Unverified Intelligence: The Speculation/Wishlist Thread

[JayKay]

Yeah, I don't believe for a second that Simmons has gone evil. But I'm interested in what convoluted explanation there will be for her wearing Hydra's letterjacket. Like you said it likely involves that interrupted transmission, as well as her instructor with the secret meeting place and Simmons' general shiftiness towards the end of last season.

For all we know, her leaving the team after Hydra's exposure could have been her plan before Fitz's brain trauma.

[kennyab]

Anyone else think the Obelisk might be the fourth Infinity Stone? Very powerful and very destructive to (most) poor souls unfortunate enough to come across it. Star-Lord was able to handle it better than most because he's part alien, and there's something up with Skye and Raina.

 

It seems like a great way to more closely tie Agents of SHIELD into the movies without really compromising plots -- they can run with their own little part of the story until it's time for Thanos to make his move in Avengers 3, and AoS could be a fun place to expand on the history of the Stones without stepping on anyone else's toes.

Edited October 1, 2014 by kennyab

[kitlee625]

Anyone else think the Obelisk might be the fourth Infinity Stone? Very powerful and very destructive to (most) pour souls unfortunate enough to come across it. Star-Lord was able to handle it better than most because he's part alien, and there's something up with Skye and Raina.

 

It seems like a great way to more closely tie Agents of SHIELD into the movies without really compromising plots -- they can run with their own little part of the story until it's time for Thanos to make his move in Avengers 3, and AoS could be a fun place to expand on the history of the Stones without stepping on anyone else's toes.

 

I was thinking of that too. The soul stone is unaccounted for, and reading the description on wikipedia makes me think that it could fit. It can bring souls back from the dead for one thing. Of course the bigger question is whether Marvel would throw in such a powerful Macguffin into the TV show. But the Obelisk certainly seems like it's going to be a major driving force in season 2 of SHIELD.

Edited October 1, 2014 by kitlee625

[HistoryGirl]

My theory is that Simmons is not Hydra but is on the hunt for something that Hydra has.  From the promo I suspect that her "I am aware of who I work for" is said in conversation with Coulson after he shames her for doing her own thing and not reporting in.  I suspect that Fitz is perfectly aware of why she left and accepts it.  Everyone else on the team (excluding Coulson, maybe?) thinks she left Fitz high and dry in his time of need.  But I think she left him with a reason that he accepted and is fine with.  I caught a bit of shifty-eyedness when Mack was asking after Simmons; it was as though he thought Mack was digging for info. Also, it's fairly clear that Fitz and Simmons are on good terms.  His Head!Simmons would be much meaner if he'd perceived her as unkind or unfeeling.  

 

Also, Skye said that Fitz had been working on cloaking before Simmons left.  Which means that he was up and about and likely verbal when she took off.  There's no way they didn't have some sort of a conversation.  Simmons definitely has ulterior motives, but one thing is for certain-- she's devoted to Fitz and owes him a lot, regardless of whether she feels romantic toward him in return. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

As much as I've enjoyed post-Winter Soldier AoS, it seems like things have gone a little too far in the pro-Hydra direction. 

 

Right now, as far as we can really tell from the show, active SHIELD is now probably less than a couple dozen people: Coulson, May, Fitz, Simmons, Skye, Trip, Mac, Lance, Eric Koenig, a few lab guys and presumably some agents out in the field.

 

By contrast, the number of active Hydra agents we've seen on the show are probably at least  twice that, and of course the ones we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg. We saw an entire lab of people that Simmons works at, Whitehall, guy who was Fake Talbot, Agent 33, the two agents who tried to control Blizzard and who got iced, the strike team that accompanied Simmons and Fake Talbot, the strike team that went into the hotel in the most recent episode. Absorbing Man, probably some others.

 

So while I think that the pre-Winter Soldier status of literally having thousands of men and trillions of dollars worth of resources at their disposal was overkill, they need to bring SHIELD to a place where it can't just be wiped out if someone bombs the Bus or their current base. 

[Maverick]

 I thought a lot of SHIELD staff went to work for Stark (Maria Hill's comment about security going private).   Why aren't they helping Coulson and SHIELD?

