General Hospital Fanon Wikia
Don't have an account?
Register
General Hospital Fanon Wikia
Advertisement
Register
in: Characters, Males, Villains,
and 15 more

John Cates

Edit

Agent John Cates (formerly Jagger) was a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera General Hospital and its spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift.

Jagger was portrayed by actor Antonio Sabato, Jr. on GH from 1992-95 and in 2008 on NS.

On February 2, 2024; the role was recast with actor Adam J. Harrington on GH replacing Nicholas Chavez as Spencer Cassadine and Avery Kristen Pohl as Esme Prince after the characters' presumed deaths as well as Kathleen Gati as Liesl Obrecht who went home offscreen.

As of the February 16, 2024 episode, Harrington is listed with the contract actors in the closing credits. His character was killed off on August 30, 2024. His body is seen a last time on September 3 and later replaced by Rick Hearst as Ric Lansing, Carlo Rota as Jenz Sidwell who made his onscreen debut appearance the same day, Jonathan Jackson as Lucky Spencer, David Anthony Buglione as Tracker Sloane before the character's arrest, Michael E. Knight as Martin Grey, Alley Mills as Heather Webber before the character left town, Kody Kavitha as Hunter Crews, Jeff Kober as Cyrus Renault, Parry Shen as Brad Cooper, Judy Kain as Elaine Smith before her storyline ended, Scott Reeves as Steve Webber before the character left town, Jay & Joey Clay as Ace Cassadine, Alexa Havins Bruening as Lulu Spencer, and later Virginia Ma as Madison Yeung.

On September 1, 2024; Harrington confirmed his exit from GH on social media and later replaced by Rick Hearst, Carlo Rota, Jonathan Jackson, David Anthony Buglione, Michael E. Knight, Alley Mills, Jeff Kober, Parry Shen, Judy Kain, Jay & Joey Clay, and Alexa Havins Bruening.

Storylines[]

John Cates and his younger siblings Michael and Gina were orphaned as children. John was separated from the other two and fell into a rough crowd. He took the street name "Jagger". But he was still a good person on the inside, it just took some loving care from Karen Wexler to bring it out of him. In 1992, some thugs broke into Kelly's and roughed up the owner while attempting to rob the diner. Jagger was one of the thugs, but was shot when he tried to protect Ruby. While he is recovering, he stays at General Hospital. While he is there, the police threaten to arrest him if he doesn't turn in the rest of the boys he broke into Kelly's with.

Jagger refuses and while trying to escape the hospital while avoiding arrest, he meets Karen. On the roof of the hospital, Jagger is unable to take the ladder down because he is scared of heights, and Karen finds him and convinces him to stop his escape. He goes back downstairs and pretends to have been sitting there the whole time. He is later put into jail where he stays before the two other burglars join him, including Cal. Cal believes that Jagger turned him in and is the reason he is in jail, so he threatens to kill him. Later, Ruby decides not to press charges, so Jagger is released from jail.

Ruby forgave him for being involved in the robbery, and gave him a place to live and a job. He started classes at Port Charles High as well. While working at Kelly's, Jagger and Karen become friends, and Jagger also develops feelings for Karen. However, Karen was forming a relationship with Jason at the time.

Jagger started dating Karen Wexler and dated Brenda Barrett for a while too. Jagger located his sister Gina and hired Felicia Jones and Mac Scorpio to find his brother Mike. Mike turned up at a party calling himself Stone. Someone slipped ecstasy into Karen's drink, and Stone rescued her.

After high school, Jagger tried to become a professional boxer with Marco Dane as his trainer/promoter. Jagger won a boxing match against A.J. Quartermaine. However, when Sonny Corinthos threatened Jagger to throw a fight, Jagger quit boxing. He also modeled briefly along with Brenda Barrett for Deception Cosmetics.

