First Look at Yo-Yo’s Robotic Arms in ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Debuts

The current season of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD has been one of the most ambitious in the series so far, as the episodes never shy away from making permanent changes to characters and their relationships. In a recent episode, Yo-Yo (Natalia Cordova-Buckley) lost both of her arms in a chaotic conflict with Ruby (Dove Cameron), necessitating her use of bionic appendages.

While the injury was severe, it was a moment that many comics fans knew was coming, as one of her very first battles resulted in the catastrophic injury.

“We’re just being true to the character, you know?” executive producer Jeff Bell shared with IGN. “In the comics, when you first meet her in Secret Warriors – her first fight ever, she loses both arms.”

The injury might necessitate a more complicated shooting schedule, but actress Cordova-Buckley was looking forward to the opportunity. Producer Jed Whedon noted, “And Natalia’s been asking us for years.”

Yo-Yo isn’t the first character to suffer such an injury, as Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) lost his hand back in Season 2. Knowing that the series wasn’t afraid to subject its characters to permanent injuries, Cordova-Buckley has been counting down the days until she could don her robotic upgrades.

“Ever since she showed up, she goes, ‘When do I lose my arms? When do I lose my arms?’” Bell joked. “We’re like, ‘Coulson lost a hand! Come on, really?’”

More than just collateral damage, Whedon pointed out that the injury is evidence of much larger themes in the show’s storyline.

“This is proof that everything that she saw in the future is coming true and is real” the producer confirmed. “And I think that any part of her that doubted it – she sits with Mack in [episode] 11, and says, ‘Yeah, maybe we’re gonna keep that from happening, maybe I shouldn’t think about it, maybe I shouldn’t worry about it too much.’ And now it’s happening much faster than she thought. So, I think her agenda of trying to fix these things and her emotional drive behind it will be intensified.”

Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD airs Friday nights at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

How do you think Yo-Yo’s look compares to her comic counterpart? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T IGN]