hammer's base in which Whiplash is hiding, controlling the drones. Happy engages a fight with one of Hammer's guards, managing to defeat him after a long battle, only to realise that Black Widow has defeated all the others by herself in no time. Along with her, anyway, Happy manages to interfere with Whiplash' plans, even if he already fled away and assists Iron Man and War Machine in their battle against the Russian villain.
Iron Man 3
- “Let me tell you something. Do you know what happened when I told everyone I was Iron Man's bodyguard? They would laugh in my face. I had to leave while I still had a shred of dignity. Now I got a real job. I'm watching Pepper.”
- ―Happy to Tony Stark[src]
Happy is promoted to Head of Security at Stark Industries. When Aldrich Killian comes to visit Pepper, Happy suspects Eric Savin and decides to follow him to the Chinese Theatre where Savin meets Jack Taggart to deliver a batch of Extremis. Happy later bumps into Taggart, causing him to drop his case. Savin stops Happy but Taggart explodes from the Extremis, giving Happy several injuries and hospitalising him.
Tony visits Happy in hospital and told the nurse not to turn the TV off because Downton Abbey was Happy's favorite show. After seeing what had happened to Happy, Tony decides to get revenge on The Mandarin. Happy later wakes up from the coma.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Happy in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Happy appears in a recording depicting him "chaperoning" Peter Parker on his trip to Germany and giving him his Spider-suit during Captain America: Civil War. After returning to New York, Happy continues to be Peter's contact, albeit unenthusiastically, in which he received updates on Peter's crime-fighting and sent this information to Tony.
Happy is later promoted to the asset manager and is assigned in allocating all the items from Avengers Tower to New Avengers Facility. He oversees the items loaded into the cargo plane on moving day when he suddenly receives a message from Ned Leeds, who tries to warn him that the plane is in danger, but Happy ignores the warning. During the takeoff, the plane gets hijacked by the Vulture. However, Spider-Man intervenes and the plane crashes into Coney Island beach following their battle. Arriving at the crash site with the FBI, Happy finds Adrian Toomes restrained on the side of a car with a note from Spider-Man. Realising that Peter was right about the Vulture, Happy appears at his school later to personally apologise for ignoring him. He then brings Peter to New Avengers Facility where Tony Stark invites Peter to the Avengers. However, Peter declines and leaves to wait in the car, expecting Happy to drive him home. It turns out that Tony intended to announce Spider-Man to the world at a press conference behind the room. As Pepper Potts tries to cover for the reporters, Tony haphazardly asks Happy for the engagement ring he carries to announce a proposal to Pepper for a last-minute scenario.
Avengers: Infinity War
Although Happy does not appear in the movie, he is seen in a deleted scene where he confronts both Tony and Pepper in Central Park, about being stressed out after having to keep their wedding out of the tabloids. Happy is one of the survivors of Thanos' snap off-screen.
Avengers: Endgame
Happy comforts Morgan.
Over the next five years, since Tony retires to a farm, marries Pepper Potts, and has a daughter named Morgan, it is unknown if Happy still works for Tony during this time, although it is unlikely. However, Happy is still very close with Tony and forms a good friendship with Morgan. In October of 2023, Happy attends Tony Stark's funeral, a week after he used the Infinity Stones to erase Thanos and his army out of existence. Happy and James Rhodes comfort each other as Pepper places the arc reactor into the lake. Shortly after the service, Happy is seen comforting a devastated Morgan, over her father's death. He asks her what she wants to cheer her up and Morgan says cheeseburgers, to which Happy tells her that Tony loved cheeseburgers. Trying to cheer up the young child, Happy tells Morgan he will get all the cheeseburgers she wants.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
- “You're not Iron Man. You're never gonna be Iron Man. No one can live up to Tony, not even Tony. Tony was my best friend. And he was a mess. He second-guessed everything he did; he was all over the place. The one thing that he did that he didn't second-guess was picking you. I don't think Tony would have done what he did... if he didn't know that you were gonna be here after he was gone.”
- ―Happy Hogan to Peter Parker[src]
Happy in Spider-Man: Far From Home.
In 2024, 8 months after Tony's death, Happy arrives at the F.E.A.S.T foundation with a huge check from Pepper Potts, to help those who have been displaced by the blip, and are homeless. When Happy and May Parker greet each other, they start to flirt and compliment each other, much to Peter's confusion. When Peter asks Happy what just happened, he tells the young superhero that he will get a call from Nick Fury, who has some superhero things for Parker to do. However, Peter is reluctant to speak to Fury and asks Happy to do the honours instead, but Happy tells Peter he is too afraid to speak to him. Once Parker hangs up on Fury and returns to the public as Spider-Man, Happy answers the call and tells Fury that Parker isn't ghosting him.
