- “A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it.”
- —K explaining their secrecy to Agent J.
Agent K, originally Kevin Brown (born c. 1940),[1] was one of the main protagonists of the Men in Black film series. Kay is portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin in the films, and is voiced by Ed O'Ross in season 1 of the animated series, and by Gregg Berger in the remaining seasons.
A top agent and a founder of the Men in Black, he is a character who is extremely respected, and after working at MiB for over 40 years, he's very stoic and shows nearly no emotion. He was hailed by several as the "Greatest Agent in MIB history."
Biography[]
Before MiB[]
Originally Kevin Brown, he helped establish the earliest foundations of MIB, which the government created in the mid-1950s. In his youth before MIB, Kevin's hometown was Truro, Massachusetts and he at times played a game with his father, in which they surmised what they could eat as a "last meal." Kay was also close to his grandfather, who passed on the wisdom to have pie to clear his mind so thoughts could flow more clearly and allow him to deduce his next step when confused about how to proceed.
It was not until March 2, 1961, that contact with alien lifeforms known as the Baltians was made outside New York City. K claimed to have been a "one dumb kid" who got lost on the wrong back road and ended up presenting the flowers to one of the spacemen, originally meant for his girlfriend. After this, Kay became fully devoted to his work. After joining the MIB he left behind his, soon to be, wife (Elizabeth Ann Reston) in the process, and a "coma" was utilized as his cover story upon his initiation.
Early MiB Years[]
K was trained by MIB Director Alpha to be an MIB agent. However, Alpha stole a Cosmic Integrator and went rogue leaving K for dead after shooting him. K did not want to betray MIB as if he did, he would reject everything Alpha taught him. At some point, he was made partner with another founder, Dee. In 1968, K was instrumental in the event known as the Zeronion Migration, which can only be assumed to be an unusual experience. During the mid-1960s, K was assigned to keep tabs on an alien band member, Mick Jagger, thought to have been on earth to breed with humans, in London. This was there he met fellow agent O, where the two spent time together at a bar, and its implied they were intimate with each other for a brief period.
Arc Net Deployment 1969[]
In July 1969, K was a Junior Agent working for Chief X, he tracked the intergalactic criminal Boris the Animal, who went on to kill many other aliens, like Roman the Fabulist, to prevent the Arc Net Shield being deployed so the Boglodite invasion coming to Earth would successful. On July 16th, he went to cape Canaveral. Here is when he shot Boris's arm off, apprehended him, and managed to deploy the Arc Net. Boris was then sent to Lunar Max prison while the rest of his species went extinct.
In 1972 or so, Kay began working for Director and fellow Founder/Agent Zed.
Alternate 1969[]
These events got altered when Boris time jumped to the past and teamed up with his younger self to kill K before he could deploy the shield. However, Agent J came to the past, and the duo would team up to the younger K and warn him of the impending invasion. K shows that he is unlike his future self by being open to his tale as well in character. With help from J, K would live and Earth would be saved.
From afar, future J witnesses Kay neuralyze a young boy who turned to be him and telling him his father was a hero. With this, Jay realizes Kay had been watching him for all his life and returns to the future to find Kay alive again. They talk and Jay indicates his knowledge of Kay protecting him. Kay tells him it was his privilege and is almost responsible for the destruction of the Earth when he forgets to leave a tip but comes back to pay.
Light of Zartha[]
During the year 1978, Kay and other agents protected Princess Lauranna of Zartha, and was entrusted with the Light of Zartha to stop it from getting into Serleena's hands. Prior to the light "departing" earth, Kay and Lauranna were intimate, the agent becoming emotionally attached and bound her, despite being prohibited for agents. This led to Kay directly ignoring Zed's order to actually send the Light, Lauranna's daughter, and implied to be his own, off the planet in order to keep her safe. However, Serleena kills Lauranna after Kay pretends to launch the Light into space. Serleena follows, and the Light, Lauranna's daughter, Laura Vasquez, was hidden away by Kay and a close friend of Lauranna, a fellow Zarthan, Ben.
Men in Black[]
In the first film, Kay is seen with his partner Dee attempting to find an alien disguised as an illegal immigrant. The year is 1997, by which point Kay is roughly 57-years-old and one of the best, very experienced, veteran agents.
