Cosmic Cube
Encyclopedia
The Cosmic Cube, called the Tesseract
in the film Captain America: The First Avenger
, is the name of a fictional object that appears in the Marvel Universe
. The concept was created by Stan Lee
and Jack Kirby
and first appeared in Tales of Suspense
#79 (July 1966).
#79-81 (July–Sept. 1966), established as a device created by A.I.M.
and capable of transforming any wish
into reality, irrespective of the consequences. The Cube was also a plot device in a story that introduced the character of the Super-Adaptoid
in Tales of Suspense #82-84 (Oct.–Dec. 1966).
The Cube reappeared in Captain America #115-120 (July–Dec. 1969), and featured in an epic cosmic storyline that starred arch-villain Thanos
in Daredevil
#107 (Jan. 1974) and Captain Marvel
#25-33 (March 1972 – July 1974: bi-monthly). Retrieved after Thanos' defeat, this original cube featured in several Project Pegasus
stories in Marvel Two-in-One
#42-43 (Aug.–Sept. 1978), Marvel Two-in-One #57-58 (Dec. 1979 – Jan. 1980), and Marvel Team-Up Annual #5 (1982).
The creation of a second cube was shown in Super-Villain Team-Up #16-17 (May 1979, June 1980) but this cube was initially powerless and did not gain any reality-altering ability until years after its creation.
A major element was added to the Cube's origin — that each is in fact an evolving sentient being — in Captain America Annual #7 (1983). The sentient Cube returned in Avengers #289-290 (March–April 1988) to end the threat of the Super-Adaptoid
(itself originally empowered by a "shard" of a Cosmic Cube), and then in Fantastic Four
#319 (Oct. 1988). This story revealed that the villain the Molecule Man
had ties to the Cube and introduced a new character.
The limited series
Infinity War
#1-6 (June–Nov. 1992) and Infinity Crusade
#1-6 (June–Nov. 1993) established that the items actually exist in a variety of geometric forms.
A third Cosmic Cube was created during the "Taking A.I.M." storyline that ran through Avengers vol. 1, #386-388 (May-July, 1995) and Captain America vol. 2, #440-441 (June-July, 1995). This unstable cube hasn't been seen since it was sealed in a containment chamber at the conclusion of the storyline.
The previously-powerless second Cosmic Cube finally gained an ability to alter reality in Captain America vol. 2, #445-448 (November, 1995–February, 1996) but it was unstable and exploded at the end of that storyline. The second cube's power reappeared in a storyline in Captain America vol. 3, #14-19 (Feb.–July 1999) during which its power was internalized within the Red Skull and then stolen by Korvac and taken to an alternate 31st Century Earth before being returned to the Red Skull on present-day Earth after which it was seemingly destroyed again by exposure to anti-matter energy.
Doctor Doom
acquires the Cosmic Cube in the Fantastic Four
limited-series The World's Greatest Comics Magazine (2001). Doom uses a time machine to get the Cube from the ocean floor from when Red Skull
had lost it in a battle with Captain America
.
A Cube — together with 11 other items from Marvel and DC Comics
continuity — was used once again as a plot device in intercompany crossover
series JLA/Avengers
#1-4 (Sept. 2003 – April 2004: bi-monthly).
The cube also shows up in Captain America
vol. 6. Aleksander Lukin
wants the cube and is willing to trade the Red Skull for it. The Red Skull claims he does not have it, but has spies out looking for it. Five years later, the Skull is in New York City
and is in possession of it. General Lukin sent the Winter Soldier
to retrieve the cube from the Skull, and to kill him. The Skull transfers his mind into the body of Lukin through the powers of the Cube.
A fragment of a Cube empowered a new character that featured in a single storyline in Marvel Team-Up
vol. 3, #20-24 (July–Nov. 2006), and a Cube also appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy
vol. 2, #19 (Dec. 2009). The item added a new aspect to the abilities of character the Absorbing Man
in The Mighty Avengers #32-33 (Feb.–March 2010).
), and various other, unnamed civilizations (whose Cubes were gathered/stolen by unknown means by The Magus
in the Infinity War
story arc and The Goddess
in the Infinity Crusade
story arc). These matrices—which may or may not actually be shaped like a cube—are suffused with reality-warping energies of unknown composition that comes from the realm of the Beyonders
.
Unknown to almost everyone in the Marvel Universe, including its creators, the nature of the mysterious energies are such that, after a sufficient but undefined period of time, the matrix will become self-aware and evolve into an independent, free-willed being still possessed of the original Cube's tremendous powers; the new being's overall personality is psychically imprinted with the beliefs, desires, and personalities of those who wielded it as a Cube (e.g., the Shaper of Worlds, wielded for a long time by an insane and warlike Skrull Emperor, immediately destroyed a large portion of the galaxy that it was located in once it became sentient).
On Earth, the Cosmic Cube containment matrix was developed and created by a society of para-military scientists known as A.I.M.
to further their ultimate goal of world conquest. The object is revealed to be so powerful that it drove MODOK
— another A.I.M. creation who assisted with the formation of the Cube — insane. Master villain and former Nazi the Red Skull
obtains the device after taking control of the mind of the A.I.M agent holding it using a handheld device. Although apparently now all-powerful, the Skull became overconfident and was tricked and defeated by hero Captain America
, who pretended to surrender and ask to be the Skull's slave, then knocked the Cube away, causing it to fall into the ocean. It was found by Prince Namor after Hercules accidentally revealed it to him, but while battling the Avengers he lost contact with it, and it fell into the Earth. Mole Man
found it, but threw it away not realizing its true value. Later a shard of the Cube is also used by A.I.M. to power the android known as the Super-Adaptoid
, who is sent in an unsuccessful attempt to kill Captain America.