[KirkB]

Because legally, Coulson and SHIELD are still renegades, outlaws, and being hunted by the government. Not TOO seriously of course, since Talbot seems to be the only one chasing them on a daily basis. But while Stark's army of lawyers may be able to protect Hill and those working directly for him they are not really in a position to help Coulson and company unless they turn themselves in, at which point Hydra would have a pretty significant upper hand.

 

Speaking of, I get the bad guy's being in the lead right now. By their nature the only Hydra agents really damaged were the ones in SHIELD when it fell, which technically did a lot more damage to SHIELD. The remaining Hydra network, built upon 70 years of backstabbing and positioning, will have a leg up on a SHIELD only consisting of twelves or so people. That said, it's going to get rather depressing if SHIELD doesn't get a win every now and again.

Edited October 16, 2014 by KirkB

[JuneSEA]

My speculation is that if Simmons is brainwashed, the FitzSimmons reunion will take awhile to happen, like at least mid-season if not closer to the end of the season. If Simmons is not brainwashed, then their reunion should happen soon. 

 

If one saves the other, then it will be a happy reunion. Although I'm leaning toward it not being a happy one ... at least not at first. They have some issues (topmost being his belief that she left because he told her how he felt about her) to work out before they can go back to being friends and/or co-workers. 

Edited October 17, 2014 by JuneSEA

[Maverick]

Because legally, Coulson and SHIELD are still renegades, outlaws, and being hunted by the government. Not TOO seriously of course, since Talbot seems to be the only one chasing them on a daily basis. But while Stark's army of lawyers may be able to protect Hill and those working directly for him they are not really in a position to help Coulson and company unless they turn themselves in, at which point Hydra would have a pretty significant upper hand.

Speaking of, I get the bad guy's being in the lead right now. By their nature the only Hydra agents really damaged were the ones in SHIELD when it fell, which technically did a lot more damage to SHIELD. The remaining Hydra network, built upon 70 years of backstabbing and positioning, will have a leg up on a SHIELD only consisting of twelves or so people. That said, it's going to get rather depressing if SHIELD doesn't get a win every now and again.

True about them being outlaws but Stark and Hill should be able to help them on the sly. If HYRDA is about to score a victory and SHIELD knows about it but doesn't have the resources to stop it, they should be able to alert Hill and have one of her teams step in. In fact HYDRA should be more worried about Stark Industries right now, which is probably more of a match for them than the 12 people left in SHIELD. Unfortunately it's just something else we have to hand wave.

[KirkB]

SHIELD was obviously never much of a threat in the first place, since the largest espionage agency in the world was infiltrated and controlled for seventy years by their greatest enemy. Stark doesn't even have to play by the same rules as SHIELD, since besides lawyers he can call on the Avengers (one of whom messed up 7 decades of planning almost single-handedly). But Coulson, who is in charge, is not the kind of guy to really ask for help. He won't turn it down if it's offered, obviously if Iron Man shows up to help them fight Madame Masque or something he's not going to say no. Coulson is convinced he is doing the right thing and in the end that should be enough.

[Cranberry]

So, Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird. As pointed out in the thread for tonight's episode, she was never a bad guy. Based on the previews, I'm expecting her to appear to come down hard on Simmons tonight but help her escape from Hydra when it looks like all hope is lost (I'm assuming Bobbi's deep undercover). I could be totally wrong -- maybe Bobbi's actually bad in this universe, or brainwashed -- but this is how I want it to go down!

[JayKay]

Agreed 100%, Cranberry. The promo is also deceptive, just like the one a few episodes back that had people running into walls screaming "Simmons is HYDRA!"

Plus, it could go a ways towards making up for executing Victoria Hand, one of the few canon females the show got its hands on.

[Spartan Girl]

I would love for Sharon Carter to make an appearance.  I mean, they showed Peggy Carter, so it would only be fitting...

