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Vijay Nadeer: First New MCU Character Of 2017 Is An Inhuman [‘Agents Of SHIELD’ Recap]

By Dustin Murrell
Published on: 15:55 PST, Jan 11, 2017

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

With the continued expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe showing no signs of slowing down, it took just 10 days into 2017 before a new character was introduced to the MCU. The Ghost Rider arc allowed for the introduction of the Darkhold to the Agents of SHIELD narrative. But the alluring Life Model Decoy (an incredibly lifelike android) known as AIDA got her hands on the mysterious book, which she claims has changed her programming and allowed her to genuinely experience human emotions, like desire and regret. And in a subplot that will likely make sense later in the season when the disparate plot line convergence is unveiled, Senator Nadeer’s brother is revealed as the newest Inhuman to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Recap: Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD — Season 2 Episode 9, “Broken Promises”

The last episode of Agents of SHIELD ended with the revelation that AIDA had kidnapped Melinda May and replaced her with another LMD. When this was discovered by an agent sent to check on her, AIDA killed the agent without remorse. New SHIELD leader Jeffrey Mace had struck some sort of deal with known anti-Inhumanist Senator Nadeer, who has been established as an enemy of the agency. Simmons was sent to help release someone from their Terrigenesis cocoon but was immediately removed from the situation when the person was shown to be alive.

This week, the show opened with what turned out to be only the second biggest story of the episode, although it could turn out to be a much bigger piece of the puzzle in the long-run. The man who was set free from the Terrigenesis cocoon was Senator Nadeer’s brother, Vijay Nadeer. Having done his best to fight off the transformation during his seven-month hibernation, he appears to be unchanged. As we find out later, he actually has incredibly fast reflexes, which allowed him to fight off several people at once. Ultimately, Senator Nadeer would shoot her own brother and have his body dumped in the ocean.

But anyone who’s familiar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe knows the story isn’t over until the very end. As Vijay’s body sinks to the bottom of the ocean, he is encapsulated once again in a Terrigenesis cocoon. Not only does this mean that the character is likely to return, but it also means that fans will likely find out what happens to someone who goes through Terrigenesis twice.

The majority of the show focused on AIDA, the Life Model Decoy, and her attempt to steal the Darkhold. Throughout the episode, no one from SHIELD realized that the Melinda May they were talking to was actually an LMD, and Phil Coulson appears to be falling for her romantically. Meanwhile, she continues to act as a spy — a walking, talking camera — under AIDA’s control. Thanks to some fancy computer work by Fitz and one violent sword swing from Mack, the android was stopped and beheaded before she could leave with the powerful book.

At the end of the episode, we learn that AIDA’s creator, Holden Radcliffe, was in control of everything the entire time. Once he was given a glimpse of the inside of the Darkhold, possessing the book became his obsession. A second, improved version of AIDA was already constructed and talking with Holden about the first LMD’s mistakes. So, in the end, it was Radcliffe that had Melinda May captured and had the LMD in her likeness created.

Also, as noted by ABC’s official recap of “Broken Promises,” there is a villain who ranks higher than Senator Nadeer or The Watchdogs, who is ultimately pulling the strings. That means Ellen Nadeer is now connected to The Watchdogs, Jeffrey Mace, and an unidentified higher authority who wants to see the end of the Inhumans at least as much as anyone else currently alive in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Vijay Nadeer: The Inhuman

Unless Vijay emerges from his second round of Terrigenesis as someone completely different, then he will be a character wholly unique to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Several Inhumans have shown up throughout the first four seasons of Agents of SHIELD that first appeared in Marvel Comics, including Quake, Yo-Yo, Lash, Hive, and Hellfire. At the same time, there are several Inhumans who are unique to the show, including Raina, Jiaying, and Gordon, among others.

Played by Manish Dayal, Vijay clearly has the gift of incredibly fast reflexes, and it was implied that he was even fast enough to dodge a bullet shot at close range. These changes weren’t obvious at first, as he didn’t go through any cosmetic changes, the same way Daisy avoided any cosmetic changes. It was only after his life was in danger that he realized he had the ability to move at incredible speeds.

Manish Dayal (shown here with Charlotte Le Bon) joins the MCU as Vijay Nadeer, an Inhuman. [Image by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]

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In this episode, we find out that Senator Nadeer’s hate for Inhumans comes from the fact that her mother was killed by the Chitauri army in the “Battle of New York” (from The Avengers when the heroes fought Loki and company in Manhattan). At that time, Ellen and Vijay promised each other that if either one of them ever became an Inhuman, the other would kill them. Although she prevented the Watchdogs from killing her brother before he showed any signs of being an Inhuman, Senator Nadeer killed him herself after his newfound powers were displayed and he chose to trust her instead of SHIELD. Of course, they wouldn’t have shown his body preparing for another round of Terrigenesis if they weren’t planning on bringing the character back.

Where To Watch Agents of SHIELD

Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD airs Tuesday evenings on ABC at 10/9c. The first three seasons of Agents of SHIELD can be streamed via Netflix, while the five most recent episodes can be streamed via Hulu or ABC’s website.

[Featured Image by ABC/Marvel Studios]

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