Avery Johnson: Difference between revisions

==Biography==

Avery Junior Johnson was born in the sprawling industrial section of [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] near the Great Lakes of the [[United States of America]].<ref>''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'', page 37</ref> His family broke up when he was six and he was placed in the care of [[Marcille Johnson|his Aunt]] by [[Zone Protective Services]].<ref>''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'', page 42</ref> One situation that Johnson had fond memories of, was his first day of church, as his Aunt tried her best to get the large shoes and small clothes of his cousins to fit him. Her religious beliefs resonated deeply within Johnson and often made him question his own decision to kill other [[human|human beings]], even long after her death. However, he had no qualms about fighting the [[Covenant]] and fought actively in several campaigns to protect humanity from their threat.   

[[File:Page 122.jpg|thumb|Files on [[Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE]].]]

{{main

After the [[Siege of Paris IV]], he was assigned to [[Reach Station Gamma]], an orbital station above the planet [[Reach]], one of Humanity's biggest and most important colonies. While he was stationed there, a massive Covenant armada arrived, starting one of the [[Fall of Reach|largest engagements]] of the Human-Covenant War. During the battle, Johnson led a search and destroy team aboard the station, made up of [[Private First Class|PFC]] [[Wallace Jenkins]], and [[Private (UNSC)|Privates]] [[Bisenti]] and [[O'Brien (Marine)|O'Brien]]. They were almost killed by the attacking Jackals and [[Elites]], but were later picked up by [[SPARTAN-II]]s [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]] and [[Petty Officer Second Class]] [[Linda-058]].<ref>[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]], pages 325, 328, and 349</ref> He escaped onto the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}, which fled the battle into [[Slipspace]].

[[File:1219939333 Avatars Halo Sergeant Johnson.jpg|right|thumb|Sergeant Johnson at the beginning of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', on the ''[[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|Pillar of Autumn]]''.]]

{{Main|Halo: Combat Evolved}}

There is much speculation as to whether the Flood attempted to infect Johnson but he was able to shrug off the effects due to the complications of his [[Boren's Syndrome]], or if he was never infected at all and simply fought his way out. The [[Halo Graphic Novel]] story [[Breaking Quarantine]], as well as [[Halo Graphic Novel, Page 122|page 122]] of the same book, seems to indicate he was never infected, though it may have occurred before the story began.

{{Main|Operation: FIRST STRIKE}}

{{Quote|Don't look like any 'uneven elephant' to me - more like two squid kissing.|Johnson on the ''[[Unyielding Heirophant]]''.<ref>''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', page 328.</ref>}}

Although Johnson's involvement in Operation: FIRST STRIKE was minimal, he came up with the idea to attack the Covenant space station ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' in order to delay the Covenant from finding Earth. Johnson continued to be of assistance when the Spartans began the mission, staying behind with Cortana in the damaged UNSC ''[[Gettysburg]]'' while they charged head-on into the Covenant ship after the operation.

{{Main|Battle of Earth}}

[[File:Hood.jpg|thumb|right|Sergeant Major Avery Johnson is presented with The [[Colonial Cross]] along with Master Chief [[John-117]].]]

After the destruction of the Scarab, Johnson picked up the Chief and brought him back into ''In Amber Clad'', which pulled up next to the massive Covenant ship just as it took off into [[Slipspace]], the human vessel being close enough to "piggyback" along on the same jump.

{{quote|Whoa...it's like a postcard: Dear Sarge, kicking ass in outer space, wish you were here.|"[[Private First Class|PFC]] [[Chips Dubbo]] on [[Delta Halo (Level)|Delta Halo]]}}

{{quote|I heard that...'''jackass!'''|Avery J. Johnson}}

With the remainder of the Sangheili squad keeping the area secure, [[343 Guilty Spark (Monitor)|343 Guilty Spark]] explained to Johnson, Keyes, and 'Vadamee that the other Installations were in a sort of "standby mode", still ready to fire. This is a fail-safe if one of the Halo installations misfires. This allowed them all to be activated remotely from "[[Installation 00|the Ark]]".

[[File:Johnson & Vergil.png|thumb|[[Vergil]] lights a cigar for Johnson.]]

While most of the [[Fleet of Retribution]] remained to maintain the quarantine of High Charity, Johnson, Commander Keyes and the Arbiter returned to Earth on one of the fleet's vessels and arrived before the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] with John-117 onboard.<ref>'''[[Halo Waypoint]]''', ''"The Long Road Home"''</ref>

Johnson warned the Chief that the Covenant had uncovered what he thought was the Ark, and that the Humans had to get to it. Johnson provided air support for the Spartan and the Marine survivors, dropping off Warthogs so the Chief and his Marines could break through the Jiralhanae blockades. At one point, he dropped off several [[Mongoose]] ATVs to assist the Master Chief in destroying a Covenant Scarab. Johnson remained in a Pelican dropship for most, if not all of the Battle of Voi, dispersing armor and troops throughout the city as necessary to help push the Covenant back. When the Pelican made a crash-landing in Voi, Johnson probably docked on the [[UNSC Forward Unto Dawn|UNSC ''Forward Unto Dawn'']] along with Commander Keyes. He was present when the Master Chief retrieved a message from Cortana, who had been left behind on the Flood-infested ''High Charity''. Johnson was one of the Marines that followed the High Prophet of Truth to the ''real'' Ark, which was located past the [[Ark Portal|portal]] generated by the device the Covenant uncovered on Earth.

{{quote

|Shall I help you choose a vehicle, [[Reclaimer]]? This one seems in very good condition, primitive armor not withstanding.|343 Guilty Spark}}

The Prophet of Truth attempted to use Johnson to activate the Ark, and set off the Halo array, but he only taunted the Jiralhanae, in particular a [[Chieftain]], in hopes of angering the Brute to the point where he would kill him, and deny Truth the ability to activate the array. Miranda Keyes attempted to rescue him by crashing a Pelican through a large observatory window. Keyes was able to kill one brute, a Chieftain, and fatally wounded another, but was surrounded. Realizing what the Prophet of Truth wished to use them for, Johnson told her that she should kill them both so they could not be used. While Keyes hesitated, Truth shot her in the back with a [[Spiker]], killing her instantly. Johnson was rescued by John-117 and Thel 'Vadam, along with a horde of Flood. After the Master Chief deactivated the array, the Flood turned on the three, and while Johnson managed to escape on Keyes' Pelican, the Chief and the Arbiter were knocked off by the Gravemind, forced to fight their way back through the Flood.

[[File:DeathofAveryJohnson.jpg|right|thumb|343 Guilty Spark mortally wounds Johnson as the Master Chief looks on.|250px]]

{{quote|Send me out...with a bang.|Avery J. Johnson's last words}}, said to [[John-117]]