Highlights and Key Events of the Marvel Avenger movies

Here is a comprehensive "highlights summary" of the Marvel Avenger movies, which may help you keep track of all the events/names/Infinity Stones that tied all the 22 movies together.

What were the colors of the Infinity Stones? Where did each one first appear? What did each one represent?

What were the names of all the allies, villians and key locations?

Did you watch the Ending Credits? If not, you missed mini-trailers about upcoming movies, the first appearance of several Infinity Stones, and even the first appearance of Thanos! For example, Agent Coulsen appeared in the Ending Credits of Iron Man 2, where he discovered Thor's Hammer in a New Mexico crater!

How did the Avengers (as a team) get their start?

How did the key "Pym Particle" - which allowed the time travel in Endgames - originate?

Where did Thor get the Mjolner (his hammer)? Was anybody but Thor able to lift it? (Yes: two others)

When was Agent Coulsen first introduced? And S.H.I.E.L.D.? Hydra? What about Nick Fury?

Did ya' catch the cameo appearances of Stan Lee (multiple times), Hugh Hefner, Larry Ellison, Elon Musk, and several movie stars, throughout all the movies?

What were the two summaries of the Infinity Stones and their ancient origins? The first was by "Tivan the Collector". The second was by Wong (Dr Strange's assistant).

These highlights are presented with deep appreciation for the Marvel Avenger movies. These are very high quality flicks. They don't depend on excessive gore; they don't depend on endless foul language. Indeed, they make fun of it in some scenes. "And for gosh sakes, watch your language", Stark says at one point - after Captain America chides someone for cussing. And, unless I missed one, there are no obligatory throw up scenes!
  Further, there is also some good writing in these movies. For example: The "Ancient One" in Dr Strange tells him that "The simplest and most significant lesson is. . . 'It's not about you'. Another example: Ultron says 'Everyone creates the thing they dread. Men of peace create engines of war'.
 Indeed, one might say that movies like this are Myths for Modern Times.

NOTE:As stated above, these summaries are highlights, key names, key timelines, and the like. Thus you will see this line repeatedly:
. . . (Movie continues)
 That's because I am avoiding important plot-related scenes. You can appreciate them much better by watching the movies themselves! Nonetheless, these synopses/highlights assume that you have seen the movies! While key scenes and big events are omitted, there are still some spoilers!

Iron Man (2008)

Director: Jon Favreau

Screenplay: Mark Fergus, Hawk, Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby

Tony Stark starts out as a rather arrogant and high-living arms merchant. During a demo of Stark Industries "Jerico" MIRV missle, a soldier gives a peace sign. Tony Stark then says "Peace. I love peace. I would be out of a job with peace."
 A woman reporter points out his other nickname "The Merchant of Death". Stark notes that his dad said "Peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy." Stark points out that advanced medical technology and "intelli-crops" were created due to military funding. "They say the best weapon is the one you never have to fire. . . I say the best weapon is the one you only have to fire once." (Demos the Jerico missle. It MIRVS and sends out many sub-missles, creating a huge explosion that blows dust over the crowd.)
 But in a subsequent attack, Stark is blown through the air by a bomb labeled "Stark Industries".
 One of Stark's captors points out that that he is "one of the most dangerous mass murderers in the history of America".
Yinsen helps Stark build the first iron suit. Stark constructs the first "chest implant" based on the Stark Enterprises "arc reactor" tech. Yinsen buys Stark some extra time by stalling the terrorists, but is mortally injured. In his last breath, he tells Stark "Don't waste your life".
 Stark arrives back. Agent Coulsen introduces himself as being with "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division" (S.H.I.E.L.D.)
 Of note: Stark says that he didn't get to say goodbye to his father.
 Passes by Hugh Hefner, who is surrounded by girls. Says "You look great, Hef".
 But the captivity experience has changed him.
 During the press conference: "I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and save them, and I saw that I had become a part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability. . . I saw that I have better things to offer than weapons that blow things up." He announces that he is shutting down the weapons division.
 Pepper has her doubts, but he tells her, "I shouldn't be alive, unless it was for a reason. I'm not crazy, Pepper. I just finally know what I have to do. I know in my heart that it's right."
. . . (Movie continues)
 Pepper presents Stark with a gift trophy that is Stark's original chest implant/cardiac power source – surround by a ring that says "Proof that Tony Stark has a heart.".
 (In Endgames, It is put out on the lake to float during the funeral for Stark.)

Ending Credits:
 Nick Fury is waiting in Stark's big room. "I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger Initiative."
 "But I am Iron Man."
 "You think you're the only superhero?"

Iron Man
Hulk

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Director: Louis Leterrier

Screenplay: Zak Penn

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

Throughout this movie, Bruce Banner does his best to find an antidote to the gamma ray "infection" that he received during an experiment designed to produce a "super soldier". Banner thought – during this experiment – that he was supposed to be trying to find a way to reduce radiation damage.
 During the experiment, Banner had turned into the Hulk, and injured Betty Ross, general Ross' daughter. Betty Ross later came to love Banner. They even tried to have sex, but Banner had to stop, since it would have raised his heart rate to 200 – the threshold whereby he would morph into the Hulk.
 (Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross was the general who was in charge of the super soldier effort, called the "Bio-tech Enhancement Project".)
Emil Blonsky was Ross' top soldier. He told Ross that if he had the body he did 10 years ago, he would be capable to defeat the Hulk. Ross informs him that "this can be arranged". But the Hulk throws Blonsky into a tank and breaks most of his bones. Blonsky is next seen in a hospital bed with multiple casts and IVs.
 But later Ross visits him again, and he is fully recovered. Blonsky then goes to Dr Samuel Sterns and forces him to apply more of the serum and radiation, and Blonsky morphs into the "Abomination".
. . . (Movie continues)
 Banner is shown in a remote cabin in Canada. He is trying meditation and Yoga to control his temper. Betsy sends him her locket (so he can hock it for money perhaps). He puts in an envelope to be sent back to her.

Later, Ross is drinking in a bar and Tony Stark walks in: "I hate to say this, but that Super Soldier project was put on hold for a reason. I've always felt that hardware was the best solution. . . What if I told you that I was putting together a team?"
 "Who's 'we'", says Ross.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Director: Jon Favreau

Screenplay: Justin Theroux

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby

A Russian is watching his father (Anton Vanco) die. The father says "It should have been you" (to take the credit for the Arc Reactor. The name "Anton Vanco" is at the bottom of the Arc Reactor blueprint that the Russian is using, along with the name "Howard Stark".)
 The Russian succeeds in making a miniature Arc Reactor "chest implant".
 Tony Stark is still pretty self-aggrandizing. He brags at the flashy Stark Expo, "How long has it been since we've had this many years of world peace?" Some cameos: During the Expo, Larry Ellison, Elon Musk, and Stan Lee appear as themselves!
 In the Senate hearing, Stark makes fun of the whole proceedings, says "I tried to work with these ass-clowns. . . "I privatized world peace."
 But Stark begins to have a reminder of frail mortality when Jarvis tells him that his blood toxicity levels are rising, and the core keeps eating up the palladium inserts.
 Vanco's son completes his "iron man" suit. He attacks Stark and other racers at the Monaco rally. Stark manages to stop him.
 A Justin Hammer shows up. He is a rival to Stark – having been belittled by Stark earlier in the movie. He enlists the son of Vanco to build some armored suits.
 Stark is getting sicker and sicker.
 We see a video done by Howard Stark, who is showing off a big display the city of the future. But suddenly Howard reveals his hidden love of his son Tony: "Tony. . . I can't finish my projects due to the limited technology of my time. You will finish it, and when you do, you'll change the world. . . My greatest creation is you."
 The film video shows a full-scale model of the City of the future. Stark later visits his old CEO headquarters (Pepper is distant from him). He takes the model, has Jarvis scan it in, and it reveals the element that he needs to fix his rapidly deteriorating condition. He notes that the model has a label "The future is here".
. . . (Movie continues)
Nick Fury and Tony talk about Tony's participation in the "Avenger Initiative".

Ending Credits:
 Agent Coulsen drives up to a crater in the desert, walks up to it.
 "Sir, we've found it", he says on a radio.
 The camera pans to Thor's hammer.

Iron Man 2
Thor

Thor (2011)

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Screenplay: Ashley Miller, Zack Stenz, Don Payne

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby

The movie starts in New Mexico desert. Two young women and an older scientist (Dr Eric Selvig) are driving a big equipment van, and encounter a bright light.
 The movie goes to Norway 965 AD.
 The Frost Giants have attacked, and people from another world help the humans, defeat the Frost Giants, and take the source of their power, a glowing blue rectangle called the " Casket of Ancient Winters". They went back to their world – Asgard. The Asgard king (Odin, or the Allfather) tells two young boys that eventually they will have to fight the Frost Giants again. One of the kids is ready to do it right away.
 Later the grown Thor walks out into a big cheering crowd. His father calls him Thor Odinson, while Loki looks on. Thor is "entrusted" with the mighty hammer Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star." The father is about to proclaim Thor king but the Frost Giants attack just then and attempt to re-take the Casket. Thor wants to attack, but his father says "You're not king yet."
 Thor takes Loki and some of Thor's friends and tries to attack the Frost Giants in Jotunheim. His father beams himself down to Jotunheim and saves them. He is angry at Thor, strips him of his godly powers, and banishes him to Earth. He then says "Whoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy to possess the power of Thor. . ." and sends the hammer to Earth too.
 Thor lands in New Mexico and the three people run into him with their van. One of them tasers Thor. The hammer lands nearby, making the crater shown in Iron Man 2's ending credits.
 One of the women (Jane Foster) realizes that Thor comes from another galaxy, by way of an "Einstein-Rosen Bridge". Meanwhile crowds of good ol' boys decend on the crater and try to lift up the hammer. Stan Lee tries to pull it out with his pick-up truck!
 Back at Asgard, Loki goes to the Casket and lifts it up. Allfather comes in and tells Loki that he is actually the son of Laufey the Frost Giant leader. Allfather says he took Laufey's abandoned baby (Loki) because "I thought I could unite both kingdoms one day through you."
 Back on Earth, Agent Coulsen and S.H.I.E.L.D. confiscate all Jane's equipment and computers. Dr Selvig says they also confiscated the equipment of a friend of his – an expert in gamma radiation. (Dr Banner?)
 And back at Asgard, Loki appointed himself king after Allfather appears to have died.
 On Earth, Thor is driven to the crater site by Jane. He attempts to sneak into the secured area and is spotted. At one time, Coulsen asks for someone to climb a crane and act as a sniper (not necessarily to kill but just injure) if needed. Clint Barton (Hawkeye) shows up with a compound bow, says "you'd better hurry; I'm starting to like this guy."
. . . (Movie continues)
 Thor vows to Agent Coulsen ("son of Coul") that he will join forces with him.
 Back on Asgar, Loki apparently falls to his death, apparently with the Casket. Thor has to destroy the apparatus that can beam him to Earth, to stop a ray that Loki initiated in an attempt to destroy the Frost Giants.

