Black Panther provided little to no insight on the whereabouts of the Soul Stone heading into Avengers: Infinity War, set to arrive in theaters May 4. There are a few fan theories making the rounds about the heart-shaped herb and dirt Wakandans use during the Black Panther ceremony, but nothing substantial. Fans seeking clues should look to Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War Prelude #2. From Will Corona Pilgrim and Jorge Fornes, the story offers some brand new insight from an unexpected character: Wong, last seen in last year's live-action Doctor Strange.
Wong gives Strange a little history lesson, telling him there's a reason the Marvel Cinematic Universe saved the best for last.
"Little is known about the sixth and final stone — the Soul Stone — but if what is known turns out to be true, it could prove to be the biggest threat of them all," he tells an anxious Doctor Strange.
"So… as long as no one finds all these stones and puts them together we're in the clear," Strange poses.
"Correct," Wong continues, "But if someone does attempt to do so…"
This dialogue doesn't reveal any new information about the stone's whereabouts, but it does confirm fans didn't miss any clues hidden within Black Panther and it's now clear the Soul Stone probably the most powerful of the six needed to fill the Infinity Gauntlet. The Soul Stone could still be hidden somewhere in Wakanda that we didn't see, or Shuri could know something about it that she didn't reveal, and Black Panther himself could still be related to the Soul Stone's powers.
Pick up the issue for a perfect refresher about all the Infinity Stones expected in Infinity War, but the location of the Soul Stone remains the biggest mystery. We know the Space Stone (aka the Tesseract) is already in the Infinity Gauntlet, as seen in Thor: Ragnarok. Interestingly enough, this comic confirms the Tesseract is simply a container for the stone, but we still have yet to see how Thanos acquires it. Thanos also already has the Power Stone (the Orb from Guardians of the Galaxy) in the Infinity Gauntlet. It's still unclear how he acquired this, since we last saw the Guardians give it to the Nova Corps for protection.
With only two Infinity Stones in his possession so far, Thanos still needs the Reality Stone (or Aether). It's presumably still with the Collector after the Asgardians sent it to him in Thor: The Dark World. The second is the Time Stone, stored within the Eye of Agamotto, last seen in Doctor Strange's possession during his brief appearance in Thor: Ragnarok. The third is the Mind Stone, embedded in Vision's forehead. In the Infinity War trailer, the stone is being prying out of the poor android's head.
Check out the Avengers: Infinity War Prelude #2 solicitation below. Do you have any theories about the soul stone? Sound off in the comments.
Published: Feb. 28, 2018
Rating: Rated T
Writer: Will Corona Pilgrim
Penciler: Jorge Fornes
THE THREAT FROM ABOVE! As a Master of the Mystic Arts, DOCTOR STEPHEN STRANGE has witnessed many unusual things…but none so powerful and potentially Universe-threatening as the existence of the INFINITY STONES! Don't miss a detail of the galaxy-spanning story featuring IRON MAN, THOR, CAPTAIN AMERICA, VISION, SCARLET WITCH and more, and make yourself an Infinity Stone expert before this summer's blockbuster film!
