Warning: MAJOR spoilers ahead for Marvel's Infinity Watch #1
Wonder has just made a shocking change to its cosmic lore, confirming which of the Infinity Stones is the most powerful – proving that it is not the only one. Thanos thinks it is. Although the Mad Titan previously cited the Time Stone as the most dangerous of the set, the debut issue of the new Infinity Clock series declares that, in fact, the Mind Stone is the most essential.
Infinity Clock #1 – written by Derek Landy, with art by Ruairí Coleman – ends with a shocking cliffhanger, as the final page reveals that new antagonist Avery Zavala has killed Colleen Wing, the bearer of the Mind Stone, and claimed it for himself.
With this, Zavala threatens to replace the mainstream Marvel universe with his own homegrown reality, and previews for the next issue suggest that his first step toward achieving that goal will be to turn Phil Coulson, now the avatar of Marvel's Death, against his friends and allies. .
Marvel names the “Mind Stone” as the strongest Infinity Stone – something not even Thanos was right about
Infinity Clock #1 – Written by Derek Landy; Art by Ruairi Coleman; Ink by Scott Hanna; Color by Brian Reber; Corey Petit lyrics
Colleen Wing's violent death will have a huge impact on Marvel readers; the character has become an increasingly fan favorite over the years, and her inclusion among the Infinity Clock the list was considered his opportunity for an innovative storyline. Given the cosmic scope of the plot, however, combined with the superheroic tendency to circumvent mortality, readers should expect Infinity Clock #2 before judging this creative decision. It's not just possible, but likely that Wing will return – and when she does, her role in the Marvel Universe will have taken on even greater importance.
The fact that the supremacy of the Mind Stone is at the heart of the plot, and is not a throwaway statement, suggests that this can be taken as Marvel's official position.
That's because Infinity Clock #1 makes a fundamental change to the Marvel canon, establishing the Mind Stone as the largest of the Infinity Stones. In the issue, Colleen Wing's killer attacks her first because she wields the Mind Stone, and by claiming it for himself he can, in turn, become master of the rest. The fact that the supremacy of the Mind Stone is at the heart of the plot, and is not a throwaway statement, suggests that this can be taken as Marvel's official position. Whereas the first few stories had characters, including Thanos, expressing their “in-universe” opinion about the strongest Stone.
Who is Colleen Wing's killer, Avery Zavala, and can her opinion on the strongest Infinity Stone be trusted?
Marvel is rewriting the role of the Infinity Stones in the Universe
Avery Zavala is a rare and truly new character in the Marvel Universe, and his introduction has already made him one of the most dangerous figures in the Marvel canon right now. Zavala reveals his identity to the team in Infinity Clock #1, claiming to be a Stone Bearer like them, from one of the few alternate timelines in the Marvel Multiverse that also has Infinity Stones. Zavala further states that a force called Apeiron “consumed” his fellow Stone-Bearers, and begs the Watch to use their collective powers to create a new universe, which he can populate with the lost souls of his allies.
As with Colleen Wing's death or survival, readers will have to stick to Infinity Clock to find out if the claim that the Mind Stone is the most powerful really is true.
When the Infinity Watch hesitates to “play God“, Zavala quickly turns against them, returning to his “Plan B” – to take the Clockstones and use them to replace the conventional Marvel Universe, replacing it with their own. However, given that Zavala had already killed Colleen Wing and stolen the Mind Stone before even appealing to the team to help him with “Plan A”, readers should question the extent to which Zavala actually predicted that he would not have to resort to violence.
Admittedly, this could call into question the objectivity of Zavala's own diagnosis that the Mind Stone is the most powerful. Zavala is clearly acting out of desperation, which may have clouded his judgment. As with Colleen Wing's death or survival, readers will have to stick to Infinity Clock to find out if the claim that the Mind Stone is the most powerful actually proves true in the long run. Advanced previews for the upcoming second issue lend credence to this theory, as it appears the Watch will be brought to the brink of destruction.
The second issue of “Infinity Watch” has just become one of Marvel's most anticipated upcoming releases
Infinity Clock #2 – Available February 19, 2025 from Marvel Comics
The cover for Infinity Clock #2 shows Phil Coulson standing over the dead bodies of the rest of the Watch, while the issue's synopsis ominously asks if Zavala “overpowered Phil Coulson, aka DEATH?!“The implication here is that, by using the Mind Stone, Zavala will turn Coulson and his Death Stone against the Surveillance in order to eliminate them. Then he can presumably eliminate Coulson alone, and the Infinity Stones will be entirely in his possession. possession – making him an order of magnitude greater threat than even the Stones' most infamous stalker, Thanos.
Given the fact that Infinity Clock is chronicling the adventures of Marvel's newest and most cosmically powerful superteam, it's highly unlikely that this story will end in their defeat. TThe real question is how they will overcome this incredible first challenge in the short term.and in the long term, whether Avery Zavala will become a permanent fixture in the mainstream Marvel Universe and a perennial threat to its security. For now, readers can dissect from Marvel latest change to Infinity Stone lore, including its implications for the future Thanos stories.
Infinity Clock #1 is now available from Marvel Comics.