Everett Ross

: "What I'm doing, or not doing, on behalf of the U.S. government is none of your concern. Now, whatever the hell you're up to, do me a favor, stay out of my way."
: ―Everett Ross to T'Challa[src]
Everett Kenneth Ross is a former CIA agent and a former Deputy Task Force Commander for the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre. While working with Thaddeus Ross, Ross was tasked to control and regulate any and all actions of the Avengers, in the wake of the creation of the Sokovia Accords, which had been designed to limit the heroics following several disastrous missions. However, Ross' plans had soon come into conflict with Captain America as Winter Soldier had been targeted for his involvement in seemingly committing a sudden horrific terrorist act. After Tony Stark revealed that Helmut Zemo was the one to blame for those attacks as Zemo was apprehended by the Black Panther, before Ross took Zemo into custody.
Once he left the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre, Ross had then been tasked with tracking down Ulysses Klaue, which had put Ross back into contact with T'Challa, who was seeking to recapture Klaue for crimes in his past. Upon being mortally wounded by Erik Killmonger, Ross was nursed back to health by Shuri in Wakanda, where Ross had then discovered all the technological advancements due to their mining of vibranium. During his time at Wakanda, Ross also witnessed Killmonger taking control and, due to owing T'Challa a debt for saving his life, then aided the Black Panther with defeating Killmonger's forces. As a result, Ross then supported T'Challa as he began sharing Wakanda's true wealth with the rest of their world.
As the tensions between Wakanda and the United States became prominent, Ross was approached by Shuri and Okoye who needed his help as Namor got involved. As he owed Shuri his life, Ross disclosed sensitive information about Riri Williams and the search of vibranium, and continued his attempt to de-escalate the situation between Wakanda and America. However, his situation got serious, when Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, his ex-wife and the CIA Director, got involved. Ross provided Ramonda about the United States' plans for Wakanda; however, Fontaine found out and had Ross arrested, before he was rescued by Okoye.
== Biography ==
=== Early Life ===
==== Military Pilot ====
: "Everett Ross, former Air Force pilot, now CIA."
: ―Shuri[src]
Everett Ross served in the United States Air Force, becoming one of its top pilots. He briefly encountered Erik Stevens, who was known as an exceptional killer within the U.S. military.
==== Working for the CIA ====
Leaving the Air Force, Ross was recruited into the CIA and swiftly moved upward within the ranks.
Ross was partnered with MI6 agent Clive Reston on a mission in Tehran. Reston blew Ross's cover during the mission, which Ross was rather bitter about. While in the CIA, Ross was married to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, but they eventually got divorced.
=== Avengers Conflict ===
==== Capturing Winter Soldier ====
: "What's going to happen to him?""Same thing that ought to happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition.""What about a lawyer?""Lawyer? Huh, that's funny."
: ―Steve Rogers and Everett Ross[src]
Ross was put in charge of the newly formed Joint Counter Terrorist Centre, where he was tasked by Thaddeus Ross with ensuring that the rules of the Sokovia Accords were being correctly followed by any and all groups of American vigilantes and enhanced individuals, which included the Avengers. Once Winter Soldier was apprehended by GSG 9 agents for the recent terrorist bombing and remanded to the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre's custody, he was imprisoned in their headquarters in Berlin along with Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson and T'Challa who had had a public clash. There, they met Ross, who was introduced to them by Sharon Carter.
Ross confiscated all their equipment, telling Rogers that he will write them out a receipt for his shield and the EXO-7 Falcon. When Rogers asked what would happen to Barnes, Ross claimed he would go through a psychological evaluation before being moved to prison, which he believed should also happen to all the rest of them. Ross then escorted the heroes to the control room, along the way informing them that they would be provided with offices rather than prison cells and insisted upon them staying there, which T'Challa explained that he would do until Barnes was moved. Ross then left them to continue his work while allowing them to survey Barnes during the interrogation.
While Barnes was held in his cell, Ross awaited the arrival of Theo Broussard to begin the questioning. During this time Ross was contacted by the Wakandan government who informed him that T'Challa had requested that Barnes be given to him as his prisoner to be punished for the murder of T'Chaka. Ross agreed and informed T'Challa of this, sarcastically clapping him for his success as he had wanted the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre to keep Barnes.
==== Winter Soldier's Escape ====
: "Evac all civilians. Get me a perimeter around the building, and gunships in the air."
: ―Everett Ross[src]
Ross took time to watch as Bucky Barnes was questioned by a man posing as a psychiatrist Theo Broussard. Ross listened as Broussard asked Barnes about his time as an assassin for HYDRA and what he remembered about this time, although Barnes remained mostly silent and only insisted that he be called Bucky and that he was not a murderer any more since he had gotten away from HYDRA and had been trying to live as peacefully as possible while on the run in Romania.
During the interrogation however, the power throughout the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre Building was suddenly cut, leaving Ross unable to see or hear what was happening in the room. While Ross ordered his men to find out what was happening, Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson charged downstairs, only to discover that Broussard had freed Barnes, who managed to escape along with Rogers and Wilson. Ross' men tried in vain to apprehend Barnes while Rogers and Wilson worked to protect him due to their belief that this was not Barnes' fault.
