First Look At Madame Hydra In Marvel’s Agents Of SHIELD

After the “What If…” episode of Agents of SHIELD debuted at WonderCon on Saturday, Marvel (via EW) released a spoilery-image of Mallory Jansen as Madame Hydra. In the episode, the high-ranking member of the evil organization will be introduced in the Framework — a Matrix-like simulation showing what life might have been like if HYDRA had successfully toppled SHIELD.

Jansen, the 27-year-old Australian actress, is tackling her third Agents of SHIELD character this season. She currently portrays AIDA, the first Life Model Decoy, and portrayed Agnes Kitsworth, the terminally-ill woman that Dr. Radcliffe was in love with and used as his inspiration for AIDA’s appearance.

“Since we’re bringing back Hydra in the Framework, we thought we’d bring it back with a force to be reckoned with,” EPs Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen told EW. “Madame Hydra is a villain with the perfect combo of strength, sexy, and scary. We’ve thrown many challenges Mallory’s way and she’s always up for the task. We’re excited for fans to see how she makes Madame Hydra come to life.”

In the comics, the original Madame Hydra (whose real name is Ophelia Sarkissian) was an assassin dubbed Viper. The Avengers and X-Men foe debuted in Captain America #110 (February, 1969) during Jim Steranko’s short-lived but absolutely amazing run. More recently, she appeared in the 2012 Secret Warriors storyline, but she was betrayed and replaced by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, a.k.a. the Contessa.

To see the high-resolution version, click on “START PHOTO GALLERY.”

HYDRA HAS WON, AND THE WORLD IS UPSIDE DOWN – Hail the New World Order! Daisy and Simmons uncover secrets and lies in a world gone mad. With Hydra in control, they are our only hope to save everyone.

The regular cast features Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Henry Simmons as Agent Alphonso “Mack” MacKenzie and John Hannah as Holden Radcliffe.

Guest starring are Brett Dalton as Grant Ward, Mallory Jansen as Aida, Manish Dayal as Vijay Nadeer, Brandon Morales as Agent Pinsky, Taj Speights as Burnell, Chad Wood as Agent Slate, Jade Harlow as Julia Price, Jim Hanna as guy, Heather Olt as woman, Jason Medwin as Hydra guard, Richard Pierre-Louis as Hydra agent, Andrew McGinnis as Hydra agent #1 and Skyler James as Chris Adler.

“What If…” was written by DJ Doyle and directed by Oz Scott.

Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD was co-created by Joss Whedon (The Avengers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen (Dollhouse, Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog), who also serve as executive producers along with Jeffrey Bell (Angel, Alias) and Jeph Loeb (Jessica Jones, Daredevil). Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is produced by Marvel Television and ABC Studios.

“What If…” episode of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD will air Tuesday, April 4 at 10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT on The ABC Television Network.

MORE: Agents of SHIELD Propaganda Posters Hint At Life Under HYDRA / Agents Of SHIELD EP On How The Framework Effects FitzSimmons / New Rumors About Agents Of SHIELD’s HYDRA Arc Detailed / New Posters Ask What If Agents Of SHIELD Was Agents Of HYDRA