Avengers: Doomsday is mere months away, so we’re hitting the prime toy-spoilers timeframe. Case in point: a new Doctor Doom collectible features the not-so-good doctor holding a mysterious device, and fans have theories about what the handheld doohickey could be.
The collectible from Iron Studios features the now-familiar sight of Doctor Doom sitting on his throne (h/t Brandon Davis). Nothing new there. But direct your eyes towards Doom’s right hand, and you’ll notice that Doom is clutching a strange device that looks a little like a fancy TV remote. Assuming that Doom isn’t simply sitting on his favorite TV-watching throne, the question is: what is that device?
Naturally, the internet has theories. The most prevalent is that the device is the Ultimate Nullifier. Long story short, in Marvel comics, the Ultimate Nullifier is “the universe’s most devastating weapon” that can destroy pretty much anything (even the person wielding it), so it’s a formidable weapon for Doom to be in possession of and would allow him to wipe out worlds of his choosing. However, as many have pointed out, Doom’s device looks nothing like the Ultimate Nullifier from the comics, so it’s either been redesigned, or it’s something else entirely.
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Another theory is that the device could be the key to the Library of Worlds. In Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars (likely a key inspiration for the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars movie), the Library of Worlds is an endless repository of knowledge that also doubles as a multiversal hub world, a bit like DC’s Quantum Unfolding Chamber. In the comics, Doom gains access to the Library of Worlds and uses it as a base of operations. The device also looks a lot like a fancy key, and the filename of the image on Iron Studios’ own site is named ‘white-1-key,’ so there may be something to this one.
Either way, it seems like the device (or key) is going to be important in Doomsday, which got a new “special look” at D23. That teaser has Marvel fans convinced that Robert Downey Jr. isn’t the only Doctor Doom in the movie, and it’s all down to a brief glimpse of Doom’s eyes. Disney has also released a list of essential movies and shows to (re)watch ahead of Doomsday, but there are some curious omissions.
Avengers: Doomsday releases in theaters on December 18. For more, check out our list of upcoming Marvel movies and shows, and get up to speed with the Marvel timeline with our handy breakdown.