CAPTAIN MARVEL: All The Biggest Reveals From Marvel's New Prelude Comic - SPOILERS
Today, Marvel Comics has released a Captain Marvel prelude and we've delved into that to bring you all the biggest reveals and a breakdown of what it tells us about the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
Avengers: Infinity War ended with Nick Fury using a cosmically enhanced pager to reach out to Captain Marvel. Before he had the chance to see his message reach Carol Danvers, Fury turned to dust and we were left with a huge cliffhanger that pointed to the hero returning to Earth to help The Avengers put a stop to Thanos once and for all.
We'll no doubt learn more in Captain Marvel next March but, in the meantime, Marvel Comics has released a new prelude comic which sets the stage for Carol's arrival in the present day.
While she doesn't make a physical appearance in this Marvel Studios sanctioned one-shot, we learn a little more about her relationship with Fury and see more of what he and Maria Hill have been up to since we last saw them in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
So, to take a look at these new reveals, all you guys have to do is hit the "View List" button.
Nick Fury Was Keeping An Eye On The Civil War
Many fans were disappointed that Nick Fury didn't make an appearance during Captain America: Civil War but we learn in this issue that the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director was watching from afar and well aware of the battle which was raging between Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
In fact, both he and Hill were watching it all play out and knew both the locations of the captured Avengers in The Raft and Captain America and Bucky's escape shortly after the huge fight in Germany.
Neither of them appear to be a fan of the Sokovia Accords beyond the fact that they help them keep tabs on enhanced individuals and Fury worries that the rift which has been created between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark will have major ramifications in the future, especially if another otherworldly threat ends up arriving on Earth (i.e. Thanos).
Nick And Maria Hill Go Underground
Despite not being wanted criminals due to the Sokovia Accords (as Nick points out, they're superspies, not superheroes), he decided that he and Maria need to go underground and devote their time to bringing The Avengers back together.
This obviously goes some way in explaining why they were nowhere to be seen in the movies which came out after Captain America: Civil War and why they were only just getting ready to involve themselves in Thanos' attack on Earth when we briefly caught up with them right at the very end of Avengers: Infinity War.
The Former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Needs "More" From The Avengers
Fury was obviously the one who brought The Avengers together and while he acknowledges that they're a remarkable group of people, he also seems concerned that they're still not quite what the world needs and that he wants them to be something "more."
It's hard to escape the feeling that Captain Marvel might be what he's referring to here; the first superhero Nick met, she's bound to have left a mark on him and it could be that he's hoping Earth's Mightiest Heroes will be able to finally deliver what he saw in her.
Fury Will Only Call "Her" If He Really Has To
Does Hill know about Captain Marvel? When she asks Fury if he has a hero that can be used as a backup plan that won't let them down, he responds with, "Nah, if we do our job right, we'll never be in a position of having to call her."
That's obviously a reference to Carol Danvers and the fact that Maria doesn't question him tells me that she's aware of Captain Marvel being out there somewhere. It also appears as if Nick is somewhat reluctant to call her back to Earth unless he really has to, a sign perhaps that she doesn't want to come home because something traumatic happens in her solo outing.
Either way, he clearly realises that it's time when he starts turning to dust...
Hill May Have Helped Steve Rogers Break Into The Raft
Many fans wondered how Steve Rogers not only found The Raft but managed to break in (despite it being submerged underwater) and free his fellow Avengers.
Well, this comic may provide an explanation of sorts as Fury tells Maria that he may need an "assist" in getting in. Whether that means she worked secretly to make it easier for him or provided some sort of backup/tech support isn't clear but this definitely goes some way in addressing a plot hole most of us probably didn't really think needed to be addressed!
Terrorists Are Still Using Chitauri Tech
A minor detail but when the Secret Avengers take down a group of terrorists in Syria, it's revealed that they retrieved a Chitauri dirty bomb. Some fans thought it was silly for that tech to resurface in Spider-Man: Homecoming due to how long ago it was when The Avengers took place but this just goes to show that there are those out there who are still taking advantage of the alien weaponry.
Fury Tracks Down The Secret Avengers
Nick manages to find the Secret Avengers and, well, Captain America doesn't seem overly pleased to see him. It turns out that he's there to try and convince Steve to put his differences with Iron Man to one side because he believes that a bigger intergalactic threat could still be on the horizon.
Steve points out that he gave Tony Stark a way to reach him and that's the end of the conversation; as we learned in Avengers: Infinity War, both men were reluctant to work together again but after the traumatic events of that movie, it's clear things need to (and will) change in Avengers 4.
Damage Control Is Still Operating
Another minor detail but one which may be of interest is the fact that Damage Control is still in operation and responsible for cleaning up various threats across the globe. The way Fury puts this makes me think that they've actually become proactive since the Sokovia Accords rather than just cleaning up messes but there's nothing to say that we'll see more of them in the MCU from here.
Iron Man Tests Out His New Armour
We never got to see Iron Man testing out his advanced new armour so a scene of him doing exactly that in this comic is definitely appreciated. While it's not made clear why, Tony appears to be determined to push himself and it was in Avengers: Infinity War that we learned it was because he was preparing himself for a threat like Thanos. Despite that, he seems uninterested in Hill's suggestion...
Tony Stark Doesn't Want To Reform The Avengers Either
The former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Stark Industries employee receives a cold reception from Stark when she suggests that he reform the Avengers and points out that The Vision has once again gone missing.
Interestingly, Iron Man has the cell phone Cap sent to him just a few feet away, a sign that despite his icy demeanour, he's definitely open to working with his former ally should the right threat come along.
"It's Time"
The issue ends with the exact same scene we got in Avengers: Infinity War's after-credits scene, albeit with Nick saying that "It's time" to bring Captain Marvel back to Earth.
Clearly, Nick feels that turning to dust is a big enough deal to send out a distress call and we're bound to see her response to that next March. It's a shame the issue doesn't even tease that but these prequel comics never reveal too much beyond some interesting teases which may or may not end up paying off down the line.
Speaking of which...
Ultron Lives?
This is just a random observation but with speculation running rampant that Avengers 4 will feature an even bigger threat than Thanos (who may or may not be Annihilus), I think it's interesting that this issue makes a point of highlighting Fury and Hill taking down one of the villain's drones.
It's a moment we saw play out in Avengers: Age of Ultron but the way its eyes are still glowing and the fact that Fury has been known to do some shady sh*t makes me wonder if Marvel Studios is leaving the door open to the android making a return somewhere down the line. Bear in mind that the Annihilation comic book heavily featured Ultron...