"The world fears our kind of power because not everyone has it. Only billionaires can build iron suits. Only the military can makesuper soldiers. Which can only lead to a war of its own, whereas I plan to apply a more, uh... collectivist philosophy."
Alveus was a parasitic Inhuman capable of infesting and possessing the corpses of dead humans and controlling other Inhumans through a hive mind. Because of his great power, Alveus was eventually banished to his barren planet, leaving him trapped for centuries. His followers had then founded a secret society with the sole purpose of finally bringing him back onto the Earth in order to conquer it. Over these centuries, that society evolved into HYDRA. In modern times, and usually referred to by the literal translation of his name, Hive, Alveus possessed Grant Ward's dead body when he was killed by Phil Coulson with his prosthetic hand on Maveth, and was able to return to Earth once more. Working alongside Gideon Malick, Hive eventually recovered his true strength as he was granted a small army of the Inhumans by Malick, as Hive had soon taken the controlling power over HYDRA from Malick.
Seeking to transform the Earth's population into Inhumans so they could live in peace, Hive and his small army attempted to use Kree blood to recreate their original experiments which he had endured thousands of years earlier, as they proceeded to kidnap Holden Radcliffe in order to use his genius to finish his plans. But Hive's plans were then challenged by the continued efforts of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Secret Warriors, who remained determined to defeat him. Hive attempted to complete his plan by detonating a warhead filled with Terrigen Mist into the Earth's atmosphere, which would transform all of the Humans into Primitives that became loyal to him. However, he was defeated when Lincoln Campbell trapped himself and Hive inside of a Quinjet with the bomb, detonating it safely in space, and killing both.
"It was in that moment that my world changed forever. Kree Reapers brought me back to their ship and began their experiment. I didn't know it then, but the Reapers were using their own Kree blood to transform my DNA. Once they changed what I was, the Reapers took the final step, fulfilling the promise of what I would become."
Over five thousand years ago, a rogue faction of Kree came to Earth seeking to create an army of super soldiers to aid in their empire's many wars. They conducted experiments on humans, implanting latent genes that, once activated through a mutagenic process known as Terrigenesis gave the new Inhumans access to unique superhuman abilities.
One of their subjects was a Mayan hunter-gatherer who ran afoul of the Reapers' ship shortly after it crash-landed in Mesoamerica. Following a transfusion of Kree blood, the Mayan became one of, if not the first to be subject to Terrigenesis, emerging from his transformation as an amalgamation of various parasitic microorganisms, possessing the ability to "infest" the bodies of the dead and reanimate them into new hosts.[1]
Designed to command the Kree's Inhuman army, the hunter-gatherer also had the ability to control the minds of other Inhumans. Because of this, he would earn the new name "Alveus," the Latin word for "Hive," as in "hive-mind."[6]
Banished to Maveth[]
Betrayal of the Inhumans[]
"There used to be nine cities on this planet. The beings who lived there were fairly advanced, but they feared change. They were easily divided. They warred among themselves, destroyed their entire race. They had a chance to become something great, something beautiful, but in the end..."
The Kree's hopes for galactic conquest were quashed when Alveus lead the other Inhumans in an insurrection against the Reapers, successfully driving them from Earth. To prevent Reaper enforcements from ever returning, Alveus took possession of the beacon the Reapers used to send distress calls into the outer reaches of the solar system, where a Reaper satellite was in orbit.
The other Inhumans grew fearful of Alveus's power and ambition and, with the aid of some of the humans Alveus sought to subjugate, banished him to another world through the use of a Kree portal.[2] Maveth, the distant planet Alveus arrived at, was once home to a paradisiacal civilization before being reduced to a barren wasteland by climatic disaster and deleterious warring between the planet's nine major cities.[3]
Alveus had left behind a strong cult of personality on Earth, where certain humans had revered him as a god. Believing he was destined to rule the world, these disciples organized a secret society with the shared goal of bringing Alveus back to Earth and, in the meantime, destabilizing it in any way they could so it would be ready when he did ultimately return. Over the course of many thousands of years, this society evolved into the paramilitary terrorist organization known as HYDRA.[6]
Alveus' cult evolved over the centuries, and its most recent incarnation primarily saw action in 1945 during World War II when the renegade Schutzstaffel officer Johann Schmidt separated HYDRA from the Nazi Germany to conquer the world, but Schmidt's plans were thwarted by Captain America.[7] Nevertheless, HYDRA managed to survive through the efforts of Schmidt's right-hand Arnim Zola, who rebuilt the organization and allowed it to remain active well in the 21st century.[8]
Centuries of Killing[]
"That thing has been killing everyone that's come through here for centuries." "How long have people known about the Monolith? And why keep sending people when there's no way back? It's as if they're being sacrificed!"
For centuries, people were sent to the planet through the Monolith as ritualistic sacrifices, meeting their deaths at the hands of Hive and becoming vessels so that Hive could preserve himself within their bodies, sparing him from the decay of time. This was evidenced by the sword, music box and bag containing a bottle that Jemma Simmons found there in 2015, all of which were from bygone eras.[3] Among these victims was Lord Manzini, who was sent when he grabbed the white stone in a lottery held by English lords and nobles in a castle in Gloucestershire, England in 1839. According to Lord Thornally, none who had entered through the Monolith by that point had ever returned.[9] In 1970, Nathaniel Malick was sent as a sacrifice; when Hive took over his body, he retained his resentment at his brother Gideon Malick who had tricked him into being selected as the sacrifice to Hive.[3]
Arrival of NASA[]
"It has this way of getting inside your head and just making you crazy. Austin threw himself off a cliff. Brubaker set himself on fire. Taylor took an axe to the gear and then he came after me."
By 2001, the Monolith was in the possession of NASA who sent a crew consisting of astronauts Will Daniels, S. Austin, Brubaker and G. Taylor to the planet. Once Hive became aware of their presence, he caused Austin, Brubaker and Taylor to lose their sanity. Austin and Brubaker both committed suicide, while Taylor attempted to kill Daniels, who killed him in self-defense. Daniels noted that they all entered a certain area before they went insane, where he discovered a mass grave and dubbed it the "No-Fly Zone." For the next 14 years, he survived by avoiding and occasionally outsmarting Hive, along with just being lucky. Not knowing what Hive was, only that he was evil and approaching him was a terrible idea, Daniels came to know him only as "It."[3]
In 2015, Jemma Simmons was accidentally transported to Maveth while studying the Monolith. She took shelter with Will Daniels and did not believe his tales about Hive, crediting the frequent sandstorms to the planet's desert environment. She spent over two months trying to find a way to send them back to Earth, after which she went to search for answers in the "No-Fly Zone" despite Daniels' warnings. She was caught in a sandstorm, in which she saw Hive, his host body concealed by a dark cloak, approaching her. She ran back to the hovel in which she and Daniels had been hiding, realizing that what Daniels had told her about Hive was true.[3]
Simmons discovered that the stars were the key to discovering the location of a wormhole, and she came up with a plan to send a message to S.H.I.E.L.D. so that she and Daniels could be rescued. Once she had deduced the location of the wormhole and the time at which it would appear, they made a plan to place the message in a bottle and launch it through the wormhole with a grappling hook. However, Hive widened the canyon from 30 meters to 100 meters, making the task significantly more difficult. Daniels fired the bottle at the wormhole, missing it by a second.[3]
With the help of Elliot Randolph, Simmons' S.H.I.E.L.D. comrades Leo Fitz, Phil Coulson, Daisy Johnson, Alphonso Mackenzie, and Bobbi Morse managed to activate the Monolith from the HYDRA Castle.[9] Fitz fired a flare through it, which was spotted by Simmons and Daniels, who were awaiting the sunrise. In an attempt to prevent them from escaping, Hive summoned a sandstorm, separating them. Hive then appeared before Simmons in the body of an astronaut, fooling her into thinking that NASA had come to rescue Daniels. She alerted Daniels, who warned her that it was a trick.
