The Vaults of Infinity

The production of the highly anticipated Avengers: Infinity War is well underway, and the Russos aren’t holding back in regards to teasing us fans with cryptic imagery from the set of the movie. The latest of these features what appears to me to be a vault door of some description. If I had to stake money on it though, I’d say we’ve seen this structure before in the  MCU. The inside of it at least.

https://t.co/RjIaCbUeiU—
Russo Brothers (@Russo_Brothers) June 14, 2017

I believe this is the door that opens up to reveal Thanos’s Infinity Gauntlet in the mid-credit stinger of Avengers: Age of Ultron. The set looks quite cosmic in nature, and while there is a slight resemblance to something akin to an ARC reactor, this looks far larger than something that would fit on a chest-plate. For reference, here’s the clip from Age of Ultron:

The metals look almost identical, and from the looks of it, that scene shows that there are two layers to this vault. A large door for entry and a second, smaller vault door behind which the Infinity Gauntlet is actually being kept. Other options of course are that it is a vault housing a different Infinity Stone. It may be the vault on Xandar, perhaps it’s where the Collector is keeping the Aether, or maybe it’s where the Soul Stone is being kept. We won’t know for sure until the movie comes out, or if the Soul Stone does indeed show up in Thor: Ragnarok, but until then I think the Infinity Gauntlet vault is our best bet for this one.

One question that we may as well ask is: Where is this vault? The best bet, given that Sanctuary is a barren moon of some type, is that the vault is on Thanos’s homeworld of Titan, or perhaps aboard a personal spacecraft (which in the comics is Sanctuary). Wherever it is, there appears to be a wealth of technology in the vicinity, and it’s certainly not your typical villain’s lair. In any case, we’ll just have to wait and see where and when this structure pops up again.

The Magical Relics of DOCTOR STRANGE

One thing the Doctor Strange movie was pretty good at was dropping random Easter eggs that hint at or allude to the greater aspects of the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A lot of these Easter eggs came in the form of relics, the magical items employed by different sorcerers to channel and utilise magical energy. With that in mind, I figured it best to look into these relics and any characters that might be associated with them, as well as whether we might see them pop up again in the near future. So, let’s start with the most likely of those!

THE STAFF OF ONE

The Staff of One will more than likely play a part in the upcoming Runaways TV series on Hulu. The wielder of the Staff as seen in Doctor Strange is Tina Minoru, mother of Nico Minoru, a key member of the Runaways team. Both characters will be appearing in the show when it hits our screens in 2018. We don’t know a lot about the plot yet, but given that we saw Tina Minoru with the staff in both the Doctor Strange prelude comics and the movie, it’s more than likely that it will play something of a role in the show. In regards to the staff itself, it’s capable of casting any magical spell once, after there having been a blood offering made to it. Whether or not this will be the case in the MCU is questionable at best, as it seems to possess innate power from the moment Tina picks it up off the weapons rack in Doctor Strange.

THE WAND OF WATOOMB

In the comics, there are six Wands of Watoomb, all coming from different dimensions. In regards to powers, the Wand of Watoomb is capable of absorbing magical energy and using it to fire energy blasts, create shields, and even heal people’s injuries. Whether or not these kinds of abilities apply to the MCU counterpart are again up for debate, as Wong seems only to wield it as a melee weapon. However, the energy it emits upon him picking it up suggest some degree of magical capability. We’re yet to see any display of such ability, much like with the Staff of One. If there’s anything worth noting about either of these artefacts, it’s the fact that both of them are aglow with orange energy, something that ties into my overall theory about the nature of magic in the MCU. Watoomb is one of the Magical Principalities, or at least an entity who governs over one of them: specifically weather. Whether or not an entity like Watoomb will ever actually show up is debatable, but it all depends on whether we see the likes of Eternity show up in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War.

VALTORR

The Vaulting Boots of Valtorr, which are worn by Karl Mordo in the movie, aren’t a thing in the comics but the Vapors of Valtorr are a favoured conjuring of the good doctor’s. Much like Watoomb, Valtorr is another entity who governs over the Magical Principalities: in his case air. The boots may well be a totem of Valtorr’s, just as the Wand of Watoomb is a totem of his, and the fact they allow the wearer to essentially walk on air is quite supportive of that notion. Again, I doubt we’ll see Valtorr show up and he’s limited to the land of reference, just like Watoomb.