The Red Skull eventually retrieves the Cube and toys with Captain America, but is defeated when A.I.M. uses an object called the "Catholite Block" to dissolve the cube.
The Cube was eventually found (apparently having reformed) by the Eternal Thanos
who, like the Red Skull, wishes to control the universe (this also attracts the amorous attention of the entity Death
). Although opposed by superhero team the Avengers
and the alien Kree
warrior Captain Mar-Vell
, Thanos becomes supreme when he wills the Cube to make him a part of—and therefore in control of—everything. Thanos discards the Cube, believing it to be drained of power, and is then stripped of the power by a dying Mar-Vell, who shatters the Cube and restores the universe.
Brought to research installation Project: Pegasus
, the Cube was stolen by villain and cult
leader Victorius
, and is used to create the being Jude the Entropic Man
. Both are neutralized when in simultaneous contact with the Cube (and the creature the Man Thing). The Cube is returned to Pegasus by Captain America and the Fantastic Four
member the Thing
where it eventually transforms the alien Wundarr into the entity the Aquarian.
A second cube was created on the Island of Exiles by a team of scientists (including Arnim Zola) working for the Red Skull and the Hate-Monger. Planning to transfer his consciousness into the completed Cube, the Hate-Monger secretly arranged for a distraction in the form of a strike team from the spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D.
attacking the island in an attempt to retrieve the cube. However, the Red Skull was aware of his plans and had kept the fact that the Cube project had succeeded only in creating a perfect prison but had failed to capture the mysterious, omnidimensional x-element which gives the cubes their reality-warping power. As a result, the Hate-Monger's mind was left trapped in a powerless cube in the Red Skull's possession. This Cube was one of the trophies that the Red Skull kept in his home, Skull House.
During a battle to stop A.I.M. from using the Cube once again, Captain America witnesses the Cube evolve into the entity called Kubik
, which becomes a student of the Shaper of Worlds. Kubik returns to Earth when attracted by an anomaly possessing a fraction of its power, revealed to be the robot
the Super Adaptoid. The Adaptoid uses its abilities to "copy" Kubik's abilities and banishes the entity, intent on creating a race in its own image. The Adaptoid, however, is tricked into shutting down by Captain America. Kubik returns and then removes the sliver of the original Cosmic Cube from the Adaptoid that gave the robot its abilities.
Kubik also battles the renegade entity the Beyonder
, and reveals to the entity and former Fantastic Four villain the Molecule Man
that they are in fact both parts of an incomplete Cube, and convinces them to merge their powers. This forms a new being called Kosmos
, who becomes the pupil of Kubik.
The character the Magus
—an evil version of anti-hero Adam Warlock
—acquires five Cosmic Cubes from neighboring universes, with each appearing in a different geometric form. The Magus uses mechanical aids to manipulate the Cubes, as their combined presence would quickly cause permanent brain damage
. The character uses the Cubes to create an evil doppelganger
of almost all of the Marvel heroes and then alters the universe, but is tricked and defeated when acquiring the Infinity Gauntlet
, as the Reality Gem is revealed to be a fake, thus creating a gap in his powers.
Although the Magus is defeated, Warlock's "good side" — the female Goddess
— also appears and wishes to purge the universe of all evil. To do this the character collects 30 containment units, with each storing the power of a Cosmic Cube, and merges them into a "Cosmic Egg". Despite the fact that the Egg can fulfill the Goddess' wishes — although, unlike the Infinity Gauntlet, it has no power over the Soul — the character is defeated by Warlock and Thanos. During this time the two questioned Mephisto
about the origins of the Cubes in exchange for giving a cube to Mephisto, but they were able to cheat the deal by giving Mephisto a drained Cube as he never specified that the Cube had to still be functional.
A third Cosmic Cube was created by an Adaptoid-controlled faction of A.I.M. based on the island of Boca Caliente. This cube was unstable and its reality-warping ability began to leak out onto the surrounding island, creating Cube constructs of anybody that was in the thoughts of nearby people. An Avengers team attempted to stop the cube and the dying Captain America was willing to sacrifice himself to do so. In the end it was an Adaptoid who had been accompanying Captain America and had been impressed by his heroic nature who ended the threat by willingly transforming itself into a non-sentient containment chamber for the cube's energies.
The second Cube was eventually recovered by the KubeKult, fanatical followers of the Hate-Monger, who spied upon the AIM Adaptoids and discovered how to power it. Fearing how the Hate-Monger would punish him for his betrayal, the Red Skull allied himself with then-rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter to kidnap the dying Captain America and restore him to health. Reluctantly working together, the trio invaded a KubeKult base to steal the erratically-functioning Cube but the Red Skull seized it and willed Captain America to be drawn inside it into an artifical reality during World War II and Captain America and Bucky were on a mission to kill Hitler. The Red Skull believed that he would be able to wield the Cube's power only if Captain America killed Hitler's consciousness within the Cube. However, the Bucky within the Cube (actually a projection of Cap's own mind) revealed what was really going on and Captain America was able to will himself out of the Cube. Appearing before the Skull, Captain America threw his shield in such a way that it first severed the Skull's arm, causing him to drop the Cube, and then struck and shattered the cube itself, causing an explosion that seemingly destroyed both itself and the Red Skull.
