Summary
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Ms. Marvel Annual #1!Phil Coulsonis one of the few iconic Marvel characters who got his start in live-action in the MCU before making a name for himself in the comic book landscape as well, andNick Furywas right next to him during that journey across mediums. Together, Coulson and Fury ran S.H.I.E.L.D. at maximum efficiency, and when Coulson died, he was greatly missed by Fury. And now, fans can see exactly how Fury honored Coulson’s memory, as his resurrection actually revealed the 6-word tribute Nick Fury had carved on his grave.
InMs. Marvel Annual#1 “The Death Stone Saga: Chapter Four” by Derek Landy and Sara Pichelli, Nick Fury stands at Phil Coulson’s gravesite after getting an alert on the pager he placed in Coulson’s coffin upon his death. On the surface, Fury is faced with two possibilities: someone dug up Coulson’s body before activating his pager, or Coulson has returned from the dead and activated it himself.
While readers are aware of which one of those possibilities is the reality of the situation, Fury isn’t yet convinced that Coulson is back, and decides to proceed with caution until he discovers the truth for himself. Before Fury breaks down the situation and details what he’s going to do next, readers see him standing somberly over Coulson’s desecrated grave, with a full view of the engraving Fury added to the tombstone of his fallen friend: “He loved heroes and was one”.
Marvel Officially Introduces Nick Fury’s Daughter (By Having Her Targeted by the Punisher)
Marvel Comics just made a huge reveal: Nick Fury has a daughter. That’s not all, as it seems she has found herself in the crosshairs of the Punisher.
Coulson is About to Prove His Gravestone Right by Becoming a Cosmic Hero
The Infinity Watch: The Death Stone Saga
Nick Fury may still be in the dark about what has become of Coulson’s corpse, but those who have been following the ongoing Infinity Watch storyline that’s taking place across a number of Annual books know that Coulson has been bonded with the Death Stone.The Death Stone was recently created by Thanosduring his latest solo title. Made from the essence of Mistress Death herself, Thanos created the Death Stone in order to bond with it, and become Death incarnate.
However, the Death Stone rejected Thanos and flew from his hand after he tried to bond with it, as it traversed the cosmos to find a suitable host. And against all odds, the Death Stone chose the already-deceased Phil Coulson, who clawed his way out of his grave and traveled to a mysterious location that has yet to be revealed. However, what fans do know is that now Agent Coulson has the chance to prove his gravestone right, and become a cosmic hero with the power of the Death Stone.
Coulson’s Gravestone Inscription was a Nice Sentiment, but It was Completely False
While calling Coulson someone who “loved heroes and was one” is a nice sentiment on Nick Fury’s part, it’s actually completely false. AfterCoulson is killed by Deadpool inSecret Empireand then resurrected, he becomes disillusioned with superheroes. That’s what led him to sell his soul to Mephisto inHeroes Rebornto create an alternate reality where the Avengers didn’t exist, and the world’s greatest superheroes were the Squadron Supreme, which he had control over. In other words, Coulson hated Marvel’s superheroes so much that he willingly damned his soul for eternity to get rid of them.
Now that Coulson is back with the power of the Death Stone, he has the chance to prove his gravestone right and become a true superhero, but there’s also the chance that he’ll become a despicable villain like he was in Heroes Reborn, only this time, he’ll have real cosmic power backing him. Only time will tell what Coulson will become with this newfound power, but even if he descends into villainy, fans still haveNick Fury’s touching tribute to the good manPhil Coulsononce was.
