Phase Four has introduced a number of new characters, mysteries, and corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With new heroes like the Eternals, Kate Bishop, Moon Knight, Shang-Chi, and Ms. Marvel joining the fray there have been some interesting new developments.
Many of these new characters are still shrouded in mystery to some degree, but two that have notable questions surrounding their powers are Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel. Shang-Chi’s powers are tied to the Ten Rings his father yielded to him which became even more enigmatic after the movie’s mid-credit scene; while Ms. Marvel’s powers are apparently tied not only to her latent Mutant gene, but the Bangle which her Djinn great grandmother wielded.
While the origins of Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel were explored in their movie and Disney Plus series respectively, these weapons which are at the center of their powers still remain a mystery with even more questions surrounding them by the end of the story. And while we don’t have all the answers, we have heard some interesting rumblings about how these weapons seem to play into the bigger picture of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
HOW THE NEW COSMIC WEAPONS PLAY INTO THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE
According to our sources the Ten Rings and Kamala’s Bangle are actually connected having been left on Earth by the same aliens long ago. It seems these weapons fulfill a similar role to the Infinity Stones in the Infinity Saga, revealing pieces of a larger mystery and granting powers to the individuals who use them. Now, we don’t have details about which aliens left these weapons on Earth, it could be the Kree, the Makluans, who created the Ten Rings in the comics, or perhaps something even bigger like the Celestials.
While the Ten Rings has a comic book origin, although the MCU has changed it, Kamala’s bangle is a new part of her character. Some have speculated that the Bangle could in fact be Quasar’s Quantum Bands, which project hard-light constructs, while others believe it to be the Kree Nega-Bands which tap into the Negative Zone, similar to the Bangle’s apparent connection to the Noor Dimension. The MCU could be combining the two artifacts for this new weapon, but one thing is important to note, both of these potential weapons are cosmic based as are the rings in the comics.
A connection between the Bangle and the Ten Rings shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to fans as many spotted an important Easter egg in the tomb where the Bangle was first discovered in Ms. Marvel. On the floor of the tomb was the symbol of Wenwu’s Ten Rings organization. Where exactly Wenwu found the rings has been lost to history with some saying it was a crater while others believed he stole the rings from a tomb.
The Djinn who made up the ClanDestine clearly discovered the Bangle in a tomb which could be where Wenwu found the Ten Rings. It is also worth noting that the Bangle was wrapped around the wrist of a blue (likely alien) arm, and given Ms. Marvel’s connection to Captain Marvel it seems likely this could have been a Kree.
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Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings’ mid-credit scene simultaneously shed new light on the Ten Rings while opening the door for more questions with Wong, Bruce, and Carol revealing the rings are much older than when Wenwu found them 1,000 years ago, not made from any known Earthly material nor any alien material that Carol is familiar with, and transmitting a beacon. Shang-Chi’s use of the Ten Rings was felt in Kamar-Taj, which begs the question why has he triggered something in the rings that his father seemingly didn’t including the mysterious beacon?
Kamala’s use of the Bangle was also a beacon for the Djinn leading them to her powers. Her disappearance at the end of Ms. Marvel is also a mystery likely leading into The Marvels. The Ten Rings and the Bangle continue to be shrouded in mystery, but part of what is so interesting about their introduction is the fact that the characters that wield them are just as in the dark as the fans.
The Infinity Stones were a known entity in the universe, but so far these weapons continue to be a mystery. Could they introduce a new alien race and conflict into the MCU? Could they be connected to an alien race that has already been introduced like the Kree or even the Celestials? And how do they play into the larger story of the Multiverse or the upcoming Avengers Movies, Avengers: Kang Dynasty and/or Avengers: Secret Wars?
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Phase Four has left many fans with more questions than answers after Avengers: Endgame and it seems these new weapons could be connected to the larger threat that is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. How exactly that will play out remains a mystery, but it is exciting to see that Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel likely have a major role to play. It is also intriguing to think about what other weapons could be tied to this mystery. Perhaps the Ebony Blade will have a different origin than the comics connecting to this larger cosmic mystery and it is worth noting the Djinn spoke of two Bangles, but only one was shown in Ms. Marvel.
How do you think that these cosmic weapons are connected? What aliens do you think left them on Earth and why? What other weapons do you think could be tied to this Marvel Cinematic mystery? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media and check back with The Illuminerdi for more Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, Ms. Marvel, and Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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