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| {{Status|Canon}} | | {{Era|H1|H2|H3|FOR|TF|FS|CH|HGN|FA}} |
| {{New content|[[Halo: Legacy of Onyx]] and [[Halo: Silent Storm]]}}
| | {{Human Character Infobox |
| {{References}}
| | |name=Avery J. Johnson |
| {{Center|'''''Johnson''' redirects here. For other uses, see [[Johnson (disambiguation)]].''}}
| | |image=[[Image:SgtMaj Avery J. Johnson.jpg|300px]] |
| {{Character infobox | | |homeworld= [[Chicago]], [[Earth]] |
| |variant=Human
| | |birth= Before 2480 |
| |name=Avery Johnson | | |death=[[2553]] |
| |image=[[File:Hw2-leader-crop-johnson.png|300px]] | | |rank=[[Sergeant Major]] |
| |homeworld=[[Chicago]], [[United Republic of North America|URNA]], [[Earth]]{{Ref/Reuse|CH37}} | |
| |birth=[[2474#November|November 23, 2474]]{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22P91|Enc22|Page=91}} | |
| |death=[[2552#December|December 11, 2552]] | |
| |causeofdeath=Mortally wounded by [[343 Guilty Spark]] | |
| |parents=
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| |siblings=
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| |spouses=
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| |children=
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| |species=[[Human]] | | |species=[[Human]] |
| |gender=Male | | |gender=[[Human|Male]] |
| |height={{Convert|187.2|cm|ftin|sp=us}}<ref name="EVG">'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 102''</ref> | | |height= 6'2" |
| |mass={{Convert|95.5|kg|lb}}{{Ref/Reuse|EVG}} | | |weapons= [[M99 Special Application Scoped Rifle]], [[MA5B ICWS Assault Rifle]], [[BR55 Battle Rifle]], [[SRS99C|SRS99C-S2 AMB]] [[SRS99C-S2 AMB|Sniper Rifle]], [[MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle]], [[Weapon/Anti-Vehicle Model 6 Grindell/Galileian Nonlinear Rifle|W/AV M6 Grindell/Galileian Nonlinear Rifle]] |
| | |equipment= |
| | |vehicles=[[M12 Warthog LRV]], [[D77H-TCI Pelican]], [[Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform]] |
| |hair=Black | | |hair=Black |
| |eyes=Brown | | |eyes=Brown |
| |affiliation=*[[UNSC Navy]] {{C|formerly}} | | |cyber= |
| **[[ORION Project]] {{C|formerly}} | | |era= |
| *[[UNSC Marine Corps]] | | |types= |
| |rank=*[[Corporal]] {{C|formerly}}
| | |notable=*[[Battle of Harvest]] |
| *[[Staff Sergeant]] {{C|formerly}} | | *[[Siege of Paris IV]] |
| *[[Sergeant Major]]{{Ref/Reuse|EVG}} | | *[[Battle of Reach]] |
| |sn=48789-20114-AJ{{Ref/Reuse|EVG}} | | *[[Battle of Installation 04]] |
| |notable= | | *[[Operation: First Strike]] |
| | *[[First Battle of Earth]] |
| | **[[Battle of New Mombasa]] |
| | *[[Battle of Installation 05]] |
| | *[[Second Battle of Earth]] |
| | **[[Battle of Voi]] |
| | *[[Battle of Installation 00]] |
| | *and many others… |
| | |affiliation=[[UNSC]] [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] |
| | |hideb=true |
| }} | | }} |
| {{Quote|Dear humanity: We regret being alien bastards. We regret coming to Earth. And we most definitely regret that the Corps just blew up our raggedy-ass fleet!|SgtMaj. Avery Johnson, 2552<ref>'''Halo 2''', ''Outskirts''</ref>}} | | {{quote|What's the matter, big shot? Can't start your own party?|Johnson before the assassination of [[Prophet of Truth|Truth]].}} |
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| '''Sergeant Major Avery Junior Johnson''' ([[service number|'''SN''']]: 48789-20114-AJ<ref name="GN122>'''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''', ''[[Halo Graphic Novel, Page 122|Page 122]]''</ref>) was a [[Sergeant Major|senior non-commissioned officer]] of the [[UNSC Marine Corps]] who served during in the fight against the [[Insurrection]] and the [[Human-Covenant War]]. Johnson was a highly trained marine, who also served with various units of the [[UNSC Special Forces|Naval Special Warfare Command]], most notably the highly classified [[ORION Project]], the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]]'s first super-soldier program. | | '''[[Sergeant Major]] Avery J. Johnson''' ([[Service Number|Service Number]] 48789-20114-AJ<ref name="HGN">[[Halo Graphic Novel Pg122]]</ref>) was an energetic commander in the [[UNSC Marine Corps]]. He played a vital role in all three Halo games, providing assistance to the [[Master Chief|Chief]] at very opportune times. He also had a strange fascination for [[Flip Music]]. |
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| Johnson played a vital role over the course of the Covenant War. He resisted the [[Covenant]]'s [[First Battle of Harvest|attack]] on [[Harvest]] at the outbreak of the war and went on to participate in numerous engagements. In the war's final months Johnson fought during the [[Fall of Reach]], on [[Battle of Installation 04|Installation 04]], [[Battle of Earth|at Earth]], [[Battle of Installation 05|on Installation 05]], and [[Battle of Installation 00|on the Ark and Installation 08]]. He was key to the formation of an alliance between humanity and [[Thel 'Vadam]] and the [[Fleet of Retribution]] following the [[Great Schism]] in [[2552#November|November 2552]]. Ultimately, Sergeant Major Johnson was killed by [[monitor]] [[343 Guilty Spark]] while attempting to prematurely activate [[Installation 08]].
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| | __TOC__ |
| ==Biography== | | ==Biography== |
| ===Childhood=== | | === Early Career === |
| {{Quote|A boy isn't a boy that doesn't ruin his clothes.|Marcille, in response to the fact that so many clothes of her sons were worn-out before being passed on to Avery.}}
| | [[Image:SSgt Avery Johnson, UNSC Marine Corps.JPG|250px|thumb|left|Johnson on [[Harvest]].]] |
| Avery Junior Johnson was born on [[2474#November|November 23, 2474]] on [[Earth]] in the [[United Republic of North America]]'s [[Greater Chicago Industrial Zone]], a sprawling metroplex covering regions that once were part of the [[United States of America|American]] states of [[Wikipedia:Illinois|Illinois]], [[Wikipedia:Indiana|Indiana]], and [[Wikipedia:Wisconsin|Wisconsin]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P91}}<ref name="CH37">'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 37''</ref> From the time he was six years old, he was raised by his aunt, [[Marcille Johnson|Marcille]], after [[Zone Protective Services|Zone social services]] placed him in her care due to an angry end to his parents' marriage.<ref name="CH42">'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 42''</ref> His father had left his mother so distraught that she could no longer care for herself, let alone an active, six-year-old boy. Marcille's sons were already grown by the time she adopted Avery and consequently he was dressed with many of the worn-out clothes they had worn at his age, which did not always fit due to his tall, broad-shouldered frame. His aunt worked hard to patch and sew so that Avery always looked his best, however, especially for church. Aunt Marcille was [[Evangelical Promessic]] and her religiosity resonated with the young Avery, who accompanied her to church services. Avery's first day of attendance left him with memories he would carry for the remainder of his life: the suffocating pinch of his white, freshly starched oxford shirt, a little paisley tie, argyle socks beneath neatly cuffed tan slacks, and the smell of carnauba wax, liberally applied, to mask the scuffs in his oversized, wingtip shoes. Avery and his aunt lived in a walkup apartment on [[Blackstone Avenue]] for the entirety of Avery's upbringing.
| | Avery J. Johnson was born in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] of the former [[United States of America]]. His family broke up when he was at the age of six<ref> [[Halo: Contact Harvest]] page 42</ref> and he was raised by his [[Aunt Marcielle|aunt]] whose holy beliefs resonated within the Sergeant and often made him question his own decision to kill other human beings, even long after her death. His name was associated with dozens of secret Ops, including the [[ORION Project]], otherwise known as the SPARTAN-I Program, initiated in 2491. After a brutal mission in [[Operation: TREBUCHET]] that killed most of his team, he was reassigned to form a Colonial Militia on [[Harvest]], in response to mysterious attacks on human freighters near the planet. While stationed at Harvest Johnson was one of the first human beings to encounter the Covenant, destroying the ship [[Minor Transgression]] in the process. He aided [[Staff Sergeant Byrne]] and ONI operative [[Jilan al-Cygni]] in repelling the Brute ship [[Rapid Conversion]] long enough to allow most of the planet's population to escape in the [[Tiara]], seven different Space elevators stationed on the planet. He, along with the surviving members of his militia, escape the planet and prepare themselves for the new threat to humanity. |
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| ===Early military career=== | | ===Paris/BS Spoof=== |
| {{Quote|They taught you to be a killer, Avery. They taught us both.|Staff Sergeant Byrne reflects on he and Johnson's ORION training.}}
| | A query by [[Cortana]] into Johnson's medical history revealed he had a condition known as [[Boren's Syndrome]] that enabled him to resist Flood infection. This disease was supposedly gained while he was stationed at [[Paris IV]]. When the [[Covenant]] [[Siege of Paris IV|attacked]] [[Paris IV]], [[Sergeant]] Johnson fought valiantly: during the battle, he captured a crate of [[Plasma Grenade|plasma grenades]] when his troops needed it and used them all against the enemy troops to keep them at bay so his fellow soldiers could evacuate. He received a commendation for bravery...and a twelve-hundred-rad cumulative dose of radiation as an unanticipated "bonus" from the plasma grenades.<ref>[[Halo: First Strike]] Pg244</ref> It was later revealed that during Johnson's escape from Halo he managed to single handedly fight off the Flood and had never actually come into contact with them. It was revealed an [[ONI]] operative had intercepted her query into Johnson's history and that his condition was false, premade to mask some secret aspect of his past, perhaps his origin as a [[Spartan I]].<ref>[[Halo Graphic Novel]] Pg122</ref> |
| [[File:AssassinAvery.png|thumb|250px|Photographs of Corporal Johnson assassinating Ander.]] | |
| Avery enlisted with the [[United Nations Space Command]] [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] when he was nineteen years old. His aunt bid him farewell by telling him to make her proud and reminding him to always do what was right. He had become convinced that innocent people, like his aunt, were threatened by those involved in the [[Insurrection]], an undeclared civil war between the [[Unified Earth Government]] and disparate groups resisting its authority that had kicked off in earnest in [[2496]].<ref name="CH45">'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 45''</ref> Avery excelled as a marine and often warranted special training and special missions. By the first few years of the twenty-sixth century, he had been handpicked to become part of the [[ORION Project]], a joint effort by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] and the [[Colonial Military Authority]] to create [[biological augmentation|biologically augmented]] super-soldiers to quell the [[Insurrectionist]] tide. Avery traveled to the planet [[Reach]] where he underwent a series of bioengineering protocols and grueling physical and mental tests. As part of ORION and [[UNSC Special Forces|NavSpecWar]], he was granted entrance into the [[Naval Special Warfare Sniper School]], where he exceeded the expectations of his superiors. In addition to training as a [[sniper]], he also learned to deploy in [[Drop pod|orbital drops]]<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 350''</ref> and became an accomplished [[Wikipedia:Close quarters combat|close quarters battle]] fighter. In [[2502]], then-Corporal Johnson deployed to [[Harvest]] as part of [[Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE]], a campaign with the goal of assassinating key rebel leaders. On March 13, Avery acquired a position on a rooftop and with the assistance of a spotter, used an [[M99 Stanchion]] rifle to kill [[Jerald Ander]], the leader of the [[Secessionist Union]] on the planet, as a truck carrying him passed by. Johnson was involved in numerous other classified operations against the [[Insurrection]] during his years with ORION. The final of these for the project was [[Operation: TANGLEWOOD]]. Due to unmet expectations and exorbitant costs, the ORION Project was then deactivated in [[2506]]. Johnson was reassigned to a position in the Marine Corps once again. Avery was a leader during many black operations missions over the course of the Insurrection.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 76''</ref>
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| ===Tribute===
| | After being promoted to the rank of [[Staff Sergeant]], he was assigned to [[Reach Station Gamma]], a military station above the planet. While stationed there, a massive Covenant armada arrived, beginning the [[The Battle of Reach| Battle of Reach]]. During the battle, Johnson led a search and destroy team aboard the station, where they were picked up by [[John-117]]. <ref>[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]], pages 325, 328, and 349</ref> He escaped onto the ''[[Pillar of Autumn]]'', which fled the battle into [[Slipspace]]. |
| {{Quote|Johnson, take the shot!|Staff Sergeant Byrne.}}
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| In [[2513]], the UNSC launched [[Operation: TREBUCHET]], an extensive campaign to crush insurrectionists in the [[Outer Colonies]]. As part of this ongoing offensive, then-Staff Sergeant Johnson led [[Alpha Squad|a unit]] of Marines on June 16, [[2524]] during an effort to neutralize the bomb-making capabilities of rebels on [[Tribute]]. Before dawn, the two four-man squads took to the air with [[AV-14 Hornet]]s. At fifty-seven minutes and sixteen seconds into the mission, the hornets crested a line of crumbling hills the marines got their first line-of-sight view of their objective: one of Tribute's struggling industrial settlements; and, somewhere inside the town, a suspected Insurrectionist bomb-shop. The hornets dropped the strike force off on the edge of town and Johnson took point for his squad. He set a brisk pace and led them over a chain-link fence and around piles of plastic crates and pallets until they reached the front of what looked like nothing more than a rundown vehicle repair shop. After signaling their position to Byrne and receiving a similar confirmation, Avery kicked in the thin metal door that led inside. Most of the surprised insurrectionists were unarmed at the moment of the breach and those that were had nothing more than snub-nosed automatic pistols that did little against the marines' body armor. Johnson personally neutralized a triggerman before he could detonate any explosives. The firefight lasted less than ten seconds and resulted in the deaths of twelve insurrectionists. Four others surrendered. Avery attempted to use an [[ARGUS]] device to detect any significant chemical compounds of interest in the vicinity, but the recent firefight made it impossible to nail down the location of any hidden bombs. Johnson relayed this complication to the tactical operations center aboard the {{UNSCShip|Bum Rush}} and received approval from [[Lieutenant Colonel]] [[Aboim]] to extract information from their hostages by any means necessary. Byrne selected one unlucky man and proceeded to break both his legs before he confessed they had been mixing explosives into the synthetic rubber treads of tires. The explosive compound in nearby tires was quickly uploaded to the database of similar materials used by the rebels. Less than a minute later, an [[ARGUS drone]] patrolling one of the highways leading into [[Casbah City]], the planet's capital, identified the compound in skid marks left by a sixteen-wheel hauler. The truck was located as it pulled into the parking lot of a [[Jim Dandy]] roadside diner. More of the explosive was also detected inside the diner. Byrne killed the other three insurrectionists that had surrendered but kept the one who talked as a prisoner, per orders from the operation's ONI representative. He and Avery both led their squads back to the hornets.