Daniels then told her to run while he stayed behind to protect her, using his last remaining bullet against Hive. Simmons was rescued by Fitz,[3] and Daniels did not survive his encounter with Hive, suffering a large open wound in his leg during the battle. Hive then took possession of his corpse and accessed Daniels' memories to learn of Fitz and Simmons, also locating Daniels' hideout.[10] Hive tossed Daniels' gun aside as he witnessed the planet's first sunrise in 18 years before walking back to Daniels' hideout, where he stayed and continued to await his rescue.[3]
Following the death and possession of Will Daniels' corpse, Hive took refuge in Daniels' hideout. A month after Daniels' death, Hive was found by Leo Fitz, who he recognized from Daniels' memories. Fitz was followed by a HYDRA team led by Grant Ward. Though Ward wanted to kill "Daniels," Fitz convinced Ward to spare him by explaining that Daniels knew the terrain of the planet and was vital to their journey.
Walking ahead of the HYDRA team, Hive learned from Fitz that Ward wanted to bring the Inhuman back to Earth, and that they would both be kept alive in order to get to the extraction point. He then took the group through the "No-Fly Zone." As they traveled, Ward asked Hive about the ruins of a large HYDRA shrine the group saw in the distance when they first arrived on the planet, and Hive said that he used to live there. Ward explained to him that Earth had changed since he left, as the Inhumans had rapidly increased in numbers across the globe after a Terrigen Mistoutbreak occurred.
The conversation was cut short when Hive quietly caused a sudden sandstorm, which stopped their journey and forced Ward and his team to take over, with Hive refusing to accept Fitz's goggles. As the sandstorm raged on, the group was split up, hiding behind various large rock formations. Hive used this opportunity to stealthily kill two HYDRA agents, stabbing them in the back of the neck and leaving their bodies in the dirt, allowing Hive to flee with Fitz under the cover of the storm. By the time Ward and the remaining team stumbled upon the corpses of their colleagues, Fitz and Hive were gone.[10]
As Leo Fitz and Hive walked closer towards the portal's location, Fitz stopped when he noticed the ruins of the ancient civilization in the distance, baffled that Jemma Simmons never mentioned it. Hive told Fitz that Simmons never saw the ruins because it was in the "No-Fly Zone." Hive explained that Maveth was home to nine cities occupied by advanced beings that "feared change" and destroyed their own race through war. Fitz tried to bandage up Hive's injured leg, but was horrified to discover that most of the flesh had rotted away to the bone.
As the realization set in, Hive explained to Fitz that he was not really Will Daniels, as he had killed Daniels during Simmons's escape from the planet. Fitz lunged for his weapon but was swiftly kicked by Hive, sending Fitz rolling down the mound where they were. Fearing for his life, Fitz ran away, but Hive caught him up and lunged at him. In the ensuing physical fight, Hive was still able to match Fitz and overpowered him. Phil Coulson, who had followed HYDRA to Maveth, and the captive Grant Ward arrived at their location just as Hive prepared to bring down a large rock on Fitz' head. Coulson shot Hive twice before he could kill Fitz, and Hive collapsed to the ground. Despite being shot multiple times, Hive got up and staggered towards the now open portal.
Fitz grabbed his gun and shot Hive multiple times, and once again Hive buckled to the ground. Moments later, however, Hive started to lift himself up, so Fitz grabbed a flare gun and shot a flare into Hive's back, engulfing Hive in flames, and Hive collapsed as Will Daniels' body burned away. In the meantime, Coulson fought Ward and used his bionic hand to crush his ribcage. He then removed his bionic hand, threw it down next to Ward's corpse, and made his way to the portal with Fitz. Hive emerged from the burnt skull of Daniels and possessed Ward's corpse with Coulson's bionic hand in tow.[10]
Despite S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attempt to destroy the remaining HYDRA forces and the last fragments of the Monolith with an airstrike attack against the HYDRA Castle, Hive managed to travel through the portal in time and made it out of the Castle before it was destroyed. Now on Earth, Hive, in possession of the body of Grant Ward, found and intercepted Gideon Malick on his way to the airport.[10]
"They have advanced, but they haven't changed." "They?" "Humans. But you're not human anymore, are you? You don't believe I am what they say. Once I'm strong enough... You will."
Weeks after his return to Earth, Hive was still resting in Gideon Malick's secret compound in Europe, trying to regain his strength, as his years trapped on Maveth had left him weak and slowly dying, and Grant Ward's body was rotting away. Eventually, Hive built up the strength to speak and demanded to see Malick. When Malick entered he asked Hive what it was he needed, so the Inhuman asked that he bring him food.
Feeding on raw meat, Hive was watching numerous documentaries to learn about the technological advance of mankind. Seeing the videos of several 20th Century wars, Hive told R. Giyera that humans had not changed at all, they were still the same as in his time, if slightly more technologically advanced. When Giyera commented on Hive's recovery since the Battle of Maveth, Hive noted that Ward's body was dead, and it had been dying. Hive then noted that Giyera himself was clearly an Inhuman, seemingly sensing Giyera's power from within before continuing to eat the meat and recover.
Continuing to watch news reports, Hive listened as Malick and Giyera discussed the capture of Lucio, another Inhuman found in BogotĂĄ. Hearing that Malick was disappointed by how his plan was unfolding, Hive turned to face them, commenting on how Malick was losing his faith in Hive's power, with Malick noting that since Hive had failed to kill Phil Coulson, maybe his power was not as strong as he had hoped. Hive, however, vowed that Malick would believe; beginning to demonstrate his powers by turning Ward's skin to parasites and sending them towards Malick and Giyera.[4]
"These are the healthiest we could find. Lucio has frozen them in place for you. I hope they're acceptable." "Yes. Well done." "One will be your host?" "I have a better use for them."
Using the memories he had stolen, Hive looked back on the life of his current host, Grant Ward, noting that he wished they could have met under different circumstances, while Gideon Malick told Hive what a great soldier Ward was and how he had dedicated his life to HYDRA. Hive thanked Malick for arranging for Ward to travel to Maveth to die and be used as Hive's host, as Ward's body was the perfect host due to him being both strong and also resilient.
Malick promised Hive that he was making moves to rebuild his army of Inhumans, explaining that he had recently found one for him. Lucio was brought to Hive with armed guards led by R. Giyera and Malick left them alone with the guards. Hive ordered Lucio's blindfold to be removed so he could see the police officer's eyes, allowing Lucio to use his powers against Giyera and the guards, paralyzing them all. Unlike the paralyzed people, Hive was immune to Lucio's powers and directed the resulting cloud of parasites into Lucio to brainwash him into becoming his new loyal slave alongside Giyera.
With Lucio now loyal to Hive, the Inhuman had spent his time reading books on the history of the humans until Malick arrived and asked to speak to Hive. Malick noted how Ward's corpse was not healing quickly enough and suggested that it was perhaps time for Hive to find a new host, although he made it clear he was not offering to give up his own body, suggesting instead R. Giyera or Lucio as a host. Hive made it clear that the host must be dead, and he could not inhabit other Inhumans. Despite Malick offering to find a volunteer host, Hive refused and claimed Ward's body would serve his needs while Malick promised that there would be no more setbacks.
Hive prepares to feast on innocent humans
When Malick left the base to attend a small summit in Taiwan, Hive listened in as he ordered Giyera to keep a close watch over Hive, as he was concerned over its condition. Giyera promised to do as instructed; however, Hive gave him new orders. Knowing that their true loyalty was now to him rather than to HYDRA, Hive ordered both Giyera and Lucio to ignore Malick's request and instead leave his side and gather five humans for his own purposes, demanding that they be kept alive. Lucio paralyzed the five humans while Giyera had confirmed that all of these sacrifices were the healthiest that could be found, with Hive confirming that he approved.
