8. S.H.I.E.L.D.: Architects of Forever
In this series written by Jonathan Hickman, we discovered that the origins of S.H.I.E.L.D. dates back much further than anyone knew, having been started by Imhotep and its membership including the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, and Sir Isaac Newton. As members of the Brotherhood of the Shield, these men did battle with familiar Marvel villains like Galactus and The Celestials. In more modern times the membership included Nathaniel Richards (Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four's father) and Howard Stark (Iron Man's dad). The TV show could have a field day doing one off episodes every season focusing on the origins of S.H.I.E.L.D. One episode could focus on Imhotep creating the organization to deal with a threat to his time while another episode could feature a team up of historical geniuses Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison where they have to put aside their personal feelings to work together to stop an alien invasion or something. Whedon and his crew of writers could have a field day coming up with awesome stories from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s past.