When ABC's Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. went on its midseason hiatus after a literally explosive finale, fans had a lot of questions. What did Raina transform into? What other Inhumans would we meet on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ? And who the heck was that man with no eyes featured in the finale's stinger? Theories abounded during the three months the series was off the air and viewers quickly latched on to the idea that the eyeless man was a Marvel character called The Reader.
Only recently introduced on the page, The Reader has the ability to make anything he reads manifest into reality. He is tasked with seeking out Inhumans who have recently undergone Terrigenesis, which jived with his sudden appearance immediately following Skye's transformation. Just as this theory was starting to be considered a foregone conclusion by many, the show returned and threw viewers for another loop. The eyeless man's name is Gordon, we learned — and while there's no sign of reading-based powers (at least, not yet), he can teleport, swooping in at the last moment and saving Raina.
Since Gordon's unexpected powers of teleportation seem to contradict the Reader theory, several more speculations have emerged. Bustle's own Leah Thomas points out that there is a Gordon in the Marvel comics: Gordon Thomas, an important figure in the upcoming Civil War storyline. One catch? Thomas wasn't an Inhuman. (Then again, neither was Daisy Johnson on the page and look what S.H.I.E.L.D. did to her character.)
But Thomas isn't the only comic book character that shares a first name with the eyeless man. There's also Gordon Nobili, who, as it so happens, is an Inhuman. A member of the Nobili crime family, "Gordo" was transformed into a purple spike-headed creature after a Terrigen bomb was detonated over New York City. Taking the name Lineage, he has the power to share his consciousness with anyone in his bloodline. Granted, this Gordon don't seem to share any more in common with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s eyeless man than Gordon Thomas. So what gives?
A few of the more out-there theories look beyond characters named Gordon to try to find a source — like the idea that maybe the eyeless man is really The Watcher, a celestial being who can teleport, read minds, and famously had his eyes stolen by Nick Fury. So which is it? The Reader? The Watcher? Thomas? Nobili? My vote: none of the above.
At this point, it seems more likely that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Gordon is an original creation. The Reader can't teleport, The Watcher is an alien, Thomas doesn't have any powers, Nobili is purple. Popular opinion during the hiatus also held that Raina had transformed into Tigra, and that's obviously not the case, either. At this point, it seems like Skye/Daisy Johnson is the only Inhuman derived from the comics, while the other super-powered beings around her will be inventions. This makes sense — since an Inhumans movie is coming in Phase 3, of course Marvel would want to save any recognizable characters for the group's big screen debut.
So if Gordon is an original creation, then what is his purpose? When we saw him in last week's opening scene, he was a teenager who had just recently undergone Terrigenesis himself. While he freaked out about his newfound powers, someone did her best to calm him down: Skye's mother. Now it seems as though it's Gordon's turn to mentor the next generation of Inhumans. His presence on the show seems to exist to further the parallels between Skye and Raina. Just as Raina gains a mentor, Skye is about to meet one of her own. Luke Mitchell ( The Tomorrow People ) was recently cast as Lincoln, a "charismatic Inhuman who has an important role to play in Skye understanding the true extent of her transformation," according to TVLine.
Already the show is breaking into teams: Skye + Lincoln vs. Raina + Gordon. What will it be like for Skye to see her nemesis being mentored by her dead mother's former protegé? Which pair will the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team side with? Fitz has obviously thrown in with Skye, protecting the secret of her new powers from everyone else. Simmons seems decidedly anti-powers, which may pit her against both Skye and her former partner Fitz when the truth is revealed. Unless enough of Mama Skye's goodness can pass to Raina through Gordon, it seems like Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. is headed towards all-out war in the latter half of Season 2.
Images: Eric McCandless/ABC; believe-in-chemistry/Tumblr; Marvel Studios