THE LIVING TRIBUNAL

The Living Tribunal is one of the most powerful entities of the Marvel Universe, essentially acting as judge, jury and executioner over the other cosmic entities. His job is to oversee the universe and ensure that the cosmic balance is maintained. In other words, he makes sure none of the cosmic entities over-step their boundaries. When they do, it’s down to him to put a stop to them. The Staff of the Living Tribunal isn’t something that exists in the comics, much like the boots of Valtorr, but there may be something to its presence in Doctor Strange. It’s possible that the Living Tribunal is dead, as he currently is in the comics, which would mean that imbalances in the cosmic order of things could very easily get out of hand. This is another thing that plays into my grander theory about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but if you want to hear more on that, you’ll have to wait just a little while longer.

That’s about all there is to it. A few allusions to some cosmic entities and a possible plot point for an upcoming TV show. However, I assure you that the Living Tribunal thing, if brought up later, is a big deal. With that, thanks for reading and if you fancy leaving a comment, feel free to do so. Were there any Easter eggs you spotted in the movie that you think might play an important role down the line? If you enjoyed this, then be sure to check out some of my other Doctor Strange related pieces!

 

Just Who Were The “Cosmic Beings”?

SPOILERS FOR GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 FOLLOW!

Speculation ran rampant as to who exactly the group of individuals we see sharing the Power Stone’s energy in Guardians of the Galaxy actually are around the time of the film’s release. Since then, interest has kind of died down. Around that time however, the most popular theory was that these beings may well have been a congregation of Watchers. Well, we actually saw what a group of Watchers looks like in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. While there are some minor similarities, the differences are too great to be ignored.

Their garments differ vastly, as well as their actual physical appearance, mostly in colour. As far as can be told, the Cosmic Beings are both grey skinned and clothed in grey robes. The collars wrap around the back of their heads in a strand, rather than a block like with the Watchers. So, these are most probably not two groups of similar individuals, but rather two separate races. The best way to determine the race of the Cosmic Beings is to figure  out where they may have been from.

The most obvious place to start is on Morag. We see that it was at one stage occupied by regular humanoid people, not dissimilar from Xandar. However, from what we can see of the people there, there isn’t much grounds for the Cosmic Beings to be members of the Moragian race. Unless these Cosmic Beings were the rulers of Morag, then their clothing doesn’t really match up with that worn by the hologramatic people seen projected by Peter Quill’s device after he lands. On top of that, being referred to as Cosmic Beings suggests a bit more than simply ruling over a planet. So, let’s assume that these people aren’t from Morag. There aren’t very many other worlds to choose from as yet. And so it boils down to speculations based on comic book material. So I got to wondering: What race would want to attempt to control an Infinity Stone and for what purpose? Furthermore, are there any hints at all as to any races that didn’t make the cut of the film, but were heavily considered?

Obviously there was a degree of consultancy between Marvel’s alien races appendix for the movie, as a comic book accurate description of an A’askvariian is given by Peter Quill, as well as his having wooed a Gramosians Princess appearing on his rap sheet. We also heard from James Gunn that he had desires to insert several comic book characters as Easter eggs, but couldn’t due to the rights belonging to Hasbro. Those characters in particular were Bug and ROM: Spaceknight.

Gunn had been very enthusiastic about these characters, but couldn’t use them due to character rights. However, this doesn’t rule out their races appearing in the MCU. For example, Marvel Studios can use Skrulls, just not Super Skrull or any other named Skrull characters, as their rights lie with Fox. This may well also be the case with the Watchers. If it is, then what’s to say Gunn didn’t at least put an homage to one of his planned Easter eggs into Guardians of the Galaxy? What if the Cosmic Beings are the Spaceknights of Galador?

Completely unnamed in the film, appearing only for a few seconds and bearing no resemblance whatsoever to their comic book counterparts. If Gunn was trying to sneak a cheeky Easter egg into the movie without legal ramifications, this was probably the best way to go about it. Also, trying to harness the power of an Infinity Stone is definitely something a group of knights would undertake; hiding it afterward, sealing it away so no more innocents come to harm because of it, is even more fuel for the flames.

