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{{Infobox comics character <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
{{Infobox comics character
|image=
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|caption=
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|real_name=Eric Koenig
|real_name=Eric Koenig
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|debut=''[[Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos]]'' vol. 1 #27 (February 1966)
|debut=''[[Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos]]'' #27 (February 1966)
|creators=[[Stan Lee]] (writer)<br>[[Dick Ayers]] (artist)
|creators=[[Stan Lee]] (writer)<br>[[Dick Ayers]] (artist)
|species=[[Human]]
|species=[[Human]]
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|powers=Skilled pilot
|powers=Skilled pilot
}}
}}
'''Eric Koenig''' is a [[fictional character]] appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[Marvel Comics]]. He first appeared in ''[[Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos]]'' #27 (February 1966) and he was created by writer [[Stan Lee]] and artist [[Dick Ayers]]. He is most commonly in association with the [[Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos|Howling Commandos]] and [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]]
'''Eric Koenig''' is a fictional character appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[Marvel Comics]]. He first appeared in ''[[Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos]]'' #27 (February 1966) and he was created by writer [[Stan Lee]] and artist [[Dick Ayers]]. He is most commonly in association with the [[Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos|Howling Commandos]] and [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]]


[[Patton Oswalt]] portrayed the character in the [[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (season 1)|first season]] of the TV series ''[[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.]]'', but after Koenig died he continued to portray his identical brothers Billy, Sam, and Thurston and grandfather Ernest throughout the seasons.
[[Patton Oswalt]] portrayed the character in the [[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1|first season]] of the TV series ''[[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.]]''. After Koenig is killed, Oswalt continued to portray his identical brothers Billy, Sam, and Thurston and grandfather Ernest throughout the remaining seasons.


==Publication history==
==Publication history==
Line 22: Line 22:


==Fictional character biography==
==Fictional character biography==
'''Eric Koenig''' was a member of the original [[Howling Commandos]] and fought alongside the team during [[World War II]]. He was a pilot as well as a trainer and was a very anti-Nazi German, as the Nazis killed his sister. He was the replacement of [[Dino Manelli]], who was away on a special mission,{{Issue|date=September 2009}} and then replaced [[Izzy Cohen]] when he was a Prisoner of War.{{Issue|date=September 2009}} Upon Cohen's return, Koenig stayed as a member of the team.{{Issue|date=September 2009}} In issue #65, “Eric Koenig, Traitor!”, Koenig seemed to have been exposed as a Gestapo plant, and his apparent treachery was part of the storyline from then on. This later turned out to have been a complicated double agent operation by the High Command, and in issue #79, Koenig was finally confirmed to be a loyal fighter for the Allies.<ref>''Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos'' #65. Marvel Comics.</ref><ref>''Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos'' #79. Marvel Comics.</ref>
'''Eric Koenig''' was a member of the original [[Howling Commandos]] and fought alongside the team during [[World War II]]. He was a pilot as well as a trainer and was a very anti-Nazi German, as the Nazis killed his sister. He was the replacement of [[Dino Manelli]], who was away on a special mission,{{Volume needed|c=y|date=September 2009}} and then replaced [[Izzy Cohen]] when he was a prisoner of war.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=September 2009}} Upon Cohen's return, Koenig stayed as a member of the team.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=September 2009}} In issue #65, "Eric Koenig, Traitor!", Koenig seemed to have been exposed as a Gestapo plant, and his apparent treachery was part of the storyline from then on. This later turned out to have been a complicated double agent operation by the High Command, and in issue #79, Koenig was finally confirmed to be a loyal fighter for the Allies.<ref>''Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos'' #65. Marvel Comics.</ref><ref>''Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos'' #79. Marvel Comics.</ref>


After the war, Koenig was one of the Howlers that joined Nick Fury in forming [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]]{{Issue|date=September 2009}} A [[Life Model Decoy]] of Koenig appeared and was part of the Deltite affair, but destroyed itself after being captured and scanned by [[Iron Man|Tony Stark]].<ref>''Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.'' #1-3</ref>
After the war, Koenig was one of the Howlers that joined Nick Fury in forming [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]]{{Volume needed|c=y|date=September 2009}} A [[Life Model Decoy]] of Koenig appeared and was part of the Deltite affair, but destroyed itself after being captured and scanned by [[Iron Man|Tony Stark]].<ref>''Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.'' #1-3. Marvel Comics.</ref>


