Doctor Andrew Garner was a neurologist and forensic psychologist who specialized in working with the gifted individuals from the Index. During his career within S.H.I.E.L.D., he met and married Agent Melinda May, though they eventually got divorced. Garner later returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. to do a profile on Skye, who had recently developed superpowers from undergoing Terrigenesis. Garner's own latent Inhuman genes were activated when he accidentally broke the Terrigen Crystal hidden in a ledger originally belonging to Jiaying, and he was transformed into the monstrous Lash.
Garner eventually learned how to control his transformations and managed to hide his true nature from everyone around him. During the Inhuman Outbreak, Garner established a cover as helping S.H.I.E.L.D. evaluating newly emerged Inhumans while tracking and killing Inhumans as Lash. However, when his secret was discovered, Garner was briefly captured by HYDRA before then escaping and going on the run. Eventually, Lash took over Garner completely and he surrendered to S.H.I.E.L.D. in order to say goodbye to May. In a last attempt to kill Hive, Lash saved Daisy Johnson from his control, but while he ensured Johnson was safe, Lash was killed by Hellfire, dying as a hero.
Andrew Garner was a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.[4] He later met S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Melinda May and they soon decided to elope and begin a life together.[5] They bought an apartment together. It was so cold that they had to cuddle next to the heater for warmth.[6] A few years into their happy marriage, they discussed beginning a family, and planned to start after the completion of May's mission in Bahrain. After enjoying a hot shower and breakfast with his beloved wife, Garner greeted Phil Coulson when he arrived to collect May and offered him a cup of coffee before he said goodbye as she and Coulson left for the mission.
While relaxing at home that evening, Garner received a phone call from May in Bahrain, giving details of her new mission: to infiltrate a building in an attempt to free agents and a little girl who had been kidnapped by enhanced terrorists. While May made her fears about the likelihood of her completing the mission successfully clear to him, Garner spoke to her calmly and gave her tips on how to approach the girl safely and told her to be careful; May said goodbye and went on the mission, while it was successful, left her traumatized and unwilling to discuss the details to anyone, even Garner and Coulson.
Garner and May's marriage falls apart
After the mission, May came home cold and mentally scarred from the experience, finding it difficult to even make skin contact with her husband. The effects of the mission caused her to leave field work and begin working in an office at S.H.I.E.L.D., which Garner learned of when he found the transfer letter from Maria Hill. Eventually, Garner and May separated due to the change in May's personality.[2]
Dinner with Lian[]
"I talked to your mom." "Huh." "She told me you were alive. We had a nice talk. She invited me over for dinner."
Fearing the worst upon seeing how S.H.I.E.L.D. had fallen, Garner called Lian May and was invited to dinner; she explained that she had taken Melinda May from Canada to Washington, D.C. Garner learned from his ex-mother-in-law that May was alive despite the HYDRA Uprising, making him feel relief since Melinda was not returning his calls, which further added to Garner's resentment towards his famously distant ex-wife.[5]
Garner and Phil Coulson had secret meetings after the HYDRA Uprising, as Coulson was suffering from a mental breakdown in which he would carve alien symbols onto walls; no one was informed, not even Melinda May.[2] Coulson felt that he had no one else with whom he could discuss his writings due to their top secret nature; so he went to Garner who he knew he could trust and who would understand.[7]
"If I do this... I have conditions. No observation, no monitoring, other than what's deemed medically necessary. My sessions with her are in private. My evaluation won't be. She gets a copy. My duty is to her, not S.H.I.E.L.D."
While at work at Culver University, Garner was speaking to a student when he spotted Melinda May waiting for him. She explained that Phil Coulson was now running S.H.I.E.L.D. and they required his help with a newly powered individual. They also discussed why May did not return his calls during the HYDRA Uprising; she said it was a busy time, to which he frowned, citing that Lian May kept him informed. Garner asked May if she had returned to field work; Garner disapproved when she said she had. Accepting the job, Garner made it clear that his responsibility would be to the subject, not to her, not to S.H.I.E.L.D. and that his fees had gone up.[5]
"Humor. So that's your thing. Well, that's an effective way to avoid thinking about how monumentally painful your life is right now." "Good pep talk. Thanks." "Sarcasm. Same purpose... avoidance strategy." "What am I avoiding, exactly?" "The truth. That you're different now."
Garner agreed to travel to the Playground where he was greeted by Phil Coulson while Melinda May agreed to allow him to use personal information about their previous relationship to appease the subject, Skye, who had developed the power to create earthquakes. Jemma Simmons gave Garner a breakdown of Skye's medical situation, but Garner decided he would rather meet Skye to learn the information. Garner found Skye to be a fairly difficult patient to reach as she would often skirt around questions, often using humor to ignore the situation. Garner continued to get through to her all the same.
After their first session, Garner took a break and spent time with May. They joked about May's poor cooking skills and discussed whether or not she was in a relationship, with May asking about the photographs she had spotted on Garner's desk. As they were talking, they were interrupted by a sudden earthquake. They ran to the Bus and found Skye asleep, with bad dreams causing the quake; they were able to wake her and stop the shaking. Simmons recommended that Skye take a sedative, but Garner advised not to give her drugs, insisting that he would continue to work with her.
Despite Skye's constant attempts to avoid giving any real answers to Garner's questions by using sarcasm and humor, he eventually made her accept that she was avoiding the truth that she was different since her transformation; she confessed to struggling with the thought of going from a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to being on the Index, having had nightmares of agents aiming their guns at her as they may view her as some kind of new and dangerous threat. He then decided to speak to her about her own levels of control. Skye insisted that due to May's training she could keep it controlled.
