WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Empyre #2, by Al Ewing, Dan Slott, Valero Schiti, Marte Gracia and VC's Joe Caramagna, available now.
Captain Marvel just received her biggest power boost yet, in the midst of a war. In Empyre #2, Captain Marvel stands between the Cotati (plant-like creatures bent on destruction) and the Skrull/Kree army.
As a show of gratitude, as well as a strong sense of self-preservation, Hulking hands off a very powerful weapon to Carol Danvers: Ronan the Accuser's hammer.
Ronan the Accuser's hammer goes by many names, including the Universal Weapon and the Cosmi-Rod. It's a known weapon of war both in the Marvel Comics Universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Cosmi-Rod is a Kree war-hammer designed for the Accuser Corps -- meaning anyone else who tries to wield it usually faces nasty consequences. However, the weapon already seems attuned to Captain Marvel.
In Guardians of the Galaxy, Ronan the Accuser uses one of the Infinity Stones -- the Power Stone -- against Xandar and the Nova Corps by placing it in the Cosmi-Rod. This alone implies the containment and power of the weapon, which can also send out a concussive blast, as seen in the movie. This blast is so strong that it literally spins someone's head.
With the addition of the Power Stone, the Cosmi-Rod can also project energy and manipulate matter. In the MCU, Ronan the Accuser's hammer was destroyed -- but that's not the case in the comics.
Ronan the Accuser no longer wields the hammer and as revealed in Empyre #2, the weapon has not sung for anyone since it left Ronan's hands. That changes when Carol Danvers is offered the war-hammer -- it seems these two were meant to be, at least for the duration of this war.
The Cosmi-Rod has already done Carol a solid, as it worked as a defibrillator to restart her heart. Now fans are left wondering what other abilities it will grant her.
Carol's acceptance of the weapon comes with a hint of trepidation and foreshadowing. She can feel the power resonating within the Cosmi-Rod and worries what will happen if she lets her control slip while holding it, especially as a newly-minted member of the Kree Accuser Corps.
One thing is certain: Carol gaining such a powerful weapon speaks to the stakes at hand. She's already proven herself exceptionally powerful on more than one occasion and now she's getting one of her biggest power boosts ever -- all thanks to the Cosmi-Rod.