Kara Lynn Palamas was a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, codenamed within the agency as Agent 33. Palamas was brainwashed by Daniel Whitehall into serving HYDRA until his death, after which she allied herself with Grant Ward, who helped her to regain her identity and her freedom. She also gained limited shapeshifting abilities via a permanently implanted Photostatic Veil. During their campaign to give Palamas closure over the many traumas she had endured, Palamas and Ward kidnapped and tortured Bobbi Morse. Soon afterward, Palamas was accidentally killed by Ward when she disguised herself as Melinda May during a S.H.I.E.L.D. raid.
Kara Palamas, codenamed Agent 33, was a brave and highly regarded S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. She had several encounters with Bobbi Morse during her time as an agent and Morse developed a strong respect for her. After the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. by HYDRA, Phil Coulson took a trip to ask Palamas to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. He returned to the Playground empty-handed and explained to Melinda May that S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA were competing for the same candidates and they had beaten him to Palamas.[1]
While at a safehouse, Agent 33 was attacked and kidnapped by a team of HYDRA operatives led by Sunil Bakshi,[3] based on information provided by Bobbi Morse,[5] and taken to Daniel Whitehall. Whitehall used the Faustus method to enthrall her into serving HYDRA. He spoke to her in a hypnotic tone, inviting her to submit, all while explaining the mentality behind working for HYDRA and promising her that her compliance would be rewarded.
Agent 33 begins working for HYDRA
Although Agent 33 was able to withhold being brainwashed by Whitehall for a long while, she was eventually broken and surrendered to Whitehall's power, becoming loyal to HYDRA. She began working as both a secretary and assassin for HYDRA, shortly after her breaking, she delivered some papers to Whitehall and Bakshi; when Whitehall thanked her she told him she was happy to comply. After she left, Whitehall and Bakshi commented on brainwashing other questionable HYDRA members and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.[1]
"Agent May, surrender, and you will find satisfaction." "I get my satisfaction elsewhere." "The best part about killing you is that I won't have to be you anymore." "If you were really me... you wouldn't talk so much."
Not long after, she assisted Sunil Bakshi in his mission to retrieve a painting which had the Words of Creation on its back and to capture Phil Coulson to help in the translation. While in their hotel room, Melinda May attacked Agent 33 and Bakshi, but was shocked to unconsciousness by Agent 33 using a taser. Agent 33 then took some of May's clothes and used a Photostatic Veil to disguise herself as the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
Leaving May to be tortured and questioned by Bakshi, Agent 33 traveled to the Bus, fooling everyone into believing she was the real May. She spent time talking with Coulson and managed to convince him that Glenn Talbot, who Bakshi had been disguised as was being honest when he had asked for his assistance. While tricking Coulson into going to the hotel room to be cornered by Bakshi, Agent 33 also managed to plant a virus on the Bus in an attempt to destroy it while she and Coulson left.
Agent 33 disguised, fighting Coulson
However, Coulson, who had known May for many years, began to suspect that this was not the real May, and, in a test, tricked her by flirtingly asking if she would like to drink coffee with him, knowing that May hated coffee. When 33 said she would love to join him for the coffee, Coulson confirmed his theory and hit her in the face. A fight broke out between Coulson and Agent 33, which was soon interrupted by May, who had escaped and rescued Coulson before 33 could strangle him.
Agent 33 began fighting with May while Coulson chased after Bakshi, who was attempting to escape with the painting. The two agents were evenly matched for the majority of their prolonged fight, with Agent 33 even taunting May about her superiority. Eventually, Agent 33 managed to gain the upper hand and pinned down May, attempting to cut her throat. May, however, was able to grab a broken lamp cable and pushed it into Agent 33's face, electrocuting her and causing the Photostatic Veil to permanently fuse to her face.[2]
Agent 33 found herself unable to remove the burnt Photostatic Veil from her face and her voice became similar to Melinda May's but with a computerized sound. She went to Vancouver and sat quietly in a coffee shop tailing Raina. Raina approached her, thinking she was May in sunglasses when she told Raina that Daniel Whitehall wanted her. Raina ran away and seemingly vanished before HYDRA could capture her.
