Richard Parker

## Personality

In many ways, Richard Laurence Parker took after his older brother Benjamin. He was an honest and hard-working man, committed to doing the right thing and sticking to the values of responsability. Perhaps even more so than Ben, given how he felt indebited to Benjamin for putting his life on the line in the hopes of securing both of them good futures. As such, he possessed a great deal of determination to accomplish what was needed. Despite this, one could say he was grayer than Ben. His time working within the Spec Ops, the CIA and S.H.I.E.L.D. meant he had to be a bit more morally ambigious, but he would rather leave than compromise on his principles if need be. He viewed killing as part of the job yet he valued life much like his brother.

While Ben was laid-back and easy-going with his charm, Richard was more upfront about his charisma, being known as a sweet-talker and having a mild roguish side, best seen in his flirtations with his wife. However, he did possess his own awkwardness, as fatherhood brought out his insecurities and strived to be the best he could be. Despite his silver tongue, he was also more soft-spoken and secretative in some of his answers, an influence from his career in espionage. Through it all though, he died as he lived, doing the right thing and his only regrets being not able to return to his family.

## History

### Growing Up With Ben

Richard Laurence Parker was born in 1950, when his older brother was already 10. He knew little of his father as Mr. Parker died over in the Korean War less than a year later. While Ben would do his best to be a role model for his younger brother, it did leave an impact on Richard's development growing up. Richard was close to their mother as she became his primary parent while Ben struggled also to be the man of the house. Richard took her death difficult as he was but a boy of 8 when it happened and thus leaving Benjamin as the provider for the two of them. Family friends and neighbors assisted for them, yet Richard would often spend his time independent and while he was certainly an ace in education, he also had a bit of a troublemaking side and this element of roguishness was ultimately pushed him into his career in espionage. The two brothers lived in varying conditions over the years until Richard was 14. Through a family friend, Richard could be admitted into the New York Military Academy if Benjamin enlisted. Both brothers agreed and while Ben served abroad, Richard soared in the academy. His latent wit and prowess became fully unleashed as he was determined to fulfill the hard work and responsabilities of the example Ben set out. His lack of a strong father figure led to that as he would earn the eye of a former OSS operative, William Fitzpatrick, who became a mentor of sorts to him.

Despite his intense promise and prestige, Richard had a difficult time staying in place. He did not exactly fit in with most places. After the Military Academy, he would go on to join the prestigious West Point Academy and continue soaring to new heights. His mentor also followed, due to Fitzpatrick having pulled strings to get his daughter Mary to join in, where she and Richard engaged in a friendly rivalry. Richard graduated for purposes of electrical engineering and would go on to become a Captain within the Special Forces. However, army life disagreed with him and he began looking elsewhere for different opportunities. William then offered him to join the CIA, where he met his old friend Mary once more. Their professional friendship evolved into romance though a secret one due to the nature of the CIA, including a private wedding. However, when it became more difficult to hide their relationship, he would leave alongside her and join S.H.I.E.L.D. through an old friend of Will's, Nicholas Fury.

### Family & Sacrifice

Richard found himself more at home over with S.H.I.E.L.D., having gone on many various missions alongside his wife. However, when the went to rescue Agent 10, a Canadian operative from a terrorist splinter cell in China, the doctors checking up on them revealed some very startling news. That Mary was pregnant; the two would become parents. Surprised by this move, they would take time off to spend time with their family, especially with the declining health of William Fitzpatrick. Richard was a bit more used to civilian life than his wife was, especially since he could spend time also with his brother Ben and his wife May. While doing so, Ben noted his own personal concerns with Richard, though Richard reassured him that he and Mary will be reducing the time that they were with S.H.I.E.L.D. On August 10, 1980, their son, Peter Benjamin Parker was born.

Initially a little scared, Richard took to fatherhood with heart and wanted to provide his son with the peace of mind he did not have as much as a child and it gave him a stronger sense of belonging. Despite the busy nature of his work, he and Mary made plenty of time to spend over with their son and being able to settle down with one another and enjoy time as a family. It also caused Richard to reflect on the nature of his life so far, namely in how much it was connected to with the military. It influenced him that he would need to leave te life entirely if he wanted peace. What cemented these feelings was the death of William Fitzpatrick from lung cancer, reminding him of his own mortality and the fear of leaving his son an orphan. As such, Richard proposed with Mary that that they would retire from S.H.I.E.L.D. and enter full civilian life to be with their family. Nick accepted their resignations, but asked of one final mission for them, which they agreed. Entrusting Peter to May and Ben, they hoped they would be able to finish quickly.

Their final mission would be investigating a terrorist cell over in Algeria. However, the mission would quickly become an extraordinary one with the discovery that the cell was led by none other than Albert Malik, a former Soviet agent who disguised himself as the Red Skull as part of a deep-cover operation under Stalin's direct orders. After Stalin's death, he would be among those purged like others from Stalin's inner circle, now forced to go underground. He would resurface arond 1982, eventually getting the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. and thus sending in the Parker agents to go undercover and investigate along with sabotage. Unfortunately, they would be exposed in the last days of infiltration by Karl Fiers, a notorious spy from the Soviet Union who recently joined Malik. He had Mary to try and escape while he would go and face off against Fiers on his own. Despite an intense shootout, Richard would die at the hands of Karl Fiers, who himself nearly at the hands of Richard Parker.

He is survived by his son Peter Parker and Richard's sister-in-law, May Parker.

## Trivia

* Richard has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineerng.

* Richard never went white so fast as the day he got the news that he would become a father, according to Agent Logan.

* According to Emile Chigaru, Richard and Mary's mission control, Richard had an odd habit in which he always made quick jokes during intense situations, a trait that Richard would pass on to his son, Peter.

* Richard planned to go into electrical engineering and Mary as a diplomat upon retiring from espionage, including moving themselves along with Ben and May to a nicer neighborhood to repay everything the two have done for them.

* Despite their military backgrounds, Richard and Mary both empathized with the hippie movement and the cultural rebellion that happened. Richard says this was because of his background growing up in less fortunate conditions while Mary notes this was because her father was also a rebel, and passed the spirit to her.

* Richard and Mary both decided since the day Peter was born to try and steer their son away from the military life out of the fear of losing him as well as their discomfort with the development of the Cold War.

* Richard and Mary lived in Manhatten with Peter along with Mary's father Will during his last years. According to Mary, Will took a shining to Peter, noting the "little guy" was tougher than he looks.

* Many of their missions in the CIA and especially for S.H.I.E.L.D. remained classified. Many were espionage and data retrieval missions though some more than others were secret even from S.H.I.E.L.D. themselves, which they hid in their own private locker and left for Peter. One file was only successfully gained by S.H.I.E.L.D, *File M.M.*

* Their death meant they could not assist much with Ben and May, at least until Peter came of age as they left a trust fund for him to help create a better future for him and his family.

* Richard and Mary Parker were granted Medals of Honor for their sacrifice, but it was post-mortem and not officially announced until the early 21st century when their son Peter was an adult.

* On the day Richard and Mary Parker went to leave Peter with Ben and May for their final mission, Ben and May noted that Mary looked a little off though they were unable to identify what was it specifically. They did make some preparations for the event if Richard and Mary would not come back as they would be gone for nearly a year.