Hive told Giyera and Lucio that the people would not be his hosts as he had a better plan for them. Lucio commented that all these people were innocent, and Hive made it clear that he knew this was true, but they would now serve a greater purpose. Hive had Giyera and Lucio wait outside as he caused a tornado of his parasites, disintegrating the people's flesh and bodily fluids, causing the people to scream in agony. Hive used them to restore Grant Ward's body, healing all his wounds, upon having reduced the five humans to skeletons while his entire body was also being covered in a slimy substance.[11]
Dealing with the Transia Corporation[]
Hive prepares to set his plans into motion
"I know you've had people killed. You've even considered shooting someone. But to drain a man's life with your own hand, to feel the life go out inside him as Mr. Coulson did with me. That look in his eyes. A feeling so powerful, it scared him enough to leave that hand behind. But you don't fear anything, do you?"
With Hive having fully restored Grant Ward's body to its strongest state, he set about finally putting his plans in motion, taking a new suit and confidently walking through the halls of the secret base until he entered a room where Gideon Malick was eating and drinking wine while surrounded by R. Giyera and two beautiful female HYDRA agents.
As Hive sat down Malick commented on his rejuvenated body. Hive asked Malick why he had devoted his life to HYDRA, citing Malick's wealth and influence as reasons to be content. When Malick replied that he had dedicated his life to a higher power, Hive cut him off, telling Malick that what he sought was true power. As men brought in Charles Hinton, Hive told Malick it was time to reveal themselves, setting Phil Coulson's Prosthetic Hand on the table and informing Malick that he planned to take over Transia Corporation.
Hive accompanied Malick to the Transia headquarters, where they met with Rowan Hamilton. Hive sat and watched while Malick asked Hamilton about the Transia Corporation Exoskeleton, finally requesting to buy the entire company, with Giyera handing him the contract. Hamilton laughed at the offer, and Hive recommended that agreeing to the deal would be in his best interest before bringing in Hinton once again to show Hamilton what would happen if he refused to sell. Horrified by his vision of Hive killing his advisors by devouring their skin, Hamilton quickly signed the contract. However, Hive killed the men anyway, leaving Hamilton cowering in a corner.
As the HYDRA team took over the building and brought the exoskeleton into the meeting room; Hive ordered Malick to put on the suit, explaining that it would give him some of the power he craved, the kind Inhumans experienced. Malick obeyed, and Hive watched as he tested out his new strength by flipping over a table. Hive explained his was not the power he meant and ordered Malick to kill Hamilton so he understood what he meant to kill with his own hands; though initially hesitant, Malick crushed Hamilton's skull.[12]
When S.H.I.E.L.D. infiltrated the building to rescue Charles Hinton, Hive was informed by R. Giyera that while Gideon Malick had already escaped in a helicopter he recommended that they get out of the danger through another quieter exit. When Giyera asked Hive if they should kill any S.H.I.E.L.D. agents they encounter, Hive insisted that only the human agents could be killed, knowing that the team of Inhumans known as the Secret Warriors were likely coming. Hive later watched as Giyera defeated Lincoln Campbell and they both escaped.
Hive prepares to enact his next move
Once safe in Gideon Malick's Headquarters, Hive studied various television screens and ordered Giyera to find another piece of Transia technology, when Giyera questioned its purpose and if they wanted another suit, Hive told him that that was not the technology they were looking for. Hive was interrupted by Giyera's phone; he watched as Giyera answered Malick's call and told Malick that he now served Hive. When Hive asked how Malick was doing, Giyera told him he was fine although he appeared to be scared.[12]
"This body is only a vessel, one of many who gave their life so that I could survive. As promised, all of the travelers, the brave men who sacrificed for me, have finally returned thanks to the Malick family. You'll all get what you deserve. And for those of you still having doubts... see and believe."
Without informing Gideon Malick, Hive invited himself to the Malick Mansion where he was welcomed in by Stephanie Malick. At the behest of Hive, Stephanie summoned the members of HYDRA's inner circle to come for a secret meeting. When Gideon arrived and appeared to be startled by his leader's appearance, Hive proceeded to reveal himself as he was walking down the stairs, the surprised but respectful Malick questioned why he had come and arranged this, Hive informed him it was time for him to show his true form.
Taking some time to stand in the garden out the Estate and admire the sunshine and flowers, Hive was visited by Malick who tried to reminisce about his time playing in the garden with his brother, but Hive instead commented on how impressed he was by Malick's daughter, whom he called a true believer. As Hive commented on the sunlight, Malick asked if he still had his former host's memories, but despite knowing Malick was referring to his long dead brother, Hive simply promised to reveal the truth that night.
While Malick greeted the heads of HYDRA once they had arrived at the estate, Hive listened as he explained why he had gathered them all there before stepping out of the shadows to greet them and explain that he had finally returned from Maveth thanks to their assistance. However, Kirk Vogel remained skeptical and claimed that Hive was simply Grant Ward, but Hive proceeded to explain that he was Ward, and all the other sacrifices that had been sent to him over the thousands of years alone on that distant planet.
Hive personally thanked the Malicks for what they had contributed to his survival and return to Earth before promising that they would all get what they deserve, which seemed to unnerve Malick. Seeing that some of the attendees, including Vogel, were still doubted that he was truly the Inhuman god they had worshiped for thousands of years, Hive told them to watch and believe before allowing Ward's skin to fade away into dust, revealing his true face, with tentacles coming from the flesh which horrified those watching him.[2]
"I'll die if I have to but not as a coward! Stephanie, I won't let you remember me the way I remember my father." "This needs to be made right, but I still need a Malick by my side."
Hive presented Stephanie Malick with his gift of the book Paradise Lost, knowing that Gideon Malick would see it as a message and a reminder of his past betrayal of his brother. This proved correct as Hive and Stephanie found Malick in his father's old study looking at his original copy of Paradise Lost, with Hive having already stolen the stone from inside. With Malick's brother's memories in his head, Hive accused Malick of betraying him and being a coward like his father, unwilling to make a true sacrifice for him.
Malick vowed to not die a coward like his father while Stephanie told Hive to do what he needed to do and kill her father. Hive told him that it needed to be made right but he still needed a Malick by his side; he then proceeded to kiss Stephanie before using his powers to kill her, devouring her skin and body from the inside while her father watched helplessly. As Hive dumped Stephanie's corpse on the ground, he watched as Malick broke down in tears and told him that now he finally understood what true sacrifice was.
Hive later found Malick sitting by the fire drinking while he thought back to witnessing his own daughter's horrific death at Hive's hands. Hive informed Malick that R. Giyera had successfully hijackedZephyr One and managed to take several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents hostage, including Phil Coulson, and suggested that they leave straight away to see for themselves. Hive told Malick that sacrifices were never easy but now the scales were balanced, promising that Malick no longer had anything to fear from him.[2]
When Hive and Gideon Malick returned to their secret base, they were greeted by R. Giyera who completely ignored Malick and went straight to Hive to explain to him that S.H.I.E.L.D. had discovered their location so he had hijacked Zephyr One. Hive asked him if any of the agents had survived and Giyera explained that he had sent Lucio to capture the remaining agents and bring them for Hive to meet and question.