Agent 33 tries to shoot Skye
It was learned that Raina had been rescued by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and when Raina, Billy Koenig and Skye exited the S.H.I.E.L.D. Safe House, Agent 33 ambushed them. Agent 33 then had a prolonged fight with Skye while Koenig evacuated Raina. Eventually Agent 33 managed to gain the upper hand and threw Skye on the ground; however, before she could execute her, Skye was assisted by Lance Hunter, who knocked out Agent 33. As May extracted Raina, Agent 33 called Daniel Whitehall and informed him that Raina had been evacuated but she had a tracker on her.
Later, she met with Whitehall and informed him that Grant Ward successfully located and captured Raina from S.H.I.E.L.D., but he also had taken the opportunity to kidnap Skye from the Bus, promising that the four HYDRA Quinjets surrounding it would not fire if she came willingly. Whitehall told Agent 33 that he had not given Ward this order and Ward did not have his authority to make such a promise and commanded her to order an attack. Without a second thought, Agent 33 called for the Quinjets to destroy the Bus and kill all the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on board.[6]
Agent 33 and Daniel Whitehall arrived at the Ponce de León Theater in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Whitehall had a meeting with Raina, Grant Ward, Skye, and Calvin Zabo to learn the motives of Ward for not destroying the Bus as he was ordered. Agent 33 was among the HYDRA operatives that held them at gunpoint. Skye lifted the Diviner as Whitehall commanded and was unaffected, but she used it to kill a guard. When a mutiny began between the attendees and the guards, Agent 33 protected Whitehall until it was quelled.
Ward and Skye were taken away and tied to chairs. Agent 33 stood guard over Ward as he asked her about her burned face and her motives for working with HYDRA; however, Agent 33 ignored him and simply told him to be quiet. When Daniel Whitehall arrived in the room, Zabo went to attack him but was paralyzed with a Control Device. Agent 33 kept watching as Whitehall mocked both Zabo and Skye about his killing of Skye's mother years before and promised to experiment on Skye until her slow and painful death.
However, before Whitehall could enact his plan, Phil Coulson led a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents into the theater where they were located. As Agent 33 heard the gunfire, she went to fight alongside Whitehall. Agent 33 took her orders directly from Whitehall and was told to kill any S.H.I.E.L.D. agents she could find. However, when she returned not a moment later, she discovered Coulson and Zabo standing over Whitehall's corpse, who had been shot and killed in the fight. Agent 33 began shooting at them but stopped as she stood over Whitehall's dead body.
Realizing that without Whitehall to control her every move she had lost any sense of what her objectives were, she returned to Ward for assistance, only to find him bleeding out on the ground, having been shot multiple times by Skye. Agent 33 informed him of Whitehall's death and he was able to convince her that she was now free from HYDRA's control. With no one else to turn to, Agent 33 helped Ward to his feet and together they escaped from the battle before S.H.I.E.L.D. could find them.[7]
"I thought that if... I looked like her, then maybe... maybe there's a chance we could be together." "Well, maybe we could. But not as Skye or May. No. It has to be with you."
After saving Grant Ward's life, they spent the next few weeks together as she treated his wounds and nursed him back to health. Agent 33 developed a strong attraction towards Ward and Ward felt he now owed a debt to Agent 33. They were able to track down the inventor of the Photostatic Veil in a diner. Agent 33 still struggled to make any decisions for herself, as was proven when the waitress Rhonda asked her what she wanted to eat and she was unable to answer. When the inventor tried to leave the diner, the pair drew their guns and kidnapped him.
They brought Selwyn back to their hotel room where he began working on the damaged Veil on Agent 33's face. He was able to get it working again so she could change her appearance and disguise the burn scars on her face; however, he was unable to remove it and allow her to return to her original face. Selwyn told her that changing to a male face was not recommended, because it would not be believable. Once he was finished, Ward killed him to ensure he did not tell anyone about them.