Ending Credits:
 "Thor will return in the Avengers".
 Nick Fury meets with Dr Selvig, shows him a briefcase full of glowing circuitry. It contains the Tesseract (the Space Stone – first appearance), and is the same briefcase shown in Avengers (2012).
 "What is it?"
 "Power, doctor, if we can figure out how to use it."
 Loki appears, though unseen, and says "Well I guess that's worth a look." Dr Selvig repeats the phrase.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Infinity Stone: Tesseract - Space Stone

Director: Joe Johnston

Screenplay: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFreely

Comic Book Origins: Joe Simon, Jack Kirby

The movie starts with people finding a large object in the Artic (part of Schmidt's bomber plane?) Then the scene changes to an old castle in Tonsburg, Norway. A German commander (Johann Schmidt – The Red Skull) enters, opens a casket, reaches in and pulls out what appears to be a Tesseract. But it is fake; he drops it on the floor and it shatters. He then goes over to an elaborate wall sculpture ("The Tree of Life", opens it and pulls out the real Tesseract (second appearance).
 Howard Stark has a demo at a world’s fair. The demo goes bad when his "anti-gravity" car falls to the floor.
 The following dialog is repeated in Endgame:
 Bucky: "Don’t do anything stupid until I get back".
 Capt A (Steve at the time): "How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you."
 Schmidt and Dr. Zola manage to transfer energy from the Tesseract. Dr. Erskine (The doctor who uses Stark's machine to confer super power to Steve, transforming him from a small weak kid to a muscular guy with exceptional strength and also healing abilities): "Hitler sends the head of Hydra, his research division. . . Johann Schmidt. He and Hitler have an interest in the occult and Teutonic powers". . . Schmidt is convinced "that there is a great power hidden in the Earth, left here by the gods."
 So Hydra apparently started with Hitler/Schmidt in the 1940s.
 Schmidt tries Dr Erskine's serum earlier, but did not know that it can amplify "bad" as well as amplifying "good". Dr Erskine tells Steve that since he has known weakness, he will have compassion, and can be trusted with the serum and Stark's treatment machine.
. . . (Movie continues)
 Schmidt has developed special weapons, including ray guns. He also plans to bomb several capitals, including Berlin (wants to supercede even Hitler).
The Tesseract (Space Stone): In Schmidt's bomber plane, Schmidt tries to hold the Tesseract but its power kills him. We learn later that he was banished to Vormir, where he is the "keeper" of the Soul Stone. Then the Tesseract falls into the ocean below. But Stark later leads a ship to recover it.
 The plane crashes in the Artic, with Steve inside.
 Steve (Captain A) wakes up 70 years later, and is greeted by Nick Fury.

Ending Credits:
 "Captain America will return in the Avengers" (2012)

Capt America
Avengers

Avengers (2012)

Infinity Stone: Tesserack - Space Stone

Director: Josh Whedon

Screenplay: Josh Whedon, Zak Penn

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

A voice (Ebony Maw) is talking to someone. We can't tell who the dark figure is - all we see is his back. "The Tesseract is ready. . . It is on a human world but they don't know how to use it. But our ally (Loki) knows. . . A world will be his but the universe yours. Our force, our Chitauri, will follow". He hands Loki the scepter with a blue stone.
 We go to a large facility – the "Dark Energy Mission". Nick Fury arrives. Coulsen tells him that the Tesseract has become alive, and that Dr Selvig cannot control it.
 Loki appears in a big flash, zaps a few guards (Superhero movies are always rough on guards!), and then "neutralizes" Barton, Dr Selvig, and another guard. Fury puts the Tesseract into the same tech-filled briefcase that was shown at the end of Thor (2011). But Barton, Dr Selvig, and the guard are now on Loki's side, and they depart with the briefcase.
 Someone shoots Fury, apparently just injuring him. The big building collapses while Fury and his assistant (Agent Hill) and Coulsen try to stop Loki but fail.
 Fury says "We are at war!"
 Coulsen and Fury are now gathering all the "Avengers". Coulsen calls Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), who then demobilizes the three Russians who were interrogating/tortureing her. We pan to a fancy Avengers high-tech notebook which shows Romanoff and Barton fighting elsewhere. Coulsen also asks Natasha to go get the "Big Guy". So she goes to Dr Banner and persuades him to join them. His knowledge of gamma radiation is important since the Tesseract emits gamma radiation.
 Fury is confronting the Directors (most superhero/space movies have an entity called "Directors"/"The Council"/etc at one time or another!) He has to convince them that his group of freaks can counter the threat brought on by Loki. They ask about Thor, but Fury says he is in another galaxy.
 We go to Capt. A, who has a flashback to the plane that holds him and the Tesseract, and crashes into the ice. Fury shows up, shows Capt. A a picture of the Tesseract. Capt. A looks at it and says "Hydra's secret weapon". Coulsen goes to Stark and leaves him with holographs, one of which is the Tesseract.
 Next we see Coulsen on the Avenger plane with Capt. A. Coulsen tells him that Dr Banner was working on the serum that was used on Capt. A. Coulsen says futher "A lot of people were. You were the world's first superhero." Apparently Banner was working on Erksine's original formula.
 Loki goes back ("virtually") to the planet from the beginning of the movie. The Other (Ebony Maw) tells him that if he doesn't give them the Tesseract, he (Thanos) will "give you pain".
 Later everybody starts to argue in the room where Banner and Stark are trying to find the Tesseract. Capt. A. tells Stark "The only thing you fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play." Capt. A. tries to start a fight with Stark – "Put on your suit". Then there is an explosion and alarms go off. Capt. A. and Stark go out of the room. Capt. A. puts his hand on Stark's shoulder – "put on your suit". "Yeah", Stark says.
. . . (Movie continues)
 Agent Coulsen is mortally wounded by Loki. Fury shows up and tries to keep him alive. Coulsen says "This was never gonna work, if they didn't have something to. . ." (dies) [Have something to bring them together? They sure got it later in this movie!]
 Loki (having survived the shot), escapes in one of the jets.
 Fury is talking to Capt. A. and Stark, and describes his Avenger Initiative. "The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people together to see if they could become something more. To see if they could come together when we needed them to – to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulsen died still believing in that idea – in heros." Stark walks out.
 Thor is on the ground and can't lift his hammer.
 Dr Banner is found by an old man.
 Stark meets Loki on top of the Stark Building. Takes off his Iron Man Suit. Offers Loki a drink – which he declines.
Loki: "What have I to fear"?
 "The Avengers". . . Maybe we can't protect the Earth but we'll sure Avenge it."
. . . (Movie continues)
 What follows is the big "New York war". During this conflict, Stark performs a valiant and dangerous task, one which he does not expect to survive. Stark thus disproves Capt. A's assertion that he could never make a sacrifice
 After it is over, the defeated Loki says "I'll take that drink now."
 This is the fight that Jane was referring to when she slapped Loki in Thor: The Dark World ("That was for New York"). The war is also the reason Tony Stark kept getting anxiety attacks in Iron Man 3.
 Thor takes Loki and the Tesseract (Space Stone) back to Asgard.
 The Directors are questioning Nick Fury. "The Avengers sure are dangerous. The whole world knows it. Every world knows it. Was that the point of all this? A statement?"
 "A promise", says Fury.

Ending Credits:
 Ebony Maw is speaking to the same vague figure. "Humans. They're not the cowering wretches we thought they were. They stand. To challenge them is to court death!"
 The figure turns around. It is Thanos. (First appearance of Thanos) He smiles.

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Director: Shane Black

Screenplay: Drew Pearce, Shane Black

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Liebe, Jack Kirby

In 1999, Stark is still his usual flamboyant self.
 During the Stark Expo, a man (Aldrich Killian) tells Stark about "Advanced Idea Mechanics" – A.I.M. Stark tells the man he will meet him on the building's roof, but does not show up.
 A woman shows Stark her work on regeneration. Happy Hogan pulls a branch off her plant and it regenerates, but in a few minutes explodes.
 Fast forward to the present. A terrorist (The "Mandarin") is attacking American cities. He recounts how an army in the 1800s distracted some Indian warriors long enough to massacre all the women and children in their camp.
 Stark/Iron Man is ridiculed as President Ellis' proposed solution to the terrorist attacks. The president renames Iron Man to "Iron Patriot", shows him in a red, white, and blue suit.
 Stark has an apparent anxiety attack while signing a souvenir for some kids (memories of the alien attack in New York in Avengers 2012).
 Killian shows up and demonstrates his A.I.M. tech to Pepper Potts. It can modify DNA. Pepper turns him down, saying that it's too "Weaponizable".
 Stark – who is "banished" from Stark Enterprizes – tells Pepper that he is having problems since (the incidents in) New York. Says he can't sleep.
 Happy Hogan watches a man give an attache case to another, tries to stop them. The other man has taken something from the attache case and then turns red and explodes. The first man gets back up, regenerates a foot, and walks off.
 (Apparently Stark/Iron Man hasn't lost all his appeal): a group of reporters accoust Stark, asking what he is going to do. He taunts the Mandarin, says he is going to eliminate him, and gives his own home address. (BIG mistake!)
. . . (Movie continues)
 At the end Stark figures out a way to remove the shrapnel that he acquired in Iron Man 1. He throws the arc reactor chest implant into the ocean from the wreckage of his home. Also we see that Stark remembered the kid (Harley Keener), who gave him a pep talk when he was down. The kid told him "You're a mechanic. You should be able to build anything."
 So Stark left Harley a roomfull of tech gear and a note signed "The Mechanic".

