Agents of SHIELD: What Death Did Gideon Malick See?

In the post-credits stinger of this week’s Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, Giyera, Gideon Malick’s right-hand man and who I have been calling low-budget Magneto, told Hive that Malick sounded “afraid” on their phone call. Remember, in that battle with Daisy on the roof, Charles sacrificed himself to save her, touching Malick and showing him a vision of a future death.

For the last remaining head of Hydra to be shaken to his core, the death Inhuman Charles showed him must have been a big one. I’m here to brainstorm a handful of ideas of what that could have been. Because nothing is ever as it seems on Agents of SHIELD.

1. His own death, trapped in a spaceship in SHIELD garb

It’s the flash-forward stinger we keep seeing in the back-half of this season, and it’s one we all want to know about. I don’t believe Malick’s death would freak him out, unless it came at an additional unfortunate loss. Losing to SHIELD would be a big blow, but Hydra has lost to SHIELD before and it hasn’t stopped them. Even being in an inescapable situation like being stuck in a spaceship rigged to explode wouldn’t faze Malick.

Now, if he was stuck up there with the likes of a sedated Hive, Giyera, Lash, and any other evil Inhuman linked to Hydra, that would be more of a scare than just his own death.

Probability: Very low. That exploding spaceship stinger needs to be better than that. But it does segue into my next theory…

2. The death of Hydra by SHIELD’s hand

Malick has spent his entire life bringing Hydra to its true potential. He spent billions to bring Hive back to Earth so Hydra can rule the world unchallenged, glorious.

If all these years were for naught, if SHIELD was to finally take down Hydra and Malick watches it all unfold, helpless even though he’s seen it before in a vision, that would certainly scare the crap out of him and cause him to do everything in his power to stop it.

Probability: Low. As long as there is SHIELD, there will probably always be some sort of faction of Hydra for them to battle against. Cut off one head, blah blah blah.

3. His own death at the hands of Hive

Going along with the last theory, Malick has spent all this time and energy to bring Hive back to Earth from regions beyond. To have Hive betray him, basically usurp him, and then kill him would be a devastating blow. He wants the unlimited power for himself. He may even see Hive as somewhat of a protege–or at least equal in the ranks of Hydra–and having his own people side with his discovery and then have that discovery also betray him… it makes you understand that frantic phone call to Giyera in the stinger.

This would also be a better way for his own death to actually have an impact on him. And it would be an interesting twist.

Probability: Medium. It would be nice to have Malick continue to be an overarching villain, but since Agents of SHIELD hasn’t gone that route in three seasons, I can’t see him living past the finale.

4. His daughter’s death

I’m still confused as to why they showed his daughter in that one post-credits stinger and have yet to mention her since. Is she secretly Inhuman? Is she his weak point? Will she be Hive’s love interest? Maybe Agents of SHIELD showed her because Hive will go after her to get Malick to fall in line with his own vision of a conquered Earth.

Probability: Murky at best, but hey, who knows?

5. Hive’s death, possibly at the hands of SHIELD

This would be the most devastating blow to Malick, more than any of the others I suggested above. He has built his entire life around rescuing this creature that will bring Hydra to its full glory. He has amassed a fortune and spent a fortune to bring this creature from the other end of the galaxy.

And to have SHIELD–or anyone–destroy it would shake him to his very core. If Malick is even more crazed in these upcoming episodes, you can bet it’s because he wants to change that vision that Charles showed him. This theory makes the most sense. Why else would he make a frantic call to low-budget Magneto reminding him who he should be loyal to? If Hive will die, he needs to keep his own lackeys loyal to him so that they don’t betray him when things go south.

Plus, Brett Dalton is going to have to be killed off at some point, right? #NoWardRedemptionArc

Probability: High. The husband has already guessed that Hive’s death will come at the hands of Lash, since Andrew went on about having a “higher purpose” he doesn’t understand yet. Maybe it’s to destroy the one thing that can destroy the world as we know it.

Who knows what Gideon Malick truly saw? The fact is that if it’s enough to scare the Hydra head, we should all be excited to see what it’s going to be.