When S.H.I.E.L.D. was decommissioned and its agents auto-transferred to the newly founded [[H.A.M.M.E.R.]] during the ''[[Dark Reign (comics)|Dark Reign]]'' storyline, Eric remained with H.A.M.M.E.R. This was despite the fact that 1200 agents who were Fury loyalists (including Dum Dum Dugan and Gabriel Jones) resigned and formed the Howling Commandos PMC. It later transpired that he was working for them from within, and aided in a heist that saw the HCPMC (now owned by Fury) raid a number of H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarriers, and bolstering their ranks when over 3000 H.A.M.M.E.R. agents defected to their side.<ref>''[[Secret Warriors (2009 series)|Secret Warriors]]'' #4-6. Marvel Comics.</ref> He is later killed in a battle against [[Hydra (comics)|HYDRA]]. Gabriel Jones is also one of the many S.H.I.E.L.D. fatalities along with Eric.<ref>''Secret Warriors'' #19 (August 2010). Marvel Comics.</ref>
When S.H.I.E.L.D. was decommissioned and its agents auto-transferred to the newly founded [[H.A.M.M.E.R.]] during the "[[Dark Reign (comics)|Dark Reign]]" storyline, Eric remained with H.A.M.M.E.R. This was despite the fact that 1200 agents who were Fury loyalists (including Dum Dum Dugan and Gabriel Jones) resigned and formed the Howling Commandos PMC. It later transpired that he was working for them from within, and aided in a heist that saw the HCPMC (now owned by Fury) raid a number of H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarriers, and bolstering their ranks when over 3000 H.A.M.M.E.R. agents defected to their side.<ref>''[[Secret Warriors (2009 series)|Secret Warriors]]'' #4-6. Marvel Comics.</ref> He is later killed in a battle against [[Hydra (comics)|HYDRA]]. Gabriel Jones is also one of the many S.H.I.E.L.D. fatalities along with Eric.<ref>''Secret Warriors'' #19 (August 2010). Marvel Comics.</ref>


