- “I have no use for my father's way of thinking. He trapped himself in HYDRA, bound by its history, rules, hierarchy. No, thanks. Here's my pitch... goodbye to all that. Say hello to anarchy.”
- ―Nathaniel to Phil Coulson (LMD)[src]
Nathaniel Malick is a character featured on the Marvel/ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. He is an affiliate of HYDRA, alongside his older brother Gideon Malick, and father Wilfred Malick, who were also predominant members of the group. He originally died in 1970, when he was betrayed by Gideon, and chosen as a sacrifice for the Inhuman, Alveus. When the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. travel back in time, he serves as an adversary to them, by allying with the Head Chronicom Sibyl, who also guides him to Kora, another Inhuman. He is primarily portrayed by Thomas E. Sullivan, while Joel Dabney Courtney, also plays him in a flashback, and he makes his first appearance in "Paradise Lost".
Powers and Abilities
Following his experimentation on Quake, Nathaniel became an artificial Inhuman, and was able to gain her abilities. He later brought forward a machine to replicate Inhuman powers, and used it onto Kora, giving him, her abilities too.
- Vibration Manipulation: The ability to generate and manipulate the constant vibrations in the universe, which give him the ability to produce shockwaves, earthquakes, and a form of telekinesis.
- Ergokinesis: The ability to manipulate energy. Nathaniel can project this through his eyes and hands, and use it offensively.
- Healing: The ability to place energy within someone, and restore their health.
History
Nathaniel is born to Wilfred Malick and an unknown mother, along with his older brother, Gideon Malick. At an unknown point in time, his mother passes away. His family have a legacy, within the the terrorist organisation, known as HYDRA, and they belong to a religious sect, within the group, that worship the Inhuman, known as Alveus. In this religious sect, when its members come of age, they take part in a ceremony, in which participants draw stones from a bag, one of which is white. The member who draws the white stone, is bestowed with the 'honor' of becoming the next Traveler, and they are absorbed by the Monolith and transported to Maveth, where they will be sacrificed to Alveus.[1]
In the new timeline, Nathaniel's death is prevented, and he lives passed 1970. He also grows disillusioned with HYDRA, and his fathers religion, eventually allying himself with Daniel Whitehall, who approaches HYDRA in a scientific view.[2]
Nathaniel's father infiltrates S.H.I.E.L.D., while working as a double-agent, and the family act as associates of the group, while secretly maintaining their loyalty to HYDRA. By 1973, S.H.I.E.L.D. is successful, in the process of launching Project INSIGHT. Members of the organization are celebrating at their bar, The Krazy Kanoe, and Nathaniel and his brother accompany their father, who is expected to attend. During the celebration, Wilfred runs into an altercation with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Phil Coulson and Melinda May. Wilfred has them surrounded, but Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa take Nathaniel hostage, and he is forced to let the agents go, in exchange for his sons safety. As Wilfred's men go after the agents, Nathaniel follows them, and witnesses Daisy Johnson using inhuman powers in self defense.[3]
Three years pass, and Project INSIGHT is ready to launch. Nathaniel is alerted to a breach in one of their systems, and finds it being hacked by Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa. He shoots them with a blaster, incapacitating the pair, and kidnaps them. He then proceeds to call for Daniel Whitehall, in the prison he is being held at, to await for further instructions, in how to transfer enhanced abilities, surgically.[3]
Nathaniel prepares to operate on Quake
Nathaniel has his men place Johnson and Sousa into a barn, while he readies himself for the surgical procedure. He has special restrains placed on Daisy, so that she is unable to use her powers. Just as the pair come to, Nathaniel arrives and formally introduces himself, and recalls how they took him hostage. He reveals his interest in the pair sparked, when he witnessed Daisy using her powers, and he also believes Sousa to be an Inhuman, as he was reported dead, in 1955, and has not aged since. When Daisy tries to explain he isn't an Inhuman, Nathaniel replies that she better hope he is. He explains that he didn't have an interest in his family's legacy, until he saw Daisy display her abilities. She argues back that Nathaniel hasn't seen her using her powers to her full extent, which he is hopeful for, and expresses his admiration for Daisy. Daisy explains to him her powers come from her genetics, rather than a serum, but Nathaniel's wealth allows him to cut the barriers that would slow down the process of transferring powers, and Whitehall has given him help in how to perform the procedure. Daisy threatens to use her powers against him, and Nathaniel further provokes her, knowing she cant use them. When she fails to do so, he instructs his men to operate on her first. He removes as much blood and spinal fluid he can, along with a few glands, without killing her, so he can synthesize it and transfer it onto himself, and returns her body back to where Sousa is being held. While Nathaniel is successful, he finds he is unable to control her powers, causing his bones to crack, and the earth to quake around him. The barn eventually collapses on itself, crushing him, and allowing Sousa and Johnson to escape his captivity.[2]
