Timeless #1 teases a number of major developments for the Marvel Universe, including two dark potential future roles for Punisher and Winter Soldier.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Timeless #1, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Kang the Conqueror’s presence as a time-spanning warlord gives him the chance to not only glimpse across history but also see into the future of the timeline. In Timeless, Kang reveals a number of possible developments that include the apparent corruption of two major figures in the Marvel Universe.
The future roles of the Punisher and the Winter Soldier teased in Timeless #1 (by Jed MacKay, Kev Walker, Greg Land, Jay Leisten, Mark Bagley, Andrew Hennessy, Marte Gracia, and VC’s Ariana Maher) are dark and tragic…and make grimly perfect sense for both.
The Punisher Might Have His Own Version of Daredevil’s Shadowland
One of the futures glimpsed by Kang and the historian Petrov features the Hand, driven by a new master on a dark mission of vengeance across the world. Notably, it seems to be Frank Castle (with his newly teased logo across his chest) leading them. This suggests that the Punisher may be on the verge of gaining his own army as a powerful new weapon in his endless war against crime. In theory, this could be a boon for the Marvel Universe. Punisher may be a killer, but he’s also dedicated to targeting threats to the innocent. With Castle at the helm, the Hand might also be somewhat contained, stopping them from potentially being used as a demonic army at the behest of the Hell Bride, who is poised to attack Krakoa. But this might also push the Punisher down a dark and terrifying path.
At first glance, this is a similar idea to Daredevil’s stint as the Master of the Hand that resulted in his corruption during the Shadowland crossover, turning him into a dangerous killer who almost brought about the rise of the Beast on the mortal plane. Daredevil was barely able to restrain himself with the help of his longtime allies, but it’s unclear if a similar tactic would be enough to slow down a corrupted Punisher. Instead, a fully demented Frank Castle would have the means to attack anyone he deemed guilty, possibly turning his attention to the rest of the hero community. It’s a perfectly tragic evolution for the Punisher, granting him a powerful new weapon to use in his never ending war.
The Winter Soldier May Turn Against Captain America
One of the more disturbing sights witnessed by Kang and Petrov features Captain America. Notably, this comes during a period described as “further in the future,” teasing that these events might be further away from the present day. However, some of them (such as Iron Man seemingly gaining a great deal of power to become a new cosmic figure) have already been playing out in the modern day, implying their validity. In one of the visions, Captain America is shown kneeling on the ground clutching a wound in his chest next to a statement that “an old icon falls.” Even worse, the person behind the wounded Captain America appears to be Bucky Barnes, given his trademark metal arm.
Barnes is shown with a smoking gun, implying that he’s the one responsible for the attack on the Sentinel of Liberty. It’s entirely possible that this isn’t the same Winter Soldier, as his face is completely shrouded in shadows. It’s also possible that the shadows imply that Bucky Barnes is no longer in control of himself and has instead once again become an agent of destruction for nefarious forces in the world. Either way, it appears that the Winter Soldier will be responsible for bringing down Captain America once and for all. Given his long history as a weapon, it’s a tragically fitting fate for Bucky to turn against his oldest friend and revert back to his original programming.
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