However, it was not long until the Secret Warriors attacked the base and took Malick hostage while rescuing the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. And while Lincoln Campbell had successfully taken Malick, Hive managed to sneak up on Daisy Johnson as she was hacking into the base's security systems and used his powers to take her under his control. He immediately gave her new orders to dismantle the Secret Warriors from the inside as she swore unquestioning loyalty to him. Johnson told Hive that at the Playground was a Kree Beacon which they would need, so Hive sent her to collect it from the S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
Once Johnson had returned to her team, she knocked out Giyera and they made their escape onboard Zephyr One with Malick in their custody ready to be questioned by Phil Coulson about HYDRA's plans. Hive offered Giyera a helping hand in standing up while Giyera told Hive that they had escaped and therefore their attempts to destroy the team had achieved nothing; but Hive remained calm and informed Giyera that this was not the case, as now he had a spy on the inside of S.H.I.E.L.D. who could sabotage them from the inside.
Giyera later found Hive in Malick's office and suggested that they leave to find somewhere safe as he believed that Malick would likely betray HYDRA in revenge for the death of his daughter. Hive, however, informed Giyera that Johnson had murdered Malick, and so they began discussing what to do with Malick's wealth, but Hive remained more focused on finding Johnson and using the nine hundred and seventy million dollars Malick had left easily available for them to help in locating her as Hive knew where to find her.[13]
"After we're finished there will be no more war, no more pain, especially now that we're together. It's time we took back this planet, make it the home Inhumans have always deserved."
Using Grant Ward's memories, Hive was able to go to Daisy Johnson's favorite place and awaited her arrival. Once Johnson arrived, they discussed why she had enjoyed the spot and Johnson told him that she was a different person now while Hive told her that Ward was fond of her, despite Johnson insisting that she was glad he was dead. Hive then revealed that Ward was glad to be dead as well. Johnson told Hive that being under his control had finally filled the emptiness within her.
Once Johnson had shown Hive the Kree Beacon and Terrigen Crystals she had stolen, they discussed if S.H.I.E.L.D. would come looking for her, Johnson told him that Phil Coulson believed that she needed protecting and did not know how strong she really was. When Hive called Johnson Skye, she revealed her name was Daisy. This confused Hive, as Ward's memories had no knowledge of this. Johnson told Hive that she found out her real name and about the emptiness she had felt her whole life and how her mother and father had come back into her life only to disappear once again. Hive explained that they were connected now and they were going to end the war that the humans had started and turn Earth into the peaceful home that the Inhumans deserved. Johnson then rested her head on Hive's shoulder as he held her close.
Hive and Johnson first went to Alisha Whitley, whom they knew would be targeted by Coulson, and left her doubles to ambush Lincoln Campbell and the rest of the team sent to protect her. With Whitley by their side, Hive and Johnson then went to speak to JT James, who mocked Johnson and questioned if she had broken up with Campbell. Hive then revealed himself and demanded the rest of the Kree Beacon; when James refused they dropped a Terrigen Crystal, which filled the room with Terrigen Mist and forced him to undergo Terrigenesis.
While James remained in his cocoon, Hive went to Whitley, who was suffering from the effects of having her doubles killed during her fight with S.H.I.E.L.D. Hive confirmed that Campbell had survived and asked how Whitley was feeling and she told him that she was happy to make the sacrifice for him. James emerged from his cocoon with the power to create fireballs but began screaming in agony as he felt his entire body burning from the inside, Hive used his power to tame James's suffering and put him under his control.
Hive told James that they could not leave until they had what they had come for and James told Hive that he had buried the other half of the Kree Beacon under his home. With Johnson's help, Hive ripped through the ground until they uncovered what they were looking for; when James asked what it was, Hive told him that it was the only thing that could destroy him. Once they had taken back the device, Hive ordered James to fill the room with C4, ready for when Coulson and Melinda May arrived while searching for them.[14]
"We're one organism, seeking change, and with your help we're going to define humanity, permanently." "Is that even possible? How?" "By recreating the same Kree experiment that was done to me."
Seeking a new ally for their plans, Hive and his team decided to kidnap Holden Radcliffe, an expert in upgrading humans. While Daisy Johnson and Alisha Whitley attacked and captured Radcliffe, and JT James battled Alphonso Mackenzie upstairs, Hive found Jemma Simmons, who was being taken away by a security guard. Hive dissolved the guard with his powers and greeted the horrified Simmons.
In an attempt to gain Simmons' trust, Hive used the memories of Will Daniels to cause an emotional reaction from Simmons, reminding her of how much she loved Daniels while they were trapped on Maveth together. Hive told Simmons about how Daniels had died, using Daniels' speech patterns as he commented on Daniels' opinions of Leo Fitz and claimed he only wanted her to be safe. Simmons, however, told Hive that Daniels was dead before shooting him three times in the gut; Hive then allowed her to escape.
Hive used Gideon Malick's money to buy an abandoned town called Union City to be used in their experiments. As Hive and his followers walked through the village with the captured Radcliffe, James decided to rename himself Hellfire. Hive explained to Radcliffe that his work had reached a level that matched that of the Kree when they first began creating Inhumans. Radcliffe was unsure he agreed, but Hive assured him that with his help they would recreate the same experiment done by the Kree in order to redefine humanity permanently.[14]
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is no better than those Kree Reapers, both making soldiers for their never-ending wars." "My friends at S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to stop wars, not start them." "By buildinggiant battleships floating in the sky? The only reason S.H.I.E.L.D. exists is to fight wars."
While they waited for Holden Radcliffe to complete his experiments, Hive told Daisy Johnson the story of how he had encountered the Kree and become one of the first Inhumans. Hive then addressed Kirk Vogel and the remaining heads of HYDRA, noting that they were the last since Gideon Malick had betrayed them and allowed them to be wiped out by General Glenn Talbot. Hive then revealed to Vogel and the others that they would be rewarded for their loyalty by being subjected to the same Kree experiment that had transformed him so they may be turned into Inhumans to join Hive's army.
As they took a walk through the town, Hive and Johnson discussed how humanity's greed could be summed up by the story of this town and how it had destroyed itself, with Johnson noting that sometimes people needed a good leader like him. Hive asked about Johnson's relationship with Phil Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D., noting that they were no better than the Kree Reapers as they also made soldiers. They debated if S.H.I.E.L.D. was created for starting or ending wars, with Hive noting that the Kree's plans for him had failed.
Hive continued to tell the story of his origin to Johnson, explaining how fear had led to him being banished to Maveth for thousands of years. Hive then addressed Holden Radcliffe who was preparing for the experiment, as they discussed how humans had evolved their technology with Radcliffe explaining how he had added Terrigen Crystals to the mixture. While Hive discussed the power of Iron Man and Captain America, Radcliffe began the experiment, only for it to fail and horrifically kill Vogel and the other test subjects.
While Radcliffe desperately tried to explain that the failed experiment was not his doing as the DNA of Inhumans was incredibly complex, Hive calmly reminded him of his past promises. Radcliffe explained that he needed the DNA of a living Kree and Hive's samples had come from Grant Ward's dead host body, causing the failure. As Hive threatened him, Radcliffe assured him that he could make the experiment work as he wanted it to work as he desired nothing more than to change the world. Taking Radcliffe at his word, Hive decided then to use the Kree Beacon to summon his creators, telling Radcliffe that this was the time to be terrified of what was to come.[1]
"I spent a thousand years wondering what would happen if the blue angels should ever return. You're smaller than I remember. We don't have to fight, I'm still grateful to you for making me." "We should not have chosen you." "That was providence guiding your hand."
With the Kree Beacon having been activated and the Kree Reapers now on their way to kill the Inhumans, Hive ordered Alisha Whitley to bring Daisy Johnson to him. Hive told Johnson about how they were both created by outside forces, him by the Kree and her by S.H.I.E.L.D. When Johnson questioned why he was concerned, Hive said that he wanted to know if she was willing to destroy her own creators. Johnson explained that all she wanted her friends to undergo their experiment; however, if they refused, she promised that she would be willing to kill them all for Hive.
