J.T. James (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

**J.T. James** is a character from the television series *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.*. He is an Inhuman who was taken to Afterlife under Jiaying's leadership but was expelled from the community before undergoing Terrigenesis for trying to steal from its archives. After he finally gained his Inhuman powers with the intervention of Hive and Quake, he started calling himself Hellfire.

Following his liberation from Hive's influence, James started hating what he became and made a deal with the terrorist group the Watchdogs to help them exterminate the Inhumans. When Quake and Jemma Simmons visited James to warn him about attacks on registered Inhumans, James betrayed them and handed them over to the Watchdogs. During that event, he was attacked and defeated by the demonic Ghost Rider and taken into custody by S.H.I.E.L.D.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

James is an Inhuman who achieved his genetic potential after undergoing Terrigenesis, gaining superhuman powers.

**Explosion Touch:** James can cause items he touches to heat up to the point of explosion. Objects ignited with his power glow brightly for a few seconds before the entire object detonates intensely. The size of the blast created appears to be correlated to the size of the exploding objects; large objects like coolers and lamps produce a large, violent explosion while smaller objects like pool balls and shot glasses detonate in small bursts. Once he began to fully control his power, he chose a simple industrial chain as a weapon, as it was able to withstand his power without exploding and instead transmitted his power to other objects.

### Abilities

**Explosives Knowledge:** As a former demolitions and mercenary, James has extensive experience with the usage of explosives. He knows how to safely install land mines, which he laid throughout his front yard as a defense. Prior to Terrigenesis, he also had access to C-4, which he used to booby-trap and ultimately destroy his home under Hive's influence. His expertise in explosives proved vital after he became capable of causing any object to explode, and he frequently uses his expertise to make the best use of his Inhuman powers. After Hive's death, his proven expertise allowed him to work at Primed and Ready Fireworks despite his fire-based powers.

## Equipment

**Chain:** James used a steel chain as his weapon of choice after undergoing Terrigenesis. While being chased by the Watchdogs into an alley, he grabbed this item off of a dumpster and infused it with his flames, using it to threaten and disarm his assailants. Later, upon seeing Lash attack Hive, James used this chain to impale and kill Lash.

**Remington 700:** James kept a Remington 700 by his side while he lived in a caravan in South Dakota, carrying it when he saw that Lincoln Campbell and Daisy Johnson came to his hideout. When Johnson detonated all of his landmines, James prepared to use this rifle to neutralize the intruders but was unable to fire after Campbell knocked him unconscious.

**Landmines:** James surrounded his home in the Badlands with these explosives planted in the ground to keep out unwanted intruders. Daisy Johnson accidentally stepped on one of these but managed to step off and detonate all of the mines in the ground.

**C-4:** James used these explosives to booby-trap his home in the Badlands. Before heading off to Romania with Hive, James planted these bombs throughout his trailer and activated a timer in order to eliminate the S.H.I.E.L.D. team that came to apprehend him.

## Notes

* Although not confirmed in the television series, Hellfire's real name in the comics is James Taylor James.
* J.T. is portrayed by Axle Whitehead.