Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 (Earth-113599)

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 is the first season of a 2013 television series by the same name, created by Marvel Television and Touchstone Television on the ABC Network. It takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe focusing on the personalized adventures of the top secret spy & espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. It is the first ever episodic product to take place in the continuity. It premiered September 24th 2013.

Production
The idea television series based on Marvel Comics properties had been discussed by Walt Disney as early as 2006. In 2009 popular comic book writer Jeph Loeb was announced to be spearheading the new Marvel Television company to try and develop potential series for ABC. Many pitches were thrown around but none reached anymore than the development stage. This all changed in summer of 2012 after the smash hit of The Avengers when Kevin Feige expressed interest in expanding the universe into television and absorbed the struggling Marvel Television into the much more successful Marvel Studios. Afterwards Feige, Loeb, and director Joss Whedon worked together to pitch an MCU TV show based around the adventures of S.H.I.E.L.D. An organization that appeared in the films often but was barely touched upon in a deeper way. At the 2012 comic con this news was announced and it was also revealed that Clark Gregg would be reprising his role as Agent Phil Coulson to star in the series.

More information slowly unveiled to the public such as Joss Whedon's younger brother Jed Whedon and his wife Maurissa Tancharoen would be the showrunners and that the series first arc would tackle the popular Iron Man story Extremis. Tancharoen announced afterwards that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would also acknowledge the events of the movies it overlaps with (Thor: The Dark World & Captain America: The Winter Soldier) but refused to explain just how it would work. Ming Na Wen in late 2012 was revealed to be cast as Agent Melinda May and Brett Dalton as Agent Grant Ward. This earned controversy as they were both original characters, but Whedon defended this decision but claiming S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't well known to the public and they have a very unique situation where they can creatively add a lot to the Marvel Universe where they normally wouldn't be able to. Coulson was an originally character back in Black Widow and Hawkeye, adding more for his team would just be building upon that. This trend continued when Chloe Bennet was casted as "Skye" and many more. However, it didn't last as J. August Richards was confirmed to be playing Michael Collins in the pilot along with Shannon Lucio as Maya Hansen. Filming began in early 2013 and the first episode of the series aired September 24th 2013.

Main Cast

 * Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson


 * Chloe Bennet as Agent Skye


 * Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leopold "Leo" Fitz


 * Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jennifer "Jenna" Simmons


 * Brett Dalton as Agent Grant Ward


 * Ming Na Wen as Agent Melinda May

Recurring Cast

 * J. August Richards as Michael "Mike" Collins/Deathlok


 * Shannon Lucio as Maya Hansen


 * Cullen Douglas as Aldrich Killian


 * Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill


 * Samuel L. Jackson as Director Nick Fury

Journey Into Mystery
The episode starts with a monologue of someone talking about how the world changed after the Battle of New York. Proving that heroes and villains do indeed exist, but that they have for decades. Hidden away by S.H.I.E.L.D. and their endless secrets. But the Tide is Rising and soon they will expose the truth. The camera pans out to reveal an attractive, young woman named Skye finishing off her podcast for the Rising Tide hacktivist organization. Afterwards she texts a man named Ghost saying she got the latest episode up, they exchange formalities over text before he abruptly tells her he's got to go but to "keep fighting the good fight". Afterwards it shows a man on a motorcycle outside of her van zooming across the street he stops outside of a large apartment building and hastily pretends to be a bellhop while sneaking his way into room number 965. He breaks the lock and using his advanced spy training finds multiple secrets files and information in the apartment. It's cut short though by a apartment when residents trying to attack him, which the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent easily fights off. Knocking them out he goes to the roof of the building and on his phone says his name is Agent Ward and he's confirming that the mission has been complete. He has the first part of the Extremis formula.

It then does the AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. icon.

It then shows Director Nick Fury in a S.H.I.E.L.D. Control Room reading over the formula. Asking if they're sure it's the same thing Agent Maria Hill confirms that it is, Agent Ward intercepted it while scouting the Los Angeles area off an anonymous tip. It's Extremis alright. He angrily goes to the corner and says they can't afford this right now, not with these Rising Tide hackers breathing down their necks. This has to be contained and soon. Maria says she absolutely agrees but they've been putting everything they have into cracking this case and are still coming up empty. Nick tells her then maybe they need some new minds to try and figure it out, it shows a hand opening getting access to the room with a special keycard, the camera revealing him to be Agent Coulson. Much to Maria's surprise, claiming she thought he was dead. Coulson tells her that was the plan, not even The Avengers know he's alive. Nick says it was classified level 10 information, Maria asks why, and he simply tells her "It's classified for a reason". Coulson adds that he doesn't even know why everyone's making such a big deal out of it, he was only dead legally for eight seconds, just spent a lot of time sipping drinks and getting massages in Tahiti. Emphasizing to Maria that it's a "magical place".

