[4] Coulson tells agent Skye that May, during a mission in Bahrain in 2008, single-handedly took out a superhuman threat and several accomplices, saving a team of S.H.I.E.L.D.
as the agency attempts to bring down Gideon Malick and later Hive, losing Garner in this battle.
and the appointment of Jeffrey Mace as director, May is given the task of rebuilding and training the new STRIKE team.
During one of her missions, she is touched by Lucy Bauer, a woman with ghost-like powers,[23] causing her to become paranoid.
[26] After several escape attempts,[27] May's mind is trapped inside the Framework, a virtual reality where she lives as a Hydra agent.
[28] With the help of Skye (who now goes by her real name Daisy Johnson) and Simmons, May eventually escapes the Framework,[29] only to face the threat of Aida, now an Inhuman.
[37] They immediately work to prevent the destruction of Earth,[38] come into conflict with General Hale's Hydra, and later with an extraterrestrial force called the Confederacy.
[39] Following their victory over a gravitonium-enhanced Glenn Talbot, thus saving Earth, May joins Coulson, who is dying, on his final days on Tahiti.
[43] May survives as death is meaningless in this dimension, and prevents three of Izel's people from unleashing their kind.
[49] Whedon had the character, who was originally listed with the name Agent Althea Rice on casting sheets,[50] "rolling around in his head" for a long time.
[51] In preparation for the role, Wen was "given a couple of background stories" about May, but found it challenging to play a character who is respected by those around her when the audience doesn't know why, stating "It's a challenge in different ways....I use some of my own personal experience where we've been scarred or we've been greatly disappointed".
[51] When May's past was revealed in "Melinda", Wen called it "devastating", explaining "She was married, she was in love with Andrew, she had a job that she excelled at and loved and believed in—so her world was pretty perfect...To have learned what she had to do, for the good of the many...I can understand why it would traumatize her so much and cause her to retreat.
The rest of her costume is inspired by military flight suits, including a leather vest, and pants with stretch panels to aid with fighting.
"[56] Talking about May's reasons for staying with S.H.I.E.L.D., Wen explained "May's friendship and...loyalty and her love for Coulson [keeps her there].
Maybe not romantic [love], it's just really—it's hard to describe—it's a bond, it's unbreakable, and she will watch over Coulson and take care of him and help him through whatever he needs to at this point in his life... She wants to be there for him, and if it serves S.H.I.E.L.D., that's just more or less a side effect, really.
After discovering that Skye is an Inhuman, Wen stated that "it's like when you have your child or your daughter losing control or getting involved with situations or people that you're not sure about.
"[58] On how May deals with her ex-husband Andrew becoming the Inhuman killer Lash, Wen said, "She's come to the understanding that it was something he had no control over.
"[59] Wen went on to describe May as "unconventionally maternal...she's taking care of Simmons and really believing that she needs to be able to protect herself, she's very, very concerned about the family's well being.
[64] She joined Phil Coulson's team to regain the Uru Sword, an ancient weapon that belonged to Heimdall.
Her next assignment was protecting Wiccan from a man who had special bullets that could harm magic users.
With Scarlet Witch's help, the team traveled to Antarctica to find the source and managed to defeat the people who were making the bullets.
[67] She and Coulson were later contacted by Silk to aid her, Hulk, Wolverine, and eventually Ghost Rider into fighting an alien creature that was mimicking powers.