Garner furiously confronts May
During the session, the Bus began to shake again. Assuming she was losing control of her powers again, Garner tried to calm Skye down but they quickly learned that the shaking was not due to her. Garner discovered that May had taken off in the plane to assist Coulson and Bobbi Morse in a mission. Garner stormed into the cockpit where May argued that she would have explained as soon as she put the plane on auto-pilot, but Garner remained furious; May explained that there was not enough time to get them off the Bus and she did not want to interrupt him during his session.[5]
"My father's involved and, for better or worse, I matter to him and we can use that." "I'm with May, this is an emotional powder keg you shouldn't be anywhere near."
They traveled to a high school in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where a team of Index candidates, led by Calvin Zabo, had challenged Phil Coulson to a fight. When Skye offered to help in the battle, Garner felt that Skye was not emotionally ready for such a confrontation; he acquiesced when Skye convinced him and May that her relationship with Zabo could be used to their advantage in order to get Zabo off guard.
May arrived and pretended to use Skye as a bargaining tool, aiming a gun at her neck and ordering Zabo to surrender himself to protect his daughter. Before Zabo could be stopped by S.H.I.E.L.D., however, he was teleported away from the scene by a mysterious eyeless man. A fight broke out between the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and the rest of the team of villains. Garner took Skye to a safe place; however, she began to cause another earthquake. Skye absorbed the quake into her arms, causing them to bruise and her to faint; Garner ran to her aid and carried her away in his arms.[5]
"Would you consider consulting for us?" "No, I can suggest someone but it can't be me. S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't changed, none of it's changed. There was a reason I moved on back then, and I have another reason now. Those photos on my desk. Goodbye, Melinda."
With Skye now safely on the Bus once again, Garner witnessed her wake up with her bruised arms bandaged up. He decided to return to Culver University, although Melinda May tried to convince him to stay with S.H.I.E.L.D., but refused, claiming that his reasons were the pictures on his desk.[5] Garner recommended Skye be relieved of field assignments.[8]
"You haven't made a call like this since Bahrain, then I know it's not good. You want to tell me what's going on? How bad are we talking?" "There's no way it will end well. Andrew, there's a lot I didn't say that I wish I did." "Me too. Do good Melinda, and get home safe."
Garner received a phone call from Melinda May, who claimed to simply want to hear his voice. Garner noted that he had not had a call like this from May since the mission in Bahrain, meaning that she was in a mission that would not end well. May told him there were many things she never said to him that she wished she had; Garner told her he did too before he told her to do good and get home safely, which May promised that she would do.[9]
"So, May asked off some time for the first time in the history of ever. Does that have anything to do with you being around these last few days?" "Now, you know I can't discuss personal matters with patients."
Melinda May survived her ordeal and reconnected with Garner, spending more time together and even arranging holidays and drinking together. Garner was also called by Phil Coulson to assist him in evaluating his team and assessing if Skye was ready to lead a new team of powered people to assist S.H.I.E.L.D. Although Garner pressed, Coulson claimed he did not wish to speak about the fact that he had lost an arm during his last mission. Garner gave Coulson his folder on his recommendations for Coulson's new program before joining May on their holiday.[9]
Garner took Melinda May to Maui in hopes of rekindling their relationship.[10] During their last evening together on the holiday, Garner took a photograph of May as she overlooked the sunset before joining her for a drink. May spoke to Garner about the possibility of leaving S.H.I.E.L.D., as she did not want her career to ruin their relationship. Garner happily raised his glass in toast of new beginnings.[6]
"Jiaying must have rigged it with a Terrigen Crystal to keep out anyone who couldn't survive the Mist. Lucky me. At first, I was relieved. I survived. But I knew something had happened. I felt sick and nauseous. There was this intense pulsing, like my heart was in my head. I felt different, like... like a part of me was unlocked."
Returning to the United States, Phil Coulson sent Garner the books Jiaying had kept on the history of the Inhumans for him to study, including a list of all the Inhuman locations that she had known about. As Garner sat in his office preparing to study the books, he spoke to Coulson, who questioned when Melinda May would be returning to S.H.I.E.L.D., but Garner insisted he should wait for her to contact him.
As Garner sat down to study the first book, he was horrified to find it had been booby-trapped with Terrigen Mist, designed to kill any human who attempted to read the books. Instead of being killed, however, Garner's body went through Terrigenesis, where his body became cocooned and every cell in his body was changed. As his body became freed, Garner felt as though he had completely changed and had an incredible desire to track down and be near any other Inhumans, although he did not understand why.[6]
"It was as if I was compelled. I had to be near them. The Inhumans. I didn't know why. It was... it was intense. I had this new desire. I had a-a... had a hunger... on my skin. It wasn't until I finally met one that my body took over, and I... I lashed out. And then I felt relief."
Using Jiaying's book, Garner was able to track one of the Inhumans. Feeling an incredible desire to be near him, Garner approached and suddenly transformed into a monstrous grey-skinned beast. Garner's instincts took over and he killed the Inhuman by ripping a hole in his chest. Unable to face what he had become, Garner kept it secret from Melinda May.[6] Using intel gathered from Dwight Frye, a fellow Inhuman who reacted whenever others were nearby, Lash was able to track down the Inhumans he killed.[1]
Lash's brutal murder spree soon attracted the attention of both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the newly formed Advanced Threat Containment Unit; both of whom believed each other to have been responsible for Lash's killings. During his hunt, Lash tracked down fellow InhumanLincoln Campbell, as Garner believed Campbell had an uncontrollable dark side, at a hospital where he was working in an attempt to build a normal and peaceful life for himself; once he arrived at the hospital, Lash tortured and killed a security guard to learn Campbell's location, using his powers to lift him in the air and blast a hole in his chest.
