Character History

Michael Corinthos III has been the center of numerous battles since the day of his birth. His mother, Carly, lied about his paternity and claimed that his biological uncle Jason was his real father. Jason went along with the story, to prevent his brother AJ from learning the truth--that AJ, in fact, was Michael's father. Michael was born via emergency c-section after his mother collapsed and began to hemorrhage. Jason named Michael after his friend and local mob boss Michael "Sonny" Corinthos.

Shortly after his birth, doctors discovered Michael had a heart condition that required immediate surgery. With Carly still in grave danger, Jason was forced to make the life-saving decision to allow Michael to have the surgery. Jason became a permanent fixture in baby Michael's life after post-partum Carly left Port Charles. Upon Carly's return, the Quartermaine family began to work her for access to their newest heir. At just three months old, Michael was kidnapped by Tony Jones and later rescued by Jason.

Michael's paternity was eventually revealed to AJ by Robin Scorpio, Jason's girlfriend. This revelation led to a bitter custody battle between Jason and the Quartermaines. Although awarded joint custody, Jason chose to give up his rights so that his dangerous lifestyle with the mob would not harm Michael. The war over Michael came to a head when Sonny learned that Carly was pregnant with his child. Sonny blackmailed AJ into signing over his parental rights to Michael so that Sonny and Carly could raise their children as a family.

While at the church getting ready for his aunt Courtney's wedding Michael wittnessed his mother being kidnapped by Ric Lansing (who is actually his uncle). Michael was severely traumatized and would only say "Mommy's gone." at first. Over time he got better but his mother was still missing. Carly ended up being rescued by Sonny, but she was in labor and while trying to shoot her kidnappers (Lorenzo Alcazar had been working with Ric), Sonny accidentally shot her in the head. Morgan was born and was fine, but Carly ended up in a coma for a long time, but she eventualy woke up and the family was together again.

Over the years, Sonny and Carly would divorce and remarry numerous times. Throughout, a very clever Michael would come up with various schemes to reunite his parents-which often worked. Michael grew close to baby Morgan and later learned that he also had a sister named Kristina from a tryst between Sonny and Alexis Davis. As he got to know Kristina he grew to adore her just as much as he did Morgan.

Michael, Morgan and Kristina were kidnapped from their homes by Faith Roscoe. Michael put up quite a fight and managed to escape only to later return, because he could not bear leaving his brother and sister behind. Michael stole a cell phone off one of Faith's goons and called Sonny. During the call a gunshot went off, leaving Sonny and Carly fearing the worst. Jason, Sam, Carly, Sonny and FBI Agent Reese Marshall followed Faith's trail to Louisiana. After an intense gun battle in a church, Faith was taken into custody but the children were nowhere to be found. Morgan and Kristina were recovered at a nearby airport, but there was no trace of Michael.

Jason later found a picture of seemingly dead Michael on a sniper that was hired to kill Faith Roscoe. Sonny and Carly were inconsolable upon learning that Michael may be dead. Jason refused to give up and continued to search for Michael. Michael turned up alive on a private jet, only to have it crash off the coast of Georgia. When Michael came to he discovered that his biological father was the man on the plane with him. AJ was part of the elaborate kidnapping plan, and began to convince Michael that Sonny and Carly didn't want him anymore, which Michael refused to believe until AJ showed him a fake tape of Sonny saying so.

Soon after, Jason and Sam flew down to the Bahamas and discovered recent pictures of Michael and AJ together. AJ fled back to Port Charles with Michael where they hid in the Quartermaine attic. Carly was thrilled to learn that Michael was alive after she saw him in the park. Meanwhile, AJ and Jason got into a fight on the Quartermaine landing and plunged down to the foyer. At the hospital, Sonny and Carly tried to reconnect with withdrawn Michael to no avail.

While a patient at the hospital, AJ Quartermaine was murdered and everyone became a suspect. Michael began having nightmares and dreamed that he was the one that really killed AJ. Michael confessed to Jason that he killed AJ, and Jason took him to see Sonny at the police department. Sonny explained to Michael that the adults needed to make things right. Sonny then confessed to AJ's murder to protect his son. When Sonny was found not guilty, everyone was overjoyed.

Michael continued to have nightmares, and Jason and Sam looked into starting therapy for Michael. Sam met with Dr. Thomas, a local psychiatrist, and thought he would be the right fit for Michael. She was surprised to learn that he was also Jason's doctor after his accident. Michael began his therapy sessions but didn't like it. Emily was able to convince him to give it another try. When Michael went back for another session, he met Jodie. Jodie and Michael became quick friends. Jodie advised Michael on how to get out of therapy sessions, but his family really wanted him to try again. Meanwhile, Michael was also coping with the fact that his parents were now with other people.

Michael was visiting with Carly when two police officers arrived to take Michael in, and Jason pulled his gun on them. Sam surprised all with a shotgun and she, Jason, and Michael took off. Jason, Sam and Michael finally ended up in the Wyndemere caves, thanks to Emily. Sonny told Jason to get himself, Sam, & Michael out of town. So after quick good-byes with their loved ones, Jason, Sam, and Michael escaped just as the police arrived and were off to the Caribbean.

