Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Agents of SHIELD season 7, episode 6, "Adapt or Die".
In Agents of SHIELD season 7, episode 6, Daisy Johnson aka Quake (Chloe Bennet) seemingly had her powers taken away by a member of Hydra, but could they really be gone forever? Daisy’s Inhuman ability to send out strong blasts of concussive force have been a part of her character since she came in contact with the Inhumans’ Terrigen Mist in season 2.
The SHIELD team became caught in another battle with Hydra and the time-traveling Chronicoms after a trip to the 1970s, where they had to foil an attempt to recreate Captain America: The Winter Soldier’s villain plan decades before it was supposed to happen. Hydra’s plan was thwarted, and Wilfred Malick died at the hands of Deke (Jeff Ward). After the team was split up, Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa (Enver Gjokaj) were apprehended by Nathaniel Malick (Thomas E. Sullivan), Gideon’s brother. Nathaniel, who saw Daisy use her powers, revealed himself to be an associate of season 2 villain Daniel Whitehall (Reed Diamond). At the end of the episode, Nathaniel announced his intention to take Daisy’s powers for himself.
In Agents of SHIELD season 7, episode 6, titled “Adapt or Die”, Nathaniel and his men took Daisy into a room and began operating on her. When she was brought back in critical condition, Nathaniel said that he took blood, glands, and spinal fluid from her body. After transferring it to himself, it appeared that Nathaniel had succeeded in taking her abilities. An earthquake caused by Nathaniel brought roof down on top of him, leaving his fate uncertain. Later, Sousa returned Daisy to the Zephyr, but what happened to her powers was never explored. It’s not altogether clear if Nathaniel stole or copied Daisy’s Quake powers.
What Nathaniel did to Daisy wasn’t unlike what Daniel Whitehall did to Daisy’s mother, Jiaying (Dichen Lachman). It would seem that Nathaniel has learned his skills from Whitehall, and was able to copy the grisly procedures of the Hydra scientist. If so, there may be hope for Daisy to keep her powers. Whitehall’s experiments allowed him to gain her Inhuman longevity, but she was still able to keep hers. Thanks to a surgery performed by Calvin Zabo (Kyle McLachlan). Jiaying recovered from what Whitehall did to her and went on to become the main villain of season 2.
Looking at what happened to Jiaying, it does seem quite possible that a similar situation will take place with Daisy in Agents of SHIELD season 7. When Daisy recovers, she may find that she still has her abilities. If not, Daisy may spend the remainder of the season as a normal SHIELD agent without superpowers. Either way, being left on the brink of death and having parts of her body cut out of her is likely to have a significant emotional impact on Daisy, and it remains to be seen how she’ll react when she recovers from her injuries.