Thanks for joining me again, nerd squad.
My name is Amanda McKnight and I will be your nerdy host for this video.
In today’s video we take a closer look at a major plot device in the Marvel Cinematic
Universe, the tesseract.
The tesseract, also known as the cosmic cube, is the holder of the space stone.
It is akin to what the orb was for the power stone.
Except that it’s not as good of a container when compared to the orb.
As everyone can hold the orb no problem but the tesseract is usually better left untouched.
But we’ll get into that more in a bit cause this video is about the tesseracts’s timeline.
An interesting topic considering the tesseract has appeared in 6 Marvel films to date.
And let me tell you for a cube that contains the space stone, this tesseract seems to spend
a lot of time on earth…
If you want more videos like this one, where we break down MCU timelines be sure to let
us know in the comments below.
And if you are a Marvel fan, don’t forget to click that like.
Here we go!
A Long Long Time Ago on a plain Far Far Away
Legend has it that as far as back as we know, Odin possessed and sometimes used the tesseract,
known to be at the time, “the jewel of his treasure room.”
In a sketchbook of legends out seen in the film, Thor, you can even glimpse illustrations
of Odin wielding the tesseract.
Of course, if this is believed to be true, it creates some plot holes within the battle
between Hela and Thor for Asgard in the film Thor Ragnarok.
Like, you know, assuming Hela then would’ve probably known about it… and had access
to all of Odin’s treasures, why didn’t she use it?
But maybe this was before she was born.
Regardless of when it happened, something changed to make Odin decide he no longer wanted
the tesseract or that it being on Asgard was considered too dangerous.
In 1409 it is rumoured Odin entrusted the tesseract to a Norse sect on earth.
Which seems kind of reckless in and of itself.
But maybe he thought us humans wouldn’t know how to use it, and that no one would
ever come to Earth to look for something so powerful.
Right?
1942
Yeah, well if that was the case, Odin was wrong.
In, Captain America: The First Avenger, we see that the tesseract is in fact hidden in
a church in Norway in a burial chamber.
Not sure if the people guarding the tomb think they guard the tesseract AND the corpse of
Odin or what, but they are guarding the tesseract.
That part is for sure.
However, the Norse sect’s leader is no match for Johann Schmidt, later known as the Red
Skull who over powers him and then conveniently finds the trap drawer where the tesseract
is hiding.
Red Skull harnesses the energy of the tesseract in an attempt to build weapons.
Afterwards when Red Skull is defeated by Captain America and tries to hold the tesseract in
his bare hands, he is transported to Vormir.
Later we see him in Avengers: Infinity War and find out that he has become the guardian
of the soul stone.
But back to the 1940s, the tesseract falls out of Red Skull’s hands, burns a whole
through the bottom of the plane it was being transported in, and plummets into the depths
of the ocean where it is retrieved a short while later by Iron Man’s dad, Howard Stark.
Apparently Stark Sr can find a small cosmic cube but can’t seem to locate Captain America’s
body which is considerably larger though, granted, less glowy.
1989
The tesseract ends up in the hands of Kree defector, Mar-Vell who has adopted the earth
alias of Doctor Wendy Lawson.
She uses the Tesseract instead to help power a faster-than-light-speed space engine in
an attempt to help Skrull refugees flee their enemies, her people, the Kree.
How did Mar-Vell end up with it?
Well, considering Project PEGASUS was about engineering advanced spaceship engine tech,
it seems likely that Stark Industries was also involved with the project.
Most likely, Mar-Vell was on boarded after the project’s creation.
And in fact, there have been various easter eggs to support a connection between Howard
Stark and Mar-Vell’s PEGASUS Project which leaves me wondering if Stark Sr and Doctor
Lawson ever met.
Ultimately Mar-Vell decides the safest place to store the cosmic cube is in her laboratory
which is on a space ship, orbiting the earth.
1995
Six years later, a confused Carol Danvers returns to earth and with the help of her
friend, Maria, is able to discern Lawson’s coordinates and with the help of the Skrulls
return to the Mar-Vell’s laboratory.
Captain Marvel retrieves the tesseract, holding the cube in her bare hands without seemingly
any issue.
Amazing considering up until this point in the MCU we have only seen god-like beings
or deities be able to do such a thing.
Granted, Captain Marvel’s powers originate from the space stone and perhaps it is her
connection to this stone in particular that grants her ability to hold the tesseract.
What does this mean for her battle with Thanos?
Is it possible that Captain Marvel is strong enough to wield multiple infinity stones?
During the time spent around the tesseract in the film, Captain Marvel, the writers carefully
protect other less powerful people on the space station from attempting to hold the
cube and eventually the tesseract ends up in the belly of Mar-Vell’s cat, named Goose,
who we actually find out is Flerken.
So I guess Flerken’s are super crazy powerful, or at least their stomaches are.
A few days later it Goose, spits up the tesseract as a cat would a hairball, right onto Nick
Fury’s desk.
Something to note is that this time the tesseract does not melt through anything.
Why leaves us asking the question, what in the world is Fury’s desk made out of?
And can we get more of whatever it is for Endgame because, if it’s that strong, we’re
probably gonna need it.
2012
The events of 1995 ensure the tesseract is back on earth, in the hands of SHIELD.
Which is convenient because in the first Avengers film, set in modern day, Loki ends up on earth
and aims to use the tesseract to try open a portal so that earth can be invaded.
Later we learn that Loki’s use of the tesseract is all a part of Thanos’ big scheme.
Anyways, after being Loki is defeated by the Avenger’s, Thor returns home to Asgard with
his adopted brother and the cosmic cube in tow.
2016ish
The cube remains on Asgard until the epic events of Thor Ragnarok.
We know Thor Ragnarok takes place around 2016 because Brad Winderbaum, VP of Production
and Development at Marvel Studios, told us the film take places around the same time
as Civil War.
And we know Civil War was set in 2016 from dates that appeared in the film.
In Ragnarok, after succumbing to fate and helping to bring about the destruction of
Asgard, Thor and Loki and all the remaining Asgardians leave Asgard, deciding to find
a new home.
It is just before this all takes place that Loki decides to steal the tesseract once more,
this time from Odin’s treasure room, and bring it with him.
2018
Overall Loki taking the tesseract, has been regarded as a bad a move.
As once in space, Thanos runs into Thor’s ship and ends up seemingly slaughtering everyone
except Hulk and Thor.
I know what you’re thinking, ‘what do you mean seemingly, Amanda?’
All those people are definitely dead.
I know I know, but I just really want Tom Hiddleston to return to the MCU!
Okay?
Thanos then crushes the tesseract to reveal the space stone, which he adds to his gauntlet.
Probably thinking to himself, despite all the traveling this stone has done, ‘wow
that was pretty easy.’
Although the tesseracts timeline has been pretty well mapped out for us in regards to
the MCU, there are still some questions left unanswered.
What happened with the tesseract in the time between the 1940 and 1980s?
And how did Odin get the tesseract?
What was it’s story before then?
How long did Odin possess it before he hid it on earth?
Let me know your theories in the comments below.
And I’ll be happy to share my thoughts with you there too.
I hope you enjoyed exploring the timeline of the tesseract.
Be sure to also let us know in the comments below if you want more videos about the MCU
timeline and all the plot holes within it.
And remember to click that subscribe so you didn’t miss out on any other MCU news or
facts.
This is top 10 nerd and I’m Amanda McKnight, saying thanks for watching and reminding you
to stay nerdy, You Tube.