==== Capturing Helmut Zemo ====
: "So, how does it feel? To spend all that time, all that effort and to see it fail so spectacularly?""Did it?"
: ―Everett Ross and Helmut Zemo[src]
Eventually it was discovered that Helmut Zemo had actually been the one responsible for the terrorist bombing and had also been secretly attempting to use the false accusation of the Winter Soldier to then destroy the Avengers from within. Zemo was eventually captured by Black Panther, and handed over to Ross for his incarceration, and in response Ross kept it secret that T'Challa was Black Panther.
With Zemo imprisoned by the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre, Ross then came to explain how his imprisonment would work while also mocking the terrorist for all of his failings in trying to dismantle the Avengers. However, Zemo countered by saying he had won, as his goal was to destroy the Avengers; he had succeeded in breaking up the team thanks to using the Sokovia Accords to his advantage by framing Captain America's closest friend for the attacks.
=== Wakanda's Secrets ===
==== Reunion with T'Challa ====
: "Vibranium from the attack on Sokovia links back to a person that I'm not actually saying I'm here to make a deal with, but that deal will not be called off. When the dust settles you and I can work something out."
: ―Everett Ross to T'Challa[src]
Receiving intel on Ulysses Klaue, the CIA pulled Ross out of the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre and ordered him to track down and arrest him. Having learnt that Klaue had just recently managed to get his hands on a vibranium weapon, Ross arranged a meeting with Klaue in a Jagalchi Market Casino, as Ross had arrived there first and gambled while he waited, only to notice T'Challa was likewise in attendance, who was likely there to find Klaue.
Ross, declaring his respect for the new King of Wakanda, implored him to back down, while initially denying he was there to meet Klaue. When T'Challa then reminded Ross about how he had helped him to capture Helmut Zemo, Ross had noted that he had also covered up T'Challa's identity as Black Panther, insisting that this made them even for Zemo, although T'Challa insisted he would be taking Klaue into custody himself before walking away from the table.
Once T'Challa had left, Ross noticed he had won at the casino game, as a gambler took T'Challa's winnings. Having warned the CIA of T'Challa's presence, Ross went back to T'Challa and noted that the vibranium Klaue had managed to steal appeared to link back to what was used by Ultron during the Battle of Sokovia, promising that they could then discuss handing Klaue over to T'Challa once the CIA was finished with him, although T'Challa refused to make a deal.
==== Clash with Ulysses Klaue ====
: "That is quite the entourage. You got a mixtape coming out?""Oh, yeah. Actually, there is one. I'll send you a SoundCloud link if you'd like. Hey, Dave, can you get me the link to the...""Please, don't make me listen to your music. I just meant you've got a lot of people with you."
: ―Everett Ross to Ulysses Klaue[src]
Eventually, Ulysses Klaue arrived at the Jagalchi Market Casino, with Klaue surrounded by bodyguards who filled up the casino as Klaue went downstairs to make the exchange with Ross, with Ross noting Klaue's entourage and questioned if Klaue had his mixtape coming out. When Klaue had joked about an actual mixtape and told Dave to collect the Soundcloud link for him, Ross stopped him and expressed his mistrust of Klaue due to him bringing so many guards to the meeting which likely meant that it was actually a setup.
As Klaue began rubbing Ross' shoulder, he requested the diamonds which the CIA were giving up in exchange for the Vibranium which Klaue had stolen. While Ross was handed the suitcase of diamonds, Klaue unzipped his trousers and pulled the Vibranium weapon out from his crotch, which was wrapped in a paper bag as Klaue noted that he had decided to save himself some money by using the paper bag rather than purchasing a fancy suitcase as Ross had done.
However, the exchange was then unexpectedly interrupted when the position of one of T'Challa's cohorts, head bodyguard Okoye, was compromised, resulting in Okoye furiously throwing one of Klaue's bodyguards off the balcony. Seeing this, Klaue instantly believed that Ross had betrayed them as a furious shootout then broke out as a result, while Ross took cover and later fired several shots at Klaue's bodyguards, while T'Challa helped him get away to safety.
Once he had gotten out of the casino, Ross witnessed Klaue and his men desperately attempting to get away by dangerously driving at high speeds through South Korea, while the Wakandans gave chase. Witnessing Klaue using his own Prosthetic Arm to completely destroy their car, Ross then picked up Okoye and Nakia, a Wakandan spy as they survived the crash, telling Okoye to put her Vibranium Spear in the trunk of his car as they continued to chase down Klaue.
Before long, Ross had managed to catch up to T'Challa, who had caused Klaue's car to crash before ripping out Klaue's Prosthetic Arm and threatening him with his Panther Claws. Seeing that T'Challa was preparing to execute Klaue on the spot in revenge for the previous Attack on Wakanda, Okoye and Nakia had managed to convince him to stop as he was being filmed by several people, as Ross then apprehended Klaue, taking him into their custody.
==== Interrogation of Klaue ====
: "I don't trust anybody, not in this job. But what I am interested in is that arm cannon out there. Where'd you get that?""It's an old mining tool that I made some adjustments to. But I can get you one if you like."
