Warning: This article includes SPOILERS for Archer season 12, episode 1, "Identity Crisis."
FX's Archer returned for a range of new adventures and has already set up its own version of a shadowy James Bond villain for the future. Created by Adam Reed, the animated series has cultivated acclaim and popularity for its blend of workplace comedy and globetrotting adventure. In terms of the latter, much of the humor was derived from mocking and parodying tropes from the Ian Fleming-created franchise. That trend not only continued with Archer season 12, episode 1, "Identity Crisis" but was seemingly set up to be taken to new levels.
Despite literally saving the world, the Archer season 12 premiere offered no respite for H. Jon Benjamin's titular secret agent. Instead, Sterling Archer, Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler), Cyril Figgis (Chris Parnell), and Ray Gillette (Adam Reed) were thrust straight back out into the field. In an effort to reverse The Agency's bankruptcy, they undertook a mission in Moldova. The endeavor soon brought the team into conflict with Fabian Kingsworth (Kayvan Novak) and his rival organization: IIA. Equally, the Moldova mission served to reaffirm Archer's underdog status in season 12 and potentially set up a Blofeld-style villain for future episodes.
Acquired via an online marketplace for espionage work, the mission's client was never named or specified. Instead, they remained firmly in the shadows throughout the mission, only making themselves known directly via a phone call with Malory Archer (Jessica Walter). In the process, it was solidified that he was in possession of immense wealth and clearly viewed the targets of the Moldova mission of great importance. Regardless, though Cyril tried and failed to broach the subject, none of The Agency seemed to care what an Ionic Fusion device even did. More importantly, nobody paused to question what the mysterious client even wanted with it or its equally mysterious creator: The Professor (voiced by Eric Andre).
Based on previous seasons of Archer, that lack of care would almost certainly be the kind of thing to come back and bite them. Furthermore, given The Agency's increasing foray into actual world-saving adventures, they may have ironically just set up the next one for Archer season 12's final episodes. Between The Professor being voiced by somebody as notable as Eric Andre and remaining in The Agency's care, there's little chance that those threads won't be revisited. Equally, the luckless history of Sterling Archer and his colleagues would indicate that the results won't be pleasant ones. As such, the client will almost certainly be on par with Blofeld and other villains of the James Bond franchise — pitting rival agencies against each other and quietly seeding their world domination plans by having them do all the work.
In fact, Archer season 12, episode 1, "Identity Crisis" actually offered two for the price of one in that regard. Fabian Kingsworth's IIA group actually shared a lot in common with SPECTRE, Blofeld's classic organization from the James Bond novels and movies. Like them, IIA was revealed to be a syndicate of different agencies, including Archer's former rivals at ODIN. Much like the aforementioned client, the overall agenda of Fabian Kingsworth and IIA remained unknown. Nonetheless, they were depicted as antagonistic. As such, the well-spoken Kingsworth was capable of being a Blofeld-style architect of destruction in his own right or being in cahoots with the mysterious client. Either way, there looked set to be at least one James Bond-level threat for the team to officially defeat before Archer season 12's end.
