Origin
Michael Peterson is the best friend of Steve Harmon. Kidnapped by the clowns from Dimension X, he was saved by Steve. Recognizing his friend, he realized that Steve had just had an origin and helped him think of superhero name, Slapstick.
Later, while working on a school project, Mike and Steve go to the Museum of National History in Manhattan. However, their visit was interrupted by Doctor Yesterday, who wanted to use the museum to focus his powers. When the rest of the New Warriors show up he brings to life a skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and summons several warriors from the past to aid him. While his super-powered friends took on the time-displaced threats, Mike tried to find a way to help, but was captured. Mike was freed when Doctor Yesterday set things right again.
Other Media
Television
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
A reoccurring character and MCU Deathlok played by J. August Richards in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Not much is known about Peterson’s early life. Except that he was injured in a work related accident causing him to lose his job and his wife to leave him, leaving him to raise his son, Ace, alone. During his rehabilitation he was approached by Raina, a Centipede recruiter, offering treatment that could restore his health and put him back to work. Peterson agreed and was fitted with a Centipede device, which utilized alien metal, gamma radiation, the Extremis Virus, and the Super-Soldier Serum granting him super-strength and durability.
When the Centipede lab was destroyed by the detonation of another patient due to the instability of Extremis, Peterson saved a scientist from the burning building. His heroics were recorded by Skye, a member of the Rising Tide, and posted online, giving Peterson unwanted fame. The video also attracted the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D., who sent agents to investigate. Skye managed to track him down and warn him against S.H.I.E.L.D. Soon after, Peterson’s condition began to deteriorate, both mentally and physically. Hoping to regain his old position Peterson visited his former workplace, but when he is rejected, attacked his old manager hospitalizing him. He then visited the Centipede scientist in the hospital, who convinced him that he needed to disappear, as the people behind Centipede did not want to be exposed. Convinced that he needed to try and rebuild his life, he took his son and broke into Skye’s van, ordering her to take him to the nearest train station. He soon discovered that Skye was working with S.H.I.E.L.D., and escaped into the station; where he was confronted by by Agent Phil Coulson who tried to talk him down, before being shot by Agent Grant Ward with a tranquilizer and taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. Ace is taken to live with Mike’s sister.
After his recovery Mike is recruited into S.H.I.E.L.D., and although doctors had been unable to remove the Centipede device, the tranquilizer had somehow stabilized the Extremis. When Edison Po, a Centipede agent, was broken out of prison, Agent Coulson asked for him to be temporarily assigned to his team. During his time with the team there were some hostile feelings, mainly from Agents Ward and May, but after helping the team against Centipede agents in an abandoned warehouse he earned their trust. Afterward Michael told Coulson his thoughts about joining S.H.I.E.L.D full time, afraid to return to his son after he had seen his outrage at the train station. Coulson assured him his son would think no different of him and told him to think on his decision. Mike called his son to tell him he be returning. However after the encounter in Oakland Centipede learned that Mike was working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and abducted his son threatening to kill him if Peterson did not trade Coulson for Ace. With no other option Mike tricked the team into thinking that Centipede wanted him in exchange for his son. After getting his son to safety Mike attempted to redeem himself by going back to rescue Coulson only for Centipede to blow up the Bridge explode, apparently killing him.
It is later revealed that Mike had survived the blast, and been recovered by Centipede agents. He is badly burned and missing his right leg; a monitoring ocular implant replacing his right eye. Mike is later seen in a hyperbaric chamber in the possession of Ian Quinn, an associate of Centipede. After receiving a shipment from Cybertech, Quinn awakens Mike and equips him with a cybernetic leg labeled Project Deathlok. Mike is then ordered through his eye to eliminate the Cybertech team that had delivered the limb. When Coulson’s team arrives at the facility Mike is ordered not to engage and leaves Quinn to his fate. Afterwards, Peterson covertly visits a playground and requests to see his son to which the Clairvoyant responds “Not yet”.
Now calling himself Deathlok, Peterson is next seen attacking agents John Garrett and Triplett, who are getting close to The Clairvoyant. The two manage to repel Deathlok’s attacks causing him to flee. Peterson is next sent to a nursing home where he confronts agents May and Blake. He critically injuring Blake, but May manages to tag him with a tracker before he leaves.The team tracks Deathlok to a race track and briefly encounter him again, but he retreats into the sewers.