: ―Everett Ross and Ulysses Klaue[src]
Having taken Ulysses Klaue back into CIA custody, Ross left Klaue alone in the interrogation room before speaking with T'Challa about what was to be done about Klaue, who was mockingly kissing at their mirrored glass while he was waiting. Although Ross suggested he and T'Challa speak to Klaue one by one, Okoye spoke to T'Challa in Xhosa, which left Ross unsure of what they were saying.
Speaking in English again, T'Challa then insisted that he allowed taking Klaue back to Wakanda once Ross finished his interrogation, which Ross rejected. When Ross casually tapped T'Challa on the chest, Okoye appeared to threaten him in Xhosa, leading to Ross confirming if she spoke English or not. As Ross went inside to speak with Klaue, T'Challa placed his hand onto his shoulder and thanked Ross for all of his help with capturing and interrogating Klaue.
Aware that T'Challa had actually put a hearing device onto his jacket, Ross then interrogated Klaue who was currently singing as loudly as he could to amuse himself. Klaue recommended that Ross put more trust in him rather than the Wakandans, which Ross dismissed before asking about Klaue's Prosthetic Arm and where Klaue had gotten it from. Klaue explained that the arm was an old mining tool which he had modified before then informing Ross that the person to speak to about it was T'Challa as the arm was from Wakanda originally.
Klaue insisted that deeper secrets hid within Wakanda, questioning what Ross actually knew about Wakanda and telling Ross that his understanding of Wakanda as a third world country within Africa was completely false. Klaue then went on to explain that Wakanda was, in fact, the fabled El Dorado from legend before he then revealed that T'Challa and his family's Golden Tribe were in actual possession of massive amount of Vibranium which had already made them more technologically advanced than anywhere else on the planet.
While Ross had doubted Klaue's claims, he became more interested when Klaue mentioned that Wakanda had their supply of Vibranium weapons. Ross noted that Klaue had stolen T'Chaka's entire supply of Vibranium during the Attack on Wakanda, which angered Klaue as he insisted he had stolen a tiny piece while Wakanda had an entire mountain filled with it which they had been mining for thousands of years, noting that T'Challa's Panther Habit was made of Vibranium, leaving Ross determined to discover what T'Challa was hiding.
Stepping out of the interrogation room having listened to everything Klaue had to say, Ross confronted T'Challa and Okoye over Klaue's claims about Wakanda's secrets, noting that T'Chaka had previously told the United Nations that Klaue had stolen all of the Vibranium that they had, although T'Challa had questioned how much Klaue could actually be trusted. Not believing T'Challa, Ross questioned what he was hiding from him, which T'Challa still did not answer.
They were then interrupted as Nakia then entered the room to warn everyone of Erik Killmonger's plot to free Klaue, but it was too late as Killmonger blew a hole in the side of the CIA Black Site and fired into the room, as Ross dove on top of Nakia, taking a bullet into his spine as a result. Having used a Kimoyo Bead to stabilize his wound, T'Challa offered to take Ross back to Wakanda to help him recover, despite the country's strong attitudes toward outsiders.
==== Recovering in Wakanda ====
: "Bullet wounds don't just magically heal overnight.""They do here, but not by magic. By technology."
: ―Everett Ross and Shuri[src]
Following his shooting, Ross was quickly taken away, and was then treated by Shuri. Ross eventually woke up in a strange room, finding his gunshot wound had seemingly completely healed, since he was able to stand back up and had found Shuri working with her Vibranium Gauntlets. Ross had confronted Shuri, questioning if he was in Wakanda, demanding to know how long it had been since South Korea since he believed it would have taken him months to heal.
Shuri, however, then explained that she had been able to heal Ross by using Vibranium, which Ross was still skeptical about since the rest of the world did not have the technology to heal a wound completely within a day. While Ross looked around Shuri's Lab at her tech, he overlooked Mount Bashenga while Shuri explained to him how much Vibranium was in Wakanda, before pointing to the Wakandan Maglev Train which allowed them to safely transport all the Vibranium.
Their conversation was interrupted when Okoye contacted Shuri on her holographic phone and demanded to know where T'Challa was. Although Shuri was initially jokingly dismissive of the question, Okoye explained that they were receiving word that Erik Killmonger had just reached Wakanda, being stopped by the Border Tribe and had also seemingly killed Ulysses Klaue. Seeing Killmonger's image in front of him, Ross immediately recognized Killmonger as an American.
Having been joined by T'Challa and Nakia, Ross had then briefed the group on everything he knew of Killmonger's background due to his time within the CIA. While T'Challa and the other Wakandans listened closely, Ross began explaining that Erik Stevens had been a member of a highly trained section of the United States Navy where he got a reputation as a killer, nicknamed Killmonger, as Shuri noted he had a War Dog tattoo although there was no record of him.
While T'Challa and the others were talking with Killmonger, who was claiming to be the son of T'Challa's uncle N'Jobu, Ross was locked inside one of the rooms to keep him out of sight. Eventually, Nakia returned to Ross' room and explained that Killmonger had just killed T'Challa in ritual combat, forcing them to make their escape with the rest of the Golden Tribe, fearing that Killmonger would soon seek to assassinate them to ensure nobody else could overthrow him.
