Cosmic Cube

Cosmic Cube
Thanos holds the Cosmic Cube (the entity Death looks on in the background). Interior artwork from Captain Marvel 28 (Sept. 1973). Art by Jim Starlin.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Tales of Suspense #79 (July 1966)
Created by	Stan Lee (writer) Jack Kirby (artist)
In story information
Type	Mystic item/artifact
Element of stories featuring	S.H.I.E.L.D., Red Skull, Thanos

The Cosmic Cube is the name of a fictional object appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and related media.

The first Cosmic Cube appeared in a story in Tales of Suspense #79–81 (July–Sept. 1966) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It was established as a device created by A.I.M. and capable of transforming any wish into reality, irrespective of the consequences. The Cube was also a plot device in a story that introduced the character of the Super-Adaptoid in Tales of Suspense #82–84 (Oct.–Dec. 1966). The Cube was also featured in a one-off story in the Avengers #40 (1967) being found and briefly wielded by Namor.

The Cube reappeared in Captain America #115–120 (July–Dec. 1969), and featured in an epic cosmic storyline that starred arch-villain Thanos in Daredevil #107 (Jan. 1974) and Captain Marvel #25–33 (March 1972–July 1974: bi-monthly). Retrieved after Thanos' defeat, this original Cube featured in several Project Pegasus stories in Marvel Two-in-One #42–43 (Aug.–Sept. 1978), Marvel Two-in-One #57–58 (Dec. 1979–Jan. 1980), and Marvel Team-Up Annual #5 (1982).

The creation of a second Cube was shown in Super-Villain Team-Up #16–17 (May 1979, June 1980) but this Cube was initially powerless and did not gain any reality-altering ability until years after its creation.

A major element was added to the Cube's origin—that each is in fact an evolving sentient being—in Captain America Annual #7 (1983). The sentient Cube returned in Avengers #289–290 (March–April 1988) to end the threat of the Super-Adaptoid (itself originally empowered by a "shard" of a Cosmic Cube), and then in Fantastic Four #319 (Oct. 1988). This story revealed that the villain the Molecule Man had ties to the Cube and introduced a new character.