Months later, the Red Skull reappeared, now with the Cube's power internalized within his body. He was approached by the time-traveller Kang (actually the disguised cosmic entity Korvac
) who told him that the reason he had failed to completely control the Cube's power in the past was because his knowledge of the universe was incomplete. At "Kang's" sugggestion, the Skull willed the starship of Galactus to travel to Earth so he could drain it of the needed information. At the same time, Korvac (now disguised as Uatu the Watcher) appeared to Captain America and Sharon Carter and managed to convince them that the only way to prevent the Skull from becoming unstoppable was for Captain America to kill him during a brief moment of vulnerability. Captain America did so but as the Skull died his body released the Cube energy which flowed into "Uatu" who revealed his true identity and used his now-inceased power to return to his alternate 31st Century Earth to conquer it. However, Captain America followed him and fought him repeatedly, with Korvac rebooting the 31st Century reality each time Captain America disturbed his perfectly-ordered machine world. Eventually, Captain America managed to convince Korvac that the reason he was able to achieve anything at all against Korvac was due there being too much humanity left within Korvac when he acquired the Cube power. Accordingly, Korvac transported himself and Captain America back to just before the Skull died but this time Captain America did not strike the fatal blow. Vulnerable to the Skull's power, Korvac teleported himself, Captain America and Carter aboard the starship but the Skull soon found him and scattered Korvac across six dimensions. Soon afterwards, the Skull was tricked by Captain America into entering an anti-matter energy beam within the starship's engine room which separated the Cube energy from him. Before the energy dissipated, Captain America and the Skull were each able to use its wish-granting ability to save themselves and Carter from death.
A Cosmic Cube was one of the twelve items of power sought by superhero teams the Avengers
and the Justice League of America
when they competed against each other in a game organized by entities Krona
and the Grandmaster, during which Green Lantern
Kyle Rayner
was able to use the Cube as a substitute power source for his power ring when his usual battery had been stolen, Batman
briefly attempting to use the Cube to end the game — having been filled in on its capabilities by Captain America — before Grandmaster took it from him.
The Red Skull has finally created one by using pieces of the previous Cubes and Aleksander Lukin wants it as bad. The Red Skull is assassinated by the one person that Lukin was willing to trade for the Cube — the Winter Soldier. In the process of being assassinated, the Skull uses the Cube's power to transfer his mind into the body of Lukin for some time.
A youth called Curtis Doyle becomes the hero Freedom Ring
when he finds a fragment of the original Cube in the form of a ring, which allows the altering of reality in a very limited area. The character dies in battle saving Captain America, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman
, and Wolverine
from the villain Iron Maniac. The ring is later found by a friend of Doyle.
The powerful entity D'Spayre
attempted to enhance his power by using a Cosmic Cube to enhance his powers to draw on the grief of the general public in the aftermath of Captain America
's assassination, only for his use of the Cube to have an apparently unintended side-effect when it granted the 'wish' of those who wanted Captain America back by drawing the Invaders
into the present. He was defeated in a confrontation with the New Avengers when Echo proved immune to his powers due to her deafness
, allowing her to take the Cube from him.
A cube is also given to Guardians of the Galaxy member Star-Lord
by time-traveling villain Kang the Conqueror
to use against Adam Warlock
's evil alter ego
, the Magus
. However, Magus altered perception to make it seem like the cube's power was used up. Star-Lord used the cube's last bit of energy for real by subduing the reborn Thanos, rendering it a "cosmic paperweight".
The villain the Absorbing Man
becomes capable of assimilating the abilities of a fraction of a Cube. He is stopped by criminal mastermind Norman Osborn
, who uses a magical sword (provided by the Asgardian god Loki) to neutralize the Absorbing Man's abilities.
imprint
alternate universe
title Ultimate Fantastic Four
, Mister Fantastic
builds a "cuboid volitional lattice" courtesy of a deliberate, subconscious suggestion from the Ultimate version of the Titan Thanos
. Another version of the Cube exists as a creation of A.I.M.
under the employ of the Red Skull
, which they stole blueprints of from the Fantastic Four
's recently abandoned Baxter Building
.
is creating a Cosmic Cube for HYDRA
. Later, MODOK reveals that A.I.M.'s plan was to use the Cosmic Cube project as a smoke screen to swindle money out of HYDRA. But when an A.I.M. scientist tells MODOK that the Cosmic Cube might be an unintended success, A.I.M. returns the money to HYDRA, intending to keep such a powerful weapon to themselves. This displeases Baron Strucker
, who is able to see through their lies about the project being a failure. A war for possession of the cube erupts between A.I.M. and HYDRA in the subsequent episode "Hail, Hydra", forcing the Avengers to become involved. The clash ends when Captain America and Baron Strucker seize the cube simultaneously and nothing appears to happen. But unknown to the heroes, the Cosmic Cube actually acts upon Captain America's desires and returns his deceased sidekick Bucky
to life.
:
, Magneto
, and the Red Skull
, each of whom uses it to create his own unique version of a perfect world.
