Looking at the set photos posted earlier today got me thinking. Just what exactly is that at the end of the staff Loki is wielding? It's doesn't look like the Cosmic Cube in my opinion. (although there is of course nothing to say that they won't alter the look completely during post production with the use of CGI) Instead, I believe that this is instead one of the Infinity Gems...specifically the "Mind" one. Here's the picture and what's most interesting about the blue gem.
"It allows the user to greatly strengthen and enhance mental and psionic power and access the thoughts and dreams of other beings. Backed by the Power Gem, the Mind Gem can access all minds in existence simultaneously."
And here are some details about the rest of them.
Could this be how Loki ends up facing off against each of the team? After all, the bar scene described in the footage shown at D23 could have very easily been Loki visiting the mind of Tony Stark to mock him...the same applies for the rest of his encounters. Even more interesting specifically about the blue gem is that it allows its wielder to access the thoughts of other beings, possibly explaining how Loki manages to amount an army. And whose to say Loki doesn't have access to the rest of them throughout the movie. Again, it would go some way to explaining how he ends up taking on the super powered team and would be the PERFECT set up to introduce Thanos after the credits.
Above is the Marvel Studios version of the Infinity Gauntlet which was featured in THOR, and displayed at the San Diego Comic-Con last year.
See the resemblance between the biggest blue gem and the one of the at end of his staff? Now, I'm not the only person to have noticed this. Speculation is currently running pretty rampant all over the internet, and this would certainly lend some credibility to the rumored appearance of Thanos in
The Avengers. There could be many reasons why Loki is using one of the gems as a weapon (perhaps the Cosmic Cube plays a smaller role than we originally thought - what if he uses it to retrieve the gauntlet from Asgard, which would also open up a pathway for Thor to return to Earth?!) or it could alternatively have absolutely NOTHING to do with them. I guess we'll have to wait and see until next year! For now, please feel free to share your thoughts in the usual place.
STARRING:
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America
Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Ramanoff/Black Widow
Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Tom Hiddleston as Loki
RELEASE DATE: May 4th, 2012. (US)