Agent 33 seduces Ward with Skye's face
Agent 33 began changing her face to give herself a new appearance, but she remained unsatisfied. After Ward returned from a mission, she tried to seduce him by changing her appearance to look like Skye. His rejection deeply hurt Agent 33, but Ward insisted his reasons were because he wanted to be with her, not Skye, for whom he had lost feelings after she shot him. Ward then tried to cheer Agent 33 up by handing her Sunil Bakshi's file and explaining that together they would find and punish him.[3]
Agent 33 used the disguise of Carla Talbot to gain entry to the military base run by Glenn Talbot where Sunil Bakshi was being held. As she traveled through the base, she changed her appearance several times, disguising herself as other military women at the base and managed to turn off the security cameras. When Talbot learned of what was happening and ordered all female staff to report to a meeting room, Agent 33 was able to kill a shorter male soldier and take his appearance. She gave Ward access after he had killed the security guard.
Together they located Bakshi in his cell. At first, Bakshi was delighted, believing Agent 33 was still loyal to HYDRA; he was, however, shocked to find she was now working with Ward, who had previously betrayed him. Realizing that Agent 33 had also betrayed HYDRA, Bakshi tried to use a catchphrase to reactivate Agent 33's brainwashing, but she ignored him and instead punched him and knocked him out. She and Ward left the facility with Bakshi in a wheelchair.
Once back at the hotel room, Agent 33 was able to turn off the mask, revealing her true scarred face. Ward formally introduced himself to her and she, understanding his gesture and hugging him, introduced herself as Kara. She then turned to Bakshi, who was tied to a chair and undergoing the Faustus method to be brainwashed. Bakshi asked her if his compliance would be rewarded; she cruelly told him it would not. Ward and Palamas watched closely as Bakshi succumbed to the method and became blindly loyal to their orders.[3]
Found by S.H.I.E.L.D.[]
Palamas is captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Wait, Mom, what men? When exactly did they call?"
Kara Palamas and Ward then went to Tijuana, Mexico. Palamas called her mother to thank her after she received a photograph of herself, helping her to reprogram the mask to return it to her original face. During the conversation, her mother told her that men called for her. Knowing that the men were either S.H.I.E.L.D. or HYDRA, Palamas attempted to flee, but Phil Coulson and Deathlok surrounded her; Coulson used her phone to call Grant Ward and asked him to come for a chat. While they waited for Ward to arrive, Deathlok asked Palamas about her Photostatic Veil, looking for a method to hide his facial scars. Ward eventually arrived, immediately checking if Palamas was hurt, he was then disarmed and sat with Coulson.[8]
Coulson's Six[]
Palamas speaks to Grant Ward
"It's beautiful. It's too bad. I liked our house." "It won't be our last, promise. At the end of this, you'll be home. And we'll be together."
When Ward agreed to help Coulson to locate Baron Strucker and rescue the enhanced individuals he was experimenting on, Palamas went with him to retrieve Sunil Bakshi. While Coulson and his team checking that the location was safe, she and Ward discussed their future together; Ward showed that he had bought a cactus for their home. She and Ward shared a passionate kiss in the car before Deathlok told them to stop. They unlocked the boot of their car to reveal Bakshi and brought him to Coulson's Quinjet.
The plan was arranged to send Bakshi and Deathlok into a meeting with List, who would be able to give them Baron von Strucker's location and unknowingly help them bring down HYDRA. When Bakshi revealed Ward's true orders to trade Deathlok for List's experiments in exchange for a meeting with Strucker, Coulson believed that Ward had betrayed them. When the tensions rose Coulson, Lance Hunter and Ward aimed their guns at each other while Palamas held a knife to Leo Fitz's throat. Ward was able to calm the situation and Palamas released Fitz so he could order Deathlok to play along and not fight back.
Palamas rescues Lance Hunter
When List became aware of the location of an enhanced man he had been tracking, he rerouted his plane to go after him. Bakshi and Deathlok were sent in to hunt down the enhanced beings and Coulson went in with Ward, Hunter, and Palamas to rescue them. A firefight broke out between S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA, and Palamas was able to save Coulson's life with her quick reactions. During the battle Lance Hunter was shot in the shoulder and Palamas rescued him; with the threats incoming, Coulson ordered Ward, Hunter, and Palamas to escape while he surrendered to the other branch of S.H.I.E.L.D. which was hunting them.[8]
"What Whitehall did to you, it's unthinkable." "Yeah, but at least one good thing came out of it. I met Grant. No, just wait, he'll get Bakshi to help. You'll see the Grant I do."