Over the next few days, while Peter is on his school trip, Happy stays in New York and helps May in the F.E.A.S.T centre, where they continue to flirt and enter a relationship. When Peter calls May and they chat about the attack on the Grand Cannal in Venice, Happy is handed the phone to speak to Peter, much to Peter's confusion as he asks why Happy is there with May, and Happy doesn't seem too into speaking with him.
Several days later, Happy receives a call from Spider-Man, who informs him that he is stranded in the Netherlands and needs a ride. Once Happy arrives to collect Parker, he is confused as to why Peter is asking him questions. Scared over the recent events with Mysterio, Peter asks Happy to prove it is him and not one of Mysterio's illusions. Happy proves himself by mentioning a movie Parker rented while they were in Germany, 8 years earlier. Thrilled to know Happy is who he says he is, Peter hugs him and Happy demands to know what happened.
Happy and Parker board the Stark jet where Happy sends 15 minutes stitching up Peter's wounds and tells him to relax. However, Peter finally snaps and tells Happy he can't relax because Myserio betrayed him and that he gave the villain the E.D.I.T.H. glasses, which were the only thing Iron Man left behind for Parker. Finally breaking down, Peter apologises to Happy for shouting and expresses his sadness over Tony's death. The two console each other as they both really miss the late hero. Happy tells Peter that Tony was his best friend and his history with the late Avenger. Happy comforts Parker by saying that the only thing Tony didn't second guess was making Peter an avenger and choosing him to continue his legacy after his death. Happy asks Spider-Man what he is going to do since they have been hovering over a tulip field for 15 minutes and what to do about the missing tech. Peter locates Flash Thompson and the rest of his classmates on Happy's phone and learns the class is next heading to London. Happy opens a special compartment in the Stark jet and watches in awe as Peter creates his next Spider-Man suit, reminding him of Iron Man. The duo fly over London, where Happy realises Flash, Michelle Jones, Betty Brant and Ned Leeds are by the tower of London. Happy informs Peter that he will go and rescue his friends, while Spider-Man can deal with Beck and get the glasses back.
Happy flies the jet over to the tower of London, where Spider-Man can easily find the illusion tech and Happy locates Parker's friends. Ned instantly recognises Happy as a friend of Peter's while Flash gets excited about finding out Happy works for his hero Spider-Man, before Happy corrects the teenager, saying he works with Spider-Man, not for him. Happy escorts the teenagers into the crown jewels volt after Beck sends a drone, which destroys the Stark jet.
The group find themselves in the volt and are attacked by one of the drones. Fearing the end, everyone confesses a secret, to which Happy confesses being in love with May Parker, to them is Spider-Man's aunt, much to everyone's confusion. After Spider-Man defeats a dying Beck, Happy and the kids flee the volt, where happy asks MJ where she is going.
Sometime later, Happy learns Peter has formed a relationship with MJ and tells "Nick Fury" that Spider-Man will call him instead of speaking to him at this moment, showing confidence on Happy's part. "Fury" threatens Happy about making sure Parker doesn't ghost him again, and they all return to New York. A day or so later, Happy and May are in the Parker apartment, where they are questioned by Peter as to whether they are actually dating. Happy says yes, while May denies it, which causes confusion and a discussion between them, as Peter decides to leave the conversation and go on his date with MJ.
What If...?
Season One
Happy appears in Episode 5 "What If... Zombies!?", voiced by Jon Favreau, and helps Peter Parker film a video. Happy is later infected by the zombie outbreak and is turned into zombie, which saddens Peter as he has already lost his parents, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Tony, and now Happy.
He reappears in Episode 6 "What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?", where he works with Pepper to find out who is responsible for Iron Man's death.
Season Two
Another Hogan reappears in Episode 3 of Season 2: "What if... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?". When Justin Hammer hijacked the Avengers Tower, it's up to him to stop him. At the lab, he accidentally injected himself with the Hulk's blood sample and as he reaches to the top, he slowly transformed into the purple Hulk-like being known as the Freak.
Another variant of Hogan appears in "What if... The Avengers Assembled in 1602?", where he and the Avengers are trapped in the year 1602. This version is also known as "The Freak", implying the Hogan that appears is the same one from the Christmas episode.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
A week following the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Happy is first seen speaking to May about their fling and is seen not taking their break up very well. The two suddenly hear Peter in his bedroom and accidentally see him with his new girlfriend MJ. Believing they are about to have sex, Happy feels embarrassed and says he didn't see anything to which Peter tells Happy and May that it isn't what it looks like as the young couple are just freaking out over his identity being exposed. Peter then notices that Happy is crying to which he says that he and May have broken up, which Peter comforts his aunt on as he believed she and Happy were well suited for each other, to which May replies that Happy doesn't seem to understand boundaries.
Happy and May speak with Matt Murdock.