Lash discovered Campbell alongside another Inhuman, Daisy Johnson, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Alphonso Mackenzie. Upon finding them, Lash immediately attacked but Campbell and Johnson defended themselves. While Campbell attempted to hold Lash back, Johnson fired a powerful shockwave which pushed him back and Mackenzie shot him multiple times. The combined might of the Inhumans' powers and Mackenzie's gun proved too much and Lash escaped by ripping a hole through a wall.
While the group searched the hospital's corridors for him, Lash was able to sneak behind them by silently disintegrating a wall and knocked Mackenzie back with a hard strike to the chest. Campbell and Johnson combined their attacks to slow him down, blasting him with both a shockwave and bolts of electricity. Lash was able to absorb the attacks and began to walk towards them, but before he could kill the pair, Johnson destroyed the floor below him, causing him to fall before he was forced to retreat upon the arrival of the ATCU looking to investigate the battle.[11]
Back in his normal form, Garner answered Phil Coulson's request to assess for the Caterpillars program Joey Gutierrez, an Inhuman who had gone through Terrigenesis and gained the ability to melt metal when he was nervous. A Quinjet was sent to transport Garner to the Playground for the evaluation; though Garner was impressed to have a private jet carry him, he found the seats uncomfortable which he complained about to Daisy Johnson and Alphonso Mackenzie.
When Garner arrived, he was greeted warmly by Johnson and Mackenzie; Johnson offered him food and drink, but Garner told her that her bribes would not make his work any faster. Johnson jokingly told him that she did not want to be analyzed and that she only wanted Gutierrez assessed. Garner went to do his interview as Johnson asked him about Melinda May; he retorted that she should ask May herself but soon learned that May had still not returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. since their vacation.
Later, Johnson had an attitude, guessing that Gutierrez had failed. Garner told her that he lacked control and was not ready for field work in S.H.I.E.L.D. Johnson told him that there were new impending threats, like the Advanced Threat Containment Unit and Lash; Garner replied that there will always be threats, but the safety of everyone was his concern. Hearing Johnson's reasoning, Garner assessed that Johnson was trying to build a halfway house for Inhumans; Johnson dismissed the idea, citing that Jiaying had already done that with Afterlife and it failed.
Johnson wanted Inhumans to feel that they belonged, unlike the way she felt when she transformed. Garner gave an assessment of Coulson, citing that Coulson was being reckless risking all for one person and allowing Lance Hunter to seek revenge on Grant Ward. Garner wanted Johnson to be more careful as he saw her as a leader; Johnson laughed because Garner had analyzed her anyway. Garner then told her that Bobbi Morse was trying to over-compensate for the injury she sustained during her kidnapping instead of accepting her new limitations.
Johnson and Mackenzie were called away to England where they assisted Leo Fitz in a successful mission to bring Jemma Simmons back to Earth through the Monolith. Garner called May and let her know that her team had pulled off a miracle and Simmons was alive and had been rescued, much to May's clear relief. Garner suggested that she come back to the Playground to see her, but May simply said she was happy Simmons was back before hanging up the phone. Afterwards, Garner decided to return to Culver University to continue his work.[10]
"You know why most people take Psych, right? They're trying to figure out their families." "You got me there. You wouldn't believe how messed up mine is."
With the new fall semester, Garner taught Psychology 101 at Culver University. As he was finishing a class, a new student approached him, asking permission to join. Garner told him that he would have to get caught up with his previous lessons; Garner then signed the permission slip. Noting that students join psych 101 to gain insight on their family issues, Garner asked the student why he was joining; Alexander Braun said that he had family issues.[10]
Garner was called to do a psychological assessment on Jemma Simmons; Phil Coulson wanted to know about her mental health even though she passed the physical tests given to her.[12]
Intel from Dwight Frye led Garner to two Inhumans named Shane and Lori Henson, who had been members of the Afterlife community and were living happily with their powers for several years. After transforming into Lash, he found the pair at their apartment where they were talking to another Afterlife Inhuman named Alisha Whitley, who had come to warn them. Lash broke down the door and immediately overpowered and killed the pair with a massive blast of energy.
When Alisha attempted to attack Lash in revenge for the murder of her friends, he quickly overpowered her and used his incredible strength to pin her down before killing her with a blast of energy, ripping her chest open. However, it had only been a duplicate, as the real Alisha was at a safer distance directing the clone's activities. Moments later, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Advanced Threat Containment Unit were called to the scene by one of the Hensons' neighbors and Lash was forced to flee once again.[1]
"You've been through something pretty extreme, there will be after effects and that's okay, it's okay to struggle. To feel uncomfortable in your own skin."
Back in his normal form, Garner dealt with the emotional breakdown and shock Alisha Whitley had suffered after experiencing the death of one of her clones from his alter ego Lash. Garner watched over her as she tried and failed to sleep, lying in bed and clutching her stomach where Garner had killed her just hours earlier.
Garner tried to get information from Simmons about her experiences since traveling through the Monolith, but she remained very evasive. When Garner attempted to relate to her by saying that survivor stories fascinated him because they do not give up hope, Simmons revealed to Garner that she did give up. Simmons then self-diagnosed, telling Garner that he was searching for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder; she reluctantly revealed that she did not feel safe though among friends.[1]
Garner discussed his therapy session with Jemma Simmons to Phil Coulson; he also berated Coulson for sending Alisha Whitley into the field without discussing with him, desiring to know more about the Inhumans that Coulson was keeping from him as he believed they should only be sent out once they had his approval. As they talked, Garner was shocked to see Melinda May arriving at the Playground, although she barely acknowledged Garner and spoke to Coulson.
