The Revelations in Marvel’s G.O.D.S. are a Bigger Deal Than Fans Think

For months, backup stories in the pages of various Marvel Comics titles have given readers glimpses into the world of G.O.D.S. After much anticipation, that world has finally arrived, and it is already making major waves across the Marvel Universe. Not only has G.O.D.S. introduced entirely new regimes spanning further than anyone could have expected, it has introduced a myriad of characters who might just be rewriting history as fans know it.

G.O.D.S. #1 (by Jonathan Hickman, Valerio Schiti, Marte Gracia, and VC’s Travis Lanham) opens to a massive burst of energy washing over New York City. As Doctor Strange watches on, he discusses with his ominous compatriot the nature of the never ending war between good and evil that they have each been swept up in. When asked directly about which side of the fight he stands on, Doctor Strange is quick to offer wordy ruminations on his role in this war before declaring himself as good. When Strange asks the same question of his impossibly powerful ally, however, Wyn’s only response is to wonder aloud whether anyone can even tell the difference at this point.

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What is Marvel Comics’ G.O.D.S. – And Who Are Its Main Players?

Although G.O.D.S. #1 is the first full glimpse into the series’ world that fans have gotten, each of its key players has shown up throughout the pages of Marvel Comics prior to their breakout series. This includes Wyn, also known as Ser Redwynn, who’s the Avatar of The-Powers-That-Be, an ancient entity that ultimately oversees all things strange and magical. Wyn received the role of Avatar over a millennium ago. In the time since then, he has served faithfully in safeguarding the universe, even if he did so begrudgingly at times. In fact, the most recent drastic turn in Wyn’s life is also the one that has left him questioning his place in the universe more than any other.

As it turns out, Wyn’s position as the Avatar of The-Powers-That-Be is only one half of the overarching mythology introduced in G.O.D.S. The other half is none other than The-Natural-Order-of-Things. The direct opposite of The-Powers-That-Be, The-Natural-Order-of-Things oversees all things purely and perfectly scientific. Rather than having a single representative in the form of an Avatar, The-Natural-Order-of-Things is represented by one hundred immortal individuals who comprise the Centum. These Centivars are just as efficient in their duties as the Avatar, yet the rift between them has precluded any collusion between the two sides for hundreds if not thousands of years. As a rule, The-Powers-That-Be and The-Natural-Order-of-Things are diametrically opposed, so much so that the war between them waged for eons before reaching the detente that currently stands.

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How G.O.D.S. Is Reshaping the Marvel Universe from the Inside Out

Unfortunately, that same ceasefire wasn’t enough to keep Wyn’s marriage to the Centivar Aiko Maki from being forcefully eroded, nor is it enough to close the rift between The-Powers-That-Be and The-Natural-Order-of-Things. Only with the emergence of the threat posed by the Proto-Mage known as Cubisk Core are the Centum’s members able to put aside their open disdain for the Avatar and work together to save the world. Along the way, Wyn reunites with Doctor Strange under relatively friendly terms. However, he receives no such warm welcome from the Centivar, especially not his former wife. This might make sense given what readers know of the two sides in this immortal conflict, but it stands out as odd given the Centivars have no problem admitting Doctor Strange into their midst.

It isn’t until after Cubisk Core has been defeated that Aiko displays any sort of open affection for Wyn which, though romantic in the moment, reminds readers how much love still exists between them. A fleeting kiss is one thing, but the fact Aiko still has to leave Wyn behind and return to the Centum is tragic. There isn’t any doubt that the two will cross paths again soon enough under similarly harrowing circumstances. However, there’s no indication of how the status quo they suffer from will change. If anything, G.O.D.S. has called into question exactly what that same status quo means for the Marvel Universe as it already stood, opening the door for countless ancient quarrels to put it in further danger sooner than later.

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Where G.O.D.S. Is Taking the Marvel Universe Next

Introducing The-Powers-That-Be and The-Natural-Order-of-Things and the Avatar and Centum are groundbreaking on their own, and introducing Cubisk core is certainly intriguing. Yet, those are hardly the most impactful developments that G.O.D.S. has to offer, even if they are the most obvious. Rather, it is everything that is only fleetingly referenced in the pages of G.O.D.S. #1 that could have the biggest implications for the future of the Marvel Universe. As Aiko and Wyn blatantly explain, it isn’t just the gods that they work on behalf of who stand as direct opposites to one another. That dichotomous relationship is inherent to all gods. Even if Aiko and Wyn don’t make any disclaimers as to what exactly that means, it’s easy enough for readers to take that statement to its most direct conclusion.

At that rate, the likes of all of Marvel’s Elder Gods have their own directly opposing counterparts or forces. In all likelihood, so too would the immortal cosmic entities such as the Phoenix Force, or at the very least those who are the embodiments of even greater cosmic forces such as Eternity. There is even the chance that gods such as Thor and his fellow Asgardians have their own oppositional counterparts somewhere in the Marvel Universe. Though there are arguments that many of these beings have already met their opposites, the number of Marvel gods who have yet to do so is astronomical. As the first issue has established, the precedent G.O.D.S. is setting could change that reality for the worst before Marvel fans know it.