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.
Night Shift[]
In 2008, Jagger returned to Port Charles. 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.
General Hospital Return (2024)[]
On February 2, 2024, Jagger (Adam J. Harrington) 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. Inside, John seemed to be watching Leo carefully as the boy fidgeted. He walked over and tried to talk to him about the book heโs 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."
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. 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.
Arrested for violating a restraining order against Gina [July 23, 1993]
Got into a physical fight with Sonny Corinthos and rendered him unconscious [Sep 27, 1993]
Punched Sonny [Oct 25, 1993]
Punched A.J. [Dec 28, 1993]
Punched his brother, Stone twice, knocking him unconscious [Mar 11, 1994]
Had Jason Morgan captured and brought to Quantico [Nov 19, 2021; revealed on Mar 14, 2024; as "Stone"]
Blackmailing Jason into working deep undercover under the alias "Jacobs" to eliminate mob bosses by threatening to send him to prison for 20 years for RICO violations [Nov 2021-present; Jason was revealed to be an operative on Mar 4, 2024; John was revealed to be "Stone" on Mar 14, 2024; as Stone]
Tried to have Sonny Corinthos shot at the Metro Court by an intelligence operative who's bullet ricocheted and accidentally hit Curtis Ashford instead [Jul 10, 2023; revealed on Mar 14, 2024; failed; as Stone]
Tried to have Sonny shot again [Jan 31, 2024; failed; as Stone]
Had four heads of the mob killed [revealed on Feb 15, 2024; John's involvement revealed on Mar 14, 2024; as Stone]
Had Olivia Jerome killed [revealed on Feb 15, 2024; John's involvement revealed on Mar 14, 2024; as Stone]
Ordered a hit on Selina Wu, working through an unknown third party and Mr. Li [revealed on Feb 21, 2024; John's involvement revealed on Mar 14, 2024; failed; as Stone]
Ordered Hamish and Jason to eliminate Sonny Corinthos [Mar 4, 2024; revealed on Mar 14, 2024; as Stone]
Health and Vitals[]
Shot in the neck by one of his fellow accomplices while trying to rob Kelly's [Apr 8, 1992]
Knocked unconscious when he hit his head below deck on the Quartermaine boat [Jul 9, 1992]
Became stranded on a deserted island with Jason Quartermaine and Karen Wexler after the boat they were on capsized during a storm [Jul 16, 1992]
Beat up by Rhonda Wexlerโs boyfriend [Aug 6, 1992]
Blackmailed by Joe and Cal Atkins (along with Jason and Karen) [Aug 26-Sep 14, 1992]
Held at gunpoint by Cal (along with Jason and Karen) [Sep 14, 1992]
Shot by Cal during a shootout [Sep 14, 1992]
Beaten and tied up on the orders of Sonny Corinthos [Oct 1, 1993]