Chapter 151: Chapter 146
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Moreover, this spoiler immediately reminded Thor. Indeed, there is a massive golden glove stored in the vault of Asgard, adorned with several colorful gems! Thor had not paid much attention to it in the past—after all, there are many treasures in Asgard's vault, and he did not understand each one in detail, more so just a general impression. But now it seems, that glove must be the Infinity Gauntlet! And if that's the case, wouldn't the gems on the back of the glove be the Infinity Stones? So, the Infinity Stones mentioned in the journal, wielding immense power, have been in Asgard all along?
But that's not right! After more careful consideration, Thor's brow furrowed slightly. The journal said that his father Odin had given up collecting the Infinity Stones. Yet he clearly remembers that the gauntlet was already filled with Infinity Stones! Could it be that besides those on the gauntlet, there exist other Infinity Stones in the universe? But this also seems off. After all, just from the name "Infinity Gauntlet" and "Infinity Stones," it's obvious that the gauntlet and stones are meant to complement each other. If the slots on the gauntlet designated for the stones are already filled, doesn't that imply the collection is complete? Did Zhou Cheng, the owner of the journal, record it wrong, or is it Thor's own conjecture that's mistaken—even with the gauntlet filled, there might still be other stones out there? Thor sees both possibilities.
However, it's impossible to conclude which is correct now. He'll have to wait until he returns to Asgard and ask his father Odin. "The Infinity Gauntlet?" Tony Stark, in front of another journal, suddenly tensed. He noted the key "prop" mentioned in the journal. Though this was the first mention of it in the journal, it was unquestionably crafted to house the Infinity Stones, and the two were meant to be used together. Even the specific usage method, Iron Man surmised quite accurately, is as simple as embedding the stones into the gauntlet. Once the user dons the Infinity Gauntlet, they can wield the power of the Infinity Stones. The logic was so clear and straightforward, almost plainly presented for all to see, with hardly any analysis needed to draw a conclusion.
That's not the problem. The real issue is, since Odin used the Infinity Stones with the help of the Infinity Gauntlet, what about Thanos? Is it the same for him? Due to a lack of understanding of both the Infinity Stones and the Infinity Gauntlet, Iron Man naturally could not judge. However, one thing seems certain: there shouldn't be too many Infinity Stones. After all, they all fit into one gauntlet! Given Thanos' efforts to collect the Infinity Stones, Tony Stark wasn't sure whether this was good or bad news. On one hand, the Infinity Stones grant substantial power, and the more there are, the greater the enhancement. From this perspective, it seems like good news. However, if the number of stones is small, it also means they are easier to collect, which would make it easier for Thanos, and that's not what Iron Man wants to see.
"To fight the Celestial Host, Odin really spared no effort." "It's just unknown whether Odin was aware that Earth now harbors a nascent Celestial Host." "It's a shame Odin died before the emergence of that Celestial Host; probably no one knows the answer now." "But then again, even if Odin knew, what could he do? He was probably powerless to change anything." "Looking at all of Asgard, aside from Odin and Thor, nobody else stood a chance in front of the Celestial Host." "And the prehistoric Avengers who fought against the Celestial Host a million years ago have all passed, leaving only Odin." "What could Odin do? Rely on the current Avengers?"
"Are there really Celestials on Earth?" Tony Stark's brow couldn't help but furrow upon hearing this. After learning more about the Celestial Host from the journal, Iron Man found it hard to appreciate this prestigious race. He even considered the practice of transforming higher beings for experiments to be sinister and deranged. Furthermore, considering the actions of the imperfect Celestial Ego, Iron Man viewed the Celestials as villains. Deep down, Tony Stark did not welcome them. Initially, after learning of the war between Odin and the Celestials, Tony Stark did feel somber, but it was more of an onlooker mindset. After all, that was a million years ago; it was unlikely to have any relation to them. Of course, Ego's time was more recent, but with Star-Lord handling Ego, Tony Stark didn't take it too seriously. But Iron Man never anticipated that other Celestials might still exist on Earth!
Although the journal clarifies it as a "nascent Celestial Host," yet to be born, set to emerge after Odin's death in a future timeline, does that mean Earth might house a "carrier" of the Celestial Host? But that's also incorrect. If so, the journal would have simply stated the existence of a pregnant Celestial on Earth. Why use such odd phrasing like "nascent Celestial Host"? It's as if there were only that single Celestial embryo and no others left on Earth! Maybe, he's overthinking it, unconsciously attributing mammalian reproductive strategies to the Celestial race? Hmm, that's a possibility. After pondering, Tony Stark nodded to himself. Given the level of existence of the Celestials, their methods of survival and reproduction, which the journal didn't disclose, Iron Man could not know. To this formidable race, even if the embryo could survive on its own, it wouldn't be strange.