So, what do you think? Might there be a totally different race of aliens going under the Cosmic Being pseudonym? Or are the Spaceknights of Galador to be left mere nameless faces lost to the annals of the MCU’s history? Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know your own theories.

Is Heimdall Keeper of the Soul Stone?

With the Soul Stone being the last of the Infinity Stones remaining to be found, speculation runs rampant as to its possible whereabouts. Not only that, but the even greater question seems not to be, “where is it?” but rather, “who has it?”. In regards to the latter, the widely accepted speculation is that Heimdall is in possession of the Soul Stone. There are a few contributing factors to this speculation:

1. His ability to perceive souls.
2. His eyes being orange, like the Soul Stone.
3. The “H” of his name being the final letter in the THANOS code that seems to relate to each Infinity Stone and its receptacle.
4. His chest-plate in Thor: The Dark World having an orange gemstone in it.

Despite the evidence, I do not believe Heimdall to have the Soul Stone in his possession. And of course, I have my reasons for this. First though, let’s focus on debunking before moving onto our own speculation.

I’ve established before that the colours of the Infinity Stones tend to bleed over into the colour schemes of characters whose powers can be linked to the field over which an Infinity Stone governs. Essentially, Scarlet Witch’s reality warping powers emerge as red energy because that is the colour of the Reality Stone. Or the reason for the soul forge’s projections being orange in Thor: The Dark World is because orange is the colour of the Soul Stone. We also know that it’s possible for someone to be linked to an Infinity Stone and subsequently derive power from it, such as Vision or Malekith. There is a precedent set in the MCU that Infinity Stones are capable of granting people power and extraordinary abilities. However, there is quite a large difference between the characters who derive their powers from an Infinity Stone, and those who are physically linked to an Infinity Stone. The former tend to have more passive abilities, whereas the latter have more active abilities. Scarlet Witch can move things with her mind and create illusions inside people’s heads, and Quicksilver can move at super speeds. These two characters derive their powers from the Mind Stone. Vision, who actually has the Mind Stone in his possession, can fire beams of energy from the Stone itself, increase or decrease his density at will, allowing him to become invincible as well as light enough to float on air. He can also phase through solid objects and even people. His power set is far more advanced than that of those who also have the Mind Stone to thank for their abilities. It can be drawn from that that those who are physically connected to an Infinity Stone have much greater access to the Stone’s powers.

Heimdall has shown that he has one ability not possessed by other Asgardians, the ability to see souls. Reflective of this ability are his orange irises. Outside of this, Heimdall has shown no other abilities that could be linked to the Soul Stone. So, I’d argue that he doesn’t have the Soul Stone in his possession, but his powers are derived from it; much like Scarlet Witch or Quicksilver’s case with the Mind Stone. This explains his abilities and the fact his eyes are orange. The remaining points, the correlation between Heimdall’s name and the THANOS acronym, as well as the chest-plate, require a bit more explaining.

We’ll start with the chest-plate, because it’s much easier to explain. It’s just a decorative chest-plate. The gemstone is nothing special at all, if it was, he’d have been wearing that chest-plate in the first Thor movie. Many tend to refer to Thor’s dream sequence from Avengers: Age of Ultron when trying to justify Heimdall’s ownership of the Soul Stone. His eyes being milky, as well as his blindness and lack of armour, as well as the suggestion that this dream is a post-Ragnarok Asgard, all point to Heimdall having lost his abilities and therefore the Soul Stone. Here he is, with orange eyes and perfectly capable of sight in Thor: Ragnarok:

If you’re still not convinced however, there is the fact that Volstagg told the Collector that the reason the Asgardians would not be keeping the Aether on Asgard is because they already have the Tesseract there, and keeping two Infinity Stones close together would not be wise. If Heimdall were physically connected to the Soul Stone, surely that would violate the principal. Of course, you might argue that Volstagg just doesn’t know that Heimdall has the Soul Stone. I doubt one of Asgard’s principal defenders would be ignorant of something that important.