While Phil Coulson was being questioned by S.H.I.E.L.D. on the Bus, Ward piloted the Quinjet, following close. While they flew, Ward suggested that Palamas should take the controls and he would teach her to fly, Palamas refused though. When Coulson was permitted to continue with their mission, Ward landed the Quinjet and they arrived at the Playground. Once there Palamas was reunited with Melinda May, who Ward assured her could be very friendly once you got to know her, and they were told they would be kept under armed guards at all times by Robert Gonzales.
Palamas talks about her love for Ward
Ward told Palamas that he would be joining Coulson on their mission to attack Dr. List's HYDRA base and he wanted her to stay at the Playground to try and reconnect with her past after Daniel Whitehall had wiped her memories. Although she protested, wishing to join Ward, he managed to convince her to stay behind. While under examination, Palamas was visited by Bobbi Morse. Morse explained that they had known each other while they were both working for S.H.I.E.L.D. and promised to help her with learning about her past, Palamas opened up and told Morse about her love for Grant Ward and promised they would see him for the man she knew.
Palamas searches for Ward
After the successful mission to rescue the enhanced individuals from the HYDRA base, Phil Coulson's team returned without Grant Ward, who had chosen to escape. While Palamas searched the base for her lover, Coulson received a phone call from Ward explaining that he felt he was not the right man to help Palamas in her recovery. Ward asked Coulson to help her learn who she was and rebuild her life as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent as she was a victim of Daniel Whitehall's experiments and deserved forgiveness.[9]
Palamas continued to be tested by S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz and after many brain scans, they assured her that although she would still suffer from some memory loss, Daniel Whitehall's effect on her was gone and her mind was once again hers. She thanked the pair for everything they had done and told them that knowing that Sunil Bakshi was dead greatly helped more than anything with her recovery. While they were talking, the lights in the building began to turn on and off as Lincoln Campbell awoke from his coma.
As S.H.I.E.L.D. prepared for an attack from the Inhumans, Palamas was locked away. She was able to escape; however, and used the Photostatic Veil to take the identity of Melinda May again. She took control of a Quinjet and flew towards the Inhumans' base with Bobbi Morse. As they traveled together, Morse revealed to her that Alphonso Mackenzie had quit and they discussed who they would be without S.H.I.E.L.D., Morse being completely unaware of Palamas' presence. As Palamas put the Quinjet into autopilot, Morse questioned their location; Palamas pulled a gun on her before revealing her true face. Realizing she had been fooled, Morse attacked Palamas and soon knocked her out. Moments later; however, Morse was shot with an I.C.E.R. by Grant Ward.
The pair took Morse's unconscious body back on board the Quinjet and tied her up. Ward told her she had done well-fooling everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D., she told him that it was difficult to be away from him and asked why they could not kill Morse now. Ward explained that for them to get true closure, it would take time and work before they would eventually kill her. Palamas commented that Morse was beginning to wake up Ward fired three more I.C.E.R. shots into her chest.[10]
"Grant's already told me everything. Everything. About his abusive family, about John Garrett, about having to killVictoria Hand. But in the end, he overcame his family and the pain Garrett put him through. He remade himself. That's why I love him, and why no matter what he does, I will always stand with Ward."
Palamas and Grant Ward took the unconscious Bobbi Morse to an abandoned warehouse and tied her to a table. Once she awoke, they informed her that they had learned from Sunil Bakshi that it was Morse who was responsible for giving HYDRA Palamas' location, leading to her kidnapping and torture at the hands of Daniel Whitehall. When Morse remained calm, Palamas watched as Ward opened his tool bag and prepared the needles he would use to torture Morse.
