Special Agent Abigail Brand is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics' universe. Her first appearance was a cameo in Astonishing X-Men #3 (2004), and she was introduced fully in Astonishing X-Men #6 (2004). She was created by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday. This article is about the comic book company. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... Astonishing X-Men is the name of three X-Men books, the first two were limited series and the third an ongoing series. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Joss Hill Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon[3] on June 23, 1964 in New York) is an Academy Award-nominated American writer, director, executive producer, and creator of the well-known television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. ... John Cassaday is a comic book artist, best known for his work on Planetary with Warren Ellis, and Astonishing X-Men with Joss Whedon. ... S.W.O.R.D. (an acronym for Sentient World Observation and Response Department) is a fictional counterterrorism and intelligence agency in the Marvel Universe which deals with extraterrestial threats to world security. ... Alice, a fictional character based on a real character from the work of Lewis Carroll. ... This article is about the comic book company. ... This article is about the shared universe setting used by many Marvel Comics titles. ... Astonishing X-Men is the name of three X-Men books, the first two were limited series and the third an ongoing series. ... Joss Hill Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon[3] on June 23, 1964 in New York) is an Academy Award-nominated American writer, director, executive producer, and creator of the well-known television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. ... John Cassaday is a comic book artist, best known for his work on Planetary with Warren Ellis, and Astonishing X-Men with Joss Whedon. ...

Fictional character biography

Abigail Brand is a Special Agent of the United States Government and the head of S.W.O.R.D., a subdivision of S.H.I.E.L.D., charged with defending the Earth from extra-terrestrial threats. It was in this capacity that Brand encountered the alien Ord, who was convinced that a mutant from Earth was destined to destroy his planet. In order to avoid an interplanetary war, Brand acquiesced to Ord's plan to avert the destruction of his world by creating a cure for the mutant condition. It has since been learned the mutant prophesized to destroy Breakworld is Colossus; furthermore, statements made by Ord suggest that neutralizing Earth's mutant population is just one step in an as-yet unrevealed plan. S.W.O.R.D. (an acronym for Sentient World Observation and Response Department) is a fictional counterterrorism and intelligence agency in the Marvel Universe which deals with extraterrestial threats to world security. ... S.H.I.E.L.D. (originally an acronym for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division, changed in 1991 to Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate) is a fictional counterterrorism and intelligence agency in the Marvel Universe that often deals with superhuman threats. ... Ord is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. ... In Marvel comic books, particularly those of the X-Men mythos, a mutant is a member of the species Homo sapiens superior, an offshoot of regular humanity, Homo sapiens sapiens. ... Colossus (Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin) is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero in the X-Men. ...

After her involvement in this plan became known to the X-Men Brand faced a board of inquiry to face charges against her conduct. She defended her actions on the grounds that averting interplanetary warfare was a responsibility so great as to justify courses of action that would otherwise be considered immoral or illegal. This defence seems to have convinced the board as she was subsequently seen still in command of S.W.O.R.D. The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ...

Despite the antagonistic relationship she and Nick Fury demonstrated toward each other, she is considered a Nick Fury loyalist by new S.H.I.E.L.D. director Maria Hill. Brand has made no effort to hide her dislike for Hill, and no further contact between the two has been shown. For the French hip hop artist, see Nikkfurie. ... Maria Hill is a fictional character of the Marvel Universe. ...

In a final attempt to draw Breakworld's forces away from the Earth, Brand has the X-Men (including Colossus), Ord, and Ord's ally Danger, teleported aboard a S.W.O.R.D. vessel speeding to the Breakworld itself. Ord is able to contact his homeworld to alert them of Colossus' location, not knowing that this is all part of Brand's plan. Despite their past differences, and Brand's continuing high-handed attitude, she attempts to work with the X-Men to find a solution to the crisis. However, Breakworld's forces catch up with the S.W.O.R.D. vessel earlier than expected, before Brand has a plan in place. Once on the surface of Breakworld, Brand and Henry McCoy become separated from the other X-Men and are forced to take shelter in a small cave to avoid a device that has altered the weather to subfreezing temperatures. To McCoy's astonishment, Brand uses some as-yet unrevealed ability to generate heat. It is not yet known whether this abiliity is a mutant power or some other type of superhuman ability. The Danger Room is a fictional training facility built for the X-Men of Marvel Comics. ...

Physical appearance

Brand has a tattoo on each arm; one reads "Grace", the other "Anna". The significance of these tattoos has yet to be revealed,^[1] Brand's green hair is a trait normally associated with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s enemy HYDRA, and Wolverine referred to her as "Hydra-hair".^[2] For other uses, see Tattoo (disambiguation). ... Baron Strucker, retconned founder of HYDRA, wearing the HYDRA logo on his chest. ... For other uses, see Wolverine (disambiguation). ...

Footnotes