==In other media==
==In other media==
Eric Koenig appears in the live-action [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] television series ''[[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.]]'', portrayed by [[Patton Oswalt]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marvel.com/news/tv/2014/3/20/22184/exclusive_patton_oswalt_enlists_in_marvels_agents_of_shield.|title=EXCLUSIVE: Patton Oswalt Enlists in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.|publisher=Marvel|date=March 20, 2014|access-date=April 16, 2014|archive-date=June 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607014115/http://marvel.com/news/tv/2014/3/20/22184/exclusive_patton_oswalt_enlists_in_marvels_agents_of_shield.|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://marvel.com/news/tv/2014/3/28/22243/declassifying_marvels_agents_of_shield_providence|title=DECLASSIFYING MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: PROVIDENCE|last=Strom|first=Marc|publisher=Marvel|date=March 29, 2014|access-date=March 29, 2014|archive-date=April 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401095646/http://marvel.com/news/tv/2014/3/28/22243/declassifying_marvels_agents_of_shield_providence|url-status=live}}</ref> Introduced in the episode "[[Providence (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)|Providence]]", he was assigned to [[Nick Fury (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Nick Fury]]'s secret [[S.H.I.E.L.D. (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|S.H.I.E.L.D.]] base, Providence, and assists [[Phil Coulson]] and his team following S.H.I.E.L.D.'s downfall{{efn|As depicted in the film ''[[Captain America: The Winter Soldier]]''.}} until Koenig is murdered off-screen by [[Hydra (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Hydra]] double agent [[Grant Ward (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Grant Ward]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/23/marvels-agents-of-shield-the-only-light-in-the-darkness-review|title=Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: "The Only Light in the Darkness" Review"|last=Goldberg|first=Eric|publisher=IGN|date=April 22, 2014|access-date=May 13, 2014|archive-date=October 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011135736/http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/23/marvels-agents-of-shield-the-only-light-in-the-darkness-review|url-status=live}}</ref> Oswalt returned in the [[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1|season one]] finale "[[Beginning of the End (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)|Beginning of the End]]"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marvel.com/news/tv/2014/4/25/22412/declassifying_marvels_agents_of_shield_beginning_of_the_end|title=DECLASSIFYING MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: BEGINNING OF THE END|publisher=Marvel|date=April 25, 2014|access-date=2014-04-25|archive-date=2014-04-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426232535/http://marvel.com/news/tv/2014/4/25/22412/declassifying_marvels_agents_of_shield_beginning_of_the_end|url-status=live}}</ref> as Eric's twin brother '''Billy Koenig''', who oversees a S.H.I.E.L.D. base called the "Playground".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/14/marvels-agents-of-shield-beginning-of-the-end-review|title=Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: "Beginning of the End" Review|last=Goldberg|first=Eric|publisher=IGN|date=May 13, 2014|access-date=May 13, 2014|archive-date=October 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028034326/http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/14/marvels-agents-of-shield-beginning-of-the-end-review|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to appearing as Billy in the [[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 2|second season]], Oswalt also portrays Eric and Billy's other brother '''Sam Koenig''' in the episode "[[...Ye Who Enter Here]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Agents-SHIELD-Season2-Lawless-Blood-Diamond-1084954.aspx |title=Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Reveals New Characters, Carter Adds Captain Directors |last=Abrams |first=Natalie |work=[[TV Guide]] |date=July 25, 2014 |access-date=July 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140803091617/http://www.tvguide.com/News/Agents-SHIELD-Season2-Lawless-Blood-Diamond-1084954.aspx |archive-date=August 3, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> Sam helps Billy protect [[Inhumans (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Inhuman]] [[Raina (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Raina]] from Hydra agents until Coulson's team arrive.<ref>{{cite episode|title=[[...Ye Who Enter Here]]|series=Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.|credits=Gierhart, Billy (director); Paul Zbyszewski (writer)|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|airdate=December 2, 2014|season=2|number=9}}</ref> In the [[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4|season four]] episode "Hot Potato Soup", two more Koenig siblings are revealed:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://comicbook.com/marvel/2017/01/30/agents-of-shield-season-4-episode-12-hot-potato-soup-recap-with-/|title=Agents Of SHIELD Season 4 Episode 12: Hot Potato Soup Recap With Spoilers|access-date=2017-02-04|last=Lovett|first=Jamie|date=2017-01-31|archive-date=2017-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203153817/http://comicbook.com/marvel/2017/01/30/agents-of-shield-season-4-episode-12-hot-potato-soup-recap-with-|url-status=live}}</ref> '''Thurston Koenig''', a slam poet activist who is not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent as he refers to them as a bunch of "sheep" for allowing Eric to die, and an older sister named '''L.T. Koenig''' (portrayed by [[Artemis Pebdani]]), who got her younger siblings to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and constantly picks on them. Billy, Sam, and L.T. try to hide the ''[[Darkhold (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Darkhold]]'' from the [[Watchdogs (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Watchdogs]] and [[Holden Radcliffe (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Holden Radcliffe]], but they discover too late that Agent [[Melinda May]] was replaced by one of Radcliffe's [[Life Model Decoy|LMDs]]. By the end of the episode, the Koenigs confirm that they are all human, though they were part of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s original LMD program.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Hot Potato Soup|series=Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.|credits=Lopez-Corrado, Nina (director); Craig Titley (writer)|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|airdate=January 31, 2017|season=4|number=12}}</ref> In the [[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 7|season seven]] premiere "[[The New Deal (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)|The New Deal]]", Coulson's team travel back in time to 1931 New York City and meet the Koenig siblings' grandfather, '''Ernest "Hazard" Koenig''', who runs a speakeasy that goes on to become an asset to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s predecessor, the [[Strategic Scientific Reserve]], and a S.H.I.E.L.D. safehouse under the pseudonym '''[[Gemini (Marvel Comics)|Gemini]]'''. Following an encounter with the agents, Ernest discovers his employee, [[Wilfred Malick|Wilfred "Freddy" Malick]], is the father of future Hydra leader, [[Gideon Malick]].<ref>{{cite episode|title=The New Deal|series=Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.|credits=Tancharoen, Kevin (director); George Kitson (writer)|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|airdate=May 27, 2020|season=7|number=1}}</ref> In the episode "[[Know Your Onions]]", Ernest is given a glimpse of the future when he meets the agents' [[Chronicoms (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Chronicom]] ally [[Enoch (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Enoch]] and is brought aboard the agents' airship, ''Zephyr One'', to help save Freddy from rebel Chronicoms. After the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents leave 1931 to pursue the Chronicoms, Ernest hires a stranded Enoch to become his new bartender in exchange for information on how he, his speakeasy, and his descendants will help S.H.I.E.L.D. in the future.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Know Your Onions|series=Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.|credits=Laneuville, Eric (director); Craig Titley (writer)|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|airdate=June 3, 2020|season=7|number=2}}</ref>
Eric Koenig appears in the ''[[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.]]'' episode "[[Providence (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)|Providence]]", portrayed by [[Patton Oswalt]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marvel.com/news/tv/2014/3/20/22184/exclusive_patton_oswalt_enlists_in_marvels_agents_of_shield.|title=EXCLUSIVE: Patton Oswalt Enlists in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.|publisher=Marvel|date=March 20, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://marvel.com/news/tv/2014/3/28/22243/declassifying_marvels_agents_of_shield_providence|title=DECLASSIFYING MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: PROVIDENCE|last=Strom|first=Marc|publisher=Marvel|date=March 29, 2014|accessdate=March 29, 2014}}</ref> Reviewer Oliver Sava called Koenig "a breath of fresh air after all the tense events leading up to his appearance".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/marvels-agents-shield-providence-203509|title=Review: Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: "Providence" · TV Club · The A.V. Club|publisher=|accessdate=13 October 2014}}</ref> He is a helper at Nick Fury's secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base Providence. Eric Koenig has [[Phil Coulson]] keep private about the fact that Nick Fury is still alive. In the episode "[[The Only Light in the Darkness]]", Eric Koenig conducts lie-detector tests on Phil Coulson's team in order to see who can be trusted. He is murdered offscreen by Grant Ward and his body is found in a ventilation duct by Skye.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/23/marvels-agents-of-shield-the-only-light-in-the-darkness-review|title=Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: "The Only Light in the Darkness" Review"|last=Goldberg|first=Eric|publisher=IGN|date=April 22, 2014|accessdate=May 13, 2014}}</ref> In the episode "[[Nothing Personal (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)|Nothing Personal]]", Eric Koenig's body is found by Jemma Simmons, who confirms Eric Koenig's cause of death.<ref>{{cite episode|title=[[Nothing Personal (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)|Nothing Personal]]|series=Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.|credits=Gierhart, Billy (director); Paul Zbyszewski and DJ Doyle (writer)|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|airdate=April 29, 2014|season=1|number=20}}</ref>