Ending Credits:
 "Tony Stark will return."

Iron Man 3
Thor

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Infinity Stone: The Aether - Reality Stone

Director: Alan Taylor

Screenplay: Christopher L. Yost, Christopher Marcus, Stephen McFreely

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby

Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves, tries to use the power of the "Aether" to rule the world with darkness. But the Asgard forces took the Aether. Malekith escaped. The Asgardans could not destroy the Aether, so their leader said to "bury it deep in a place where no one can find it".
Allfather (Odin - Thor's father) banishes Loki to the dungeon, and tells him that when Thor brings peace to the Nine Realms, Thor will be made king.
 Down on Earth, Jane Foster's friend Darcy takes her to an abandoned building where some kids have discovered a strange phenomenon, where Coke cans and other objects disappear as sucked up by some sort of gravity well. Sometimes they re-appear from the ceiling a short time later. Jane comes to a brick structure, where glowing contents appear through a hole. The glowing contents look a lot like the Aether.
 Thor and Heimdall – the gate keeper – talk. Heimdall tells Thor that an unusual alignment of worlds is ocurring. Thor somehow is able to go to Earth and bring Jane back to Asgar. (Thor later explains to Jane that this alignment – called the Convergence – happens every 5000 years and blurs the edges of worlds.)
 Jane is on a table being examined. The attendants call the system a "Soul Forge". Jane calls it a quantum field generator. Something arises from her.
 Someone says "This is not of Earth. What is it."
 "We do not know. But she will not survive the amount of energy within her." They decide that Jane somehow has the Dark Aether within her.
 The Allfather walks in and wants to send Jane back to Earth. But when the guards try to take her away, they are blasted away from her. Allfather says the energy within is "protecting itself". Thor, the Allfather, and Jane walk into another room and the Allfather reads from an ancient book that The Dark Elves existed before the Nine Realms. Thor recalls a line from the stories his mother told him: "Born of eternal night, the Dark Elves came to steal away the light." Allfather continues: The leader Malekith made a weapon out of that darkness, and it was called the Aether. "While other relics appear as stones, the Aether is fluid and everchanging. It turns matter into dark matter."
 Jane asks Thor why he knew something was wrong with her. He says that Heimdall suddenly was unable to see her on Earth.
 In Svartalfheim, the Dark Elves sense the "resurrection" of the Aether, and attack Asgard. Thor asks Loki for help in finding a way to get Jane out of Asgard. As Thor and Loki are walking, Loki shows that he can "shapeshift" both himself and Thor. He even turns himself into Capt. A, and wryly says "I can feel the righteousness surging!"
 When Jane sees Loki, she slaps him. "That was for New York!" (When Thor showed up on Earth, Jane slaps him too, asking "what took so long?" Apparently Jane likes to slap people.)
. . . (Movie continues)
 Thor says goodbye to the Allfather and says Loki died with honor. The allfather says Thor can leave and go to Earth, and also keep Mjoinir – his hammer. Thor leaves, saying "Thank you my father", When Thor leaves, the "Allfather" turns into Loki, who says "No, Thank you".

Ending Credits:
 Two Asgardians bring the Aether (now contained in a cylindrical holder, and which apparently is the Reality Stone) – to Tivan the Collector, for safekeeping. Tivan looks at it – after they leave – and says "One down, Five to go".

More Ending Credits:
 Jane is eating listlessly. There is lightning and Thor appears. They kiss. Then we go to a courtyard square. A monster from Malekith's planet is lumbering around, trying to catch birds.
 And finally: "Thor will return".

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Screenplay: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFreely

Comic Book Origins: Joe Simon, Jack Kirby

Capt. A. Meets another soldier in the beginning of the movie, while running. The soldier's name is Sam Wilson – who will later become The Falcon, using a set of flying wings from Stark.
 Later Capt. A. goes on a mission to retrieve a ship invaded by "pirates". Doesn't like that Natasha Romanoff is temporarily unavilable because she was backing up S.H.I.E.L.D. files. He later complains to Nick Fury that she had covert orders. Fury shows him a large installation containing many planes and three huge heliports. The heliports have new "Repulsor" engines, and upgrade suggested by Stark due to the attack on the ships in Avengers 2012. This is "Project Insight". The ships will be launched by commands from the "Lemurian Star". Fury says it will neutralize threats before they even ocurr.
 Capt. A.: I thought punishment usually comes after the crime."
 "We can't afford to wait that long."
 "Who's 'we'"?
 "After New York, I convinced the World Security Council that "we need better threat analysis."
 "By holding a gun on everyone on Earth and calling it protection?"
 "S.H.I.E.L.D takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be."
 Capt. A. goes to the Smithsonian, where there is a display showing how "the serum" transformed him into the world's first super-soldier. The narrator goes on to say that Capt. A. and the "Howling Commandos" took down Hydra, the Nazi rogue science division. Also tells that Bucky Barnes – Capt. A's best friend – lost his life in service.
 He watches a recording by Peggy Carter in 1953.
 Later Capt. A. is talking to Peggy on her deathbed. He tells her he doesn't quite know how to serve the new order. He tells her that it helps him to know that she helped found S.H.I.E.L.D. She says "Sometimes the best we can do is to start over." She breaks down, says "You came back. . . so long."
 "I couldn't leave my best girl – not when she owes me a dance." (He gets that dance in Endgame.)
 Fury attempts to access the files on the flash drive that Natasha took from the ship, using the S.H.I.E.L.D. computer. Requests to open the Lemurian Star's satellite launch file. "Access denied, even for Nicholas Fury". Fury is troubled by this, leaves the area.
Secretary Pierce (Robert Redford) is talking to the World Security Council, which is not happy with the ship having been hijacked. Fury interrupts, asks Pierce if he can stall Project Insight (because he senses something is wrong).
 Capt. A. visits Wilson (who is giving a PSTD meeting) and tells him – as he did to Peggy – that he doesn't know what to do. Fury, riding in a black SUV, is ambushed by police cars (that have apparently been absconded). At the same time a long-haired person with a face mask (the Winter Soldier) blows up the vehicle. Fury escapes with injuries. He goes to Capt. A's apartment, but is shot by the Winter Soldier. Fury is seen in an ER room, and flatlines.
 Secretary Pierce orders the S.H.I.E.L.D. to capture Capt. A. Capt. A. teams up with Natasha and they end up in an old S.H.I.E.L.D facility. They enter a room with old technology – minicomputers, big tape drives, and the like. When Natasha inserts the flash drive in a module that happens to be there, the machines come alive.
 An image of a German doctor (first seen in the first Capt. A. movie) appears. It is apparently Arnum Zola, who worked for the Red Skull. The image says that its body is dead but that its brain exists in all the "databanks". Natasha talks about "Operation Paper Clip" in 1945 involved S.H.I.E.L.D. recruiting German scientists with strategic value. The voice says that all this was part of a new HYDRA, which is now a parasite within S.H.I.E.L.D. The Project Insight is actually a HYDRA scheme to take over the world. HYDRA claims to have caused many of the incidents that led world leaders to seek the protection of Project Insight.
. . . (Movie continues)
 During the ensuing scenes:
 Capt. A. knocks off the mask of the Winter Soldier and is surprised to see that he is Bucky, his old (and presumed dead) war friend.
Agent Hill helps them all escape.
 Later, Fury tries to defend the S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers before Congress, saying their purpose was Protection.
 Fury burns his eye patch and apparently some data, and then shows up in a cemetary next to Fury's own gravestone. He asks Capt. A. and The Falcon to join him. But Capt. A. says he has some business to attend to, and The Falcon says "I'm a soldier, not a spy." Natasha shows up and also declines. So Fury walks off.
 Capt. A. and The Falcon go off to find Bucky.

Ending Credits:
 Two Germans are talking. One says "It's over. Fury has revealed everything." But the other – Herr Strucker – says that it won't matter if they find out that we're HYDRA. Strucker shows the other one the Scepter with the blue glow (Loki's scepter). Then he shows him the Maximoff twins, captive in separate rooms. "It's not a world of spies anymore, or even of heroes. It is the age of miracles!"

More Ending Credits:
 The Winter Soldier (in "civilian" clothes) shows up at the Smithsonian and sees displays showing his image and the name Bucky Barnes.
 "Captain America will return in Avengers: Age of Ultron"

Winter Soldier
Guardians

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Infinity Stone: The Orb: Power Stone

Director: James Gunn

Screenplay: James Gunn, Nicole Perlman

Comic Book Origins: Dan Abnett, Andy Lannet et al

This movie has the first description of Thanos’ "daughter" Gamora. She is with her parents on Titan, which is the first planet Thanos used to test his "theory" of deleting half of the population of overcrowded planets. He takes the child Gamora aside while her parents and all the others are decimated. (They were called "Zehoberei".)
First description of Infinity Stones, from "Tivan, the Collector":

Before Creation itself, there were six singularities. Then the Universe expanded into existence. The remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots – The Infinity Stones. "These stones, it seems, can only be brandished by beings of extraordinary strength. Observe:" (He shows a video of a large human-like creature holding a scepter.) "These carriers can use the Stone to mow down entire civilizations like wheat in a field." (The video shows an entire planet being covered by an expanding fire.) "Once for a moment a group was able to share the energy amongs themselves, but then they were quickly destroyed by it."

