Marvel’s April 2015 previews are packed with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes of past, present and future with titles ending and new stories beginning.
Avengers: Ultron Forever by Al Ewing and Alan Davis in a future story in which Ultron rules, Doctor Doom recruits his own Avengers team through time to dethrone Ultron. The story continues in New Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 also this month.
With a $200.3 million dollar opening it’s hard to imagine (and if you’re coming to comic book site) that you didn’t see The Avengers on the big screen.
Let’s talk about that ending and have some fun geek-speculation! J
Just in case you didn’t see Earth’s Mightiest Movie here’s a WARNING!!!
SPOILER AHEAD
SERIOUSLY
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW THE POST CREDIT SCENE/ENDING OF THE AVENGERS DON’T SCROLL DOWN ANY MORE
FOR REAL
OK HERE IT IS…
I have to admit I was shocked to see the mystery villain appear every so briefly but sporting a sinister grin. The Chitauri leader is seeing talking to a menacing figure saying the humans are not to be underestimated and to face them would be “to court death itself.”
Avengers Annual #7 courtesy Marvel.com
The figure turns. Thanos is revealed! I think I exclaimed “oh s…!” My non-comic book reading friend said “who is that supposed to be?”
Thanos is the Mad God of Titan and he’s obsessed with death. In the Marvel Universe Death is an entity and he courts her. Thanos debuted in the pages of Iron Man but you need a lot more than the Avengers if you take on this cosmic monster.
Thanos was born on Titan, a moon of Saturn. He’s a member of the Eternals (a God-like but human looking race ) but was born with a Deviant (their monstrous looking cousins) gene so in a way Thanos is a cosmic mutant.
Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Doctor Strange, The Silver Surfer and many more heroes banded together in The Infinity Gauntlet when Thanos wiped out half the universe as an offering to Mistress Death. The gauntlet holds 5 gems of power. The artifact was seen briefly in Odin’s vault in Thor.
Infinity Gauntlet #4 courtesy Marvel.com
Adam Warlock and Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) are key players in any Thanos storyline so can we expect them to appear in upcoming sequels to Thor, Iron Man and Captain America?
Warlock is an artificial warrior created by the Enclave, a team of scientists, and fought Thor. Warlock became a hero, member of Guardians of the Galaxy and the Infinity Watch.
Mar-Vell is a Kree warrior who turned against his alien empire and became a champion of Earth and an Avenger. Thanos was at Mar-Vell’s side as he died of cancer in the classic The Death of Captain Marvel, Marvel’s first graphic novel.
But what about Silver Surfer last seen in Fox’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer? Not sure about the rights to this character but Norrin Radd is a key player in a battle against Thanos.
After the amazing portrayal of the Hulk in The Avengers I can see the same process turn an actor like in the cosmic big bad guy. Thor displayed the Infinity gauntlet in Odin’s vault so expect more cosmic seeds for a cosmic showdown with the Mad God planted in the sequel.
If you’d like to read more about the Mad God here’s his bio link on Marvel.com. A huge credit goes to the legendary Jim Starlin, who revitalized Thanos, Adam Warlock and wrote the classic Avengers Annual #7, The Death of Captain Marvel and The Infinity Gauntlet. Starlin’s contributions to the Marvel Universe are majestic and maybe the most appropriate word – COSMIC!
If you’re familiar with Thanos who do you think should play him? Do you like the idea of a cosmic size Avengers sequel?