Desiring to talk to May and explain his situation to her, Garner waited outside Coulson's office while she had a meeting with him. When she finally did appear, she expressed her surprise that he was still there and made it clear that she did not want to talk to him. While chasing her to get a conversation, Garner explained that it was his fault that things did not go well in Hawaii, but May insisted that he left simply because he did not love her. Garner asked her to meet him later so they could talk, but May refused and left the base.[1]
After his departure from the Playground, Garner transformed into Lash again. When S.H.I.E.L.D. and the ATCU found and arrested Dwight Frye, Lash tracked the van carrying them, intending to stop Frye from giving them information about him. When they came into sight, Lash jumped on the roof of the van and ripped it open before fighting the agents inside, easily overpowering all of them including Alphonso Mackenzie, who attempted to punch Lash in the face. In an attempt to stop him, Daisy Johnson fired a shockwave towards Lash which caused the van to crash and roll onto its side.
With the agents inside defeated, Lash dragged Frye out onto the street where he begged for his life; Frye attempted to convince Lash that he had only told the agents the truth, that Lash was being merciful in his killings of the Inhumans. Lash assured Frye that his actions were not out of mercy, but necessity, before executing him. As Lash walked away from the scene, he spotted Johnson lying inside the van but chose not to kill her, instead transforming into human form and walking away.[1]
"Instinct will take over again... like it did at the convenience store." "Instinct?" "Look, I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I... I didn't know what was happening." "You killed all those people."
Garner went to Aaron's Market where he saw a man using his cell phone to record his actions. When he approached the man to ask him what he was doing, Alexander Braun, carrying a cigarette lighter, entered the store and told Garner that he was hard to track. Garner saw a third man enter, carrying gasoline containers, and lock the door as the convenience store cashier ran.[1]
Garner transforms into Lash
A secret S.H.I.E.L.D. agent assigned by Phil Coulson then intervened, shooting one HYDRA operative, before he was killed himself. As Werner von Strucker attempted to hide from the gunfire, Garner transformed into Lash, roaring in pain as his body changed size and shape, much to the horror of his would-be assassins. Lash proceeded to knock von Strucker aside before easily killing the other HYDRA operatives in seconds by blasting holes in their chests, while von Strucker managed to escape from the store.
Garner burns down the store and escapes
Looking over the wreckage of the store and the dead bodies that littered it, Garner transformed back into his normal form. Knowing that S.H.I.E.L.D. would be aware that he was the target, and wishing to keep his Inhuman identity a secret, Garner picked up and threw the lit lighter into contact with the spilled gasoline. As the store burned, Garner watched the flames and stepped towards the front door until the fire blew up the store, knocking him back and making him appear as a victim of the attack, covering how the agents died.[13]
Hiding in Plain Sight[]
Garner hospitalized from his attack
"I'm lucky, can't see how anyone would have survived that. I know Alex was troubled but I'm not sorry he's gone. Ward would have made him finish the job."
Garner was soon found by Phil Coulson and his team, who brought him back to the Playground for treatment. As Coulson and Melinda May gathered around him, they asked what had happened; Garner relayed the story of how he had been surrounded by Werner von Strucker and his HYDRA agents, but he claimed that the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had saved his life and allowed him to find cover, not telling them about his own transformation and involvement. Garner told them he was not sorry that von Strucker was gone as Grant Ward would have made him finish the assassination.
Bored of remaining bed-ridden,[13] and leaving the room before blood work could be taken that would identify him as an Inhuman,[6] Garner took some time to walk through the Playground until he was approached by Daisy Johnson. Johnson asked him about Lash, unaware of Garner's true identity, questioning why he would leave her alive after killing Inhumans like Dwight Frye, but Garner told her that all Inhumans were different. She told him that she had witnessed Lash transform into a normal human being; Garner asked if she had seen whom he transformed into but she assured him she had not. As Garner tried to learn the location of Lincoln Campbell, Johnson was called away by Alphonso Mackenzie.
Still supposedly recovering, Garner sat down with Jemma Simmons who used the same psychological terms on him to prove a point, telling him that going through something as extreme as a near death experience would have aftereffects. Garner confessed that he found it strange to be the patient in the case, learning how it was an experience like being talked down to which only made him feel weaker. As they were speaking, Simmons got a call from Johnson asking her to run a test of Luther Banks' blood so they could learn if he was Lash.
Garner later found Johnson hiding around a corner on the phone to Campbell, who was still on the run. Pretending to be concerned, Garner waited for Johnson to hang up and asked if Campbell had called with any information about Lash but Johnson told him that he had not. Garner then warmly told her that they would figure it out soon enough. Still seeking to find and kill Campbell, Garner asked if he had told her where he was, claiming they should bring him back to the Playground for his own protection, but she claimed to be unaware.[13]
Garner joined Phil Coulson and Daisy Johnson as they walked through the Playground while discussing the Advanced Threat Containment Unit, who were keeping Inhumans locked away for their own protection. Johnson was against their methods while Coulson defended their intentions but not their methods, all while Garner listened closely. Garner argued that Inhumans can easily hurt themselves or those around them and could need a cure provided by the ATCU.
They discussed how Lash was an example of an Inhuman who needed to be stopped and Coulson revealed he had a meeting with President Matthew Ellis to discuss the status of Inhumans with Rosalind Price. Garner suggested that they should present a successful Inhuman case to show the positives of working alongside the Inhumans; Johnson agreed and suggested that they present Joey Gutierrez as an example and Garner volunteered to check in on his progress during training. As he was leaving, Garner spoke to Jemma Simmons about her recovery, telling her she did the right thing telling Leo Fitz the truth about her experiences on Maveth.
