Wondering what to expect from Marvel Comics over the next few years? You should probably buy a copy of Avengers #5 this Wednesday, in that case, and get with the sleuthing. As part of the series’ current time-travel storyline, the Avengers have met a future version of Tony Stark, who’s helpfully mapped out the major events of the Marvel Universe, including plenty of things that haven’t actually happened yet. Avengers editor Tom Brevoort explains,
It’s a chart that Old Tony from the future shows to his present-day self, warning him about what is to come. We’ve fat-packed it with hints and portents of future events, so it ought to provide plenty of fodder for fan speculation-at least that’s the hope!
Interesting phrases on the chart include “Nine worlds in disarray” and “What is where Asgard should be?” (References to upcoming storylines in Thor), “Three!” and “Galactus Seed” (Fantastic Four plans), “What’s in the rings?” (Potentially a reference to Iron Man villain The Mandarin, who relies on rings for his power), “Ultron War” (Presumably an Avengers storyline, considering the character is a long-running villain in that series), “Yesterday’s X-Men” and, most tantalizingly of all for those who read Captain America: Reborn, “Steve’s vision!”
If this seems somewhat familiar, it should – DC Comics has been doing this exact thing with time traveler Rip Hunter since 2006’s 52 miniseries.
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