- "I was murdered..."
- ―Jemma Simmons[src]
The Massacre at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy was a massive killing perpetrated by HYDRA in the Framework during their ascension to power and their violent war against S.H.I.E.L.D..
Background[]
- "Then, you had a weak state that allowed a refugee from Bahrain, a girl, sympathetic. Even though S.H.I.E.L.D. knew she was Inhuman, they brought her back to the States and put her into a classroom. The rest is history. But what inspires me is the way our country reacted, the way we came together. When no one would tell us the truth, HYDRA stepped forward. They brought us law and order, purpose."
- ―Phil Coulson[src]
In an attempt to create a real living body for herself, Aida created a whole new virtual world within the Framework. The Framework world featured many characteristics of the real world, including the wars between S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA. However, Aida induced several changes in the Framework to best serve her plans, leading to HYDRA's rise of power in the Framework while they had actually been defeated in the real world. Among these changes were the fact that Melinda May spared the life of Katya Belyakov, which led to Belyakov to be taken to the United States of America where she caused the Cambridge Incident, killing many people and bringing discredit onto S.H.I.E.L.D..[2]
Massacre[]
- "You were supposed to be buried in the U.K."
"More like a mass grave at the Academy." - ―Daisy Johnson and Jemma Simmons[src]
While ascending to power, HYDRA sent a battalion of operatives to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. S.H.I.E.L.D. ultimately lost the battle against HYDRA, leading to the slaughtering of about 200 of members of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, including Jemma Simmons. The bodies were buried in a mass grave on the Academy's site while the buildings were destroyed and the land remained abandoned.[2]
Aftermath[]
- "200 S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy members die from contamination."
- ―HYDRA's official report[src]
The fall of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy was a decisive step in HYDRA's ascension to power. Once they controlled the United States of America, HYDRA refused to disclose the truth about what had actually happened in the Academy. Instead, HYDRA officially claimed that a toxic biological agent had been accidentally released in the Academy, leading to the contamination of the area and the subsequent death of the Academy members. Therefore, the site was declared in quarantine out of bio-hazard pretenses.
When she logged into the Framework, the real Jemma Simmons incarnated herself in the body of her virtual counterpart, who had been buried in a mass grave. She managed to crawl out to the surface and soon discovered the other bodies and the fact that S.H.I.E.L.D. had fallen in this world.[2]