There was no need to dwell on this; Tony Stark didn't obsess over this train of thought. Instead, he was concerned about why a Celestial embryo would exist on Earth. Why would the Celestials choose Earth to breed their kind?
Looking at the tone of the journal, it seems this nascent pantheon will soon "mature" and truly be born!
This means another pantheon could appear on Earth.
So, the question arises:
What exactly will this pantheon do on Earth?
Will they experiment on humans like the Eternals and the Mutants did?
Or will they proceed with some other actions?
Or perhaps, do nothing at all and just leave?
Tony Stark naturally doesn't have the answers,
but he's vividly aware that if this pantheon wishes to do something, it would be a disaster for the entire Earth!
After all, even Odin, a million years ago, was left with a psychological shadow.
Even Ego, despite being flawed, had the power to consume the entire universe.
The caliber of this pantheon is all too evident.
Just as the journal queries, can the Avengers truly handle a being of this level?
"Prehistoric Avengers?"
"Were there Avengers in prehistoric times?"
Nick Fury, in front of another journal, was genuinely shaken by this revelation.
Since Captain Marvel left Earth, Fury had the idea to form the Avengers to counter extraterrestrial threats.
He had always subconsciously thought of the Avengers as his own "original creation."
But who could've guessed that Avengers existed in prehistoric times?
We're talking about the Stone Age here, when humans were essentially primitive.
Needless to say, this news struck him like a bolt from the blue.
What's more shocking, however, is that according to the tone of the journal, Odin was one of these ancient Avengers!
While we don't know about the others, given that they fought alongside Odin against the pantheon, it's safe to assume their stature wasn't far from Odin's.
This thought alone makes Fury shudder.
These prehistoric Avengers, it seems, were extraordinarily formidable!
Compared to them, the Avengers Fury has assembled seem like child's play.
Of course, that's only for now.
The journal does reveal the future state of the Avengers, including several awe-inspiring figures:
The Scarlet Witch, who could tear through the multiverse after turning dark; Doctor Strange, capable of destroying the universe in his corrupted state; the enigmatic android Vision; and Thor, who almost slew Thanos with all the Infinity Stones, and many others.
There's definitely potential there.
[The current Avengers, too weak to face the pantheon, are nothing but chaff.]
[It's the future Avengers... well, even they stand little chance.]
[Black Widow and Stark have fallen, Captain America and Barton have retired, and Thor has left Earth.]
[Scarlet Witch is trapped in her utopia, Doctor Strange has returned to Kamar-Taj, and Hulk is probably busy training She-Hulk.]
[Although the Avengers haven't formally disbanded, they're nearly in pieces.]
[Even Fury has to resort to the help of Spider-Man, the high school student, to counter the Elemental threat!]
Oh dear!
A twitch of his mouth betrays Tony Stark's concern.
He knows the Avengers will reach a golden era, powerful enough to handle interstellar threats and harboring members of the highest cosmic caliber.
But he's taken aback by the decline that follows this peak.
With his passing and the others retired or gone, doesn't that leave only Dr. Banner from the original team?
And Banner's life seems far from peaceful, training She-Hulk... wait, She-Hulk?
So, Hulk isn't unique?
Aside from Dr. Banner, there's another Hulk?
How did this happen?
Could it be General Ross, or some other ambitious soul attempting to replicate the super soldier serum, or even trying to duplicate Hulk, had succeeded in creating another?
Stark is well aware of the power game in this world and isn't surprised by such a development.
But why would Hulk train She-Hulk?
The journal makes it abundantly clear it's Hulk training her, not Dr. Banner!
Hulk?
Seriously?
Aside from his power to smash everything, he can do more?
Stark, having personally experienced Hulk's rampage, is highly skeptical.
However, if future Hulk can indeed control his anger well enough to train someone, that's undoubtedly a good thing.
It's curious at what point Dr. Banner could achieve such a level of control.
Stark is definitely looking forward to it.
"The Elementals?"
This new term quickly captures Tony Stark's attention.
He hasn't encountered it before; it's a first in the journal.
But from the context, he infers it must be a group wielding elemental powers, which sounds formidable indeed.
Furthermore, Fury evidently believes that Spider-Man has the strength to counter this Elemental threat—and the journal points out that at the time, Spider-Man was still in high school!
A high schooler with such might is indeed remarkable!
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