The Marvels: Dar-Benn's Universal Weapon, Explained
Contains spoilers for "The Marvels"
Many Marvel Cinematic Universe concepts get resurrected for "The Marvels," the latest MCU flick that hit theaters on Friday. But perhaps none of them remain as confusing as the so-called "Universal Weapon," a staff and hammer hybrid that — despite appearing in three films thus far — is still mostly a mystery to even longtime MCU fans.
The Universal Weapon first appears in 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy," which Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) wields and imbues with the powers of one of the six Infinity Stones. When Ronan returns in the prequel film "Captain Marvel," so does his Universal Weapon. Now, in "The Marvels," the weapon (or at least some version of it, considering Drax destroys Ronan's in "Guardians") is wielded by Dar-Benn, a Kree fanatic hellbent on restoring Hala's former glory.
The weapon's powers have evolved somewhat over the decade since its introduction, ranging wildly from a mere cosmic cudgel to a weapon of planetary destruction. Its exact capabilities depend on the story's circumstances and the writers' reverence for Marvel Comics lore.
The Universal Weapon in the MCU
In both "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Captain Marvel," Ronan the Accuser's Universal Weapon seems like a mostly ceremonial weapon on par with (and occasionally surpassed by) other weapons in the Kree arsenal. For example, Jude Law's Yon-Rogg uses Kree Magnitron Gauntlets that seem far more spectacular. The only surprising thing it does the entire film is emit a concentrated concussion blast that twists the neck of the Other (Alexis Denisof). However, it makes perfect sense that someone dedicated to the old ways of the Kree Empire would carry such an archaic weapon.
For Ronan and Dar-Benn, the Universal Weapon may symbolize their connection to the pre-Kree Civil War era. However, Dar-Benn's version of the weapon, appears to be slightly more modern — perhaps it was built long after the destruction of the Supreme Intelligence (during which time Dar-Benn was a mere soldier) and was instead commissioned by Dar-Benn as a newly minted Accuser in the aftermath of Ronan's demise.
It now emits a purple energy, which can be dispelled upon making contact with the ground, similar to, but on a much smaller scale than, the planet-destroying effects of Ronan's weapon when it was combined with the Power Stone. It's possible that either the Universal Weapon always has some portion of this power that the Power Stone augmented or that Dar-Benn had the new Universal Weapon designed with inspiration from its fusion with the Power Stone. It's even possible that this redesign was meant to honor Ronan, her predecessor, and continue the mythmaking of their shared position and empire.
The Universal Weapon in Marvel Comics
The Universal Weapon wasn't even called "The Universal Weapon" on-screen until "The Marvels," though longtime Marvel Comics fans likely knew its name. First appearing in a 1967 issue of "Fantastic Four" (yes, from the legendary Stan Lee-Jack Kirby era), it's been the standard weapon of Ronan the Accuser (usually a B or C-list cosmic supervillain, at least until his MCU debut) for over 55 years now.
Otherwise known as the Cosmi-Rod (as Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan references in "The Marvels"), this powerful weapon was the standard for any member of the so-called Accuser Corps. Before the Kree Civil War and the destruction of Hala, some iteration of the organization likely existed in the MCU. They are significantly more "universal" and can perform various abilities such as energy projection and force field creation.
Carol Danvers herself recently wielded a Universal Weapon during the Empyre event in 2020 (best summarized as a modern echo of the Kree-Skrull war), though it was only temporary. Given Dar-Benn's fate at the end of "The Marvels," the comics may be the only place fans see the Universal Weapon for the foreseeable future.