'Avengers Forever' Introduces the Multiverse’s Newest Heroes

When the Multiverse is in need, the Avengers will answer the call – even if they aren’t quite the heroes you’d expect. In Jason Aaron and Aaron Kuder’s AVENGERS FOREVER, Robbie Reyes, the Ghost Rider who became the All-Rider, has been pulled into a worlds-spanning war against Doom Supreme’s Masters of Evil, who are taking over the Multiverse one Earth at a time. Following his capture and brutal torture at the hands of the Black Skull, Robbie encountered the heroes of Earth-818 and beyond. While they wear familiar costumes, these all-new heroes couldn’t be any more different from their main Marvel Universe (Earth-616) counterparts.

AVENGERS FOREVER has featured the thrilling first appearances of numerous characters, with more to come in the forthcoming months. Who will be appearing next in these pages?  Be sure not to miss an issue of the multiverse-spanning saga to find out!

For now, read on to learn more about the Multiverse’s latest Avengers.

Tony Stark Ant-Man and His Ant Sidekick Shellhead (Earth-818)

“I’m the Earth’s first and last living archeologist.”

Earth-818’s Tony Stark was born into a world created by the Black Skull and his fellow Multiversal Masters of Evil, who went back in time and killed the 1,000,000 BC Avengers while humanity was in its infancy. Black Skull – a version of Red Skull with a powerful symbiote ally – crafted this world in his image, leaving behind a cruel wasteland where hope is just a four-letter word. 

This Tony Stark is a scrappy, self-deprecating and hard-drinking man who would rather dig into the ancient past than look to the future. As a result, he became Earth-818’s self-proclaimed first (and last) living archeologist. He spends most of his time digging up ancient treasures like a dead Celestial’s head and Odin’s mighty hammer, which he brings to the secret underground lair he shares with Moon Knight, Infinity Thing, Vision, and Wonder Man.

However, this hobby landed him in trouble with Black Skull’s forces. Just like Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes, he was captured and tortured. Unable to take much more, he agreed to work with Black Skull and ultimately designed suits of armor for the villain’s soldiers, leading to the creation of Black Skull’s War Machine army. 

Fortunately, Earth-818’s Tony is every bit as clever as his Earth-616 counterpart. To evade capture, he set his mind on the act of disappearing – on “becoming as small as I actually felt, amid the endless suffering that is what passes for human existence.” This inspired him to create Stark Particles, which behave exactly like Pym Particles and shrink matter. Thus, the Ant-Man of Earth-818 was born.

Not to be outdone, Tony even has his own ant sidekick: Shellhead. While he never found the motivation to build himself a full suit of armor – “I’ve always been good at tinkering; just never that great at finishing things” – he did build one for his trusty sidekick. Shellhead always steps in to help Tony when he’s in a jam, even if he takes his sweet time getting there.

Shellhead isn’t Tony’s only friend on this Earth. As a child, Tony used his tinkering skills to build Vision, a half-finished sentient robot: “Guess that tells you how big a loser I’ve always been. I had to build myself a friend.” Together, Tony and Vision have teamed up with Moon Knight, Infinity Thing, and Wonder Man, forming a team he has dubbed “Earth’s Mightiest Losers”…and those losers are all that stand between Robbie, the multiverse and total oblivion.

To read more about Tony Stark Ant-Man and Shellhead, check out AVENGERS FOREVER #1-4 and beyond.
 

Vision (Earth-818)

“Judging by the available evidence, perhaps it is better to be half a machine… than all of a man.”

Enter Vision. When Earth-818’s Tony Stark needed a friend, he built himself one, creating – but not quite finishing – a sentient robot with his own thoughts and ideas. Like most robots, Vision excels at calculations and is driven by logic. 

Although his build was never fully completed, Vision has no interest in any further improvements. After all, if that were to happen, “there is the chance I might become something more than machine. Something very close to a man.” So far, that hasn’t impressed him much, so he’d rather stick to being half a machine than all of a man.

To read more about Vision, check out AVENGERS FOREVER #3-4 and beyond.

Infinity Thing (Earth-818)

“Now is the time of the Clobbering.”

