SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for "From the Ashes," the latest episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Flint is back on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but no one is celebrating. In "From the Ashes," the latest episode, Izel unleashed the power of the monoliths on Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie and Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez. Their fears combined caused the raw monolith power to manifest a version of Flint, an Inhuman with geokinesis -- the ability to shape and remold Earth.
As Izel held Mack and Yo-Yo captive, she explained why the monoliths only manifest a human's worst fears. "When the Di'Allas were destroyed, their energies didn't disappear. They were contained in this device. Out of the three, the Di'Alla of creation was the most powerful. It reaches into your mind and builds what you see," she explained. "Your people have great imaginations, but lack the control to create anything other than what you fear."
So, when they arrived at the temple that would allow her to open a gateway to her homeworld, she used that against them. But first, she explained to them exactly what she needed and why they were a key component of her plan. "This temple was built from the same stones as the Di'Allas, and they all resonate in harmony to open the gateway to my home. My family will come through and take over the Shrike hosts, spread across the galaxy. With the Di'Allas destroyed, there isn't a way to complete the ritual. I must rebuild them," she said.
"I'm telling you the problem because you're going to solve it for me," she continued. "The three monoliths, as you call them, you've seen them intact. You know what I can do with them. So your minds are going to create them for me. I've already shown you that humans are incapable of controlling their fears."
"Our worst fears have nothing to do with you or the damn monoliths," Mack spat back. "It has to do with losing the people we love."
"And we've already faced that fear," Yo-Yo added. "We're still here."
"You're not going to get any help from us," Mack insisted, only for Izel to gesture behind them and say, "Who's that?"
Mack and Yo-Yo turned, only to see Flint staring dumbfounded at his surroundings. "How'd I get here?" he asked, horrified, and the episode cut to credits.
Created by Charles Soule and Joe Madureira in 2014's Inhuman #3, Flint made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5. He came from the future timeline that S.H.I.E.L.D. averted, where Graviton destroyed the world in his mad bid for power. Like the rest of humanity's survivors, Flint lived in the Lighthouse, a society governed by the tyrannical Kree. The Kree forced him to undergo Terrigenesis, which caused him to manifest his geokinesis. He survived the events of the season and elected to stay in 2091, with plans to use his powers to remold the planet.
During their time in the future, both Mack and Yo-Yo became close with Flint. They acted almost like parental figures to him, as he had no parents of his own. As such, it makes sense they would fear losing him again, particularly after witnessing Izel kill a manifestation of Doctor Marcus Benson's husband Thomas.
Worse, Flint has the ability to restore the monoliths to their proper state. With his power to manipulate Earth and minerals, he would be able to reshape them. Thanks to their time with him, Mack and Yo-Yo know this, which is likely another key component in why he manifested as their worst fear. With Flint's help, Izel may be able to realize her goal of bringing her people to Earth, where they plan to possess humanity.
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Fridays at 8 pm ET/PT on ABC. The series stars Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Henry Simmons, Iain De Caestecker, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Elizabeth Henstridge and Clark Gregg.