He grabs a very suspicious man and, along with his partner Agent D, K and the suspicious man talk where they cannot be seen. The suspicious man turns out to be an alien named Mikey. A police officer then spots the alien and Mikey attempts to attack the officer. Dee fails to shoot the alien so Kay quickly grabs his weapon and kills Mikey himself. Kay then neuralyzes several police officers and instructs the other MiB personnel to burn and dispose of all evidence of the alien including the blood and guts nearby. He then sits down next to his partner and listens to him explaining how beautiful the stars are and how the spirit is willing, but the body can't keep up. Realizing his partner finally wants to retire he then neuralyzes Dee.
After an NYPD officer named James Edwards, chased down an unknown alien disguised as a human. K asks him a few questions at his Police Station. He asks if he saw the weapon the unknown alien had would he recognize it. Edwards replies "absolutely", so they both head to Jack Jeebs' pawn shop. At first, Jeebs denies selling or having any weapons until K shoots his head, to the surprise of Edwards he grows another head. Jeebs finally reveals his weapons and Edwards indicates the weapon that the alien he earlier chased down owned.
K tells Jeebs that they will confiscate all weapons or else he will shoot Jeebs where it doesn't 'grow back'. He follows Edwards outside and promises that he won't remember all this tomorrow and neuralyzes him, they later eat at a local restaurant and K gives J an MiB card with an address and says tomorrow at nine o'clock and leaves. When Edwards arrives he takes part in a MiB training course, while K watches from behind a 'mirror room'. After Edwards finishes the shooting test, Kay informs Zed that Edwards chased down an alien on foot and that's got to be tough enough. Kay walks with Edwards explains how the U.S started up a small, underfunded agency with the task of making contact with life that of Earth, Kay shows him photos of the alien contacts several years ago, (One of them features several MiB agents, the tall aliens and a man dressed in casual clothes presenting flowers to one of the beings.)
Edwards at first doesn't seem interested and doesn't take the aliens 'thing' seriously until Kay grabs a coffee from the Worms (a group of worm-like aliens). After seeing the worms Edwards and Kay have a conversation and Kay explains 'the catch' in being an MiB Agent. Edwards later returns to MiB Headquarters and becomes the newest MiB agent, Agent J. As a rookie, Kay has a number of nicknames for Jay such as "slick."
Kay and Jay both question an alien named Redgick who is suspiciously leaving Earth. As Kay begins to question the alien, he leaves Jay with the responsibility in dealing with Redgick's pregnant wife. Kay asks why is he leaving Earth and if this would have anything to do with the unknown alien Crash that happened recently. Redgick doesn't answer until his wife gives birth, with the assist of Jay. K then begins to ponder on why would Redgick risk a warp jump with his wife pregnant. They both check the hot sheets and question a woman who believes an 'alien stole her husband's skin'.
The woman named Beatrice explains that her husband Edgar, walked in the house and acted differently and demanded sugar water. Kay and Jay then neuralyze her, Kay then tests dirt from the site of the alien crash and the test reveals that it's a Bug that they are now dealing with. They later visit the Morgue where Jay and Dr. Laurel Weaver discover an Arquilian inside a dead human 'suit'. It turns out to be an Arquilian Prince named Rosenberg, who slowly explains that to prevent war the Galaxy is on Orion's Belt. The Arquilian dies and after Neuralyzing Weaver they both head back to Headquarters. While Zed explains to Jay that Orion's Belt is a collection of Stars, Kay is busy watching a woman (his wife) gardening on his computer via world satellite. He then zooms in and pauses on the woman's face and smiles. Until Jay watches from behind and says, 'pretty lady' K then exits the satellite picture. J asks K if that woman didn't get the flowers, he gave to the aliens many years ago and K shakes his head. J then says, "it's better to have loved and to have lost, then to have ever loved at all". K responds by saying "try it".
Zed along with Kay and Jay spot an Arquilian Battle Cruiser nearby Earth. Zed then tells the duo to head to Rosenberg's Jewelry Store, and also to give J a weapon. K grabs his weapon and hands J a Noisy Cricket. J immediately is annoyed and questions why he gets such a small weapon. They arrive at the Jewelry store, and it had already been broken into with nothing stolen. J then spots the bug in an 'Edgar suit' (Edgar was the husband of the woman who claimed an alien stole his skin). J tells K to get down, he then fires his Noisy Cricket several times but misses. Although he does stop Edgar the Bug's old vehicle with his ship placed inside. After J fired his weapon many times in public, K explains not to do so. Kay also tells Jay that there is always an Arquilian Battle Cruiser or a similar situation with Earth in danger, and the only way these people can get on with their lives is if they don't know about it.