Now we come to the acronym. At this point, the only possible rebuttal that can be offered is to suggest that the “H” has to refer to someone or something else besides Heimdall. I’d be tempted to simply say Hela, and probably be right, but what kind of theorist would I be if I did that? I’m gonna stick with my gut and say it’s Adam Warlock, or Him, if we’re gonna go by the fuel behind that particular bit of speculation. Furthermore, I reckon he’ll show up on Sakaar, which seems like a planet whose culture exists as a melting pot of junk left over from countless other worlds and time periods. There are callbacks to Celestials, with certain background characters wearing actual Celestial costumes, and characters that bear resemblances to the Marauders seen at the start of Thor: The Dark World also heavily feature. I reckon somehow, Adam is on Sakaar, possibly even having entered his Magus phase, and he is in possession of the Soul Stone.

…

But it’s probably just Hela, and that’s fine.

What’s The Deal With The Two Infinity Gauntlets?

It’s no secret that there are two Infinity Gauntlets in the MCU. A lot of people had just written this off as a continuity error when the second, empty, Infinity Gauntlet was seen being worn by Thanos at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, Kevin Feige later confirmed that both were indeed Infinity Gauntlets. With this being the case, we’ve been left in the dark as to the reason why there are two gauntlets in the MCU. Obviously it can be argued that because people tend to have two hands, two gauntlets is only logical. Well, that’s something I can’t dismiss. However it has nothing to do with what each gauntlet’s actual purpose is. It seems to me that one gauntlet, the left one to be precise, draws power from the light. The right gauntlet then draws power from the dark.

It all boils down to the Infinity Stone at the center of each particular gauntlet. The gauntlet seen in Odin’s vault has a blue gem at its core. If the colours of these gems is correspondent to the colours of the actual Infinity Stones then this gauntlet’s core gem is the Space Stone. Recently I wrote a piece about the Tesseract’s function for the Space Stone. In that, I established that the Tesseract has a strong correlation with dark energy, something said to pervade all of space. Given that, with the fact that the Space Stone is the center of the gauntlet in Odin’s vault then it can be said that this gauntlet’s connection to dark energy suggests it draws power from the darkness.

In the case of the left hand, the real Infinity Gauntlet, the Infinity Stone at its core is the Soul Stone. I’ve discussed the case of souls being linked to light before. Basically, orange means souls and only beings born out of light have souls. The Infinity Gauntlet draws its power from souls through the Soul  Stone in the same way that the right hand gauntlet draws its power from dark energy through the Space Stone. Why though, is each one beneficial to the parties or individuals that have them in their possession?

Some of the items in Odin’s vault are there because they are a threat to the very existence of Asgard. Others are there due to the fact that they can be used to defend Asgard. The Eternal Flame, the Casket of Ancient Winters and the Warlock’s Eye all have ties to either Ragnarok or simply pose a danger to Asgardians despite their being godly. Then there’s the Tuning Fork, which summons a creature the Asgardians use to train warriors. The Destroyer Armour, used by Asgard’s ruler as a means of defense. Mjolnir was in there at one point. So which category does the gauntlet fall into? Given that it draws its power from dark energy, something we know Odin has used in the past simply to transport Thor to Earth, it’s likely that it’s there as a weapon for Odin rather than just a collected relic. Specifically though, the other gauntlet may serve as a means for Odin to defeat Thanos. This provides a stronger reason for Thanos to ensure Loki is on the throne of Asgard, it basically guarantees his victory if the single object that could stand in his way is in the possession of someone who’s terrified of him.

In regards to the gauntlet Thanos has, its drawing its power from souls suggests it will help with his goal of destroying all light life in the universe in order to appease Death.

Those are my thoughts on the two Infinity gauntlet in the MCU. D’you have any theories of your own in regards to this question?

Why Is The Space Stone Encased In A Tesseract?

Recently I’ve been wondering why each of the Infinity Stones appear in the forms that they do. Why is it that the Power Stone is contained within an Orb? Why is the Reality Stone a liquid Aether? And most recently, why is the Space Stone contained within a Tesseract? These are questions I haven’t really seen answered and so I figured I’d go ahead an answer them for myself. Today though, let’s focus on the Tesseract. It’s the first Infinity Stone we ever saw in the MCU and on top of that, it’s still pretty prevalent in the MCU. Basically, I believe the Space Stone’s casing has a lot to do with the idea of long distance space travel.

