Where certain readers do not like that the history of man on Earth had been incorrect up to this point, I believe it a missing key to the puzzle of why Earth has been saturated with enhanced beings more so than any other known planet, as much as to why it’s inhabitants perpetually repeat their history in different ways. Explaining why “the story never ends” in this way is compelling genius.
Life is full of people making mistakes and learning from them. The saying goes, ‘Those who do not learn from their mistakes will be doomed to repeat them’. According to Jason Aaron (writer), The Avengers have not only been making mistakes for a million years; they themselves were a mistake or a happenstance at best….or is that just what Loki wants them to think?
Every enhanced being from Earth, including humans, were in fact created by accident. An accident, covered up by a mistake, followed by a lie (or omission of fact), stashed in a myriad of secrets we all have yet to learn from Odin, The King of Asgard, himself.
The Avengers, Volume 8 #1 arrived on May 2, 2018. Written by Jason Aaron (heralded for his Thor run from 2012 to 2019), this story picks up with “The BIG 3” (Thor, Captain America & Iron Man) of the Avengers catching up after Marvel Legacy #1 (Sept, 2017). I admittedly am just beginning to read Aaron’s work this year. I was reluctant to buy into his Thor stories for different reasons; but have added the complete run to my collection in order to capture as much of the zeitgeist energy that I can still redeem. I have chosen to work my way backwards. To call this Avengers run (currently at issue #37; October 2020) a retcon of celestial proportions would be fitting.
Like any intriguing introduction, issue #1 creates more questions than answers by splashing the first page with the image of “The Stone Age Avengers”, consisting of Fan Fei (the original Iron Fist), Agamotto (The First Sorcerer Supreme), The Original Black Panther, The Original Ghost Rider, Lady Phoenix, the mysterious Starbrand (made to appear like a cosmic Hulk), and The All-Father of Asgard: Odin Borson. I myself had to read Marvel Legacy #1 for reference before I could continue writing. The lines by Ed McGuinness are a cinematic husk, inked by Mark Morales and colored by David Curiel, begging to be peeled back revealing the story’s fruits & seeds; of which there are plenty.
~ Carter G. Woodson
In the beginning, we were taught there was darkness. Aaron boldly makes claim that the “beginning” is more than 4 billion years ago, which is enough to shake not only the comic book canon, but The MCU canon to its foundation. I mention the “MCU” due to Taika Watiti’s (Director of Thor: Ragnarok) assertion that Aaron’s writing will heavily influence the next Thor movie (Love & Thunder), as well as the looming need for Marvel Studios to explain the existence of Celestials & “mutants” in Phase 4 of said Marvel Saga.
Part I, (issues #1 to #7; the omnibus for “The Final Host is #1 to #6) in many ways is an explanation of easter eggs planted in Marvel Legacy #1. Certain parts of the story still have yet to come to fruition as of issue #37 though. In layman’s terms , the story is being stretched as far out as possible without paying off obviously important tidbits (much like some may feel about this article…LOL). I believe one has to have a decent enough knowledge of Marvel in order to appreciate the work Aaron has put in here. This is not a “pick up from anywhere” kind of story in my opinion.
As I attempt to craft my personal format for conveying the “micro within the macro” implications I see in this story, there are certain points that are definite spoilers that I must mark here:
By retconning the reason behind The First Host (The Celestials basically realized the 4 billion years of an Alpha Celestial’s blood & remains, along with the incubation of The Horde beneath the Earth’s crust provided the potential for the planet’s inhabitants to become a “vaccine” for the disease presented by The Horde), Aaron has drastically changed The Celestials’ ideology, inherently changing the ideology of The Eternals, Deviants, Homo Erectus & their descendants (Homo Sapien/Humans, Homo Mermanus/Atlanteans & Homo Superior/Mutants).
- Where certain readers do not like that the history of man on Earth had been incorrect up to this point, I believe it a missing key to the puzzle of why Earth has been saturated with enhanced beings more so than any other known planet, as much as to why it’s inhabitants perpetually repeat their history in different ways. Explaining why “the story never ends” in this way is compelling genius.
The similarities between this fictional story and the real life plight of the African American to reclaim a lost history are viscerally striking; hence the thematic title of these articles. In Carter G Woodson’s, The Miseducation of The Negro, Mr. Woodson explains how “the Negro”, as a majority, had been indoctrinated into society (post-slavery) in a way that stripped them of free thought, reducing them to simple service of prior American constructs; as opposed to seeking higher learning, thinking outside the box & forging new innovative paths to independence. This comparison can be used to explain the indoctrination of each Avenger of “modern times” (Avengers #1; 1963?), due to the lack of knowledge of the existence of The Stone Age Avengers 1,000,000 B.C prior. Simply put, the Avengers have been spinning their wheels up to this point but are now being forced to face their inadvertent creators in order to redefine their purpose.