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| Twenty-eight minutes elapsed during their flight. The craft took up positions behind a smoked-glass, multistory office building across the highway from the Jim Dandy. The drone provided Avery with thermal imaging of the situation. Now armed with a stanchion sniper rifle, he took aim at the man that had been the driver of the truck. He waited for the individual to finish his meal and exit the building before sending a round straight through two of the office building's steel-reinforced, polycrete floors and into him at fifteen thousand meters per second. The target was torn asunder by the shot. The ARGUS was still showing a bomb within the restaurant, so Byrne's team made to land and enter while Avery's continued to provide coverage from above. The source of the reading was a purse near where the man had been sitting. As Byrne was about to retrieve it, the woman to whom it belonged exited one of the diner's bathrooms. Realizing what was happening, she grabbed a young boy to turn him into a human shield and produced a detonator, threatening to use it if the marines did not back off. Avery was ordered to kill the woman from his position, but he hesitated due to the risk he would be putting the child at. Byrne yelled that if Johnson would not take the shot, then he would kill her himself. Johnson affirmed that he was firing, but as he waited for an opening that would minimize the chances of harming the boy, the boy's father lunged at the woman and she detonated the bombs. Both her purse and tires on the truck outside engulfed the diner in fiery explosions that killed everyone inside but Staff Sergeant Byrne. In total, the dead numbered thirty-nine civilians, (including the woman) and three marines.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 20''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 86''</ref>
| | === Halo === |
| | [[Image:Johnson.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Johnson on [[Halo|Installation 04]].]] |
| | {{quote|Men, we led those dumb bugs out to the middle of nowhere to keep 'em from gettin' their filthy claws on Earth. But, we stumbled onto somethin' they're so hot for, that they're scramblin' over each other to get it. Now I don't care if it God's own anti-son-of-a-bitch machine or a giant hula-hoop; We're not going to let them have it! What we will let them have is a belly full of lead and a pool of their own blood to drown in!|Sergeant Johnson ('Pillar of Autumn' level on Legendary)}} |
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| ===Human-Covenant War===
| | Coming out of Slipspace, the ''Pillar of Autumn'' came across a [[Installation 04|mysterious ring]]. The Covenant, too scared to damage the ring world, began boarding actions to "cleanly" neutralize the ''Autumn''. On board, Johnson helped defend the ''Autumn'' from the invading Covenant troops, but like everyone else was forced to abandon ship when [[Captain]] [[Jacob Keyes]] issued the order. |
| {{References|section}}
| | {{quote|It's a mess, Sir. We're scattered all over this valley. We called for evac, but until you showed up, I thought we were cooked.|Sergeant Johnson, after having his fireteam saved by the Master Chief|Halo (level)|}} |
| ====Reassignment====
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| After the incident, Johnson came home and found his aunt dead of natural causes,<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 41''</ref> and soon went on a massive drinking binge. He started a brawl with bouncers at a [[Dog and Pony|Chicago club]],<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 44''</ref> and ended up in a gutter until he was found by [[Downs|Lieutenant Downs]], a [[UNSC Marine Corps]] [[Enlistment Officer|recruiter]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 47''</ref> He was reassigned to the planet Harvest by [[Jilan al-Cygni]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 123''</ref>
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| Officially, Johnson was reassigned to train the [[Harvest militia|Colonial Militia]] on Harvest, but their actual mission was to create a covert anti-insurgency unit, and to lay an ambush on insurgent forces suspected in the disappearances of DCS freighters around [[Harvest]].
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| Johnson met [[Healy]] as he came to Harvest. After the man tried to get drinks and women instead of heading straight to where they were ordered, Johnson angrily confronted him.
| | Johnson’s escape pod and his [[Fire Team Charlie|squad]] successfully landed on the ring with few injuries to the passengers. However, as soon as they stepped onto the grass, they were viciously attacked by the Covenant strike teams. With his platoon scattered all over the valley, he was glad to see SPARTAN-117 come strolling up to assist.<ref>[[Halo: The Flood]], pages 68/69</ref>. |
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| Upon meeting [[Byrne]] again in the barracks shortly after arriving, he was confronted on why he didn't take the shot to kill the Insurrectionist. Johnson tried to explain that he didn't want to hit the child she was holding hostage, and apologized for the loss of Byrne's squad. This did not deter Byrne from starting a brawl. Initially, Johnson had the upperhand, nearly choking the larger man into unconsciousness with a belt, but was kicked in his unprotected groin, stunning him for a few moments. Before Johnson could recover, he was grabbed by the throat and lifted off the ground. Byrne rebuked Johnson, before Captain Ponder entered. Ponder threatened to shoot Byrne if he did not release Johnson, forcing Byrne to do so. Ponder warned the two marines that if they wanted to take any anger out on each other, this was the last time they could do so. Johnson refused at first, but after being punched by Byrne, he swung so hard that the other Staff Sergeant's tooth was knocked from his mouth, coming to rest by [[Healy]].
| | Johnson and Fire Team Charlie were evac'ed by [[Echo 419]], and remained at [[Alpha Base]] for some time. |
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| Johnson began training the marines not long after. | | ==== '''Escape from the Flood''' ==== |
| {{Expand-section}}
| | [[Image:Hgn-johnson.jpg|thumb|left|200px|In order to escape the [[Flood]], Johnson was forced to confront the death of his squad and the nightmarish [[Combat Form|Combat Forms]].]] |
| | The crew intercepted a Covenant transmission detailing the transport of numerous weapons to somewhere in the swampy regions of the ring. This, as well as an [['Qualomee|Elite's]] testimony of a large weapons cache located in a swamp, prompted Captain Keyes to investigate. Johnson and his platoon accompanied the captain for this mission. |
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| [[File:SSgt Avery Johnson, UNSC Marine Corps.JPG|left|thumb|300px|Staff Sergeant Avery J. Johnson and the [[Harvest Colonial Militia]] during the Covenant's attack on the planet.]]
| | Shortly after they were dropped off, the squads came across a structure leading underground. As they ventured further into the facility they came across several Elite corpses, with scrambled innards. Passing them off as friendly fire, they proceeded deeper into the facility until they entered a seemingly empty room. Annoyed with [[Private]] [[Manuel Mendoza|Mendoza’s]] whining, Johnson passed off the situation as sissy talk until little, [[Infection Form|balloon-like creatures]] burst out of the nearby holding cells and attacked the squad. Nothing he had ever seen in his entire career as a Marine could prepare him for the [[Flood|enemy]] he found attacking his Marines. He was one of the victims of an assimilation attempt into a [[Combat Form]], but the mutations caused by his [[Boren's Syndrome]] stopped the process. This encounter also seems to have left him with some curious regenerative abilities<ref>[[Halo: First Strike]] Pg.245 .</ref>. Alive and well, Johnson was forced to attack and kill his own Marines, who were mutating before his eyes into mindless monsters bent on killing him. Johnson fought his way out of the nightmare through sheer tenacity and firepower. He was presumed dead after SPARTAN-117 found a helmet recorder entry from Private [[Wallace Jenkins]], showing the gory details of the Marines' fates, but may have been extracted from the swamp with [[Private]] [[Bisenti]] by [[Echo 419]]. |
| ====First Contact====
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| {{Main|First Battle of Harvest}}
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| However, while lying in wait on a bait freighter, he and Sergeant Byrne, who was also assigned to the position, fought and defeated four [[Kig-yar|bird-like extraterrestrials]] in the first official battle between the UNSC and the alliance of alien species known as the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]]. Johnson and Byrne (with the rest of the militia of Harvest) were also present at the initial negotiations between the [[Jiralhanae|Brutes]] and the [[human]]s. They also fought Brute Chieftain [[Maccabeus]], his nephew [[Tartarus]], and several [[Unggoy|Grunts]]. He aided [[Staff Sergeant]] Byrne and ONI operative [[Lieutenant Commander|Lt. Cdr.]] [[Jilan al-Cygni]] in repelling the [[Jiralhanae|Brute]] ship ''[[Rapid Conversion]]'' long enough to allow most of the planet's population to escape into the [[Tiara]], a station attached to seven different space elevators stationed on the planet. Later, he would become romantically involved with al-Cygni after escaping from the planet. Although Johnson and al-Cygni seemed quite taken with each other it is unclear whether they formed a relationship, or how long it lasted.
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| {{Expand-section}}
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| ====SILENT STORM==== | | === Return to Earth === |
| {{Main|Operation: SILENT STORM}} | | {{quote|Hell, [[Master Chief|Chief]], it’ll take more than that [[Flood|pack of walking alien horror-show freaks]] to take out [[Sergeant]] A. J. Johnson. |Avery J. Johnson}} |
| On [[2526#March|March 7, 2526]], Johnson was called to a meeting on the {{UNSCShip|Everest}} with [[Vice Admiral]]s [[Preston Cole]] and [[Michael Stanforth]] as well as Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]]. With the war with the [[Covenant]] getting desperate, the three discussed options and revealed that they wanted Johnson, as a veteran of the [[First Battle of Harvest]] and a member of the [[ORION Project]], to be a part of whatever solution they came up with. Based on his own experiences on Harvest, Johnson offered his opinions on the various Covenant races he had encountered. Johnson was informed of the existence of the [[SPARTAN-II]]s and their enhanced abilities. As the Spartans were only fifteen, Stanforth felt that they needed a sergeant to help lead and teach the Spartans, albeit one who wouldn't give orders. Though disgruntled about being effectively made into a babysitter, Johnson agreed to take up the role.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS4|HSS|Chapter=4}}
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| Johnson subsequently took part in Operation: SILENT STORM, a counterattack against the Covenant aimed at buying humanity time to develop effective countermeasures against their seemingly unstoppable enemy.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS4}} During [[Task Force Yama]]'s slipspace journey to their [[Biko|first destination]], Johnson began working with the [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers|ODSTs]] of the [[21st Space Assault Battalion]], also known as the "Black Daggers." At first, the marines had proved to be no match for the Spartans during their training exercises, but that changed when Johnson introduced new and unorthodox strategies. While the Spartans continued to outclass the individual ODSTs, victory was no longer certain when facing large numbers that now knew how to coordinate an effective assault. Four days into the training, [[Colonel]] [[Marmon Crowther]] had the Spartans and the entire battalion of Black Daggers gather to be briefed on his plan to board and destroy Covenant vessels. When Crowther presented a plan that made poor use of the Spartans' abilities, [[John-117]] spoke out and Johnson backed him up, helping to convince the colonel to consult with John before making his decision.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS5|HSS|Chapter=5}} | | Johnson met up with [[Lieutenant]] [[Elias Haverson]], [[Corporal]] [[Locklear]], and [[Sheila Polaski]], and the group escaped the ring in a [[Pelican]], moments before it collapsed in a series of fiery explosions. It is said that Johnson was rescued shortly after being seen hugging an [[Elite]] in the extended ending of [[Halo]]. This explanation is used to make a supposedly non-canon scene into a canon event. |
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| ====Battle of Seoba====
| | Polaski piloted the dropship away from the ring, meeting up with a [[C709 Longsword-class Starfighter|C709 ‘‘Longsword’’-class Starfighter]] carrying SPARTAN-117 and the [[AI]], [[Cortana]]. Having seen Jenkins’s video himself, John was alarmed by Johnson’s appearance, and promptly pulled Johnson's own [[M6D Pistol]] and pointed it to his head. It took Cortana to convince him that the sergeant hadn’t turned into a Flood mutant. With that, SPARTAN 117 relaxed and welcomed Johnson aboard. |
| {{Main|Battle of Seoba}}
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| Arriving at [[Seoba Ice Quarry|the ice quarry]] on [[Biko]]'s [[Natural satellite|moon]] of [[Seoba]] that had been selected as the staging point for their mission, Johnson was positioned in the troop bay of the {{UNSCShip|Ghost Song}} alongside John-117 for a practice deployment set up by Colonel Crowther. However, it was discovered that insurgents aligned with the [[Biko Independence Army]] were occupying the quarry already.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS7|HSS|Chapter=7}} With the insertion no longer a drill, [[Ghost Flight]] maintained its approach vector and began to drop off its first detachments of Black Daggers, which were immediately torn to shreds by enemy [[M41 Vulcan|weapon emplacement]]s. John disobeyed orders and jumped from the [[prowler]] before his designated time, knowing that he would withstand the fire long enough to take out the nearest bunkers. After John and [[Blue Team]] had softened up the insurgents, the ODSTs and Johnson deployed with little difficulty. Shortly afterward, Johnson regrouped with the Spartans in the shadow of a derelict [[mass driver]] as they formulated a plan to destroy a convoy of insurrectionist [[Civet]]s climbing out of the quarry to repair a communications relay that had been damaged during the insertion run.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS8|HSS|Chapter=8}} The convoy was eventually destroyed by [[Lieutenant]] [[Nelly Hamm]]'s ODSTs and the quarry was taken.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS10|HSS|Chapter=10}} A day later, Johnson was summoned by [[Captain (NAVCOM)|Captain]] [[Halima Ascot]] for a debriefing in the quarry's [[Assembly Chamber 4L430]]. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss what went wrong during the operation and what led to Alpha Company's unusually-high casualties. Ultimately, the conversation turned to the Spartans and their qualifications, which then led to a discussion about their true ages. It was revealed that they were only fifteen at the time, giving Crowther a reason to sideline them for the rest of the operation. Then, the group began to discuss the insurgents' seeming preparedness to defend the quarry. John-117 suggested that they had been waiting for the Covenant, not the UNSC. Just then, [[Bloodstar Flotilla|a Covenant flotilla]] arrived in-system. Johnson and the others rushed out of the room to prepare for battle.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS11|HSS|Chapter=11}}
