Warning: MAJOR spoilers ahead for Marvel’s Infinity Watch #1
Marvelhas just made a shocking change to its cosmic lore, confirmingwhich of the Infinity Stones is the most powerful– proving it is not the oneThanosthinks it is. Though theMad Titan previously cited the Time Stoneas the most dangerous of the set, the debut issue of the newInfinity Watchseries declares that,in fact, the Mind Stone is the most essential.
Infinity Watch#1 – written by Derek Landy, with art by Ruairí Coleman – ends with a shocking cliffhanger, as the final page reveals that new antagonist Avery Zavalahas killed Colleen Wing, the bearer of the Mind Stone, and claimed it for himself.
With this, Zavala threatens to overwrite Marvel’s mainstream universe with his own home reality, and previews for the next issue suggest his first step toward achieving this goal will be to turnPhil Coulson, now Marvel’s avatar of Death, against his friendsand allies.
Infinity Watch#1 – Written By Derek Landy; Art By Ruairí Coleman; Ink By Scott Hanna; Color By Brian Reber; Lettering By Corey Petit
Colleen Wing’s violent death will have a huge impact on Marvel readers in its own right; the character has steadily grown into a fan-favorite over the years, and her inclusion among theInfinity Watchroster was considered to be her opportunity for a breakout storyline. Given the cosmic scope of the plot, however, combined with the superheroic tendency to circumvent mortality, readers must wait forInfinity Watch#2 before judging this creative decision. It is 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 Mind Stone’s supremacy is at the crux of the plot, rather than a throwaway assertion, suggests that this can be taken as Marvel’s official position.
That is becauseInfinity Watch#1 makes apivotal change to Marvel canon,establishing the Mind Stone as the greatest of the Infinity Stones.In the issue, Colleen Wing’s killer targets her first because she wields the Mind Stone, and by claiming it for himself, he can in turn make himself the master of the rest. The fact that the Mind Stone’s supremacy is at the crux of the plot, rather than a throwaway assertion, suggests that this can be taken as Marvel’s official position. Whereas, early stories hadcharacters, including Thanos, express their “in-universe” opinion of the strongest Stone.
Who Is Colleen Wing’s Killer, Avery Zavala, And Can His Take On The Strongest Infinity Stone Be Trusted?
Marvel Is Rewriting The Infinity Stones' Role In The Universe
Avery Zavala is a rare, truly new character in the Marvel Universe, and his introduction has already made him one of the most dangerous figures in Marvel canon right now. Zavala reveals his identity to the team inInfinity Watch#1, claiming to be a Stone-bearer like them, from one of the fewalternate timelines in the Marvel Multiversethat also has Infinity Stones. Zavala further states that a force called the 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 his allies' lost souls.
Like with the death, or survival, of Colleen Wing, readers will have to stick withInfinity Watchto find out if the assertion that the Mind Stone is the most powerful actually proves to be true.
When the Infinity Watch hesitate to “play God,“Zavala quickly turns on them, reverting to his “Plan B” – to take the Stones from the Watch, and use them to overwrite the mainstream Marvel Universe, replacing it with his own.However, given that Zavala had already killed Colleen Wing and stolen the Mind Stone before he even appealed to the team to help him with “Plan A,” readers should question the extent to which Zavala truly anticipated that he wouldn’t 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. Like with the death, or survival, of Colleen Wing, readers will have to stick withInfinity Watchto find out if the assertion that the Mind Stone is the most powerful actually proves to be true in the long-run. The advanced previews for the upcoming second issue lend credence to this theory, though, as it seems the Watch will be pushed to the brink of destruction.
The Second Issue Of “Infinity Watch” Just Became One Of Marvel’s Most Highly Anticipated Upcoming Releases
Infinity Watch#2 – Available June 12, 2025 From Marvel Comics
The cover forInfinity Watch#2 shows Phil Coulson standing over the slain bodies of the rest of the Watch, while the synopsis for the issue ominously asks whether Zavala has “mastered Phil Coulson, a.k.a. DEATH HIMSELF?!” The implication here is that, using the Mind Stone, Zavala will turn Coulson and his Death Stone against the Watch to eliminate them. Then, he can presumably take out Coulson himself, and the Infinity Stones will be entirely in his possession – making him a threat on an order of magnitude greater than even theStones' most infamous pursuer, Thanos.
Thanos Nabs Shocking New Title, Making Him Marvel’s Most Powerful Villain (Again)
As the Phoenix continues to rise as a cosmic hero, Thanos has moved back into position as Marvel’s #1 villain, setting them on a collision course.
Given the fact thatInfinity Watchis chronicling the adventures of Marvel’s newest, most cosmically-powerful superteam, it is highly unlikely that this story will end in their defeat. The real question is how they will surmount this incredible first challenge in the short-term, and in the longer-term, whether Avery Zavala will become a permanent fixture inthe mainstream Marvel Universe, and a perennial threat to its security. For now, readers can dissectMarvel’slatest change to Infinity Stone lore, including its implications for futureThanosstories.
Infinity Watch#1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Thanos
Hailing from the planet Titan, Thanos is a primary antagonist throughout the canon of Marvel Comics. First appearing in The Invincible Iron Man, Thanos is a powerful and calculating warlord primarily concerned with earning the affection of Death herself. In many of his tales, Thanos seeks to gather the six infinity stones in order to lay waste to half of all life in the universe.
