Cloak & Dagger: What you need to know about Mayhem for season 2

Cloak & Dagger returns next week with a new vigilante tasked with protecting New Orleans.

Spoiler Warning: Cloak & Dagger season 1

Fans of Cloak & Dagger are definitely familiar with the two titular heroes by now but they were teased with the impending arrival of another in the closing seconds of last year’s finale. Detective Brigid O’Reilly, who had been shot and seemingly killed, emerges from a swamp with a new set of green eyes. Comic book readers will be familiar with the character of Mayhem, the vigilante who O’Reilly becomes in the comics. Now, the series will officially be putting their own spin on the character as she joins Tandy and Tyrone in protecting New Orleans.

1. Mayhem doles out her own form of justice

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Yes, Mayhem is firmly a vigilante but she definitely toes the line between following the law and getting vengeance in the comics. Cloak & Dagger will see her fall into that mindset more throughout the second season. Her more violent tendencies will definitely combat the way Tandy and Tyrone try to fight crime in the city. Their different styles are bound to have the three butting heads but Emma Lahana thinks fans will be able to understand some of her actions. In an interview with Comicbook.com, she spoke a little bit about how Mayhem acts.

"“Well I think what’s gonna be so interesting as well as the audience’s reaction, cause perhaps if you see a character who is going against somebody that you don’t agree with, with what they’re doing, that’s a bad guy, you’re kind of on their side but then when you step back and think about it, you’re like but does that justify your action just because they had a bad action to begin with.”"

2. Mayhem will be in a vulnerable emotional state

In the same interview, Lahana also revealed O’Reilly won’t be coping well with the events from last season or her new powers initially. This will definitely affect her out in the field, and if she doesn’t get help to deal with some of the trauma she could be a ticking timebomb for Tandy and Tyrone.

"“So we pick up Brigid dealing with the aftermath of all that. She’s a shooting victim, she has PTSD, she’s not necessarily dealing with it in the best way. She’s using pills, so she’s having a really hard time coping with everything that happened.”"

Cloak & Dagger did attempt to create a story grounded in reality despite the superpowers. The show dealt with sexual assault, drug addiction, PTSD, homelessness, and gun violence. Considering Tandy also went straight to pills to deal with some of her pain last season, it would be interesting to see her reach a helping hand out to O’Reilly since she can empathize.

3. Mayhem vs O’Reilly

As exciting as it will be to see Mayhem rearing her head on Cloak & Dagger, it does make us wonder how the character of Brigid O’Reilly will change. Lahana teased the “dual” nature of the two and it sounds like it could be a Bruce Banner vs Hulk situation.

"So it’s really affecting her professional life as well. And then there’s a sort of duality that’s going on where she has this darker side perhaps that she can’t really ignore anymore. So it’s really, I would say, a woman at war with herself.”"

Considering the police precinct in New Orleans was full of dirty cops, O’Reilly might not actually want to return to the force. If this was last season, there’s no doubt O’Reilly would want to dedicate herself to eradicating the influence Connors had on the police. However, Mayhem might want to get vengeance against those who stood silent or followed his orders willingly by taking justice into her own hands. Either way, it will be intriguing to watch the storyline play out this season.

4. Mayhem won’t necessarily get along with the other heroes

O’Reilly will definitely be going after bad guys in Cloak & Dagger but she’s not a believer in redemption. The people who end up on the other end of her claws are definitely in for severe punishment. Showrunner Joe Pokaski talked to Comicbook.com about how she is used as a “counterpoint” to the teenage heroes on the show.

"“Then, all of a sudden, turning it into, I wouldn’t say an adversary, but a counterpoint. It’s funny, going back and reading the Mayhem comics, she was never a bad guy, she still wanted to fuck up the bad guys. But it’s such an interesting counterpoint where Tandy and Tyrone are trying to figure out where they are, kind of on the line between justice and revenge.”"

Pokaski actually compared her to Black Panther villain, Killmonger, because it’s easy to understand why she’s taking such extreme action. While Mayhem isn’t quite a villain, she definitely serves as an antagonist and sometimes ally to the team. Yet as someone who will be going up against the titular heroes, it’s important to empathize with her even if you don’t necessarily agree.

5. What are Mayhem’s powers?

The series has been pretty secretive about what powers fans can expect to see onscreen with their take on the character. In the original comics, she was able to both levitate and fly at certain points. Knowing this is television and not a movie, it seems unlikely Cloak & Dagger will be keeping these two abilities.

However, her most prominent powers are her claws and a green gas which she emits. Cloak & Dagger gave the audience a peek at the green eyes in the closing shots of the finale which hints that the gas or some form of it will come into play. It is one of the more important parts of her characters. It’s able to paralyze people and can also compel people to tell the truth. In the comics, Mayhem often will insert the gas into her victim’s bloodstream using her claws which seems reminiscent of the kanima in Teen Wolf.

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The gas also causes Tandy’s light daggers to disappear. If Mayhem does go up against the two heroes, this could give her a major advantage in the fight. However, it’s unclear if Tyrone’s darkness could also be consumed by the gas or if it’s just Tandy’s.

Are you excited for season 2 of Cloak & Dagger? Be sure to tell us in the comment section below!

Source: Comicbook.com

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