==Notes==
Oswalt returned in the season finale "[[Beginning of the End (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)|Beginning of the End]]"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://marvel.com/news/tv/2014/4/25/22412/declassifying_marvels_agents_of_shield_beginning_of_the_end|title=DECLASSIFYING MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: BEGINNING OF THE END|publisher=Marvel|date=April 25, 2014|accessdate=2014-04-25}}</ref> as Eric's twin brother '''Billy Koenig''', who oversees the S.H.I.E.L.D. secret base the Playground.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/14/marvels-agents-of-shield-beginning-of-the-end-review|title=Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: "Beginning of the End" Review|last=Goldberg|first=Eric|publisher=IGN|date=May 13, 2014|accessdate=May 13, 2014}}</ref>
{{notelist}}

In addition to appearing as Billy in the second season, Oswalt also portrays Eric and Billy's other brother '''Sam Koenig''' in the episode "[[...Ye Who Enter Here]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Agents-SHIELD-Season2-Lawless-Blood-Diamond-1084954.aspx |title=Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Reveals New Characters, Carter Adds Captain Directors |last=Abrams |first=Natalie |work=[[TV Guide]] |date=July 25, 2014 |accessdate=July 25, 2014 |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6RLVbgWx4?url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Agents-SHIELD-Season2-Lawless-Blood-Diamond-1084954.aspx |archivedate=July 26, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> Sam helps Billy to protect Raina from Hydra agents until [[Daisy Johnson|Skye]], Melinda May, Lance Hunter, and Antoine Triplett arrive in Vancouver. When Triplett asks how many brothers they have, Billy and Sam say 13, although they then indicate that this is a joke. When Sam doesn't make an appearance for most of the mid-season finale, Billy jokes to Trip that Sam is "recharging his batteries"; however, Trip tells Billy he knows he is trying to mess with him.<ref>{{cite episode|title=[[...Ye Who Enter Here]]|series=Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.|credits=Gierhart, Billy (director); Paul Zbyszewski (writer)|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|airdate=December 2, 2014|season=2|number=9}}</ref>