==== Escape from Killmonger ====
: "Look, Your Highness, the new king is the U.S....""Hof!""The new king...""Hof! Hof! Hof! Hof! Hof! You cannot talk! One more word and I will feed you to my children."
: ―Everett Ross and M'Baku[src]
With Erik Killmonger now sitting on the throne of Wakanda, Ross was forced to escape from the city with the Golden Tribe in order to avoid being captured and executed by Killmonger. As Ross regrouped with the others who mourned T'Challa and T'Chaka's deaths, Nakia introduced Ross as a friend when Ramonda had expressed her distrust of him. Nakia then explained that Okoye would not be joining them as she and the rest of the Dora Milaje had chosen to continue serving Wakanda, even despite Killmonger now sitting on the throne.
While retreating into the mountains, Ross asked Nakia what the plan was, as she explained that they were going into the Jabari Land to potentially give the Heart-Shaped Herb to a warrior there who could help them lead an army and then overthrow Killmonger. While it was explained that the Herb made T'Challa the Black Panther, Romonda suggested that Nakia herself take it, but she insisted that without an army she alone would not be enough to defeat Killmonger.
Before long, however, Ross and all his allies were captured and were brought before M'Baku, the ruler of the Jabari Tribe. As they tried to make peace and explain the situation, M'Baku would not allow Ross to speak, with M'Baku barking at Ross when he tried to explain that Killmonger was a member of the United States Armed Forces. While M'Baku jokingly stated that he would feed Ross to his children before noting they were vegetarians, Nakia presented him with the Herb.
Rather than take the Herb, however, M'Baku then took them outside and presented them with T'Challa, who had been found barely alive and was being treated by the Jabari. With little time to spare, Ross looked on as Shuri and Ramonda crushed the Herb and fed it to him, praying to Bast as T'Challa was sent to the Ancestral Plane where he spoke with his father before being given new life, with all his wounds completely healed, much to the relief of Ross and the others.
As T'Challa recovered, Ross and Nakia had discussed Killmonger's actions, as Nakia noted he had burned the City of the Dead as Ross confirmed this is what he was trained to do. Realizing that Killmonger now had access to all their Vibranium weapons and Shuri's designs, they vowed to bring him down, with Ross also pledging to fight with T'Challa in his battle against Killmonger, although M'Baku refused to give them access to his Jabari army for his upcoming fight.
==== Battle of Mount Bashenga ====
: "Okay, Shuri. I got 'em. What do I do?""Shoot them down, genius!""All right. Here goes nothing."
: ―Everett Ross and Shuri[src]
With Erik Killmonger transporting Wakandan weapons to the outside world with the goal of starting a mass cultural change in which black society could rise up and slaughter the white men who were still in power, Ross snuck into Shuri's Lab with his allies while the Black Panther challenged Killmonger. Ross watched as Shuri and Nakia got their weapons ready for the fight, before she gave the flustered Ross his orders so he could then assist in defeating Killmonger.
Ross was tasked with remotely piloting a Royal Talon Fighter to stop the technology from getting outside Wakanda, using all his skills as a former United States Air Force pilot. Once the mission went ahead, Ross was then equipped with a Holographic Projection of the craft in Shuri's Lab, with the princess also modifying the controls of the ship to mimic an American fighter jet setup so Ross could still control the craft and fire all the weapon systems without any real difficulty.
Before long, Ross had caught up with these Dragon Flyers as he was told by Shuri to shoot them all down. However, as Ross took down several of Killmonger's transports, the ships turned around and then began firing back at him, forcing Ross to avoid their shots as best he could while still trying to shoot them out of the sky. Flying through the mountains of Wakanda, Ross kept Shuri updated on the situation as he then still continued trying to get a clear shot at the other ships.
At one stage, however, Ross felt the entire room begin to shake, as he was then informed by Griot that they were currently under attack as another Dragon Flyer had begun to fire its way into the lab. While Shuri ordered Ross to get out while he still could, Griot confirmed that the glass was only fifty percent damaged, although the Flyer was still shooting. Defiant, Ross decided that he would still continue with his mission, regardless of the immediate danger before him.
Although the glass had continued to be damaged to the point that it reached just fifteen percent, Ross still remained in their holographic cockpit. However, he soon found that Killmonger's Dragon Flyers had fired electric hooks into his ship, which were stopping it from getting away. Asking for assistance, Ross was then told by Shuri to make an X with his arms and then break it, which caused the ship to go into a sonic overload and had destroyed the remaining Dragon Flyers.
With limited time to get to the final ship before it reached the border of Wakanda, Ross put his ship at all power and crashed into the final ship, completely destroying it and his own ship. With his own mission complete, Ross celebrated before being told by Shuri to make his escape. Eventually, Killmonger was defeated and died, while the Border Tribe, led by W'Kabi, surrendered as M'Baku and his own Jabari Tribe soldiers arrived, allowing T'Challa to claim victory.