They then question Frank the Pug, yet another alien who is using a dog disguise. At first Frank is reluctant to answer Kay's questions about the galaxy and the bug. However, after K grabs him and starts shaking him, he explains what he knows. He tells them that the galaxy is on Earth and is very small like a jewel. Jay later spots a cat and realizes that the galaxy is on Rosenberg's cat Orion's nametag. Together they once again head to the Morgue but this time J goes in alone while Kay gives him a couple of minutes until he too enters. Kay spots a man 'stuck' on the ceiling and is covered in slime. K quickly enters and along with J draw their weapons as they encounter Edgar the Bug holding Laurel Weaver as a hostage. Kay also sees that the bug is in possession of the galaxy. The bug then uses his jumping ability to jump up out of the roof, and he forces Weaver to drive him in a taxicab.
They both run out of the building and try to catch the bug. J realizes that he's in a cab and begins searching almost every cab he can see. K drives up and tells him to get in, and that he's not leaving the planet in a cab. They return to MiB Headquarters and discover that the Arquilian Battle Cruiser has fired a warning shot at the Earth. Kay goes over the Arquilian Battle Rules with Jay and explains that they have a galactic standard week to respond which is an hour. K and Zed begin to discuss where the bug might find a ship to leave Earth. J calls them both, but they ignore him until Jay yells out "hey old guys", which immediately grabs their attention. Jay then points at the flying saucer's located at Queens and asks if they still work. K and J drive to the Queens in an attempt to stop the bug from leaving Earth and retrieve the galaxy. Kay decides to use the tunnel which Jay says will be packed. K tells J to push the red button, and the car transforms into a much faster and advanced vehicle. K begins driving upside down on the roof at an incredible speed while avoiding all the traffic. K even plays some Elvis Presley music while driving.
When they both arrive, the bug has already taken off in one of the saucers. They both grab large, powerful weapons from the trunk of their car. They aim and fire at the saucer causing it to crash almost directly in front of them. Edgar the bug then walks out of the ship while K and J explain the MiB arrest procedure, and J demands that the bug put his hands on his head. The bug pulls of his Edgar 'suit' and reveals himself. The bug swallows the duo's guns and pushes them aside. K tells J to keep the bug on this planet and says he's going to get his gun back. He approaches the bug and persuades him to swallow himself. After a couple of minutes, K blasts the bug from inside the bug's own stomach by using the gun he swallowed earlier. After the bug explodes both K and J are covered in bug slime and J retrieves the galaxy, K then calls Zed and tells him to inform the Arquilians that they have the galaxy. However, the bug isn't completely dead yet and is about to attack Jay until Laurel (who was close by when all this took place) shoots and kills the bug by Jay's gun which she retrieved after the bug exploded.
They later return to MiB Headquarters with Weaver. Jay tells Kay if they have to neuralyze Laurel, Kay grabs his neuralyzer and explains that she isn't the one getting neuralyzed when it's Kay himself. Kay tells Jay that he hasn't been training a partner, when in fact he has been training a replacement. After Kay explains how to properly use the neuralyzer he hands it to Jay. Kay says that he has just been down the gullard of a cockroach and that's one of a hundred memories that he doesn't want. Kay says, "see you around," and smiles. J replies "no you won't", and neuralyzes Kay. After Kay retires, it is explained that he was in a coma for all of those years, and returned to his wife, he left behind in 1961.
Men in Black II[]
In the next few years, Kevin Brown would reunite with his wife and go to Las Vegas with her, despite having no memory of the last thirty-five years, Brown would look up at the stars and always have a gut feeling inside him like he knew what was going on in the universe, this attitude caused Brown's wife to leave him. Five years later, Brown is now a postal worker in Massachusetts. Meanwhile, Jay, Zed, and the MiB are dealing with one of the most feared aliens in the universe, Serleena (who Kay once dealt with many years ago). She is searching for the Light of Zartha on Earth which Agent K was given the task, to get it off the planet. Jay arrives at the post office and smiles when he spots Brown working at the front desk.
