SPOILERS: Here Are The Biggest Reveals From The Second Part Of Marvel's AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR PRELUDE
Marvel released the second half of its Avengers: Infinity War prelude comic today and it's crammed full of interesting new reveals as the spotlight is put on Doctor Strange. Hit the jump to check them out!
Avengers: Infinity War is just months away from reaching theaters and excitement is understandably at an all-time high. While some details about the movie have surfaced in recent weeks, there's still an awful lot we don't know; thankfully, the second part of Marvel's comic book prelude drops a few more intriguing details by putting the focus on Doctor Strange, Wong, and each of the Infinity Stones.
Among the reveals here are which Infinity Stone is the most powerful, the possible fate of the Red Skull, what Mordo was talking about at the end of Doctor Strange when he mentioned a "reckoning," and the respective histories of some of the powerful artefacts Thanos will be hunting down in the movie. So, to check out this list of details in its entirety (and some artwork), click on the buttons below.
The Soul Stone Is The Most Powerful One Of All
Black Panther didn't provide any clues about the location of the Soul Stone and neither does this comic book! However, Wong explains to Doctor Strange that it's actually the "biggest threat of them all." Unfortunately, he doesn't elaborate on why that is but that picture of those planets could point to it being located in outer space as opposed to Wakanda as many fans have speculated.
Either way, considering the fact that the other Infinity Stones are all accounted for, it seems the Soul Stone could be the missing part of the puzzle for Thanos and the driving force of the movie's plot.
Why Doctor Strange Is So Keen To Send Thor And Loki Home
In Thor: Ragnarok, we see that Doctor Strange really doesn't want Thor and Loki on Earth. That's pretty odd considering the fact the God of Thunder has saved the Earth on multiple occasions but this panel explains that Strange is actually concerned Loki is once again on the hunt for an Infinity Stone and Earth is in peril as a result. Moments after this exchange takes place, the Sorcerer Supreme quickly whisks the God of Mischief away and summons Thor to his Sanctum Sanctorum.
Mordo's Reckoning
When Mordo mentioned that there would be a "reckoning" for Doctor Strange's actions at the end of his solo movie, it's safe to say we all assumed he was referring to his own actions in that after-credits scene. In that, the Sorcerer Supreme's former ally killed someone using magic for their own gain, the perfect way to set up a villainous turn for the character when he returns in the sequel.
However, based on what Wong is telling Strange here, Mordo could very well have been referring to the Infinity Stones and the fact that Strange's decision to use the Time Stone is going to backfire somehow. Is it possible that it was safe while under The Ancient One's protection but now that her former pupil has taken it out into the world, that's changed? We'll have to wait and see this May.
Did The Red Skull Survive?
Fans have been speculating for years that the Red Skull could have survived the events of Captain America: The First Avenger and this comic may go some way in confirming that. While the movie made it almost look like the villain was blasted to smithereens, here we see him seemingly transported to somewhere else in the Nine Realms. If that's the case, he could definitely still be out there alive and well.
Whether that's something which will be addressed in Avengers: Infinity War isn't clear but Hugo Weaving doesn't seem keen on reprising the role of the Red Skull so Marvel might have to recast him.
Doctor Strange Won't Be Used As An Easy Plot Device
We've heard that Avengers: Infinity War is going to be a heist movie revolving around Earth's Mightiest Heroes attempting to collect the Infinity Stones before Thanos can but don't expect Doctor Strange to be used as a way of making things easy when it comes to explaining their locations.
After all, him showing up and telling the Avengers where they all are would speed things up and makes sense given his knowledge of all things mystical but based on what we see here, he and Wong are unaware of what the Asgardians did with the Reality Stone (and leaked footage from the movie has shown Thanos interrogating The Collector so Thor will soon regret sending this one into outer space).
The History Of The Time Stone
Here, we learn a little more about the history of the Time Stone and the fact that Agamotto used it to protect the Earth. Why he needed to toy with time in order to protect us isn't clear but it would definitely be interesting if Avengers: Infinity War were to shed some light on that with flashbacks. Oh, and Wong also mentions that the "Tesseract" is just an "object of containment" as opposed to the weapon itself so why wasn't the Red Skull able to touch it? Perhaps it was just too powerful!
The Power Stone's Past
Just like in Guardians of the Galaxy, we get to see a little more of the Power Stone's past here and it's going to be very interesting seeing if Avengers: Infinity War delves into both the history of this one and the rest of them. There are definitely gaps which need to be filled and the origins of these powerful artefacts and it seems as if Doctor Strange and Wong can help with at least some of that.
Stephen Strange Was Present For The Battle Of New York
Doctor Strange makes it clear that the former surgeon spent a long time under the tutelage of The Ancient One but we never learn where exactly the movie fits into the Marvel Cinematic Universe's timeline. Stephen was gone for a couple of years at least but HYDRA didn't have him on their list of targets because he has mystical powers; as you can see, he was still living in New York when Loki and the Chitauri attacked so his movie clearly took place in this world around the time it was released.
The Location Of The Infinity Stones
Need a reminder of where the Infinity Stones are these days? Well, the Power Stone is in the care of the Nova Corps on Xandar, the Time Stone is safe with Doctor Strange (for now at least), the Reality Stone remains in the possession of The Collector, the Mind Stone is on The Vision's forehead, and the Space Stone is in the hands of Loki who saved it when Asgard was destroyed by Surtur.