Kora

“Kora has a... a good heart. She's worth saving.”

―Jiaying to Daisy on Kora^[src]

Kora is a character featured on the Marvel/ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. She is portrayed by Dianne Doan, and makes her first appearance in the season seven episode, "After, Before".

She is the first-born of Jiaying and also a Inhuman. Formerly living under her mother, and without control of her powers, Kora ended up committing suicide. In the new timeline, Kora escapes her fate, by allying herself with Nathaniel Malick, who helps her break free from Afterlife.

Background

Kora is born to Jiaying, and resides in Afterlife, a sanctuary in Nepal for Inhumans. In the first three years of her life, she was a shy sweet girl, and clung to her mother's legs. Her mother read fables to her, about witches, dragons and bad men, and promises to always protect her from them. As she get older, Kora undergoes Terrigenesis, becoming an Inhuman herself, but finds she is unable to control her powers, resulting in Afterlife almost being destroyed, countless times. The more Jiaying tries to help, the more Kora pulls away from her.^[1]^[2]

Powers and Abilities

Ergokinesis: The ability to manipulate energy. Kora can project this through her eyes and hands, and use it offensively.
- Healing: The ability to place energy within someone, and restore their health. Kora used this Daisy, after her body was recovered from space.

Appearances

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

In 1983, Kora tries to escape Afterlife, and two of her mothers associates, Gordon and Li, are sent to retrieve her. She begs them not to be taken back, but before Gordon can return her home, two stranger (Agents May and Rodriguez) arrive on the grounds, in search for Jiaying. Kora warns, they shouldn't have come, and watches them taken away by Gordon, as she is escorted back home by Li. That evening, Kora tries to escape once again, but is caught and ushered back to her room, before she can escape. Later on, Kora is put on watch, but she uses her powers to escape, inadvertently destroying her room, and injuring the guard. She takes his gun and manages to escape to a meadow, on the grounds, proceeding to commit suicide. As she holds the gun towards her head, ready to fire, the gun shatters into pieces, and a man stands before her. He introduces himself, as Nathaniel and shares sympathy for her current predicament. He explains that despite their fates being predetermined, he has found a way to escape their chosen paths, and offers her the same option. Kora demands an explanation for how he knew, what she was going to do, and Nathaniel briefly explains, it was because of his friend Sibyl, who can make predictions. When asked on her opinion of what Afterlife is, Kora tells Nathaniel its her home. Nathaniel is in disbelief over her answers, suggesting she is living under their control, when she doesn't have to, and urges her to use the full extent of her powers. At the same moment, Kora sees helicopters in the sky, and Nathaniel informs her he is going to make chaos, proposing she join him, with promises she never feel trapped again. Korra accepts his offer, and returns to Afterlife, as Nathaniel's men take control. The pair run into her mother, and Jiaying questions Kora's actions. Kora speaks her mind, and confesses to her mother that she can finally break free from her, believing Jiaying only feared her, once she underwent Terigenisis, and saw her as a threat. Jiaying proclaims her love for Kora, and recalls how she promised to protect her, but Kora declares she failed to do so, and rather, protected the world from her. Kora denounces Afterlife as a prison, that she finally found her way out of, and unleashes her powers. Li attempts to kill her, in self-defense, but she uses her abilities to burn his face, before he can harm her. Jiaying begs her to stop, but Kora refuses to listen, and Gideon teleports her mother, May, and Yo-Yo away. Kora and Nathaniel take the remaining inhabitants of Afterlife hostage, and she asks what he plans to do with them. Nathaniel explains that the rules set in place, are in need of a change, with something new. When Kora asks what that is, he replies with, anarchy, and she turns to him and smiles.^[1]

Nathaniel introduces Kora to Sibyl, a Chronicom Predictor, with the ability to forsee the future, based on past events, and she shows Kora, the lives of their enemies, and the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and learns she has a half-sister, Daisy Johnson, who is also in the group. She also shows Kora, what actions the group may take, in order to succeed in their mission, so she knows what to expect. Together, Kora and Nathaniel bring forward a machine to replicate Inhuman powers, in those who weren't born with the Inhuman gene.^[2]

Kora begins to embrace her powers, and starts training with Nathaniel. He guides her on to use them, and she fires at a row of glasses, successfully shattering all of them. As Nathaniel congratulates her, Kora remarks that she has spent years feeling dangerous, and for the first time, she likes it. Nathaniel tells Kora, her younger sister will be impressed.^[3] They also create a plan in which Kora is captured and taken to the Lighthouse, where she can take down the S.H.I.E.L.D. bases, so when Sibyl contact the other Chronicoms, they have a target.^[4]

Kora watches as Li has his powers drained into Durant, one of Nathaniel's mercenaries. Nathaniel introduces her to John Garrett, another recruit of Nathaniel's, and she explains the former tradition of Inhumans being chosen, a system she wants to remove. She joins Nathaniel, in convincing Garrett, why S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to be disassembled, citing Nathaniel as the man who saved them from oppression. As Li continues to be in pain, Nathaniel suggests she kill him as an act of mercy. Li spitefully tells Kora, he should have killed her years ago, and Kora replies that she forgives him, for his thoughts, before summoning a ball of light in her hands, and placing it into his head, killing him. When Coulson and Gordon, arrive to Afterlife, to save the remaining Inhumans, Nathaniel's men incapacitate Gordon and Kora watches on, as he is taken to be prepped. She tries to convince Gordon to join them but he refuses. When Coulson makes a plea to free him, Kora informs him of Gordon's refusal, and make it known that she's already aware of his identity. Coulson tries to reach Kora, claiming her spread of "anarchy" as evil, but she sees it as justice, using Coulson's multiple deaths, as an example of how justice may not always be pretty. When Gordon's powers are successfully transferred into Garrett, Coulson tries to warn her, of the consequences they may face giving him powers, but Kora refuses to heed his advice. Nathaniel leaves with Garrett, to retrieve Jemma Simmons, and Kora has Coulson and Gordon locked in a room, strong enough to hold Inhumans. Kora leaves for an empty room in afterlife, in reverie. Coulson, who managed to escape, holds her at gunpoint, and commands her to face him. He informs her that her allies have abandoned her, but Kora, who was already aware she would be located, tells him, she wanted to be taken with him, so she could meet her sister, whom she was told about, by Sibyl. At that moment, Coulson shoots her in the stomach with a tranquilizer, knocking Kora out, and he places her in the Zephyr.^[2]