==== Wakanda Meets World ====
: "It's not my place to say, but man, I really don't think you should do this. What you guys have is going to scare a lot of people in that room. They're going to come after you.""Yes, but I will no longer rule out of fear."
: ―Everett Ross and T'Challa[src]
Ross was present at the Vienna International Centre once T'Challa arrived with his entourage. Ross personally greeted T'Challa and Nakia before asking for a private conversation with T'Challa in which Ross recommended that he should reconsider revealing the truth about their wealth and power to the United Nations, fearing the response from the other countries could be dangerous.
T'Challa, however, insisted to Ross that he would no longer rule out of fear like T'Chaka had done, believing they should instead lead by example. Hearing this Ross accepted T'Challa's decision and let him make his speech. Before leaving, however, Ross attempted to wish T'Challa good luck in Xhosa, however, he mispronounced his words which caused Okoye and Ayo to laugh alongside T'Challa and Nakia, while Ross insisted they not laugh since he practiced his speech.
Despite Ross' warnings, T'Challa then gave his speech, in which he established full relations between Wakanda and the rest of the world, promising to share their Vibranium and technology, as Ross sat at the back of the room and smiled at T'Challa's decision. When one of the senators questioned what a small country in Africa with no resources could do, Ross simply smiled as the truth was revealed, much to the utter amazement of the rest of the world who were still watching.
==== Questioning Natasha Romanoff ====
: "Because I know that when push comes to shove, Black Widow is going to do the right thing.""I had a very good teacher."
: ―Everett Ross and Natasha Romanoff[src]
Natasha Romanoff got taken into the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre, where Ross was tasked with questioning her. Ross asked Romanoff how she let Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes go free, but Romanoff did not answer. Ross apologized for the poor quality, commenting on the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., but Romanoff then started saying that she followed her orders to stop them from reaching the hangar. Ross questioned whether she let them go after stopping them, to which Romanoff simply replied that she let them go. Ross told Romanoff that they had the rest of Rogers' team in custody aside from Rogers and Barnes, so Romanoff asked where they were. Ross said that he could not reveal their location, so Romanoff guessed they were at the Raft, which Ross claimed did not exist. Ross said that Romanoff was lucky he prevented her from being locked up, since he knew she would do the right thing.
Ross asked why Rogers would risk everything for the Winter Soldier, so Romanoff started talking about Rogers and Barnes' history together. Ross asked how Natasha knew so much, so Romanoff explained that she made it her business to know about her teammates. Ross related, sharing that he knew that his coworker Henderson hated having cream in his coffee. Ross agreed that Rogers served his country well, but again asked why he would help Barnes. Romanoff explained that Barnes was Rogers' best friend and held no responsibility for his actions while he was brainwashed by HYDRA. Ross asked where Rogers was, but Romanoff denied having any knowledge of their location. Ross explained that he was aware of the fact that Rogers and Barnes went to Siberia to stop Helmut Zemo, as well as the fact that Romanoff was only there out of a sense of loyalty to Barnes.
Romanoff tried to deny it, but Ross acknowledged that he would not be able to hold her unless she wanted to be there. Romanoff asked why Ross believed her to be there, so Ross guessed that Rogers was breaking his team out of the Raft, admitting that he knew it existed. Romanoff asked how he knew, and Ross asked if she was referring to the Raft or the Needle. Romanoff said that Rogers would have been long gone had he went to the Raft and shared his list of poeple Rogers believed to be breaking out of prison. Ross asked why Rogers would rescue his teammates, prompting Romanoff to realize that he was feeling guilty. Ross confessed that he felt guilty and wanted to help them with the Needle.
Romanoff explained that she had learned about the group selling Chitauri weapons, and Ross confirmed that he received the same intel while Thaddeus Ross tried to call. Everett ignored Thaddeus as well as the JCTC's attempts to contact him and showed Romanoff the coordinates to the Needle's base. The pair agreed that Romanoff would escape stop the organization, so Everett left and was confronted by an agent telling him that Thaddeus had been trying to contact him for ten minutes. Everett soon returned to the conference room and found Romanoff gone, impressed by her escape. He then hesitantly answered another call from Thaddeus.
=== Wakandan Conflict ===
==== Helping out his Friends ====
: "There are agents who've been sentenced to death for less than I'm about to give you now. And we've got a new Director, she's watching me like a hawk.""We will be very careful.""Not just careful, you gotta be fast. U.S. needs another machine and this kid is the only person in the world who knows how to build one."
: ―Everett Ross and Okoye[src]
In 2025, while Ross was on his morning jog in Alexandria, Virginia, he suddenly saw a strange metallic insect in front of him, which he quickly recognized to be Wakandan technology. Ross followed the insect deeper to the woods where he was met by Shuri and Okoye, who inquired about the scientist who developed a Vibranium Detector. Ross then asked if Wakanda was involved in the incident at the Harvey Sub-Sea that claimed the lives of numerous CIA agents, including his friends. However, Okoye claimed that Wakanda had nothing to do with that and when Ross asked who did, Shuri said that they could not tell him for Ross' safety.