Tesseract
In geometry, the tesseract, also called an 8-cell or regular octachoron or cubic prism, is the four-dimensional analog of the cube. The tesseract is to the cube as the cube is to the square. Just as the surface of the cube consists of 6 square faces, the hypersurface of the tesseract consists of 8...
in the film Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
, is the name of a fictional object that appears in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. The concept was created by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
and first appeared in Tales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense is the name of an American comic book series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such artists as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Don Heck, then featured...
#79 (July 1966).
Publication history
The first Cosmic Cube appeared in a story in Tales of SuspenseTales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense is the name of an American comic book series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such artists as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Don Heck, then featured...
#79-81 (July–Sept. 1966), established as a device created by A.I.M.
Advanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
and capable of transforming any wish
Wish
A wish is a hope or desire for something. Fictionally, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used.-In literature:...
into reality, irrespective of the consequences. The Cube was also a plot device in a story that introduced the character of the Super-Adaptoid
Super-Adaptoid
The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first Super-Adaptoid appeared in Tales of Suspense #82 The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first...
in Tales of Suspense #82-84 (Oct.–Dec. 1966).
The Cube reappeared in Captain America #115-120 (July–Dec. 1969), and featured in an epic cosmic storyline that starred arch-villain Thanos
Thanos
Thanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books and other media published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin....
in Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
#107 (Jan. 1974) and Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics)
Captain Marvel is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Most of these versions exist in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe.- Publication history :...
#25-33 (March 1972 – July 1974: bi-monthly). Retrieved after Thanos' defeat, this original cube featured in several Project Pegasus
Project Pegasus
Project Pegasus is a fictional scientific base in the Marvel Comics universe which has been the location of a variety of stories for superheroes and supervillains, most notably in the title Marvel Two-in-One...
stories in Marvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-In-One was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel...
#42-43 (Aug.–Sept. 1978), Marvel Two-in-One #57-58 (Dec. 1979 – Jan. 1980), and Marvel Team-Up Annual #5 (1982).
The creation of a second cube was shown in Super-Villain Team-Up #16-17 (May 1979, June 1980) but this cube was initially powerless and did not gain any reality-altering ability until years after its creation.
A major element was added to the Cube's origin — that each is in fact an evolving sentient being — in Captain America Annual #7 (1983). The sentient Cube returned in Avengers #289-290 (March–April 1988) to end the threat of the Super-Adaptoid
Super-Adaptoid
The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first Super-Adaptoid appeared in Tales of Suspense #82 The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first...
(itself originally empowered by a "shard" of a Cosmic Cube), and then in Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
#319 (Oct. 1988). This story revealed that the villain the Molecule Man
Molecule Man
Molecule Man is a fictional character, a supervillain or reluctant hero in the Marvel Comics universe, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four vol. 1, #20.-1960s:...
had ties to the Cube and introduced a new character.
The limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
Infinity War
Infinity War
The Infinity War is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in 1992. The series was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Ron Lim, Ian Laughlin, Al Milgrom, Jack Morelli and Christie Scheele....
#1-6 (June–Nov. 1992) and Infinity Crusade
Infinity Crusade
Infinity Crusade is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in 1993. The series was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Ron Lim, Ian Laughlin, Al Milgrom and Jack Morelli....
#1-6 (June–Nov. 1993) established that the items actually exist in a variety of geometric forms.
A third Cosmic Cube was created during the "Taking A.I.M." storyline that ran through Avengers vol. 1, #386-388 (May-July, 1995) and Captain America vol. 2, #440-441 (June-July, 1995). This unstable cube hasn't been seen since it was sealed in a containment chamber at the conclusion of the storyline.
The previously-powerless second Cosmic Cube finally gained an ability to alter reality in Captain America vol. 2, #445-448 (November, 1995–February, 1996) but it was unstable and exploded at the end of that storyline. The second cube's power reappeared in a storyline in Captain America vol. 3, #14-19 (Feb.–July 1999) during which its power was internalized within the Red Skull and then stolen by Korvac and taken to an alternate 31st Century Earth before being returned to the Red Skull on present-day Earth after which it was seemingly destroyed again by exposure to anti-matter energy.
Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
acquires the Cosmic Cube in the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
limited-series The World's Greatest Comics Magazine (2001). Doom uses a time machine to get the Cube from the ocean floor from when Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
had lost it in a battle with Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
.
A Cube — together with 11 other items from Marvel and DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
continuity — was used once again as a plot device in intercompany crossover
Intercompany crossover
In comic books, an intercompany crossover is a comic or series of comics where characters published by one company meet those published by another...
series JLA/Avengers
JLA/Avengers
JLA/Avengers is a comic book limited series and crossover published in prestige format by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from September 2003 to May 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, with art by George Pérez...
#1-4 (Sept. 2003 – April 2004: bi-monthly).
The cube also shows up in Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
vol. 6. Aleksander Lukin
Aleksander Lukin
Aleksander Lukin is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics who exists in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in Captain America #1, and was created by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting.-Fictional character biography:...
wants the cube and is willing to trade the Red Skull for it. The Red Skull claims he does not have it, but has spies out looking for it. Five years later, the Skull is in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and is in possession of it. General Lukin sent the Winter Soldier
Bucky
Bucky is the name of several fictional characters, masked superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. The original, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as a sidekick character in Captain America Comics #1 , published by Marvel's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics...
to retrieve the cube from the Skull, and to kill him. The Skull transfers his mind into the body of Lukin through the powers of the Cube.
