By now you’ve most likely stopped watching Agents of SHIELD. I mean, didn’t you hear? There were like almost 4 whole or maybe half episodes during season 1 where it like was kinda maybe Possibly boring and stuff. So, of course, the collective internet went aghast, screaming SELL! SELL! SELL! Oh my God! SE…wait…

…what do you mean? Oh, the show found its groove, you say? Fantastic new characters were introduced? Oh, the storyline did what? Wow, season 2 sounds amazing… CANCEL SELL ORDER! CANCEL SELL ORDER!! BUY! BUY! BUY!

Regardless, my hope is that you’ve seen the season 2 finale of Agents of SHIELD or at least have read our recap. If you have, then you know that the season 2 finale really set up Agents of SHIELD season 3. But while you saw that Skye will be recruiting and leading a team of superpowered individuals, you may not be familiar with the comics from which the Agents of SHIELD season 3 stories will presumably mirror.

In short, they made it pretty darned clear that Agents of SHIELD season 3 will introduce the Caterpillars. In addition to profiling Skye aka Daisy Johnson aka Quake, we’ve also teased the Caterpillars.

What I want to do now is list each member of the Caterpillars, walking through which ones could appear in season 3 of Agents of SHIELD.

Remember, there are some practicalities with a TV show like budgets and special effects, so I’ll also speculate on how I think the show creators could make each caterpillar “come to life.” I’ll also speculate on how each character might create a tie-in to the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe, because that’s a whole big thing.

Good heavens, I’m 260 words in and I haven’t even shared a character. Let’s get started!

Hellfire

[divider]Potential New Characters: Agents of SHIELD Season 3 Predictions[/divider]

JT James took the codename ‘Hellfire.’ Hellfire’s powers was the ability to charge objects with fire energy, which he typically used on a chain. Besides whipping around a fire chain like Ghost Rider or something (he was the grandson of the Phantom Rider, after all), Hellfire was the resident smart-alec cynic of the group, a role currently occupied by Agent Hunter.

Hellfire also had a brief romance with Quake, but in order not to spoil the comic run, I’ll just say that it ended badly. Which, hey, fits Skye aka Daisy Johnson aka Quake‘s character quite well, come to think of it! But season two teased Lincoln as Quake’s new love interest, and Lincoln has electrical powers, which could mean he’ll be mashed-up with Hellfire.

On the other hand, whipping around a fiery chain would make for fun TV, and the special effects could be handled by a team scrambling to meet a frantic weekly schedule. I’m not sure if Marvel was able to retain the rights to Ghost Rider, so Hellfire could be a nice way give a nod to that franchise.

For those reasons, I’d call Hellfire’s inclusion in season 3 of Agents of SHIELD to be more likely than not.

Druid

Sebastian Druid is the son of Doctor Druid who shares his father’s skill with magic and goes by the ironically uncreative codename ‘Druid’.

With the Doctor Strange movie on the horizon, Marvel undoubtedly wants to start dropping hints in their other properties. Agents of SHIELD (and tentpoles like Iron Man) are decidedly in the science/technology framework of explaining powers. In fact, a major point of dramatic tension during season 2 of Agents of SHIELD is many of the team’s lack of comfort with powers that are alien in nature and can’t be defined easily via scientific reasoning. Magic will flat freak out Simmons and Mac, which could be an element to continue to explore in season 3.

Even better, the comic story of Druid is one of the best of the series. In short, he doesn’t have the work ethic to cut it as an Agent and is removed from the team, having been seen as a liability. His arc of trying to prove himself could make for great TV.

If Druid appears in season 3 of Agents of SHIELD, I’l be giddy, mostly because it will give us clues to how Marvel intends to handle and display the use of magic for the upcoming Doctor Strange movie.

Manifold

Speaking of characters I’d be giddy about, let’s talk about Manifold. Eden Fesi (Codename: Manifold), has reality warping powers and was previously under the care and training of the mutant Gateway.

Marvel is cleverly engaged in warfare with Fox for the rights to mutants. Even though Marvel lost those financial rights in their turn of the century bankruptcy, they are cleverly regaining mindshare from the mutant characters by brilliantly repurposing Inhumans for storylines that would’ve gone to mutants.

Sure, maybe we can’t get a Gateway backstory because he’s a mutant, but Marvel can introduce the Manifold character by retconning him into a Inhuman. Please, please, please just discover Manifold on a walkabout in Australia, if only as a nod to long time X-Men fans of Gateway.

Gordon showed that teleporting can be done my a television special effects team, now give SHIELD their own teleport in Manifold.

Phobos

Alexander Aaron was the son of Ares, the God of War, and took the codename ‘Phobos’. Phobos is the young God of Fear, who possesses the power to instill fear in others.

While this could provide a nice tie-in to the Thor property and Agents of SHIELD has had Lady Sif as a guest while exploring Norse artifacts, I’d find it unlikely that the writers would introduce a kid to the team. Plus, Agents of SHIELD is trying to establish Inhumans now. Eh, IDK. I’m calling Phobos’ introduction unlikely, but that’s mainly because his run in the comics was much less compelling than other characters.

Stonewall

Jerry Sledge (Codename: Stonewall), is the son of Carl “Crusher” Creel, the Absorbing Man, in the comics and possesses similar abilities to his old man.

Agents of SHIELD already introduced an Absorbing Man character in season 1, so special effects can handle displaying the powers, plus Marvel’s new Netflix Daredevil series gave a nod to Crusher during the flashbacks of Matt Murdock’s father. Could it be that this all leads up to an introduction of Stonewall on season 3 of Agents of SHIELD?

Possibly. The bummer is that Jerry Sledge wasn’t necessarily compelling character in the comics.

Slingshot

Yo-Yo Rodriguez (Codename: Slingshot) is the daughter of the Griffin. Yo-Yo’s power is to run at superhuman speed, but bounce back to the point where she began running. I hate to end this list on a down note, but I have no choice.

Slingshot might play as a poor-man’s analogue for Quicksilver, who was recently introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but other than a field injury and a friendship with Stonewall, she wasn’t fleshed out much in the comics. My guess is she’s not a part of the Caterpillars when Agents of SHIELD season 3 returns this fall.

My Agents of SHIELD Season 3 predictions would be Hellfire and Druid, plus I really hope Manifold makes the cut, but other than that, I’m not certain the others are the Caterpillars were looking for. There were other little known teams not led by Quake in the comics, and perhaps Marvel is looking for some deep cuts and will create amalgamations of these various characters for use. Regardless, season 3 of Agents of SHIELD can’t get here soon enough.

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