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| The entire 21st Space Assault Battalion was loaded onto the prowlers of Task Force Yama, with Captain Ascot's {{UNSCShip|Starry Night}} and the rest of [[Night Flight]] receiving the last company.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS13|HSS|Chapter=13}} Johnson was among the Black Daggers who boarded the ''Starry Night''.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS15|HSS|Chapter=15}} As Night Flight prepared to launch, the alien flotilla began bombarding their berth within the quarry. Ascot was alerted of this, and she ordered the four prowlers to launch immediately. Before it could clear the edge of the quarry, the ''Starry Night'' was struck by the bombardment,{{Ref/Reuse|HSS13}} sending it crashing into the quarry's terraced ice walls, coming to a rest halfway up a fresh avalanche of ice.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS14|HSS|Chapter=14}} The prowler was heavily damaged, with its bow ripped off and the rest of its fuselage crumpled and warped. Johnson—now with a concussion—and four ODSTs survived the crash, but Captain Ascot and the rest of the crew were killed.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS15}} Because no other units were available to check on the status of the downed ''Starry Night'', John-117 diverted his Spartans to search for survivors.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS13}} By the time they reached the prowler, [[Worthy Silence|a]] Covenant [[intrusion corvette]] had already arrived to recover the human stealth vessel for study, deploying [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]]-equipped infantry to secure their prize. To delay them and also bring the ''Starry Night'' down to the quarry floor, John had [[Blue Team|his team]] fire just below the prowler with their [[M301 grenade launcher|grenade launcher]]s, causing another avalanche.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS14}} This allowed [[Fred-104]] to lead a team into the ''Starry Night'', secure Johnson and the other survivors, and prepare the vessel's [[Fury tactical nuclear weapon|nuclear]] [[self-destruct]] system. The Spartans fought off Covenant boarders and the concussed Johnson "guarded" the ship's escape pod as [[Linda-058]] finished arming the [[Nuclear weapon|nuke]]. With it set to detonate in thirty seconds, Fred led his two fellow Spartans, the ODSTs, and Johnson into the ''Starry Night''{{'}}s escape pod and ejected into the moon's low gravity. With everyone clear of the blast radius, the nuke blew, destroying the prowler and the corvette that had been drawing it upward via [[gravity lift]].{{Ref/Reuse|HSS15}}
| | ==== ''Ascendant Justice'' ==== |
| | {{quote|Those [[Covenant]] sissies are going to have to tango with me before they set one foot in this room.|Avery J. Johnson}} |
| | Without a viable way to return to the nearest safe outpost, it was decided that the new crew would take over the nearest Covenant ship in the vicinity: ‘‘[[Ascendant Justice]]’’. The Master Chief assumed command although Lieutenant Haverson was the ranking officer and Johnson backed him up helping him assert control over Locklear. Polaski piloted the Longsword towards the ship. After they boarded, Johnson and the others made their way through the ship towards the bridge. He was vital in a final showdown between the SPARTAN-117 and a Sangheili, where he brought down the alien’s shields in order for 117 to win. |
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| ====Working with Crowther====
| | Johnson guarded the bridge along with Locklear and Haverson as SPARTAN-117 took Polaski and a Covenant [[Engineers (Huragok)|Engineer]] to go do some repairs to the ship. After they came back, John revealed his secret mission to capture a Covenant prophet. Wanting to return to Reach, Johnson backed up the Chief’s position. Also when the Chief still wanted to go after the Prophets with his new ship and mismatched crew Johnson backed him up saying if the Chief went he'd go too, but the Chief noticed his exhaustion and realized that the mission was unrealistic at the time and turned over command to Lieutanant Haverson. |
| Johnson was still recovering from his concussion the next day, [[2526#March|March 20]], when he attended a funeral service for the two-hundred-and-three UNSC men and women killed at Seoba. The ceremony was held in the {{UNSCShip|Vanishing Point}}{{'}}s command hangar as it skulked in high orbit over Biko. After [[Ojombo|a chaplain]] gave the eulogy, [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Hector Nyeto]]—Task Force Yama's de facto commander following Captain Ascot's death—had Johnson call the two formations of the honor company to attention, order the hangar crew to raise the [[AlON pressure barrier|pressure barrier]], and then open the outer hatch. Johnson performed these duties with the appropriate pomp, and the capsules were lifted out into the void of space by the decompression wave. Nyeto saluted and recited the Committal he had prepared, having Johnson close the outer hatch and dismiss the honor company once he had completed his brief speech. Most of those present filed out of the hangar, only leaving the six Spartans well enough to attend and a few senior officers. When Nyeto promised to John-117 that he and his compatriots would continue to see action despite their young ages, Colonel Crowther contested this, saying that the Spartans reported to him. In response, Nyeto reminded Crowther that he now reported to ''him'', and that Admiral Cole surely knew about their unique situation before assigning them to the operation. What followed was a heated debate that ended in Nyeto conceding to Crowther after being threatened with a report to a UNSC board of inquiry.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS16|HSS|Chapter=16}} | |
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| As the remaining personnel departed from the hangar in a shocked silence, Johnson was joined by Crowther on the walk back to the Black Daggers' quarters. Crowther apologized to him for having that exchange in front of everyone, but he told the colonel that he had seen worse. Truthfully, Johnson had never seen two commanding officers openly threaten each other with career ending charges like that. He also warned Crowther that his disagreement with Nyeto was not a "pissing match" he was going to win, as it had been decided far above his pay grade that the Spartans were ''not'' children and that they were the right fit for the mission. Crowther surprised Johnson by agreeing with this sentiment, saying that the young supersoldiers had saved them at Seoba and that they were ready for battle. He then revealed that he was suspicious of Nyeto and his strange attitude toward the Spartans. It had seemed to him that Nyeto had purposefully stalled in supporting them during the previous day's battle. As such, Crowther wanted to keep the Spartans away from Nyeto until he figured out what was going on. Inwardly, Johnson agreed that he had similar suspicions about the lieutenant commander. To keep the Spartans away for a time, Crowther informed Johnson that he was sending them on [[Battle over Etalan|a mission]] to sabotage the Covenant's supply chain at [[Etalan]].{{Ref/Reuse|HSS16}}
| | ==== Reach ==== |
| | {{quote|You still want to go, I got your back [[John-117|Chief]].|Avery J. Johnson}} |
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| Despite Johnson being ordered to get some rest and let the effects of his concussion subside, Crowther sent him to visit Blue Team in one of the ''Vanishing Point''{{'}}s maintenance hangars later that day. At this point, [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience|a Covenant fleet]] had arrived and begun its assault on Biko, and the Black Daggers had been deployed to attempt boarding operations. When Johnson strode into the hangar still in pain with a hangover-like headache, he was dressed in blue light-duty utilities and a pair of boots. After John and Fred asked him how he was feeling, Johnson asked Blue Team if they were just going to sit in the hangar all day bellyaching and watching the battle from a distance. John told him that's all they could do with Crowther standing in their way. With that, Johnson informed them of their new mission from the colonel. The Spartans—especially Linda-058 and [[Kelly-087]]—were skeptical given Crowther's apparent past attitude toward them. Johnson leveled with them and admitted that the secrecy was warranted given the suspicions surrounding Nyeto. While the Spartans had their own suspicions of the lieutenant commander, John presented the possibility of Crowther using this mission to Etalan as a way to eliminate them—the Black Daggers' primary competition. Johnson admitted that the idea had never crossed his mind, but that it was possible. However, he asserted that the only way to determine if the mission was a setup would be to accept it. With this, John agreed.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS17|HSS|Chapter=17}}
| | They arrived at Reach, which was nearly completely destroyed. Using a Covenant dropship, they traveled to the surface of the dead planet; Johnson was becoming nervous. After they landed, they found the surviving Spartans and Dr. [[Catherine Elizabeth Halsey| Catherine Halsey]]. |
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| ====Battle over Etalan====
| | Johnson accompanied the new and growing crew as the ship moved through Slipspace. Unknown to him, Dr. Halsey and the Master Chief were reviewing his medical files. They matched Johnson’s survival with the Flood to his Boren’s Syndrome: Flood DNA was present in Johnson’s blood, but was dormant and noninfectious. Halsey also confirmed that Johnson had gained some curious regenerative abilities as a side affect from the attempted assimilation back on Halo. Halsey had prepared two separate documents for [[ONI Section Three]] to review: |
| {{Main|Battle over Etalan}}
| | *All relevant data on Halsey’s analysis and the possible technology to counter an initial Flood infestation. |
| Later that same day, Johnson, the Spartans, and Dr. Halsey left the [[Kolaqoa system]] aboard the UNSC ''Vanishing Point'' with two prowlers serving as escort. During the [[slipspace]] journey, Johnson and John-117 discussed which vessels of the logistics fleet they would make priority targets. Ultimately, they decided that they would target the munitions supply vessels first and the food supply vessels second, as the loss of those necessities would bring the Covenant offensive in this part of human space to a standstill.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS19|HSS|Chapter=19}}
| | *The file above, as well as Jenkins’s and Johnson’s mission logs as well as Johnson’s medical files. |
| | Halsey placed the decision of which data crystal to give to ONI in the Chief's hands. If he gave them the second crystal, ONI would have probably dissected Johnson in order to figure out how he resisted the Flood, killing the Sergeant. The Chief later decided to save Johnson's life by discarding the second crystal. |
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| On [[2526#March|March 22]], the three ships dropped out of slipspace near Etalan, spending the next four days observing the logistics fleet's movements and trying to discern which vessel served which purpose. By [[2526#March|March 26]], the ''Vanishing Point''{{'}}s analysts felt confident that four of the fleet's fifteen vessels were equipment [[freighter]]s carrying spare parts and other materials that would be used to keep the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience operational in the field. At this point, the logistics fleet was seemingly preparing to break from orbit over Etalan, evidenced by the fact that they had begun syncing their orbits and bringing their [[fusion reactor]]s to full power. Since time was running out, [[Gold Team|Gold]] and [[Green Team]]s were deployed in [[S-14 Baselard]]s to destroy the equipment freighters as Johnson and Blue Team discussed what vessels they should target during the second phase of the attack. The plan called for each of them to pilot one of the [[Elsedda-pattern Banshee|Banshee]]s that the Spartans had captured in [[Skirmish over Netherop|a mission]] over [[Netherop]] a few weeks earlier. They would fly the Banshees straight into the hangars of the target vessels, crash the fighters with a [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon]] in the cockpit, and then go [[Extra-vehicular activity|EV]] and await prowler pickup. For the purpose of this mission, Johnson was equipped with [[ODST armor#Space-assault|space assault armor]], an [[M99 Stanchion]], and an [[M41 SPNKR]].{{Ref/Reuse|HSS19}}
| | ==== Operation: FIRST STRIKE ==== |
| | {{quote|I'm not sure what that thing is. Don't look like any '[[Unyielding Hierophant|uneven elephant]]' to me—more like two squid kissing.|Avery J. Johnson}} |
| | It was the Sergeant's idea to attack the Covenant ship ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'', giving the [[Spartan]]s ground to fight on in order to delay the Armageddon which was to arrive if the enemy ever reached Earth. Johnson continued to be of assistance when the Spartans launched [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]], staying behind with Cortana in the ''[[Gettysburg]]'' while they charged head-on into the Covenant ship. After the operation, John-117 saved Johnson's life by destroying the data crystal which contained the information that threatened his life. SPARTAN-117 had realized that even though the extra information could have possibly helped save humanity from the flood, it was just that, a possibility. SPARTAN-117 realized that he must do everything he could to save ''everyone'' and knew he couldn't possibly let ONI kill Johnson, so he destroyed the completed data crystal. The remaining crew flew back to [[Earth]], where the battle was only about to begin. |
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| Johnson suggested that they take out what the analysts believed to be {{Pattern|Mjern|agricultural support ship}}s, but Fred pointed out that they weren't even sure of that and they could be petting zoos for all they knew. Still, Johnson argued that could destroy all of the "petting zoos," and they'd be stuck without whatever they needed them for. However, Dr. Halsey walked over and informed them that she had identified the fleet's munition supply vessels as the three large "[[Bladder ship|air-skimmer]]s" seen dipping in and out of Etalan's upper atmosphere. Johnson, unconvinced that she could have determined that, asked how she knew. After some prodding, Dr. Halsey explained that the "air-skimmers" were collecting gas from Etalan's atmosphere to refine into [[plasma]]. She then revealed that she knew that Nyeto and his subordinates were Insurrectionist spies, and that she had found surveillance devices in her lab on the ''Vanishing Point''. Despite Johnson and Blue Team's worries that the spies might have gotten access to the Spartans' armor, they prepared to follow through on their part of the mission, now targeting the three "air-skimmers" instead.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS19}} | | ==== The First Battle of Earth ==== |
| | [[Image:Hood.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Johnson is presented with The [[Colonial Cross]] along with the [[Master Chief|Chief]].]] |
| | {{quote|So, Johnson, when you gonna tell [[Master Gunnery Sergeant (Armory)|me]] [[Halo: First Strike|how]] you made it back [[Earth|home]] in one piece?|"[[Master Gunnery Sergeant (Armory)|unnamed Master Gunnery Sergeant]]"}} |
| | {{quote|Sorry Guns, its classified!|Avery J. Johnson}} |
| | {{quote|My ass! Well, you can forget about those adjustments to your A2 scope!|unnamed Master Gunnery Sergeant}} |
| | The crew returned to [[Earth]] safely, and they were given time to rest and were debriefed on their experiences. Aboard the ''[[Cairo Station|Cairo]]'', Johnson was promoted to [[Sergeant Major]] and given the [[The Colonial Cross|Colonial Cross]] by [[Fleet Admiral]] [[Sir Terrence Hood|Terrence Hood]] for his actions on [[Installation 04|Halo]]. During the ceremony, the Covenant armada arrived at Earth, beginning the epic [[First Battle of Earth]]. |