A fragment of a Cube empowered a new character that featured in a single storyline in Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story...
vol. 3, #20-24 (July–Nov. 2006), and a Cube also appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy
The original Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Guardians first appear in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 .-Publication history:...
vol. 2, #19 (Dec. 2009). The item added a new aspect to the abilities of character the Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man
The Absorbing Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #114 The Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first...
in The Mighty Avengers #32-33 (Feb.–March 2010).
Fictional history
The Cosmic Cube is actually a containment device created by various civilizations throughout the Marvel Universe at various times, including the Skrulls (creators of the Cube that would eventually evolve into the Shaper of WorldsShaper of Worlds
The Shaper of Worlds is a fictional character of the Marvel Comics Universe.-Publication history:The Shaper of Worlds was created by Archie Goodwin and Herb Trimpe, and first appeared in Incredible Hulk #155...
), and various other, unnamed civilizations (whose Cubes were gathered/stolen by unknown means by The Magus
Magus (comics)
The Magus is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. He is an evil version of the hero Adam Warlock.-Publication history:The Magus was created by Jim Starlin, and appears as an image in Strange Tales vol...
in the Infinity War
Infinity War
The Infinity War is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in 1992. The series was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Ron Lim, Ian Laughlin, Al Milgrom, Jack Morelli and Christie Scheele....
story arc and The Goddess
Goddess (comics)
The Goddess is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The name is assumed by the "feminine, self-aware" supposedly "good" aspect of Adam Warlock, subconsciously exiled from his psyche whilst he was in possession of the Infinity Gauntlet...
in the Infinity Crusade
Infinity Crusade
Infinity Crusade is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in 1993. The series was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Ron Lim, Ian Laughlin, Al Milgrom and Jack Morelli....
story arc). These matrices—which may or may not actually be shaped like a cube—are suffused with reality-warping energies of unknown composition that comes from the realm of the Beyonders
Beyonders
The Beyonders are an enigmatic and virtually omnipotent extradimensional race in the fictional Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The Beyonders were first mentioned in the team-up comic Marvel Two-in-One #63 , by Mark Gruenwald and Jerry Bingham...
.
Unknown to almost everyone in the Marvel Universe, including its creators, the nature of the mysterious energies are such that, after a sufficient but undefined period of time, the matrix will become self-aware and evolve into an independent, free-willed being still possessed of the original Cube's tremendous powers; the new being's overall personality is psychically imprinted with the beliefs, desires, and personalities of those who wielded it as a Cube (e.g., the Shaper of Worlds, wielded for a long time by an insane and warlike Skrull Emperor, immediately destroyed a large portion of the galaxy that it was located in once it became sentient).
On Earth, the Cosmic Cube containment matrix was developed and created by a society of para-military scientists known as A.I.M.
Advanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
to further their ultimate goal of world conquest. The object is revealed to be so powerful that it drove MODOK
MODOK
MODOK is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #93 MODOK (acronym for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
— another A.I.M. creation who assisted with the formation of the Cube — insane. Master villain and former Nazi the Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
obtains the device after taking control of the mind of the A.I.M agent holding it using a handheld device. Although apparently now all-powerful, the Skull became overconfident and was tricked and defeated by hero Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, who pretended to surrender and ask to be the Skull's slave, then knocked the Cube away, causing it to fall into the ocean. It was found by Prince Namor after Hercules accidentally revealed it to him, but while battling the Avengers he lost contact with it, and it fell into the Earth. Mole Man
Mole Man
The Mole Man is a comic book supervillain that exists in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #1, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
found it, but threw it away not realizing its true value. Later a shard of the Cube is also used by A.I.M. to power the android known as the Super-Adaptoid
Super-Adaptoid
The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first Super-Adaptoid appeared in Tales of Suspense #82 The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first...
, who is sent in an unsuccessful attempt to kill Captain America.
The Red Skull eventually retrieves the Cube and toys with Captain America, but is defeated when A.I.M. uses an object called the "Catholite Block" to dissolve the cube.
The Cube was eventually found (apparently having reformed) by the Eternal Thanos
Thanos
Thanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books and other media published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin....
who, like the Red Skull, wishes to control the universe (this also attracts the amorous attention of the entity Death
Death (Marvel Comics)
Death is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain Marvel #27 Death is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain Marvel #27 Death is a fictional...
). Although opposed by superhero team the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
and the alien Kree
Kree
The Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud...
warrior Captain Mar-Vell
Mar-Vell
Captain Marvel is a fictional character owned by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and designed by artist Gene Colan and first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) is a fictional character owned by Marvel Comics. The character was created...
, Thanos becomes supreme when he wills the Cube to make him a part of—and therefore in control of—everything. Thanos discards the Cube, believing it to be drained of power, and is then stripped of the power by a dying Mar-Vell, who shatters the Cube and restores the universe.
Brought to research installation Project: Pegasus
Project Pegasus
Project Pegasus is a fictional scientific base in the Marvel Comics universe which has been the location of a variety of stories for superheroes and supervillains, most notably in the title Marvel Two-in-One...
, the Cube was stolen by villain and cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
leader Victorius
Victorius (comics)
Victorius is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.Victor Conrad was a scientist working for A.I.M. who succeeded in duplicating the Super-Soldier Serum which had transformed Steve Rogers into Captain America. Conrad drank the serum himself and became a physically perfect human being. ...