Although Ross was insistent on not disclosing any information, Shuri said that they must find the scientist before anyone else, reminding Ross that he owed her and T'Challa for saving his life. Ross then said that the information they were asking for was extremely sensitive and disclosing it could put him in danger, especially since Valentina Allegra de Fontaine became the new Director of the CIA. As Okoye promised they would be careful, Ross told them they needed to act quickly, since the U.S. government required a new detector, and provided them with information about its inventor, Riri Williams.
==== Defusing the Tensions ====
: "My agency assumes it was you and I'm worried they might be onto the fact that I pointed Shuri and Okoye in the right direction. Look, if they're in danger, I want to help. But I can't if I don't know what's going on."
: ―Everett Ross to Ramonda[src]
Later, Ross was summoned to Cambridge where the FBI was involved in a high-speed pursuit of Riri Williams, but she managed to get away, leaving massive destruction in her wake. Ross approached the Special Agent in Charge who said that the Wakandans were most likely to be involved and pointed at Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who was the one who summoned Ross for an investigation. Ross spoke to de Fontaine about her assumptions of Wakanda's involvement, while she noted Ross' good physique.
While de Fontaine was talking with the FBI, Ross found the Kimoyo Beads at the crime scene and hid it before other agents could find it. Wondering what had happened on the bridge, de Fontaine requested he give her a ride to Langley and said that she wanted to talk about the case and apologize for things she said during their marriage. As they arrived at the George Bush Center for Intelligence, headquarters of the CIA, the Kimoyo Beads he stole began to ring and he tried to dismiss de Fontaine so he could answer in secret. Although she wanted to stay in the car, Ross pretended that it was his girlfriend, so she quickly exited the vehicle to give him privacy.
Answering the call, Ross was contacted by Ramonda, who wanted to know why he had Shuri's Kimoyo, to which Ross replied that he picked them up at the crime scene and did not know their owner's identity. Ross then asked if Shuri got Riri Williams, but Ramonda replied that both of them were kidnapped by those she could not speak about. Ross expressed his concern as the CIA largely believed the Wakandans were the perpetrator and could discover his involvement in the incident, but Ramonda said there was another world power involved. She asked Ross to let her know if the U.S. decided to go against Wakanda, and Ross agreed since he wanted to help Shuri and her country.
Within the Headquarters, Ross and de Fontaine met with the State Secretary and the Defense Secretary to discuss Wakanda, as well as the disappearance of Williams. Ross tried to convince them Williams was invited to Wakanda as a part of an exchange program, and they should not have sent the FBI after the Crown Princess of Wakanda. However, Ross was informed President Ritson wanted to take offensive action against Wakanda, namely a destabilization, which deeply concerned him. Ross claimed there was another party involved and he needed more time for investigation, while de Fontaine supported him, since Ross was her expert on Wakanda. Afterwards, Ross exited the building and used the Kimoyo Beads to contact Ramonda, and informed her about the United States' plans for her country.
==== Infiltrating the NSA ====
: "You'll have to send a real War Dog to track down the beads from the sewage facility. I have to go haul a British spy out of my trunk."
: ―Everett Ross to Ramonda[src]
As Ross found out that Riri Williams' laptop was given to the NSA, Ramonda requested for him to ensure that they wouldn't uncover the technology behind the Vibranium Detector. Ross ambushed Clive Reston, who was dispatched by MI6 to collect intel on Spymaster, and neutralized him using a chloroform rag, remarking that it was his revenge for Reston blowing his cover in Tehran. Ross then wore a disguise to impersonate Reston and entered the NSA building, still not believing that he agreed to this. Ramonda asked him to get Shuri's Kimoyo Beads within two meters of Williams' laptop for sixty seconds, while the Wakandans handled the rest.
Ross was approached by Debbie Davidson, who brought him to the computer room, where he spotted Steve working on decrypting Williams' laptop. Davidson handed him a thumb drive with intel on Spymaster, before he approached Steve and got closer to the laptop, allowing the Wakandans to establish the link. Davidson and Steve tried to get him away, as their work was confidential, but Ross attempted to distract them with some small talk to buy enough time for the Wakandans. As Steve mentioned that decrypting the laptop would likely take several days, Davidson angrily told Ross to leave, as foreign agents were not typically allowed in that area. However, the Wakandans needed more time to access the laptop, so Ross brought up a constant noise in the area and was told that the upstairs bathroom needed repair.
Ross was then escorted out of the vicinity by Davidson, as he offered to have dinner together with her after Spymaster was caught, which Davidson appreciated. Instead of leaving the facility, Ross went to the bathroom and flushed the Kimoyo Beads down the toilet after confirming that the signal could go through concrete. Ramonda was confused by Ross' move but he explained that steel pipes should amplify the signal, which ended up working, allowing the Wakandans to erase the information from Williams' laptop. As Ramonda thanked him for his help, Ross advised her to dispatch a War Dog to get the Kimoyo Beads while he would switch the laptop with a dummy before going to haul Reston out of his trunk.
==== Sentenced to Prison ====
: "The Wakandans saved my life. They're good people. You ever thought for a second what they could be doing? Ever thought what we would be doing if the U.S. was the only country in the world with vibranium?"
