Faustus

Through hypnosis and mental reprogramming, HYDRA recruited valuable assets to their organization. HYDRA is able to lure potential assets over to their side willingly. The process is usually reserved for those who hold great potential for HYDRA's operations, but are unwilling to do so. To make sure that the brainwashing works, HYDRA forcefully keeps the victim's eyes open. If the indoctrinated start to show signs of breaking free from the control, they can be easily swayed back to HYDRA through a vocalized code. These techniques could reverse certain effects. Victims of the Faustus method do not forget their past; they are merely conditioned to follow HYDRA's orders.

Sunil Bakshi invoked the vocal code on Carl Creel when Creel complained that the Obelisk was taking over his body and he was losing control. After Creel repeated the mantra with Bakshi, Creel regained control over himself and hinted, during his fight with Lance Hunter, that he could duplicate the power of the alien artifact to petrify Hunter.

Aboard the *Maribel del Mar*, Jemma Simmons was told by Bakshi to repeat what he tells her when she confronted Donnie Gill. Simmons started saying the Faustus mantra to Gill but Melinda May interrupted her when she fired on Hunter to keep Hunter from killing Simmons. Gill then chased Simmons until she led him to Bakshi. Bakshi caught Gill by surprise when Gill recognized him and Bakshi said the mantra. This made Gill compliant to his commands.

When Bakshi returned to HYDRA Laboratories, he told Daniel Whitehall that the brainwashing technique was faulty. Whitehall assured him that it was sufficient. Bakshi then told him about his impression of Jemma Simmonsand her cooperation in the Moroccan mission. Whitehall replied that, if necessary, Simmons could be made compliant.

Agent 33 was captured by HYDRA and held prisoner as Whitehall and Bakshi used the Faustus method on her. Agent 33 resisted greatly, even attempted to escape, but Whitehall stayed with her until she was ultimately made a HYDRA agent.

Agent 33 remembered her past, since during her fight with Melinda May, she commented that she was once a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

After Simmons escaped HYDRA Laboratories with the assistance of Bobbi Morse, she was thankful to Morse because Simmons feared that the Faustus method would be used on her.

Skye asked Grant Ward if he was a victim of brainwashing which caused his loyalty to HYDRA. Ward told her he was not.

During her interrogation of Sunil Bakshi, Bobbi Morse revealed that any HYDRA operative could be a victim of Faustus without his knowledge. She used this revelation to make Bakshi wonder if the process was used on him.

Releasing Sunil Bakshi from the custody of the United States military with the aid of Grant Ward, Agent 33 subjected Bakshi to Faustus as revenge for what was done to her.

HYDRA in the Framework also used Faustus in their prison camp for their opponents. The method was used on children who showed early objection against HYDRA.

During his time as a captive in the HYDRA Preparatory Academy, General Glenn Talbot was subjected to Faustus. Agent of HYDRA Candice Lee had Carla Talbot activate Talbot's programming after the latter called to Carla following his rescue by S.H.I.E.L.D. . Under this programming, Talbot attempted to kidnap Robin Hinton[9]and betrayed the location of the Lighthouse to Hale, resulting in the Siege of the Lighthouse. Later, after Talbot infused himself with Gravitonium and developed messianic delusions as a result, Hale attempted to trigger the programming to stop him from searching for more Gravitonium and from killing Phil Coulson, only for the programming to fail and the attempt to prompt Talbot to kill her instead.