Michael got a surprise when he discovered Jodie was on board the ship. Jodie told him that she was there the night AJ was murdered and knew Michael didn't kill him. Michael went to Jason and Sam and told them Jodie was on board. Jason and Sam soon discovered that Jodie was Michael's imaginary friend. When Michael figured out that Jason couldn't see Jodie, Michael freaked out. Jason called Dr. Thomas for advice and he told them they had to get back to PC now for Michael's sake, knowing that Jason would do anything to help Michael.

Once Jason told Sonny about Michael's imaginary friend, Sonny made a deal with the DA, Durant, to bring Jason and Michael home. Durant double-crossed everyone and had Jason and Michael, his own grandson arrested, arrested.

Ric was able to get Jason and Sam released, but Durant got a restraining order to keep everyone away from Michael. Michael had to return to therapy with Dr. Thomas who tried to hypnotize him. During his session, Michael told Dr. Thomas he knew the good doctor was the killer. Carly brought Michael home from Dr. Thomas's office and Michael told everyone that Rachael was the one that killed AJ.

Before the police had the chance to investigate Rachael, she turned up dead. Jason began having memories from when he was in a coma ten years ago, and realized that AJ had hired Dr. Thomas to kill him. After further investigation, Jason learned that AJ was blackmailing Dr. Thomas with the secret that he'd attempted to kill Jason, and that Dr. Thomas the killed AJ to keep him quiet. After Dr. Thomas tried to take Jason's parents hostage, Jason tracked him down and killed him. Finally, the nightmare surrounding AJ's death was over, and Michael could go back to being a normal kid.

When a deadly virus hit town and Sonny caught it, Michael sunk into the hospital to make sure he was ok. Though Sonny survived Michael was devestated when his aunt Courtney died from the virus. Michael learned to come to terms with his parents divorce. He came to love his stepfather Jax and he grew fond of his fathers new girlfriend Kate.

Michael was devestated when a serial killer hit town and killed his nanny as well as his aunt Emily, in grief he demanded that his father kill their murderer. When Michael found out someone had almost killed his father's girlfriend he again demanded revenge, terrified for his loved ones. With everything going on Michael annouced that when he grows up he wants to be a mobster like his father so he can protect his family.

Michael finally decided that his father and Jason could not protect his family so he bought a gun to protect his mother and brother. However, after catching Morgan with it and realizing he could have been hurt and after his father telling him "If I ever catch you near a gun or even hear you were near one you better run and keep running!" Michael decided he needed to get rid of his gun. He tried to throw it in a dumpster on the docks but he could not get the dumpster open. When he turned around he dropped the gun and it went off. When Michael saw he had shot his father's girlfriend Kate he tried to wake her up and it looked like her was going to call 911 on her phone but he saw her blood on his hands and started hyperventilating and flashing back to everything he had been told recently about guns, when he got to what his father said, he followed that advise and ran, obviously traumatized again.

Michael hid on a boat and called his mother saying "I'm sorry" over and over again until he was chased off of the boat. He then came across a kind older woman who let him stay with her for a few days and listened to him. After a while she convinced him to go home. Once at a building near where he lived he again called his mother begging her not to tell his father. When she came Michael began to tell her why he ran and then begged her to help him come up with a story to tell his father, terrified that he would no longer love him. His mother refused, but as they were leaving the building blew up.

Michael was saved from the wreckage by Johnny Zacharra, the son of another local mob boss. Michael refused to leave at first because he wanted to look for his mother but when they couldn't find her Johhny brought Michael out of the building where he ran into his father's arms. Michael explained everything to Sonny who assured him that he forgave him and would always love him and also told him he never should have said what he did. Michael was taken to the hospital and treated by Dr. Robin Scorpio who told him stories of his childhood with her and Jason (she had been living with him at the time). Michael's mother was found and both had no permanent injuries and she informed Michael and Morgan that she was pregnant, both boys were thrilled. Sadly, the next day she lost the baby and when told Michael blamed himself.

As they struggled to figure out what was best for Michael and how to help him through everything Sonny had Kate pick Michael up and take him to watch a coffe shipment come in. Before they left Michael and Kate had a heart-to-heart and he appolgised for shooting her, she forgave him. Once at the building Michael had a great time seeing how everything worked he came over to his father to make sure that it really was a coffe shipment and once reasured and said "I love you, Dad" and walked off. Sonny then saw a sniper and pushed Kate to the ground, a single shot rang out. As they sat up they heard the words that would change almost everyone in towns lives forever "He's been shot!". Michael had been shot in the head by a bullet meant for his father, he was rushed to the hospital and operated on. Michael survived and the people of Port Charles hoped and prayed that he would wake up and be fine, sadly that would not be the case. The doctors informed Michael's family that because of where he had been shot he only had a one in ten thousand chance of ever waking up.

Though everyone else tried to convice Carly that it was true she would not give up on her son. Even as Sonny and Jax tried to make plans to have Michael taken to a long term care facility, Carly had him brought home. Though she tried to explain to Morgan that the big brother who had been his hero was in a coma, the six year didn't understand and Carly later found him in Michael's room begging him to wake up. Jason later had a talk with Carly and was able to convince her to send him to the facility in New York City. Many close to Michael said their goodbyes and he was sent away

By Laura