Once he arrived at the Cocoon, Garner watched as Gutierrez demonstrated how his training had now allowed him to use his abilities to transform metal objects into whatever shape and size he wished, not just melting and destroying them. As Gutierrez talked about how much control he had now, Garner became distracted by thoughts of transforming into Lash and killing Gutierrez. Feeling excited about his progress, Gutierrez noted that Johnson believed he could join S.H.I.E.L.D. and become a real asset to her team but his fate was in Garner's hands; Garner agreed, as he debated with himself if Gutierrez should live or die.
Garner and Gutierrez sat down and discussed his powers and the level of control he had gained since their last meeting, with Gutierrez noting that his abilities allowed him to complete construction tasks that would normally take months, and Garner noted that he also had the power to tear down entire buildings should he desire to. This comment made Garner think stronger about killing Gutierrez while he discussed how Johnson intended to put together a team of enhanced soldiers which he believed he could easily join, becoming a powerful warrior protecting the world, although Garner compared him to a weapon, which he said was that worried him.[6]
"I needed time to explain. You don't know how many times I almost told you, but I didn't know how. I didn't ask for this." "Oh god, what have you done?"
While Garner continued speaking with Joey Gutierrez, a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents stormed into the room attempting to stop Melinda May, who demanded that they take Gutierrez back to his room and leave her alone with Garner. Once they were alone, May revealed that she knew Garner had been near all the Inhumans who had been killed by Lash and he had avoided having his blood taken. She then revealed that Werner von Strucker had survived the explosion witnessed Garner transforming into Lash.
Although Garner tried to claim von Strucker was lying, May refused to believe him. As May continued to push Garner towards confessing the truth, Garner tried with all his might to withhold Lash from inside him, desperate not to harm his ex-wife. Garner begged her to stop pushing the subject but May continued to beg him to tell her what had happened. Falling into a rage, Garner drew an I.C.E.R. and shot May, knocking her out. Garner then took his unconscious ex-wife back to an abandoned administration building at Culver University, where he handcuffed her and waiting for her to awake.
Once May awoke Garner ran to her side, explaining he could not be near S.H.I.E.L.D. now, he went on to try and explain how he had desired to tell her the truth for so long. When May tried to rip off the handcuffs, Garner demanded that she stop as he did not know if he could control his rage. Garner confessed to her how Jiaying's trap had caused him to undergo Terrigenesis and how he felt an uncontrollable desire to hunt down and kill Inhumans. He told her he had not told her because he was a coward, but he loved her regardless.
Once she calmed down, May asked if Garner was planning on killing Gutierrez, but he insisted that he would not harm him and promised that he had no intention of harming Daisy Johnson either, although he defended trying to kill Lincoln Campbell as he claimed Campbell had a dark side. Garner defended his actions by comparing his killings to how May had killed Katya Belyakov in Bahrain because of the danger she possessed. Garner and May discussed the early days of their relationship and he promised he was still the man she had fallen in love with.[6]
"I'm simply trying to sort the good from the bad. You gave me this job." "That's a pretty poor interpretation of a therapist. Look around you. We're in some abandoned building, May's tied up... You're not okay." "I know how it looks, but I have a moral responsibility! You'll see, soon. I'm doing you a favor."
As Garner and Melinda May shared a kiss, they were interrupted by the arrival of Phil Coulson, who had discovered the truth about Garner's Inhuman identity. Once he had ensured that May was alright, Coulson told Garner that he wanted to bring him in safely but had brought reinforcements regardless. Garner told Coulson that ever since the Inhuman Outbreak all he wanted to do was sort the good from the bad Inhumans, claiming he had only killed those who deserved death and had a moral responsibility in doing what he was doing.
Garner transforms into Lash
The lights in the room suddenly went out as Lincoln Campbell then stormed in and confronted Garner, claiming he had torn his friends apart and had no right to be judge, jury and executioner, but Garner claimed to have every right. Coulson and May both tried to calm him down, trying to order Campbell out of the room while claiming that the ATCU were close to finding a cure, but Garner lost control of his rage and transformed into Lash, claiming he was the cure. Campbell gathered all his power and fired a powerful blast of electricity at Lash, causing him to flee through the building's hallways.
While Coulson focused his efforts on freeing May from her handcuffs, Lash attempted to escape the building before he could be captured. As Campbell chased him, Lash was hit in the back by Campbell's powerful and deadly blasts of electricity; however, Lash turned and managed to absorb the energy currents. With a loud roar, Lash charged towards Campbell and blocked him hands before slamming him against the walls of the corridor with such force that Campbell was knocked out cold before Lash prepared to unleash his own power and execute him by blasting a hole into his chest.
Before he could kill Campbell, Alphonso Mackenzie appeared behind him and shot Lash several times in the back with an I.C.E.R., only to quickly discover that the shots had little to no effect on Lash. Seeing that Lash was now targeting him, Mackenzie commented that he needed to build a Shotgun-Axe before running for his life. Lash quickly caught up with Mackenzie, who attempted to ambush the monster, only to find his own strength was completely outmatched by Lash, who knocked him out with a single powerful chest to the chest. Fueled by pure rage now, Lash created energy in his hands and prepared to execute the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
However, Lash was once again stopped from taking a life when Coulson used all the strength of his Prosthetic Hand to hold him back, trying desperately to reason with him by reminding him that they were once friends, but Lash could not listen to reason and turned his attack towards his former friend, who continued to put everything he had in a helpless task of holding the beast at bay. Just as Lash prepared to kill Coulson, the ATCU agents fired upon Lash, allowing Coulson to escape while Lash once again gathered his strength and prepared to attack.