: ―Everett Ross to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine[src]
Back at his house, Ross suddenly found Valentina Allegra de Fontaine at the kitchen, who showed him a news report about the death of Ramonda. As Ross expressed his shock at this news, de Fontaine pondered what other secrets the Wakandans kept from him. He attempted to bluff to her he had no unsanctioned contact with Wakanda but de Fontaine revealed she had Shuri's Kimoyo Beads bugged before he arrived at the crime scene and knew about his contact with Ramonda. Ross defended his decision, stating that Wakandans are good people, before asking what the United States of America would do if only they had access to vibranium but de Fontaine informed him that was exactly what she wanted.
Ross tried to reason with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine but she coldly refused to listen and placed him under arrest for his act of treason against the United States of America. Ross was handcuffed and put into an FBI armored vehicle to be transported to his trial and incarceration, but the vehicle was stopped by a fallen tree across the road. The guards exited the vehicle to remove the hazard but were incapacitated by an unseen figure, much to Ross' distress. As the figure opened the back of the vehicle and faced him, he realized it was Okoye in an armored suit and sighed in relief. She joked about him being "a colonizer in chains", and liberated Ross from custody.
=== Secret Invasion ===
==== Replaced ====
: "Colonel Rhodes? How long have you been in here?"
: ―Everett Ross to James Rhodes[src]
By 2026, Ross was kidnapped by the Skrull Resistance and held in a Fracking Pod at the New Skrullos, while his likeness and memories were stolen by a Skrull impostor. G'iah defeated Gravik and liberated all humans that were captured by the Resistance, including Ross. Ross woke up from the stasis and noticed James Rhodes being in captivity as well, wondering how long he had been there. Ross and the rest of the captives then left New Skrullos together.
== Personality ==
: "Meals at eight and five. Toilet privileges twice a day. Raise your voice, zap. Touch the glass, zap. You step out of line, you deal with me. Please, step out of line."
: ―Everett Ross to Helmut Zemo[src]
From what can be seen of him, Ross possesses a sarcastic and taunting personality to both his prisoners and allies alike. This is shown in both his mocking of Helmut Zemo during his imprisonment and his belief that Captain America's request of a lawyer for the earlier imprisoned Winter Soldier was hilarious. From these interactions, Ross displayed a belief that if a person has committed serious crimes, they did not deserve a trial and were to be imprisoned without hesitation. Despite this, Ross is shown to be a compassionate and bold man as he jumped in front of Nakia and shielded her from a bullet, suffering a would-be fatal injury in the process had he not been taken to Wakanda. Moreover, underneath his glib demeanor, Ross is constantly anxious, being perpetually concerned about the safety of his agents and his agency.
Despite his immense distrust of others due to his position as a CIA operative, he was a staunch ally of T'Challa and the Golden Tribe and was more than willing to help them retake the country after they saved his life. Also, despite working for the CIA, Everett evidently did not disclose Wakanda's secrets, evidenced by the fact during T'Challa's announcement, the world still saw Wakanda as "a nation of farmers". He was also against Wakanda coming out to the world because he was worried about how fear from other countries could cause them to retaliate against Wakanda. However, when T'Challa was adamant about coming out, Ross swore to do everything in his power to keep the United States from attacking Wakanda out of fear.
Due to the Wakandans saving his life, Ross is in debt to them and in turn is loyal to Wakandans, including Shuri and Queen Ramonda, and is willing to put his job in stake and risk committing treachery against the US by sharing confidential information to the Wakandans as he believed in Wakanda and that they would not do harm to other global powers. He believed in Wakanda and had a firm moral code as to the bottom lines of Western powers’ aggression against the African state that possessed rich Vibranium deposits.
== Abilities ==
* Expert Spy: Ross is a seasoned CIA agent who could utilize his skills in investigating arms dealer Ulysses Klaue and blend into the high rolling crowd in Busan. He was also very knowledgeable of many not-publicly known details like Erik Stevens' backstory as well as some of Wakanda's vibranium technology. Ross was able to impersonate Clive Reston, down to mimicking his British accent, and infiltrate the NSA facility using Kimoyo Beads to gain access to Riri Williams' laptop without getting caught.
* Expert Interrogator: Ross is a skilled interrogator, handling the interrogation of Ulysses Klaue on behalf of the CIA when the latter was captured.
: "You were a great pilot."
: ―Shuri to Everett Ross[src]
* Expert Pilot: Ross is an accomplished pilot who was once a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force.
: "Inhlanhla kunye neentlanzi ezininzi.""It was close, it was close.""Don't laugh, I practiced that."
: ―Everett Ross and T'Challa[src]
* Bilingualism: Ross is fluent in his native English, as well as some Xhosa which he practiced before meeting with T'Challa. However, his foreign sentence was incorrect, but very close.
== Equipment ==
=== Weapons ===
* SIG-Sauer P226R: Ross took this handgun to South Korea during a purchase of the Vibranium weapon from Ulysses Klaue at the Jagalchi Market Casino. When Klaue shot at him due to realizing that Wakandans were there, Ross protected himself with a briefcase while he returned fire.