Palamas and Ward torture Bobbi Morse
As Ward began to explain his plan to Bobbi Morse, Palamas watched closely. He explained that he had used an anesthetic to remove any sensation of pain from Morse as he pushed needles under her fingernails, knowing that Morse would be able to push away most pain he inflicted. He explained that this way, the sensation of unbearable pain would hit her body all at once, which Palamas claimed was what she felt when she regained control of her mind. He offered to avoid this pain if Morse confessed her sins. Morse, however, refused and told them that she had made a hard call to give HYDRA the location of a S.H.I.E.L.D. Safe House which might have been empty, and she showed no remorse for her actions.
Palamas stared into Bobbi Morse's eyes, waiting for the moment when the pain began to engulf her body. When it began, she embraced Grant Ward and watched Morse suffer. Morse attempted to convince Palamas that Ward was using her as his slave, emotionally manipulating her to fall in love with him and do whatever he desired, explaining that Ward was using symbolic targets from her past to make her believe he cared for her. Palamas, however, revealed that she knew all about Ward's past with John Garrett, and how he had killed many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents including Victoria Hand and she was in love with him nonetheless and would always stand with him.[5]
While Palamas slept, Ward attempted to convince Morse to surrender to them again. However, Morse was able to break her restraints and attack Ward. The sounds of the fight awoke Palamas, who ran to her lover's aid. She found Ward fighting Morse and attempted to shoot her, but Morse used Ward as a human shield and engaged the pair of them in a fight. Eventually, Palamas and Ward were able to overpower Morse and Ward broke her kneecap. Ward offered Palamas the chance to shoot Morse, but Palamas insisted that it did not feel right as Morse did not feel remorse for her actions. Ward told her it was all right as he knew what to do instead.[5]
Palamas tied Bobbi Morse back to the chair while Grant Ward reactivated Morse's phone and Palamas gagged Morse as Ward rigged a rifle behind her. They explained that as Morse had shown little to no regard for her own life, they would force her to watch helplessly as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were killed while attempting to save her. They told Morse that the rifle was set to fire as soon as someone tried to open the door, killing them instantly in front of her eyes, which would give them the closure they desired and break her heart.[5]
When a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents arrived led by Lance Hunter and Melinda May, Palamas and Ward split up to hunt down and kill them all, while assuring Hunter was the one to die in front of Morse's eyes. Palamas and Ward split up to attack the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents; after knocking one out, Palamas stole a radio and managed to avoid being shot by Melinda May. May then issued a call on the radio for all agents to move to the south side of the building and only lower their guard once they saw her face. Palamas then used the Photostatic Veil to disguise herself as May to trick the agents.[4]
As Palamas walked through the warehouse, she overheard a gunshot and smiled, believing their plan to shoot Lance Hunter in front of Bobbi Morse had succeeded. As Palamas turned a corner, Grant Ward grabbed her and fired three fatal shots into her stomach, mistaking her for Melinda May. Palamas died in his arms as Ward realized his mistake and desperately begged her to stay with him. The moment she died, her Photostatic Veil switched off, revealing her scarred face once more.[4]
Legacy[]
Grant Ward's Revenge[]
"Now you know how it feels, Coulson… to watch someone you care for bleed out right in front of you."
Grant Ward went into a downward spiral as a result of Palamas' death and sought revenge. He later formed his own faction of HYDRA full of younger and more devoted soldiers of HYDRA willing to kill and die for the cause. In his final act of rage, he murderedRosalind Price, a woman that Phil Coulson was intimate with as well as loved. He then called Coulson to taunt him, stating that now he knew how Ward felt when he had to watch Palamas die.[11]
However, during Ward's search for an ancient and malevolent inhuman that was the founder of HYDRA, Coulson killed Ward on the distant planet Maveth.[12]
Personality[]
"She was a good agent… a good person. Then HYDRA ambushed her safehouse and took that from her… took everything. Whitehall broke her, and I've tried to fix her, but… I'm just not the right man for it. Just not enough good left inside me. She deserves better."
