It's getting wicked in the Marvel Universe, y'all! On Tuesday, Sons of Anarchy's Drea de Matteo will appear on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Karla Faye Gideon. According to the official ABC press release for the upcoming episode, "Cal seeks revenge on Coulson by assembling a team of Super Villains to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D." The episode is titled "One of Us" and the previews inform us that Karla is indeed one of them. Dr. Calvin Zabo has to be doing this to provoke Skye/Daisy, right? He must be trying to prove that his daughter belongs with him instead of at S.H.I.E.L.D. with Coulson. They may have some personal beef, but Cal's main objective is to reunite his family.
Karla Faye Gideon is the only woman in this ragtag group of rogues. Her superpower? She has claws protruding from her fingertips. After Raina became covered in spines, I feel the need to specify where Karla's claws are. Is Karla Faye an Inhuman, or did she get these abilities another way? Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. may have introduced us to the Inhumans, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe has given us a few ways that ordinary people can become extraordinary. Take a look at her character. I wouldn't want to cross her.
Karla Faye Gideon is in the Marvel Comics Universe. In the comics, Karla is a wife and mother who gets involved in one of Matt Murdock's legal trials. After her son was murdered, she protected her abusive husband in court. Matt Murdock, of course, is also known as Daredevil. Does that mean Matteo could appear in the upcoming Daredevil Netflix series? Even if that doesn't happen, I like that they are opening up that crossover potential already. The actress' past credits certainly fit the dark and gritty tone that the Daredevil trailer has given us.
However, this character bares little resemblance to the clawed super-villain that Cal Zabo has discovered on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the comics, Karla is insignificant in the long run, just someone that Daredevil encounters on the job. She doesn't have superpowers and she isn't a spy. That's one of the best things about shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., in my opinion. They have the ability to take side characters from the comics and turn them into something great. However, why would the ABC series use such a specific and fabulous name and not use her backstory? There has to be a connection.
My theory is that Gideon's comic book backstory has something to do with her beef against S.H.I.E.L.D. and why Blair Underwood is showing up in this episode as well. He is playing an expert on gifted individuals. Did they give her the claws? Was she experimented on? Was she taken away from her son, who was then killed by a similarly abusive husband when left to his own devices? That would make things complicated. Victims often become villains in comic book worlds. This is certainly sensitive subject matter for S.H.I.E.L.D. to delve into, but could be a powerful origin story if handled well.