The Director interrupts that calling up Agents Fitz & Simmons who are seen bickering at the computers to explain the situation to Coulson. He humorously asks who's who and they introduce themselves, arrogantly gloating about both of their respective IQs. They both explain how Extremis is an immune system enhancing virus that's been spreading around the underground world for the last six months. Simmons claims it can grant the user rapid cellular regeneration, enhanced strength, speed, durability, etc. Agent Coulson asks what's the problem there, and Fitz explains that it's not stable at all. Fitz says everyone who's ever used the Virus eventually overworks their system so much that they literally, well... implode. Director Fury says after New York, and now this the world and the much weirder world are starting to blur. People are starting to figure out what S.H.I.E.L.D. has worked so hard to protect. Maria Hill says he has to be in & out before anyone else can expose it. He happily says it sounds like fun. Asking where he can start. Fitz and Simmons say going by their networks and the location of the last Extremis dispensary they believe it's someone who works in the Kirby Steel Mill. Coulson says that doesn't necessarily narrow it down too much. Maria Hill says he'll need to use his espionage training to figure it out more, the Director recommends taking Agent Ward with him since he has experience in this field, Coulson heeds the advice and then says if this mission will be a fresh start for him maybe it can be one for Agent May too.

It then shows Mike Collins working in the mill but getting fatigued from overwork. He begins injecting himself with some of the Extremis serum and feels what looks like orange heat flow through his entire body, causing him to work much harder with barely any effort. Impressing his boss considerably. He then drives to the nearby elementary school and picks up his son Bryan, telling him his new job at the factory is going great. Which Bryan gets excited about asking if he'll be able to buy him some Avengers toys that he sees inside a store, Mike tells the boy he'll be able to get him every single one. Meanwhile, it shows Skye over the corner pretending to read a newspaper watching them. At the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base lower levels Agent Ward is meeting up with Coulson. Phil explaining that he read over Ward's file and sees he has high rankings in almost everything, but is notoriously closed off and hard to work with. He tells him Agent Hill assigned him to help with the Extremis, not to be his best friend and asks if they're expecting a third. Suddenly they both hear a S.H.I.E.L.D. truck drive in in the garage with Agent May coming out of it. Coulson tells her he's glad she could make it, but she makes a snide remark right back to him. Which inclines Ward to say "I like her". Mike is relaxing at a diner until Skye randomly sits in his booth and tells him she knows. He asks what she's talking about and Skye says about that fire stuff in his veins, Extremis. That causes Mike to anxiously tell her to stay away from him, but Skye insists she isn't there to hurt him.

Explaining she's a member of the Rising Tide. There's all about exposing stuff that's been kept hidden away by S.H.I.E.L.D. bringing up the Masters of Evil and how they almost destroyed the world with that army of monsters almost destroyed the world before The Avengers stopped them, and nobody even talked about it. Mike asks what she wants. She says an interview, about what he can do, she'll keep an anonymous and that her employer will compensate him well for the information. Mike says under his breathe this is exactly what they warned him about and leaves the diner, having Skye pay the bill. She follows him outside and keeps trying to persuade him until it shows the S.H.I.E.L.D. truck approaching. Coulson says Kirby Steel Mill employees usually hang out at this diner, and May notices in her rear view mirror a Mike Collins neck glow slightly orange claiming she "found the guy". Ward comes out of the truck and goes up to Skye and Mike telling the latter he works for the F.B.I. and he's under suspect and needs to come with him. Mike starts putting the pieces together and irrationally claiming this must've all been a set up, Skye's on this. She claims that she's never seen this man in her life but Mike begins getting violent until Ward tries to step in getting violently pushed into the truck, denting the side. Noticing people panicking he begins physically digging his hands into the wall climbing away. Skye slowly gets up until Coulson approaches her and says she needs to come with them.