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| With the ''Vanishing Point'' nearing the decided drop-off point, John gave the signal for Johnson and Blue Team to grab their HAVOKs and board their Banshees. Meanwhile, a remotely-piloted Baselard powered up on the hangar deck ahead of their craft. Moments before launch, a decoy flight of Baselards streamed past the hangar aperture with a Banshee squadron on their tails. The ''Vanishing Point'' cold-launched a number of pre-targeted [[Archer missile|M42 Archer missiles]], and an instant later, the remote Baselard shot out of the hangar, firing on the Banshee squadron as the ''Vanishing Point''{{'}}s missiles activated and flew after the Banshees as well. The Banshees panicked and scattered, giving the manned Baselards a chance to escape. John ordered Blue Team to launch their Banshees and fall in behind the alien fighter squadron before firing on the remote-controlled Baselard until it self-destructed into a large fireball intended to distract the Covenant forces as the ''Vanishing Point'' slipped away. Sangheili voices filled the cockpits of Blue Team's Banshees, questioning where they came from. When no response was given, a trio of Banshees broke from the main squadron to investigate the new arrivals visually. However, John was able to convince the aliens that their communications equipment had been damaged by feigning communication with a wiggle of his Banshee.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS20|HSS|Chapter=20}}
| | Johnson aided the defense of the ''Cairo'' along with the Chief. As the [[Spartan]] led the human forces deeper into the station, Johnson and [[Commander]] [[Miranda Keyes]] boarded the UNSC [[UNSC Frigate|frigate]] ''[[In Amber Clad]]''; there, they organized their squad of Marines. After they picked up the Chief, the ship departed towards Earth to lead a task force in the outskirts of [[New Mombasa]]. |
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| Shortly after this, Gold and Green Teams deployed from Baselards to attack the equipment freighters as planned. Moments later, the freighters began exploding while the Covenant fighters and [[Proselytization network|battlenet]] began to panic. The fourth explosion was so close to the Banshee squadron that they were all—including the Banshees piloted by Johnson and Blue Team—disabled by the [[electromagnetic pulse]]. Since the craft escorting them no longer had the capability to intercept transmissions, Fred-104 exclaimed his disgust at the Banshees' lack of radiation shielding over [[TEAMCOM]]. Johnson spied two of their targeted air-skimmers in an orbit that would have them pass below them shortly, pointing this out to Blue Team. When John revealed that they still planned to board the vessels, Johnson exclaimed that he was crazy. Yet, after some discussion, it was decided that Blue Team would go EV from their derelict Banshees and intercept the air-skimmers as they passed by. John-117 would board the first vessel, Kelly-087 the second, and Fred-104 the third while Linda and Johnson held back to cover them with their M99 Stanchions. John ordered Linda and Johnson to focus on protecting Kelly and Fred, but Johnson refused and told him that he needed to get over his hero complex. Linda explained that she was close enough to Fred and Kelly to cover them most of the way, and Johnson told John that he needed to get over his hero complex. John began to argue, but Johnson stated that he was already committed to the vector he was on and there was no way for him to turn back. As John grew angrier, Linda interjected, informing John that it was her who made the snap decision that Johnson would cover him. Leaving the squadron of adrift Banshees behind, Johnson's HAVOK nuke—which he had left aboard his Banshee—detonated, killing any potential witnesses aboard the other craft and covering their approach.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS20}}
| | [[Image:PelicanPilots1.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Johnson commands the pilots to move into the [[New Mombasa|battle zone]].]] |
| | {{quote|The message just repeats. 'Regret, Regret, Regret.'|[[Cortana]]}} |
| | {{quote|Catchy. Any idea what it means?|[[Commander Keyes]]}} |
| | {{quote|Dear [[Human|Humanity]]... [[Covenant|we]] regret being alien bastards. We regret coming to [[Earth]]. And we most definitely regret the Corps that just blew up our raggedy-ass fleet!|Avery J. Johnson}} |
| | {{quote|Ooh-Rah!|Marine Pilots}} |
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| Meanwhile, the ''Vanishing Point''{{'}}s two escort prowlers arrived to recover Gold and Green Teams. Assuming the two vessels were preparing another attack run on the logistics fleet, the Covenant attacked the prowlers and the Baselards accompanying them. As John neared the lead air-skimmer, a number of Banshees moved to intercept him, still out of range of Johnson's M99. Johnson told John to abort his approach, but the Spartan ignored him and got close enough to detonate his nuke, destroying the vessel.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS20}} Fred and Kelly did likewise before Johnson and the rest of Blue Team were recovered by the ''Vanishing Point'' or its escorts.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS21|HSS|Chapter=21}}
| | As they arrived on the surface, Cortana intercepted data that pointed towards one of the Covenant’s spiritual leaders. Johnson led the Pelicans into battle, but they were shot down by a Covenant [[Scarab]] before they got close to the [[Covenant Assault Carrier|ship]] that carried the [[High Prophet|High]] [[Prophet of Regret]]. Using a [[SS2 AM|sniper rifle]], Johnson fought alongside his new squad and his old friend in the residential district of the city, providing cover fire and serving as a lookout. As the Chief went on to find Marines from another downed Pelican, Johnson stayed back and joined the rescue units to provide cover. Viewing the Scarab as a threat to the mission, he returned to ''[[In Amber Clad]]'' to bring a [[Scorpion Tank|Scorpion tank]] for the Chief to use as a frontline assault against the Covenant invasion force. Together, they attacked the giant walker; Johnson provided supplemental troops to back up SPARTAN-117 in his attack. |
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| ====Respite====
| | After its destruction, Johnson picked up the Chief and brought him back into ''In Amber Clad'', just as the massive Covenant ship took off into Slipspace. ''In Amber Clad'' followed it to [[Installation 05]] |
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| When John received a promotion to [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] from Crowther, Johnson was present and stated that he and Crowther had talked the promotion over and both had agreed that it was the best thing for the mission as the unheard of four-rank promotion solidified John's authority over the Black Daggers. Along with Crowther, Johnson cautioned John about "leading from the front" and what could happen if they lost John in combat. Before going their separate ways, John thanked Johnson for showing him how much John didn't learn during Spartan training on [[Reach]] and Johnson promised to help him again anytime.<ref>'''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''', ''chapter 23''</ref>
| | === Delta Halo === |
| | {{quote|Woah... It's like a postcard... Dear Sarge, kickin' ass in outer space, wish you were here.|Marine ODST}} |
| | {{quote|I heard that...jackass!|Avery J. Johnson}} |
| | Coming out of Slipspace, Johnson was shocked to learn that there was another Halo in existence. Determined to find and capture the Prophet of Regret, [[Commander Keyes]] ordered SPARTAN-117 and the Sergeant to land on the ring and secure a landing zone. Johnson took two flights of Pelicans and followed SPARTAN-117 and a small detachment of [[Helljumpers]] onto the surface, providing artillery and troops to fight the Covenant stationed in the ring’s ancient temples. |
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| {{Expand-section}}
| | During the mission, Cortana translated a message from Regret being broadcast on the Covenant network: Regret planned to activate Halo. Pulling information gathered from the previous ring visited, Keyes found the location of [[Library (Installation 05)|Delta Halo’s library]] housing the [[Index]]. She ordered Johnson to extract his troops and return to ''In Amber Clad'' for reassignment. |
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| ====Battle of Zhoist==== | | ==== Search for the Index ==== |
| {{Main|Battle of Zhoist}} | | {{quote|[[Miranda Keyes|You]] know, [[Jacob Keyes|your father]] never asked me for help either!|Avery J. Johnson}} to Commander Keyes |
| During the attack on [[Zhoist]], Johnson was stationed on the [[prowler]] {{UNSCShip|Ghost Song}} with Crowther and waited on the flight deck as backup for Crowther to relieve Hector Nyeto of command when he revealed his true colors. After Nyeto tried to betray Sierra Force to the Covenant, Crowther made his move to relieve Nyeto of his command and arrest him for [[treason]]. However, the entire Ghost Flight turned out to be Insurrectionists loyal to Nyeto and the bridge crew turned on Johnson and Crowther, killing Crowther. Johnson killed the sensor operator, Crowther's killer and fled, single-handedly taking down seven Insurrectionists on board the ''Ghost Song''. However, Nyeto blew the Black Daggers, who were all wearing sealed assault armor, into space. To stop Nyeto's plot, Johnson briefly activated his [[distress beacon]], drawing the Covenant's attention to Nyeto and ultimately forcing the [[Treason|traitor]] to flee into slipspace. Having realized what Johnson was up to, John managed to keep Sierra Force from giving away their position by reacting to the beacon and subsequent Covenant response.<ref>'''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''', ''chapter 24-25''</ref>
| | The situation mirrored his previous experiences back on Alpha Halo: he and a group of his best Marines joined Keyes on a search for the Index. They traveled to the Library and entered. As they neared the center of the massive structure, the small pack was attacked by a large amount of Flood. They dug in and fought the creatures off, finally locating the Index. Johnson helped Miranda grab the key, but before they headed out, they were attacked by a Sangheili dressed in peculiar armor: the [[Arbiter (character)|Arbiter]]. Johnson was quickly incapacitated. Johnson and Miranda Keyes were taken into custody by [[Tartarus]], [[Brute Chieftain| Alpha]] [[Brute| Jiralhanae]]. |
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| Following the betrayal of Nyeto, Johnson was left floating in space, but was rescued alive. The last person rescued alive from libration point three, Johnson had nearly frozen to death because his suit's heaters had failed and had run out of rebreather time resulting in a nearly fatal buildup of CO2 in his system. Wrapped in a space blanket and wearing an oxygen cannula, Johnson shared [[Sweet William cigars]] with John as they, along with the rest of Blue Team, watched the destruction wrought by the successful operation upon the Covenant world of [[Zhoist]]. Every time debris from the [[Ring of Mighty Abundance]] entered the atmosphere, Johnson cheered, particularly when six ships of the [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]] were destroyed by the [[octanitrocubane|octas]] carried by Black Daggers who had been taken prisoner upon those ships. Johnson began to reprimand [[Daisy-023]] for acting like succeeding in the operation meant they won the whole war, but stopped himself and left it to John as her rightful commander and praised John's response.<ref>'''Halo: Silent Storm''', ''epilogue''</ref>
| | ==== The Fight to Deactivate Halo ==== |
| | {{quote|Listen. [[Arbiter (character)|You]] don't like me, and I sure as hell don't like you. But if we don't do something, [[Tartarus|Mr. Mohawk's]] gonna activate this [[Installation 05|ring]], and we're all gonna [[Great Journey|die]].|Avery J. Johnson}} |
| | The two were held in the Covenant city of [[High Charity]]. The High [[Prophet of Truth]] told Tartarus to activate the ring to initiate the [[Great Journey]]. Tartarus ordered the Jiralhanae to split Johnson, Keyes, and the captured [[343 Guilty Spark|Oracle]] into two different [[Phantom]]s. Each was taken down to the surface, where they were split up. Johnson joined [[Sergeant Banks]] and [[Sergeant Stacker]] for an execution. Moments before their deaths, the Arbiter and his squad burst out of the nearby structure and attacked the Jiralhanae, distracting them long enough for Johnson and his marines to board the nearby Scarab walker. |
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| {{Expand-section}}
| | [[Image:Sargescarab.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Johnson commandeering a [[Scarab]] before the [[Arbiter (character)|Arbiter]].]] |
| | After the executioners were killed, Johnson confronted the Arbiter in his new Scarab. They both agreed that Tartarus needed to be stopped. Johnson suggested that the Arbiter commandeer a [[Banshee]] to provide air support. With that, they joined forces and traveled through the canyon towards the [[Control Room (Installation 05)|Control Room]]. Knowing the brute strength of the Scarab’s main weapon, Johnson fired at the heavily armored door, shattering it with ease. Arming himself with a [[Beam Rifle]], Johnson followed the Arbiter inside. |
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| ====Decades of War====
| | {{quote|Come on [[Arbiter (character)|Arbiter]]! Kick [[Tartarus|that guy's]] ass!|Avery J. Johnson}} |
| In [[2549]], Johnson participated in the [[Siege of Paris IV|Battle of Paris IV]], where he saved the seven-year-old girl [[Molly Patel]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Legacy of Onyx]]''', ''Chapter 1''</ref>
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| Johnson was later present in the [[Fall of Reach|fall]] of the planet [[Reach]]. During the final stages of the battle on [[2552#August|August 30, 2552]], Johnson led a search-and-destroy team aboard the orbital [[Gamma Station|Reach Station Gamma]], made up of [[Private First Class|PFC]] [[Wallace A. Jenkins|Wallace Jenkins]], and [[Private]]s [[Bisenti]] and [[O'Brien (Reach)|O'Brien]]. They were almost killed by the attacking Jackals and [[Sangheili|Elites]], but were later picked up by [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-IIs]] [[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 [[Slipstream space|slipspace]].
| | He arrived during a standoff between the Arbiter’s forces and Tartarus’ forces. He aimed at the Jiralhanae’s head, keeping him from forcing Keyes to insert the Index. Tartarus threw [[343 Guilty Spark (Monitor)|343 Guilty Spark]] at Johnson, knocking him over. Quickly, he inserted the Index into the control panel, starting the firing process. The Arbiter and his squad challenged Tartarus, and Johnson provided backup, using his beam rifle to bring down the Chieftain’s shields. With his shields down, the Arbiter was able to kill the Jiralhanae, therefore allowing Miranda to grab the Index and stop Halo from firing. |
| {{Expand-section}}
| | With the remainder of the Sangheili squad keeping the area secure, [[343 Guilty Spark (Monitor)|343 Guilty Spark]] explained to Johnson and Keyes that the other Installations were ready to fire by remote activation. When asked where they could be fired, the Monitor told them that they could be fired from the [[Ark]]. |
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| ====Battle of Installation 04==== | | ===Defending Earth=== |
| [[File:Anniversary Avery.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Sergeant Johnson on the ''Pillar of Autumn'' during the Battle of Installation 04.]]
