Who Has The Soul Stone Before Thanos
Alright, let's dive into a cosmic mystery, shall we? We all know how the story goes. Thanos, the big purple guy with a chin to rival a geode, really, really wanted those Infinity Stones. And, of course, he eventually got his glove all blinged out with them. But what about before he was doing his dramatic finger-snapping thing? Who was rocking the Soul Stone then? Let's have a little fun with this, shall we?
Now, the movie lore tells us Gamora ended up being the one to spill the beans, leading Thanos to the Soul Stone on Vormir. And, well, we all saw what happened there. Tragic, right? But before Gamora was even a twinkle in her adoptive father's eye, who else might have been giving that soul-sucking sparkly thing a spin?
My completely unsubstantiated, totally for fun theory? I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that maybe, just maybe, Howard the Duck had it for a while.
Think about it! Howard is a perpetually grumpy, often drunk, interdimensional traveler. He's constantly getting into trouble and stumbling into bizarre situations. He's basically the universe's ultimate underdog, or under-duck, if you will. Does it not just feel right that a creature of such chaotic energy would somehow, accidentally, end up in possession of an object of immense power?
Imagine Howard, trying to get a decent drink at some seedy space bar. He knocks over a table, a fight breaks out, and in the ensuing chaos, he accidentally pockets a shiny orange rock. "What's this junk?" he probably grumbled, tossing it in his pocket next to a half-eaten sandwich.
Avengers: How did Gamora know where the Soul Stone was?
He'd be utterly clueless about its power, of course. He’d probably try to use it to light his cigarette, or maybe as a fancy paperweight for his ever-growing pile of overdue intergalactic parking tickets. He might even mistake it for a particularly potent hallucinogen and have a very, very strange weekend.
And then there's the whole 'soul' aspect. Howard is all about his own soul. He’s always complaining, always lamenting his fate. He is his soul, in a way. So, having the Soul Stone around? It would be like him having a cosmic mirror, reflecting his own jaded existence back at him. He wouldn't know what to do with it, but it would certainly be an interesting conversation starter with himself, fueled by cheap alien booze.
Plus, think of the sheer comedic potential! The Guardians of the Galaxy, frantically searching for this incredibly powerful artifact, and it turns out Howard the Duck has it, using it to prop open a door or perhaps as a makeshift doorstop for his cramped apartment. Rocket Raccoon would have a field day trying to pry it out of his webbed little fingers, while Groot would just stand there, silently judging Howard's life choices.
Maybe he even traded it for a beer once. Seriously! Picture this: Howard, broke and desperate for a pint of something strong. He walks up to a shady vendor. "Got anything good?" he asks. The vendor, eyeing Howard's pockets, says, "How about this shiny thing for a pint of Nebula Nectar?" And Howard, without a second thought, hands over the Soul Stone. The vendor, of course, has no idea what he just got. He probably thinks it’s a fancy rock for his collection.
And then, somehow, that vendor ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the stone makes its way to Vormir. Or maybe the vendor sells it to someone who eventually loses it, and it ends up being found by the Collector, who then fails to keep track of it, because, well, that's the Collector for you. He's great at collecting, not so great at holding onto things.
This is where the universe gets messy, folks. It’s not always a straight line from point A to point B. Things get misplaced. They get traded for dubious goods. They get used as coasters by creatures who have no business being in possession of cosmic artifacts. And Howard the Duck, with his perpetually bewildered expression and his uncanny ability to attract trouble, feels like the perfect chaotic intermediary for the Soul Stone's journey.
It just makes so much more sense in a weird, hilarious way, doesn't it? While Thanos was out there conquering planets, Howard was probably just trying to find his keys, with the Soul Stone nestled somewhere amongst his loose change and lint. It’s a beautiful, absurd thought, and one that, in my humble, unofficial opinion, is far more entertaining than any official explanation. So next time you think about the Soul Stone, spare a thought for our feathery friend. He might just have been the original cosmic chill dude, accidentally holding onto a piece of the universe's very fabric.