, and is used to create the being Jude the Entropic Man
Jude the Entropic Man
Jude the Entropic Man is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Jude the Entropic Man appeared in Marvel Two-In-One #42-43 , and was created by Ralph Macchio and Sal Buscema....
. Both are neutralized when in simultaneous contact with the Cube (and the creature the Man Thing). The Cube is returned to Pegasus by Captain America and the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
member the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
where it eventually transforms the alien Wundarr into the entity the Aquarian.
A second cube was created on the Island of Exiles by a team of scientists (including Arnim Zola) working for the Red Skull and the Hate-Monger. Planning to transfer his consciousness into the completed Cube, the Hate-Monger secretly arranged for a distraction in the form of a strike team from the spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
attacking the island in an attempt to retrieve the cube. However, the Red Skull was aware of his plans and had kept the fact that the Cube project had succeeded only in creating a perfect prison but had failed to capture the mysterious, omnidimensional x-element which gives the cubes their reality-warping power. As a result, the Hate-Monger's mind was left trapped in a powerless cube in the Red Skull's possession. This Cube was one of the trophies that the Red Skull kept in his home, Skull House.
During a battle to stop A.I.M. from using the Cube once again, Captain America witnesses the Cube evolve into the entity called Kubik
Kubik
Kubik is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears as a Cosmic Cube in Tales of Suspense #79 , and as Kubik in Avengers #289...
, which becomes a student of the Shaper of Worlds. Kubik returns to Earth when attracted by an anomaly possessing a fraction of its power, revealed to be the robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
the Super Adaptoid. The Adaptoid uses its abilities to "copy" Kubik's abilities and banishes the entity, intent on creating a race in its own image. The Adaptoid, however, is tricked into shutting down by Captain America. Kubik returns and then removes the sliver of the original Cosmic Cube from the Adaptoid that gave the robot its abilities.
Kubik also battles the renegade entity the Beyonder
Beyonder
The Beyonder is a fictional character in . Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the immensely powerful Beyonder first appeared in Secret Wars vol. 1 #1 as an unseen force. He reappears in Secret Wars II #1 , which was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom.-Publication history:The Beyonder was a...
, and reveals to the entity and former Fantastic Four villain the Molecule Man
Molecule Man
Molecule Man is a fictional character, a supervillain or reluctant hero in the Marvel Comics universe, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four vol. 1, #20.-1960s:...
that they are in fact both parts of an incomplete Cube, and convinces them to merge their powers. This forms a new being called Kosmos
Kosmos (Marvel Comics)
Kosmos is a character in the Marvel Comics universe, a fusion of the Beyonder and Molecule Man, who are apparently parts of a Cosmic Cube, and cared for by Kubik....
, who becomes the pupil of Kubik.
The character the Magus
Magus (comics)
The Magus is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. He is an evil version of the hero Adam Warlock.-Publication history:The Magus was created by Jim Starlin, and appears as an image in Strange Tales vol...
—an evil version of anti-hero Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #66 and #67 Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel...
—acquires five Cosmic Cubes from neighboring universes, with each appearing in a different geometric form. The Magus uses mechanical aids to manipulate the Cubes, as their combined presence would quickly cause permanent brain damage
Brain damage
"Brain damage" or "brain injury" is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors...
. The character uses the Cubes to create an evil doppelganger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
of almost all of the Marvel heroes and then alters the universe, but is tricked and defeated when acquiring the Infinity Gauntlet
Infinity Gems
Infinity Gems, sometimes referred to as the Soul Gems, are six immensely powerful gems featured in the fictional Marvel Universe. Whoever holds all six gems in the Infinity Gauntlet gains omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and God-like power, and has absolute dominion over the universe...
, as the Reality Gem is revealed to be a fake, thus creating a gap in his powers.
Although the Magus is defeated, Warlock's "good side" — the female Goddess
Goddess (comics)
The Goddess is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The name is assumed by the "feminine, self-aware" supposedly "good" aspect of Adam Warlock, subconsciously exiled from his psyche whilst he was in possession of the Infinity Gauntlet...
— also appears and wishes to purge the universe of all evil. To do this the character collects 30 containment units, with each storing the power of a Cosmic Cube, and merges them into a "Cosmic Egg". Despite the fact that the Egg can fulfill the Goddess' wishes — although, unlike the Infinity Gauntlet, it has no power over the Soul — the character is defeated by Warlock and Thanos. During this time the two questioned Mephisto
Mephisto (comics)
Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...
about the origins of the Cubes in exchange for giving a cube to Mephisto, but they were able to cheat the deal by giving Mephisto a drained Cube as he never specified that the Cube had to still be functional.
A third Cosmic Cube was created by an Adaptoid-controlled faction of A.I.M. based on the island of Boca Caliente. This cube was unstable and its reality-warping ability began to leak out onto the surrounding island, creating Cube constructs of anybody that was in the thoughts of nearby people. An Avengers team attempted to stop the cube and the dying Captain America was willing to sacrifice himself to do so. In the end it was an Adaptoid who had been accompanying Captain America and had been impressed by his heroic nature who ended the threat by willingly transforming itself into a non-sentient containment chamber for the cube's energies.