When I set out to review this series I had no idea how many nerves Mr. Aaron was going to be able to touch in the single issue format. Because of the amount of detail he has obviously and painstakingly paid attention to, I naturally am drawn to share an analysis over a review. It is that good (so far). Like The Great Lauryn Hill says “Everything is Everything”.
Questions like “Which came first? The chicken or the egg?” and “Does history seem to repeat because civilization depends on higher powers for everything? Or because the higher powers need civilization to depend on them?” are inspired by Jason Aaron’s writing in “The Final Host” story.
My train of thought lead me to see the analogy of the term “Miseducation” as a metaphor for assigned points of contention and/or revelation (or do I mean Revelations in the Marvel Bible?) in this story. “Ramifications” are more like questions I look to find the answer for as I analyze what Marvel (allowing this story to be told) intends for us to understand moving forward with it’s canon. Aware that there are people who will have read this before they read (or re-read) this story I ask you to get used to my writing style(s) as well as the “not-so proper” notes I use in this and future articles:
The major points of the “miseducation” of the Avenger:
(Disclaimer: The miseducation could be of The Avengers in the story, Jason Aaron’s or even mine. The development of this analysis and discussion will be my ruler by which I measure it’s quality).
Miseducation #1 : Fan Fei seems to semi-understand The Starbrand and has naturally taken somewhat of a translator role between it and the rest of The Prehistoric Avengers.
Ramifications: The ancestors of K’un L’un may have come from the same Universe as The Starbrand.
Miseducation #2: Odin claims to have created Midgard but does not know who or what The Celestials are as of yet; even after helping to kill the second Celestial on Earth, The Fallen, Zgreb.
Ramifications: Odin was so in love with Lady Phoenix that he tried to impress her with lies or he actually created Midgard and Thor’s origin now needs retconning.
Miseducation #3: Odin “knows” The Phoenix Force. He knows (and loves) her very well.
Ramifications: They possibly have a “lovechild” we don’t know about yet.
Miseducation #4: Odin possesses and controls Mjolnir like they were best of friends in 1,000,000 B.C..
Ramifications: Is it possible that Mjolnir is just the name of a specific variant of Uru that is part of a sentient body? Aaron’s own story was that Odin could not control Mjolnir due to The Great Storm locked inside. We clearly see him “thorring” it up so…we’d like to ask Mr. Aaron to appear in front of the congregation. LOL. There have been multiple Mjolnirs in a single universe simultaneously before, right? This could explain how Jane Foster will possibly have “Mjolnir” in Marvel Studios’ “Love and Thunder” within The MCU even though it was destroyed by Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. (I feel like this is partially my miseducation and I will learn more as I continue to read Aaron’s work. ) Feel free to educate me, if you are willing and able!
Miseducation #5: Magic can die.
Ramifications: The Sorcerer Supreme and The Black Panther (as mantles) seem to have more of a historical connection from the beginning of human history, which now needs more facts & explanation. The Black Panther is still a king on an Earth where most “humans” are not evolved yet. I rather like and accept this without question based on the miseducation of the origins of original man in our reality.
Miseducation #6: Black Panther can adapt well at the center of The Earth without the help of Dr. Strange’s magic.
Ramifications: This means that either the mystical properties of Vibranium are as formidable as Dr. Strange’s magic, or due to specific events in T’Challa’s history he has developed a way to densify his body in order to withstand the pressure and the heat from Earth’s core with limited effort. It looks like Vibranium and Uru have similarities in them having mystical properties.
Miseducation #7: The Celestials were said to have arrived in a ship for The Second Host. However, they descended (and fell) to Earth for The Final Host through stellar vortexes that Stark Technology reads as teleportation nexuses without ships.
Ramifications: The Celestials are showing that they never needed ships to come to Earth. So the question begs, “Where did they store their history and archives?”. Will this seed be alluded to in The Eternals film? Or Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness?
Miseducation #8: The Final Host was a part of The Celestial War.
Ramifications: Were all the hosts part of a Celestial War? A war we know nothing about or that is beyond comprehension?
Hopefully you guys understand why my analysis of this story is going to take some time. I believe I’ve at least earned some more patience from my readers & thinkers. I’m going in!!!! This is just my review of issue #1. Not all issues are as “heavy” and complex as this, but there are a considerable amount high quality reads. For this very reason I refuse to use any omnibus as anything more than a reference for certain readers who do not collect single issues. Hopefully we will get a Stone Age Avengers series based on this story. I am “over the moon” about the possible ramifications this series can have on Marvel Comics and it’s cinematic universal offerings. I hope I’ve made you just as excited if not more!
Thanks for reading! Check out my podcasts, other articles as I build content (and my team). Much appreciated.
Be well, Mint God
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