Avengers Forever introduces a very different Tony Stark to the Marvel Multiverse, who has some powerful technology.
On another Earth, Stark never became Iron Man. Though he thought about making a mechanized suit once, he instead devoted his life to archeology, and discovered the secret to shrinking/growing matter while drunk. Here, he is the Invincible Ant-Man, which has allowed him to turn a massive object into a tiny weapon: the severed head of a celestial.
In a preview for the multiversal epic created by writer Jason Aaron and artist Aaron Kuder, Stark is underground and running away from ants bonded to the Venom symbiote, something that was teased in an earlier preview released. What the new preview reveals, however, is that while the archeologist was digging around, he came across the head of a celestial -- which can possess a massive amount of power -- and turned it into what he calls the "Knowhere Gun." While the preview does not show off the aftermath of firing the device, it does reference an iconic Marvel locale.
In main continuity, Knowhere is still the severed head of a celestial, but it is so massive that a city was built within it, serving as a frequent stop for the Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova and others. In live-action, Knowhere was adapted in director James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, reappearing in Avengers: Infinity War after Thanos ravaged the city looking for the Reality Stone. Meanwhile, the celestials have been a force to be reckoned with throughout much of Jason Aaron's Avengers run, and were also recently adapted in Eternals this past November.
While the preview unveils this new weapon of unknown calamity, additionally it shows that this Stark variant bears some similarities with the Iron Man fans know well. He indicates having a drinking problem in the issue, which is a massive element of the character explored in the iconic "Demon in a Bottle" story arc from The Invincible Iron Man, with Tony's addiction still being referenced in comics to this day. The preview and solicitation for Avengers Forever #1 can be found below.
AVENGERS FOREVER #1
- JASON AARON (W) • AARON KUDER (A/C)
- VARIANT COVER BY MATTEO SCALERA
- VARIANT COVER BY BETSY COLA
- VARIANT COVER BY RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
- HIDDEN GEM VARIANT COVER BY CARLOS PACHECO
- AN ALL-NEW SERIES STARRING THE AVENGERS OF THE MULTIVERSE!
- On a quest for cosmic vengeance, Ghost Rider finds himself roaring through the wasteland on a ruined Earth, where the great age of heroes never came to be, where hope is a four-letter word and where his only ally in the coming battle against the greatest villains any universe has ever seen is the world's most wanted archaeologist, Tony Stark…the Invincible Ant-Man. Spinning out of the cataclysmic events of AVENGERS #750 and operating in lockstep with the prime AVENGERS series, the next great Avengers saga begins here, as the Mightiest Heroes of every Earth begin to assemble.
- 40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
Avengers Forever picks up after the events of The Avengers #50 on an Earth decimated by the Multiversal Masters of Evil. While the issue is written by Aaron with interior and cover art by Kuder, colors are provided by Jason Keith, letters by Cory Petit, with variant covers made by Matt Wilson, Carlos Pacheco, Matteo Scalera, Russell Dauterman and Betsy Cola. The issue goes on sale Dec. 22 from Marvel Comics.
Source: Marvel Comics