He separates the metal ball ("Orb") that Star-Lord gave him, revealing a purple stone (the Power Stone). Carina (Tivan's captive slave) tries to grab it. But she is vaporized and the building explodes. Gamora closes the Orb and carries it out. "We have to bring the Orb to the Nova Corps. There's a chance they can contain it", and that they can't allow Ronan to get it. But Drax somehow summons Ronan and, after some space ship maneuvers, Ronan gets the Orb. Ronan puts it in his scepter and absorbs its power.
 Later Ronan tells Thanos that "Now that I know the Orb contains an Infinity Stone , I don't need you."
 There is a discussion in Star-Lord's ship and the Guardians all decide to go with him and try to get the Orb back from Ronan. Yondu Udonta and his "Ravengers" join him, because they see an opportunity to make big bucks.
. . . (Movie continues)
 The Guardians leave the Power Stone with Nova Corps. At the end, the Guardians are talking to Nova Prime (played by Glenn Close)
 Star-Lord: "You mean I'm not Terran?"
 Nova Prime: "Well your mother was. But your father, he's something very ancient we've never seen here before. That could be why you were able to hold the Stone for as long as you did." (His father is revealed in Guardians 2.) But she says he will lose the powers if he crosses up his father.
 On the way out, Drax tells Gamora that "Ronan was only a puppet. It's Thanos I need to kill."

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Infinity Stone: Vision's Forehead - Mind Stone

Director: Josh Whedon

Screenplay: Josh Whedon

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, Jim Starlind (Thanos)

NOTE: This is one of two movies in which someone other than Thor is able to pick up the Mjolner - Thor's hammer.
 At the start of the movie, Stark and other Avengers are raiding Struker's lab. Down in the lab, Stark sees a model of one of the Chitauri monsters. Wanda Maximoff puts a "spell" on Stark and he sees all the Avengers dead in a pile of rubble. A voice like Capt A says "You could have saved us. Why didn't you do more?"
 (The "enhanced twins", first seen in the ending credits of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, are Wanda Maximoff ("Scarlet Witch") and Pietro Maximoff ("Quicksilver").)
 The enhanced twins allow Stark to take the "secret scepter". On the way back, Capt A says "hope this (the scepter) puts an end to the Chitauris and Hydra".
 Stark lets Jarvis analyze it, Jarvis says the jewel is very powerful, and like a computer. Stark wants to harness the A.I. to power his "iron legion" protocol. "Peace in our time". (Previously, a small fleet of robots in the Avenger's headquarters flies through some doors and dock in a room.)
 Jarvis tells the entity which Stark has brought back that "You are Ultron, a global peacekeeping initiative design by Mr Stark". But it takes over Jarvis.
 The Avengers have a party. They all take turns trying to lift Thor's hammer. Capt A actually budges it a bit, causing Thor to look slightly worried. But all fail. "It just means all of you are not worthy", Thor jests.
 After Ultron attacks:
 Stark: "We're the Avengers but that up there (Ultron) is the endgame. How are we gonna do this?"
 Capt. A: "Together"
 Stark: "What if we lose?"
 Capt. A: "We'll do that together too."
 Later, Ultron appears to the twins. "Everyone creates that which they dread. Men of peace create engines of war. Invaders create Avengers. People create. . .children. . . designed to supplant them. I've come to save the world and also to end the Avengers." The twins recount how they waited in the shelled apartment. There was an unexploded shell with the name Tony Stark Enterprises on the side. They mention Wakanda. "What comes out of Wakanda? The strongest metal on Earth (shows Capt. A's shield).
 Capt A says it makes sense that Ultron would go to the twins – they have something in common: Struker. Agent Hill shows Capt A a picture of Struker, who was killed by Ultron.
 Ultron forces Helen Cho (a Korean scientist) to help him acquire a body. He does this by touching her head with the "magic scepter".
 Dr Banner and Natasha R. (Black Widow) talk in Clint's "safe house". She talks about becoming an Avenger. She had dreams about being trained as an assassin as a child. She tells Banner she can't have a child because she was sterilized.
 Capt. A. (to Stark): "Every time that people try to end a war before it starts, people die. Every time."
 Stark tells Nick Fury about his dream earlier, in which he sees all the Avengers dead. "Don't care about me because I'm the guy who killed the Avengers." Fury tries to tell him the dream was due to the influence of the Maximoff twins.
 Nick pep talks the Avengers, and says that Ultron's mission is global destruction.
 The Avengers look in their paper files (their digital files were erased by Ultron). They find a picture of Ulysses Klaue, who has stolen some vibranium from Wakanda. Both Thor (in the magic pool) and Wanda M (at Ultron's attempt to transfer into the body) saw a vision of a meteor crash into the Earth. Thor also had a vision of 4 of the Infinity Stones.
 Ultron crushes the blue material surrounding the gem (the Mind Stone) and places it into the forehead of the body in the Cradle. Wanda M. senses what Ultron really wants to do. Ultron notices this. he says to Wanda M: "There's no room for the weak."
 "And who decides who is weak?"
 "Life. Life always decides"
 Helen Cho is restored by Wanda M.: "The real power is in the cradle. The gem; its power is uncontrollable. . ." You have to get it to Stark. (They manage to get the "cradle" to Stark.)
 Wanda M. to Capt. A.: "Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Where do you think he gets that? It's Stark.
 Stark wants to put (the restored) Jarvis into the cradle. He and Dr Banner were trying when Capt. A. and Wanda M. arrive and attempt to stop them. Then Thor shows up and draws lightning with his hammer and directs it into the cradle.
Vision then jumps out.
 After Vision first appears: Thor says: "I've had a dream. A whirlpool which sucks in all life and at its center is that (Vision's forehead)." . . . The Mind Stone. It's one of the 6 Infinity Stones. The greatest power in the Universe and unparalleled in its destructive capabilities." Banner: "Then why did you bring it (to life)?"
 Thor: "Because Stark is right."
 Banner: "Oh it's definitely the endgame."
 Thor: "The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron."
 Vision: "Not alone. You think I'm a child of Ultron? I'm not Ultron. I'm not Jarvis. I am. . . "I don't think it's that simple."
 "Are you on our side?"
 Vision:" I'm on the side of life. Ultron isn't."
 Vision asks the other Avengers to trust him, saying that they cannot defeat Ultron unless they are united.
 (As they're preparing to go to Slovakia): Capt. A.: "Ultron thinks we're monsters. That we're what's wrong with the world. This isn't just about beating them. It's about whether he's right."
. . . (Movie continues)
 Vision and Ultron at the end of the movie:
 Vision: "Humans are odd. They think order and chaos are opposites and try to control what won't be. "But there is grace in their failings. I think you missed that."
 Ultron: "They're doomed."
 Vision: Yes. But a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. It's a privlege to be among them."
 Ultron: "You're unbearably naïve."
 Vision: " Well, I was just born yesterday." Ultron makes a move and Vision zaps him.
 We go to the new Avenger's Facility, out in the country:
 Dr Selvig and Dr Cho appear among all the others. Thor tells Stark and Capt. A. that he (Thor) has to leave. "The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones that has showed up in recent years. It's not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us."
 Capt A and Stark leave on good terms.
 Capt A and Natasha go out to meet the remaining Avengers: Vision, Col. Rhodes, The Falcon, Wanda M.

Ending Credits:
 Thanos steps out of an elevator, picks up his infamous glove, and says "Fine. I'll do it myself!"
 "The Avengers will return."

Age of Ultron
Ant Man

Ant Man (2015)

Director: Peyton Reed

Screenplay: Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam MvKay, Paul Rudd

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby

NOTE: Ant Man and Ant Man and the Wasp are not the usual superhero "save the world against some bad ass Arch Enemy" movies.
 When Dr Pym shows Scott Lang his "diminishing" tech, Scott asks him why didn't he go to the Avengers with it.
 "Because I've spent half my life trying to keep this technology from Stark. . .This tech can change the texture of reality. Besides, they're too busy dropping cities from the skies (apparent reference to Age of Ultron).
 The Ant Man movie is origin of the name "Pym Particle", used in EndGame time travel.
 Dr Pym let his wife help in his work, including dangerous "Avenger-like" activities. They left their daughter to go stop a nuclear attack. They were on a missle and his regulator was damaged. She turned off her regulator and went "quantum". She never returned. Dr Pym spent the next three years learning about sub-atomic tech – to try and bring her back.
Dr Darren Cross (bald guy in blue suit) is selling the shrinking tech to Hydra. He sold Hydra the "yellowjacket", "but I'm keeping the (Pym) particle to myself. . .If you want the fuel, you'll have to come to me."
 Dr Cross: "What do you call the only man who can arm the most powerful weapon in the world?"
 Pym: "The most powerful man in the world."
 Dr Pym can't understand how Scott went "quantum" and got back out. (He used a "Grow ring" – makes things bigger – on his regulator.)
. . . (Movie continues)
 At the end of the movie, "Chico" tells Scott that the Avengers are looking for the person who infiltrated their facility, and who was capable of shrinking himself.

Ending Credits:
Pym shows his daughter another suit, and says "Maybe it's time we use it." She says "It's about time!"

More Ending Credits:
Captain America and another Avenger are looking at someone (Bucky) whose arm is in a vice. The other Avenger says "I know a guy who can help.". .

