Warning: Spoiler Ahead for Women of Marvel #1!The newest Watcher-like villain in the Marvel Universe has a power that Thanos would have envied in the MCU. The ending of Avengers: Infinity War has become one of the most memorable moments in the MCU for its dark cliffhanger. However, in Avengers: Endgame, the 2014 version of Thanos realizes that his future-self made a mistake in not wiping the memories of those who remained to prevent them from finding a way to undo his Snap. Now, Marvel has officially introduced a new villain who can do exactly that, and they could have been the perfect ally for the Mad Titan to truly succeed.
In Women of Marvel #1, the story called “Malice the Mitigator” follows iconic Marvel heroines such as Sue Storm, Captain Marvel, She-Hulk and Kitty Pryde being pulled from their respective timelines into a mysterious void. The culprit is a brand-new villain named The Mighty Mitigator, who holds similar abilities to the Watchers by being able to look through and reach into various dimensions. The Watchers are technically forbidden from interfering with history, but they are also known to break this rule, like when Uatu changed the fate of the Marvel Universe. The Mighty Mitigator, on the other hand, has no problem bending history to his whim.
By adjusting the various dimensions how he likes them, The Mighty Mitigator is capable of completely altering the Marvel Multiverse without anyone ever noticing. When he snatches someone from a timeline, nobody misses those he steals because he’s capable of removing all memories that they ever existed.
The Mighty Mitigator Adds a New Twist to “What If” Storytelling
Unlike the Watchers, The Mighty Mitigator’s abilities are capable of changing entire universes without the inhabitants even knowing. It’s like a What If…? storyline, only rather than him simply observing how an alternate universe plays out differently, he’s rewriting the path forward in an existing universe to fit his ideals.
This is best showcased when Sue Storm is pulled out of her timeline while meeting Namor the Submariner. As she disappears, the world as she knew it begins to change with her team becoming the Fantastic Three without her. It’s a remarkable new power that makes this new villain a serious multiversal threat. However, The Mighty Mitigator is quickly shown to not be the smartest when he realizes that he compiled some of the strongest heroes all in one place just to meet his fantasy of “a world without females.”
The MCU’s Thanos Could Have Used the Mighty Mitigator’s Powers
Had the Mitigator existed when Infinity War and Endgame were released in the late 2010s, it’s unquestionable that Thanos would have recruited him to his cause. Rather than snap half of all life out of existence, he could have requested this villain’s abilities to carry out the same effect with a completely new result. Instead of going through five years of grieving that would lead to the Avengers finding a way to bring everyone back, they would never realize that such a heinous event ever took place, because the world around them and their memories would change. Thanos would have been the ultimate victor in Infinity War, and the MCU’s first saga would have ended on a dark note that never gets fixed.
It’s incredible to think how a new villain’s simple power could have drastically altered the events of the MCU had he been there from the start. Fans would never have gotten Endgame‘s most jaw-dropping moments that made crowded theaters cheer. Instead, Thanos would have totally won without a proper ending in sight, and it’s all thanks to the latest Watcher-esque villain that Marvel has added to its roster.
Women of Marvel #1 (2024) | |
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