Cosmic Cube

Cosmic Cube is the name of a fictional device that exists in the Marvel Universe.

Publication history

The first Cosmic Cube made its first appearance in "Tales of Suspense" #79 (July 1966), and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

Overview

A Cosmic Cube is (usually, but not always) a cube-shaped matrix that holds vast energies that are responsive to the wills of sentient beings. In The Infinity Crusade, it is revealed that there are other similar objects which have other forms than that of a cube; these objects as a whole are called Cosmic Containment Units. A sentient being can use a Cosmic Cube to manifest its thoughts as reality, and thus to accomplish virtually anything it desires. The being once known as the Beyonder was actually the largest part of a Cosmic Cube. Sentient beings can create a Cosmic Cube by generating a particular kind of force field which opens a rift into another dimension. Energies will then slip through the rift--later revealed in canon to be excess energy from the dimension of the Beyonders--which can be collected within a matrix, which the force then (usually) shapes into a perfect cube (Or, in the case of Owen Reece, into the Molecule Man). This force provides the power of the Cosmic Cube that has thus been created. Eventually, a Cosmic Cube will evolve and develop its own sentience, which is influenced by the minds of the sentient beings which have wielded it. During the intercompany crossover JLA/Avengers, it is revealed that members of the DC Universe Green Lantern Corps can recharge their power rings with a Cosmic Cube if necessary, in place of their individual power batteries, although this process is erratic and should only be attempted when all other options are exhausted.

Known cubes

Skrull Cosmic Cube

The first known Cosmic Cube was created by Skrull scientists, which was then used by the Skrull Emperor to enforce his rule over the Skrull Empire as a god-king. It subsequently developed sentience, and because of the megalomaniacal personality of the emperor imprinted on its mind, it lashed out and devastated a significant portion of the empire before it reached emotional maturity. It is now known as the Shaper of Worlds.

Earth Cosmic Cubes

A Cosmic Cube was "created" on Earth by A.I.M. scientists. The Red Skull acquired the Cosmic Cube from AIM. He battled Captain America, and had the cube knocked from his grasp. The Red Skull then reacquired the Cube, and used it to exchange bodies with Captain America. However, MODOK teleported the Cube from the Skull's hand (using the Catholite Block, perhaps the only device that can restrain the power of a Cosmic Cube). The Cube was later found and employed by Thanos to become god-like in power. Captain Mar-Vell broke Thanos's hold on the Cube by striking it.

The Cube was then recovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. and brought to Project: Pegasus. Wundarr employed it to examine its power. The Cube was stolen by Victorius, and used to create Jude the Entropic Man. The Cube was then returned to Project: Pegasus by Captain America and the Thing. The Cube then transformed Wundarr into the Aquarian.

The power of the Cosmic Cube was then wielded by Doctor Strange, the Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, and the Thing to vanquish the original Serpent Crown from all realities. The Cosmic Cube was then used by AIM leader Bernard Worrel to battle Captain America and the Aquarian. However, during this encounter the Cube hatched, and achieved sentience. The being that resulted became a student of the Shaper of Worlds. This being eventually evolved into the being named Kubik.

A new superhero in the Marvel Universe named Freedom Ring got his superpowers from a ring crafted from a fragment of a Cosmic Cube, thus giving him reality-warping powers. The Cosmic Cube possess such power that numerous supervillains have sought it out including Thanos, Korvac, the Red Skull, and Doctor Doom. Doom even once used a cosmic cube, along with several other cosmic artifacts, to usurp the power of Galactus.