[Jediknight]

My speculation is the map Coulson is carving leads to an Infinity Stone.  This will allow the show to impact the MCU

[kitlee625]

There's also a lot of speculation that Skye is Inhuman and that her superpowers will be revealed this season. (Of course that's what people said last season too.) I'm honestly not too crazy about that theory, mostly because from what I've read, Inhumans are so powerful that her having those level powers would make her one of the most powerful people in the MCU, in which case the question becomes why does she need regular SHIELD teammates? And why is she on AOS instead of on her own show/movie? I also don't like when writers can just use "crazy super powers" as a deus ex machina out of every situation.

Edited October 28, 2014 by kitlee625

[KirkB]

The way around that would be to give her one of the less offensive (ie directly useful) kinds of powers, like super healing. That would be particularly amusing now that I think about it, because it means they would always be sticking Skye out in front of them to block bullets and explosions while they get out of the way since they know she is the only one who can take it.

[kitlee625]

I also thought that this might tie into her being "weirdly good" with computers. Apparently in addition to being super strong, super smart, and having incredibly strong super powers, Inhumans also have extremely weak immune systems. That could be hilarious: if Skye is basically bulletproof but runs away screaming when someone sneezes on her. Or she could fight in a biohazard suit.

[James Moar]

In the comics, Inhumans can have pretty much any sort of power (like mutants can). Skye wouldn't have to have a powerthat put her completely off the scale relative to the other characters.

[FurryFury]

They could also do an obvious thing and block Skye's powers (by her own decision). I mean, her father's clearly a powerful and unstable individual, and she was disturbed by all the murders he's committed. If she sees the destruction he's capable of with her own eyes, she may want to avoid ever having this kind of power.

[Chicago Redshirt]

People are pretty universally sure that the city is Attillan. I wonder: does that open up the possibility that Papa Skye is Maximus the Mad?

[kennyab]

Just to further the Attilan speculation -- Marvel's doubling the orders sent to retailers of the new issue of Inhuman next week for free. That type of thing doesn't happen without reason...

[KirkB]

Not that it really matters, since the MCU is it's own continuity, but does Maximus have any kids?

[Chicago Redshirt]

Not that I'm aware of. But there's at least a looks resemblance between Kyle M and Maximus, Kyle M's character is an insane genius and he's connected to this alien stuff that we are now strongly is connected to the Inhumans/Attilan.

[FurryFury]

So... could someone sum it up for a non-comic reader - what the hell are the Inhumans, exactly? I gather that they are aliens, but how exactly are they connected to the normal superhero stuff and the Earth itself? Because it doesn't seem like there is one alien superhero mostly functioning on Earth like Superman or Thor or Martian Manhunter, it does seem like the whole species matters...

Edited November 16, 2014 by FurryFury

[HistoryGirl]

So... could someone sum it up for a non-comic reader - what the hell are the Inhumans, exactly? I gather that they are aliens, but how exactly are they connected to the normal superhero stuff and the Earth itself? Because it doesn't seem like there is one alien superhero mostly functioning on Earth like Superman or Thor or Martian Manhunter, it does seem like the whole species matters...

From what I understand Inhumans are like the poor man's mutants.  Since X-Men are property of... Fox? Warner Bros? Marvel can't use them in any incarnation since they are a Disney property.  Inhumans are essentially superhumans. 

 

According to wikipedia  the Kree (an alien species that is seen in Guardians of the Galaxy via Ronan the Accuser, and is presumably that blue alien that they got the GH325 from) they experimented on early humans creating an advanced human race. 

 

Since Quicksilver & Scarlett Witch are in the upcoming Avengers 2 film, it is possible they may bend Marvel canon and make them Inhumans. (In the comics they are mutants, the offspring of X-Men's Magneto)  This would then connect the two universes in and around AOS's season finale. 

[kennyab]

From what I understand Inhumans are like the poor man's mutants.  Since X-Men are property of... Fox? Warner Bros? Marvel can't use them in any incarnation since they are a Disney property.  Inhumans are essentially superhumans. 