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Director: Joe Russo

Screenplay: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFreely

Comic Book Origins: Joe Simon, Jack Kirby

The movie opens in 1991. Bucky is resurrected from cyro storage and is given some bionic tech and a bionic arm, and is read instructions by a Russian officer, reading a worn red booklet. After the reading, he is now under complete control by the Russians. He is assigned to "sanction and extract" and "leave no witnesses". On his motorcycle he catches up to a car, shoots the driver and the car crashes. Bucky retrieves a case of 5 or 6 blue packs.
 We now go to the "present", in Laos.
 Capt A, Wanda M (Scarlett Witch), Natalia R. (Black Widow), and Sam Wilson (the Falcon) are trying to stop some soldiers from stealing a biological weapon frim the Institute for Infectious Diseases. They succeed in getting the vial, but the leader activates a suicide bomb, which would have killed Capt A and many civilians, but Wanda uses her forces to send him into the air. Unfortunately the bomb goes off and destroys several floors of a high rise, killing other civilians and 11 Wakandans.
 We go to Howard Stark's home. Tony is a young man. His mother says that, since she and Tony's father are about to leave, he would do well to "say something to your dad". Tony says with no emotion "I love you dad, and I know you did the best you could." But we find that the whole scene was actually an artificially generated flashback to his past. The Tony Stark (of the present time) says the technology was supposed to help him with his grief. "They never made it to the airport."
 Tony continues his speech and announces that he is giving a grant to all of the students.
 A bit later he is confronted by a woman who says he murdered her son in Sokovia.
 Thaddeus Ross presents the Avengers with the "Sokovia Accords". These have been requested by 117 nations based on the deaths in N.Y., Washington D.C., Laos, and Sokovia. The Accords state that from now on, the Avengers are to operate under U.N. supervision.
 During the meeting to ratify the Sokovia Accords, the U.N. in Vienna is bombed. King T.Chaka is killed. The suspect shown on video looks like Bucky. The Black Panther vows to go find Bucky.
Sharon Carter (Capt A's aunt) speaks at the funeral for Peggy Carter She says: "Compromise where you can. Where you can't, don't. . . If the whole world is telling you that something wrong is something right. . ." then refuse to give in. (She looks right at Capt A while saying this.)
 Somewhere in here, a Helmut Zemo tries to get a Hydra man to tell him what happened in 1991 (the car attack). The man refuses.
 Capt A shows up in Bucky's apartment. The police attack. Capt A tries to help Bucky escape, but gives the appearance that he is he is equally guilty, since he is helping Bucky evade the police. At this time, the Black Panther is also trying to get Bucky. All are surrounded by police. The Falcon shows up in an Iron Man suit and tells Capt A and Bucky that they are now criminals.
 The Vision and Wanda M are making dinner. Wanda says that her powers are at times strange. Vision points to the stone in his forehead [the Mind Stone] and says he doesn't know what it is, but that it powered Loki's Scepture and gives him and Wanda their powers.
 Helmut Zemo starts to interrogate Bucky. Somebody else delivers an EMP device to the power station. It goes off and brings down all electric power. Zemo starts talking in Russian (from the worn red book) and Bucky is again placed under Hydra's power and overcomes Capt A and the Falcon. Zemo tells Capt A. that he is doing all this "to make empires fall". Capt A manages to capture Bucky. Capt A and the Falcon talk to him. Bucky's metal arm is bound by a giant press. This scene is the same as in the Ending Credits of Ant Man. Bucky tells Capt A that there are more Winter Soldiers and that they are about to attack.
 Ross gives Tony S and Rhodes 36 hours to go get Bucky and Capt A.
 Stark enlists Spider Man. Clint (Hawkeye) gets Wanda from Vision, who was supposed to be keeping her captive. Sharon Carter brings Capt A's shield and the Falcon's suit to them. Bucky has recovered and is on their side now.
. . . (Movie continues)
 This is the big fight - the "Civil War" - among the Avengers.
"F.R.I.D.A.Y" tells Stark that Zemo ran "Echo Scorpion", a Sokovian kill squad.
 Zemo shows up in a compound in the ice. It has several Cyro vaults with people ready for conversion into Winter Soldiers. Stark shows up at the ice compound. Capt A and Bucky had arrived there a bit earlier. Black Panther also shows up. Zemo has already killed all the cyro people. He speaks from behind a reinforced wall. Capt A says "You killed innocent people in Vienna just to bring us here?" The Black Panther overhears this.
 Zemo shows a video of Bucky killing Stark's parents, after he caused their car to crash. He says that he is showing this because "An empire that fights within will crumble."
. . . (Movie continues)
 Capt A apparently frees all the Avengers from the prison. He sends a recording to Stark "If you need us, we'll be there." [The Fed Ex man is Stan Lee!]

Ending Credits:
Bucky has himself put back in cyro. . . in Wakanda. The Black Panther says "your friend and my father were both victims. If I can help one of them find peace. . ." (screen pans to the Black Panther statue.)

More Ending Credits:
Spider Man tells Aunt May that he was in a fight. His wrist band projects a spiderman image onto the ceiling.
"Spiderman will return."

Civil War
Dr Strange

Dr Strange (2016)

Director: Scott Derrickson

Screenplay: Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee Steve Ditko

Infinity Stone: The Eye of Agamotto - Time Stone

A cult performs a human sacrifice and their leader tears a page from an occult book. But the Ancient One (Earth's "Supreme Sorcerer") appears and says "Master Kaecilius: this ritual will only bring you sorrow". She proceeds to engage the group in a fight. Kaecilius can bend pavement and buildings (as in Inception). He escapes with a few of the others.
 Dr S. performs a difficult operation freehand, talks down to the surgeon that was working on the man. Later he is on the way to a seminar, driving fast and distracted by an associate who is scheduling operations by way of his phone. He crashes. His hands are ruined.
 While taking physical therapy, the P.T. tells of someone who was healed by a spiritual guru in India. Dr. S visits the man and finds out where. He travels to Kamar-Taj and meets The Ancient One. She tells him that she didn't correct Jonathan's spinal injury. She simply convinced him that he could walk, that it is the body itself which does the healing.
 Dr S attempts to correct her: "No it's the cells.."
 "But what if I told you that the cells can put themselves together in all sorts of ways?" [This is called the 'field of Infinite Possibilities' in quantum physics studies. . .]
 "I know how to re-orient the Spirit, to better heal the body. . . You reject this possiblility."
 "No. we are made of matter and nothing more." [This is Medical Science's classic stance.]
 She strikes him. A perfect Dr S with perfect hands appears behind him for a bit, then re-enters Dr S. "For a moment you entered the astral dimension, where the soul exists apart from the body." She causes him to fly to different worlds. "What mysteries lie beyond the reach of your senses? At the root of existence, mind and matter meet and thoughts shape reality [This is the essence of the concept of Universal Consciousness!] This universe is only one of an infinite number. . . Who are you in this vast Multiverse, Mr Strange?"
 She throws Strange out.
 She talks to Mordo (the guy who brought Strange to her). He says that Kaecilius still has missing pages from a book and is a threat. "Perhaps Kamer-Taj could use a man like Dr Strange". Mordo lets him back in.
 Dr S looks at his watch, which is broken. On the back: "Time will tell how much I love you" – Christine.
 After some training, along with reading many of the occult books, Dr S. asks Wong "When are you going to tell me what we are?"
 Wong replies "While heroes like the Avengers protect the world from physical dangers, we sorcerers safeguard it against more mystical threats. The Ancient One is the latest in a long line of Sorcerers Supreme, going back thousands of years to the father of the mystic arts – the Mighty Agamotto. . . Agamotto created three Sanctums, one in London, one in New York, and one in Hong Kong. These protect the Earth from these other beings.
  "Like Dormammu?" asks Dr S.
 They tell Dr S who Dormammu is, and how he wants to take the Earth into the Dark Dimension. They tell him that the pages that Kaecilius stole are those that will allow him to contact Dormammu.
 Suddenly they are attacked by Kaecilius and Dr S ends up in New York, right in front of 177A Bleecher St (This is the same address as in Thor:Ragnarok). During this fight the Ancient One is mortally wounded by Kaecilius. Dr S takes her to the hospital. Her Astral person floats out to a balcony and Dr S' Astral person joins her. The scene in front of them is stormy. A helicoptor is falling to Earth, Some buildings are on fire. She says that she has seen this point so many times in the past, "but I can't see past it. I've prevented countless terrible futures and they all lead here. . . Want me to talk about your future?"
 "No. . . Yes"
[What follows is some of the best dialog (and music) from any movie!]
 "I never saw your future, only its possibilities. You have such a capacity for goodness. You always excelled, not because you craved success, but because of your fear of failure."
 "That's what made me a great doctor."
 "No, it's precisely what kept you from greatness. Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all."
 "Which is?"
 "It's not about you."
 "When you first came to me, you asked how I was able to heal Jonathan. I didn't. He channels dimentional energy directly into his own body."
 "He uses magic to walk?"
 "Constantly. He had a choice to return to his own life or to serve something greater than himself."
 "So I could have my hands back? My old life?"
 "You could – and the world would be all the lesser for it. . .Only together (with Mordo) do you stand a chance of stopping Domammus."
 "I'm not ready."
 "No one ever is. We don't get to choose our time. . .Death is what gives life meaning – to know your days are numbered."
. . . (Movie continues)
 Dr S wants to keep a green amulet that is mounted on a stand, but reluctantly returns it - prodded a bit by his magic cape. Wong calls the amulet the "Eye of Agamotto" (it is the Time Stone), and says to Dr S "Until you learn to master its powers. . . it's best not to walk the streets wearing an Infinity Stone."
 "What's that?"
 "You are a great wizard but you still have much to learn."
 Dr S' hands are still scarred and shake at the end of the movie, and the watch is still broken.

Ending Credits:
We see the same scene that appears in Thor: Ragnarock. Dr S is talking to Thor.
 "So Earth has wizards now?", asks Thor. Dr S asks Thor what he wants to drink.
 "Not tea".  So Dr S causes a big pitcher of beer to appear. Thor looks a bit mystified. Dr S expresses concern about Loki being on Earth. Thor says all he wants is Odin.
 "Great! Allow me to help you."

More Ending Credits:
The Ending Credits have a warning about driving while distracted!"
 Mordo appears in the workshop of Jonathan, who is the one that the Ancient One "cured", and apparently mortally wounds him.
 "Why are you doing this?"
 "Because I see what is wrong with the world. Too many sorcerers."
 "Dr Strange will return"

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)

Director: James Gunn

Screenplay: James Gunn

Comic Book Origins: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning

A young man (Ego as a youth) is showing a young girl ( Meredith Quill, Peter's mother) a blue flower. (Peter Quill is "Star-Lord's" name).
 Years later, the Guardians visit a planet and defeat a big monster. In return high Priestess Ayesha gives them Nebula. She also comments to Peter that he "seems particularly reckless." They leave, but soon are chased by remote-controlled drones from the planet because Rocket stole some Anulax batteries. A man standing on a space ship destroys all the attacking ships. His ship lands near Star-Lord's wrecked cruiser, and a man steps out along with with Mantis.
 "I am Ego, and I'm your dad, Peter." (Played by Kurt Russel)
 On Contrapia, Yondu Udonta meets Staker (Sylvester Stallone). Stakar rejects Yondu and his Ravengers because they "violated the code".
 Ego says he hired Yondu to find Star-Lord, but Yondu used Star-Lord for stealing, taking advantage of his small size as a youth. Ego tells of himself and his search for life on other planets. He found love with Peter's mother. He knew that he was close to finding his son when he heard of an Earthling who could hold an Infinity Stone and not die.
 The Ravengers are celebrating, having mutinied from Yondu. They begin to kill off some of their members. Finally, Nebula says "Enough killing for today." One of the Ravengers whispers "She's the daugher of Thanos". Nebula asks for 10% of the take, plus a ship, for capturing Yondu.
 Nebula describes to Horuz (Yondu's right hand man) how Thanos constantly pitted her and Gamora against each other. Every time Gamora won, Thanos had an additional piece of machinery implanted in her (Nebula). She vows to kill her sister and hunt down Thanos.
 Yondu tells Rocket that he was freed by Stakar, and made a Ravenger captain. Yondu says "They're the only family I've ever had."
. . . (Movie continues)
 During the subsequent scenes, Ego talks about his search for another celestial being so that he could use this being to double his powers, and thus create the "Expansion" and have all the worlds be "me". ["Expansion" is the quantum word for the growing of the Universe after the Big Bang.]