You see, travelling through space is not easy. The basic concepts of time make it quite difficult to travel quickly through space. However, were it ever possible to overcome that obstacle of time, then space travel would no doubt become much easier. This is what the Tesseract does for the Space Stone. The Tesseract is a representation of four-dimensional space. The fourth dimension refers to time. As we perceive the universe, we see things in only three dimensions. Were we to see the fourth dimension, we could perceive everything in every form it has ever taken or will ever take. To bridge the gap between the third and fourth dimensions would be too overcome the obstacle of time as it relates to space travel. We’ve seen the Tesseract create and sustain portals to other parts of the universe with very little effort needing to be applied. This is the trail Howard Stark was on in his notebook that was glimpsed in Iron Man 2.

He has drawn out representations of all the dimensions leading up to the fourth dimension, which he symbolises using the model of a Tesseract as it is in physics. There’s also a lot of talk about dimensions and other mathematical conundrums I’m too stupid to wrap my head around. This study though is what leads Tony to create a new element. Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man 2, said this in the film’s director’s commentary:

“So in our movie if you take a piece of metal and you shoot a laser at it, where the light’s been accelerated, whatever that means. I thought the speed of light was a constant. But we’re apparently accelerating the speed of light here and making the laser shoot the thing, and whatever it is, it turns into another element. All that’s important… Don’t worry your pretty little heads about this. Just know that he made another element based on his dad’s thing and he did it ’cause he’s Tony Stark and that’s his super power he’s genius.” – Jon Favreau, Iron Man 2

With that in mind, let’s look a bit more at Howard’s notebook. The information below was taken from thegeektwins after I found the following image online. Because once again, I’m far too stupid to comprehend mathematics to any major degree.

As you’ll see if you read the little segments of the Wikipedia pages above, Howard’s notes relate to the idea of splitting the spectral lines of atoms and molecules in the presence of an electric field. This suggests that the Tesseract not only is capable of producing energy that distorts time, but also more obviously produces energy that distorts physical space.

Another thing to take into account is that the Tesseract is frequently associated with dark energy, something known in the MCU to be capable of expedient space travel. This too has a basis in real science as dark energy is classified as an energy that permeates the entire universe. Thus, it might actually be the case that the Tesseract taps into dark energy as a means of linking two points in space and time.

As far as I can see, it seems pretty obvious that the Tesseract’s function in relation to the Space Stone is to provide a platform to fully utilise its abilities. The Space Stone on its own may actually be more dangerous than the Tesseract. The Tesseract allows for the energies of the Space Stone to be focused. Without it, the Space Stone’s powers of distorting space/time may lead to catastrophic ends.

Light Vs. Darkness: The Infinity Stones

It’s become apparent to me recently that the Infinity Cycle theory doesn’t revolve around life and death, but rather light and darkness. To that end, it would seem logical to say that the Infinity Stones can be assigned into these particular categories. So, which Infinity Stones belong to the light, and which belong to the darkness?

We’ll start off with the darkness. Now, there are two Infinity Stones that have been expressly linked to either dark matter or dark energy. Those Stones being the Reality Stone (Aether) and the Space Stone (Tesseract) respectively. I’ve coupled them with the Time Stone here too. The Time Stone has been said by Kevin Feige to be able to manipulate and screw with time. These are all Infinity Stones that have been shown or said to have primarily destructive capabilities in regards to the universe at large.

That leaves the Soul and Mind Stones to represent the light. Light seems to be as synonymous with gold / orange as souls are in the MCU. For that reason and my theory that Dark Elves, and all beings born out of darkness, do not have souls, it seems that the Soul Stone definitely represents the light. When you take into account that Infinity took the Mind Stone, as far as the Infinity Cycle theory is concerned, then it’s likely, given Infinity’s role in cosmic consonance, that the Mind Stone represents the light also.

Which leaves the Power Stone, which as I said before, can be seen as a grey area. We have seen that it has been used for both good and evil ends. The Power Stone exists simply to maintain cosmic consonance, and has an effect on anything organic. It could be seen as a dark Infinity Stone, but given its purpose, it can also be seen as a light Infinity Stone. For now, it seems best to say it falls into neither category, but we’ll wait and see if that might change in the future.

DOCTOR STRANGE Prelude: What’s It Told Us About Light Vs. Darkness?