While Peter tries to inform May that he and MJ were not messing around in his bedroom, they, along with Happy and MJ, are bombarded with a neighbour asking if Peter really is Spider-Man and killed Mysterio. Peter tries to talk to Happy and May about their relationship but MJ then notices that the apartment building is on the news and news reporters are outside because of Peter's identity being revealed. A few days later, May, Peter and Happy invite professional lawyer, Matt Murdock, who is able to make sure no legal charges are going to be held against Peter, much to everyone's relief. However, he does inform Happy that he might need help legally because Happy is linked to Stark Industries and while Matt understands Happy's loyalty to Tony Stark, it is not enough to keep Happy out of the legal issues and tells him that he needs a really good lawyer, even after Happy tries to convince him of what he could say to the court of law. Immediately after the discussion with Matt Murdock, the Parkers' apartment is suddenly ambushed by someone throwing a brick through a window and showing hate towards Peter, believing Mysterio was a hero. Realising how dangerous things are getting, Happy invites May and Peter to live with them in his condo.
Happy sees Peter mourn May.
In November, May and Peter move into Happy's home and start to make the condo their home. After they make peace with their new home, Happy gives May his bed so he sleeps downstairs where Peter is video chatting with MJ, although Happy calls the couple out for being too loud. Some time after Peter accidentally causes a multiversal crisis and causes alternate versions of himself and creates - Doctor Octopus, Lizard, Electro, Green Goblin and Sandman - to come to their world, Happy becomes aware of Peter using the condo as a base to make cures for the villains, to which May tells her nephew - who fees bad for using Happy's place for this - that he will get over it. However, things take a dark turn when the Green Goblin takes over Norman Osborn's mind and starts threatening Peter. This leads to a brutal fight between hero and villain and for Happy's condo to be destroyed. Happy later returns to the building only to find Peter crying over the corpse of May, who has been killed by the Green Goblin. Happy is forced by the police to get out of the car as he is arrested by Damage Control, and tells Peter to run, leaving him no choice but to tearfully leave and say goodbye to his aunt, whose body is left in the rubble.
Peter and Happy after the memory erasing spell.
One month after Peter has asked Doctor Strange to cast a memory wiping spell, to secure his Spider-Man identity is safe - which makes everyone on the planet forget who Peter Parker is - Happy visits May's grave and speaks to a Peter, not knowing who this teenager is, the two mourn May as Peter tells Happy he knew her through Spider-Man, not revealing his identity. Happy then informs Peter that he lost a friend a year ago and losing May feels like that. As the young man begins to make his way from the graveyard, he and Happy wish each other well and tell each other to take care of themselves. Happy stays to mourn May a little longer as the young man departs.
Deadpool & Wolverine
In 2018, When Deadpool arrives at Earth-616 he meets Happy, and asks to join the Avengers, but Happy politely rejects as he tells Wade that the Avengers formed because the world needed them, not the other way around, whereas Happy believes Wade wants to be an avenger because he needs to matter and needs to be part of the team, not that the world needs him.
Trivia
- In the comics, Happy was married to Pepper, but they divorced.
- Jon Favreau played this role as a cameo whilst also being the director of the film.
- In an Iron Man deleted scene, Happy, talking with James Rhodes, notes his concern about Pepper's emotions during Tony Stark's disappearance.
- Happy was a boxer in the comics who earned his nickname for his refusal to fight back.
- Happy Hogan sports a rather fetching mullet in 1999. This is a nod to the hairstyle Stark favored during the 80's and particularly the 90's in the comics. This appearance is also very similar to John Travolta's look in the movie Pulp Fiction.
- Happy's favorite TV series is Downton Abbey.
- Happy seems to be fond of badges.
- Happy appears in a deleted scene from Avengers: Infinity War, driving a buggy and confronting both Tony and Pepper about having to keep their wedding news out of the tabloids.[1]
- Happy acts as father-figure to Peter in Spider-Man: Far From Home, replacing Tony in that role after his death in Endgame.
- The only Avengers movie that Happy appeared in was in Avengers: Endgame (not counting the deleted scene in Avengers: Infinity War).
- Spider-Man: Homecoming was the first time Happy appeared outside of an Iron Man movie.
- Happy was the only main character in Spider-Man: Far From Home to have survived the blip.
- In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Hogan is revealed to have sleep apnea and uses a CPAP machine to treat this.
- Happy Hogan was originally supposed to die in the Destruction of the Chinese caused by Jack Taggart, in Iron Man 3, but the idea was scrapped.[2]
- Happy is the only character from Earth-616 to appear in Deadpool & Wolverine, since everyone else were from archive footage from other MCU films in the Time Variance Authority.
Gallery
Promotional
Screenshots
Merchandise
Relationships
References
External links
Happy Hogan on Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki- Happy Hogan Variants on Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
Happy Hogan (Marvel Cinematic Universe) on the Heroes Wiki
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