On Earth-818, Ben Grimm never lost faith in the possibility of a better tomorrow, so he headed to space as a renegade astronaut in search of something he could use to save the world. When he returned, he had changed beyond recognition, both physically and mentally. 

In addition to his rock-like exterior, this Thing is covered in yellow, purple, orange, and green stones, with glowing red eyes that seem to see beyond what’s in front of him. These gems imbue him with spectacular abilities, including the power to float and bend reality, so it’s possible he stumbled across a few Infinity Stones on his journey – not that you’d hear him say it. 

Ever since he came back, Thing has spoken only in cryptic phrases, most of which have been variations on one line: “The door is opening. It is the time.” It is unclear what he means, but Earth’s Mightiest Losers are probably about to find out.

To read more about Infinity Thing, check out AVENGERS FOREVER #3-4 and beyond.

Moon Knight (Earth-818)

“Mother Moon, guide the way.”

Meet Earth-818’s Moon Knight, who isn’t at all like Earth-616’s Moon Knight. On this world, Mariama Spector became the Fist of Khonshu, and she uses her moon-given abilities to make herself a one-woman global rebellion against the Black Skull.

Unlike Vision, Mariama leads from the heart, not the head. When it comes to making decisions about risk, she’ll go with her gut. A skilled combatant, she can hold her own in a fight, just like she and Vision once did against an entire battalion of War Machines. 

To read more about Moon Knight, check out AVENGERS FOREVER #3-4 and beyond.
 

Wonder Man (Earth-818)

“I pray that I’ll never have to kill anyone again.”

Simon Williams is a movie star, but fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be on Earth-818. Per the Black Skull’s decree, cinema is a bloody battlefield where contestants are irradiated against their will and forced to fight each other to the death. As a result, Simon became the world’s biggest movie star: the blood-drenched Wonder Man. Fortunately, his ionic powers allowed him to escape cinematic slavery, and that’s how he joined up Ant-Man, Vision, Moon Knight, and Infinity Thing.

Although he is a master of brutality with the ability to take out multiple War Machines by himself, Simon longs for a life without violence. When he met Thor’s granddaughters, the Goddesses of Thunder, he offered them a prayer with the hope he’ll never have to kill again.

To read more about Wonder Man, check out AVENGERS FOREVER #3-4 and beyond.

War Widow (Earth-???)

Unfortunately, Wonder Man’s prayer won’t be answered just yet, because the war for the Multiverse has only just begun. During their fight with the Black Skull and all his variants, Vision and Moon Knight were pulled through a doorway to the Multiverse and ended up at the outskirts of Avengers Tower within the God Quarry, where they met Captain Carter, Longbow, and… War Widow.

Marvel readers will be familiar with Captain Carter from her new solo series, while Longbow debuted in Kurt Busiek and George Perez’s AVENGERS run back in 1998, but War Widow is a brand new addition to the Multiverse. Where did she come from? What is she doing with Captain Carter and Longbow at the God Quarry? You’ll have to read on to find out!

To read more about War Widow, check out AVENGERS FOREVER #4 and beyond.

Man-Thing Avengers (Earth-91)

“You strange creatures come seeking slaughter – but know this! This world is protected!”

War Widow isn’t the only upcoming addition to the Multiverse. Next month, AVENGERS FOREVER #5 will introduce the Man-Thing Avengers of Earth-91! Even a world filled with Man-Things needs be protected, so their Sorcerer Supreme, Iron Fist, Phoenix, and Starbrand will stand up against the Multiversal Masters of Evil – but can even they keep such evil at bay? 

To read more about the Man-Thing Avengers, check out AVENGERS FOREVER #5 when it goes on sale 4/27.

Doom-Thing (Earth-91)

“For whatever knows insolence burns at the touch of the Doom-Thing.”

Where there is the Man-Thing Avengers, there must also be… a Doom-Thing! As Doom Supreme, the Doom Above All conquers the Multiverse one Earth at a time, he runs afoul of other versions of himself. On Earth-91, that means he encounters the Doom-Thing. Their conversation may yet reveal Doom Supreme’s intentions, as well as a cavalcade of other Doom variants, in AVENGERS FOREVER #5.

To read more about the Doom-Thing and even more Doom variants, check out AVENGERS FOREVER #5 when it goes on sale 4/27.

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