Taking a position in a church, Hive explained to Johnson that the Kree were on their way as he had sent them a signal thanks to Hellfire's artifacts. Hive explained that the Kree Beacon was an emergency beacon if the Inhumans ever got out of control and these Kree existed only to hunt and kill their kind. As Johnson questioned his motives, Hive told her that these Kree were deadlier than the one she had encountered and tasked her with capturing one alive, as their experiment could only work if Holden Radcliffe had the DNA of a living Kree.
Hive waited in the church until one of the Kree Reapers arrived, his blade covered in Whitley and HYDRA agents' blood. He commented on how he had always wondered what would happen if he ever saw their kind again. He said he was no longer their victim, but stating that there was no need for hostility. The Reaper responded that they should not have chosen him to lead the Inhumans, charging towards him in attack. Throughout the fight, Hive's dexterity and calm - coupled with the skills of past hosts such as Grant Ward resulted in Hive dodging and parrying the reaper's blows with ease.
In a rage over the wrongs done to him both past and present, Hive countered and struck. The S.H.I.E.L.D. team on-site watched as the Reaper's strength seemingly granted it the upper hand in the fight as pummeled and threw an unfazed Hive with superhuman force. Upon a verbal upbraid by Hive for killing the being they created, the Reaper claimed that Hive and the Inhumans were a failed experiment. It was here that Hive actually made his stand, this time bracing for impact as the Reaper prepared to charge him down.
Stopping the Kree dead in its tracks to everyone's surprise, Hive grabbed it by the throat before quoting Johnson's earlier words: that said failure had resulted a great miracle. As if his statement was a declaration of victory, Hive ends the battle by calling on his parasitic powers to consume the Kree; eating the flesh from its face and head, presumably from its internal organs, killing it to the shock of the spectating team. With the Kree's corpse on the ground before his feet, Hive was suddenly attacked by the S.H.I.E.L.D. team led by Melinda May and O'Brien under the orders of Phil Coulson.
May's team opened fire, tearing Hive's torso with gunfire - all to no effect. May signaled Piper in a desperate attempt, who landed a direct hit with a rocket propelled grenade. The explosion tore Hive's clothing and destroyed a large part of his arm, revealing his amorphous tentacled form underneath the skin of his host. The damaged tissue regenerated as Hive turned to face them, irritated at most. Hive then found the badly injured Johnson outside after she had nearly killed her former friend Alphonso Mackenzie before being shot by May, who escaped with the team in the Containment Module.
As Radcliffe treated Johnson's wounds, Hive told them that he had ripped out the Kree's heart before confronting Johnson for allowing Mackenzie to destroy the other Kree with a Splinter Bomb, claiming that Johnson's ties to S.H.I.E.L.D. were closer than she would admit. Johnson assured him that she was loyal before revealing that she had been given Kree blood when she was treated with T.A.H.I.T.I. after being shot by Ian Quinn; she then told Hive that she was willing to allow them to drain her blood for the experiment.[1]
"What happened to them?" "They're a part of us. Our children, really, from our own flesh and blood, and we're going to make more. So we'll need more blood."
Hive had found Daisy Johnson watching the video feeds of Lincoln Campbell locked away in the Playground while her blood was slowly being drained. While Hive and Johnson were discussing Campbell, the feed was broken, when Leo Fitz managed to override her hack, leading to Hive noting how S.H.I.E.L.D. was wasting their time by constantly finding them. Holden Radcliffe then arrived to check on Johnson's progress with her blood donation and ensure that her vitals were stable.
Radcliffe then confirmed that they were ready for the next test for the experiment and led Hive to his laboratory while leaving Johnson to recover. Hive questioned if the test would work this time after the last failure which had killed Kirk Vogel, but Radcliffe promised that it would, as he was confident that they now had all the right ingredients with the Kree blood that Johnson had supplied. When Radcliffe noted that all they needed now was some volunteers, Hive informed him that he had some in mind, some who he considered to be a gift to Johnson.
Hive gave the Watchdogs a call, claiming to be from the Advanced Threat Containment Unit, telling them of a known Inhuman. The Watchdogs then followed Hive's directions and followed Hellfire into an alleyway, where they were quickly disarmed as Hellfire attacked them with a burning chain. As they attempted to run, Hive cornered them and informed them that he was the one who had called them, although he was not a part of the ATCU. He then told them he wanted them to become the very thing that they hated most in this world.
The Watchdogs were taken to Hive's secret base where Radcliffe was mortified to see that the volunteers were in fact prisoners. Hive had Hellfire lock the men in a shipment container while telling Johnson that the men would find peace with them as he felt all humans deserved to find peace. Once they confirmed that Radcliffe was at least fairly certain that the experiment would begin, Hive watched as the container was filled with the enhanced serum which caused the men to undergo a painful Terrigenesis as they screamed in agony.
Eventually, the container was unlocked, revealing that the Watchdogs had transformed into hideous Primitives, disgusting Radcliffe. Hive, however, was impressed by their transformation, especially after seeing that their strength had greatly increased and they were now completely loyal to him. Hive ordered the Primitives to bring Radcliffe to him on his knees as Radcliffe begged for his life. Hive, however, told him that the Primitives would do just fine, noting that they were a part of him, and ordered Radcliffe to make more.
Hive then visited Daisy Johnson who had successfully helped Lincoln Campbell escape from the Playground and was now flying a Quinjet to their location. Once Hive confirmed that Campbell was on his way, he explained that he would be there to greet him, noting that although Johnson felt guilty for lying to him, Campbell would understand his reasons as soon as Hive took control over his mind. Hive then took Johnson to see the Primitives and explained that he would need to drain her of all her Kree blood to create more like them.[15]
Hive stood alone on the landing platform of the base when the Quinjet finally arrived and touched down. Hive smiled to himself as he waited for Lincoln Campbell to step out so that he could take over his mind and force him to join his army of Inhumans; however, to his horror, Hive learned that he had been deceived by S.H.I.E.L.D. when the doors opened revealing that Lash was on board. Fearing the power of this Inhuman hellbent on wiping out those he deemed too dangerous for this Earth, Hive backed away before being thrown off the platform and landing hard on the floor below while Lash looked down upon his enemy.
As the bloodthirsty Lash jumped down and began slowly walking towards his prey to continue his attack, Hive attempted to defend himself by launching a mass of deadly parasites at the beast, only for Lash to destroy them with a powerful energy blast. Seeing that this attack failed, Hive was attacked once again when Lash used his powers to blast a hole through his chest, launching him back but just failing to destroy him while Hive called upon his Primitives to charge forward to defend their leader by attacking Lash.
Lash soon killed all the Primitives and walked over to Hive to finally kill him, only for Daisy Johnson to arrive and defend him. However, Johnson's power was weakened by her loss of blood, and she soon collapsed, only for Lash to use his powers to pull Hive's parasites out of her body and destroy them, ending Hive's control over her. As Hive lay wounded, Lash carried Johnson onto a Quinjet before Hellfire arrived and managed to kill the beast by stabbing it through the heart with his flaming chain; however, Johnson was still able to escape.[15]
Captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.[]
Hive watches his plans beginning to unfold
"Escort Doctor Radcliffe to the missile silo while I show S.H.I.E.L.D. something they haven't seen from me yet... Rage. Start searching on the main floor and work your way down, any S.H.I.E.L.D. agents you find, bring them to me."
Hive and his men took control of a missile silo, where he killed many of the staff and prepared the warhead that Felix Blake had provided. Once Hellfire had confirmed that one of the staff had agreed to help, Hive ordered R. Giyera to ensure that S.H.I.E.L.D. could not attack them, as they believed that it was impossible for a Quinjet to fly near the island without being spotted, leaving Hive confident that his plan would be fulfilled.