Ending Credits:
Horuz is trying to learn how to use Yondu's magic arrow, but it glides down the hall and hits Drax.

More Ending Credits:
The High Priestess has developed a weapon "capable of destroying the Guardians. . . I think I will call it 'Adam'".

Still More Ending Credits:
Three hooded figures are leaving an old man (Stan Lee). "Hey guys. Don't leave. I've got some more stories to tell. . . Oh gee."
"The Guardians will return."

Guardians 2
Spiderman

Spider Man: Homecoming (2017)

Director: Jon Watts

Screenplay: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Jon Watts, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko

At the start of the movie we see the aftermath of the attack on New York. There is massive damage, including the Stark Tower. A contractor (Toomes) is told that from now on, all salvage (of alien war equipment as well as other wreckage) will now be handled by Stark Enterprises and the City.
 The owner keeps one of the objects on the scene, and later keeps a truckload of the equipment. Later we see Toomes fly into a warehouse wearing special wings and depositing more salvaged items.
 Peter Parker attends an initiation with the Avengers. He meets Capt. A., Iron Man, the Black Widow. After the initiation, Stark says he will contact Peter if any "missions" come up. He reaches over Peter to open the car door. "That's not a hug." (It'll be different in the Endgames.)
Stan Lee has one of his bit parts. He is an old man leaning out a window telling Peter to quit making so much noise.
 Peter enters his room through a window, removes his suit, and turns to find that his friend Ned was sitting there! There is a TV showing an announcer describing the "Sokovia Accords".
 An employee of Toomes is showing a thief some of their available weapons:

A reclaimed sub-Ultron arm straight from Sokovia

A Black Hole Grenade

A Chitauri Railgun

In Peter's school there are videos by Capt. America on exercise, detention, and even puberty!
 Peter attempts to stop a weapons deal on a big boat, the boat is ruined (had to be patched together by Iron Man to save the passengers). Peter is chewed out by Stark. Stark says that he was the only one who believed in Peter. "Everybody else said I was crazy for fooling with a 14 year old kid."
 "I just wanted to be like you."
 "And I wanted you to be better." (Peter does both in Spiderman: Away from Home).
. . . (Movie continues)
 During the scenes that follow, Peter's friend Ned gets to act as the "chair man" (person who helps a superhero/spy by monitoring equipment in a van, usually parked outside) – he helps Peter using a computer in the library.
 Happy shows up, takes Peter to the Avengers HQ. Stark offers him a job with the Avengers, including a new, even higher tech suit. Peter turns him down, saying he wants to just be a "Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman" for a while. Stark is impressed by this.

Ending Credits:
Toomes shows his appreciation for what Spider Man did for him by not revealing Spider Man's whereabouts to a prisoner who was plotting to have Spider Man eliminated.

More Ending Credits:
Capt. A. is giving a lecture on patience. ". . .Sometimes if it feels like it's not worth it and you wonder why you wasted your time for something so disappointing. . ." (asks someone off-camera): "How many more of these are there?"
"Spider Man will return"

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Director: Taika Waititi

Screenplay: Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, Christopher L. Yost

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby

Movie opens with Thor all chained up, says he has been trying to find some of "those Infinity Stone things", but failed. He breaks out of his chains and beheads Surtur.
 Comes back to Asgard but Heimdall (The Gatekeeper) has been replaced by Skrull, who is a bit of a braggard. Loki, disguised as Allfather, is watching a play next to a huge statue of Loki. They go to Earth to find Allfather. Thor berates Loki, says he thought Loki was dead. Some girls ask for a selfie with Thor. One of them says "Sorry to hear about Jane dumping you." Eventually Thor and Loki end up in Dr Strange's house. Dr Strange beams them to a grassy cliff overlooking the ocean.
 Allfather is standing there. He says he cannot stop Ragnarok (the destruction of Asgard), even though Thor tells him that he has dispatched Surtur. Allfather says Hela – the goddess of Death and Thor's sister – is coming. Then Allfather disappears in a cloud of golden dust.
 Hela appears and crushes Thor's hammer. No more Mjolnir.
 The portal opens up and all three are being transported to Asgard. Loki and Thor are knocked out of the portal by Hela. Hela arrives at Asgard and prmptly defeats an army.
 Thor ends up in a junk heap, with trash constantly falling out of the sky. [Other movies show trash falling out of the sky as well (Isle of Dogs. Alita: Battle Angel.)]
 Thor is captured by Scrapper 142 and is taken to Sakaar, ruled by the Grand Master (Jeff Goldblum). Thor finds out that Scrapper 142 is actually a Valkyrie from Asgar. Thor is put into a stadium to fight The Grand Master's unbeatable being. And who is it but the Hulk?!? When Loki, in the audience, sees the Hulk enter the stadium, he says "I've got to get off this planet!" (apparently remembering New York, when the Hulk mopped up the floor with him!).
. . . (Movie continues)
 The fight sequence between Thor and the Hulk contains several memorable scenes and is well done!
 As the Hulk is descending on Thor, the scene changes to Asgar. Hela appoints Skurge to be her Executioner, gives him a big axe. They walk back to the "Bifrost" portal but the sword is gone. We go to a scene in a forest, where Heimdall has the sword and is leading people to safety.
 Back at Sakaar, Thor is in a room with the Hulk, who tells him that he got to Sakaar by way of a Quinjet. Thor goes to the Quinjet. The Hulk enters, knocking into walls, but sees Natasha on the screen, saying "I need you to open up stealth mode and return", (From Age of Ultron). He turns into Banner. He asks Thor about Sokovia and Ultron. Thor says that was 2 years ago.
 Scrapper 142 joins up with Thor and Banner. Thor names the trio the "Revengers"! They steal a ship, go up the "Devil's Anus", [No, I'm, not making this up!] and arrive in Asgard.
 Meanwhile Loki and all the prisoners, including Kork, the Rock Man, take another ship to Asgard.
. . . (Movie continues)
 Thor, Loki, Scrapper 142, the prisoner army, and Heimdall fight Hela's army. Thor learns a key lesson about himself and his relationship with his hammer, from Allfather.
. . . (Movie continues)
 Loki sees the Tesseract while doing so (second time in the movie that he eyes the Tesseract). Apparently he takes it with him, to avoid its destruction in the Ragnarok.
 Thor, sitting in the King's chair, announces that they will all go to Earth.

Ending Credits:
Thor tells Loki "Everything's fine". But just then they see a really huge ship in front of them.

Ending Credits:
The Grand Master ends up in the junkyard, confronted with many scrappers. Doesn't look too good for him.
"Thor will return in "Avengers: Infinity War".

Thor
Black Panther

Black Panther (2018)

Director: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole

Screenplay: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee

The movie opens with a father telling his son about the origin of Wakanda. A meteor made of vibranium crashes into Africa. Later, 5 tribes settled in the area and name it Wakanda. The 5 tribes were constantly at war until a warrior-shaman had a vision from the Panther goddess Bast, who led the warrior to a heart-shaped herb that confers superpowers. The warrior became the first Black Panther .
 Four of the tribes agreed to live under his rule, but the fifth – the Jabari – remain separate. The Wakandans use vibranium to develop tech that is far superior to that of the rest of the world. Since the rest of the world degenerated into war (images show WW2), the Wakandans hid their nation in the forest.
 We go to a scene in modern times, but not the present. King T'Chaka visits two guys in an apartment. One is his brother (Prince N'Jobu). The king says that Ulysses Klaue attacked Wakanda and stole some vibranium. (Klaue is the shipyard operator in Age of Ultron). Prince N'Jobu is revealed by his roommate to have some of the stolen vibranium.
 Some kids are outside playing basketball. They see lights moving through the clouds.
 Fast forward to the present. An announcer says that King T'Challa was killed in a terrorist attack at the U.N. (Previously shown in Avengers: Civil War.) He is succeeded by Prince T'Challa (the current Black Panther).
 Prince T'C rescues Nakia and they return with Okoye to Wakanda in a space ship. From below, the ships' lights like those seen by the boys earlier in the movie.
 A contest is conducted to see if anybody wishes to challenge Prince T'C before he is crowned. All tribes decline to challenge him, but the Jabari show up with a challenger (N'Baku). Prince T'C manages to defeat him. He has a chance to kill the challenger, but does not.
 T'C, Nakia, and Okoye go to Korea to try to capture Ulysses Klaue, who has just stolen a vibranium hammer from a museum. T'C talks to Agent Ross, who says that the vibranium from the Sokovia incidents are not related to Klaue. That is, The Wakandans aren't part of the events in Sokovia. (Ross apparently helped T'C earlier.)
. . . (Movie continues)
 T'C finds out that "James" (the moderator during the challenge contests) was the "spy" placed in the apartment with N'Jobu. N'Jobu had a vision of supplying all Africans in America with vibranium weapons, so they could liberate themselves from suppression. So it was he who helped Klaue get into Wakanda to steal the vibranium. James tells T'C that king T'Chaka killed N'Jobu "in order to save me."
 "What about the child?'
 "We left him."
 They bring the critically wounded Ross to Wakanda and heal him. Ross tells T'C who the child that was left behind actually is. He is Eric Stephens, and worked for the CIA and other agencies as a soldier/assassin. Killed so many that he was called the Killmonger.
 Eric shows up and challenges T'C to another contest, and throws the critically wounded T'C off the cliff. He also kills James. Later he is given the super power conferring herb.
 Eric orders some women to burn all the herb. Shure (T'C's sister) attempts to grab a bunch before she sneaks out.
. . . (Movie continues)
 Eric prepares to distribute the vibranium, at first to the "War Dogs" that are already positioned in Hong Kong, London, and New York (the cities that are the Sanctums in Dr Strange!)
. . . (Movie continues)
 T'C says he will build the first Wakanda Outreach Center, (in the original apartment building where N'Jobu and Eric were). He asks Nakia to stay, telling her that she will lead the effort. Shure will command Science and Tech.

