The "Cosmic Time Heist" Universe is a universe visited by the Avengers during their mission to retrieve the Infinity Stones from different points in history.
History[]
Thanos' Campaign[]
Thanos has conquered countless planets and killed millions in a murderous campaign for balance in the universe.[1] The Avengers had previously impeded Thanos in his campaign, much to his annoyance.[2]
Time Heist[]
Visitors from the Future[]
Black Widow and Hawkeye head to Vormir
- "Get that stone and come back. No messing around."
- ―War Machine to Black Widow[src]
In search of the Power and Soul Stones, a group of future Avengers landed on Morag. The team soon split in two, with War Machine and Nebula staying Morag while Black Widow and Hawkeye took the Benatar to Vormir to find the Soul Stone. The two Avengers on Morag then took cover, awaiting the arrival of Star-Lord.[2]
Two Nebulas[]
Meanwhile on Korbin, Gamora and Nebula were committing a genocide against the native population in accordance with their adoptive father's wish to bring balance to the universe. While battling a Korbinite soldier, Nebula became cornered until she was saved by by Gamora, begrudging the fact that she always seems to need her adoptive sister's help. Gamora offers to help her sister to her feet, an offer which Nebula declines. Gamora then informs Nebula that their father has located one of the Infinity Stones wants them back at the ship.
Nebula projects an unfamiliar memory
Aboard a Q-Ship, Gamora informs Nebula that the stone is on Morag before Thanos also returns to ships. He tells his daughters that he plans to dispatch them to the ship of Ronan the Accuser so they can help him search for the Power Stone. While Nebula pledged her contuited loyalty to Thanos, one of her eyes projected a memory of the future Nebula, confusing her as well as Thanos and Gamora.
Bringing Nebula to Sanctuary II, Thanos had Ebony Maw run a diagnostic test on her memory file. Maw discovered that Nebula's memories were entangled a counterpart from nine years in the future. Having the Maw search the future Nebula's memories for Infinity Stones, Thanos discovered the Avengers plan to undo the results of his future self's Snap. Setting course for Morag, Thanos had Maw show him all of future Nebula's memories along the way. This included the memory of Thor murdering Thanos, mistakenly believing that it was Nebula who did the deed.[2]
Theft of the Power Stone[]
War Machine knocks out Star-Lord
- "This is the part where spikes come out, with skeletons on the end and everything..."
"What are you talking about?"
"When you break into a place called the 'Temple of the Power Stone,' there's gonna be a bunch of booby traps– Okay. All right. Go ahead." - ―War Machine and Nebula[src]
Back on Morag, Star-Lord makes his way to the Temple Vault while dancing to the music playing in his Walkman. Star-Lord's dancing session is soon cut short with he is knocked out by one swift blow from War Machine, who, alongside Nebula, was watching Star-Lord from afar. Nebula then grabbed Star-Lord's Lock Pick out of his bag while War Machine took his Plasma Sphere before they both headed to the Temple Vault.
Upon arriving at the temple's doors, Nebula used the Lock Pick to unlock them. While War Machine was initially hesitant to enter the temple, Nebula wasn't as she didn't share the same earthly stereotypes of what an ancient hidden temple was like. Nebula then grabbed the Orb with her robotic hand so that it could withstand the destructive force of the protective field around the Orb. As War Machine and Nebula prepared to return home to their original timeline with the Power Stone, Nebula began to short circuit leading War Machine to accidentally leave her.
Sanctuary II captures Benatar's Space Pod
The short circuit was caused by the entanglement with her 2014 self. Now knowing that Thanos is aware of their plans to undo his destiny, Nebula attempts to contact Black Widow and Hawkeye using the radio of the Benatar's Space Pod but to no avail. The pod is then captured by Sanctuary II tractor beam and it is brought aboard the ship.[2]
Sacrifice of Natasha Romanoff[]
Natasha Romanoff sacrifices herself for the Soul Stone
- "The stone is down there."
"For one of you. For the other... In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul, for a soul." - ―Black Widow and Red Skull[src]
Arriving on Vormir, Black Widow and Hawkeye made their way the planet's mountain in search of the Soul Stone only to find its keeper, Red Skull. He informs that pair that to obtain the stone, one of them must sacrifice themselves. Following much contemplation, both realized that they were ready to sacrifice themselves in order to restore half of all life to their timeline. Ready to die to save the world but not ready to see the other go, Hawkeye and Black Widow dueled it out for who was able to sacrifice themselves. Black Widow ultimately won out in the end, leaving Hawkeye with the Soul Stone, and one less friend.[2]
Aftermath of the Time Heist[]
Thanos Assures His Destiny[]
Thanos accepts his fate as he disintegrates
- "I thought by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive. But you've shown me that's impossible. And as long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist."
- ―Thanos to the Avengers[src]
Hoping to stop the Avengers from undoing the Snap, Thanos has Nebula impersonate her now kidnapped future self. Traveling back to her future self's timeline, Nebula successfully infiltrated the Avengers Compound and allowed Thanos, the Black Order, and the Chitauri to come to Earth-616 as well. In a climactic battle with the Avengers, Thanos and his forces, excluding Gamora, were disintegrated when Iron Man used the Infinity Stones. Having switched sides during the battle, Gamora chose to stay on Earth-616 and became the leader of the United Ravagers.[2][3]
Returning the Stones[]
Steve Rogers prepares to return the stones
- "Remember, you have to return the stones at the exact moment you got them. Or you're gonna open up a bunch of nasty alternative realities."
"Don't worry, Bruce. Clip all the branches." - ―Bruce Banner and Steve Rogers[src]
With half of all life restored and Thanos defeated, Steve Rogers returned the Power and Soul Stones to this reality.[2]
Residents[]
- Thanos †
- Black Order
- Gamora (formerly)
- Nebula †
- Ebony Maw †
- Corvus Glaive †
- Cull Obsidian †
- Proxima Midnight †
- Ravagers
- Johann Schmidt/Red Skull
- Ronan the Accuser
Landmarks[]
Trivia[]
- This universe is one of four visited by the Avengers during the Time Heist, the others being Asgard Time Heist, New York Time Heist and Camp Lehigh Time Heist.
Behind the Scenes[]
To be added