As I mentioned in another post, the Doctor Strange prelude comic was bound to give us a little bit more information about the whole battle of light vs dark in the MCU. Well, we’ve not got a lot, but there is one thing that stood out to me. In the comic, SPOILER ALERT, an unnamed woman steals a scepter that has the ability to feed off of physical light and also pull light from within someone, amplifying doubt and fear. Perhaps the  scepter has an effect on the soul, making another link between light and the soul.

The implication seems to be that light life can be harmed by doubt and fear. The opposites of these are more than likely intrinsic to light life’s  well-being.

Everything’s pretty vague right now, but I’m sure the second issue will clear up any remaining questions that the first has left us with.

The Infinity Cycle: Light Vs. Darkness Not Life Vs. Death

Recently I’ve been wondering whether or not the whole balance thing I proposed in my Infinity Cycle Theory really revolves around life and death. What’s made me question my initial thoughts is the fact that in the MCU, there are many more references to Light and Darkness than there are to life and death. As a result, I’ve decided to rethink my position on the matter and just today I read the four preview pages of the Doctor Strange Prelude comic (which is MCU canon), being released on July 6 of this year. In doing so I think I’ve come to a more solid conclusion on the topic of Light and Darkness and life and death.

Page taken from ComicBookMovie.com

There is no real conflict between Life and Death. The two exist in a symbiotic relationship that can actually relate to an equilibrium. Light and Darkness however come into direct conflict with one another, and this is a problem. This conflict can lead to genuine imbalances in power between the cosmic entities of Eternity, Infinity, Entropy and Death. With the presence of Light, comes the absence of Darkness and vice versa. We’ve seen and heard of examples of this in the MCU, most specifically in regards to the Dark Elves in Thor: The Dark World and the Dark Dimension featured in both Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Dark Elves are most definitely living beings. However we know that they were born out of darkness and may not even have souls.. Races like the Asgardians, the humans and basically every race besides the demons of Muspelheim or the damned souls of Hel were born out of light. So it could be said that both Light and Darkness are capable of producing Life. Death can be seen as a return to Darkness. In fact, as far as the MCU’s own lore goes, Darkness gave way to Life first. Then Light appeared and created new Life. This Light Life caused the death of the Dark Life. Now, the Dark Life is making a return, threatening to plunge the Light Life back into Darkness by means of death. Yet again, we see a possible cycle emerging in the MCU, and it relates to cosmic imbalances that are beyond the control of the cosmic entities.

In Doctor Strange, we’ll likely see this dynamic expanded upon much more if the Prelude comic is anything to go by. For now though, my speculation is as follows:

The cosmic entities prosper due to the abundance of either life or death. The equilibrium between these two states of existence being maintained ensures cosmic consonance and also ensures no one cosmic entity outgrows the strength of their peers. However, given that both Light and Darkness are capable of both creating and destroying life, that’s where the conflict comes into play. This conflict is beyond the control of the cosmic entities. Were one of them to interfere, they would only give reason for the other entities to get involved too. As a result, chaos and order come into play, something we’ve heard tell of once before in the MCU.

Vision says to the last remaining Ultron drone that humans “think order and chaos are somehow opposites and try to change what won’t be”. This is an essential idea. If order and chaos were left to their own devices, they would simply balance out. To allow order to run rampant would cause just as much entropy as allowing chaos to run rampant. Humans trying to alter the natural course of events is what has brought about the imbalance that has led to the need for the Infinity event.  This is why Vision sides with Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War. Vision believes that as long as the Avengers are only allowed to operate under someone else’s jurisdiction, this maintenance of order will cease as a little more chaos is allowed to slip through the cracks. At least this way the natural course of events can play out in a few cases. However, this doesn’t look like it’s going to happen because now basically all of the Avengers are operating under their own jurisdiction. Vision, Iron Man, War Machine and possibly Spider-Man are the only Avengers left willing to work under the U.N.