Palamas was a very strong-willed individual, able to withstand the Faustus method that Daniel Whitehall performed for an extended period. However, after having the Photostatic Veil permanently implanted, Palamas became blindly loyal to Whitehall until his death, even to the point of fear, where any failure on her part was met with an immediate apology. Even after Whitehall's death, the brainwashing process was strong enough to hinder her making decisions for herself; however, she showed proof of her strong will by deciding to find herself again with Grant Ward's help.
Despite originally being a kindhearted and caring person, as shown by nursing Ward back to health after Puerto Rico, Palamas became a cruel and sadistic person under the influence of Ward, as shown when she kidnappedSunil Bakshi and put him through the Faustus method to show him what she endured. She later kidnapped and tortured Bobbi Morse when she remembered that Morse told her location to HYDRA when undercover.
Having regained her memories, she seemed to become very proud about her identity, correcting Phil Coulson immediately when he called her "Agent 33" rather than her real name, "Kara".
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
"Please. I know this is difficult, but look on the bright side; you can be anyone you want."
Thanks to Selwyn's upgrades to the Photostatic Veil, Palamas could imitate the facial structures of any person she chose. This was done by an optical scanner built into the veil, which photographically copied a person's face before morphing into a replica. On a negative side, this process could only imitate appearance, not voice, and the optical scanner could only maintain three photos of data at a time. Given her hair and her facial structure, Palamas had difficulty transforming her face into males; they appeared too feminine to be believable.
Expert Martial Artist: Palamas was highly trained in hand-to-hand combat. She was able to give the legendary Melinda May a good fight. She was able to defeat Skye, who was personally trained by May herself and also held her own against the highly skilled Bobbi Morse.
Expert Marksman: Palamas kept a handgun as her sidearm during her missions for HYDRA, and was about to use it to kill Skye when she defeated her, and only failed when Lance Hunter's tackling her prevented it. She also used it during the Battle for the Kree City inside the Ponce de León Theater in Puerto Rico before Whitehall died and she lost her purpose to fight.
Expert Spy: Palamas was able to impersonate Melinda May for an extended period, and only Phil Coulson, who had known May for years, was able to tell the difference. She also impersonated many military personnel to infiltrate Glenn Talbot's military base in Washington, D.C.
Hacker: Palamas was able to disable security cameras at Glenn Talbot's military base where she and Grant Ward kidnappedSunil Bakshi.
Expert Pilot: While in mission with Coulson's Team, Grant Ward jokes with Palamas about teaching her how to pilot; this is, however, later revealed to be a red herring as, Palamas, posing as Melinda May, was able to pilot a Quinjet during the kidnapping of Bobbi Morse.
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
FN Five-seveN: The standard side-arm used by HYDRA security officers. Palamas was issued one of these guns and used it during her attempt to kidnap Raina from a S.H.I.E.L.D. Safe House in Vancouver. She continued to use it after leaving HYDRA and joining Grant Ward, such as when they kidnapped Selwyn.
Taser: Palamas used this weapon to stun Melinda May during her first fight against her in Miami, seizing an opportunity to attack her while May was distracted by Sunil Bakshi, who was disguised as Brigadier General Glenn Talbot using a Photostatic Veil.
Smith & Wesson M&P: The Smith & Wesson M&P pistol is the standard sidearm carried by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Palamas obtained it when she killed the guard that was watching her at the Playground and posed as Melinda May to kidnapBobbi Morse, using the gun to threaten Morse before being disarmed by her. She also resorted to using the gun when Morse attempted to escape, and while a team commanded by May and Lance Hunter went to rescue Morse.
Other Equipment[]
Photostatic Veil: Palamas used a Photostatic Veil to impersonate Melinda May during an attempt to obtain information about the Words of Creation from S.H.I.E.L.D. The Veil was damaged and permanently attached to her face, but once Selwyn managed to repair it, he also upgraded the mask, adding a visual scan that allowed Palamas to imitate the face of any person she chose, including her original face prior to her disfigurement.
Facilities[]
HYDRA Laboratories: Captured by HYDRA, Palamas was brought to the laboratory in Delaware and subjected to the Faustus method by Daniel Whitehall to coerce her into working for HYDRA. As the method successfully worked, Palamas turned into Whitehall's thrall and worked from the laboratory, until HYDRA abandoned it.
