Henry Peter Gyrich
| Henry Gyrich | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Avengers Vol. 1 #165 (November 1977) |
| Created by |
Jim Shooter (writer) George Pérez (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Henry Peter Gyrich |
| Team affiliations |
S.W.O.R.D The Initiative U.S. Superhuman Armed Forces Department Commission on Superhuman Activities Office of the Chief of Protocol National Security Agency National Security Council Operation: Zero Tolerance Project: Wideawake Thunderbolts Avengers |
Henry Peter Gyrich is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
The character first appeared in Avengers Vol. 1 #165 (November 1977) and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.
Henry Gyrich is the first person to be given the title of U.S. Government Liaison to the Avengers by the National Security Agency later by the National Security Council. With his status, Gyrich is one of only two people (the other being the President of the United States) who could affect the Avengers in many difficult ways. During his tenure, Gyrich revokes the Avengers' priority status after taking issue. The Avengers have to accept Gyrich's "suggestions" or have their Quinjets and other sensitive equipment taken away. He limits the Avengers’ active membership to seven members, forces the Falcon to join unwillingly to fill an affirmative action quota he sets and installs various security measures for the team. Gyrich oversees the Avengers' activities for the next several months without incident, until he forbids the team to go on a mission to help Quicksilver. The next incident involves a security leak. Gyrich takes part in a Senate investigation involving the Avengers which claims the team are threats to national security. When the investigation ends, the Senate committee gives the Avengers new guidelines to follow; they also name Raymond Sikorski as his successor.
Writer Peter David has indicated that Shooter based Gyrich on himself. David attempted to humanize him by giving him some backstory in The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #456 (August 1997), which touched upon Gyrich's family life. After Betty Banner criticizes Gyrich for appearing callous and unfeeling when mentioning the pain of her own father dying, Gyrich cuts Banner off, saying "My father died of Alzheimer's, [Betty]. I took a year’s leave to care for him so he wouldn’t be watched over by strangers that my crummy salary couldn’t even afford. I cleaned up after him, tended to him, and his last words as I cradled his dying body were, 'Who in heck are you?'". As a result, it is revealed in Avengers: The Initiative that Gyrich’s greatest fear is contracting the same disease that killed his father. After a confrontation with Iron Man, Gyrich is apparently fired from his Initiative position, as he later makes a statement claiming at a press conference that he had decided to "retire" to spend time with his family. When a reporter points out that Gyrich has no living family, he declines to elaborate.
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