By JV Tanjuatco
The end is nigh: on April 24 Avengers: Endgame will be unleashed upon movie audiences who have waited for one year to see how the Avengers will defeat Thanos and bring back half the universe’s population to life. Everyone’s got his or her theories from time travel (based on online spy pics) to the ludricrous (Thanus anyone?). Perhaps the best way to get a real grasp of what could happen is to look at the source material itself: The Infinity Gauntlet comic book by Jim Starlin, George Perez, and Ron Lim. A few scenes in Avengers: Infinity War came straight from the series (albeit altered) but we’re only half way through story so there are still many moments from Infinity Gauntlet that can be adapted for this finale. Here are the most feasible ones that could show up in Endgame (be prepared for POSSIBLE MAJOR SPOILERS):
Final Confrontation With Thanos
Obviously this will happen. The difference is that in Infinity Gauntlet compared to Infinity War, the decimation occurs at the start of the story versus the movie’s climax. Endgame will most likely be more in line with the comic – the surviving heroes go off-planet to face Thanos and force him to revert things back to normal. In the comic, Thanos mercilessly dispatches the majority of the heroes. They do get revived thanks to an oversight on Thanos’ part. All the trailers and clips online hint at this upcoming battle. But would Marvel be daring enough to kill all its characters, even temporarily? It would make for a shocking scene.
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Tag Team Thor and Hulk
Out of all the MCU Avengers, it is Thor and Hulk who figure prominently in this fight against Thanos in Infinity Gauntlet. Both of them get some good licks in that would easily end even the worst villains. But to thanks to the power of the Infinity Stones, Thanos sees them as mosquitoes that need to be swatted – he turns Thor into glass and smashes him while miniaturizing Hulk to the size of an ant. With Thanos’ god-like powers, similar fates may await Thor and Hulk…
Cap: Last Man Standing?!
In comic book lore, this is considered one of Captain America’s finest moments. The heroes are dead. Iron Man is decapitated. Spider-man is bludgeoned to death. Wolverine’s adamantium bones have been turned to rubber. The Vision is gutted. Their bodies litter the battlefield. It’s a brutal sight. Only Cap remains, walking defiantly towards the mad god Thanos. “As long as one man stands against you, Thanos, you’ll never be able to claim victory.” It’s an epic scene that many long-time fans would love to see captured on the big screen. Here’s hoping!
Nebula may be the key…
In Infinity Gauntlet, she proves to be the wild card that shifts the balance of power. Turned it into a zombie by Thanos, who keeps her around for his sadistic amusement, she wanders his floating throne world seemingly unaware of what’s happening. When Thanos abandons his physical body to becoming a being of infinite energy, she seizes her chance to grab the gauntlet, restoring herself to full health, and reverting all the damage that Thanos has caused. While that sounds great, all Nebula wants to do is rule the universe! The gauntlet changes hands but to someone who is only slightly less worse than Thanos. From a plot standpoint, it makes sense that the remaining heroes in Endgame include the original members. However, Nebula’s inclusion (she was a villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.1) makes little sense unless we’re being set up for her to take control of the gauntlet…
An unexpected ally!
Back to the source material, having lost ultimate power Thanos falls into despair. He is convinced by Adam Warlock (a key character in the series, who has only been hinted at in the MCU) to join forces with the heroes because of his working knowledge of the Infinity Stones and his own fearsome abilities. It would be an interesting turn of events in the movie. Though it does seem that Nebula has been on a redemption arc ever since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. So maybe she won’t get the gauntlet. Maybe the Red Skull (who was revealed to be alive in Infinity War) will come out of hiding to snatch the stones from Thanos.
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Not the last we’ll see of old Prune Face
After the heroes are able to wrest control of the Infinity Gauntlet from Nebula, Thanos activates a bomb in his suit claiming that he prefers death over imprisonment. Thor flings his hammer at Thanos to push him to a safe distance where he can explode without taking everyone with him. It’s discovered later that the explosion was just cover for his escape. At the end of the book, he’s started life as a simple farmer (very much like in the ending scene of Infinity War), reflecting on his failures. While it wouldn’t make sense to repeat that scene again, it would be surprising for Marvel to kill this character, considering his popularity. Will any of these scenes materialize in Endgame? All will be revealed by April 24!
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About the author:
JV Tanjuatco, comic book writer/editor/publisher, founded Comic Book Lab that publishes the comic book titles Mythopolis and War of Whispers (co-created and co-written by him). Comic Book Lab’s most recent project was the graphic novel anthology Stay: 21 Comic Stories authored by Palanca Award winner Angelo R. Lacuesta and illustrated by a stellar line-up of artists including Trese’s Kajo Baldisimo. He has also written articles/reviews for Spot.ph and Ain’t It Cool.
