Summary
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Wolverine Annual 2024 #1!Marvel Comicshas no shortage of cosmically powerful characters, but out of them all, one has always stood above the rest in terms of raw, unadulterated strength. While that was always hailed as a pretty major achievement, it’s recently become clear that this character’s strength came at a secret cost, and after 42 years, Marvel fans finally know what that is (and it’s nightmare fuel).
InWolverine Annual 2024#1 by Ezra Clayton Daniels and Yildiray Çinar, Logan is riding his motorcycle through Canada on his way to visit the grave of a dear, departed friend. On his way, he is assaulted by two relatively new characters in the Marvel Universe: Ward and Apex. Both characters are the hosts of two separate Infinity Stones. Ward bonded with the Soul Stone, and Apex with the Power Stone - and they think Wolverine is a Stone Bearer, too.
When multiple Stone Bearers are around each other, they make one another more powerful. That’s whyApex and Ward approach Wolverine, but once they get close enough and Ward learns that Wolverine isn’t actually a Stone Bearer, he wants to back off. Apex, however, does not. Apex doesn’t care whether Wolverine is a Stone Bearer or not, he won’t stop until he and Wolverine are engaged in an epic battle. In fact, Apex is acting a lot like one of the original Power Stone Bearers, one who was introduced 42 years ago:The Champion of the Universe.
Thanos' Strongest Enemy Beat Hulk, Juggernaut & the Thing Without Breaking a Sweat
Thanos has a plethora of enemies, but none of them can match this one, especially after they beat Hulk, Juggernaut, and the Thing like it was nothing.
The Champion was Corrupted by the Power Stone, THAT’s Why He was a Battle-Crazed Maniac
The Champion of the Universe’s First Appearance:Marvel Two-In-One Annual#7
The Champion is an Elder of the Universe who was bonded with the Power Stone long before Apex inherited the Gem, and upon his first appearance, The Champion showed everyone who he really was: a fighter. In his debut, The Champion held a boxing-style tournament with all of Earth’s strongest fighters. He recruited them for this contest during his campaign to prove (to himself) that he was the strongest fighter in the cosmos, and in the end, The Champion did just that.
From Thor and Namor to Colossus and the Thing, The Champion beat everyone who stepped foot in the ring - and his first comic is far from the only time The Champion challenged others to prove his supremacy. Previously, it was just assumed that The Champion was a battle-crazed maniac, going out of his way to fight the strongest beings the universe had to offer to prove he was stronger (kind of like a ‘Marvel Goku’). However, after seeing Apex do the exact same thing, it’s clear that The Champion was merely driven to fight because of the Power Stone.
Apex & The Champion Share Another Striking Parallel Through Their Power Stone Connection
It seems the Power Stone doesn’t just drive whoever’s wielding it to fight, but it also causes them to lose themselves completely to utter destruction, resulting in the desolation of entire planets. In Thanos Quest, Thanos goads The Champion into destroying the planet they’re fighting on when it becomes clear he’s losing, as that’s the only way Thanos could beat him. Similarly, when Apex first bonded with the Power Stone, he destroyed his entire planet in an uncontrollable burst of raw, cosmic energy.
The Power Stone doesn’t just call someone to fight, it forces them to crave destruction and domination in any and every form. Whether that be traveling the universe challenging the strongest known warriors, harassing an A-list hero on his day off, or decimating an entire planet, the Power Stone always seems to corrupt its wielders. And that perfectly explains the secret behind the strength ofMarvel Comics’ strongest character, The Champion, which is now exposed after 42 years (and it’s utterly terrifying).