The furious Lash then charged through the agents, killing them with his incredible strength, launching them across the room and breaking their bones with considerable ease. As Lash reached the end of the corridor, leaving a trail of broken bodies behind him, Rosalind Price attempted to kill him by shooting him multiple times in the chest, but Lash was able to easily survive the shots and grabbed Price by the throat, holding her up before dropping her off the balcony in an attempt to let her fall to her death; however, Daisy Johnson was able to use her powers to catch and save Price. Lash then focused his efforts on hunting down and killing Lincoln Campbell.[6]
Capture[]
Lash transforms back into his human self
"Move!" "Go on, might as well, I've thought about my death enough times."
Lash was able to corner Campbell in a small room where he proceeded to throw him across the space. Before he could kill him, however, Melinda May appeared and stood in Lash's way, begging him to stop. May recommended that he kill her, noting that she had often thought of her death but never predicted he would be the one to kill her before she told him how she never knew why he had married her. May promised to not walk out on him again and the loving comments caused Lash to transform back into Andrew Garner.
Once he was human again, May drew her gun and shot Garner multiple times in the chest, knocking him backwards into the Containment Module before locking the door. The shock of the gunshots caused Garner to transform into Lash once again as he tried to punch his way through the door, but the room was gassed and Lash was knocked unconscious. When Phil Coulson asked May how she had known she would not kill Garner with the gunshots, she informed him that she did not know but had taken the risk regardless.
Garner recovers from his transformation
The Containment Module was able to control Lash's powers, leaving him unable to break free; eventually, he was able to calm down and transform back into his human form once again. When Garner was finally able to fall asleep in the Containment Module, Coulson, May, Rosalind Price and Daisy Johnson discussed what they should do with him. It was agreed that he would be taken to the ATCU's facility where he would be put into a coma and observed until a cure could be found which could potentially stop his transformation, which May knew was the only choice she had.[6]
"It strikes me that no one's asked if you even want treatment. They haven't even asked your opinion on the subject at all, have they?" "No. But then all they see is a killer."
Having been moved away from Endotex Labs labs in the Containment Module, Garner was left in an empty, pitch-black room. Eventually, he was visited by a man who introduced himself as Gideon Malick, claiming to work for the President and S.H.I.E.L.D. Malick asked if anyone had asked Garner's opinion on the matter, which they had not. They discussed how S.H.I.E.L.D. had not helped him during the Inhuman Outbreak and Malick promised to help him in exchange for S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets.
Garner was once again abandoned without explanation, causing him to bang on the glass. Grant Ward then appeared and promised to explain everything. Garner, knowing very well of the pain Ward had brought upon Melinda May and S.H.I.E.L.D., threatened to kill Ward by ripping a hole through his chest, but Ward remained confident. Ward explained that he would not be sedating Garner but instead would use a gas which would force Garner to transform into Lash. Ward then told Garner that he had found a new way to torture May, using him, before filling the Containment Module with gas.[14]
"Jemma, we may disagree about the Inhumans but we both hate HYDRA. Open this door and I'll protect you. I would never, ever hurt you, but HYDRA will kill you." "Maybe you wouldn't, but what about that thing you become?"
Having spent two months trapped inside the Containment Module, Garner was delighted when Jemma Simmons appeared beside it and he begged her to set him free. Simmons explained that she was also a prisoner of HYDRA and revealed they were in England where Gideon Malick planned to open the portal through the Monolith. Simmons remained reluctant to set Garner free, having witnessed his killings; Garner admitted they had differing views on Inhumans but claimed they both hated HYDRA and he expressed his desire to help.
Garner promised he would never hurt Simmons, but she noted that Lash might. They were interrupted when HYDRA guards arrived attempting to recapture Simmons. With no other choice, Simmons opened the Containment Module and Garner transformed into Lash, killing the HYDRA guards. Realizing he was in a room filled with Malick's captured Inhumans, Garner remained Lash and slaughtered them all without hesitation or mercy and proceeded to escape the HYDRA Castle before the S.H.I.E.L.D. team could find and capture him, going on the run for months.[15]
"I want this monster in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hands because despite knowing my actions were wrong, I still feel that I was doing it all for an important reason." "That's the monster talking again." "Maybe. But I feel like he's fighting for a cause we don't understand yet. And I don't know. You might need him."
Garner spent the next month on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA while also trying to control the monster within. Eventually, however, Garner knew that Lash was taking over his entire body and soon his true self would likely be gone forever. Garner traveled to the Playground and surrendered himself to S.H.I.E.L.D., once inside, he was met by Melinda May and Phil Coulson and explained that he had come to say goodbye.
Garner was hooked onto an I.V. which May explained was filled with a potential cure that Jemma Simmons had been working on through Carl Creel's DNA, although it was likely that it would not work. Garner explained that he had been thinking through his ordeal and came to the conclusion that becoming an Inhuman had changed who he was, and Lash was inside him and he hoped that a bit of him was within Lash, although he felt that he would be gone forever after changing and wanted Lash in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hands.
Garner's final moments in human form
Garner explained that he felt that Lash was fighting for a cause that they may not yet understand. May asked Garner if he would change anything in regards to having met her, as she felt that everything bad that had happened was down to them meeting, but Garner assured her that he would not change a thing still viewed his time with May as the center of the best moments of his life. May told Garner about a mission that Daisy Johnson was preparing for when Garner felt himself changing once again.