Jagger then decided to become a police officer and Karen got a scholarship to study medicine at college. The two became engaged. On the couple's wedding day, Karen's mother Rhonda revealed that Karen's father was Scott Baldwin. After they married, the couple moved to San Francisco where Karen attended medical school and Jagger became a police officer. Jagger returned to Port Charles in 1995 when he learned his brother Stone was dying of AIDS. He was able to spend time with him before he died. Then, Jagger went back to San Francisco.

Karen returned to town, without Jagger, in 1997 to do a medical internship at General Hospital. She met Dr. Joe Scanlon and fell for him, even though she had a police officer husband back home in San Francisco. Even though her marriage was on the rocks, she wanted to make it work, and tried hard to stay faithful. Karen decided to go back to San Francisco to see Jagger, thinking it would help their marriage and divert her feelings for Joe. When she went home, she found out that Jagger had been having an affair and their marriage was over. Karen then went back to Port Charles.

13 years later in 2008, Jagger returned to Port Charles two years after Epiphany Johnson became Head Nurse at General Hospital. He had become an FBI agent and was now a single father, fighting for custody of his son named Stone Cates, Jr., after his brother Stone. Jagger's old friend Dr. Robin Scorpio recognized the signs of Autism in young Stone, and convinced Jagger to have him tested and to see a therapist. Stone was diagnosed with Autism, and Jagger ultimately returned to San Francisco with his son after Epiphany's only son Stan Johnson was killed in a mob hit in Florida.

On February 2, 2024 after Spencer Cassadine and Esme Prince's presumed deaths at River Seine in Paris, France; Jagger returned to Port Charles and bumped into Carly Spencer at Bobbie's, which used to be known as Kelly's until Bobbie Spencer passed away. Jagger introduced himself to Carly as "John" and he saw Leo Quartermaine hug Carly returning to Port Charles 16 years later and nearly a year after the death and memorial service of former Head Nurse Epiphany Johnson. Inside, John seemed to be watching Leo carefully as the boy fidgeted. He walked over and tried to talk to him about the book he’s reading. Leo says he can't talk to strangers, so he shows him his badge and says he's Agent John with the FBI. Leo introduced himself and they talked about Leo's book of animals. Eventually, Olivia noticed Leo talking to the agent and went inside to find out who Leo's friend is. She sent Leo to wash his hands before John introduced himself and said his son also is on the spectrum and he was just trying to distract Leo as he was getting agitated watching her and her friend argue. Olivia asked about his son and he says he's grown and on his own now. John gets a call, excuses himself and says, "No one makes a move until I get there." the same day that Nikolas Cassadine returned with his son Ace Prince-Cassadine.

On February 28, John meets up with Scott Baldwin about Karen ever since the murder of Austin Gatlin-Holt by an unknown assailant remain unsolved.

Suddenly Agent John burst into the room with two other agents and demanded that Anna and Jordan Ashford drop their guns, shutting down their sting operation in regards to meeting with a man named O'Neil, the arms dealer who sold the gun used to shoot Curtis Ashford back in 2023 leaving Ava Jerome unharmed as well as Violet Finn and Tracy Quartermaine were in the line of fire before Damon Montague was arrested. Anna and Jordan slowly put their guns down, and Anna assumed he's the agent in charge of the investigation. Agent John then asked Anna if she recognized him and Anna realized that he was Jagger.

After O'Neil was taken into custody, Anna introduced Jagger to Jordan but Jagger revealed that he goes by "John" now since he outgrew the nickname "Jagger". John also revealed that they're interfering with his case and he already had his agents warn Jordan to stay out of it. After John told Jordan and Anna that neither one of them are officers anymore, Jordan suggested that he deputize them. John tells Anna and Jordan that Curtis' shooting is part of something much bigger.

On July 1, John's friend Adrian DeWitt becomes the new editor in chief at The Invader.

On July 11, John comes to see Ava Jerome in her hotel room at Metro Court.

