Henry Peter Gyrich

Liaison

Henry Gyrich is the first person to be given the title of US Government liaison to the Avengers by the National Security Agency later by the National Security Council. During his tenure, Gyrich revokes the Avengers' priority status after taking issue.^[2] The Avengers have to accept Gyrich's "suggestions" or have their Quinjets and other sensitive equipment confiscated. He limits the Avengers' active membership to seven members, forces the Falcon to join unwillingly to fill an affirmative action quota Gyrich sets, and installs various security measures for the team.^[3][4][5] Gyrich also takes part in a Senate investigation involving the Avengers which claims the team are threats to national security.^[6] When the investigation ends, the Senate committee gives the Avengers new guidelines and designates Raymond Sikorski as Gyrich's successor.^[7]

Gyrich's a member of the Commission of Superhuman Activities (CSA), the oversight body on superhuman activities in the United States; he is part of the team that forces Captain America to resign. Gyrich also takes part as a special consultant in Project Wideawake, a program dedicated to capturing mutants.^[8]

Political exploits

Gyrich is promoted to be Valerie Cooper's successor as the CSA's head. He uses Commission resources and remolds the vigilante Jack Monroe into the assassin Scourge in an attempt to kill all of Earth's superhumans before being stopped by the Thunderbolts.^[9] Afterwards, Gyrich is reassigned to the US State Department and becomes the Avengers' liaison to the United Nations.^[10] He leaves the position after the United Nations' relationship with the Avengers ends.

Following the Civil War storyline, Gyrich becomes the Secretary of the Superhuman Armed Forces.^[11] Gyrich takes part in an inquiry involving the Initiative program and is removed from his position after getting into a heated argument with Iron Man.^[12]

Following the Secret Invasion storyline, Gyrich is the main antagonist for Kieron Gillen's and Steven Sander's series S.W.O.R.D.,where he joins the eponymous group alongside Abigail Brand. Gyrich kidnaps several aliens, including Noh-Varr, Adam X, Jazinda, Karolina Dean, and Hepzibah, and arrests Brand and Lockheed. Gyrich is berated by Norman Osborn and arrested by Sydren.^[13]

During the Civil War II storyline, Gyrich represents the United States as a member of Alpha Flight's board of governors.^[14][6] He also appears with Alpha Flight in The Immortal Hulk, where he enlists the U-Foes to go after the Hulk.^{[15][16][17][4]}

During the Krakoan Age, Gyrich initiates a plan to discredit the mutant nation Krakoa.^[18] He recruits Wiz Kid as a mole for Orchis and the Guardian as support with an assassination attempt on Shi'ar empress Xandra.^[19] However, Abigail Brand shoots Gyrich out of an airlock, sending him to die in space.^[20][21]

Television

• Henry Gyrich appears in X-Men: The Animated Series, voiced by Barry Flatman.^[26] This version displays a vendetta against the X-Men. Throughout the first season, he works with Bolivar Trask to oversee the Sentinels' production until Master Mold betrays the two. In the series finale "Graduation Day", Gyrich speaks at an anti-mutant summit and attacks Professor X with a sonic gun before being taken away by security.^[27][28]
  • Henry Gyrich appears in X-Men '97, voiced by Todd Haberkorn.^[26] He has been imprisoned in Ryker's Island, but he later breaks out of prison before he is killed by Bastion.^[29]
• Henry Gyrich appears in the Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes episode "Imperious Rex", voiced by Don Brown.^[26]
• Henry Gyrich appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, voiced by Jim Ward.^[26] This version is the director of S.W.O.R.D.

Film

Henry Guyrich appears in X-Men (2000), portrayed by Matthew Sharp.^[30] This version is Senator Robert Kelly's assistant who is killed by the Brotherhood of Mutants and replaced by Mystique.