Lash takes over Garner's body permanently
Knowing that these were his final moments in human form, Garner rushed into the Containment Module to ensure that May was safe as he felt himself being transformed into the monster inside him. As she watched from the other side of the Module, May pressed her hand against the glass and Garner did the same, sharing one final moment of intimacy together. Garner slowly fell to the ground as his body grew and changed grey before launching up in Lash form where he began furiously pounding at the Module in an attempt to escape.[16]
While locked away in his Containment Module, Lash was visited by Brigadier General Glenn Talbot, who was learning what Inhumans were being kept at the Playground in regards to the Sokovia Accords. Talbot was mortified at seeing Lash as he compared him to the Hulk and recommended that Lash should be kept in Suspension Gel, despite Phil Coulson insisting that he could still become an asset to S.H.I.E.L.D., although Talbot refused to accept this answer.
In a desperate attempt to trick Hive and kill him, Lash was put onto a Quinjet by Melinda May and flown to Hive's secret base, where Hive was expecting to be greeted by Lincoln Campbell, who had agreed to come and join Hive's army of Inhumans. As the Quinjet landed and the doors opened, revealing Lash, Hive's expression turned from over confidence to horror as he saw the threat that Lash posed before being thrown off the platform onto the ground below, while Lash looked down at the creature he desired so much to kill.
The bloodthirsty Lash jumped down onto the same level as Hive and slowly began walking towards his prey, before using his powerful energy blasts to block Hive's parasite attack before attacking him and using his powers to rip a hole through Hive's chest, throwing him back although failing to kill him. While Hive was certainly hurt by what should have been a fatal wound, he survived and called upon his small army of Primitives to defend him, while Lash continued to fight them off with relative ease due to his incredible strength.
As Lash grabbed the Primitives by their throats and broke their necks before throwing their bodies across the room, he was confronted by Daisy Johnson, who was being escorted out of the base by Holden Radcliffe. Johnson, who had been brainwashed into becoming loyal to Hive's plans for the Inhuman race, ordered Lash to stay away from her leader before shooting a shockwave at Lash; however, Johnson had become so weak from giving up her blood to Hive's experiments that her shockwave made no impact.
With her best efforts to keep Lash at bay having no impact what so ever on the powerful Inhuman, Johnson soon collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion. Lash approached his former ally as she lay defenseless and slowly dying on the floor due to her lack of blood, and fired a blast of energy into her chest. However, rather than killing Johnson, Lash only pulled out Hive's parasites from within her and destroyed them, effectively wiping out all of Hive's control over Daisy's mind, softly telling her that now she was free.
While Hive still lay wounded on the ground, Lash picked up Johnson and gently carried her to the Quinjet so she could return to S.H.I.E.L.D. and rejoin the Secret Warriors. As Lash lay down the nearly unconscious Johnson down, he prepared to return to the battle and finally kill Hive. However, before he could do this, Hellfire returned and used his flaming chain to stab Lash through the back, fatally wounding him before Johnson fired a shockwave which launched Hellfire and the Primitives away.
As he lay mortally wounded on the floor of the Quinjet, Lash at last discovered he had a purpose he finally understood since undergoing Terrigenesis; saving Johnson from Hive's mind control. Lash held out his hand to the only ally he had left in the world, and peacefully died as Johnson silently comforted him in the knowledge that he had saved her life. Lash's body was returned to the Playground where May sat beside it and mourned the death of her beloved ex-husband while Jemma Simmons noted that it had not been Lash who had done those final heroic actions, but a goodhearted man named Andrew Garner.[3]
Legacy[]
Daisy Johnson's Immunity[]
"It's not what S.H.I.E.L.D. did to me. It's what that creature stole from you. He made you impervious."
When Daisy Johnson sought to have Hive sway her again, he was unable to, thanks to Lash, who before dying had made Daisy impervious to Hive's sway.[17]
Andrew Garner was a kind, gentle and caring individual as a normal human, having treated his ex-wife Melinda May with such pleasure. As a therapist, he seemed encouraging and one to give out suggestions for his patients. As a human, he means no harm to anyone and sees potential in new Inhumans such as Joey Gutierrez.
After his Inhuman transformation, however, Garner's "instincts" took over his subtle persona and he became a ruthless Inhuman killer to the ones that he deemed deserved punishment, such as Dwight Frye. As Lash, he was feared but some, such as Lincoln Campbell, were brave enough to go head-to-head with the grey-skinned beast.
After wounding Hive shortly after arriving on board a Quinjet, it was revealed that despite his ruthlessness and "instincts", a part of Andrew Garner still existed within Lash. He resisted his "instincts" and put his primary mission aside in order to release Daisy Johnson from the dark Inhuman's control and get her to the safety of the Quinjet, a heroic act that resulted in his death.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
"May thinks I'm a monster, but you actually become one."
Inhuman Physiology: Andrew Garner was an Inhuman who achieved his genetic potential after undergoing Terrigenesis during the Inhuman Outbreak and gained superhuman powers. The transformation changed him physically, turning him into a terrifying beast nicknamed Lash with a long mane growing from his scalp down to his upper back. He originally was able to switch between Lash and Garner, but after completing his transition, he was turned permanently into Lash.
As Lash, Garner had superhuman strength, being able to accomplish feats of strength. He managed to easily throw Werner von Strucker across a room with little effort.
Superhuman Durability: As Lash, Garner was able to withstand various forms of attack, such as Daisy Johnson's vibration blasts, or Lincoln Campbell's energy currents, without suffering serious wounds. He could easily withstand multiple gunshots; bullets penetrated his skin, but they did not seem to slow him down. However, this was not sufficient to survive Hellfire's fire-imbued chain.
Superhuman Speed: When transformed into Lash, he was able to run past several ATCU guards, easily catching up to all of them, making up for a considerable distance.
Superhuman Stamina: Lash was able to battle Hive for a long time without tiring.