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| {{Main|Battle of Installation 04}}
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| {{quote|multi=more|q1=<choose><option>Men... keep your eyes downrange, fingers on your triggers, and we all go home in one piece.</option><option>Once again, it is our job to finish what the flyboys started. We are leaving this ship, platoon, and engaging the Covenant on solid ground. When we meet the enemy, we will rip their skulls from their spines, and toss 'em away, laughin'!</option><option>Men, here is where we show those split-chin squid-head sons-of-bitches that they could not have picked a worse enemy than the human race! We are going to blow the hell out of those dumb bugs, until we don't have anything left to shoot 'em with! And then we are going to strangle them with their own-living-guts!</option><option>Men, we led those dumb bugs out to the middle of nowhere to keep 'em from gettin' their filthy claws on Earth. But we stumbled onto somethin' they're so hot for, that they're scramblin' over each other to get it. Well, I don't care if it's God's own anti-son-of-a-bitch machine, or a giant hula hoop, we're not gonna let 'em have it! What we will let 'em have...is a belly full of lead, and a pool of their own blood to drown in!</option></choose> Am I ''right'', Marines?|Sergeant Johnson|q2=Sir, yes sir!|UNSC Marines|q3=Mmm-hmmm! Damn right I am!|Sergeant Johnson|Sergeant Johnson motivating his Marines in preparation for the battle on Halo.}}
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| After coming out of slipspace, the ''Pillar of Autumn'' came across a [[Forerunner]] artifact known as [[Installation 04|Halo]]. The Covenant, cautious not to damage the ring world by firing at the ''Autumn'' in space, began boarding actions to "cleanly" neutralize the ''Autumn'' by [[Naval boarding|boarding]] the ship and wiping out the crew and altering its course away from the Installation, before planting charges and blowing it up. On board, Johnson helped defend the ''Autumn'' from the invading Covenant boarding troops, but like everyone else was forced to abandon ship when [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Jacob Keyes]] issued the order.
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| Sergeant Johnson's escape pod and [[Fire Team Charlie|one of his fireteams]] landed on the ring, with most of his Marines surviving. However, as soon as they regrouped, Covenant strike teams viciously attacked them. With his platoon scattered all over the valley, he was glad to see John-117 coming up to assist in the nick of time.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''pages 68-69''</ref>
| | ====Rejoining the Chief==== |
| | {{quote|Crazy fool. Why do you always jump? One of these days, you're gonna land on somethin' as stubborn as you are! And I don't do bits and pieces...|Avery J. Johnson}} |
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| [[File:KeyesJohnsonCEA.png|thumb|250px|left|Johnson and Captain Keyes fight back-to-back as infection forms overwhelm their squad.]]
| | When the Master Chief crash-landed on Earth, he was met by Johnson, the Arbiter, and a squad of Marines. After a few minutes of hiking through the jungle, he and his squad split off from the Master Chief and the Arbiter after encountering enemy [[Phantoms]], reasoning that they would be safer split up. Johnson and his team proceeded to continue through the woods, and arrived at the evac site several moments before the Chief. However, enemy Banshees soon discovered the awaiting Pelicans, and he was shot down, crash landing about a kilometer away. He and the surviving Marines were forced to flee pursuing [[Brutes]] as the Master Chief leaped to the rescue. At some point Johnson and his men were captured. The Sergeant and his men were beat up and imprisoned by a clan of Brutes and their [[Grunt]] allies. After being freed by the Master Chief, he grabbed a weapon and helped fend off incoming Covenant until [[Hocus]], a Pelican pilot, could come to the rescue. Johnson was evacced along with the Master Chief, the Arbiter and the surviving Marines of the Chief's and his squad. |
| Johnson and Fire Team Charlie were evacuated by Captain [[Carol Rawley|Carol "Foe Hammer" Rawley]] and remained at [[Alpha Base (Installation 04)|Alpha Base]] for some time until asked to join a mission, led by Captain Keyes, into the inner workings of Installation 04. The crew intercepted a Covenant transmission detailing the transport of numerous weapons to somewhere in the swampy regions of Installation 04. This, as well as a [['Qualomee|captured Elite's]] testimony of a large weapons cache located in a swamp, prompted Keyes to investigate. Johnson, being an experienced and respected sergeant, accompanied the captain along with his squad.
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| Shortly after they were dropped off, the squad came across a structure leading underground. As they ventured further into the facility, they came across several Sangheili corpses with scrambled innards. Passing them off as friendly fire, they proceeded deeper into the facility until they entered a seemingly empty room. Annoyed by [[Private]] [[Manuel Mendoza]]'s paranoia, Johnson shrugged off the situation until massive numbers of [[Pod infector]]s barged out of the nearby holding cells and attacked the squad. As each Marine fell, Johnson was forced to kill a few of his own men, who were mutating before his eyes and would have killed him if he had done otherwise.
| | ====Defending the Base==== |
| [[File:JohnsonFlood.png|thumb|250px|Johnson was able to escape the Flood thanks to his skill and biological augmentations.]]
| | {{quote|Go on, Chief. The Arbiter and I will guard the ops center.|Avery J. Johnson}} |
| Johnson, however, was able to survive the ambush uninfected due to his skill, tenacity and physiological enhancement, though when asked how he survived, he claimed that the Flood had not been able to infect him. Later, a query by the [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] [[Cortana]] into Johnson's medical history claimed that he had a condition known as [[Boren's Syndrome]]. This disease was supposedly contracted while he was stationed at [[Paris IV]]. When the Covenant [[Siege of Paris IV|attacked]] Paris IV, Johnson fought valiantly; during the battle, he repossessed a crate of Covenant [[Anskum-pattern plasma grenade|plasma grenades]] when his troops needed them and used them all against the enemy troops to keep them at bay so his fellow soldiers could evacuate. He received a commendation for bravery, and a twelve-hundred-rad cumulative dose of radiation as an unanticipated "bonus" from all the plasma detonations.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 244''</ref> Allegedly, the Boren's Syndrome had an unexpected side effect, as it made him effectively immune to infection by the Flood because the radiation scrambled his nervous system so much that Pod infectors could not force a match. This supposedly rendered the Flood unable to control him. However, the Boren's Syndrome story (referred to as the "Paris/BS Spoof"), was a hoax to cover up Johnson's involvement in the ORION Project,{{Ref/Reuse|GN122}}<ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia''', ''page 81''</ref> and his survival from the Flood was solely due to his ability to fight off the parasite before it could infect him thanks to his augmented physique and superior skill, as opposed to an actual immunity.<ref name="Catalog">[https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postsm2969315_Catalog-Interaction.aspx#post2969315 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Catalog Interaction - Page 14'' (''"No known biological <nowiki>[scaffolding]</nowiki> augmentation impedes efficacy of parasite conversion process."'')]</ref><ref name="hgn">'''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''', ''[[Breaking Quarantine]]''</ref>{{Ref/Note|Johnson's supposed biological immunity to the Flood as a result of Boren's Syndrome was originally presented as factual in the novel ''Halo: First Strike''. As stated by [[Joseph Staten]] {{Plain|[http://halostory.bungie.org/staten102204.html here]}}, Bungie disliked the notion of a Flood immunity and established the disease as being fictitious on page 122 of the ''Halo Graphic Novel''. As stated in the introduction to ''[[Breaking Quarantine]]'', the comic was intended to further cement Bungie's original vision for Johnson's escape from the Flood. The comic indicates that he simply fought his way out of the containment facility and did not suffer lacerations which would expose him to Flood infection in the process.}}
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| John-117 presumed Johnson dead after finding [[Wallace A. Jenkins|Private Jenkins']] helmet recorder log, showing the gory details of the Marines' fates. However, Johnson escaped after Master Chief found [[Corporal]] [[Lovik]] and the remains of his team.
| | Johnson, the Chief and the Arbiter were brought to a UNSC base codenamed "Crows Nest", deep underground in the African jungle. There, they linked up with [[Commander Miranda Keyes]], who briefed them on the situation. He and the Arbiter stayed behind to defend the ops center from Covenant attacks, while the Chief went off to secure the perimeter. After a lengthy battle, he was forced to fall back as Brutes overran the control room. He rendezvoused with Keyes and the Arbiter in a Pelican, and guided the Master Chief through the base to an elevator which would take him to the Pelicans. Unfortunately, the base exploded before the Chief could reach Johnson, and the Sergeant was forced to take off without him. |
| {{Clear}}
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| ====Operation: FIRST STRIKE==== | | ====Battle of Voi==== |
| {{Main|Operation: FIRST STRIKE}} | | {{quote|The Brutes have a tight perimeter, Chief. These [[Warthogs]] should help you punch through.|Avery J. Johnson}} |
| {{Quote|Don't look like any 'uneven elephant' to me - more like two squid kissing.|Johnson on the ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]''.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''','' page 328''</ref>}}
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| [[File:Polaski cam.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Johnson and John-117 on a Covenant ship.]]
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| Johnson met up with [[Lieutenant|Lt.]] [[Elias Haverson]], [[Corporal|Cpl.]] [[Locklear]], and [[Petty Officer Second Class|PO2]] [[Shiela Polaski]], escaping Halo's destruction in a [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelican]] moments before it collapsed in multiple explosions. Polaski piloted the dropship away from the ring, meeting up with a [[GA-TL1 Longsword]] carrying the Master Chief and Cortana, who had also escaped the Flood and Halo. Having seen Jenkins’ video himself, SPARTAN-117 was alarmed by Johnson's appearance and promptly pulled Johnson's own [[M6D Personal Defense Weapon System|M6D pistol]] and pointed it to his head. Johnson had expressed no objection, and assured the Spartan that he was fine and not infected from the Flood, although it took Cortana's intervention to convince the Chief that Johnson was still human.
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| Without a viable way to return to the nearest safe outpost, it was decided that the new crew would take over the nearest Covenant ship in the vicinity, the ''[[Ascendant Justice]]'', a Covenant capital ship. The Master Chief assumed command due to his higher-priority mission, although Lieutenant Haverson was the ranking officer, and Johnson assisted Master Chief by helping him assert control over Corporal Locklear and Haverson. After they boarded the ''Ascendant Justice'', Johnson and the others made their way through the ship towards the bridge, where he witnessed a showdown between the Master Chief and a [[Sangheili]], where he brought down the alien’s shields in order for SPARTAN-117 to push the Elite into an escape pod and send it away from the ship.
| | Sergeant Johnson and Commander Keyes fled the underground UNSC base before it exploded, and eventually managed to make contact with the Master Chief. He warned him that the Covenant had uncovered the Ark, and that the Chief had to get to it. Johnson provided air support for the Master Chief and the Marine survivors, dropping off Warthogs so the Chief and Marines could break through the Brutes' blockades. At one point, he dropped off a [[Mongoose]] ATV 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. The Arbiter rode shotgun with him for a good portion of the battle, being dropped off to aid the Master Chief when necessary. 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 [[Cortana]] and played back her message, and was one of the Marines that were sent into the Ark. |
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| After they had captured the Covenant ship, not being able to return to Earth because of the [[Cole Protocol]], Master Chief suggested they return to Reach to regroup. They proceeded with this plan despite protests that Reach was almost certainly a dead world. When they arrived at Reach, the planet was almost completely glassed, except for a small portion. Using a [[Taaku Xur-pattern Spirit|Covenant dropship]], they traveled to the surface of the desecrated planet, where Johnson was becoming nervous. After they landed, they found the surviving [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-IIs]] and [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]]. Johnson was the first to realize that they were surrounded by thousands of invisible Covenant, and pointed it out to [[Vice Admiral]] [[Danforth Whitcomb|Whitcomb]] before their dropship walked into the trap.
| | ===The Ark=== |
| | {{quote|Shall I help you choose a vehicle, [[Reclaimer]]? This one seems in very good condition, about the standard. Primitive armor not withstanding.|343 Guilty Spark}} |
| | {{quote|A tank's a tank, light bulb.|Johnson}} |
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| After a harrowing escape, Johnson accompanied the new and growing crew as the ship moved through Slipspace. Unknown to him, Dr. Halsey and the Master Chief were reviewing his medical files. They matched Johnson’s survival against the Flood to his Boren’s Syndrome. Flood DNA ''was'' present in Johnson’s blood, but it was dormant and non-infectious. Halsey also confirmed that Johnson had gained some unique regenerative abilities as a side effect from the attempted assimilation back on Halo when they accidentally opened the Flood containment facility. Halsey had prepared two separate documents for [[Office of Naval Intelligence#Section Three|ONI Section Three]] to review:
| | Johnson descended to the Ark with a couple of Pelicans with the Master Chief, and helped him secure a landing zone and stop the construction of an AA battery. He later brought in some tanks from the frigate, helping throughout the mission, until the location of Truth was discovered from the Map Room. |
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| *All relevant data on Halsey’s analysis and the possible technology to counter an initial Flood infestation, as well as Jenkins’s and Johnson’s mission logs and Johnson’s medical files, focusing on the interaction between [[LF.Xx.3273 Flood Super Cell|Flood super cell]]s and Boren's Syndrome.