On August 30; Cates and Sonny agree to meet on the deck outside the Quartermaine Boathouse, so Sonny will turn himself in, if Cates releases Sonny's daughter Kristina Davis from custody. They meet as a storm comes in, and Cates is surprised when Sonny pulls a gun on him. The mobster shoots Agent Cates twice killing him. He was then gunned down by Sonny himself before being replaced by his bald criminal warlord counterpart named Jenz Sidwell at a Refugee Camp in Somalia located in East Africa before the Mining Camp was destroyed by a drone strike by the WSB nearly a month later on September 27 as Sidwell fled and is on the run wanted by Interpol, the WSB, and the FBI. Then Sidwell came to Port Charles on November 5 wanting revenge for the late FBI Special Agent John Cates

Crimes Committed[]

  • Abuse of power; took over the FBI's investigation into the Pikeman Security Group in order to use that as an excuse to take down Sonny Corinthos [Nov 19, 2021-Jul 17, 2024; abuse of power revealed on Jul 29, 2024]
  • Had Jason Morgan arrested by two F.B.I. agents and flown to Quantico to have everyone in Port Charles to think that Jason is declared dead [Nov 19, 2021; revealed on Mar 14, 2024]
  • Blackmailed Jason into working for him as an FBI informant by threatening to send Carly Spencer to prison for 20 years on RICO violations and criminal conspiracy if he refused [Nov 19, 2021-Jul 30, 2024; revealed on Mar 14, 2024; Jason was revealed to be an FBI informant on Mar 26, 2024; Jason was revealed to be protecting Carly on Apr 2, 2024; Carly was cleared of all charges on Jul 30, 2024]
  • Blackmailed Jason into working deep undercover for the FBI as a private military contractor under the alias "Alan Jacobs" to infiltrate the Pikeman Security Group by threatening to send Jason to prison for 20 years on charges of RICO violations just like the late Kyle Sloane blackmailing Drew Cain into working undercover for the Jerome mob family [Nov 19, 2021-Mar 4, 2024; Jason was revealed to be an operative on Mar 4, 2024; John was revealed to be Jason's boss on Mar 14, 2024; Jason was revealed to be infiltrating Pikeman on Mar 26, 2024]
  • Worked with the F.B.I. to fake Jason's death to help him establish his cover as "Alan Jacobs" to make Jason be replaced by Valentin Cassadine, Raquelle Fraser before and after her arrest, Victor Cassadine before and after his death, Jason's evil German counterpart Johann Bauer since their names start with the letter J and ends with the letter N, armed robbers Eric Watson and Harry DeFranco, music producer Linc Brown before and after his arrest, Oz Haggerty before and after his death, Jason's maternal second cousin once removed Esme Prince before and after her presumed death when she was dragged into the river with her ex-boyfriend Spencer Cassadine, The Hook before and after she was revealed to be Heather Webber, Yuri Tamashevich before and after Victor's death via second chance, Edward Giles who became butler at Wyndemere Castle replaced Alfred, Dr. Damon Montague before his arrest, Warden Ellen Garten at Pentonville Penitentiary before she left for Texas, Jack Brennan who became director of the WSB before his arrest along with Roman Hume because Jason missed the memorial service of the late former Head Nurse Epiphany Johnson making Jason betray Sonny in defecting the Corinthos mob family to the True Believers before and after the death of Dr. Britt Westbourne [Nov 19, 2021; Jason was revealed to be alive on Mar 4, 2024; John and the FBI's involvement in faking Jason's death revealed on Apr 9, 2024]
  • Colluded with Peter August and the True Believers [Nov 19, 2021; revealed on Apr 9, 2024]
  • Blackmailed Jason into staying in Port Charles to use himself as bait to lure Pikeman out of hiding [Apr 2-Jul 18, 2024]
  • Withheld the information that Jason was on the rooftop of Selina Wu's warehouse with a Pikeman operative named Hamish Hampton, who prepared to take a shot at Sonny Corinthos with a sniper during a raid that he, the FBI, Anna Devane and the Port Charles Police Department led at her warehouse [Mar 4-25, 2024; revealed on Mar 26, 2024]
  • Blackmailed Jason into giving him evidence against Sonny to get justice for the late former Head Nurse Epiphany Johnson and also former Judge Naomi Carson or getting on a bus to Quantico by threatening to send Carly to Pentonville or Steinmauer overseas to help Jack Brennan, Johnny Zacchara, Paul Hornsby, and Jack's American counterpart Mason Gatlin to help Ava Jerome make sure that her daughter Avery Jerome-Corinthos is with her mother Ava after Jack disappeared from prison and removed all information from his Port Charles Police Department file and his stay at General Hospital; failed as the trial against Carly was dropped because Jack deleted the FBI recording of Carly's RICO violation [Jul 22-30, 2024]
  • Withheld the information that Sonny's meds have been tampered with [Jul 29-Aug 30, 2024]
  • Tried to provoke Sonny into attacking him; failed as Michael Corinthos held Sonny back [Jul 30, 2024]
  • Abuse of power; framed and then wrongfully arrested Kristina Davis on charges of attempted murder against Ava Jerome as Molly Lansing-Davis to sided in with him [Aug 19, 2024]
  • Colluded with his bald warlord counterpart Jenz Sidwell [Aug 23-Sep 3, 2024]
  • Identity theft; assumed the name Lucky Spencer while the real Lucky is held hostage in a refugee camp in Africa under his friend/bald warlord counterpart Jenz Sidwell's orders [revealed Aug 23-Sep 3, 2024; Sidwell's involvement revealed on Aug 28, 2024]
  • Blackmailed Linda Boyle into posing as an FBI Agent to kill Ava; failed as Jason rescued Ava after Isaiah Gannon was hit by a car driven by Linda herself in a hit-and-run charge [revealed on Aug 28, 2024; blackmail revealed on Aug 30, 2024; as Lucky Spencer]