 

To be fair to the Inhumans (whom I love), they've never really shared the same mindspace as mutants -- that's a really recent development that's come about because of the movie rights. Historically, the characters have been used more to explore themes of isolationism and class in a closed society. Most stories about them for their first 40 years were focused squarely on the Royal Family who ruled the society. While the "threat" of mutants was that one could appear anywhere, the Inhumans were a society that stayed in their own little enclave. But now it would seem that Marvel wants a way to create new characters that can appear in the MCU without a complicated origin story, so they've expanded the Inhuman concept because of that.

Fun fact, Quicksilver used to be married to Crystal, an Inhuman princess who started out dating Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four when she first appeared. Their closest ties in the comics universe are both Fox properties. And at one point in the comics, Quicksilver tried to use the Terrinen Mist, which activates Inhuman powers, to restart the mutant race after the Scarlet Witch removed the X-gene of most mutants.

 

ETA: Technically, all Inhumans kind of are mutants. In the comic universe, ancient beings called the Celestials tinkered with photo-humans to allow them to develop the capability for superhuman powers. The Kree discovered that and expanded on it a bit. Because of the Kree manipulation, those powers have to be activated by the Terrigen Mists, whereas traditional mutants don't necessarily need an outside trigger. But it's the same base genetic manipulation behind both groups. Cue comments about Coy and Vance Duke.

Edited November 16, 2014 by kennyab

[MostlyC]

My current conspiracy not-taking-it-too-seriously theory is that Skye and Peter Quill are cousins.

 

I don't understand the whole non-humans backstory, so I hope the show (or at least the movies) can explain it.

[James Moar]

Guardians of the Galaxy says that Peter Quill's alien half is something little known, in a setting where the Kree are common -- so if Skye's linked to the Kree, they can't really be the same thing.

[Tiger]

I really think Skye is going to be revealed as being Crystal. They've made such a big deal about her real name, that it simply has to be a name comic fans are going to recognize as soon as it's revealed.

[Sakura12]

I don't know if they'd want to make Skye someone important unless they plan on having her in the movie in 2018. I think Skye, her parents and Raina are Inhuman but not part of the Royal family. 

[kennyab]

I really think Skye is going to be revealed as being Crystal. They've made such a big deal about her real name, that it simply has to be a name comic fans are going to recognize as soon as it's revealed.

 

 

I can't take credit for this catch (thanks, Comic Book Resources), but there seems to be a big clue to Skye's real name in the music box song from her dream sequence.

[Tiger]

I can't take credit for this catch (thanks, Comic Book Resources), but there seems to be a big clue to Skye's real name in the music box song from her dream sequence.

I've re-watched this scene three times and I am not seeing any clue; what is it?

[Sakura12]

The song they used was "Daisy Bell" so people are thinking Skye's real name is Daisy Johnson aka Quake. That would make her father Mister Hyde who invented a formula to enhance himself and passing it on to his daughter who has the ability to generate seismic vibrations and direct them into objects or people.

 

That might be a way to go since they can't use the Inhumans quite yet. Or I guess Mister Hyde could be an Inhuman and was enhanced by the Kree instead.

[Occasional Hope]

Could Skye be Luna?

[kennyab]

Could Skye be Luna?

 

 

I doubt it, as they killed Skye's mom, and I can't picture them getting rid of Crystal in such a manner when the movie (which is presumably about the royal family) is three years out and Quicksilver is trapped in a castle currently (and definitely not the Doctor). They'd have to totally rewrite Luna's history, so why bother at that point? There are enough similarities between Skye and Daisy that it won't feel like Marvel is rewriting the character from scratch if that ends up being the case.

[kennyab]

Forbes has a non-spoilery review of the winter finale. Basically, it's huge, a game-changer, and has the pay-offs we've been wanting. If you've been paying attention to press about the greater MCU for the last couple of months (which, if you're reading this thread, I'd say chances are that you have), it may reinforce some speculation, but it doesn't go into any details whatsoever.

Edited December 8, 2014 by kennyab

[ottoDbusdriver]

Forbes has a non-spoilery review of the winter finale. Basically, it's huge, a game-changer, and has the pay-offs we've been wanting. If you've been paying attention to press about the greater MCU for the last couple of months (which, if you're reading this thread, I'd say chances are that you have), it may reinforce some speculation, but it doesn't go into any details whatsoever.

