Scepter

"You question us? You question him? He, who put the Scepter in your hand, who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were cast out, defeated?"

- The Other to Loki

The Chitauri Scepter, occasionally referred to as Loki's Scepter, was a staff weapon that served as the original containment vessel for the Mind Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones. Gifted by Thanos, the staff was wielded by Loki to lead and command the invasion to Earth. After the Battle of New York, the Scepter was confiscated by S.H.I.E.L.D. to study until the staff was later taken by sleeper agents led by Strucker to the HYDRA Research Base in Sokovia. HYDRA reseachers and scientists, including List harnessed its power to power up recovered Chitauri technology and bestowing latent superhuman abilities to the twins Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. After HYDRA collapsed, the Scepter was then retrieved by the Avengers when Tony Stark later borrowed it to research and experiment its power to complete the Ultron Program. The Scepter was taken and dismantled by Ultron after shattering its blue gem casing, which in the process reveals the Mind Stone inside.

In Loki's Possession
"You've got the glow stick of destiny. Would you like a drink?"

- Tony Stark to Loki The Scepter was a Chitauri weapon that was powered by the Mind Stone and originally portrayed as a containment vessel for the Mind Stone encased inside its blue gem. The Infinity Stone granted the Scepter such diverse abilities to fire energy projectile blasts, manipulate minds, enable teleportation through the Tesseract, perform astral projection and allow mental communication. The Infinity Stone has been under Thanos' possession unknowningly, who entrusted the Scepter to Loki of Asgard, along with an armada of Chitauri infantry troops and Leviathans, under the condition that Loki invade Earth to obtain the Tesseract and plan absolute subjugation under his reign. Upon arrival, Loki arrived on Earth via energy portal unwillingly emitted by the Tesseract, where he found himself arriving in the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility in New Mexico. After arrival, Loki used the Scepter to defeat a unit of armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents by shooting energy blasts and impaling them. Loki proceeded to use the Scepter's powers to brainwash S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Clint Barton and Astrophysicist Erik Selvig before escaping the facility on the verge to explode. Loki continued to wield the Scepter to plot the oncoming invasion on Earth, where he used the staff to establish a mental communication to interact with The Other, and used his weapon during several altercations against the Avengers. After held captive and imprisoned on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier, the Scepter was transported at the laborarory station on board, where it was observed and studied by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. During an heated argument between the Avengers and Nick Fury, the Scepter slowly affected their minds, increasing tensions and consequently, turning them against each other until an immediate threat finally put them back to concentration. Escaping from his prison on the Helicarrier, Loki reclaimed the Scepter, which he later used his weapon to impale Agent Phil Coulson into his heart when Coulson attempted to confront him. He later attempted to use the Scepter to place Tony Stark under his control atop Stark Tower, however the Arc Reactor embedded in Tony's chest protected him. Loki continued to use the Scepter to fight against the Avengers in New York City after opening a portal for the Chitauri to invade Earth, until he lost it shortly after fighting his brother Thor. Near the end of the battle Black Widow picked up the Scepter and used it to activate a fail-safe that closed the portal being generated by the Tesseract. Following the invasion, Black Widow turned possession of the Scepter over to S.H.I.E.L.D.

In S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Possession


"Could the connection between the Scepter and the Tesseract really be that simple?"

- Nicholas Cooper

The scepter was placed in the facility called S.H.I.E.L.D. S.T.A.T.I.O.N. to be researched by S.H.I.E.L.D. One of its researchers, Nicholas Cooper, was very enthusiastic about working with the scepter, but his colleague Mark Smith did not share his enthusiasm. Smith explained how he wanted to be a field agent, but as he was deemed psychologically unstable by Maria Hill, he was transferred to the science division.

Eventually, Smith's displeasement with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s leadership allowed him to be recruited into HYDRA by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. Strucker's first order to Smith was to retrieve the scepter.

While Cooper developed a new groundbreaking theory about the scepter's connection to the Tesseract, Smith, along with a HYDRA colleague, burst into the room, stealing the Scepter, and killing Cooper in the process.

In HYDRA's Possession


"What we have is worth more than any of them ever knew. We've only scratched the surface and already..."

- Wolfgang von Strucker

The scepter was transported to the HYDRA Research Base in Sokovia, where Strucker and his scientists began to study it, and powered up a large number of Chitauri Guns using it. As Strucker was not completely satisfied with the results, he ordered his lead scientist Doctor List to gather volunteers among the rioting population of Sokovia for experiments with the scepter. Although many volunteers died as a result, the twins Pietro Maximoff and Wanda Maximoff gained extraordinary powers.

By the time of the Battle at the Triskelion, Strucker and his scientists realized that the Scepter's powers were far greater than they originally thought.

During the Attack on the Arctic HYDRA Research Facility, Phil Coulson, now the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., was able to learn the location of the scepter and sent the information to Maria Hill, so she could give it to the Avengers. Meanwhile, the Inhuman clairvoyant, Raina, had a vision about the scepter. In the meantime, Strucker and his scientists used their research into the gem inside the Scepter to start experimenting with the artificial intelligence, for which they designed several very advanced robots.

