WARNING – Spoilers for Infinity Countdown #4
Infinity Countdown #4 sees Adam Warlock regain the Soul Stone he introduced to Marvel’s Universe - but at a terrible cost for two cosmic heroes. Ever since Adam Warlock returned to Marvel Comics, he’s been on a crash course with the Soul Stone. With Avengers: Infinity War in theaters, Marvel Comics has been using the renewed buzz to market their own Infinity Stone-centered event. The Infinity Stones are quickly changing hands, but the Soul Stone is now back to a familiar owner.
The last we saw the Soul Stone, Ultron was using it to transform Silver Surfer into a minion of his own will. Meanwhile, Ultron’s brand new planet was launching an offensive of rockets designed to destroy huge swaths of the universe. This week, however, Adam Warlock and Silver Surfer were able to wrest the Soul Stone away from Ultron and give it back to the man who has long wielded it.
Infinity Countdown #4 once again checks in on the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Nova Corps as they watch over the Power Stone, while also concluding the last issue’s cliffhanger. The Countdown continues to build as Galactus comes to the aid of Silver Surfer and Adam Warlock in their battle against Ultron. Galactus becomes the Devourer of Worlds once again after the past few years of doing good, while Silver Surfer reverts back to his original story as the Herald of Galactus (after a highly-praised run of comics where he forged his own path).
Whether fans view that turn of events as tragic or triumphant, the end result is still the same: Adam Warlock regains the Soul Stone.
Since his early days introduced into the Marvel Universe, Warlock and the Soul Stone have gone hand in hand. Adam’s time with the Infinity Stone helped shape the hero he is today, and he stands apart from the rest of Marvel’s cosmic heroes as one of a few characters who have spent considerable time within Soul World, the reality housed inside the gem. Now, this cosmic guardian has one of his greatest tools back in hand. That doesn’t stop Ultron from escaping, but his defeat should keep him out of everyone’s hair for the time being.
We also get to see more from Captain Marvel and her adventures with the Reality Stone, this time when an alternate version of Phylla and Moondragon come to collect their own Reality Stone. We recently saw many alternate (Green Lantern-ish) Captain Marvels when she hopped around the Multiverse using her Reality Stone, so that story should soon collide with the main Infinity Countdown narrative.
Finally, the issue once-again name-checks Requiem, the big villain on the outskirts of the quest for the Stones. They’ll come to the forefront for the Infinity Wars comic event that’s arriving this summer, which may reveal who exactly the masked figure is. Until then, a new status quo is emerging in the Marvel Comics universe.
MORE: Marvel Comics Teases ‘The Asgardians of the Galaxy’
Infinity Countdown #4 is available now from Marvel and comic book retailers.