However, just before the missile could launch, their systems were overridden and the launch was stopped with mere seconds left to spare, throwing Hive into a furious rage as he ordered Holden Radcliffe to fix the issue, despite him insisting that he was not qualified to do so. Once Hive had threatened to consume Radcliffe or take control over his mind, he sent him away with a team of Primitives to override S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hack while informing Giyera that he would finally show his enemies what it meant to feel his rage.
Searching for his hijackers, Hive located Lincoln Campbell who was attempting to hide from him, and he began apologizing for taking Daisy Johnson away from him, noting that Johnson had known that it would hurt his feelings. Hive told Campbell that Johnson had loved him, but he was unable to give her what Hive could give her: true happiness, which he claimed that Campbell could never provide to her. As Hive offered Campbell the chance to fall under his power, his prey told him he would never control Johnson before attempting to escape by running down the facility's corridors.
As Hive followed Campbell down the many hallways, he eventually found him running towards his allies Alphonso Mackenzie and Yo-Yo Rodriguez. When Hive stepped forward, he found he had stepped into a trap which caused a machine to overload his brain, rushing his mind with images of Grant Ward and his other hosts' most painful memories, like Nathaniel Malick's betrayal by his brother and John Garrett's abuse of Ward, with Ward's painful memories of trying to kill Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons torturing Hive's mind.
Eventually, Hive was freed of this torture and was helped to his feet by R. Giyera and Hellfire. However, Hive's mind was so scrambled that he struggled to form coherent thoughts or sentences; instead, he began quoting his former hosts as their memories rushed back to his mind, including Will Daniels. Giyera attempted to reason with his leader, despite Hellfire having his doubts, and eventually, by fixating on Ward's memories, Hive was able to control his mind and give Giyera a coherent order: steal the warhead and escape the base before S.H.I.E.L.D. could claim it for themselves.
Hive found the S.H.I.E.L.D. team attempting to escape with the hostages, including Holden Radcliffe who had been rescued by Melinda May, and demanded to know what they had done to him. Campbell told Hive that they had done the only thing they could think of and before Hive could take control of them, Rodriguez called upon the Containment Module to trap Hive before they covered him in Suspension Gel and trapped him. With Hive now in suspended animation, they moved him onto Zephyr One and took him to the Playground.[16]
"You know killing me won't make the pain go away." "I don't want you to die. I want you to suffer." "It seems you're the one who's suffering. I'm sorry you won't feel our connection, pieces solving a puzzle, but we must continue without you."
While being kept in Suspension Gel, Hive's plan continued to go underway, as a bomb he had planted activated and released the Absolution Virus, transformed the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents at the Playground, including O'Brien, into Primitives. These Primitives then proceeded to free Hive of the gel as he ordered them to transform the other surviving agents.
As Hive continued to attempt to regain control of his mind, he stepped onto Zephyr One where he was soon confronted by Daisy Johnson, whom he struggled to remember for a brief period. Johnson confronted Hive for what he had done to her and she dropped to her knees and begged him to take control of her mind again to free her of the pain she was feeling.[16] Hive attempted to do as Johnson wished but found he was unable to as Lash had seemingly made her immune to his powers, so Hive could only apologize to her.
Furious at the rejection, Johnson fired a powerful shockwave at Hive which threw him against the wall. Hive attempted to block Johnson's shockwaves as they continued to battle their way through the Playground's hanger, with Hive once again calling upon Grant Ward's skills to fight Johnson, who was able to combine her training and Inhuman powers to gain the upper hand in their battle. However, Hive's ability to not feel pain allowed him to overpower Johnson as he mocked her efforts for revenge, telling her it would not stop her pain.
Johnson eventually pushed Hive against the wall and forced a knife into his chest, telling him she wanted him to suffer. Hive was not affected by the knife and apologized to her that she would no longer be connected to his mind. In response Johnson resorted to using a direct shockwave to break Hive's bones, but Hive only healed himself and continued to mock her efforts. Johnson became distracted when R. Giyera arrived on the base in a HYDRA jet, allowing Hive to knock her unconscious with a blow to the head.
Hive ordered his small army of Primitives to move Johnson onboard Zephyr One where she was locked inside the Containment Module while Hive regrouped with Giyera and Hellfire. Once Giyera confirmed that he would be loading the warhead onto the ship, Hive spoke with Hellfire and explained to him that he was keeping Johnson on board as he believed that it would ensure that S.H.I.E.L.D. would not shoot them out of the sky. Hive then explained that many of his Primitives would stay at the Playground to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D.
As Giyera ensured that the warhead was secure and he explored the ship, Hive confirmed to Hellfire that he could use the combined expertise of Grant Ward and Will Daniels to fly the ship as he made his way to the cockpit. Once Zephyr One was clear of the Playground, Hive confirmed they were ascending and ready to launch the Absolution Virus over the planet to complete their plan. When Hellfire questioned the details of the plan, Hive explained that they would escape in the Containment Module before the explosion.[5]
"Our day is won, no need to remain concealed in the shadows." "Yeah, you sound just like me." "Oh, I will, once I'm in that head of yours. I can't wait. We're two sides of the same coin, Coulson, commanders leading soldiers."
As Zephyr One leveled out and continued its ascent, Hive watched its calculations to help calm his mind. As Hive put in the last coordinates, Hellfire approached him and asked about transforming much of the human race into Primitives, requesting that they change the outcome so they were more attractive. As they were speaking, a Primitive carried R. Giyera's corpse into the room, confirming they had stowaways.
When a Quinjet landed onto the roof of Zephyr One, Hive went to confront it in person, finding that Phil Coulson had come alone to stop him. They discussed Coulson's willingness to die but Hive noted that if he blew up the plane now, millions of innocent humans would still be turned into Primitives as the poisoned serum would still be poured over a large enough portion of the Earth. Coulson, however, vowed to do whatever it took to stop Hive and make up for his many mistakes, including when he murdered Grant Ward out of revenge, allowing Hive to return to Earth. Hive insisted that transforming the Earth's population was his purpose as an Inhuman.
Coulson explained that he had wanted to help the Inhumans, noting that his former ally Felix Blake was disgusted by his viewpoints. Coulson admitted he had stowaways onboard and wanted to help them, but Hive claimed that he had given him his way to destroy them by taking over Coulson's body. With this, Hive removed Ward's face and revealed his true form to Coulson. Although Coulson continued to mock his efforts, Hive promised that he was looking forward to taking over his head as he believed they were very similar creatures.
However, Coulson argued that the difference between them was that his S.H.I.E.L.D. had control over their own free will and as a result had already gotten on board the ship. When Hive reached at Coulson, he discovered that it was merely a hologram designed to keep Hive distracted, Hive furiously searched for the source of the hologram while Coulson mocked him with an impression of Princess Leia until Hive destroyed part of the Quinjet in a rage and transformed back into Ward's form and began searching for the agents.
Hive eventually found Coulson and his S.H.I.E.L.D. agents fighting his small army of Primitives by the Containment Module. Using teamwork to their advantage, the agents soon managed to overpower and defeat the Primitives while Hive watched; however, Hive soon realized that he was once again being distracted from the true threat as Daisy Johnson was attempting to escape on board a Quinjet with the nuclear bomb, intending to detonate it safely above the Earth's atmosphere so Hive turned around to hunt her down.[5]
"There's no turning this thing back around." "I can see that. I think we're already going to share a connection, as we experience the one thing that's eluded me all these years. Death."
Hive soon found Daisy Johnson loading the bomb onto the Quinjet and snuck up behind her, noting that it was poetic seeing them both there. Johnson insisted that all Inhumans had a purpose and Lash had saved her in order that she end Hive's plan. Hive still remained confident, noting that he could use Grant Ward's knowledge to regain control of the Quinjet and still complete his plan despite her best efforts.