The second Cube was eventually recovered by the KubeKult, fanatical followers of the Hate-Monger, who spied upon the AIM Adaptoids and discovered how to power it. Fearing how the Hate-Monger would punish him for his betrayal, the Red Skull allied himself with then-rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter to kidnap the dying Captain America and restore him to health. Reluctantly working together, the trio invaded a KubeKult base to steal the erratically-functioning Cube but the Red Skull seized it and willed Captain America to be drawn inside it into an artifical reality during World War II and Captain America and Bucky were on a mission to kill Hitler. The Red Skull believed that he would be able to wield the Cube's power only if Captain America killed Hitler's consciousness within the Cube. However, the Bucky within the Cube (actually a projection of Cap's own mind) revealed what was really going on and Captain America was able to will himself out of the Cube. Appearing before the Skull, Captain America threw his shield in such a way that it first severed the Skull's arm, causing him to drop the Cube, and then struck and shattered the cube itself, causing an explosion that seemingly destroyed both itself and the Red Skull.
Months later, the Red Skull reappeared, now with the Cube's power internalized within his body. He was approached by the time-traveller Kang (actually the disguised cosmic entity Korvac
Korvac
Michael Korvac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Giant-Size Defenders #3 Michael Korvac (often called Korvac or The Enemy) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
) who told him that the reason he had failed to completely control the Cube's power in the past was because his knowledge of the universe was incomplete. At "Kang's" sugggestion, the Skull willed the starship of Galactus to travel to Earth so he could drain it of the needed information. At the same time, Korvac (now disguised as Uatu the Watcher) appeared to Captain America and Sharon Carter and managed to convince them that the only way to prevent the Skull from becoming unstoppable was for Captain America to kill him during a brief moment of vulnerability. Captain America did so but as the Skull died his body released the Cube energy which flowed into "Uatu" who revealed his true identity and used his now-inceased power to return to his alternate 31st Century Earth to conquer it. However, Captain America followed him and fought him repeatedly, with Korvac rebooting the 31st Century reality each time Captain America disturbed his perfectly-ordered machine world. Eventually, Captain America managed to convince Korvac that the reason he was able to achieve anything at all against Korvac was due there being too much humanity left within Korvac when he acquired the Cube power. Accordingly, Korvac transported himself and Captain America back to just before the Skull died but this time Captain America did not strike the fatal blow. Vulnerable to the Skull's power, Korvac teleported himself, Captain America and Carter aboard the starship but the Skull soon found him and scattered Korvac across six dimensions. Soon afterwards, the Skull was tricked by Captain America into entering an anti-matter energy beam within the starship's engine room which separated the Cube energy from him. Before the energy dissipated, Captain America and the Skull were each able to use its wish-granting ability to save themselves and Carter from death.
A Cosmic Cube was one of the twelve items of power sought by superhero teams the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
and the Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
when they competed against each other in a game organized by entities Krona
Krona (comics)
Krona is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Green Lantern #40 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane.-Fictional character biography:...
and the Grandmaster, during which Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
was able to use the Cube as a substitute power source for his power ring when his usual battery had been stolen, Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
briefly attempting to use the Cube to end the game — having been filled in on its capabilities by Captain America — before Grandmaster took it from him.
The Red Skull has finally created one by using pieces of the previous Cubes and Aleksander Lukin wants it as bad. The Red Skull is assassinated by the one person that Lukin was willing to trade for the Cube — the Winter Soldier. In the process of being assassinated, the Skull uses the Cube's power to transfer his mind into the body of Lukin for some time.
A youth called Curtis Doyle becomes the hero Freedom Ring
Freedom Ring
Freedom Ring is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, created by writer Robert Kirkman. Curtis first appeared in Marvel Team-Up vol. 3 #20, becoming Freedom Ring in the next issue. He appeared across the series' storyline "Freedom Ring" for five issues...
when he finds a fragment of the original Cube in the form of a ring, which allows the altering of reality in a very limited area. The character dies in battle saving Captain America, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman is the codename of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Marvel Comics' then-publisher Stan Lee, said in 1978, shortly after Spider-Woman's debut in Marvel Spotlight #32 Spider-Woman is the codename of several fictional characters...
, and Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
from the villain Iron Maniac. The ring is later found by a friend of Doyle.
The powerful entity D'Spayre
D'Spayre
D'Spayre is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a demon, and was one of the Fear Lords. He has been opposed by Spider-Man, the Scarlet Spider, Man-Thing, Cyclops, the Juggernaut, Doctor Strange, Cloak & Dagger, and the New Avengers. He first appeared in Marvel Team-Up v1 #68...
attempted to enhance his power by using a Cosmic Cube to enhance his powers to draw on the grief of the general public in the aftermath of Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
's assassination, only for his use of the Cube to have an apparently unintended side-effect when it granted the 'wish' of those who wanted Captain America back by drawing the Invaders
Invaders (comics)
The Invaders is the name of two fictional superhero teams in the . The original team was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema in The Avengers #71 . A present-day incarnation was introduced by writer Chuck Austen and artist Scott Kolins in The Avengers vol...
into the present. He was defeated in a confrontation with the New Avengers when Echo proved immune to his powers due to her deafness
Hearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
, allowing her to take the Cube from him.
A cube is also given to Guardians of the Galaxy member Star-Lord
Star-Lord
Star-Lord is the name of three fictional characters that appear in publications from by Marvel Comics.The first Star-Lord was Peter Quill, who first appeared in Marvel Preview #4 , and was created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan...
by time-traveling villain Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #8 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
to use against Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #66 and #67 Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel...
