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MCU’s Phase 4 brings a lot of new characters and locations to the film franchise, but it also introduces several ancient and powerful relics with little information on their backstory so far. There are tons of incredible weapons seen throughout the MCU such as the infinity gauntlet, Stormbreaker, Captain America’s shield, and Iron Man’s tech, but they do not compare to the few ancient relics seen in Phase 4. With Phases 5 & 6 coming into play over the next four years, it’s possible there could be more of these interesting relics introduced to the MCU.
The ancient relics in Phase 4 are building on a trend that the Multiverse Saga is setting up. Sporadically a new Marvel project introduces a very powerful weapon with a new hero and lightly touches on its history and powers. So far, there are only four powerful relics introduced in Phase 4, with only two of them used consistently in the projects they are seen in. With the other two, one is introduced in an end-credit scene, and the other is seen on screen a fair amount in its project, but still leaves a lot of unanswered questions about its origins and powers. Here are the four ancient relics seen in MCU’s Phase 4 and how powerful they all are.
The Ten Rings
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings contains the first ancient relic introduced to Phase 4, the Ten Rings. The movie explains that Shang-Chi’s father, Wenwu (Tony Leung), had possession of the Ten Rings for around one thousand years and used them to gain power. Once Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) is dragged back into his father’s life, he learns more about the nature of his fathers power and his intentions to destroy Ta Lo, he sets out to obtain the Ten Rings and stop his father.
The origin of the Ten Rings in the MCU is rather mysterious as Shang-Chi doesn’t offer a lot of explanation as to how they were made and where they came from. In terms of powers, the Ten Rings grant the one who wields them enhanced strength and mystical abilities, as seen when Wenwu gives Shang-Chi control of them to defeat the Dweller-in-Darkness. The film’s end-credit scene does offer slightly more insight into the Ten Rings, explaining that the ancient relic isn’t made of Vibranium and can’t be found in the codex of the Masters of the Mystic Arts. Despite the lack of information on this ancient relic, it is clear that there is more than meets the eye with its powers and its importance to the future of the MCU.
The Ebony Blade
The Ebony Blade is seen in the end-credits of Eternals, as a part of Dane Whitman’s (Kit Harrington) family history. He opens up an old case with “Death is my reward” engraved on it in a different language, and in it lies the Ebony Blade. He seems nervous to pick it up and is interrupted by an off-screen voice who is confirmed to be Marhershala Ali’s Blade. The ancient relic is yet to be seen on screen again since this end-credit scene, but the sword very likely plays an important role for Whitman’s character.
Dane Whitman’s sword is the magical weapon of the Black Knight in Marvel Comics and was forged by Merlin and Sir Percy. Its powers include deflecting and absorbing magic, cutting through any object, and preventing the death of the one who uses it. The user is also able to create a suit of black armor around himself when the powers of the Ebony Blade are fully unleashed. However, these powers come with a terrible curse: the Ebony Blade corrupts whoever wields it and increases their lust for violence and death. This curse does make the relic and its wielder stronger, but the price of that increased strength is deadly.
This ancient relic is the key to Dane Whitman’s future in the MCU, and its powers of sorcery and magic seen in the comics fit very well with the growing mysticism theme within the Multiverse Saga. It is by far one of the more lethal artifacts seen in the MCU and while its origin is unknown at present, future appearances of Kit Harrington’s character will shed some light on the Ebony Blade. It is likely the character and the weapon will appear in a future Eternals project or even in Blade.
Kamala’s Bangles
Kamala’s bangles first appear in Disney+’s Ms. Marvel series, and they play a key role in unlocking her powers. This ancient relic is a huge change from the comic-book version of Ms. Marvel, but its introduction in the series showcases a lot about its origins and powers. Ms. Marvel’s MCU powers require the bangles to channel her powers and use photonic energy. It allows her to grow in size, stretch her limbs, and create “hard light.” The bangles also give her access to the alternate dimension of Noor, a place where the Clandestines come from.
This relic is an important part of her story as it unlocks her mutant powers and reveals her family history and the origins of their powers. As there is no comic-book reference for her bangles, the only source of information about them is the Ms. Marvel show on Disney+. It’s clear that the bangles hold some type of cosmic energy within them. The end-credit scene of the last episode in the series shows the bangles glowing before Captain Marvel and Kamala Kahn switch places which means they can teleport one of the mightiest heroes in the universe against their will.
The Bloodstone
The latest ancient relic to appear in Phase 4 is the Bloodstone in Werewolf by Night. The Bloodstone has a similar appearance to that of the Reality Stone, with its dark red color and light radiating from it. The special reveals that it has been in the Bloodstone family for generations, but doesn’t mention where it comes from.
When talking about its powers, it appears as though the Bloodstone lies more within the realm of magic, as Verussa recites a spell while she transforms Jack into his monster form. It’s also stated in the special that the Bloodstone gives the user enhanced strength and protection, and increases his or her ability to live longer. Werewolf by Night’s Bloodstone is also dangerous for monsters as they cannot come into contact with the ancient relic, or it will anger and weaken them. It does not seem to be as deadly as any of the Infinity Stones, but it is still a very powerful weapon shown in MCU’s Phase 4. With the powers of these relics revolving around magic and sorcery, they will likely make an important impact on the future of the MCU.
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