After HYDRA’s return and John Garrett’s reveal as the Clairvoyant, Deathlok was sent to monitor Grant Ward, a double agent on Coulson’s team, as he tried to get Skye to decrypt a hard drive containing all the information Coulson and his team had collected. When Skye tips off the police and escapes, Peterson appears and captures her. Returning to the Bus, Ward again attempts to coerce Skye to decrypt the hard drive. When he failed, Garrett ordered Deathlok to hurry up the operation, using one of the weapons in his armor he causes Ward to have a heart attack, giving Skye an ultimatum: decrypt the hard drive, or Ward dies. After try to reason with him and failing she relented, and Deathlok stopped Ward’s heart attack. Later, when Coulson snuck aboard the plane to rescue Skye, Deathlok tried to prevent their escape, but failed when Coulson flew out the plane’s cargo ramp with his flying car Lola. Ward starts to pursue, but Mike informs him Garrett had recalled them to the base in Cuba.
Some time after Mike is sent to Columbia where he assassinates a drug lord as a demonstration of Project Deathlok’s effectiveness. Later, back on the Bus Peterson asked Raina her motives for working with Garrett, as he only did so out of fear for his life and that of his son, to which she responded that she wanted to help special people achieve their potential. When Coulson and his team assaulted the Cybertek facility, Mike stayed with Garrett in order to protect him. Coulson arrives, engaging Garrett but is overwhelmed until Nick Fury arrives for support and the two are able to beat Garrett back. When Deathlok learns Skye has rescued Ace, he turns on Garrett, incapacitating him with a rocket and then crushing his skull. In the aftermath Mike, unable to face his son, goes off on his own to redeem himself.
Sometime afterwards Mike was approached by Coulson with an invitation to join S.H.I.E.L.D. Peterson accepted and was sent overseas in pursuit of a HYDRA scientist interested in superhumans named List. However, when Robert Gonzales and his faction of S.H.I.E.L.D. usurps Coulson as director, Peterson was pulled off this assignment. Meeting up with Coulson and Lance Hunter, they steal a Quinjet in order to search for Skye, who had been taken in by the Inhumans.
First the team heads to San Francisco to pick up Leo Fitz, who had left when the new SHIELD regime took control. Next they travelled to Tijuana to recruit Ward and Agent 33. Upon arrival Peterson takes 33 hostage, then Coulson, using her phone, calls Ward for a meeting. When he arrived, Peterson scans him with his x-ray vision, ordering him to removes the concealed knives and guns. While Peterson kept watch, Coulson offered to erase Ward’s memories to help him build a new life if he helped them on this mission to infiltrate HYDRA and locate Skye, to which Ward agreed.
Revealing that he had successfully brainwashed Sunil Bakshi, Ward proposed to use him to gain access to the high ranking members of HYDRA. Posing as Bakshi’s bodyguard Deathlok attended a meeting between Bakshi and Dr. List, during which Bakshi offered to trade Peterson to List for his experiments, in exchange for a meeting with Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. Peterson readied himself to engage, but was ordered by Coulson to back down and play along. They soon learn that List has been tracking the Inhuman Gordon’s movements and finally pinned him down. List then sends Bakshi, Deathlok and a team of HYDRA soldiers to capture him, along with any other enhanced they find. There Peterson encountered Lincoln Campbell, the two end up fighting and knock each other out. HYDRA then takes the two in to their custody.
Sometime later Peterson awoke in a cell with all his weapons deactivated and Lincoln Campbell in the cell next to him. After a short conversation the pair were gassed and knocked out, ready for experimentation. During the first round of experiments, Dr. List removed his eye and dismantled his cybernetic leg. When he was done Peterson was returned to his cell, where he was found by Phil Coulson’s team, including Skye and Jemma Simmons. While Skye went off to save Lincoln Campbell, Simmons stayed and tended to his injuries. After the rescue mission he was taken back to the Playground where he, Fitz and Simmons discussed resorting his cybernetics.