| | He then went on to command the second squad in taking down the third tower which was projecting the shield barrier protecting Truth in the Ark citadel. There, he and his squad were overrun and captured by overwhelming Brute forces. The fates of his Marines |
| *The file above, minus any reference to Avery Johnson or his encounter with the Flood.
| | are not known, but they were most likely killed. |
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| Halsey placed the decision of which data crystal to give to ONI in the Chief's hands. If he gave them the first crystal, ONI would probably have dissected Johnson in an attempt to figure out how he resisted the Flood, killing the Sergeant. The Chief had thought at first that the first crystal held the better solution, despite it essentially being a death sentence for his friend, but later decided to save Johnson's life by crushing the first crystal.
| | The Prophet of Truth attempted to use him to activate the Ark, but he only taunted the Brutes and took their abuse. Miranda attempted to rescue him by crashing a Pelican through a large observatory window, but was surrounded. Realising what the Prophet of Truth wished to use them for, Miranda and Johnson agreed that she should kill them both so they could not be used. This was interrupted by the Prophet of Truth, who shot Miranda in the back with a [[Spiker]], killing her instantly. At about this time the Master Chief, the Arbiter, and the Flood came in, overwhelmed Truth's forces, stopped the Rings from being fired, and rescued Johnson. |
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| 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 {{UNSCShip|Gettysburg}} while they charged head-on into the Covenant ship after the operation.
| | After this was accomplished, the Flood once again turned on the humans, and attempted to kill them. Johnson managed to escape on Miranda's Pelican, but the Arbiter and Chief could not get to it, and had to escape the hard way. |
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| ====Invasion of Earth====
| | After escaping, the Master Chief went on his mission to save Cortana, and succeeded. Johnson was honored to be reunited with Cortana. He then took the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' to the Control Room. |
| {{Main|Battle of Mombasa}}
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| [[File:H2A-John&Johnson.jpg|250px|thumb|Master Chief John-117 and Sergeant Major Johnson salute Lord Hood during ceremony aboard Cairo Station.]]
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| {{Quote|<choose><option>You had your chance to be afraid before you joined my beloved Corps. But to guide you back to the true path, I brought this motivational device. Our big green style cannot be defeated!</option><option>The Chief is gonna jump in this tank, roll across the bridge, and blow up any inhuman-son-of-a-bitch dumb enough to get between him and the [[Prophet of Regret]]! Pull yourself together, because you're going with him!</option><option>When I joined the Corps, we didn't have any fancy-shmancy tanks. We had sticks! Two sticks, and a rock for the whole platoon - and we had to share the rock! Buck up, boy, you're one very lucky Marine!</option><option>Usually the good Lord works in mysterious ways. But not today! This here is [[M808B Main Battle Tank|sixty-six tons of straight up, H-E-spewing dee-vine intervention]]! If God is love, then you can call me Cupid!</option></choose>|Sergeant Johnson talking to the frightened Marine before the assault on New Mombasa.}}
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| Most of the crew returned to Earth safely, and they were given time to rest and were debriefed on their experiences. While aboard ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo Station]]'' on October 19, Johnson was interrogated by Dr. [[Veronica Clayton]] of [[ONI]] in regards to the events surrounding [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]].<ref>'''[[Halo Legendary Crate]]''', ''[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #10]]''</ref>
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| The next day, Johnson was promoted to [[Sergeant Major]] and was awarded the [[Colonial Cross]] by [[Terrence Hood|Lord Terrence Hood]] for his actions on Halo. During the ceremony, a Covenant excavation fleet headed by the [[Prophet of Regret]] arrived at the Human homeworld, sparking the [[Battle of Earth]].
| | ====Halo==== |
| | [[Image:DeathofAveryJohnson.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Chief watches helplessly as the Monitor mortally wounds Johnson.]] |
| | {{quote|Don't let her go, Chief... don't ever... let her go.|Johnson, handing Cortana over to the Chief}} |
| | {{quote|Send me out... with a bang...|Johnson's last words}} |
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| Johnson aided in the defense of the ''Cairo'' along with John-117. As the Spartan led the human forces deeper into the station, Johnson and [[Commander (UNSC)|Commander]] [[Miranda Keyes]], the daughter of the deceased Jacob Keyes, boarded the [[UNSC frigate|UNSC Frigate]] ''[[UNSC In Amber Clad|In Amber Clad]]''. | | Johnson helped the Master Chief fight through waves of flood to get to the control room of the newly rebuilt Installation 04, giving cover fire for the Chief and Arbiter with a [[Spartan Laser]]. Johnson tried to activate the ring despite Guilty Spark's suggestion that they wait for it to be finished, which could take several days. Driven mad by his own intuition that the ring "Belonged to him", Guilty Spark fired a powerful beam at Johnson, and despite his regenerative abilities, Johnson sustained a mortal injury. |
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| As they arrived on the surface, Cortana intercepted data that pointed towards one of the Covenant’s spiritual leaders being present in the invasion. Johnson led [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelicans]] full of marines into battle, but they were shot down by a Covenant {{Pattern|Protos|Scarab}} before they got close to the [[covenant assault carrier|ship]] that carried the High Prophet of Regret. Wielding a [[Sniper Rifle System 99C-S2 Anti-Matériel|sniper rifle]], Johnson fought in the residential district of the city, providing cover fire and serving as a lookout. As the Master Chief went on to find [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] from another downed Pelican, Johnson stayed back and joined the rescue units to provide cover. Viewing the Scarab as a threat to the mission, he returned to ''[[UNSC In Amber Clad|In Amber Clad]]'' to bring a [[M808B Main Battle Tank|Scorpion]] tank for the Chief to use in a front line assault against the Covenant invasion force.
| | While the Master Chief fought the rogue construct, Johnson used his Laser to damage Spark, and told the Master Chief to "Kick his ass" while he handed [[The Chief]] his weapon. After Spark was destroyed, he gave the Master Chief the chip containing Cortana and told him to "never let her go". Despite the Chief's promise that they would not leave him behind, Johnson claimed that he wanted to go out "with a bang". Following his wishes, the Master Chief left his body in the control room as the premature ring activated and tore itself apart. It then activated, annihilating all sentient life within its range, making the Sergeant Major's death undoubtable. |
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| 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 [[Slipstream space|Slipspace]], the human vessel being close enough to "piggyback" along on the same jump.
| | == The Invincible Johnson == |
| | [[Image:D40_35.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Johnson and an Elite halt their battle when they notice the ''Pillar of Autumn'' about to explode in the [[canon|non-canon]] extended ending of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]]] |
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| ====Delta Halo====
| | In [[Halo:_Combat_Evolved|Halo: Combat Evolved]], Johnson is expendable, just like every other Marine, but will always return in the next level. Sometimes there are two Sergeant Johnson characters aiding the Chief. This paradox can be seen in the levels [[Pillar_of_Autumn_%28Level%29|Pillar of Autumn]], [[Halo_%28Level%29|Halo]], [[343_Guilty_Spark_%28Level%29|343 Guilty Spark]] and [[Assault_on_the_Control_Room|Assault on the Control Room]]. However, many players speculate that there are other Marine Sergeants with the Johnson model, such as in [[Silent_Cartographer_%28Level%29|Silent Cartographer (Level)]] and [[Assault on the Control Room]], where Johnson is already occupied in aiding Captain Keyes in his search for the Covenant weapons cache. |
| [[File:H2AMAJ.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Johnson helps Miranda to secure the Activation Index.]] | |
| {{Main|Battle of Installation 05}}
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| {{quote|multi=yes|q1=Whoa. It's like a postcard: Dear Sarge, kicking ass in outer space, wish you were here.|Chips Dubbo|q2=I heard that...'''jackass!'''|Avery J. Johnson|[[Private First Class|PFC]] [[Chips Dubbo]] joking around with Sergeant Avery J. Johnson on [[Delta Halo]]}}
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| Coming out of Slipspace, Johnson was shocked to learn that there was another Halo, nearly choking on his ever-present cigar. Determined to find and capture the Prophet of Regret, Commander Keyes ordered SPARTAN-117 to clear a landing zone and the Sergeant to take two flights of Pelicans and land on the ring. Johnson carried out the orders and followed the Chief and a small detachment of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s onto the surface, providing artillery and troops by means of dropships to fight the Covenant stationed in the ring’s ancient temples.
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| During the mission, Cortana translated a message from Regret being broadcast on the Covenant network, and learned that Regret planned to activate the Halo, which would wipe out all life in the galaxy. Pulling information gathered from the first Halo, Keyes found the location of [[Library#Library of Installation 05|Delta Halo’s library]], housing the [[Activation Index|Index]] which was needed to activate the ring. She ordered Johnson to extract his troops and return to ''In Amber Clad'' for reassignment.
| | In [[Halo_2|Halo 2]], Johnson is an [[NPC|NPC]], immune from harm. There are only two known ways to kill him. First, bring the banshee inside the control room in the level The Great Journey. While he is firing at Tartarus, if you run into him with your banshee, he will do a combat roll and fall off the ledge. He respawns shortly after he falls and resumes firing. |
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| Johnson and a group of his best Marines joined Commander Keyes on a search for the Index deep inside the [[Quarantine zone (location)|Quarantine zone]]. As they neared the center of the massive structure, the small unit was attacked by a large amount of Flood. They dug in and fought the creatures off, finally locating the Index. Johnson helped Keyes grab the key, but before they headed out, they were attacked by [[Thel 'Vadamee]], the Covenant [[Arbiter]], who had emerged from [[active camouflage]] to attack the two. Johnson was quickly incapacitated and captured by [[Tartarus]], current [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]], and brought to the Covenant capital city, ''[[High Charity]]'', orbiting the ring.
| | There is also another way to kill him in the level, at Cairo Station, when you are aiding Miranda Keyes, slowly melee Johnson to your next level area, which is on the outside surface of Cairo Station, there is a ledge where he could fall off, beat him off the ledge and he will fall to his death. Though, there is no animation showing this. |
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| Johnson, Keyes and other UNSC soldiers were held prisoner in the city, until the [[Prophet of Truth|High Prophet of Truth]] instructed Tartarus to activate the ring and initiate the [[Covenant religion|Great Journey]]. Tartarus ordered his Jiralhanae to split Johnson, Keyes, and the captured [[343 Guilty Spark|Oracle]] into two different [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantoms]] as they descended back towards the ring. Johnson was joined by [[Staff Sergeant]] [[Banks]] and [[Gunnery Sergeant]] [[Stacker]] for execution by a pack of Jiralhanae at the [[Bastion of the Brutes]] near Halo's [[Control Room (Installation 05)|control room]]. Moments before their deaths, the Arbiter and his squad burst out of the nearby structure and attacked the Jiralhanae, distracting them long enough for Johnson and his Marines to board the nearby Scarab walker.
| | Also, in Halo: Combat Evolved, if you attack crew members in the Pillar of Autumns' Bridge, a squad of invincible marines will attack you, led by Sergeant Johnson. |
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| After the executioners were killed, Johnson and his Marines commandeered the Scarab, and confronted 'Vadamee. Despite their mutual enmity, they both agreed that Tartarus needed to be stopped at all costs. Johnson suggested that 'Vadamee commandeer a [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Banshee]] to provide air support as they traversed the canyon towards the [[Control Room (Installation 05)|Control Room]]. Johnson fired the Scarab's [[focus cannon]] to destroy the heavily armored door, allowing the Arbiter to get inside.
| | This oddity of the sergeant never dying has been recognized by his voice actor. In the Bungie outtakes, which can be seen on Youtube, the voice actor says "I'm not dying again! I'll only die once, d'you hear me? Hard enough coming back the first time!" |
| [[File:H2A-Arbiter&Co.jpg|250px|thumb|Johnson, Miranda and Thel 'Vadam after successful deactivation of Delta Halo.]]
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| Armed with a [[Type-50 particle beam rifle|Particle Beam Rifle]], Johnson arrived during the Arbiter's confrontation with Tartarus, keeping his gun trained on the Chieftain's head to prevent him from forcing Keyes to insert the Index. Tartarus threw [[343 Guilty Spark]] at Johnson, knocking him over. Swiftly, he forced Keyes to insert the Index into the control panel, starting the firing process. The Arbiter and his squad of Elites challenged Tartarus, and Johnson provided backup, using his Beam Rifle to bring down the Chieftain’s shields. With his shields down, 'Vadamee was able to kill Tartarus, thereby allowing Keyes to grab the Index and stop Installation 05 from firing. However, Spark revealed that the shutdown activated a failsafe system; the rest of the Halos were set to standby mode, and could only be activated remotely from what Spark informed them was [[Installation 00|"The Ark"]]. After the Arbiter asked him its location, Spark gave them coordinates to [[Earth]].<ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia''', ''page 197''</ref><ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[The Great Journey]]''</ref>
| | The last sequence of ''Halo 3'' has the player fleeing the exploding spare Halo ring in a Warthog specifically identified as Johnson's. The Warthog, like the Sergeant, appears to be invincible. |
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| The release of the Flood from the ring, however, would put their plans to get to Earth on hold. The new allies would rendezvous with the Arbiter's comrade, [[Rtas 'Vadumee]], now shipmaster of the recently captured [[assault carrier]] ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'', flagship of the separatists' fledgling [[Fleet of Retribution]].<ref name="universe">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/vehicles/shadow-of-intent '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Shadow of Intent'']</ref> Together, they formulated a plan for sterilization and quarantine. Spark remained with the fleet to coordinate containment efforts while Johnson, Keyes and the Arbiter raced back to Earth aboard one of the fleet's vessels to warn humanity and to locate the Ark.{{Ref/Marketing|Id=LongRoad|Halo Waypoint|The Long Road Home}}<ref name="lootcrate2">'''[[Halo Legendary Crate]]''', ''[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #2]]''</ref>
| | Bungie has confirmed that there will be no invulnerable players in Halo 3. However, if Johnson is "killed," he will get back up and then become invincible, to say nothing of [[343_Guilty_Spark|The Monitor]]. |
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| ====Return to Earth==== | | === Bungie's Explanation === |
| [[File:Johnson & Vergil.png|thumb|left|250px|[[Quick to Adjust]] lights a cigar for Johnson.]]