In the episode "Hot Potato Soup", two more Koenig siblings are revealed:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://comicbook.com/marvel/2017/01/30/agents-of-shield-season-4-episode-12-hot-potato-soup-recap-with-/|title=Agents Of SHIELD Season 4 Episode 12: Hot Potato Soup Recap With Spoilers|access-date=2017-02-04 |last=Lovett |first=Jamie |date=2017-01-31}}</ref> '''Thurston Koenig''', a slam poet activist who is not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and refers to them as a bunch of "sheep" due to the death of their brother Eric, and an older sister named '''L.T. Koenig''' (portrayed by [[Artemis Pebdani]]). L.T. got her younger siblings to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and constantly picks on them. Billy, Sam and L.T. try to hide the [[Darkhold]] from the [[Watchdogs (Marvel Comics)|Watchdogs]] and [[Holden Radcliffe]], but they discover too late that Melinda May was replaced by an [[Life Model Decoy|LMD]]. By the end of the episode, the Koenigs confirm that they are all human.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Hot Potato Soup|series=Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.|credits=Lopez-Corrado, Nina (director); Craig Titley (writer)|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|airdate=January 31, 2017|season=4|number=12}}</ref>

In the season seven premiere "The New Deal", the agents travel back to New York City in 1931 and meet the Koenig siblings' grandfather '''Ernest "Hazard" Koenig''', who runs a speakeasy that would go on to become an S.S.R. asser under the pseudonym '''[[Gemini (Marvel Comics)|Gemini]]'''. One of his employees turns out to be Wilfred "Freddy" Malick, the father of future Hydra leader, [[Gideon Malick]].<ref>{{cite episode|title=The New Deal|series=Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.|credits=Tancharoen, Kevin (director); George Kitson (writer)|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|airdate=May 27, 2020|season=7|number=1}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Fictional German people]]
[[Category:Fictional German people]]
[[Category:Fictional Korean War veterans]]
[[Category:Fictional Korean War veterans]]
⚫
[[Category:Fictional secret agents and spies]]
[[Category:Fictional soldiers]]
[[Category:Fictional soldiers]]
[[Category:Fictional special forces personnel]]
[[Category:Fictional special forces personnel]]
[[Category:Fictional World War II veterans]]
[[Category:Fictional World War II veterans]]
[[Category:Howling Commandos]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics male superheroes]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics martial artists]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics martial artists]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics military personnel]]
⚫
[[Category:Marvel Comics spies]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics television characters]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics television characters]]
[[Category:S.H.I.E.L.D. agents]]
[[Category:S.H.I.E.L.D. agents]]

Latest revision as of 11:19, 26 December 2024

Eric Koenig
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceSgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #27 (February 1966)
Created byStan Lee (writer)
Dick Ayers (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoEric Koenig
SpeciesHuman
Team affiliationsS.H.I.E.L.D.
Howling Commandos
AbilitiesSkilled pilot

Eric Koenig is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #27 (February 1966) and he was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Dick Ayers. He is most commonly in association with the Howling Commandos and S.H.I.E.L.D.

Patton Oswalt portrayed the character in the first season of the TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. After Koenig is killed, Oswalt continued to portray his identical brothers Billy, Sam, and Thurston and grandfather Ernest throughout the remaining seasons.

Publication history

[edit]

Eric Koenig's first appearance was in Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos vol. 1 #27 (February 1966), and he was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Dick Ayers.

Eric Koenig received an entry in the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Update #3 (2007).

Fictional character biography

[edit]

Eric Koenig was a member of the original Howling Commandos and fought alongside the team during World War II. He was a pilot as well as a trainer and was a very anti-Nazi German, as the Nazis killed his sister. He was the replacement of Dino Manelli, who was away on a special mission,[volume & issue needed] and then replaced Izzy Cohen when he was a prisoner of war.[volume & issue needed] Upon Cohen's return, Koenig stayed as a member of the team.[volume & issue needed] In issue #65, "Eric Koenig, Traitor!", Koenig seemed to have been exposed as a Gestapo plant, and his apparent treachery was part of the storyline from then on. This later turned out to have been a complicated double agent operation by the High Command, and in issue #79, Koenig was finally confirmed to be a loyal fighter for the Allies.[1][2]

After the war, Koenig was one of the Howlers that joined Nick Fury in forming S.H.I.E.L.D.[volume & issue needed] A Life Model Decoy of Koenig appeared and was part of the Deltite affair, but destroyed itself after being captured and scanned by Tony Stark.[3]

When S.H.I.E.L.D. was decommissioned and its agents auto-transferred to the newly founded H.A.M.M.E.R. during the "Dark Reign" storyline, Eric remained with H.A.M.M.E.R. This was despite the fact that 1200 agents who were Fury loyalists (including Dum Dum Dugan and Gabriel Jones) resigned and formed the Howling Commandos PMC. It later transpired that he was working for them from within, and aided in a heist that saw the HCPMC (now owned by Fury) raid a number of H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarriers, and bolstering their ranks when over 3000 H.A.M.M.E.R. agents defected to their side.[4] He is later killed in a battle against HYDRA. Gabriel Jones is also one of the many S.H.I.E.L.D. fatalities along with Eric.[5]