Kora is escorted into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, and comes face to face with her sister. Before she can introduce herself, Daisy quakes her against the wall and demands to know where Simmons is. Kora states there's no reason to hurt each other, claiming she wants to help, by saving lives, and proposes she becomes an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Coulson and May question her motives, as she believes herself to be the perfect candidate with the perfect instrument to save lives. May refers to her attack on Li, in her opposition, and Kora clarifies she killed him, when he tried to do the same to her. Daisy once again asks where Simmons is, but Kora vaguely answers, merely stating their goal is to reduce suffering. Coulson asks her to clarify what she meant, when referring to an 'instrument' and Kora discloses she has knowledge of history, yet to be written, such as her own, Daniel Sousa and her two accomplices who were also taken prisoner, all lives that were saved. Mack remarks that lives were also taken, and Kora apologizes for his parents death, and reveals how it indicates they've created a new timeline. She alludes to the fact that despite the changes they've made in the past, the team still retain memories of their pasts, and are still there. She proposes they let S.H.I.E.L.D. make the universe the best it can be, by killing. The team unanimously disagree, but Kora points out S.H.I.E.L.D. has killed several people to protect others. Coulson turns her down, so Kora offers the names of thirty people that can be eliminated, which will help save the lives of thousands. Mack argues they aren't a death squad, and Kora notifies him, that she knew what he'd say, because of Sibyl, before Daisy suggests they talk in private. She questions Kora's true motives, and Kora replies that she believes they can transform S.H.I.E.L.D., from a controlling institution. Daisy wonders why she's think they would be able to work together, and Kora admits, it was because of Daisy, confessing she always wanted a sister, and they share the same blood, so there must be a reason for her belief in S.H.I.E.L.D.. Daisy asks if Kora grew up in Afterlife, and Kora confides in her, she wasn't aware she was confined, and thought she had a happy childhood. She apologizes that Daisy wasn't able to grow up with her mother, and Daisy in turn, apologizes that she threw hers away. Kora requests for time together, so they can talk, and align themselves, believing they can unite forces. Daisy is skeptical, and Kora reveals, Sibyl stated there is no future in which Daisy will let her sister fight alone. Daisy agrees, and frees Kora from her constraints, while still keeping her in her cell. May arrives and Kora questions where Daisy is, demanding to talk to her. May senses her disappointment, and hopes the two can get to know each other but Kora wants no part in it, after Sibyl showed her killing a young Inhuman girl Bahrain. May justifies why she had to do it, and argues, that Kora's kill list, functions the exact same way, but Kora uses her confinement, as a defense for her actions. May tries to calm her down, but Kora's anger takes ahold of her, and she punches the wall with her powers, taking down the Lighthouse's main power source, aswell as the security's firewall. Sybil manages to go through the Lighthouse's defenses, and Kora is able to escape, along with Nathaniel's other two men. They are apprehended, and Coulson uses Durant, a killer, as an example of the type of lives they'd be saving. He requests she stop helping Nathaniel and the Chronicoms, because of how they're tearing them from the original timeline, and Kora kills the two men. She offers to keep killing those were supposed to originally die, starting with Sousa, unless they begin eliminating names from her own list. This causes a disagreement between Yo-Yo and Coulson & May, and Kora divulges Grant Ward as a name, on her list. While he is currently a child, she argues that with his death, many lives can be saved. Coulson disagrees, based on his experience in the Framework, in which Ward was good, and argues people can change, including herself, causing Kora to ponder over her mother, who shared the same beliefs. She disagrees, and believes, that she has embraced who she is supposed to be, and will show Jiaying some day. May offers to take Kora to her mother, and leads her to a morgue, where she discovers that her mothers corpse. Kora is in disbelief, and tries to place energy within Jiaying, so she can heal, but it doesn't work, and she finds her neck has been shattered. She initially believes it to be Quake, but May redirects her to Nathaniel. Kora tries to justify his reason, but May reveals that she died, protecting Daisy from him. May tries to console Kora, on the love her mother had for her, but she refuses to believe it. May tries to convince her, that she's being manipulated, but Kora argues that Nathaniel saved her. When May tells her, his only goal is to spread chaos, Kora becomes angered, and the pair begin to fight. Kora throws several punches, but she is no match. She is slammed against a set of drawers,by May, and Kora aims a blast of energy towards her and misses. At that moment Garrett arrives to retrieve her, and the pair teleport to Zephyr One. Nathaniel reunites with Kora, and he thanks her, for letting Sibyl take control. When she asks if they were able to give people new life, her confirms so, by ending so many, and the two kiss, as the Chronicom ships reign destruction on the S.H.I.E.L.D. bases.^[4]

By 1983, Kora tries to flee Afterlife once again. She is escorted back to her room and put on watch, but uses her powers to escape, and injures the guard. Overwhelmed by the destructive nature of her powers, she leaves with the guard's gun, and shoots herself in the head, committing suicide.