Cosmic Cube
The Cosmic Cube is a piece of advanced technology that features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
Cosmic Cubes
Their properties were said to be from a force created by the Beyonders with it said to had been a gift to the inhabitants of the universe. (Fantastic Four v1 #319) They were capable of birthing into a new lifeform with their growth being the calling of the inhabitants of Smokeworld who served as caretakers and midwives to the Cosmic Cubes. (Avengers / Invaders v1 #8) Attempts to create a Cosmic Cube had been made by a number of alien civilizations. (Avengers Standoff: Assault On Pleasant Hill Alpha v1 #1) Many ages ago, the Skrull civilization reached a highly advanced level of technology where their scientists sought to create a machine that turned thoughts into reality. After millennia of research, they succeeded in creating a Cosmic Cube that was taken by the Skrull Emperor who used its power to rule as a god-like being. In time, the Cube began to respond to the personality of its user and developed its own that mirrored the Emperor's. The developing intelligence of the Cosmic Cube only knew the madness of the Skrull Emperor where it lashed out to twist, remake and destroy star system after star system in the Skrull empire. Its rampage saw the devastation of two thirds of the Skrull galaxy and turned the species to barbarism before it finally matured into the being known as the Shaper of Worlds. In a later age, the Kree came to learn of the Skrulls effort to create the Cosmic Cube and sought to duplicate that goal. To aid them, they created the Supreme Intelligence that was to help in the creation of the device but the Supremor came to know of the danger involved in creating a Cosmic Cube. Thus, when the time came to build the device, the Supreme Intelligence instead refused and kept a watchful eye on other civilizations attempting to build Cosmic Cubes. (Captain America Annual v1 #7)
On Earth, the scientific efforts of the Advanced Idea Mechanics led to them creating a Cosmic Cube. (Tales of Suspense v1 #79) The Red Skull later learnt of its existence and used a hypnotic suggestion on the Keeper of the Cosmic Cube to deliver the device to him. Captain America went into pursuit but failed in stopping the Red Skull from acquiring the device. (Tales of Suspense v1 #80)
To prevent the Red Skull from using its power further, M.O.D.O.K had A.I.M. utilise their new Catholite Block to destroy the Cube before it could be used against them thus leading to his defeat. (Captain America v1 #119)
The Kubekult stole the incomplete Cube from the Red Skull that contained the mind of the Hate-Monger and sought to release the Nazi leader from his prison. (Captain America v1 #456)
By 1991, Hydra had managed to acquire a fragment of the Cosmic Cube where they kept it for study. Nick Fury learnt of this and dispatched Wolverine to recover it from their base. Unknown to him, the Mandarin had similarly discovered the fragment and sought to acquire it. Despite Wolverine's opposition, he failed in stopping the Mandarin from acquiring the fragment whereupon he approached Chen Hsu for the task of fashioning it into a ring for him to use. (Marvel Team-Up v3 #19) The Mandarin commissioned a project to use a fragment of a Cosmic Cube whereupon it was fashioned into a ring that could alter reality around the wearer. He passed away before he could see the project to completion and the ring fell to Chen Hsu who refused to hand it over to his son Temugin as he deemed him unworthy of its power. Hsu looked to selling it to the highest bidder and met with the Ringmaster who used his hypnotic powers to take the ring from him. (Marvel Team-Up v3 #7) A fragment of the Cube was crafted into a ring whose power was much more limited as it could only affect reality over a small radius from the wearer. Captain America was set to transport the ring to S.H.I.E.L.D. when he lost it after a M.O.D.O.C. squad was sent after him by A.I.M. The ring was then discovered by Curtis Doyle who came to discover its abilities as it manifested his wishes. (Marvel Team-Up v3 #20)