In Tony Stark's Possession


"You want me to take the scepter behind everyone's back and use it to bring Ultron to life?" "Yeah, we don't have time for a city hall debate."

- Bruce Banner and Tony Stark

When the Avengers invaded and captured Strucker's fortress, Tony Stark discovered the Scepter in the secret laboratory. Once the Scepter was transported to the Avengers Tower, Stark began experimenting on it, aiming to unlock its secrets before Thor could take it to Asgard. Discovering A.I. (artificial intelligence) Stark started creating the Ultron Program with help from Bruce Banner. Three days later, the gem inside the Scepter successfully connected with Stark's Ultron Program, thus creating the new artificial intelligence, Ultron. Ultron attacked J.A.R.V.I.S. and immediately took control of Stark's equipment, building himself a robotic body from the damaged parts of Stark's Iron Legion robots. The robots then attacked the Avengers, and though they were defeated, one of the them escaped with the Scepter, while Ultron hacked into the internet and moved his consciousness to the computers at Strucker's fortress, where he built himself a new, more advanced body, and an army of robots.

In Ultron's Possession


"You’re a brilliant woman, Helen. But we all have room to improve."

- Ultron to Helen Cho

Ultron used the power of the Scepter to enthrall Helen Cho, in order to make him a new body with a combination of her expertise using the Cradle and Ultron's supply of Vibranium. He later broke the Scepter to claim the jewel, so he could use its power to evolve into a perfect body. Using a mixture of vibranium and living tissue, the Infinity Stone eventually gave life to Vision.

Capabilities
"Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon." "I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

- Captain America and Nick Fury The Scepter has a long golden grip handle and a black fitting containing the Mind Stone encased inside an encircled blue gem between platinum blades. The Scepter portrayed its role as a gate key allowing its owner to open rifts into dimensions by using the Tesseract. The Scepter has the ability to fire lethal energy blasts, allows its owner to communicate mentally via astral projection, and bend the victims' wills by brainwashing their minds.

The Scepter has two sharp platinum blades encircling the blue gem attached, an elongated blade above the gem and a shortened blade underneath it, especially the grip handle estimated at approximately two feet in length overall, which is deemed useful for close-quarters melee and firing accurate energy blasts against any targets. The Scepter functions as a formidable weapon, its sharp platinum blades capable of violently impaling and slashing targeted enemies. Its blades were possibly of such highly durable elements, quite powerfully strong enough to outmatch Thor's Mjølnir in close-quarters combat.

The Scepter also produces lethal energy blasts given by the Mind Stone's powers, akin to the advanced exoskeleton firearms HYDRA soldiers used in World War II, which were powered by harnessing the power of the Tesseract. This ability led the Avengers to conclude that the Scepter, in theory, was powered by the Tesseract. Just like the Tesseract's unlimited energy source, the Scepter's energy source emitted low levels of Gamma Radiation.

When the blade tip is placed against the targets' hearts, the Mind Stone within the blue gem produces a blue, wisp-like energy which is transferred into the person’s body where it spreads up to their head, notably affecting their eyes, turning them a florescent blue color. This causes the affected individual to become loyal to the wielder indefinitely. People put under the scepter's control will often regain their individuality after receiving a significant blow to the head, as with Hawkeye, since a temporary loss of consciousness will allow their normal mental state to "reset" and return. In some situations the effects of the mind control can be negated outright if the energy from the scepter is unable to diffuse into the target's body, such as when Tony Stark's Arc Reactor absorbed the energy instead.

Moreover, the Scepter has the ability to link the consciousness of its wielder to that of another person, as evidenced when Loki used the scepter to mentally communicate with the Other. This form of astral projection appears to have no real limits on distance, as Loki and the Other's conversation had been all the way from Earth to far off space. During this conversation, The Other was able to cause Loki pain through the scepter, implying that the former had access to the stone's power. It's unclear whether this function was a property of the Mind Stone, or a function built into the Scepter when it was created so that the Other could communicate with Loki. It also acted as a "key" to Erik Selvig's portal device, which he built under its influence.

The Scepter "opened the eyes" of Clint and Erik Selvig, showing them visions and granting them special knowledge they can use. Clint under brainwashed condition was shown targets and detailed plans for breaking into installations, and Selvig was shown visions of other dimensions and advanced knowledge of the science of the universe. While the Scepter was in HYDRA's possession, Wolfgang von Strucker commented that the scientists studying it had only just scratched the surface, implying that the Scepter's capabilities are more diverse than they appear. It bestowed powers to Wanda and Pietro Maximoff via lethal experimentation. Scarlet Witch seemingly retained a connection to the stone, or was able to influence it.

After the gem was cracked open, the stone inside appeared to be a powerful computing device containing advanced knowledge. The code inside was able to grant sentience to Ultron and Vision, and enabled Vision to hack computers, as well as seemingly granting him other powers in conjunction with his Vibranium physiology - energy blasts, density manipulation, and flight.

Trivia

 * The Scepter was first confirmed as holding one of the Infinity Stones in the teaser trailer for the upcoming film Avengers: Infinity War.
 * Following its appearance in The Avengers, a scepter with identical design, but different capabilities, has become Loki's weapon of choice in most comics, animated series and video games.