So you see the issue is not that life is prospering more than death, the issue is that Light life is prospering more than Dark life. The Dark Elves tried to make a return and had their efforts crushed by Thor. Seemingly the villains of Doctor Strange will have some link to the Dark life and thus it’s possible the goal of the villains in that movie is also to bring about the end of Light life. The goal of Dark life seems to be to restore order through chaos. The goal of Light life is to restore order from chaos. The two work in direct conflict with one another, and it’s detrimental to both sides when one dominates the other. Currently, Light life is prospering so much because of the actions of the heroes of the MCU. Two whole planets with a collective population of 19 billion people have been saved by MCU heroes. In the case of Earth, 7 billion people were saved from death by the Avengers on two occasions, Captain America on one occasion and Thor on one occasion. Thor has also saved the entire population of Jotunheim from extinction. We don’t know how many Jotuns there were, so we can’t measure this feat up to the scale of saving the Earth. The Guardians of the Galaxy saved a population of 12 billion people from extinction while they were on Xandar.

We don’t know where the Chitauri came from, in fact, according to Thor nobody does. He does note that they are not of Asgard, so there’s at least one source of Light life we can rule out for them. It’s possible that the Chitauri are Dark life beings just like the Dark Elves. There’s another aspect of the MCU which revolves a lot around darkness.

The Darkforce Dimension, speculated to be the source of the Darkforce that made its presence known in both Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., is a parallel dimension to the regular Marvel universe in the comics. It’s ruled by Dormammu, nemesis of Doctor Strange and boss of Baron Mordo. If you read the post I linked about Dark Elves and souls and subsequently read the translations from the Book of Yggdrasil, you’ll know that when the Dark Elves began to lose strength was when Light first appeared in the universe. The Dark Dimension may well be a pocket dimension designed to allow denizens of Dark life to survive without coming into contact with the Light. The Dark Elves were not content with this, wanting the whole universe to return to its darkened state which was more befitting of their needs. It’s likely that from the Dark Dimension, energies have been leaking through into the MCU over the years (as seen in the ABC shows) and influencing people and events within the MCU. Jason Wilkes, Whitney Frost, Marcus Daniels and the Russian Inhuman general all had Darkforce-related powers. Most interestingly, the Inhuman was able to manipulate the Darkforce created by his shadow and essentially become one with darkness. There’s a case to be made that suggests that this Inhuman proves that the Darkforce Dimension has a metaphysical link with the MCU and can be directly influenced as well as be influenced by the MCU. This could be the focus of the Doctor Strange movie given what we see in the preview for the Prelude comic. In any case, I’ll certainly be reading it.

To cap off, let’s just reiterate the updates to the Infinity Cycle theory. Essentially, life and death are symbiotic and do not cause conflict between each other. Instead it is the presence of life born out of Darkness and life born out of Light that causes the conflict. The universe began with Dark life, then Light life arrived and Dark life receded. Now Dark life is trying to come back but Light life won’t let it. This is what is causing all of the imbalances that have led to the necessity for an Infinity event. Expect to have more information about the Darkforce Dimension in the next few days.

Vision And Thor: The MCU’s Adam Warlock And Silver Surfer?

This isn’t so much a theory as it is a wandering of the mind. In case you didn’t know, Marvel Studios do not possess the film rights for the Silver Surfer character. Surfer had an instrumental role in the Infinity story arcs that Infinity War will be based on. As a massive Silver Surfer fan, I’m slightly miffed that we won’t be seeing him team up with the Avengers and the Guardians to take on Thanos. However, I do believe his role will be occupied by someone else. Most notably Thor. And I also believe that Vision is going to play the role that Adam Warlock did in the Infinity Gauntlet story arc.

We never got to know what they were talking about when we see them chatting on the rooftop in Age of Ultron. Which is a shame, because it more than likely had something to do with what prompted Thor to leave Earth at the end of the movie. Plus, it would have further established their relationship than just having a fight and Vision saving Thor from Ultron. Still, there is a link there between them seemingly. With Thor off-world and Vision on Earth with an Infinity Stone in his forehead, I believe Ragnarok will see Thor escaping to Earth to warn the others of Thanos’s impending attack, which is what the Silver Surfer did in Infinity Gauntlet. He went to Doctor Strange. It’s quite plausible that Thor would too, in an attempt to secure another Infinity Stone. Meanwhile Vision adopts the Adam Warlock role, which in Infinity Gauntlet was one of the most important as he was the strategist behind the whole thing.

I don’t know if these things will come to pass, but it seems like a possibility at least with the current state of the MCU. If you want to see more of my thoughts on Warlock in the MCU, you can click right here.