Project Pegasus had been storing fragments of the Cosmic Cube Captain America destroyed at West Virginia that was being studied as part of their Cosmic Cube Program. During the Dark Reign, the Absorbing Man broke into the facility and absorbed the fragments that gave im reality manipulation powers when he was confronted by the Mighty Avengers along with the Dark Avengers. Norman Osborn attempted to lay claim to the cosmic artifact but was thwarted by Hank Pym who aided in returning the Absorbing Man back to his normal form. (Mighty Avengers v1 #33) In deep space, Adam Warlock was transformed into the Magus in an effort to contain the Fault with this having repercussions throughout the timeline. This resulted in Kang the Conqueror calibrating a Cube and giving it to Star-Lord in an attempt to stop the Magus. (Guardians of the Galaxy v2 #19) Quill believed that the Cube's power was used up in the fight but the Magus had simply crafted an illusion to make everyone believe its energy was spent. Star-Lord later used it against the resurrected Mad Titan Thanos who had been resurrected in a mindless rage at being brought back to life with the Cube's energy proving to be the only force able to knock him unconscious. (Guardians of the Galaxy v2 #25) On Earth, the United States Army had successfully created a new Cosmic Cube as part of Project: Cosmic that was to be used as part of the planet's arsenal of weapons. In reality, this was an imperfect Cube that drew its power from dark energy and only superficially resembled an actual Cosmic Cube. Through the Zodiac, Thanos had these agents of his acquire the Cube that he took and departed into space where he was pursued by both as the Avengers as well as the Guardians of the Galaxy. With the Cube, Thanos seemingly killed the Elders of the Universe with him using its power against the two superhero teams that pursued him. However, the imperfect Cosmic Cube did not kill its targets but rather shunted them into the Cancerverse. With one of the Collectors devices, Thor managed to destroy the Cube and left Thanos vulnerable where he was handed over to the Elders of the Universe to be their prisoner. (Avengers Assemble v2 #8)
Classified S.H.I.E.L.D. files were leaked to the public revealing a top-secret program code-named Kobik saw the agency stockpiling Cosmic Cube fragments that could allow them to alter reality with impunity with little oversight or accountability. The program was leaked by a hacker known as the Whisperer with a press conference being called with Director Maria Hill who assured the public that this was simply a proposal and that the peacekeeping agency did not hold plan on using the fragments. However, the new Captain America Sam Wilson opposed this development from S.H.I.E.L.D. and called for the project to be shut down as it violated civil liberties. (Sam Wilson: Captain America v1 #2) Though claimed to had been destroyed, the program was not despite the apparent destruction of the fragments in front of Steve Rogers. In reality, the fragments had formed into a sentient girl named Kobik who was used to create the cloaked idyllic town called Pleasant Hill where the supervillains had their minds erased to live as ordinary inhabitants of the town. Doctor Erik Selvig was the S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist involved in the care of Kobik. Bucky Barnes uncovered S.H.I.E.L.D.s actions and began operations against them whilst the Whisperer informed Sam Wilson. (Avengers Standoff: Assault On Pleasant Hill Alpha v1 #1)
Kobik later stayed with the Winter Soldier and his team of Thunderbolts to keep the sentient Cosmic Cube safe from S.H.I.E.L.D. (Thunderbolts v3 #1)
Overview
These objects contained unimaginable power and operated as harnesses of such energy to shape the fabric of reality with their properties being derived from the Beyonders. (Avengers Standoff: Assault On Pleasant Hill Alpha v1 #1) They were formed by creating force fields around a rift in reality whereby the a force of power was collected that took the shape of a cube. (Fantastic Four v1 #319) As such, the were able to grant their holder nearly any wish that can be imaged. (Warlock Chronicles v1 #3) The shape of these artifacts was vital to their function as the Cube was a proper form and they lost proper function in any other form. (Mighty Avengers v1 #33)