=== Other Equipment ===
* Remote Access Kimoyo Beads: Ross utilized the Remote Access Kimoyo Beads to pilot the Royal Talon Fighter during the Battle of Mount Bashenga, tasked with destroying the weapons caches carried by rogue Dragon Flyers. Using the sand table interface, modified to fit the cockpit of an American fighter jet, Ross was able to destroy most of the ships before they cloaked and left Wakanda's borders. The Beads allowed him to use the Royal Talon Fighter's full capabilities, as seen when he was able to activate the craft's sonic pulse to destroy two Dragon Flyers.
=== Vehicles ===
* Royal Talon Fighter: Ross remotely piloted a talon fighter in order to stop Erik Killmonger's planes and managed to destroy them.
== Facilities ==
* Joint Counter Terrorist Centre Building: As a commander of the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre, Ross was stationed by the CIA in the agency headquarters in Berlin. At the building, Ross and Sharon Carter greeted Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson and T'Challa which were apprehended after the incident in Bucharest. While Tony Stark and other Avengers dealt with the current situation, Ross supervised interrogation of Winter Soldier by Helmut Zemo who posed himself as Theo Broussard. However, during the interrogation, a power outage occurred and Barnes freed himself, forcing the Avengers and the Centre operatives to confront him.
* CIA South Korean Black Site: Following the mission in South Korea, Ulysses Klaue was apprehended by Black Panther and brought to the CIA safe house in Busan. Under the watch of T'Challa and Okoye, Ross personally interrogated Klaue who told him about Wakanda and an innumerable amount of vibranium they have. As soon as Ross could question T'Challa about Klaue's statements, the facility was assaulted by Erik Killmonger who freed Klaue and almost kill Ross. T'Challa and Nakia decided to take wounded Ross with them to Wakanda to let Shuri treat him.
* Wakanda Medical Center: To be added
* George Bush Center for Intelligence: To be added
* Everett Ross' House: To be added
== Relationships ==
=== Family ===
* Valentina Allegra de Fontaine - Ex-Wife and Former Superior
=== Allies ===
* United States Air Force
* CIA
** Sharon Carter - Former Colleague
** Prescod † - Former Colleague
* United States Department of State
** Thaddeus Ross
** U.S. State Secretary
* Joint Counter Terrorist Centre - Former Subordinates
** Henderson
* Avengers
** Steve Rogers/Captain America †
** Tony Stark/Iron Man †
** Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow †
** James Rhodes/War Machine
** Sam Wilson/Falcon
* Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier - Former Prisoner
* Golden Tribe
** T'Challa/Black Panther † - Friend
** Shuri - Savior and Friend
** Ramonda †
* Midnight Angels
** Okoye - Friend
* Nakia
* Dora Milaje
** Ayo
* Jabari Tribe
** M'Baku
* Griot
* Wakandan Royal Guard
* NSA
** Debbie Davidson
** Steve
* Maria Hill † - Contact
* G'iah - Savior	
=== Enemies ===
* Helmut Zemo/Baron Zemo - Former Prisoner
* Ulysses Klaue/Klaw † - Attempted Killer and Former Prisoner
* Dave
* N'Jadaka/Erik Killmonger † - Attempted Killer
* Linda †
* Limbani †
* Needle
* Clive Reston - Situational Enemy
* FBI - Situational Enemies
** Pete
** Shauver
* Skrull Resistance - Kidnappers
** Everett Ross Skrull † - Impersonator
== Trivia ==
* In the comics, Everett K. Ross worked for the United States Department of State, escorting foreign diplomats on American soil, one of them being T'Challa.
* Ross is a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
== Behind the Scenes ==
* Martin Freeman described his character as: "someone who works for the American government and works in conjunction with the superheroes, and certain agencies that help to tame the superheroes' power". Freeman also added that Ross is "ambiguous" and "you don't know whether he's good or bad, so you’re not quite sure which side he's on. It looks a little bit like he's playing one game when actually he's playing another."
* According to Freeman, Ross "has an uneasy peace with T'Challa", and he "goes on a strange journey, an enlightening journey to Wakanda."
* Matt Emig was a stunt double for Martin Freeman in the role of Everett Ross.
* Adam Pedicini was a stand-in for Martin Freeman in the role of Everett Ross.
== References ==
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Everett Ross.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of quotes related to Everett Ross.
# ↑ Jump up to:1.0 1.1 1.2 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Deleted Scene
# ↑ Jump up to:2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Captain America: Civil War
# ↑ Jump up to:3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Black Panther
# ↑ Jump up to:4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
# ↑ Captain America: Civil War Deleted Scene
# ↑ Black Panther Deleted Scene
# ↑ Black Panther Mid-credits Scene
# ↑ Avengers: Infinity War: The Heroes' Journey
# ↑ Secret Invasion: 1.01: Resurrection
# ↑ Secret Invasion: 1.06: Home
# ↑ Translates from Xhosa to: "Good luck and many shoelaces."
# ↑ Martin Freeman Teases His Role In Captain America: Civil War!
# ↑ 'Black Panther's Martin Freeman Talks About His Character's Journey
== External Links ==
* Everett Ross on Marvel Database
* Everett Ross on Wikipedia
* Everett Ross on Marvel Website