The Infinity Stones Return In June In ‘Infinite Destinies’
by James Ferguson
There are several items in the Marvel Universe sure to shake things up such as the Ultimate Nullifier and the Cosmic Cube. Nothing causes as much mayhem as the Infinity Stones though. Marvel Comics has announced the return of these legendary artifacts in June with Infinite Destinies, an event told through the course of eight annuals beginning in June before wrapping up in Infinity Score. This was teased for an upcoming issue of Black Cat and the publisher promises a “game-changing upcoming arc” coming up for that title. Check out the connecting variant cover by Ron Lim below.
Infinite Destinies tracks down the current locations of the Infinity Stones. Some of them are in the hands of new characters and the heroes of the Marvel Universe know the destruction each one of these items can cause. Each chapter will have a classic character clashing with a new rising star. In wrestling terms, this is called “putting someone over.”
The action begins in Iron Man Annual #1, written by Jed MacKay and illustrated by Ibraim Roberson. It follows ol’ Shellhead as he learns about the strange people who kidnapped and tortured Miles Morales. He looks into it only to find out shocking details about the Assessor and Quantum. It’s here we’ll get an in-depth look at some new villains that will lay the groundwork for some major tales in the Marvel Universe in the future. It features a cover by Nick Bradshaw.
The story continues in Captain America Annual #1 from writer Gerry Duggan and artist Marco Castiello. When the Time Stone bonded with Overtime’s soul, he used it as an opportunity to escape from death row with powers he barely understood. Captain America is tracking him down. It features a cover by Alex Garner.
Black Cat Annual #1 brings in the third chapter of Infinite Destinies. Writer Jed MacKay and artist Joey Vazquez tell the story of Felicia Hardy’s latest caper that takes her on a deadly journey across Seoul. She ends up face-to-face with White Fox, Tiger Division, and a new hero who made his debut in Taskmaster #3: Taegukgi. It features a cover by C.F. Villa.
“We’ve had a wave of incredible new characters over the last few years, and Infinite Destinies will shine a light on eight of them,” Editor Nick Lowe said. “We’ll discover new aspects of these heroes and villains in adventures with our most archetypal Marvel heroes.”
“It’s been exciting to work on Infinite Destinies– it’s a story that plumbs all areas of the Marvel Universe, offering something for pretty much everyone’s taste,” MacKay said. “I’ve gotten to work with characters who I’ve wanted to write for ages and also keep on with some old favorites. We’re plotting a course for some exciting stories in the future, so I hope that readers enjoy it as much as we did!”
Each of these issues will also include a chapter of “Infinite Fury” centering on the original Nick Fury. The character’s quest to find the current bearers of the Infinity Stones will take him all over the Marvel Universe, pitting him against some very powerful people.
The Infinity Stones have been in limbo for awhile now. Some cool ideas were introduced and then never picked up on again…until now. I’m glad these loose plot threads will be tied up. More information about Infinite Destinies will be available soon as the storyline continues in more annuals in July and August.