Each Cube was capable of evolving and becoming self-aware sentient beings. (Avengers Standoff: Assault On Pleasant Hill Alpha v1 #1) These Cosmic Containment Units were once energy beings that after a lengthy period of metamorphosis became advanced entities. Most scholars agreed that they lost sentient awareness upon hitting their containment period though in this time the were best described as being pre-sentient. They made conscious choices on the types of wishes they granted before transforming into their current state. Thus, they were all-powerful but simply refused to break certain self-imposed taboos though there was a way to circumvent this restriction which was through sheer force of will. (Warlock Chronicles v1 #3) Until a form was chosen, the Cube was capable of making or unmaking anything until it settled on its new existence. (Avengers / Invaders v1 #8) Upon maturation, the development of a cube was uncertain as not all attained the same shape or power. (Captain America Annual v1 #7)
It was said to be most potent device located on a world. (Tales of Suspense v1 #79) On Earth, the Initiative classified the Cosmic Cube as an Omega Class Weapons. (Avengers: The Initiative v1 #5) Cosmic Cubes required special equipment in order to safely destroy them. (Marvel Team-Up v3 #19) A device known as a Catholite Block was capable of destroying a Cosmic Cube causing it to dissolve and become formless before it vanished. (Captain America v1 #119)
Cubes
- Shaper of Worlds : a male entity born from the Skrull empires attempt at creating the Cosmic Cube which developed from the power mad personality of the emperor causing it to lash out and destroy two-thirds of the galaxy before taking form as the Shaper of Worlds. (Captain America Annual v1 #7)
- Kubik :
- Kosmos : a female entity formed from the fused life force of the Molecule Man and the Beyonder. (Fantastic Four Annual v1 #23)
- Kobik : a young girl formed from various different Cosmic Cube fragments that were being used by S.H.I.E.L.D.s Kobik Program until they merged together and gained sentience where it was used by the agency to create Pleasant Hill. (Avengers Standoff: Assault On Pleasant Hill Alpha v1 #1)
Notes
- The Cosmic Cube was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where it made its first appearance in Tales of Suspense v1 #79 (July, 1966).
Alternate Versions
- In Guardians of the Galaxy v2 #16 (2009), an alternate future timeline designated as Earth-669116 was shown where it was believed that the Badoon had used a Cosmic Cube to enslave the Celestials and turn them into a super-cage around Earth's Sun allowing the Badoon to survive the collapse of reality into the Fault.
- In Edge of Spider-Geddon v1 #4 (2018), an alternate world was shown that inhabited the Multiverse where it was revealed that Oscorp ruled that particular Earth. On that world, Norman Osborn gained abilities similar to Spider-Man and gained multiple arms where he ruled the planet from the shadows. His scientists discovered a damaged Cosmic Cube whose form was distorted and its abilities to warp reality were affected as it could only serve as a portal to see into other worlds in the Multiverse. In an effort to stop his father, Harry Osborn wore a goblin costume and took the identity of the Kobold where he fired a blast into the damaged Cube in the hope of destroying it but it simply shunted his father into the Multiverse.
- In Avengers: Shards of Infinity v1 (2018), the Cosmic Cube appeared in the alternate reality setting set on an unknown Earth. Fragments of the Cube were being gathered by the organization L.U.N.A.R. under its leader Madame Irma Krakov that intended to use them to take over the world. Black Widow infiltrated the organization and recovered one of the fragments whereupon she informed the Avengers that looked to stop the organization who operated from their base on the Moon.
In other media
Television
- In The Marvel Super Heroes, the Cosmic Cube appeared in the Captain America segments of the animated motion series in Episode 13 "The Red Skull Lives", "He Who Holds the Cosmic Cube", "The Red Skull Supreme". It was described as the ultimate power on Earth that could turn thoughts into material action. The Cube was developed by A.I.M. with the Red Skull learning of it and using a neuro-tap to brainwash the A.I.M. keeper of the Cosmic Cube to give it to him. After acquiring the Cosmic Cube, the Red Skull was nearly invincible with him attending to use it to supreme monarch of all Earth. He attempted to secure his dominance over his mortal foe Captain America by making him his servant but the hero caused the villain to accidently drop the Cube into the ocean. The warped mind of the Red Skull attempted to reclaim it but fell into the water as an avalanche fell on him with it hoped that the Cosmic Cube was lost forever.