Hive gets trapped in space with the bomb
However, to Hive's horror, Lincoln Campbell revealed that he was there as well and had short circuited the override controls, ensuring that it would go straight into space as planned. Campbell then knocked Johnson off the jet with a blast of electricity before locking himself and Hive onboard and launching the ship upwards out of the atmosphere, while Hive was thrown backwards and trapped against the side of the jet by the force of the movement. As the Quinjet continued to fly upwards, Hive listened as Campbell said his final goodbyes to Johnson until the radio was finally cut out.
As they reached outer space as the Quinjet lost power, Campbell told Hive there was no turning the ship around, so Hive accepted his fate and awaited the chance to finally experience death. As Hive and Campbell floated side by side, they discussed the Earth and Hive insisted that he had only wished to make it better. Hive told Campbell that he must feel a connection with the humans now that he was sacrificing his own life to protect them despite all of their many flaws. As they watched the Earth together, the bomb then finally exploded, destroying both Campbell and Hive side by side.[5]
"You were obsessed with going through Terrigenesis! I gave you what you wanted!" "I didn't ask for this. Hive, and bloody misery? If I could take it all back, I would."
Following Hive's death, the surviving enthralled Inhumans were left traumatized from the experience. Daisy Johnson, mourning Lincoln Campbell's death, decided to leave S.H.I.E.L.D. and become a vigilante known as Quake,[5] since she felt guilty over her actions while under Hive's control and she felt it was better for S.H.I.E.L.D. to work without her. JT James regretted that he unlocked his Inhuman potential since he had not expected "Hive and bloody misery." Developing bigotry against his own kind, James decided to work with the Watchdogs in order to ensure there would be no more Inhumans.[17]
More than a year after his death, Hive kept haunting the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who had fought against him. As a result, a recreation of the ancient Inhuman in his true form was generated by the Fear Dimension out of Coulson's mind and attempted to murder Coulson as he tried to close the space-time rift in the Lighthouse.[19] In 2018, another recreation of Hive was generated out of Jemma Simmons' mind, taking the form of an astronaut.[20]
Personality[]
"I only wanted to make it better." "I know." "To feel a connection. But you must feel that already... to sacrifice for them... with all their flaws."
Hive was shown to be mysterious, calm, and nothing short of affable to his allies, at least until he intended to punish them. Engineered by the Kree faction that created the Inhumans to lead an Inhuman army, he believed himself destined to rule the world, and was determined to fulfill his destiny. Above all, Hive was shown to be calculating. He was cunning, getting himself close enough to the wormhole by pretending to be Will Daniels, who he knew Leo Fitz intended to rescue, until Fitz's discovery of the truth was inevitable. His intelligence was demonstrated by his continued allusion and defeat of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well as any who stood in his way. He was extremely manipulative towards Gideon Malick and other allies, human or Inhuman, as he seemingly saw them as a way to achieve his goals. Hive was also shown to have nearly endless patience, likely learned from the centuries he was trapped on Maveth; he waited to search for the return portal until a HYDRA team visited the planet, and after escaping Maveth, he refused to act until he had been able to restore current host Grant Ward to a presentable state. Even when admittedly enraged, Hive still showed little emotion and continued in a calm and calculating manner.
Hive held an interest in Inhumans which reached the point where he ordered his followers to leave any Inhuman S.H.I.E.L.D. pursuers alive, seeing them as potential future allies to be possessed and added to his army. As his plans progressed, Hive surrounded himself with Inhumans which acted as his entourage and soldiers. He treated each Inhuman in his circle as important parts of a system, commonly showing them gratitude or even affection. Hive and Daisy Johnson spoke paralleling words at once to Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz respectively, stating that every Inhuman in Hive's possession was actually connected to him and to one another as one singular organism.
Though manipulative and unfeeling in most regards, Hive genuinely believed that his actions were for the greater good. He stated numerous times that the world was in chaos, believing that if he were to unify everyone under his possession, that the world would finally experience peace. He mentioned numerous times his desire to better civilization. When traveling with Leo Fitz as Will Daniels on Maveth, he mournfully stated that the civilization there had the potential to become greater than it was. Hive also believed that each of his possessed Inhumans were better off for it. He appeared to genuinely care for them, though he was willing to sacrifice one of them if, and only if, his ultimate cause demanded such a sacrifice.
Hive also seemed to favor long flowing black garments, possibly as a way to intimidate as well as to symbolize his nature as a bringer of death. On Maveth, Hive was first seen wearing a large tattered black garb giving him the appearance of the angel of death itself. This appearance shrouded his face and his human vessel, frightening Jemma Simmons away when she first laid eyes on him in the storm. Upon his return to earth in the body of Grant Ward, he first had to restore his damaged and dying host body, regaining the strength needed to heal the grievous wounds inflicted on Ward leading to his death. Upon restoring his host body and regaining his full power, Hive immediately dressed himself in a full black outfit with a long flowing black coat - a more modern and chic version of his Maveth appearance that he continued to don even in death.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
"He's a parasite. A parasite that retains the memories of the bodies he took over."
Inhuman Physiology: Hive was an Inhuman that achieved his genetic potential after undergoing Terrigenesis, granting him incredible superhuman powers. The transformation was physical, arguably the most drastic physical change ever seen in an Inhuman as he transitioned from a human to a tentacled parasitic superorganism composed of innumerable individual parasites. On Maveth, Hive's powers allowed him to live for centuries by killing person after person and taking possession of their bodies as hosts. It can be assumed, however, that once the original civilization and inhabitants of Maveth became extinct, Hive slowly weakened - to the point of losing many of his powers while those that remained to him diminished. From then on, he was restricted to a single new host which had to be fought and killed (such as the case with Will Daniels), and as there were no longer any beings left for him to feed on, Hive was left with a damaged body and no sufficient source of repair. Upon returning to Earth after being stranded for so long, Hive was able to consume enough to regain some use of his parasitic powers - subsequently using this to consume five healthy human beings to completely repair any grievous damage done to the body of his host, Grant Ward, and granting him a fully functioning host body for the first time in thousands of years. From then on, Hive displayed greater powers than he ever had on Maveth. In addition, Hive had demonstrated that he had the ability to sense Inhumans, as he was correctly able to deduce that Malick's right-hand Man, R. Giyera, was one.
Parasite Manipulation:
Hive unleashing his parasitic powers
Hive could control and direct his component parasites, being able to remove individual parasites from his host body and send a stream of the creatures into other beings. Upon contact with human targets, these parasites were able to consume the skin and muscle tissue of Hive's victims down to the bone within seconds. However, upon contact with Inhumans, the parasites attached to the nervous system, allowing Hive to control the target.
Superhuman Strength: Hive possessed incredible strength, as a result of the combined force of all his parasites. This amplified power allowed him to deflect and block a Kree Reaper's attacks and eventually overpower it. Hive was able to easily lift men like Holden Radcliffe and strike Daisy Johnson with intense force. After having his host body's bones dislocated and broken, Hive managed to exert enough force to snap his bones back into place, claiming that this was the result of many parts working as one.
Superhuman Durability: Hive was capable of enduring many varieties of attack in his host body without being incapacitated. On Maveth, Hive was shot several times with a pistol and incinerated by a flare, but still managed to survive. Upon restoring his host body and regaining full power, Hive gained higher levels of durability. He was able to withstand numerous knife stabs, a high-velocity grenade, as well as countless bullets from assault rifles, which seemed to have no effect on him. While dueling Daisy Johnson, Hive endured her deadly shockwaves, which broke his body's bones. While this caused visible discomfort, he was largely unfazed and managed to keep fighting. He also survived Lash's energy blasts, an attack which had instantly killed prior victims, though he was knocked down and seriously injured by it. Ultimately, Hive was unable to survive the explosion of a nuclear warhead, which finally destroyed him.
Superhuman Stamina: Hive fought Daisy Johnson for a very long time without even breaking a sweat. Furthermore, he showed no signs of fatigue during his plan.