In the following years, Nathaniel learns to gain control of his abilities. By 1983, Nathaniel has an encounter with the Head Chronicom, Sybil, and together, they form an alliance. She she creates a robot, that retrieves the time stream for him, a device which allows the user to predict future events. Sybil's robot manages to successfully complete its mission and Nathaniel gains the device. He remarks it's smaller than he imagined, and Sybil informs him, he now has the one tool to control his world's future. Nathaniel marks his luck, and voices how impressed he is, to which Sybil replies, that she is confident of their new partnership.[4]
Sibyl gives Nathaniel knowledge on the lives of his enemies, the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and directs him towards various people, who will join his cause. She also uses the time stream to predict their enemies future actions, which includes Gordon and Coulson trying to rescue the Inhumans of Afterlife, that Nathaniel will eventually take hostage. Sybil also makes various scenarios, to see how she and Malick can win their fight, against S.H.I.E.L.D. and finds that Leo Fitz is present in every scenario in which they're defeated in.[5]
Using the time stream, Sybil directs Nathaniel to Kora, an Inhuman with the ability to manipulate energy, who is on the brink of suicide. He travels her Afterlife, in Nepal with his men, to take control of her home, a sanctuary for other Inhumans. He finds her, ready to shoot herself in the head, and uses his powers to disassemble the gun, before she has the chance, telling her she doesn't have to die today. He introduces himself, and reveals he was also supposed to die. She tries to explain her suicide attempt away, but Nathaniel dismisses the point she was trying to make. He explain that their fates were predetermined, but he has found a way to escape what was meant to be, and offers the her the chance to join him. She questions how Nathaniel knew of her whereabouts, and actions, and Nathaniel shares that his friend Sybil who can make predictions, told him. He questions what Kora makes of Afterlife, and is in disbelief, when she describes is as her home, informing her, she has been under their control, and too powerful of a force for them. He advises her to embrace her gifts, invites her, to join him and his men in making chaos, as they fly over Aferlife in helicopters. She accepts his offer, and Nathaniel and his men enter the premises, to take the Inhumans, prisoner. As Nathaniel attacks one of the inhabitants, Kora's mother, Jiaying urges her to get away from him. He, in response, stands for Kora, accusing her mother of putting her daughter through enough. Kora sides with Nathaniel, and as one of her mother's associates attempts to attack her, Nathaniel witnesses in awe, as Kora uses her powers and burn his face. Jiaying and her comrades flee, and Nathaniel has his men take the rest of the Inhumans hostage. When she questions what he plans to do with them, he describes the next phase of his plan, as a "redistribution of wealth", disregarding their predetermined fates, for something new, with anarchy.[6]
Now partnered with Kora, he directs her to controlling her powers, and arranges a task for her to practice. He lines glasses onto a table, and watches as she successfully fires, shattering the to pieces. Kora confides in him that she has spent years feeling dangerous, and for the first time she likes it. As Nathaniel affectionately folds Kora's hair back, he comments that her little sister will be impressed.[7]
Nathaniel manages to find various recruits, and has a machine placed in Afterlife, which can replicate the powers of an Inhuman, into someone without the Inhuman gene, so their powers are transferred, just as it was for him.[5]
Amongst the recruits Nathaniel has been directed towards, is John Garret, a young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent-in-training. He finds him playing darts, and offers him a chance to join his team. In order to convince him, Nathaniel, shares knowledge of Garrett's future, in how S.H.I.E.L.D. failed him, causing his recruitment into HYDRA, but Garrett laughs this off. Nathaniel then displays his powers to him, and offers him the chance to obtain some for himself. With Garrett in awe of what he witnessed, he takes on Nathaniel's offer. Nathaniel brings him to Afterlife, and explains how it functions as a sanctuary for the recruits he saved. Garrett questions how he saw his future, and Nathaniel shows him a machine, which is connected to the time stream, and constructed by another recruit, Dr. Grady. He explains that S.H.I.E.L.D. thought Grady's technology was too hazardous, and would go on to eliminate him, so he saved him. He then invites Garrett to use the machine, which hosts Sibyl within, and will give him access to his future. Nathaniel then