Jemma Anne Simmons is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appeared in the 2013 pilot episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and has continually been portrayed by Elizabeth Henstridge.
In the series, Simmons is one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top scientific minds. Though her experience is vast, she is particularly expert in biological sciences. Many of her storylines involve her relationship with her best friend, and later husband, Leopold Fitz. Over the course of the series, she develops from a relatively young and inexperienced S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist to one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most senior agents, also clocking significant experience as a field agent. She is distinguished from her colleagues by taking very determined and sometimes coldly rational decisions in the pursuit of what she believes is right.
Fictional character biography
New Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Jemma Simmons is brought on to S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson's team as a life sciences (both human and alien) specialist. She has a close bond with fellow agent Leopold Fitz, whom she met at the S.H.I.E.L.D. academy, with both being its Science and Technology division's youngest graduates. Near the end of the season, Fitz and Simmons lock themselves inside a medical unit for safety from rogue agent Grant Ward, who ejects the unit into the ocean. Trapped on the ocean floor, Fitz and Simmons send out a distress signal, and devise a controlled explosive to blow the windows open and escape. Fitz forces a distraught Simmons to take the sole oxygen tank, professing his feelings for her. He is nearly drowned after using the explosive, while Simmons swims to the surface with his unconscious body, where they are rescued by Nick Fury, who picked up their distress signal.
Joining Hydra
Following their underwater experience, Fitz struggles with technology and hallucinates the presence of Simmons, who left S.H.I.E.L.D. some time earlier because of Fitz's condition. However, it is later revealed that Simmons is working undercover within Hydra. Her identity is exposed, but Hydra security chief Bobbi Morse, another undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, rescues her and Simmons reunites with a recovering Fitz. Near the end of the season, as Fitz arranges for a date with Simmons, a Kree weapon called the "Monolith", which is in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, breaks free of containment and absorbs Simmons into itself.
Stranded on Maveth
In season three, Fitz acquires an ancient Hebrew scroll describing the Monolith that consumed Simmons as "Death" (), which Fitz is unable to accept. Unknown to him, Simmons is alive on a desolate alien planet. Fitz realizes that the Monolith is a portal, and with help from the Asgardian Elliot Randolph and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Daisy Johnson, is able to enter the portal, finds Simmons and manages to rescue her just as Daisy's power destroys the Monolith. Simmons struggles to readjust to being back on Earth, and tells Fitz about the 4,722 hours she spent stranded on the desert planet. Fitz and Simmons eventually consummate their relationship.
S.H.I.E.L.D. inner circle
Simmons is shown to now be working in the new but paranoid S.H.I.E.L.D. director Jeffrey Mace's inner circle, and takes daily lie-detector tests. Mace's public approval was high after his alleged heroics during a bombing in Vienna, but when Simmons threatens to reveal the truth about his Vienna actions, he agrees to exempt her from any lie-detection tests. When everyone on the base is kidnapped and replaced by LMD's, Simmons is one of the two remaining real people. After discovering Fitz has been replaced, she is forced to stab him several times after crushing him with heavy equipment. After teaming up with Daisy, the other real person, the two release sleeping gas and fight off the LMD's. They then wake up Piper and Davis who fly them out with the LMD's being blown up in the process. Simmons then hacks into the framework so her and Daisy can enter, which they do. Inside the framework, Simmons wakes up in a mass grave where she discovers that her avatar was murdered. After getting thrown out of a car she realises S.H.I.E.L.D. lost the war in this world with Hydra running everything. Simmons tracks down Coulson but is unable to convince him that this world is fake and he calls Hydra on her which she narrowly escapes. She immediately meets up with Daisy but their way out has been damaged.