Since Kay was neuralyzed almost five years ago, he does not remember Jay or MiB. Jay tries to convince him that they used to be partners and that the MiB needs his help. Brown still does not believe him until Jay communicates with his fellow postal worker. Jay reveals that this worker is an alien (the Rapping Alien). After this almost all of his fellow postal workers reveal themselves to be aliens. Jay convinces Brown to come with him to MiB Headquarters, and when Brown hears Frank speakin,g he simply stares at him. Once they arrive at the entrance of headquarters, Brown is greeted by the MiB Guard on the way to the elevator. Once they arrive, Brown is greeted by almost everyone inside MiB Headquarters.
After Brown along with Jay talks to Zed, Jay takes Brown into the tech room. Here, Jay gives him his 'favorite weapon', the Noisy Cricket. After this, K is suited up and Jay introduces him to the de-neuralyzer at MiB headquarters. As Brown is about to be de-neuralyzed, until MiB is breached (Code 101 Lockdown) and both Jay and Brown are then flushed, and they end up in the middle of the city.
Jay's car arrives and they both get in, Jay confirms that MiB is on lockdown and contacts Frank who was able to hide at headquarters. Frank explains that some woman was the cause of the lockdown. Brown then finds a photo of himself in his pocket and ponders why it was kept there. Jay then finds another de-neuralyzer, however, this one is owned by Jack Jeebs. They both enter Jeebs' Pawn Shop and Jeebs is surprised to see Brown, as he thought he was retired. At first, Jeebs denies having the de-neuralyzer, but after Jay aims his gun at his head, he quickly shows them where it is. After Brown is strapped up and in the correct position to be de-neuralyzed, Jeebs begins to start the de-neuralyzer. When the process is finished, Brown shoots Jeebs' head. Jay now thinks Agent K is back until Brown denies remembering anything. Jay asks, "how did you know his head grows back"? Brown responds, "it grows back?" Jeebs explains that it might take a minute or two for him to regain his memory. Brown then leaves the shop; he stands outside and looks around. He then looks up at the stars and begins to smile and he regains his memory.
Agent K returns to the lower part of the store and Jay is being 'bended' and attacked by several aliens searching for him. Kay shoots the alien holding Jay with his Noisy Cricket. With the help of Jay, Kay defeats all the aliens. However, even with Kay regaining his memory, he still has no memory of the Light of Zartha, as he admits he must have neuralyzed himself in order to keep the information secret. Together, they begin to drive to the scene of the crime which is the Pizzeria which Laura Vasquez is employed and where the killing of her boss, an alien named Ben took place. While Kay questions Laura, Jay realizes after filling in the missing part of a photo with a photo piece from Kay's coat that K left himself clues, Kay admits this in case he needed to have his memory restored in the event his replacement could not handle the situation. Kay and Jay leave the diner, place Laura with the worms in their apartment, go to a locker at Grand Central Terminal where a locker is full of a small alien world, where Kay left a watch, Jay gives the locker his watch, the aliens also point out Kay left a business card for a video store in the locker, they take the card to the video store where Newton from the Morgue puts on a video Kay reserved about the Light of Zartha. He remembers everything, Kay and Jay neuralyze Newton and his girlfriend and mother. The duo goes to find Laura, Jay informs Frank the Pug and does not realize he has been captured.
