History Series / AgentsofSHIELD

** Finally someone uses that [[spoiler: neat antigravity device]] that Howard Stark invented [[CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger in the 1940s]].

** Mike Peterson notes that it depends on [[CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger "what kind of person you are."]] in reference to his powers.

* LowerDeckEpisode: The entire show, from the perspective of the greater Marvelverse.

* [[spoiler: FlyingCar]]: Lola, which [[BrickJoke makes for the difference between "new" and "improved".

* [[spoiler: FlyingCar]]: At the end of the pilot.

* DarkandTroubledPast: Ward's lack of personal skill are not a surprise "considering his family history"

** While arguing about the effectiveness of Leo's "Night-Night" gun, He shouts at Jemma that "I'm not [[Literature/HarryPotter Hermoine]]!"

** While arguing about the effectiveness of Leo's "Night-Night" gun, Jemma shouts at him that "[she's] not [[Literature/HarryPotter Hermoine]]!"

* ArcWords: Tahiti, the place where Coulson says he was sent to recover, is a "magical place."

** While arguing about the effectiveness of Leo's "Night-Night" gun, Jemma shouts at him that "[she's] not [[Literature/Harry Potter Hermoine]]!"

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Let's see; Ward is an excellent operative but has NoSocialSkills (and Coulson comments that he's surprised he's not worse with [[NoodleIncident his background]]), May has issues that make her dead-set against going back into field work, and Skye's a ConspiracyTheorist that doesn't trust S.H.I.E.L.D. at all. And the scientists are quirky. But relatively stable.

* ShoutOut: Simmons asks Skye if she is ready to join them on their "journey into mystery." JourneyIntoMystery is a former Creator/MarvelComics anthology title. It was also the comic that debuted the ComicBook/TheMightyThor.

**

* ShipTease: Fitz and Simmons' extremely close relationship could also fall into this trope, or PlatonicLifePartners, depending on your perspective.
** They even come with a prefabricated PortmanteauCoupleName!
* {{Shoutout}}: Simmons asks Skye if she is ready to join them on their "journey into mystery." JourneyIntoMystery is a former Creator/MarvelComics anthology title. It was also the comic that debuted the TheMightyThor.

* {{Shoutout}}: Simmons asks Skye if she is ready to join them on thir "journey into mystery." JourneyIntoMystery is a former Creator/MarvelComics anthology title. It was also the comic that debuted the TheMightyThor.

** They even come with a prefabricated PortmanteuCoupleName!

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Let's see; Ward is an excellent operative but has NoSocialSkills (and Coulson comments that he's surprised he's not worse with [[NoodleIncident his background]]), May has issues that make her dead-set against going back into field work, and Skye's a ConspiracyTheorist that doesn't trust S.H.I.E.L.D. at all.
** And the scientists are quirky. But relatively stable.

* TruthSerums: Used in the pilot [[spoiler: but not on Skye, but rather on Ward, so that Skye trusts Coulson]].

** After Agent Ward confirms he has Level Six clearance and says he ''knows'' Agent Coulson was killed prior to the Battle of New York. (if you watch the trailer not knowing the FirstEpisodeSpoiler).

** Also a CallBack to [[Film/MarvelOneShots the Marvel One-Shot]] ''The Consultant''.

*** Also a CallBack to [[Film/MarvelOneShots the Marvel One-Shot]] ''The Consultant''.
** [[spoiler: Mike]]: "[[StartOfDarkness You're the bad guy. And I'm the hero.]]"

* Has a [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELD recap page]] for episodes.

* ActorAllusion: It seems that recently fighting [[Series/{{Arrow}} a hooded hero]] gave J. August Richards a few ideas.
* AllYourPowersCombined: The Centipede device from the pilot is [[spoiler: a combination of gamma radiation (''The Hulk''), super soldier serum (''Captain America''), alien tech (the Chitauri), and Extremis (''Iron Man 3'').]] This is lampshaded, comparing it to taking every source of superpowers and throwing it in a blender.

* BagOfKidnapping: How Skye is recruited.
* BlofeldPloy: A non-lethal variation. Coulson describes in detail the truth serum he apparently plans to use on Skye, then jabs Ward with it so he'll have to answer her questions.

