The Secret Rebuilding of SHIELD
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SHIELD has seen a lot of changes since it entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) many years ago. The collapse of SHIELD at the hands of HYDRA in Captain America: The Winter Soldier began of series evolutions that are still unfolding. Our Jonathan Thompson is here to chart the rebuilding of the world's premier secret intelligence agency.
When you’re trying to create a team with people that don’t like each other, sometimes it takes a certain push to make them all see eye to eye. When Joss Whedon killed Agent Phil Coulson, I was both shocked and heart broken, even shed a few tears. But thanks to project TAHITI (Terrestrialized Alien Host Integrative Tissue I) and to Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD getting picked up by ABC, fans were given a chance to see an Avenger come back to life.
After the ups and downs of two seasons, Agents of SHIELD has turned heroes into villains and villains into heroes. The meek have become mighty. After the discovery of Terrigen Mist and the Inhumans, events have led to the creation of the Secret Warriors; a team led by Director Coulson and his protégé, Agent Skye (Daisy “Quake” Johnson).
In the comics, the Secret Warriors was a team made up of super-powered individuals led by Nick Fury. Fury brought Quake, Phobos, Druid, Slingshot, Hellfire and Stonewall, a group known as Team White, together to help defend the Earth against the secret invasion by Skrulls. Alongside most of Earth’s heroes, they were able to repel the incursion before the Skrull could conquer Earth.
Fury is a man with secrets within secrets and his true agenda for the Secret Warriors was to help defend SHIELD itself from the inside, having been infiltrated by HYDRA. Team White was joined by Team Black, led by Agent Alexander Pierce and Team Gray, led by Nick Fury’s son, Mikel. Unfortunately, SHIELD would eventually fall. But, the United Nations saw how important that peace keeping organization is and under Director Daisy Johnson, SHIELD would be rebuilt.
If you haven’t read any of those comics but you’ve invested your time in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe then this overall story line will seem very familiar.
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Alexander Pierce led HYDRA in taking down SHIELD from the inside. Every agent, whether loyal to SHIELD or loyal to HYDRA, was deemed as a criminal and hunted down. Fury would allow the world to think he was dead and go underground, leaving Coulson to become director and help keep the world safe by running SHIELD from the shadows.
Agents of SHIELD Season 2 dealt with the aftermath, as well as introducing us to the Inhumans. Skye would discover her origins, while losing the closest thing she had to a brother, Agent Antoine Triplet. Killing off BJ Britt’s amazing character brought more tears to my eyes, but it did serve a bigger purpose. Skye would meet the Inhumans and help progress her powers, as well as develop a relationship with Lincoln Campbell.
Season 3 will have Skye and Lincoln traveling the globe to find more super powered individuals to help fight the good fight behind a SHIELD badge.
With a plethora of characters the writers can draw upon to fill the ranks of the Secret Warriors, the first one to spring to mind is Jerry Sledge, aka Stonewall. Not only would the super strong character be a good addition to the team, it would also forge a connection back to the beginning of season 2; Stonewall’s father is Carl “Crusher” Creel, the absorbing man.
To help get the Warriors around the globe, teleporter Eden Fesi could be a great addition. Though he is a mutant in the comics that can simply be changed to Inhuman, as they did for Quake.
So far, only one new Inhuman has been confirmed, Lash from the Inhuman city of Orollan, Greenland. He has the ability to manipulate energy and turn it into blasts from his hands. Lash believes that only certain people are worthy of receiving the gift of Terrigen Mist and feels that it is his job to separate the worthy from the unworthy, by any means necessary. He will definitely be a tough adversary for SHIELD.
To prepare for when Samuel L. Jackson’s contract expires, Marvel could use Nick Fury, Jr. or Mikel Fury to help keep the Fury name alive within the Marvel Cinematic Universe and have him take the reins of director once Coulson is done. The MCU has been around long enough now that a certain degree of succession planning is starting to be required.
The writers don’t have to be held to using characters from the pages of Marvel comics, though the fans love seeing them brought to life. Lincoln Campbell helped Skye transition into her new life and, though there are several characters within Marvel’s pages that resemble Campbell, his character was created especially for the show.
With a team of super powered individuals circling the globe to either gain more agents or keep catastrophes from happening, what is the end game for creating the Secret Warriors?
With a Civil War on the horizon of the Cinematic Universe and the Infinity Wars beyond it, the Secret Warriors can help Director Coulson and his team of agents rebuild SHIELD as the peacekeeping organization it once was. Having a public SHIELD could allow more heroes go to the aid of Wakanda, the African nation that usually keeps itself cut off from the rest of the world. The plot lines are almost limitless.
When you look at Captain Marvel’s origin, wouldn’t it make sense for the Air Force Colonel be a former pilot for SHIELD who either left before HYDRA took over?
With SHIELD stepping out of the shadows, Colonel Carol Danvers could do the same which would lead to her meeting Mar-Vell, the Kree soldier that is responsible for giving Carol her powers. With SHIELD and Captain Marvel working together, they could lead to the creation of SWORD to help keep the world safe.
Staying with SWORD for another moment but looking at it through a smaller lens, what if Skye and Lincoln recruited the future director of SWORD, Abigail Brand?
Maybe the recruitment of Brand can lead to the discovery of a woman by the name of Jessica who is discovering her powers that just happen to be similar to spider powers. Before the Captain Marvel movie comes out, you’ve already introduced two characters that can help build SWORD alongside Danvers.
The obvious place Skye and Lincoln could go, where the Secret Warriors could end up, is the capitol city of the Inhumans, Attilan. The movie is due out in less than four years but you never know what Marvel has planned.
Ultimately, the goal of the Secret Warriors is to help establish peace within the MCU. They’ll work from the shadows and, whether or not they receive the credit they're due, they’ll protect the world.
We can only wait and see what will happen but it’ll be an exciting journey.
You have an idea about the Secret Warriors?
Leave it in the comments section and we can see where their road goes.
Jonathan Thompson is a Contributor to ComiConverse. Follow him on Twitter: @Jon_Toast