We all know Thanos will probably be defeated by the end of Avengers 3: Infinity War. That represents a BIG buying opportunity as a new villain will take Thanos’s place. In other words, we now got a chance to invest in the next Iron Man 55. These chances don’t come along often as a big villain typically will last for 5 or more years. So, now is our chance and below are whom I think has the biggest chance to be the next big villain in Marvel Phase 4!

Before we see the list, let me first cross out characters whose movie rights do not belong to Marvel

• Kang (according to Gunn’s Facebook post)
• Skrulls (Marvel own’s partial rights)
• Annihilus is at Fox’s since the new Fantastic Four is already hinting at the Negative zone
• Doom, Magneto, Apocalypse  etc are all not available for Marvel as most should have known

Tales of Suspense #50: First appearance of Mandarin

This book got some interest when Iron Man 3 was out but faded once that fake Mandarin was exposed. However, I am not convinced that is the end of this character. Having read some of the theories online, I bet Marvel has a bigger plan for this character. Why else would Marvel go through the trouble of releasing the one shot and telling everyone there is a real Mandarin hidden somewhere? Given the long perspective that Marvel has, I will not be surprised if it has something up its sleeves.

If Mandarin really becomes the big bad villain, this book is going to be a cracker. It is a pre 1965 book, meaning copies are going to be really limited especially in grade 7.0 and above. These type of books will see the hockey stick kind of grown that we have saw in Strange Tales #110 or Tales to Astonish #13. Maybe not the same amount but the margin will be incredible.

If I have lots of money, they will be going into this book, Period!

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Giant Sized Defenders #3: First appearance of Korvac

Korvac who? Some of you might not know who Korvac is but those who grew up in the late 80s and early 90s would know about the Korvac saga. It is a great storyline and one that involves….you guess it: Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy. If Marvel needs another bad guy that needs the unification of the 2 teams, Korvac will fit into the role perfectly.

The price appreciation, however will not be in the same league as Tales of Suspense #50, given that this is a Bronze age book. Having said that, so is Iron Man #55 🙂

As a recap, here is a look at what Iron Man #55 is commanding right now relative to this issue

Despite missing data, the price potential is pretty obvious. Korvac might not be as popular as Thanos but we are definitely going to see some nice returns if he turns out to be the bad guy in Marvel Phase 4 and we buy this issue now.

Check ebay listings here

Fantastic Four #47: First appearance of Maximus

With Phase 4 kick starting the Inhumans Franchise, which Kevin Feige has expressed a lot of confidence and interest in, it is possible that the main villain for the Inhumans to become the next big villain for the MCU. This book has already seen some price movement due to the Inhumans movie but it is still relatively cheap when compared to #45 or even #46.

My only concern is whether he will be too similar to Loki and whether he is enough of a threat to the combined might of all the Superheroes.

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Honorable mentions

Strange Tales #178: Magus first appearance

Remember who turns up after Thanos was defeated in the Infinity Gauntlet? Yup, it was Magus, Adam Warlock‘s evil half. So, having him turn up here is not an impossibility. The only concern I have is that for Magus to turn up, we need Adam Warlock. However, we have not seen any evidence of Adam in the MCU, even if his cocoon did show up in GOTG. In fact, some online have argued that the Vision is going to replace the role of Adam Warlock in the MCU. The bottom line is this: if you think Magus might be the next bad villain, be prepared to invest in Adam Warlock as they both go hand in hand. Similarly, if you don’t think Adam will show up, Magus will not be a possibility.

Strange Tales #126: First appearance of Dormammu

I have already recommended Strange Tales 126 before but it is worth putting it here because it contains the first appearance of both Clea and Dormammu. The latter has the power to impose a big threat to the MCU but the problem is I can’t remember any strong storyline where he is actually the main villain. As such, I am more comfortable putting him here in the honorable category.

There you have it. My predictions for the next major villain after Thanos. If any of these come true like my other picks, I am going to be a very very happy man 😉

And please, let’s hear some comments from you on your thoughts and picks.