Enhanced Smell: Hive was able to smell blood from a great distance, and was able to track it to its exact location.
Regenerative Healing Factor:
Hive passively regenerating his shoulder
Hive had the ability to regenerate his host's body by using his parasites to absorb the healthy skin and muscle tissue of living humans, as shown when he consumed five healthy humans, completely healing the extensive damage sustained by Grant Ward's body. It has been shown that he only has to completely heal the host body once when he is in a weakened state. After that, his body regenerates itself automatically. Upon restoring his host body and regaining his full power, Hive gained the ability to passively heal without needing his parasites to consume living tissue. After being hit with multiple gunshots and a high-velocity grenade, Hive quickly repaired his host body completely, leaving no visible scars or signs of damage. Even after Lash blew a burning hole in his chest, Hive was able to recover relatively quickly.
Longevity: Hive's ability to inhabit the bodies of others enabled him to survive for thousands of years.
Possession: Hive's Terrigenesis transformed him into a parasitic lifeform capable of inhabiting human corpses and using them as vessels, through which he could perform basic actions. He refers to and likens taking over another's body like this as "feeding" and thus, he cannot possess the bodies of Inhumans on the grounds that they are "unable to feed on their own." Hive was able to access the memories and personalities of his current and past hosts, although Hive could lose control of his own personality and actions if forced to recall all of his hosts' memories at once. However, Hive could not utilize the body of an Inhuman or a living human as a host. Hive possessed the corpse of an astronaut to try and fool Jemma Simmons and later possessed Will Daniels' corpse to trick Leo Fitz into letting him leave Maveth. Accessing Daniels' memories, Hive was able to imitate the astronaut and relay information about Daniels' time on the planet. Hive could access the memories of long-discarded hosts, such as Nathaniel Malick, identifying Malick's brother Gideon as the one who betrayed him. He often used these alternate personalities as a form of manipulation, as shown when he accessed Will Daniels' memories in an attempt to trick Jemma Simmons. In order to do this, Hive had to leave his current body in the form of a worm like organism to inhabit a corpse.
Collective Memory: Hive retains all the memories from all of his hosts. By extension, he can also learn all their skills and abilities. For example, he was a master martial artist, pilot, and tactician solely from Grant Ward.
Transformation: While inhabiting a body, Hive could transform into his "true form," a bluish-gray skinned creature with a tentacled head.
Mind Control: Having been created to lead an unquestionably loyal Inhuman army, Hive was capable of enthralling and swaying another Inhuman by infecting them with his parasites, which attached to the target's brain and central nervous system. The parasites created a bond between Hive and the Inhuman, forcing the target to irresistibly obey any of Hive's commands without question. Additionally, the parasites stimulated the brain to drastically increase dopamine production, essentially causing the target to become addicted to obeying Hive's command. It is possible for Hive to "sway" new Inhumans and, in doing so, help them instantly master their powers, as he did with JT James.
Paralysis Immunity: Hive demonstrated immunity to Lucio's paralyzing gaze, shedding a cloud of parasites which he promptly redirected towards Lucio.
Abilities[]
Master Martial Artist: Due to obtaining access to the memories of countless men, especially Grant Ward, Hive had the ability to fight in hand-to-hand combat. He was able to successfully dodge and deflect a Kree Reaper's blows, even putting the Reaper on the defensive before killing him. When Daisy Johnson attacked him, Hive recalled Ward's fighting style, allowing him to defend himself against Johnson's blows and to successfully defeat her.
Master Tactician: Being outcast for centuries, Hive lived on Maveth where he destroyed a civilization and became the most powerful being on the planet. Hive traveled with dust surrounding him as to not be seen. After killing Will Daniels, he took over Daniels' body and pretended to be him to trick Leo Fitz. This allowed him passage through the portal and back to Earth. With HYDRA, Hive manipulated Gideon Malick to get many Inhumans to create an army of some sorts. When he killed Malick, he used his shares to buy a small town. That allowed him free range to experiment. He brought in Holden Radcliffe to create artificial inhumans and used it on HYDRA leaders. His next step was calling Kree Reapers to Earth in order to get their blood for the artificial Terrigen. With this, Radcliffe was able to make Primitives. He also obtained a war head and fit it with the Terrigen, planning to expose the whole world to the mist, making them his Primitives and servants.
"I can fly this." "You have experience with this thing? It looks a little sophisticated." "Between Will Daniels and Grant Ward, I have enough."
Expert Pilot: Through Ward's and Will Daniels's minds, Hive received the knowledge necessary to pilot an aircraft. After hijacking Zephyr One to deploy the Absolution Virus, Hive managed to start the aircraft, maneuver and direct it higher into the sky.
"Ellos son inocentes."[21] "Yes, they are innocents."
Multilingualism: Due to possessing the knowledge of countless men, Hive was able to speak many languages fluently, such as English and Spanish, as shown when he replied to Lucio, who had spoken in Spanish.
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
SIG Sauer P226: Having arranged a trap for the Watchdogs, Hive had personally greeted them, as he then swiftly disarmed Pete Boggs by snatching his gun out from his hands, as he briefly examined the weapon before casually throwing it aside, allowing Hellfire to capture the Watchdogs.
Other Equipment[]
Monolith: Hive used the Monolith to arrive on Earth from Maveth after years of being imprisoned on the desolate planet.
Hive was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. and brought to the Playground by Zephyr One. Once the Primitives freed him from his capture, he entered the jet and confronted Daisy Johnson, whom he kidnapped as they stole the Zephyr and prepared to launch his Absolution Virus. He was confronted by S.H.I.E.L.D. and eventually tricked into going onto a Quinjet that was launching into space, ready to explode, killing Hive.
Quinjet: Hive was lured into a Quinjet, where Lincoln Campbell fried the controls and launched it into space. The warhead containing the Absolution Virus exploded, killing Hive and Campbell.
Facilities[]
Cave: Having taken over Will Daniels' body, Hive stayed in his cave until he was found by Leo Fitz.
Schoonebeek Oil Field: HYDRA housed Hive in their base at the Schoonebeek Oil Field while he recovered from his time on Maveth. He watched the news and studied human history while there, and consumed several guards. While in the base, Hive told Malick that he wanted control of the Transia Corporation. S.H.I.E.L.D. later attacked the base, leading to Hive taking control of Daisy Johnson. Hive then left the base, its location compromised.
Malick Mansion: Hive went to Gideon Malick's mansion and asked Malick to organize a meeting of the heads of HYDRA, then revealed his true form to them. He later killed Malick's daughter so that Malick would understand sacrifice.
Pacific Missile Silo: Hive infiltrated a missile silo to receive a warhead, but was ambushed by S.H.I.E.L.D. and made to relive the memories of his past hosts, confusing him and leading to his capture.
In the comics, Hive is a parasitic entity created by HYDRA, composed of countless parasites merged around a host to form a single individual. Due to his intelligence, strength and dedication to the cause, Hive was appointed one of HYDRA's heads by Baron Strucker.
Alveus is a Latin word meaning, among other things, "hollow vessel" and "beehive."
Hive's Inhuman transformation is probably one of the most drastic of all, as he was turned into a mass amalgam of parasites. This transformation even affected his blood, turning it into a brown-colored ooze.
Behind the Scenes[]
Brett Dalton modeled his performance as Hive on Meryl Streep's performance as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, in which she embodied a commanding and powerful presence through subtlety.[22]
Hive is one of the few characters on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to be portrayed by more than one actor and, since the character possessed human corpses, the only one of these characters to fully replace his actors' original roles. Jason Glover portrayed the Mayan hunter who would become Hive, Dillon Casey portrayed him in Will Daniels' body, and Brett Dalton portrayed him in Grant Ward's body.
Hive on Marvel Database
Hive on Wikipedia