Ending Credits:
T'C gives a speech at the U.N. He offers to share Wakanda's tech with the world. "The wise build bridges. The foolish build barriers."
Someone asks "What can a nation of farmers offer the world?" T'C, Nakia, Shure, and Ross all look at each other and smile.

Ending Credits:
Shuri is standing outside a tent house. A man with only one arm steps out.
"Good morning, Sargent Barnes," she says.
Bucky: "Thank You."
"Black Panther will return in Avengers: Infinity War"

Ant Man and the Wasp (2018)

Director: Peyton Reed

Screenplay: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby

Dr Hank Pym brings out "an old project" - The "Pym Quantum Tunnel", because he thought there might be a possibility of bringing his wife back (since Ant Man went quantum and came back in Ant Man).
 Scott (Ant Man) has been confined to his house because of some sort of former activity with the Avengers (Capt A.) in Germany. He is confined as per the Sokovia Accords.
 Ant Man is also asked by agent Jimmie Woo if he has has contact with Hank Pym or Hope Van Dyke - his daughter.
 Scott has a dream about Dr Pym's wife, Janet, who is playing with "Jellybean" (Hope).
 Hope shows up as The Wasp, shrinks Scott and takes him to Dr Pym's lab. They are mad at him, apparently because his actions with Capt. A. in Germany resulted in their arrest.
 Hope goes to Sonny Burch to pick up a piece of tech. But Burch says that "with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra gone, he wants to be "in" on the Quantum Tech they are designing. Hope, as The Wasp, tries to get the device, but a strange "Ghost" (Ava) appears and gets away with it.
 They see Bill Foster, who used to work with Pym. He and Dr Pym don't really get along, but he gave Pym an idea that he can use to get his lab back. (The Ghost managed to steal the shrunken lab, as well).
 Ava - the Ghost - says that her father Elihas Starr was working with Pym at S.H.I.E.L.D.. Pym fires him but he keeps working on the Quantum Tech, but it exploded and killed him, and also irradiated Ava. S.H.I.E.L.D. used Ava because of her powers and made her into a soldier/assassin. Bill Foster took her under his care and had built a machine to help stem her deterioration.
. . . (Movie continues)
 (They attempt to use the Pym Quantum Tunnel to bring back Janet from the quantum realm. You should watch the movie; there are some excellent and moving scenes from here on.)
 Later, Ava tells Foster that he should leave her for his own safety, but he tells her that he fully intends to stay with her, no matter what happens. (The acting here is one of the moving scenes I am talking about.)

Ending Credits:
Janet, Hope, and Dr Pym send Ant Man to the quantum world to get "healing particles for our new ghost friend", but all three turn into soft black particles, which drift to the ground, leaving Ant Man in the quantum realm.
Thus we see that Thanos' "Snap", or "Decimation" has already started.

Ending Credits:
We see Scott's open door and go inside. There is a TV which is playing a tone, with a screen saying "This is a state of emergency". We go up the stairs and see a giant ant playing Scott's drum set. Another sign that the "Snap" is under way.
"Ant Man and The Wasp will return."

Ant Man
Captain Marvel (2019)

Captain Marvel (2019)

Infinity Stone: The Tesseract - Space Stone

Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Screenplay: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Geneva Robertson-Dworet

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Gene Colan

[In these later movies, the standard method of going to hyperspeed is to pass through a honeycomb structure. Remember that if you're out in your ship and want to beat the space traffic on the way home.]
 After Vers lands on Earth ("planet "C-53"), she eventually joins up with Nick Fury, who is already a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Vers is a Kree "warrior", who is helping to fight the Skrulls, who supposedly are taking over planets.
 Vers is looking for Dr Lawson. Her Kree commander (Yon-Rogg) says Larson was an "undercover Kree operative named Mar-Vell, who was working on a unique energy core, that could help us win the war."
 Vers realizes that she had a life on C-53, and that Mar-vell is who she sees when she talks to the Kree "A.I. Supreme Intelligence".
 Agent Coulsen, who later becomes Fury's right hand man – and who is in Infinity War and Endgame – helps Fury and Vers escape. You might say "But Coulsen died in Avengers 2012". That's right, but Captain Marvel is an "origin story" about events that ocurred earlier.
 The Skrull leader (Talos) shows up at the house of Carol's friend (Maria Rambeau), and has a recording from the black box of the crashed jet. When he plays it, Vers remembers the plane crash. (Vers turns out to be Carol Danvers).
. . . (Movie continues)
 During Vers' recall of the crash scene, we learn how she gets her super powers. We also see that the "energy core" actually contains the Tesseract – Space Stone).
 Talos explains that Yon-Rogg killed Mar-Vell because "she was on the wrong side of an unjust war". (Apparently was helping the Skrulls.) He explains that the (light-speed) core would have helped the Skrull escape the (hostile) Kree.
 Vers, Maria, Fury, and Talos fly to Mar-Vell's lab in orbit around Earth. In it is the energy core (the Tesseract).
 Fury lost his eye (gaining his iconic eyepatch) because Goose scratches him in the eye. Goose looks like a cat but is actually a Flerken. But then you knew that, right?
 Vers tells Yon-Rogg that she's coming back to destroy the Supreme Intelligence and end the unjust war.
 Vers tells Fury to keep the Tesseract on Earth. He asks "Are you sure that's what Marvel wanted?"
 "It's Mar-Vell".
 Fury says "Marvel" sounds better, and even sings a brief tune about the Marvelettes. Vers gives Fury back his pager, says she's "upgraded " it. She shows it to him and it has the same symbol that showed in Infinity Wars (after Fury was "dusted").
 Vers, now Captain Marvel, flies off with the Skrulls to help them (but note that the Skrulls didn't get what they came to Earth for – the Tesseract - the light-speed core.)
 At the end of the Movie. Fury is typing:
 "The Protector Initiative:
 A response team comprised of the most able individuals that humankind has to offer. The Initiative will defend Earth from imminent global threats". . .with abilities that "are beyond most humans".
 Fury is telling agent Coulsen that they need more. . .
 "Weapons, sir?"
 "No: heros."
 When Coulsen leaves, Fury pulls out a picture of a woman by a jet. The name on the fusilage is Carol "Avenger" Danvers. So he renames "Protector" to "Avenger".

Ending Credits:
Captain A and another Avenger are watching displays which show rapidly increasing mass casualities in various cities.
Thanos' Decimation is now fully under way.
They are trying to use Fury's pager that has Captain Marvel's symbol. The pager goes blank and they turn to see Captain Marvel in person.
"Captain Marvel will return in Avengers: Endgame."
Goose upchucks the Tesseract.

Avengers: Infinity War (2019)

Infinity Stone: "Collect the Whole Set"

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Screenplay: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFreely

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

The movie opens with a scene of destruction with many bodies lying around. Thanos' "assistant" (Ebony Maw, of the Black Order) is walking around telling all the dead that they are now "children of Thanos".
 Thanos already has the Power Infinity Stone. (Thor relates this later in the movie). He threatens to kill Thor if Loki doesn't give him the Tesseract (the blue Space Stone). Loki gives it to him and he crushes the Tesseract and places the Space Stone in his big glove. Then he kills Loki (who tried to stab him). Heimdall beams the Hulk back to Earth after Thanos whups the Hulk. Heimdall is rewarded by being killed by Thanos.
 Dr Banner crashes into the roof of Dr Strange's Sanctum (in NY?). He tells Strange and Wong that "Thanos is coming."
 "Who?", Strange asks.
 Stark and Pepper are talking. Strange and Banner appear. Banner hugs Stark.
Stark goes to the Sanctum. Wong produces a hologram of the Infinity Stones and tells about them. (Tivan the Collector gives the first description in Guardians of the Galaxy – 2014).
Second description of the infinity Stones, From Wong and Dr Strange:

"At the dawn of the universe, there was nothing. Then... boom. The Big Bang sent six elemental crystals, hurtling across the virgin universe. These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence."

Space   Blue

Reality  Red

Power   Purple

Soul      Orange

Mind     Yellow

Time     Green (Dr Strange points to it in his chest medal)

Banner then describes Thanos: he attacks planets and destroys half the population. He is the one who sent Loki to attack N.Y.
 Stark: "This is it."
 They tell Stark that they need to find Vision, who has the Mind Stone. But Stark says Vision has disappeared. Says Capt A may be able to find him. He is reluctant to call Capt A, tells Strange and Banner that the Avengers have broken up.
 Suddenly there is lots of commotion outside. They go out. There is a massive spinning wheel spaceship hovering overhead. Peter Parker. sees it, tells his friend Ned to distract the passengers so he can jump out a window as Spider Man. (The bus driver – Stan Lee – turns and says "What's the matter? Haven't you kids seen a space ship before?")
 Ebony Maw and a robot try to get the Time Stone from Strange. Maw binds Strange up with a coil and takes him to the circular ship. Stark and Spider Man board the ship (Stark fetches Spider Man's new Avenger suit).
 The Guardians come out of hyperspace and see much floating debris and bodies. They pick up Thor. Thor provides more background on the Infinity Stones:

Thanos is going to Knowwhere because the Reality Stone is there with the Tivan the Collector.>/p>

Thanos already has the Power Stone because he stole it when he decimated Xandar.

He "stole the Space Stone from me when he destroyed my ship and slaughtered half my people." (Beginning of the movie).

The Time and Mind Stones are safe on Earth with the Avengers (Dr Strange and Vision).

No one has ever seen the Soul Stone. (Gamora vecomes very thoughtful when he says this.)