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| {{Main|Battle of Kenya}}
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| {{quote|The Brutes. The bastards who put bombs on your buddies and killed millions of my people...they're digging a mighty big hole. You're gonna tell me exactly what they're looking for. And then, you're gonna help me stop 'em.|Johnson to the captured [[Huragok|Engineer]]}}
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| Upon their return to Earth around November 15, 2552, Johnson met with [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] [[Captain]] [[Veronica Dare]] aboard the [[Quito Terminus]] to interrogate [[Quick to Adjust|a Covenant Engineer]] that [[Alpha-Nine|her squad]] had captured during the [[Battle of New Mombasa]] almost a month prior. With clearance from [[Lord Hood]], Johnson plied the creature with questions regarding the current [[Portal at Voi|excavation]] near Voi and the Ark. Despite his best efforts, ultimately they were unable to obtain any actionable intelligence before the [[Prophet of Truth]] and his [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] arrived two days later.{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}}<ref name="Bulletin">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/the-halo-bulletin-knowledge-drop '''Halo Waypoint''': ''The Halo Bulletin: 9.24.14'']</ref>
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| When John-117 crash-landed in the [[Tanzania]]n jungle after bailing out of the Dreadnought, he was [[Recovery of John-117|recovered]] by Johnson, the Arbiter, and a squad of Marines. After a few minutes of hiking through the jungle, he and his squad split off from the Master Chief and the Arbiter after encountering enemy Phantoms, reasoning that they would be safer apart than together. Johnson and his team proceeded to continue through the woods, and arrived at the evacuation site several moments before John-117 and 'Vadam. However, enemy Banshees soon discovered the awaiting Pelicans, and he was shot down, crash landing about a kilometer away. He and the surviving Marines were forced to flee pursuing Brutes. At some point Johnson and his men were captured. After being freed by the Spartan, he grabbed the nearest weapon and helped fend off incoming Covenant until [[Hocus]], a Pelican pilot, came to the rescue. Hocus eventually arrived, destroying two Phantoms that were pinning Sergeant Johnson, the Chief, the Arbiter, and the surviving Marines down. Johnson was evacuated along with the Master Chief, the Arbiter, and surviving Marines.
| | According to [[Bungie|Bungie]]'s Legendary [[Halo:_Combat_Evolved|Halo PC/MAC]] [http://www.bungie.net/Games/HaloPC/page.aspx?section=Guides&subsection=WalkthroughMain&page=1 walkthrough] on their website: |
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| Sgt. Johnson, John-117, and 'Vadam were brought to a UNSC base codenamed [[Crow's Nest]], deep underground in the African jungle. There, they linked up with Commander Miranda Keyes, who briefed them on the situation. When the base was [[Attack on Crow's Nest|attacked]] by the Covenant, Johnson and the Arbiter stayed behind to defend the ops center while the Master Chief went off to secure the perimeter. After a lengthy battle, he was forced to fall back as Jiralhanae overran the control room. He rendezvoused with Keyes and 'Vadam in a Pelican, and guided the Chief through the base to an elevator that would take him to the Pelicans. Unfortunately, the base exploded before the Chief could reach Johnson, forcing the Sergeant to leave him to meet up with [[Gunnery Sergeant]] [[Reynolds]] under the base instead.
| | ''Wait! Don't walk away! There's a short scene you haven't seen when you've beaten the game on previous levels. You'll see a tug of war happening between an Elite and Sergeant Johnson.'' |
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| 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 [[Assault on the Tsavo Highway|break through]] Jiralhanae blockades on the [[Tsavo highway (location)|Tsavo Highway]]. During the [[Battle of Voi]], he dropped off several [[M274 Ultra-Light All-Terrain Vehicle|Mongoose]] ATVs to assist the Master Chief in destroying a Covenant {{Pattern|Deutoros|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 {{UNSCShip|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 [[slipspace portal]] generated by the [[Portal at Voi|device]] the Covenant uncovered on Earth.
| | ''"But wait." You say, "I saw Sgt. Johnson die twice now already. What's up with that?"'' |
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| ====Assault on the Ark====
| | ''Well, think of Sgt. Johnson as being like Kenny from South Park. No matter how many times he dies he'll always come back. Why? Well, it's complicated. Suffice it to say that even nuclear explosions can't keep a good man down.'' |
| {{Main|Battle of Installation 00}}
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| {{quote|multi=yes|q1=Shall I help you choose a vehicle, [[Reclaimer]]? This one seems in very good condition, primitive armor notwithstanding.|343 Guilty Spark|q2=A tank's a tank, lightbulb.|Avery J. Johnson|Johnson sarcastically responds to Spark's comment}}
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| After the Fleet of Retribution's arrival at Installation 00 on [[2552#December|December 11]],<ref name="Fortitude">'''Halo Waypoint''' — ''[[Heroes Never Die#Hero-Fortitude|''Hero-"Fortitude"'']]''</ref> Johnson descended to [[installation 00|the Ark]] with a half a dozen Pelicans along with the Master Chief, and helped him secure a landing zone and stop the construction of an AA battery. He later brought in a platoon of Marines led by Gunnery Sergeant Stacker, and some tanks from the frigate, helping throughout the mission, until the location of Truth was discovered from the [[Cartographer]].
| | === Appearances === |
| | *[[Halo: Combat Evolved]] |
| | *[[Halo 2]] |
| | *[[Halo 3]] |
| | *[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]] |
| | *[[Halo: The Flood]] |
| | *[[Halo: First Strike]] |
| | *[[Halo: Contact Harvest]] |
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| He then went on to command the second squad in taking down the third tower that was projecting the shield barrier protecting Truth in the [[Installation 00 Citadel|Citadel]]. There, he, along with his squad, were overrun and captured by overwhelming Brute, Hunter and Drone forces. Johnson's squad was killed, and he was brought to the Citadel.
| | == Behind the scenes == |
| | *The character of Sergeant Johnson first appeared in a short video shown to kick off the [[Halo Launch Party]] held in Chicago on 2001 November 10. |
| | *His voiced is portrayed by [[David_Scully|David Scully]] in the games, who also voices a number of Elites as well. |
| | *Sergeant Johnson would appear to be partially based on the character "Gunnery Sergeant Al Apone" from the film ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'', with whom Johnson shares many character and physical traits, as well as some dialogue. |
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| 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 [[Paegaas Workshop Spiker|Spiker]], killing her instantly and used the demoralized Johnson to activate the Array. 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 with her body, the Chief and the Arbiter were knocked off by the Gravemind, forced to fight their way back through the Flood.
| | == Trivia == |
| | {{Quotes Link}} |
| | *Although Johnson is usually labeled as a sniper, he is only seen using a sniper rifle on the levels [[Assault_on_the_Control_Room_%28Halo_1%29|Assault on the Control Room (Halo 1)]] and [[Outskirts_%28Halo_2%29|Outskirts (Halo 2)]], and a Beam Rifle in [[The_Great_Journey|The Great Journey]], the Graphic Novel and the first chapter of Contact Harvest. In all of his other appearances, he is either wielding an MA5B Assault Rifle, a BR55 Battle Rifle, or a Pistol. |
| | *In [[Halo 3]] [[Legendary]], if you intentionally kill Johnson more than once, he will get back up and kill you in one shot, regardless of what weapon he has. |
| | *In Halo: Combat Evolved he may scream exactly the same way as when an Elite is killed. This is due to the fact that the Elite speech is Johnson's speech played backwards and a bit lower. |
| | *It may be presumed that Johnson could be or was married according to a quote during gameplay on the level [[Cairo_Station|Cairo Station]] where it is said by Johnson himself that the Covenant were worse than his mother-in-law. Altough he might just say this to be funny. |
| | *In [[Halo: Contact Harvest]] Johnson is involved in a romantic relationship with his Commanding officer, [[Jilan_al-Cygni|Jilan al-Cygni]].<ref> http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12673 </ref> |
| | *Johnson is the only [[Marine|marine]] to wield a [[Spartan_Laser|Spartan Laser]]. Although he is the only marine in the game to automatically have a Spartan Laser, specifically the mission [[Halo]], you can still give a Spartan Laser to marines in missions where the weapon is available. |
| | *If you swap your weapon for the Spartan Laser after he shoots Spark, but before the ''Kick his ass'' line, he still says the line and drops the weapon you just gave him. |
| | * If you kill Johnson (with a plasma grenade, melee him just right... etc.) almost immediately before you go into the room where you kill Guilty Spark, on Halo 3, He will not only still be alive when you get into the room but after watching him die in the cinematic and then leaving, he will be right where you "killed" him. With the same weapon and fighting off the flood. He can be taken over by the parasites, killed, survive but he wont follow you out of the building. By doing this you can take the Spartan Laser he wields which has unlimited ammo. Only if you kill him. But this does not always work somtimes the laser says 3 or 5 etc. in the ammunition even though this is not possible because each shot takes up 20 of these points. However you can get unlimIted from Johnson by killing him before you enter the room to activate the ring but, unfortunatly, your weapons are re-set after killing Guilty Spark. But having unlimited Spartan laser is a bonus while fighting Spark. |
| | *If you do the above glitch and let Johnson die by getting infected by Infection forms with the IWHBYD skull on, sometimes you can hear him scream "I did this for Hocus!!" before becoming a combat form.It is possible to say that he has a relationship with the Pelican pilot. |
| | *Johnson and the Arbiter are the only NPC's in Halo 3 that cant have their weapons switched with while alive. |
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| ===Death=== | | ==Image Gallery== |
| [[File:DeathofAveryJohnson.jpg|thumb|343 Guilty Spark mortally wounds Johnson in front of the Master Chief.|250px]]
| | <gallery> |
| {{Main|Raid on Installation 08}}
| | Image:Johnsonfalling.jpg|Sergeant Johnson tumbling to his doom on Installation 04 in Halo 3. |
| {{quote|Send me out... with a bang.|Avery J. Johnson's last words, said to [[John-117]].}}
| | Image:Johnson.png|A Halo 2 render of Johnson. |
| | Image:Johnson.jpg|Johnson as seen here in Halo: Combat Evolved |
| | Image:Johnson-BQ.jpg|Johnson in the Halo Graphic Novel. |
| | Image:SNiperGuy.jpg|Johnson, taking aim. |
| | Image:D40_35.jpg|Johnson and an Elite halt their battle when they notice the ''Pillar of Autumn'' about to explode in the non-canon extended ending of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''. |
| | Image:Johnson_Outline.jpg|Johnson on his next mission. |
| | Image:Warthogdriver2.jpg|Two Johnsons on the job: one in the foreground, other in the warthog. |
| | </gallery> |
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| After it was discovered that [[installation 08|a Halo]] was located within the Ark, a plan was developed to activate that ring and that ring alone, which would destroy the Flood on the Ark, including the Gravemind, ending their threat once and for all, while simultaneously sparing the rest of the life in the galaxy. This was possible because Cortana still held within her the code to the Index from Installation 04, the first Halo. After John-117 invaded ''[[High Charity]]'' to recover Cortana, destroying the city on his way out, Sergeant Johnson helped the Master Chief and the Arbiter fight through hordes of Flood to get to the control room of the new Halo, providing cover fire with a [[M6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle|Spartan Laser]]. Johnson tried to activate the ring despite [[343 Guilty Spark]]'s suggestion that they wait for it to be finished, which could take several days. Realizing that "his" ring was about to be destroyed ''again'', the Monitor turned on his allies, firing his sentinel beam into Johnson's front armor piece and fatally wounding him.
| | == References == |
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| [[File:H3JohnsonDead.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Sergeant Johnson dying with a bloody hole burnt through his chest.]]
| | <references/> |
| While the Master Chief fought the rogue construct, Johnson used the last of his life and fired his laser, rendering Spark vulnerable. With a few choice words ("Kick his ass") he handed the Chief his weapon and fell unconscious. After the rogue AI was destroyed, Johnson gave John-117 the [[data crystal chip|chip]] containing Cortana, and told him "Don't ever let her go". Despite John's promise that they would not leave him behind, the dying sergeant knew that he wasn't going to make it, requesting that the Chief "send [him] out with a 'bang'" before dying of his injuries. Following his wishes, [[John-117]] left his body in the Control Room as the ring activated, its unfinished state meaning that the activation sequence tore itself apart. Johnson's body was disintegrated in the explosion while Chief and Thel 'Vadam took Johnson's Warthog to escape on the ''Forward Unto Dawn''. Johnson's death brought condolences from Cortana and Thel 'Vadam, whom Johnson aided in his fight against [[Tartarus]].
| | :8. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q188o5KqJ0 Death] |
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| ===Legacy===
| | {{Spartan I}} |
| [[File:Memorial pictures.PNG|250px|thumb|Johnson's picture was included in the legacy of fallen heroes and leaders during the Human-Covenant war.]]
