Marvel Shockers: The 5 Most Surprising Marvel Moments of 2024

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As a die-hard Marvel fan with over two decades of comic book reading under my belt, I can confidently say that 2024 was a year like no other for us fans. The announcements and releases were nothing short of mind-blowing!

Starting from 2021, Marvel Comics has been releasing an annual special issue titled Timeless, which provides a glimpse into the future of the Marvel Universe at year’s end. The first issue of Timeless in 2023 hinted at some significant changes that would occur over the next 12 months. For instance, Tombstone assumed control as the new ruler of New York City’s criminal empire (as depicted in Amazing Spider-Man). Professor Xavier, founder of the X-Men, was imprisoned for human rights violations and his mutant school transformed into a detention center for mutants (depicted in X-Men: From the Ashes). Johnny Blaze, the previous Spirit of Vengeance, was replaced by a villain, while Miles Morales, the Wall-crawler, was turned into a vampire after being bitten during a vampiric invasion (as portrayed in Blood Hunt)). Moreover, Doctor Doom seized Doctor Strange’s powers and became the new Sorcerer Supreme (also in Blood Hunt).

As of now, it’s the year 2024. Before we delve into what Marvel Comics has planned for 2025, such as Emperor Doctor Doom’s rule in “One World Under Doom,” let’s take a moment to reminisce about the past year. Here, we’ve compiled the most significant plot twists and shocking moments from the comics all the way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

5. Spider-Man Turned Into His Worst Enemy: the Green Goblin

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In the storyline of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” written by Zeb Wells, it was revealed that Peter Parker’s longtime enemy, Norman Osborn, had undergone a transformation and was no longer his adversary. Instead, he provided Spider-Man with an advanced Spider-suit to aid him in combat against villains such as Kraven the Hunter and Doctor Octopus. However, when the Queen Goblin attempted to restore Norman’s old sins to him, Peter Parker found himself overwhelmed by darkness, transforming into the dark-suited Spider-Man. Later on, the Green Goblin made his return and used a mind-control device to turn Peter into the maniacal Spider-Goblin.

In an unexpected turn of events, Norman managed to save Spider-Man from being controlled by goblins, preventing any potential corruption of Peter. Additionally, the Goblin-Sin, which had taken on a malevolent spirit-like form, met its end in a fierce struggle for control over Spider-Man’s soul.

4. The Death of the Immortal Iron Fist on Danny Rand’s Birthday

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From his first appearance displaying kung-fu skills in Marvel Premiere #15, published in 1974, Danny Rand has been Iron Fist, guardian of the mystical city K’un-Lun. However, in August’s Iron Fist 50th Anniversary Special #1, the once immortal Danny Rand – bereft of Shou-Lao’s serpent chi – was slain in a battle against a Chi’-Lin who controlled the assassin Razor Fist. The Living Weapon had ceased to exist.

However, as the climactic moment arrived, a radiant, bony spectral hand burst forth from Rand’s tomb. Hail to the Immortal Iron Fist!

3. Marvel Studios Brought Back X-Men: The Animated Series (and Killed Gambit)

1997 saw Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 resuming the storyline from where X-Men: The Animated Series concluded, with Cyclops (Ray Chase) leading the X-Men in the temporary absence of Professor Charles Xavier (Ross Marquand). Upon Xavier’s assignment, he passed the X-Men to his erstwhile adversary Magneto (Matthew Waterson). Consequently, the mutants – including Wolverine (Cal Dodd), Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith), Rogue (Lenore Zann), Gambit (A.J. LoCascio), Beast (George Buza), Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith), Morph (J.P. Karliak), Jubilee (Holly Chou), and the latest recruit Sunspot (Gui Agustini) – faced an assault by Bastion (Theo James), the hybrid human-Sentinel head of Operation: Zero Tolerance, who is determined to eliminate mutants.

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In Episode 5 titled “Remember It,” the hot-tempered Cajun character displayed his energy-infused abilities to annihilate a Sentinel from Master Mold while defending Genosha, ultimately sacrificing himself in the process. The time-traveler known as Cable (previously voiced by Remy LeBeau in an earlier animated series) informed the X-Men that this attack on Genosha and Gambit’s demise were crucial moments in the timeline. However, the first season finale left many of the X-Men stranded in either the distant past or a dystopian future.

2. The Many Marvel Cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine

In this movie, Marvel Studios’ Deadpool and Wolverine, the characters portrayed by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman respectively, came together again for the first time since their appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine from 2009. Interestingly, the storyline of the multiverse allowed the yellow-suited Wolverine to reappear, even though his counterpart had died and Hugh Jackman had retired from this role in Logan from 2017.

Following Wade’s utilization of Cable’s time-travel gadget to interact with Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) for an Avengers recruitment on Earth-616 (the Marvel Cinematic Universe), the former Merc with a Mouth then went back to his original realm, Earth-10005. Upon his return, he was apprehended by the TVA, the time-regulating agency seen in Loki. When Wade and what seemed like the “least favorable” Wolverine were erased by TVA Agent Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), they wound up in the Void: a place at the end of time, filled with remnants of alternate realities and their inhabitants, often referred to as a metaphysical junkyard.

In that location, Deadpool and Wolverine came across some heroes who had seemingly fallen out of favor, such as Johnny Storm/the Human Torch from the Fantastic Four (portrayed by Chris Evans), the assassin Elektra (played by Jennifer Garner), the mutant Laura Kinney/X-23 (Dafne Keen), the X-Man Gambit (Channing Tatum) who carries a membership card, and the vampire-hunter Blade (Wesley Snipes). The encounter with Blade was particularly surprising due to the strife between Reynolds and Snipes during the filming of 2004’s Blade: Trinity. Previously believed lost in the realms of forgotten cinematic worlds or studio mergers, Deadpool & Wolverine provided those characters with a fitting conclusion (with the exception of the profane Johnny Storm; rest in peace).

1. Robert Downey Jr.’s Return to the MCU — Not as Iron Man, But as Doctor Doom

Five years following Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark’s selfless act to save the universe from Thanos in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios surprised everyone with an unexpected announcement: the Iron Man actor would be coming back, not as the armored hero, but as the iron-masked Doctor Doom.

In 2026 and 2027, the actor who won an Oscar for his role in “Oppenheimer” is set to portray Victor von Doom in “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” both directed by the Russo brothers, who are known for “Infinity War” and “Endgame.” Downey may first appear as the arch-nemesis of Reed Richards, played by Pedro Pascal, in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” a film set in the retro-futuristic 1960s and scheduled for release on July 25, 2025. He could then escalate into a threat comparable to Thanos across the next two “Avengers” films, concluding the Multiverse Saga of the MCU.

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2024-12-25 07:11