Regenerative Healing Factor: Lash was able to recover from wounds in a matter of seconds to minutes, such as the ones from when he was shot multiple times in the chest by the ATCU in Culver University, and the bullets shot by Melinda May while in his human form, that only triggered an immediate transformation.
Energy Blast:
Lash rips open and runs through a wall
Lash was able to generate a form of superheated blue energy that was hot enough to incinerate durable materials like metal. This was displayed significantly during his battle with Daisy Johnson, Lincoln Campbell, and Alphonso Mackenzie, in which he utilized his energy to incinerate holes in the hospital walls to provide an escape route. The energy could also be channeled into concussive blasts with enough explosive power to blast a hole in a person's chest; this was his primary method of executing his victims.
Internal Bodily Cleansing: Less lethally, this energy was also capable of freeing an Inhuman infected by Hive by drawing his parasites out of the victim and destroying them, though Lash was only able to free Daisy Johnson before his death. Lash himself could not be infected by Hive, as the stream of parasites simply disintegrated the second they touched Lash's energy, rendering them useless. Through this parasite removal, Lash gave Inhumans an immunity to Hive's infection, as shown when Hive was unable to use his parasites to reinfect the cured Daisy Johnson.
Former Powers[]
"He won't always be able to shift between monster and man. He's still in transition. Becoming Inhuman." "And when that transition's complete?" "He'll stay Lash, permanently."
A unique trait amongst Inhumans with physical transformations, Garner was able to transition between his human form and his Lash persona at will or when in mortal danger. Though the transitioning from his human form to his Inhuman form was evidently painful, he did not have complete control over it. As explained by Lincoln Campbell, this ability was the result of an unusually slow transition; once the transition was complete, Garner lost this ability, permanently remaining as Lash.
Master Physician: Garner had a PhD in psychology, and used his skills to analyze agents and have them confront issues about themselves that they attempt to ignore. Coulson went to Garner as Coulson began to lose control over his urges to write the Words of Creation and made Garner the therapist of the candidates of the Caterpillars program.
Tactician: In order to fulfill his goal of killing all Inhumans, Garner used his relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D. to get in and find the location of all Inhumans. He also made an alliance with Dwight Frye in order to find more Inhumans. So he could escape HYDRA, he convinced Jemma Simmons to let him out of his Containment Module.
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
I.C.E.R.: Garner used an I.C.E.R. on Melinda May to incapacitate her in an act of panic as she was confronting him about his true nature, having learned from Werner von Strucker that Garner and Lash were the same person.
Other Equipment[]
Containment Module: Lash was forced into a Containment Module when he was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. before being transferred to the ATCU. He was released from the module by Jemma Simmons to create a diversion, enabling her to escape from HYDRA agents stationed at the HYDRA Castle. Weeks later, Garner was once again put into a containment module after he willingly turned himself to S.H.I.E.L.D. as he felt that his final transformation was approaching. He remained locked in the module until he was used as an asset for a mission to kill Hive and save Daisy Johnson.
Vehicles[]
Bus: Garner worked as Skye's therapist on the Bus, meeting her within a containment module when he found her shaking the Playground during a nightmare. However, the plane took off during the session and went to Manitowoc. Garner then brought Skye back onto the Bus.
Quinjet: Garner was brought to the Playground on a Quinjet to evaluate the Secret Warriors. Lash was later brought to Hive's hideout in a Quinjet in a desperate attempt to kill Hive. The fight mortally wounded Lash, who brought Daisy Johnson onto the Quinjet as he died. Lash's body was then brought back to the Playground.
Facilities[]
Culver University: Garner was a professor at Culver University, where he was approached by Melinda May recruiting him to help work for S.H.I.E.L.D. After spending time working with S.H.I.E.L.D., he decided to return to the university. As a new semester started, Garner resumed teaching and had a new student named Alexander Braun. When May discovered that Garner was the Inhuman known as Lash, he brought her to an abandoned building at the university. Garner and May talked about his actions as Lash and their love for each other, when S.H.I.E.L.D. infiltrated the building and captured him.
Cocoon: Garner went to the Cocoon in order to work with Joey Gutierrez, who had learned to control his Inhuman abilities. However, Melinda May stormed in and demanded answers about him being Lash. Frustrated, Garner shot May with an I.C.E.R. and brought her to Culver University.
Prisons[]
Playground: Garner was brought to the Playground to provided therapy services for Skye. He spent time with Melinda May and worked with Skye until he decided to return to Culver University. He was brought back to the Playground to analyze whether Inhumans were ready to join the Secret Warriors. Garner was later rushed to the Playground for medical treatment after he was attacked. While recovering, Garner had a session with Jemma Simmons and feigned concern for Lincoln Campbell before going to the Cocoon. As Garner fled from S.H.I.E.L.D., he realized that Lash was completely taking over, so he decided to turn himself in at the Playground, where he was held until May brought him to Hive's base in an attempt to kill Hive. However, Lash was killed in the battle, and his body was brought back to the Playground, where he was mourned by S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the comics, Lash was the high priest from the hidden Inhuman city of Orollan, who sought to judge if Inhumans were worthy of their powers, and hunted down and executed those he deemed unworthy, as his culture deemed Terrigenesis a sacred gift.
It's noted that Inhuman powers are supposed to fill a gap that exists. It's possible Lash was meant to be Hive's killer, as he had the power to eliminate other beings.
Behind the Scenes[]
Garner is the second Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. character to be portrayed by more than one actor. Blair Underwood portrays Garner and Matthew Willig portrays Garner's alter ego Lash. The first one was Kara Palamas who was performed by different characters while in their forms.
