The second season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has already introduced more new characters than we can keep track of. It's even more confusing when they have multiple names. Cougartown's Brian Van Holt plays Sebastian Van Holt, also known as "The Carver" and prior to that known as "The Stranger." Patton Oswalt has played a whole band of brothers. Skye is going to get a new name eventually, though I doubt anyone will let her forget that the orphanage called her "Mary Sue Poots." This show would be a lot easier to follow if everyone wore name tags, or bigger badges. A new character played by Monique Gabriela Curnen, who will make a guest appearance on this week's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., is listed as both "Janice Robbins" and "Agent Stevens." What's the deal with that?
Why does this S.H.I.E.L.D. lady have two identities? With HYDRA on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s back and causing so much confusion that the United Nations thought they were under attack by the once respectable organization, it's hard to trust anybody. The official ABC press release for the episode "The Writing On the Wall" makes no mention of any new Agents, or really anything other than Coulson and his carving habit. Which is understandable, as that mystery is long due for some answers. However, if Janice Robbins has any secrets, I want to figure them out!
She's Undercover
When we were first introduced to Bobbi Morse, I accurately guessed that her brunette locks were part of an undercover guise for HYDRA. However, I am not just bragging about my own prediction skills. Perhaps Agent Stevens is Janice Robbins' alias, or vice versa. She could be working undercover at HYDRA like Morse and Agent Simmons were. She could be working undercover in the field as well. With Agents scattered all over the globe, Coulson has to check in with them every once in a while.
There are, of course, other agencies in the world besides the one in the title of the ABC series. How wild would it be if Janice Robbins was an undercover FBI Agent? Now that Grant Ward is on the run from the US Government as well as Director Coulson, it's likely that the feds will get involved.
Comic Book Origins
Since there is neither a Marvel character with exactly the name Janice Robbins or Agent Stevens, I had to do some digging. There are several Marvel characters named "Janice," though considering how long these comics have been around, I'm not surprised. It was a popular name back in the day, and none of them seemed to jump out at me.
There is a Robbins family in Marvel lore, which includes the villain Parker Robbins, also known as "The Hood". His relationship with his stenographer wife Sara Robbins was not the healthiest, but I feel like the characters are worth mentioning because they are associated with the Infinity Gems, which have come into play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps part of that family's history will be adapted into the show somehow. Sara Robbins could have become a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent in response to her husband's villainous deeds. It would also be a fun juxtaposition to my favorite new characters on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., divorcees Lance Hunter and Bobbi Morse.
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