's evil alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
, the Magus
Magus (comics)
The Magus is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. He is an evil version of the hero Adam Warlock.-Publication history:The Magus was created by Jim Starlin, and appears as an image in Strange Tales vol...
. However, Magus altered perception to make it seem like the cube's power was used up. Star-Lord used the cube's last bit of energy for real by subduing the reborn Thanos, rendering it a "cosmic paperweight".
The villain the Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man
The Absorbing Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #114 The Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first...
becomes capable of assimilating the abilities of a fraction of a Cube. He is stopped by criminal mastermind Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
, who uses a magical sword (provided by the Asgardian god Loki) to neutralize the Absorbing Man's abilities.
Other versions
In the Ultimate MarvelUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
alternate universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
title Ultimate Fantastic Four
Ultimate Fantastic Four
Ultimate Fantastic Four is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Fantastic Four comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
, Mister Fantastic
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
builds a "cuboid volitional lattice" courtesy of a deliberate, subconscious suggestion from the Ultimate version of the Titan Thanos
Thanos
Thanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books and other media published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin....
. Another version of the Cube exists as a creation of A.I.M.
Advanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
under the employ of the Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
, which they stole blueprints of from the Fantastic Four
Ultimate Fantastic Four
Ultimate Fantastic Four is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Fantastic Four comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
's recently abandoned Baxter Building
Baxter Building
The Baxter Building is a fictitious 35-story office building in Manhattan whose five upper floors house the Fantastic Four's headquarters in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
.
Television
In the animated series Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episode "Everything is Wonderful", it is revealed that A.I.M.Advanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
is creating a Cosmic Cube for HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
. Later, MODOK reveals that A.I.M.'s plan was to use the Cosmic Cube project as a smoke screen to swindle money out of HYDRA. But when an A.I.M. scientist tells MODOK that the Cosmic Cube might be an unintended success, A.I.M. returns the money to HYDRA, intending to keep such a powerful weapon to themselves. This displeases Baron Strucker
Baron Strucker
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker is a fictional character created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #5...
, who is able to see through their lies about the project being a failure. A war for possession of the cube erupts between A.I.M. and HYDRA in the subsequent episode "Hail, Hydra", forcing the Avengers to become involved. The clash ends when Captain America and Baron Strucker seize the cube simultaneously and nothing appears to happen. But unknown to the heroes, the Cosmic Cube actually acts upon Captain America's desires and returns his deceased sidekick Bucky
Bucky
Bucky is the name of several fictional characters, masked superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. The original, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as a sidekick character in Captain America Comics #1 , published by Marvel's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics...
to life.
Film
The Cosmic Cube appears in several films set in the Marvel Cinematic UniverseMarvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a shared fictional universe that is the setting of superhero films independently developed by Marvel Studios, based on characters published in Marvel Comics. The setting is much like the Marvel Universe in comic books. The universe was established by crossing over...
:
- A hypercubeHypercubeIn geometry, a hypercube is an n-dimensional analogue of a square and a cube . It is a closed, compact, convex figure whose 1-skeleton consists of groups of opposite parallel line segments aligned in each of the space's dimensions, perpendicular to each other and of the same length.An...
is seen in Howard StarkHoward StarkHoward Stark is a fictional person in the . He is the father of Tony Stark and the founder of Stark Industries. His name came from Howard Hughes, whom he was named after. -Biography:...
's notes (flipped through by Tony StarkIron ManIron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
) in Iron Man 2Iron Man 2Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
. - The Cosmic Cube is seen briefly in the film ThorThor (film)Thor is a 2011 American superhero film based on the comic book character of the same name published by Marvel Comics. It is the fourth film released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
in a post-credits scenePost-credits sceneA post-credits scene is a short clip that appears after some or all of the closing credits of a film have run...
. Nick FuryNick FuryColonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
shows the box to Erik Selvig (controlled by LokiLoki (comics)Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
) who asks what it is, to which Fury replies "unlimited power". - The Cosmic Cube — known in the film as the seemingly magical "tesseractTesseractIn geometry, the tesseract, also called an 8-cell or regular octachoron or cubic prism, is the four-dimensional analog of the cube. The tesseract is to the cube as the cube is to the square. Just as the surface of the cube consists of 6 square faces, the hypersurface of the tesseract consists of 8...
" — is involved in HYDRA's plan for world domination in Captain America: The First AvengerCaptain America: The First AvengerCaptain America: The First Avenger is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
. During World War II, Johann SchmidtRed SkullThe Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
captures the cube in Tønsberg, Norway, claiming that it is "the jewel of Odin's treasure room." Schmidt and scientist Arnim ZolaArnim ZolaArnim Zola is a fictional character a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a master of biochemistry, and frequent foe of Captain America and the Avengers.-Publication history:...
harness the power of the tesseract to be used as weapons against the Allies. Captain America foils Schmidt's plan to use the tesseract to launch an aerial attack on the United States, and Schmidt disintegrates into light that shoots into space when he touches the Cube. After Captain America crashes Schmidt's plane, the Cube is recovered by Howard Stark.
Novels
A flawed cosmic cube is the main plot device in Steven A. Roman's Chaos Engine novel series, with the object passing between super-villains Doctor DoomDoctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
, Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
, and the Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
, each of whom uses it to create his own unique version of a perfect world.
External links
- Cosmic Cube at the Marvel Database Project