 

From that article:

 

Truly, it will be a moment that makes people say, “wow, they actually did it.”

 

I'm hoping that means that they finally kill off Skye.

[kennyab]

From that article:

 

Truly, it will be a moment that makes people say, “wow, they actually did it.”

 

I'm hoping that means that they finally kill off Skye.

 

I actually like Skye, but I can't say that thought didn't run through my head on behalf of other posters.

[Cranberry]

I've always liked Skye, and I don't think she's hated by the general fandom (or even here, really, anymore).

[Sakura12]

Skye's not my favorite character,but I don't mind her and am interested in her storyline right now. I'm thinking that Skye is going to be revealed as an Inhuman since that movie was announced in the line up. More so since Raina mentioned the blue angels that came from the sky to make them more than human.

[ChelseaNH]

If that means they're going to make Skye a powered Inhuman, then that changes the premise of the show.  It's not longer the ordinary people cleaning up after the super-powered adventurers (not that it has come off that way, but that was how it was originally conceived); it's about a super-powered adventurer and her non-super-powered pals.

[Cranberry]

That wouldn't be too bad as long as she's not overpowered. I don't think it would affect the show too much unless she was suddenly so powerful that she made May redundant or whatever. There are a lot of useful-but-not-amazing powers she could have.

[kennyab]

Yeah, even if Skye gets some superpowers, it doesn't mean she's going to become a superhero with SHIELD as her supporting team. Willow was arguably the most powerful Scooby, but she was still part of the ensemble. Skye doesn't have the tech knowledge, leadership, or experience to render the rest of the team obsolete. Plus, I imagine she's going to have quite the training curve. She may have to use any hypothetical abilities sparingly to keep from harming to her own team.

Edited December 8, 2014 by kennyab

[Sakura12]

There are a lot of lame powers out there they can choose from. She doesn't have to be anything super powerful. Maybe they'll do both. Skye will be revealed as an Inhuman then leave to join her people.

 

Of course they haven't gotten rid of Ward's useless ass yet so I doubt they'd get rid of Skye. 

[KirkB]

Ward WAS useless but I think he has a lot more potential as an antagonist.

[ChelseaNH]

Except right now his agenda is kind of limited.  Could be more interesting if he winds up going Inhuman, too.

[Tiger]

I think Rayna may now be Tigra. And I have mixed feelings on that because Tigra is really cool , but why cover a beautiful woman Ruth Negga in fur, not to mention the budget issues.

[KirkB]

I always thought Tigra was one of the most interesting looking characters. I'm not certain it would translate as well to real life. But we also don't know for sure if that's what has happened to Raina. They could be going another direction, though what little we saw of her at the end seems to have struck more people as catlike. I was more hung up on the spikes on her face but it could have been fur. I guess we'll see.

[Traveller519]

I'm interested to see where they take Skye's powers. They can probably co-opt a lot of the X-universe storylines about X-teens that need to learn to control and develop their powers. Thing is, I don't think SHIELD in it's current iteration has the capacity to do that. If she can't control them she becomes a liability to the team, and Coulson needs to send her off, but where?

 

The showrunners would have legitimate balls to send her off for development which ties into the later movies (with Dr. Strange maybe; or maybe she and Bobbi get wrapped into the Avengers B Team as the fall out from Age of Ultron), and Avengers West Coast: The Netflix Series is born.

 

Either way, for her to tie into the movies, Chloe Bennett is going to need to work on those acting chops. She's come a LONG way since Season 1, but acting across from the Avengers cast on routine basis is another level. (I think back to the Season 1 finale when Jackson, Gregg, and Paxton were in the same room. Along with Deathlock. Deathlock didn't get much screen-time.)

[kennyab]

I'm interested to see where they take Skye's powers. They can probably co-opt a lot of the X-universe storylines about X-teens that need to learn to control and develop their powers. Thing is, I don't think SHIELD in it's current iteration has the capacity to do that. If she can't control them she becomes a liability to the team, and Coulson needs to send her off, but where?

 

I'm guessing that they spent time earlier this season demonstrating the control May's taught her for this very reason.