takes Garrett to another room in Afterlife, in which an Inhuman, Li, is having his powers placed within Durant, by draining his fluids. He introduces him to Kora, as the one Inhuman who they can trust, and declares the two of them as champions of the people, by giving to those more deserving. He uses Durant as an example, by explaining how he was a simple mercenary, targeted by S.H.I.E.L.D., and declares that S.H.I.E.L.D. HYDRA, and Inhumans all commit horrors, in the name world order and control. When Li's powers are successfully transferred, he order Kora to kill him, in the name of mercy. As Garrett watches, he promises he too, shall receive a power, once they take it from S.H.I.E.L.D.. When Coulson and Gordon teleport to Afterlife, Nathaniel apprehends the pair, by shooting Gordon in the back, and surrounding his men around Coulson. While Gordon is taken away to be prepped, Coulson tries explain that Sibyl wants the planet for her Chronicoms, and uses his father as an example of how working with her, went wrong. Nathaniel dismisses Coulson, citing S.H.I.E.L.D. as the reason for his father's death, and disagrees with his father ideals, regarding HYDRA, viewing it as an institution that trapped him. He plans to overthrow the organisations for anarchy, and he leads him to a room, where Gordon is being placed, as his fluids are drained from his body, and powers replicated into Garrett. Garrett questions whether he can keep his eyes, after the power transfer, unlike Gordon, but Nathaniel answers with uncertainty. When Coulson pleads with Kora, Nathaniel uses the fact that Gordon helped trap Kora in Afterlife, as a defense. As Garrett protests to be taken out of the machine, he manages to successfully teleport, with his new powers intact, Nathaniel has him teleport the pair to his new target. After a few attempts, Nathaniel and Garrett successfully arrive on the Zephyr One, and the split, in search for Jemma Simmons. While searching for her, Nathaniel runs into Daisy and Jiaying. He cautions Daisy not to use her powers, based on the destruction the pair may cause, against each other. Jiaying demands answers on Kora's whereabouts, but Nathaniel refuses to give in, and instead opts to reveal Jiaying is Daisy's mother, and the villainous turn she took against her own daughter in the future. Before Nathaniel can further divulge any more information, he is quaked by Daisy, and he patronizingly rates her skill, before blasting her in return. Jiaying uses her powers to apprehend him, and drain his life force, but Nathaniel stops her before she can cause any real damage, and warns her to stay back. Jiaying refuses to listen and Nathaniel blasts her, before she can hurt him, killing her, by breaking her neck. While Daisy runs to her mother's body, May goes after Nathaniel, but he manages to escape, and finds, Garrett has successfully abducted Simmons. They take control of the Zephyr One, where Simmons is being held hostage, and he reveals to her that Sibyl made multiple predictions, and Fitz, was a consistent factor, in every scenario, which they were defeated in. He then orders her to take them to him.[5]
The Zephyr One is launched into space, as reported by one of Nathaniel's recruits, who refers to him as 'sir'. Nathaniel requests he not be referred by that title, as it goes against his mission in the spread of anarchy. He then has Kinball, send out a signal, to contact Chronicoms, for reinforcement. Nathaniel uses a device, to enter Simmons' mind, and locate Fitz, but finds that he can only access early memories of the pair together. Frustrated, he questions how Simmons is able to block him. When she refuses to answer, and places the blame on him, Nathaniel slaps her demands she tell him. As incentive, he brings in Deke Shaw, who was abroad the ship, when Nathaniel took over, to motivate Jemma into telling him. Nathaniel's men beat Deke, on his orders, but find won't talk either. Nathaniel then threatens to crack Simmons skull, placing her in a coma, so he can enter her mind, and as he does, he finds a small glowing light, in the back of her neck, and realizes that the device inside of her, is blocking her memories. He then quakes Deke, against the wall as requital for his father's death, and orders his men to find a way to extract the implant from Simmons. Following a few attempts, Nathaniel finds he is unable to remove it, and Simmons reveals she is the only one who can take it out. He has Garrett force her into the machine, and she informs him the more he searches for Fitz, the more he will go, until Fitz has been erased from her mind completely. He orders Garrett to kill Deke, should he move, and places himself into Simmons mind. Nathaniel finds himself witnessing Enoch place the implant in Simmons. He also sees Fitz conversing with Simmons, in a home under construction, and the two talk ominously about settling down. While Nathaniel, doesn't understand the full extent of what he saw, he decides go further in her memories, so he can locate where the conversation takes place. He finds Simmons and Fitz saying their final goodbyes, but the memory has been tampered, as it takes place in a completely white, room, and as Nathaniel expresses his frustration, at the lack of clarity, Fitz disappears