Health and Vitals[]

  • Nearly framed by A.J. Quartermaine for murdering Ray Conway [Dec 13, 1993]
  • Beaten up by two men named Frank Green and Chris Johnson; Carly Spencer chased them away [Apr 9, 2024]
  • Nearly attacked by Sonny after trying but failing to provoke him [Jul 30, 2024]
  • Shot and killed by Sonny [Aug 30-Sep 3, 2024; as Lucky Spencer]

Relationships[]

  • Ruby Anderson - (deceased)
  • Mitch Arias - U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Agent
  • Randy Ashcroft - Sheriff of the County Sheriff's Department
  • Peter August - John's Danish-American counterpart, the late Cesar Faison's son with the late Alex Devane, and Anna Devane's nephew (deceased)
  • Scott Baldwin - John's friend and Ava's attorney
  • Saira Batra
  • Linda Boyle - (captured)
  • Donald Cassadine - Valentin Cassadine's son with Elaine Benson
  • Hunter Crews
  • Adrian DeWitt - Editor in chief at The Invader and John and Ava's new friend
  • Lou Evans
  • Dante Falconeri
  • Gerard - John's new friend overseas in Africa before John's death
  • Ron Jarrett - Court judge
  • Ava Jerome - John's new friend, ally, co-conspirator, and ex-lover; Robin Scorpio-Drake's blonde counterpart, and the last known living and sole surviving child of the late Victor Jerome
  • Epiphany Johnson - Former Head Nurse at General Hospital (deceased)
  • Albert Kim - Court judge
  • Lou - John's new friend overseas in Somalia before John's death
  • Damon Montague - Former psychiatrist at General Hospital and Clement's counterpart (captured)
  • Clement Moore
  • Frank Moss
  • Jenz Sidwell - John's new friend, ally, and bald warlord counterpart before John's death and Valentin's bald counterpart
  • Tracker Sloane - Linda's male counterpart (captured)
  • Riley Sullivan - Court judge
  • Karen Wexler - (deceased)
  • Jason Whitlow - U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Agent
  • Porter Wilcox - Federal U.S. attorney
  • Anthony Wilson
  • Madison Yeung - John's new friend and Nina Reeves' assistant at Crimson Magazine before John's death

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
Advertisement