Who Is Requiem in Marvel Comics' Infinity Wars?

Marvel Comics has been using its Infinity Countdown books to build towards Infinity Wars, which we can only assume will shake up the status quo once more. So far, we know that heroes and villains alike will "reap what they sow" and that the current search for all the Infinity Stones will lead to "cosmic madness like never before" -- which makes the arrival of the new character, Requiem, all the more interesting.

The latest teaser image from Mike Deodato Jr. and Frank Martin showcases this masked entity clearly waging a war against the heroes of the Marvel Universe. The new cosmic player is depicted, with a broadsword in one hand, standing over the body of Star-Lord with a helpless Captain Marvel in the other. Impaled on the sword is what appears to be a stone-free Infinity Gauntlet, with the artwork accompanied by the phrase "DEATH WINS." With that in mind, we have a few guesses as to who Requiem just might be.

Nebula

In 2017's Thanos #12 (Jeff Lemire, German Peralta and Rachelle Rosenberg), Thanos survived judgement on the mysterious world known as the God Quarry. There, he overcame his Phoenix-powered son Thane, as well as an alliance between Nebula, Starfox (Thanos' brother) and Tryco Slatterus. As part of the villain transcending his old ways, Thanos renounced his love for Death, realizing that it was beneath him to be craving someone's approval. This led to the Witches of Infinity temporarily destroying Death, after deciding to judge her themselves.

Thanos departed, leaving Nebula's team stranded. Now, Death can't really be killed, and she may looking for revenge after being spurned (reiterated in last month's Thanos #18), so it stands to reason that she could be eyeing an avatar in the field of battle. Requiem has been described by Marvel as "Death Incarnate," and by bestowing this title to Nebula, Death would also be offering the granddaughter of Thanos (Yes, in the comics, she's the Mad Titan's grandchild) a way off the God Quarry.

Conversely, the coven may have allowed Nebula to undergo the trial of judgement herself which, if successful, would grant her the power to embark on a quest to reshape the galaxy like she did back in Infinity Gauntlet.

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Terraxia

After Thanos realized he was failing at wooing Death, and while still in possession of the Infinity Gauntlet, he created Terraxia, a new partner designed to make Death jealous. She was created in his likeness, purple-skin and all (which well tie into Requiem's overall purple-scheme), and happened to be just as violent. This was seen when the remaining heroes of Earth tried to stop Thanos in the Infinity Gauntlet storyline, which saw Terraxia defending her lover by ripping off Iron Man's head and beating Spider-Man to death with a rock.

She was eventually killed by a power-hungry Nebula, but what stood out was that she really did seem to be the Mad Titan's equal, as well as someone whose loyalty was unwavering. Given that Thanos has basically gotten over Death, it'd be quite a blow to Thanos' psyche if Terraxia was brought back into the fold as this cosmic killer. How ironic would it be having his soul-mate cutting through everyone in the galaxy to get the Infinity Stones. Having the partner he made now come back to haunt him is the perfect insult to Thanos, as well as sweet revenge for Death.

Phyla-Vell

If anyone has reason to hunt the Infinity Stones and alter the course of the universe, it'd be Phyla-Vell. The genetic offspring of the original Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell), she has been a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, a former Captain Marvel and an ex-Quasar (wielding the iconic quantum bands). She eventually became the avatar of Oblivion called Martyr before Magus tricked her into opening a cocoon hosting a reborn Thanos, which resulted in the Mad Titan killing her. Since then, we've glimpsed Phyla in Hell (in Deadpool vs. Thanos), and in All-New Guardians of the Galaxy, trapped within the Soul Stone.

Given that Adam Warlock escaped the gem and is now trying to stop Ultron to retrieve the Stone himself, there's no reason why Phyla, who harbors a lot of hatred towards Thanos, couldn't have escaped too. If Death is looking for a champion, she'd be an ideal candidate as she's a proven warrior who has impacted on the fate of the galaxy several times prior. She's also known for her broadsword, so it's possible Death plucked Phyla's soul out of the Stone, upgrading her to spite Thanos and exact revenge for her murder.

Gamora

Gamora was seen in an early teaser for Infinity Wars along with Requiem, but this could be misdirection to throw us off. Those who've been reading the recent Guardians of the Galaxy run know that she's been desperately searching for the Soul Stone because part of her soul is still lodged there thanks to Adam Warlock. Gamora has been dreaming and having conversations with it, which has been manifesting as a bitter, old woman. Sadly, when Warlock escaped in Infinity Countdown, he left the old Gamora behind, giving her all the more reason to be angry.

It's possible this portion of Gamora's soul has been gifted the vessel known as Requiem by Death to go on a quest of vengeance, while another is that the real-world Gamora does reunite with this missing portion, only to be corrupted. The Soul Stone has already housed evil versions of Warlock and Phyla-Vell, as we saw in Gamora's dreams recently, so there's a chance this piece could well be the evil side of the fiercest woman in the galaxy. Gamora also loves wielding swords and wearing hoods, so she really does fit Requiem in terms of battle-look.