from Simmons' mind, leaving him unable to locate him. He leaves her mind unsatisfied, but wonders if it may even matter, and sinisterly tells Deke and Simmons they've scored front-row seats to the greatest show on Earth. Angered by his lack of answers, Nathaniel kills the same recruit who earlier called him 'sir', after he repeats his mistake. The Chronicom ships arrive into Earth's atmosphere, and Nathaniel reveals Sibyl contacted her home planet years ago and had her Hunters make some modifications to their fleet. He contacts the ship, to speak on Sibyl's behalf, and gives them permission to fire. Nathaniel watches as all the S.H.I.E.L.D. bases are destroyed, and he tells Garret they're just getting started. He embraces Kora, who returned with Garrett, and he thanks her, for her aid. When she questions whether they gave people new life, he confirms they did, by ending many, and the two kiss.[8]
By 1970, Nathaniel's father passes away. During the funeral, Nathaniel gains word, that Daniel Whitehall wants to pay his respects to the boys, and he informs his brother. While Nathaniel believes they should see him, due to his high status and influence within HYDRA, Gideon refuses, because of their father's different beliefs on HYDRA, but they find they have no choice in the matter anyway, as Whitehall has sent his men to take them. The boys are driven to the prison where Whitehall is kept, and when they come face-to-face with Whitehall, Gideon demands to know, why they were summoned. Whitehall notes that the boys are finally of age to partake in the ancient ceremony, their sect of HYDRA celebrates, and desires them to choose his path, now that their father is gone. Gideon questions why they would, and refers to him as an "old man", a term Nathaniel objects to. He explains to them that he is a man of science, and dismisses their ancient religious traditions as nonsense. He further explains that the ceremony, is an archaic blood sacrifice, with foolish rituals, and reveals that their father, Wilfred knew this. He reveals to the boys their father cheated his way into not being selected, and urges them to look into a book entitled Paradise Lost. While Gideon storms out, Nathaniel stops for a short moment, before joining his brother.[1]
The boys return home, and the time for them to participate the ceremony is approaching. The night before, Nathaniel enters his fathers study, and finds the book, Whitehall mentioned. He finds a white stone with a small notch in it, and comes to realize their father would use the stone, so he could feel for the notch, and wouldn't be selected. The revelation shatters Nathaniel's views on his father, whom he once held, in high regard, and he divulges this all to Gidoen. Gideon believes the only way to correct the errors of his father, is by participating the in the ceremony, the right way, just as their ancestors have done for centuries. He throws the stone into the lake, and the brothers make an agreement, to take part in the ceremony, and right their fathers wrongs. Unbeknownst to Nathaniel however, the stone Gideon threw away, was one chosen from their garden, and during the night of their ceremony, Gideon feels for the notch, so he won't be selected, just as their father did. When Nathaniel selects the white stone, he realizes his brother has betrayed him, and recalls the earlier deal they made, following Gideon's deception. Nathaniel is then taken to the monolith, and transported to Maveth. There, he is sacrificed to Alveus, who also absorbs his memories.[1]
In 2016, Alveus returns to Earth in a human form. He arrives at the Malick's mansion, and recalls the memories of anger and betrayal felt by Nathaniel, to his brother, Gideon, prior to his death. When Stephanie, Gideon's daughter realizes her father has been lying, Alveus, using Nathaniel's memories, notes that he was selfish, a trait inherited from their father.[1] Gideon later recalls to Coulson how he sacrificed his brother for Hive, but he still killed his daughter.[9] Alveus is later forced into a trap, where he recalls the memories of his countless victims, including Nathaniel.[10]Appearances
Season Three
- "Paradise Lost" (original timeline; first appearance)
- "The Team" (original timeline; mentioned)
- "Absolution" (original timeline; mentioned)
Season Seven
- "A Trout in the Milk" (alternate timeline)
- "Adapt or Die" (alternate timeline)
- "The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and the D" (alternate timeline)
- "After, Before" (alternate timeline)
- "As I Have Always Been" (alternate timeline)
- "Stolen" (alternate timeline)
- "Brand New Day" (alternate timeline)
- "The End is at Hand" (alternate timeline)
- "What We're Fighting For" (alternate timeline; final appearance)
Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Paradise Lost"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Adapt or Die"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "A Trout in the Milk"
- ↑ "The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and the D"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Stolen"
- ↑ "After, Before"
- ↑ "As I Have Always Been"
- ↑ "Brand New Day"
- ↑ "The Team"
- ↑ "Absolution"
External Links
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