They find the worms' room trashed and the worms injured. While Jay rescues Laura after defeating an old foe Jarra, Kay confronts Serleena, who is shot by Jay, although it does not kill her. Laura, Kay, and Jay get off to where the Light of Zartha is to make departure, while Frank and the Worms stay at MIB. After a long car chase which leads into the Subway tunnels, where Jeff ends up swallowing Serlenna's transport. After arriving at the departure point that was indicated by Laura's bracelet which glowed, Kay revealed Laura is the Light of Zartha, while Serleena arrives revealing her true form after killing Jeff the worm. While Serlenna fights with Jay, Kay pleads with Laura to get on the Transport awaiting her, she does so, Jay breaks free from Serleena who gives chase to Laura's ship. Jay and Kay grab some firearms from Jay's Mercedes and blast Serleena after Jay guesses Laura in Laurana's daughter (Jay wonders if Laura is Kay's daughter). Kay and Jay head off, Kay reveals he had a giant neuralyzer in the State of Liberty's torch, Sometime later, Kay talks to Jay about Laura leaving, Zed talks with similar intentions and Frank the Pug comments as well. Jay dismisses all three of them after Jay opened his locker he saw the small aliens, K reveals he brought them over from Grand Central Terminal to put things in perspective for Jay. Jay thinks Kay should let them out to show them the world is bigger than that. Kay just replies to Jay that he is still a rookie, then kicks open a door (Has DANGER! DO NOT ENTER and EXIT [that exit-word here is not exact, hard to do it here] labeled on it) and reveals an Alien Grand Central Station and many lockers, one of them being registered to the human race.
Men in Black III[]
In 2012, Kay has been back at MIB for ten years and is partnered with Agent J while Zed has been replaced by Agent O as the chief. Jay wants to get to know his mentor more, but Kay dismisses him. Meanwhile, an alien criminal known as Boris "The Animal" has broken out of prison, managed to find a time travel device, go back in time and murders a young Kay, which causes Kay in 2012 to vanish.
Only Jay recalls Kay and goes to work while looking for Kay and finds out from Chief O that K has been dead for over 40 years. With Kay gone, the Arc Net Shield was never put up and the Boglodite (who didn’t go extinct) could begin their invasion with no interference. After seeing this, Jay learns Boris has rewritten history and on advice from Agent O, tracks down the place where a time jump device is. The owner sees K's importance to live when seeing the invasion on live television. Jay also learns from the device owner that he only remembers Kay because he was there. Once getting the time jump device, Jay goes back in time to 1969 to stop Boris from killing a young K which could destroy the Earth, he ends up teaming up with the young Kay along the way. The past Kay believes Jay's story after he relays info on the case and he is shown to be much more open than the present Kay and willingly shares information about himself such as his age, his attraction to O, and other things while the present Kay is much more closed off. This causes Jay to wonder many times what caused Kay to change, as the latter tells him whatever it was hasn't happened.
The two are able to repair the timeline with help from the future seeing alien Griffin and Kay deploys the Arc Net Shield which protects the Earth from the future Boglodite invasion while Jay kills future Boris to protect Kay. Kay offers the colonel that helped him a job at MIB, only for the colonel to sacrifice himself to save him from Boris who goads Kay to apprehend him.
This time, instead of arresting Boris, Kay chooses to kill him, something his future self always regretted not doing. He then meets the colonel's son who is Jay's past self, explaining why Jay recalled Kay. From afar, future Jay witnesses Kay neuralyze him and telling him his father was a hero. With this, Jay realizes Kay had been watching him for all his life and returns to the future to find Kay alive again. They talk and Jay indicates his knowledge of Kay protecting him. Kay tells him it was his privilege and is almost responsible for the destruction of the Earth when he forgets to leave a tip but comes back to pay.
Men in Black: International[]
While he does not appear in the movie, a painting of him and Agent J fighting Edgar the Bug in 1997 can be seen in MIB's London Branch in High T's office.
Trivia[]
- The original film's trading card series notes, Agent K's real name was Kevin Cunningham, a nod to Lowell Cunningham, creator of the comic. He was also named Kevin Cunningham in Men in Black: The Game.
- However, this is non-canonical, and his name is revealed to be Kevin Brown in all other continuities.
- In MIB 3 no reference is made to Agent K's wife at all in the film.
- K had several relationships with women in his past life, which are:
- In the first film, K appears to have a wife before he joined MiB.
- In the second film, he had a relationship with Lauranna after he joined MiB and it's implied to have a daughter.
- In the third film. he's known to have had a relationship with Agent O after he joined MiB.
- Clint Eastwood originally auditioned for the role of K but turned down the role before Spielberg met Tommy Lee Jones who was in The Fugitive and Batman Forever.
Appearances[]
- The Men in Black
- Men in Black
- Men in Black: The Series
- Men in Black II
- Men in Black 3
- Men in Black International (Picture only)
References[]
- ↑ Kay's past self mentioned he was 29 in MIB in 1969. Assuming he turned 29 that same year, this places his birth year around 1940.