Hellfire

"Now I want your honest opinion on this, what do you think of the name Inferno? I like it, but I don't love it. Firestarter, well, feels a little nineties, and Burning Man well that would have been perfect if it wasn't for some bloody desert hippy-fest."

- Hellfire

James 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 Daisy Johnson, he started calling himself Hellfire.

Early Life
"His name's James. He's a demolitions expert, Australian, former mercenary. Few weeks after I got there, Jiaying caught him breaking into her private archives."

- Lincoln Campbell

James was born in Australia, eventually becoming a mercenary and a demolitions expert. Over the years, James was identified as an Inhuman descendant, and he was brought to Afterlife by Gordon. However James never fit into the community of Afterlife as he became more frustrated about not being granted Terrigenesis. When the leader of Afterlife, Jiaying, caught James stealing a Kree Orb which had some connection to Hive, she banished him.

Asked for help
"Why don't you tell us what you found?" "Why? I don't really do things out of the kindness of my heart. Haven't really understood that behaviour, to be honest."

- Daisy Johnson and James

While living in the middle of South Dakota alone in a house built with wire fences and protected by land mines, James was visited by Lincoln Campbell and Daisy Johnson, who he ordered to leave before they regretted it, stepping outside with his rifle. Johnson took another step and accidentally stood on a mine; James reminded her that he had warned her not to take another step. While Campbell tired to help her, James commented on how he always knew Jiaying would send somebody for him, although he had assumed it would be Gordon instead of Campbell. Johnson revealed herself to be an Inhuman and created a shockwave which kept the mine in place before she allowed it to safely explode. Furious at the incident, Johnson then sent a massive shockwave through the ground, causing all of the mines James had planted to explode at the same time. James grabbed his rifle and prepared to shoot Johnson but Campbell fired a blast of electricity from his hand which sent James flying backwards against the wall, knocking him out before Campbell and Johnson took him inside and waited for him to awake so they could begin questioning him. When James awoke he found that Johnson had stolen his knife as they demanded to know what he had stolen from Afterlife and what he knew about Hive. James mocked Campbell about the idea that Jiaying had granted him powers before being told that Jiaying was dead, Afterlife had been destroyed, and Campbell was now working for S.H.I.E.L.D., although James remained skeptical. When James demanded something in exchange for the information, Campbell offered him one of the Terrigen Crystals which would finally grant him the powers he so desperately desired. James agreed to help and handed over the Kree Orb, which he explained that Hive had stolen while battling the Kree Empire with his army of Inhumans, telling them that he believed that Jiaying had no right to keep this information from them. James then demanded to have the Crystal so he could finally undergo Terrigenesis, but Campbell betrayed him and threatened him as he took both the Orb and Crystal. Furious, James reminded Campbell of how he had nearly killed his previous girlfriend in a car accident before the pair left his home while James continued to yell at them both.

Under Hive's control
"You're not the first one we paid a visit to, but don't worry I didn't forget about you." "Hey flower, I get you're attracted to danger, I know the type, but if Jiaying feared this guy, it was probably for a reason."

- Daisy Johnson and James

A few days later, James was alone in his home drinking beer and watching television when he was visited once again by Daisy Johnson, who asked how he had been; James however just made joking comments about whether or not she had broken up with Lincoln Campbell. James then saw that Johnson was with another man who she revealed was in fact Hive, whom she thought he should meet.

James recommended to Johnson that although he knew she was attracted to danger, the idea of working with Hive was a bad idea, noting that if Jiaying was afraid of him then it was likely for a good reason. Hive then told James that he knew that the Kree Orb he had given her was missing its companion piece, but James denied any knowledge of it. When James began talking too much, Johnson dropped one of the Terrigen Crystals, filling the room with Terrigen Mist while James yelled out in pain as he was engulfed by his cocoon.

James eventually came out of Terrigenesis and felt as if his entire body was burning from the inside, discovering that he had the power to force an object to explode, although he had no control over this gift. As James begged for help, Hive sent dust into his eyes which allowed James to control his gifts and made him instantly loyal to Hive. James then revealed that the other half of the Kree Orb was hidden under his home, allowing Johnson to uncover it. Hive then ordered James to place C4 around his house for S.H.I.E.L.D. to find.

Under Hive's orders, James traveled to Romania to assist them in the kidnapping of Holden Radcliffe, with James being given the task of distracting S.H.I.E.L.D. while Johnson found and took Radcliffe away. James went straight to the bar where he annoyed the bartender by stealing drinks while discussing the cyborgs that were attending the bar. James then demonstrated his own powers by lining up some drinks and causing them to explode, making everyone in the bar run in fear while he claimed the barman started it.

James was then confronted by Alphonso Mackenzie, who demanded to know where Johnson was, causing James to comment on how many men were out looking for Johnson. James then began throwing boiling items at Mackenzie and making them explode upon impact. While Mackenzie took cover, James asked his opinion on several potential codenames for himself, including Burning Man, which he claimed would have been perfect if it was not taken. Mackenzie managed to cause an explosion between them and escaped.

Regrouping with Hive and the other Inhumans, James told Alisha Whitley that he had settled on Hellfire as his codename, despite worrying that it may be too on the nose. Hellfire then listened as Hive told the captured Radcliffe that he wanted him to use his expertise to recreate the Kree experiment that had created him all those centuries earlier. Looking around at their location, James asked Hive if he had bought them a house, but Hive explained that he had bought the entire town using Gideon Malick's money.

Personality
To be added

Powers
James is an Inhuman who achieved his genetic potential after undergoing Terrigenesis, gaining superhuman powers.
 * Kinetic Charging: Hellfire can charge any item up to explode in a fiery explosion.

Abilities

 * Explosives Mastery: As a mercenary, Hellfire would likely have had extensive experience with explosives. He clearly knows how to install land mines safely, given that he mined his front yard, and he also had access to C4, which he used to destroy his home under Hive's influence. This knowledge proved vital when he gained the ability to turn any given object into an explosive.

Allies

 * Hive - Enthraller
 * Alisha Whitley
 * Daisy Johnson - Enemy turned Ally under Coercion
 * Holden Radcliffe

Enemies

 * Afterlife Inhumans - Allies turned Enemies
 * Jiaying †
 * Gordon †
 * Lincoln Campbell - Ally turned Enemy
 * Alphonso Mackenzie

Appearances
In chronological order:
 * Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
 * Season Three
 * Paradise Lost
 * The Team (mentioned)
 * The Singularity
 * Failed Experiments
 * Emancipation

Trivia

 * In the comics, James Taylor James was an American store clerk and alleged descendant of western hero Carter Slade, with the ability to control supernatural flames. He was a member of the Secret Warriors and a romantic interest of Daisy Johnson, until he betrayed the team for HYDRA and is later killed by Nick Fury.
 * In The Singularity, James states that he considered "Firestarter" as an alias, but that he decided against it because it "felt a little '90s". This is a reference to the song "" by The Prodigy.