Beyonder

The Beyonder was a tormented cosmic being which, in its desire to develop and learn, caused the universe-shaking events known as the Secret Wars. After many attempts to fill the void it sensed in itself, the being was confronted by Owen Reece, the Molecule Man, with whom he had had many other clashes. Aided by Kubik and the Shaper of worlds, as well as the Fantastic Four, they put the pieces together: years ago, the Beyonders had sought to once again shunt an amount of energy to the universe of Marvel-earth in response to someone opening a rift to their universe. But the transfer went awry, because unlike before, the rift was created unintentional - namely in the accident which Owen Reece had always assumed had given him his Molecule Man powers. He received part of the immense power of the Cosmic Cube, but lacking the knowledge and wisdom to use it properly, he initially acted as a powerful but petty supervillain, eventually sinking back into a mundane, suburban lifestyle. Meanwhile, the rest of the power, considerably more, was shunted into another dimension altogether - it is even possible the power created its own dimension. Here, it was everything, so there was nothing to disturb its peace... except a tear in its dimension through which it could spy another universe. This turned out to be the rift through which it had entered its dimension in the first place, but since it had no memory up to that point, the energy which should have become a Cosmic Cube came to assume the tear was opened by the accident Owen Reece suffered, without realizing that same accident was also its own origin. In any case, from this moment on, it knew no more peace, and ventured into what came to be known as the Secret Wars, at the end of which it was returned to its own empty dimension. There it formed an entire universe in its own right, strongly resembling the universe it had experienced, but with him, the Beyonder, as its God. However, eventually he was confronted by the cosmic beings Kubik and the Shaper, and eventually was convinced to merge with Owen Reece to finally form a whole being - a complete cosmic cube. Owen Reece was eventually returned by the Beyonders, and the newly formed Cosmic Cube developed its own sentience as Kosmos, a being who went on to be tutored by Kubik.

Infinity War/Infinity Crusade

During the Infinity War storyline, the Magus acquired immense power by wrestling five Cosmic Cubes from neighboring universes. This might proved to be enough to render Eternity's M-body catatonic and to create an entire duplicate universe which the Magus then tried to merge with the main Marvel Universe in order to bring it under his dominion, as well as creating doppelgangers of Thanos and all of Earth's superheroes, only excluding the Infinity Watch and Quasar from being duplicated. The Magus had apparently created, or stolen, high-technological instrumentation through which he was capable of manipulating the cubes mechanically, a feature that even Thanos considered to be mind-boggling. Thanos stated that the combined power of the five Cosmic Cubes was very close to the full Infinity Gauntlet. Kang the Conqueror and the Magus both stated that the naked power of the five Cosmic Cubes could cause permanent brain damage if used directly, due to the immense radiations being emitted from the cubes, hence the necessity for instrumentation. During the Infinity War, the Cosmic Cubes are mostly referred to as "cosmic containment units", since not all units were actually shaped like cubes but had other geometric shapes.

During the Infinity Crusade storyline, Mephisto agrees to reveal all he knows about Cosmic Cubes to Adam Warlock and Thanos. According to Mephisto, the Cosmic Cubes are theoretically as powerful as the Infinity Gems, but unlike the gems, the undeveloped cubes are host to a semi-sentient will (that will eventually evolve to a physical being like Kubik or the Shaper of Worlds) that can make selections as to how its wielder may use the cube's wish-granting powers. The cubes simply "refuse" to, for instance, commit universal genocide as the Goddess tried to do or to affect souls, both of which the semi-sentient cube beings considers to be taboo. The only thing that can overcome the semi-sentient cube being's self-imposed restrictions is, according to Mephisto, a universally linked will generated by millions of sentient beings at the same time, which was the Goddess's goal with the cubes - to unlock their full universal potential in order to "purify" the universe from evil. The Goddess merged 30 Cosmic Cubes, including the five units the Magus once possessed, into a "Cosmic egg" which she had situated herself in so she could harness its power undisturbed from outside forces that may try to usurp it. It is not clear whether Mephisto meant that an uninhibited cube would be a match for the composite Infinity Gauntlet or for individual Infinity Gems. For sharing this knowledge, Mephisto demanded that Thanos would give him a Cosmic Cube as payment for the information, which Thanos actually did; however, Mephisto never specified that the cube should be a functioning unit, so Thanos took advantage of this oversight from Mephisto's side to trick him without actually breaking the deal, giving him a dysfunctional cube, something that greatly angered Mephisto.

Chaos Engine

A flawed cosmic cube is a main plot device in Steven A. Roman's Chaos Engine novel series, where it passes between super-villains Doctor Doom, Magneto and the Red Skull, each whom uses it to create his own unique version of a perfect world. These plans are thwarted by a group of X-Men who were visiting another universe when the first cube appeared. Since they weren't in their universe at the time the Cube was used, they were unaltered by its power.

Other versions

Ultimate Cosmic Cube

In Ultimate Fantastic Four, Thanos attempts to force Reed Richards to make him a "power cube" which he will use to force all life to obey him. Reed refuses and, after he leaves, begins to build what he calls a Cosmic Cube, for use on him should Thanos return.