Thor "asks" to be taken to Nidavellier. Rocky and Groot accompany him on a separate ship.
 Vision and Wanda M have been staying in Scotland for two years. They are attacked and Vision is wounded. But Capt A, the Falcon, and Black Widow show up and subdue the attackers, who then beam themselves out of the scene.
 Gamora has a flashback: It is Zehoberia, her home planet, where Chitauri monsters are decimating the population. Gamora is a small child. Thanos shows her how to balance a double bladed knife while soldiers are killing her parents and others.
 Gamora tells Star-Lord that if Thanos is about to capture her, "I want you to promise that you will kill me. . . I know something that he doesn't. If he finds it out the entire universe will be at risk."
 They go to Knowhere.
. . . (Movie continues)
 During the scenes that follow, Thanos acquires the Reality stone from Tivan the Collector.
Thanos Infinity Stone Count: 3. The Reality, Space, and Power stones. They show in his gauntlet.
 Thanos disappears with Gamora.
 T'Challa brings Bucky a new bionic arm, calls him the White Wolf.
. . . (Movie continues)
 (Stark appoints Spider Man an official Avenger.)
Thanos explains his "idea". Life and resources are limited on all planets. So we kill half the population and the other half can live well. Later, Thanos extracts a memory from Nebula to prove to Gamora that he knew she purposely destroyed the map to the Soul Stone. Thanos tortures Nebula some more, and gamora reveals the Soul Stone to be on Vormir.
 Thor, Rocket, and Groot arrive at Nidavellier. Rocket gives Thor an eyeball, which he had previously stolen. Eitri tells them that Thanos forced him and the dwarfs to make a gauntlet (the Big Glove) capable of holding all 6 Infinity Stones. After he did this, Thanos killed all the dwarfs and destroyed their planet.
 Nebula escapes and, using a communication device, asks Mantis to "meet me here on Titan". Stark, Spider Man and Strange land the ring ship on Titan. The Guardians arrive, meet the other three, and find out they're on the same side.
Spider Man asks them "What is it that you all do?"
  "Kick names and take ass!", says Mantis. Spider Man looks at Stark.
 Dr Strange is in a trance. He emerges and tells them he saw 14,000,605 possible outcomes of the upcoming fight.
 "How many did we win?"
 "One".
. . . (Movie continues)
 (We see Thanos acquire the Soul stone on Vormir).
Thanos Infinity Stone Count: 4. The Reality, Space, Power, and Soul stones
 Nakia and T'Challa walk out to greet the arriving Avenger's ship.
 "When you said you were going to open up Wakanda, this is not what I had in mind."
 "What did you have in mind?"
 "Oh, the Olympics. Maybe even a Starbucks."
 Capt A meets Bucky again.
 Thor gets a new Mjoinir back there in Nidavellier, shows up in Wakanda and blasts the attacking alien monsters and destroys their ships.
 Thanos shows up on Titan, confronts Strange. He shows Strange what Titan was like before its own extinction – because they wouldn't listen to him and his plan. "With all six Infinity Stones I could merely snap my fingers and they would all cease to exist. I call that mercy."
 "And then what?"
 "I finally rest, and watch the sun rise on a grateful universe."
. . . (Movie continues)
 (Thanos acquires the Time Stone).
Thanos Infinity Stone Count: 5. The Reality, Space, Power, Soul, and Time stones
 Dr Strange says: "We're in the endgame now."
. . . (Movie continues)
 (Thanos gets the Mind Stone.)
Thanos Infinity Stone Count: 6. The Reality, Space, Power, Soul, Time, and Mind stones
 Thor swoops down and delivers an apparently fatal blow to Thanos. But he recovers, saying "You should have gone for the head."
 Thanos disappears and shows up in a place with an endless sheet of water and a single pavilion. Young Gamora is there. (This is a very strange scene.)
 "Did you do it?"
 "Yes"
 "What did it cost?"
 "Everything."
 Many get "dusted", both at Wakanda and on Titan. The movie ends with a limping Thanos looking out over a sunrise in a cabin in the country. He smiles.

Ending Credits:
Fury and Agent Hill are driving. "Still no word on Stark." A car crashes in front of them. But no one is inside. Hill gets dusted. Then Fury gets dusted, but he did send a message to Captain Marvel on their communicator (that she gave him in Captain Marvel).
"Thanos will return".

Infinity War
Endgame

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Infinity Stone: "Retrieve the Whole Set"

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Screenplay: Christopher Marcus, Stephen McFreely

Comic Book Origins: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

NOTE: This is the second of the two movies in which someone other than Thor is able to pick up the Mjolner - Thor's hammer.
The movie opens with Clint (Hawkeye) with his family. But his family soon gets "dusted".
Stark and Nebula are adrift in a ship with no power and limited oxygen. She has been treating his wound. But Captain Marvel appears in front of the ship.
 Thor, Capt A, Banner, Rhodes, Black Widow, Nebula, and Rocket talk. Nebula says she knows where Thanos is. Rocket says that a cosmic surge has appeared in another planet, indicating Thanos has used the stones again. They go to the planet and confront Thanos in his cabin. Thor cuts off the arm with the gauntlet – no stones. Thanos says he used the stones to destroy the stones, and was injured in the process. Thor kills him.
 "What did you just do?"
  "I went for the head." (Thanos told him in Infinity War "You should have gone for the head.")
 Five years later:
 Capt A is leading a self-help group, counseling people who lost others in the "Snap." [Why is it called the "Snap"? Because in Infinity Wars, Thanos said that with all 6 stones, he could merely snap his fingers and half of the population on all planets would cease to exist.]
 In San Francisco, a rat crawls over a control button, activating a miniature quantum tunnel. Out pops Scott Lang (Ant Man). Scott convinces the others that it might be possible to travel back in time and change things. For want of a better word, he refers to this as "Time Heists". Stark refuses to get involved. But later in his home office he runs simulations and one of them says "Simulation Successful."
 "Shit", Stark says, falling back into the couch.
 "Shit", Morgan (his little girl) echoes. Stark counsels his daughter about "mommy's words"!
 Banner is now permanently big and green (not as big as the original Hulk). He is called " Smart Hulk" if the DVD subtitles are correct.
 Banner and Rocket go get Thor, who has become a heavy drinker with a big beer belly.
 Natasha goes and gets Clint, who has become a vigilante in Japan.

The Time Heists:
 They all go back to various places and different times. There is a shortage of "Pym Particles", so they only have one chance.
 Time Heist 2013:
. . . (Movie continues)
 (In this sequence, Smart Hulk gets the Time Stone. Thor's mother Frigga gives him a pep talk - she tells him that she knows why he is there - "I was raised by witches boy". Thor and Rocket get the Aether/Space Stone. Thor also retrieves his Mjolnir.)
 Time Heist 2014 (Titan and Earth):
. . . (Movie continues)
 (In this sequence, Rhodes and Nebula manage to get the Power Stone. But Nebula (from the future) is captured by Thanos, who uses her to find out about the Avenger's plan from the future. Also Nebula (from 2014) gets a vial of the Pym particles and gives it to Thanos.)
 (Also, Stark and Capt A from the future see Stark and Capt A from the past. They manage to get Loki's Scepter (Space Stone). Stark remembers that ther would be more Pym Particles in the 1970 Army facility. So they go back to 1970, spending their remaining Pym Particles to do so.)
 Time Heist 1970:
Stan Lee passes an army compound in an Olds 442, leans out the window and says "Make love, not war!"
 Capt A and Stark visit Camp Lehigh to get the Tessaract and the particles. Capt A sees Peggy, and Stark takes a walk with Howard Stark, his dad. He hugs his dad before Howard goes to his car, driven by Jarvis.
 More Time Heist 2014 (Vormir):
 (Natasha and Clint meet the Red Skull. They get the Soul Stone, but only one of them returns.)
 They all return, and place all the stones in the Gauntlet.
 But Thanos uses the Pym Particles that Nebula (of the past) gave him, returns in a ship, and bombs the Avengers' HQ. Stark, Thor (with 2 Mjolnirs!), and Capt A confront Thanos.
 Clint gets the Gauntlet. Nebula from the past tries to stop him, but Nebula of the present and Gamora appear. Nebula shoots Nebula (of the past).
 Thanos calls up his army of Chitauri aliens and monsters. Hundreds of them appear from the sky.
 Only the 6 or so Avengers stand before this onslaught. Thanos tells Capt A, "I will enjoy destroying this pesky little planet of yours."
. . . (Movie continues!)
 (This is the final battle - The Endgame!)
 Among other things, Spider Man shows up and gets a big hug from Stark.
 Captain Marvel shows up and blasts through the Chitauri ship, which crashes.
 Thanos gets the Gauntlet and manages to repel even Captain Marvel. Dr Strange gestures to Stark, holding up one finger (apparently in reference to the one win out of the 14,000,605).
 Stark attacks Thanos and is repulsed.
 Thanos snaps his fingers.
 "I am inevitable".
. . . (Movie continues!)
 Do they finally finish Thanos? You'll have to watch the movie to find out!
 Capt A goes to the quantum world to return all the stones. . .But he returns as an old man, having spent many years with Peggy. He gives his shield to Sam.
 Attendees to the funeral at the end of the movie:

Pepper Potts and Morgan (Stark's daughter)

Happy Hogan and Nick Fury

Rhodey, Sam Wilson

Dr Strange and Wong

Hank Pym, Janet Pym, Hope (Wasp), and Ant Man

Capt A, Bucky

Thor

Banner (Smart Hulk)

Spider Man and Aunt May

Clint Barton, his wife and children

General Ross

The Guardians: Rocket, Star-Lord, Nebula, Groot, Mantis, Drax

The Wakandans: T'Challa (Black Panther), Okoye, Shuri

Wanda M (Scarlet Witch)

Captain Marvel

Harley Keener (the kid from Iron Man 3 – now a young man)

Ending Credits:
There is only the sound of clanging metal. It is supposed to be the same sound that was in the first Iron Man, when Tony Stark was forging the original Iron Man suit.

Copyright © 2020 J.A. (except for timelines and quotes, which are credited to Walt Disney and other studios.)