Hive (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

""Thousands of years ago, an Inhuman was born on this planet that was destined to rule it, so powerful, so fearsome that others were consumed with dread, and so they banished it from the Earth, sent it through the portal to a distant planet. HYDRA was founded with the sole purpose of engineering its return.""

- Gideon Malick

The Hive serves as one of two main antagonists of the second half of the third season of the hit TV series, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Hive was portrayed by Dillon Casey and Brett Dalton (who previously portrayed Grant Ward up until his death in episode "Maveth")

Biography
Many millennia ago, The Kree, a powerful alien race went to many worlds to create Inhumans, one of them was Earth. Hive was on Earth where the Inhumans were successfully created. When it was created, Hive was particularly powerful and greatly feared so it was banished from Earth to Maveth, a distant alien world. However, a group of humans who all intents and purposes worshiped Hive, thought it was the world's rightful ruler. This group evolved and took many names. During World War II, they infiltrated the Nazi's and took the name HYDRA under the direction of its then leader, Red Skull. This group's sole intention was to bring back this dangerous Inhuman to Earth. For centuries they had tried and failed.

In 2001, a group of astronauts from NASA was sent in as a sacrifice to this thing as they had done to many others over the centuries under the guise that they were sent in to do scientific research. Hive made them go mad, killing each other, leaving their bodyguard, Will Daniels alive. Will stood on that planet, eluding it for 14 years. Then in 2015, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and biochemist, Jemma Simmons, was brought to that planet accidentally and for months, Jemma with the help of Will Daniels survived long enough for her S.H.I.E.L.D. colleagues to bring her back, though Will was killed while he saved her before Hive possessed his body. The heads of HYDRA were trying to seek out S.H.I.E.L.D. to try to find out how to bring back this deadly Inhuman for Hive to takeover Earth.

Sometime later, a small team of HYDRA agents lead by Grant Ward at the request of HYDRA leader, Gideon Malick, traveled to Maveth to bring Hive back to Earth with S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist, Leo Fitz, as an unwilling sacrifice to the creature. They were followed by SHIELD director, Phil Coulson, who was on a mission to kill Grant Ward after he killed Phil's girlfriend, Rosalind Price, who was also the head of the Advanced Threat Containment Unit which allied themselves with S.H.I.E.L.D. Grant, Leo, and the HYDRA team encountered Hive within the body of Will Daniels. "Will" was made to be a guide.

"Will" would tell Leo about an older civilization that use to live on that planet. Leo was puzzled that he knew a great deal about them. Just as Leo was inspecting his limp leg, it showed Will's leg was rotting, indicating he was a rotting corpse and "Will" told Leo he was around when this alien civilization existed, thus telling him he was the Inhuman HYDRA was seeking. Leo and "Will" fought until Leo seemingly killed "Will" shortly before Phil killed Grant Ward. Both Leo and Phil left Maveth.

Little did Leo and Phil knew, Hive left Will's heavily damaged body and took possession of Grant Ward's body and left Maveth for Earth, something it couldn't have done had Coulson not killed Ward and provided the necessary outlet. Hive intercepted Malick's car as it was speeding away from the HYDRA compound. Malick was pleasantly surprised that the creature that HYDRA sought for centuries was finally on Earth, using Grant Ward's body as a new host. HYDRA succeeded in bringing back this evil being.

Powers and Abilities
As one, the Hive is capable of asserting itself as an individual, albeit without name or personality. In this form it is capable of speech -- the language; however, is unknown, though spoken also by other Hydra agents -- suggesting it is one of their own design, created for strategic secrecy when in the field.

Trivia

 * It is confirmed by Elizabeth Henstridge that it is actually the Marvel Cinematic Universe's adaption of The Hive, a parasitic being created by HYDRA to embody their ideals. Seeing as Hive is a parasitic Inhuman who seems to resemble a slug, or even an octopus, this seems highly likely to be the case.
 * 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 of HYDRA, Hive was appointed as one of HYDRA's heads by Wolfgang von Strucker.
 * It's theorized that Jiaying knew about this creature and feared it which is why she wanted the monolith, to prevent it from returning to Earth.
 * It's theorized that the Hive has Blue and Orange Morality, seeing its actions as being right and justified in its own mind while everybody could develop the misconception that it's evil.