In other media

[edit]

Eric Koenig appears in the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., portrayed by Patton Oswalt.[6][7] Introduced in the episode "Providence", he was assigned to Nick Fury's secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base, Providence, and assists Phil Coulson and his team following S.H.I.E.L.D.'s downfall[a] until Koenig is murdered off-screen by Hydra double agent Grant Ward.[8] Oswalt returned in the season one finale "Beginning of the End"[9] as Eric's twin brother Billy Koenig, who oversees a S.H.I.E.L.D. base called the "Playground".[10] In addition to appearing as Billy in the second season, Oswalt also portrays Eric and Billy's other brother Sam Koenig in the episode "...Ye Who Enter Here".[11] Sam helps Billy protect Inhuman Raina from Hydra agents until Coulson's team arrive.[12] In the season four episode "Hot Potato Soup", two more Koenig siblings are revealed:[13] Thurston Koenig, a slam poet activist who is not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent as he refers to them as a bunch of "sheep" for allowing Eric to die, and an older sister named L.T. Koenig (portrayed by Artemis Pebdani), who got her younger siblings to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and constantly picks on them. Billy, Sam, and L.T. try to hide the Darkhold from the Watchdogs and Holden Radcliffe, but they discover too late that Agent Melinda May was replaced by one of Radcliffe's LMDs. By the end of the episode, the Koenigs confirm that they are all human, though they were part of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s original LMD program.[14] In the season seven premiere "The New Deal", Coulson's team travel back in time to 1931 New York City and meet the Koenig siblings' grandfather, Ernest "Hazard" Koenig, who runs a speakeasy that goes on to become an asset to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s predecessor, the Strategic Scientific Reserve, and a S.H.I.E.L.D. safehouse under the pseudonym Gemini. Following an encounter with the agents, Ernest discovers his employee, Wilfred "Freddy" Malick, is the father of future Hydra leader, Gideon Malick.[15] In the episode "Know Your Onions", Ernest is given a glimpse of the future when he meets the agents' Chronicom ally Enoch and is brought aboard the agents' airship, Zephyr One, to help save Freddy from rebel Chronicoms. After the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents leave 1931 to pursue the Chronicoms, Ernest hires a stranded Enoch to become his new bartender in exchange for information on how he, his speakeasy, and his descendants will help S.H.I.E.L.D. in the future.[16]

Notes

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  1. ^ As depicted in the film Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

References

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  1. ^ Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos #65. Marvel Comics.
  2. ^ Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos #79. Marvel Comics.
  3. ^ Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #1-3. Marvel Comics.
  4. ^ Secret Warriors #4-6. Marvel Comics.
  5. ^ Secret Warriors #19 (August 2010). Marvel Comics.
  6. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Patton Oswalt Enlists in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Marvel. March 20, 2014. Archived from the original on June 7, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  7. ^ Strom, Marc (March 29, 2014). "DECLASSIFYING MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: PROVIDENCE". Marvel. Archived from the original on April 1, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  8. ^ Goldberg, Eric (April 22, 2014). "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: "The Only Light in the Darkness" Review"". IGN. Archived from the original on October 11, 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  9. ^ "DECLASSIFYING MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: BEGINNING OF THE END". Marvel. April 25, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-04-26. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  10. ^ Goldberg, Eric (May 13, 2014). "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: "Beginning of the End" Review". IGN. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  11. ^ Abrams, Natalie (July 25, 2014). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Reveals New Characters, Carter Adds Captain Directors". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 3, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  12. ^ Gierhart, Billy (director); Paul Zbyszewski (writer) (December 2, 2014). "...Ye Who Enter Here". Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2. Episode 9. ABC.
  13. ^ Lovett, Jamie (2017-01-31). "Agents Of SHIELD Season 4 Episode 12: Hot Potato Soup Recap With Spoilers". Archived from the original on 2017-02-03. Retrieved 2017-02-04.
  14. ^ Lopez-Corrado, Nina (director); Craig Titley (writer) (January 31, 2017). "Hot Potato Soup". Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4. Episode 12. ABC.
  15. ^ Tancharoen, Kevin (director); George Kitson (writer) (May 27, 2020). "The New Deal". Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7. Episode 1. ABC.
  16. ^ Laneuville, Eric (director); Craig Titley (writer) (June 3, 2020). "Know Your Onions". Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7. Episode 2. ABC.
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