* CantStopTheSignal: In the pilot, Skye encourages Mike to go public with his gifts, believing the publicity will protect him from S.H.I.E.L.D.
* [[ChekovsGun Chekov's Night-Night Gun]]: Fitz's prototype from the pilot.

* EmergingFromTheShadows: Coulson in the pilot, which he promptly gives a thorough LampshadeHanging.
-->'''Coulson:''' ...sorry, that corner was really dark, and I couldn't help myself. ...I think there's a bulb out.
* FemaleGaze: Second degree in the pilot regarding Film/{{Thor}}.
-->'''Ward:''' I don't think Thor is... [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien technically a god]].\\
'''Hill:''' Then you haven't been near his arms.

* GroinAttack: Skye kicks some poor guy in the nuts and [[spoiler: pretends like Mike Peterson encouraged her to do so, so the guy's friends would attack Mike so she could get away.]]

* HerosFirstRescue: The pilot starts with a classic "burning building" scenario. But we later realize there's more to the rescue than just saving an innocent woman.

* {{Jossed}}: When fans saw that the pilot involved an African American man with superpowers, many assumed that it was {{Luke Cage|HeroForHire}}; but Joss assured that it wasn't him. [[spoiler:For good reason, he's the VillainOfTheWeek.]]
** [[spoiler:Well, more like a WellIntentionedExtremist of the week. The real villains are whoever's behind Project Centipede.]]

* MythologyGag:
** "With [[Franchise/SpiderMan great power]] comes... all kinds of weird crap you have to put up with."
** "Are you ready for our {{journey into mystery}}?"
** Maria refers to Mike as an "[[Comicbook/CivilWar Unregistered]] Gifted".
* NeverTellMeTheOdds:
-->'''Simmons:''' We've a couple of hours at most, there's no way that we could possibly--\\
'''Coulson:''' [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Don't]] ''[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness ever]]'' [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness tell me that there's no way!]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: In the pilot, Skye encourages Mike to embrace his powers and try becoming a full-on public superhero. He takes it to heart, [[spoiler:seeing himself as the hero and everyone opposing him as the bad guy.]]
* OffTheShelfFX: Actual ''Avengers'' action figures from Creator/{{Hasbro}} make an appearance in the pilot episode.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Coulson is calm, collected, and reserved in just about all circumstances, but when Simmons explains that they can't [[spoiler: keep Mike from dying]], [[BewareTheNiceOnes he gets very loud and angry.]]

* ShipTease: The pilot hints at an attraction between Skye and Ward. Fitz and Simmons' extremely close relationship could also fall into this trope, or PlatonicLifePartners, depending on your perspective.
* ShoutOut:
** Fitz softly sings [[Disney/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarves "heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work you go"]] as he sends out his little scanner drones. The one whose point of view we briefly see is designated "Bashful."
** "I'm not [[Literature/HarryPotter Hermione]], I can't create instant paralysis!"
** [[spoiler: Coulson's CoolCar turning into a hovercraft and flying away brings to mind the "Where we're going, we won't need wheels" scene from]] ''[[spoiler: [[Film/BackToTheFuture Back To The Future]]]]''.

* SuperPowerMeltdown: The Centipede tech has this problem, [[spoiler:as [[Film/IronMan3 Extremis]] is one of its components]].
* TakeAThirdOption: When Coulson is looking over their two options [[spoiler: in stopping Mike before his Extremis powers blow up]], he asks that Fitz and Simmons find a third option [[spoiler: so that they wont have to kill Mike to stop him.]]
* TruthSerums: Coulson uses one in a somewhat unorthodox manner in order to help recruit Skye in the pilot. [[spoiler:He actually injects Agent Ward, who proceeds to babble more than a few secrets, which helps her to trust them.]]

* {{Unperson}}: Skye has to do this for someone in the pilot. When he wants assurance that it'll work, she says she's done it before.

* WhyAmITicking: A side effect of [[spoiler: Extremis]].
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility: Averted.
-->'''Skye''': With great power comes... a ton of weird crap that that you are not prepared to deal with.
* WrongGenreSavvy: [[spoiler:Mike]] is obviously aware of the old tropes, claiming at one point that the events unfolding around him are the elements of a typical origin story of a superhero. [[spoiler:Actually, he's close to JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope and was becoming violently unstable.]]

* ChekovsGun: The "Night-Night" gun from the pilot.