- In Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Cosmic Cube made an appearance in the animated series starting with a cameo in the episode "Everything is Wonderful". A.I.M. and its leader M.O.D.O.K. offered to build the Cosmic Cube for HYDRA though believed that it was a dead end research field but intended to use the cover to take money from their employer. However, they managed to create a working Cosmic Cube which Baron Strucker learns about leading to a conflict between the two organizations.
- In Avengers Assemble, the Tesseract made an appearance in the animated series starting in the episode "By the Numbers". It landed in the desert somewhere in the south-western United States as the Avengers and the Cabal raced to be the first to acquire it. After the Red Skull changed the coordinates, the Cabal managed to claim the Tesseract first.
- In Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers, the Cosmic Cube was re-imagined as the Dimension Sphere in the setting of the animated television series.
Films
- In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Cosmic Cube was renamed as the Tesseract and was one of the Infinity Stones in the shared continuity setting.
- In Captain America: The First Avenger, the Tesseract was one of the treasures in Odin's vault before falling onto Earth and hidden in an old temple. During World War II, the Red Skull with the Nazi deep science division Hydra managed to acquire it where they began to study its power for use against the Allies. Through it, they were developing advanced technology and weapons for the war effort. After the Red Skulls defeat, Loki began observing it being uncovered in the modern day.
- In Avengers, the Tesseract plays a key role where Loki offered to use it to bring the Chitauri and their invasion forces to Earth until it was destroyed by Black Widow during the battle for New York.
Video games
- In Marvel: War for Heroes, Cosmic Cubes appeared as items in the setting of the card-game based mobile video game.
- In the Marvel Heroes, a Cosmic Cube appeared in the setting of the MMORPG video game. It came into the possession of Doctor Doom which forced Uatu the Watcher to break his vow of non-interference and confront the Latverian dictator. He would tell Von Doom that he could not control the power he held and battled him but Doom managed to easily best the Watcher. After being defeated, Dr. Doom used the power of the Cube to seemingly destroy Uatu.
- In Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, the Cosmic Cube was only referenced in dialogue in the setting of the Wii video game. Rocket had calibrated the Guardians ships sensors to scan for items of great power such as Cosmic Cubes, Nega-Bands and Asgardian hammers.
- In Marvel's Avengers, the Cosmic Cube appeared in the setting of the video game. The cosmic containment unit was created by Monica Rappaccini of A.I.M. as part of Project Omega where she intended to use it to prevent a future Kree invasion of Earth. However, during her attempt to us it, she inadvertently ended up freeing herself, Nick Fury, nearby S.H.I.E.L.D. forces and Kree Sentries in time. Meanwhile, the Earth itself came to be destroyed in a nuclear war causing society to collapse into chaos. A time-travelling Hawkeye looked to help avert this potential future.
Other
- In Chaos Engine, a flawed Cosmic Cube appeared in the novel series written by Steven A. Roman. It came to be used by Doctor Doom, Magneto and the Red Skull who each used it to create a version of their perfect world. At the time, a team of X-Men who had been operating outside their reality when the changes occurred them worked to stop them.
- In Marvel Super Heroes Role-Playing Game, a Cosmic Cube appeared in the setting of the game in the Cosmos Cubed adventure. The story showed the Kree having constructed their own Cosmic Cube which they intended to use utilise with the Skrulls attempting to intercept the courier transporting it.
Appearances
- Tales of Suspense v1: (1966)
- Captain America v1:
- Captain America Annual v1:
- Incredible Hulk v1:
- Warlock Chronicles v1:
- Marvel Team-Up v3:
- Mighty Avengers v1:
- Avengers / Invaders v1:
- Thunderbolts v1:
- Guardians of the Galaxy v2:
External Link
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