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| On [[2553|March 3, 2553]], a portrait of Johnson was seen among the fallen and dead on the [[Voi Memorial]]. The [[Avery J. Johnson Academy of Military Science]], where members of the [[SPARTAN-IV program]] practice live fire training, was named in his honor.{{Ref/Map|INF|Academy map}}
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| {{expand-section}}
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| {{clear}}
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| ==Personality==
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| Avery Johnson's behavior was often eccentric, delivering bizarre and outlandish speeches to boost the morale of those serving under him.<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]''</ref><ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Metropolis]]''</ref> However, as shown in ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest|Contact Harvest]]'', he also was a no-nonsense NCO who cared deeply for the lives of his troops. Johnson believed in pushing his soldiers to their limit in training, in order to give them a better chance of surviving real combat.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page ??''</ref>
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| He was best known for his typical "[[Wikipedia:Gung-ho|gung-ho]]" attitude towards life, personal goals, and as a leader to his fellow Marines. This earned him a reputation, respect, and admiration from his subordinates and superiors alike. Johnson was a noted fan of "[[flip music]]", a style of music similar to the [[Wikipedia:Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] from the 21st century. He was also known as being one of a select few outside of the [[SPARTAN-II Program]] to befriend [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]], a soldier with whom he fought alongside many times throughout the first and final months of the Human-Covenant War; ultimately dying in his arms after being critically injured. He has a large amount of respect for the SPARTAN-IIs, and appears to respect ''every'' human fighting for humanity, as well as the Sangheili when they joined forces with the UNSC. In return, Thel 'Vadam respects him as well as after his death, offering condolences to John, "I am sorry, Spartan" and "even in death, your Sergeant guides us all."
| | [[Category:UNSC Marine Corps Personnel]] |
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| In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' and ''Halo 2'', Johnson seemed energetic and well-humored, often cracking jokes, puns, and insults at the expense of the [[Covenant]] or even in response to UNSC transmissions, as shown in the following quote:
| | [[Category:Spartan-Is]] |
| {{Quote|Dear humanity, we regret being alien bastards, we regret coming to Earth, and we most definitely regret that the Corps just blew up our raggedy-ass fleet!|In response to Miranda Keyes at the beginning of the [[Battle of Mombasa]].}}
| | [[Category:Characters|Johnson, Avery J.]] |
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| ==Age and appearance==
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| [[File:H2A-SgtAveryJohnson-Main.jpg|250px|thumb|A close up of Sergeant Major Johnson's face.]] | |
| Johnson's age is affected by the same ambiguities as all beings who undergo extended voyages through space. Born in the late 2400s, chronologically Johnson would have been over 70 years old at the time of his death in [[2552]]. He has spent much of his life in [[cryonics|cryosleep]]. Cellular activity is slowed to near standstill in cryosleep, effectively halting the aging process. As a result, Johnson's biological age is significantly less than his chronological age as measured by Terran chronology. His ORION augmentations likely played a part in this as well, as they were known to have extended the active service careers of many of the program's former members.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/factions/spartans '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Spartans'']</ref>
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| {{Clear}}
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| ==Decorations==
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| Johnson has received three known medals in his service: The [[Colonial Cross]] and the [[Purple Heart]],<ref name="ReferenceA">[[Halo 2]], ''[[Cairo Station]]''</ref> as well as the [[UNSC Legion of Honor]], which may have been a posthumous decoration.<ref>[[Halo 3]], ''[[Halo (Halo 3 level)]]''</ref> Johnson was not awarded any medals during his time with the ORION detachment, due to the sensitive nature of its missions.{{citation needed}}
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| ==Trivia==
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| {{Linkbox|quote=yes|gallery=yes|gameplay=yes|gameplaypage=Johnson (disambiguation)#Gameplay}}
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| ===Production notes===
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| *Johnson was voiced by [[David Scully]] in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', ''Halo 2'', ''Halo 3'', ''Halo 3: ODST'', and ''Halo: Reach''. Scully also voiced a number of Elites in those games, notably the ones who talk in an energetic voice in ''Halo 2'' and ''Halo 3''. In an out-take for ''Halo 2'', Scully says, "In ''[[Halo 4]]'', I get a woman!".<ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/News/Media.aspx?mid=13890&age_verify=0 '''Bungie.net''': ''Media Player - Halo 2 Audio Outtakes'']</ref> In ''Halo Wars 2'', Johnson was voiced by another actor because Scully was part of an ongoing [[Wikipedia:2016–17 video game voice actor strike|strike among video game voice actors]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQSf8ZP2n6U '''Mixer''' - ''Johnson reveal stream'']</ref>
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| **In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', the Elite quote "Wort, wort, wort!" is actually a slowed-down reversal of Johnson saying, "Go, go, go!"{{Citation needed}}
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| *[[Damion Poitier]] provides Johnson's [[Wikipedia:Motion capture|motion]] and [[Wikipedia:Facial motion capture|facial]] capture in the reimagined cinematics by [[Blur Studios]] for ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''.<ref>[http://www.blackfilm.com/read/2014/07/sdcc-2014-exclusive-damion-poitier-the-avengers-first-thanos/ '''Black Film''': ''SDCC 2014 Exclusive: Catching Up With Damion Poitier, The Avengers’ First Thanos'']</ref>
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| *Johnson is [[List of references to Aliens in the Halo series|heavily based on]] the character Gunnery Sergeant Al Apone from the film ''[[wikipedia:Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'', with whom Johnson shares many character and physical traits, as well as some dialogue.
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| *Johnson is a playable character in ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Firefight (Halo 3: ODST)|Firefight]]. In the original Xbox 360 release, he is available only to those who pre-ordered the game from participating retailers, while in ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]'', he is unlocked at rank 50 of [[Series 3: Recon]].
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| *Johnson is a [[DLC]] [[Leader]] released on [[2017|May 22, 2017]] for ''[[Halo Wars 2]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> multiplayer.<ref name="Waypoint">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/welcome-sgt-johnson '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Welcome Sgt. Johnson'']</ref>
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| *Johnson's dress uniform in Halo 2 features a gold star and 4 stripes. In ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]'', this was amended to a gold star and two stripes. It is unknown whether or not this correctly reflects his rank of Sergeant Major.{{Ref/Reuse|ReferenceA}}
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| ===Easter eggs and glitches===
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| *In the non-canonical [[Legendary]] ending of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', he is seen fighting with [[Hugging Elite|an Elite]] over an assault rifle.
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| *It is possible, through [[Life After Death|a glitch]], to keep Johnson alive despite his death by 343 Guilty Spark. This can be accomplished by killing him right before the cutscene in which he gets killed by Guilty Spark. By doing this glitch it is also possible to get Johnson infected by the Flood.
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| *With the Sputnik skull activated on the ''Halo 2'' level "[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo Station]]", the player can push Johnson into outer space when at the station's umbilicals. It is very difficult, however, as Johnson will keep attempting to run back to his assigned position.
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| ===Miscellaneous===
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| *Staff Sergeant Johnson first appeared in a short video shown to kick off the ''Halo'' Launch Party held in Chicago on November 10, 2001.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/News/Media.aspx?mid=13901 '''Bungie.net''' ''Media Player - Introductions'']</ref>
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| *In ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', Johnson will always appear in later levels, even if killed.
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| *Johnson's voice is usable in ''[[Halo: Reach]]'''s Firefight mode for 100,000 cR.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=27328 '''Bungie.net''': ''Bungie Weekly Update: 07.16.10'']</ref>
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| *Johnson was the first human to kill a [[Zhar (Kig-Yar)|member]] of the Covenant.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 130''</ref> He also witnessed Truth's death, making him the only human to have personally witnessed both the beginning and the end of the Human-Covenant War.
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| *Johnson may have been married: According to a quote during gameplay on the level "Cairo Station", Johnson says that the Covenant are "worse than [his] mother-in-law."{{Citation needed}} In ''Halo: Contact Harvest'', Johnson was involved in a romantic relationship with his commanding officer, [[Jilan al-Cygni]], leading fans to theorize that the two were married at some point.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12673 '''Bungie.net''': ''The Bungie Podcast: 07/23/07'']</ref>
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| *Johnson was fond of [[Sweet William cigars]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''epilogue''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''', ''epilogue''</ref>
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| *In ''Halo 3: ODST'' Firefight, Johnson has exactly the same body as the [[Rookie]].
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| *"[[Send Me Out... with a Bang]]", the Achievement granted for completing the final mission of ''Halo: Reach'', is a reference to Johnson's final words.
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| *As revealed in ''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', Johnson had a role in the promotion of [[John-117]] to the rank of [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] and he acted as a mentor towards the young Spartan during the early part of the war.
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| ==Gallery==
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| <gallery>
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| File:HaloCE-SgtAveryJohnson.png|Johnson in his Marine BDU in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.
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| File:JohnsonMarine.jpg|Johnson in ''Halo: Combat Evolved''.
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| File:Scrn 029.jpg|Johnson and [[John-117]] fight off Covenant forces on the surface of Installation 04.
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| File:HCE Legendary Ending 1.jpg|Johnson and an Elite halt their battle when they notice the ''Pillar of Autumn'' imminent destruction in the non-canon extended ending of ''Halo: Combat Evolved''.
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| File:Johnson.png|Johnson in his [[UNSC Marine Corps Battle Dress Uniform|Battle Dress Uniform]] in ''[[Halo 2]]''.
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| File:Sergeant Johnson.png|Johnson in his [[UNSC Marine Corps Dress Uniform|Marine Corps Dress Uniform]] in ''Halo 2''.
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| File:KeyesJohnson.png|Johnson escorting Commander Keyes to her ship in ''Halo 2''.
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| File:Sargescarab.jpg|Johnson commandeering a Type-47A Scarab before the Thel 'Vadam.
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| File:Johnson-BQ.jpg|Johnson in the ''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''.
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| File:Sgt Avery Junior Johnson.png|Johnson in ''[[Halo 3]]''.
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| File:H3-JohnsontakesBeamRifle.png|Johnson with two Type-51 carbines and a Type-50 particle beam rifle.
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| File:Halo3 ODST Sgt. Johnson.png|Johnson in ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> [[Firefight]].
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| File:Johnson - Origins.png|Johnson in ''[[Halo Legends]]'': ''[[Origins]]''.
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| File:HR Johnson Firefight Icon.png|Johnson's profile in ''[[Halo: Reach]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> Firefight.
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| File:Invasion - Johnson.jpg|Johnson fighting onboard Gamma Station in ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''.
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| File:CEA_Johnson1.png|Close-up of Johnson in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''.
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| File:Halo 2A Johnson turnaround.jpg|Render of Johnson in ''[[Halo 2 Anniversary]]''.
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| File:H2A - Johnson.png|Johnson in ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''.
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| File:H2A-SgtAveryJohnson-Main.jpg|A close up of Johnson.
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| File:H2A-Outskirts-Johnson and pilots.jpg|Johnson encouraging his men.
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| File:H2A-Johnson.jpg|Johnson during Battle of Earth.
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| File:H2A-HowYaDoing.jpg|Johnson being pinned to the wall by the Arbiter Thel 'Vadam.
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| File:H2A-Arbiter&Johnson.jpg|Johnson and Thel 'Vadam standing together against Tartarus.
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| File:H2A - GuiltyJohnsonMiranda.png|Johnson, Miranda, and Guilty Spark on [[Installation 05]].
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| File:HW2 Blitz Sergeant Johnson.jpg|[[Blitz]] card of Johnson in ''[[Halo Wars 2]]''.
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| File:Johnson Greenmachine.png|Johnson on the field in ''[[Halo Wars 2]]''.
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| File:HW2-JohnsonvsSentinel.png|Johnson attacking an Aggressor Sentinel.
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| File:HW2 Sergeant Johnson Vault.png|Sergeant Johnson wearing the [[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I (J) Green Machine]] suit on the map, [[Vault]] in ''Halo Wars 2''.
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| File:HLC Let's Get Tactical.jpg|An artistic amalgamation of the Raid on Installation 08 and Avery Johnson's grand finale.
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| File:HINF Chibi Johnson Emblem.png|A ''[[Halo Infinite]]'' multiplayer emblem of Johnson.
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| File:Enc22_Johnson.jpg|Johnson in the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition)]]''.
| |
| </gallery>
| |
| | |
| ==List of appearances==
| |
| {{col-begin}}
| |
| {{col-2}}
| |
| *''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
| |
| *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'' {{Mo}}
| |
| *''[[Halo 2]]''
| |
| **''[[Conversations from the Universe]]'' {{Mo}}
| |
| *''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''
| |
| **''[[Breaking Quarantine]]''
| |
| **''[[Halo Graphic Novel, Page 122|Page 122]]''
| |
| *''[[Starry Night]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo 3]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo Legends]]''
| |
| **''[[Origins]]''
| |
| {{col-2}}
| |
| *''[[Halo: Reach]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''
| |
| **''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion|Invasion]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo 4]]'' {{Mo}}
| |
| *''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo: New Blood]]'' {{Mo}}
| |
| *''[[Halo Mythos]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo Wars 2]]'' {{C|Non-canonical appearance}}
| |
| *''[[Halo: Legacy of Onyx]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual]]''
| |
| *''[[Halo: Oblivion]]'' {{Mo}}
| |
| *''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]'' {{Mo}}
| |
| *''[[Halo Infinite]]'' {{Mo}}
| |
| {{col-end}}
| |
| | |
| ==Notes==
| |
| {{Ref/Notes}}
| |
| | |
| ==Sources==
| |
| {{Ref/Sources|2}}
| |
| | |
| {{Spartan I}}
| |
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson}}
| |
| {{HW Leaders}}
| |
| [[Category:Human characters|Johnson, Avery]]
| |
| [[Category:UNSC Marine Corps enlisted personnel|Johnson, Avery]]
| |
| [[Category:Playable characters|Johnson, Avery]]
| |
| [[Category:Halo Wars 2 DLC]]
| |
