Summary
Warning: contains spoilers for “No Escape,” appearing inVenomverse Reborn#2!
Marvel has introduced the concept of “the Porousness Index,” and it explains the multiverse in a fashion that will be vital to theMCU. As the MCU’s “Multiverse Saga” presses forward, more and more incursions into the larger multiverse are occurring. In the story “No Escape,” appearing inVenomverse Reborn#2,a new wrinkle is added to Marvel’s multiverse, explaining how travel between universes can happen.
“No Escape,” appearing inVenomverse Reborn#2, was written by Adam Warren and drawn by ChrisCross. In a distant future, a descendant of Tony Stark, representing the forces of technology, is locked in battle with an organicarmy led by Venom. Stark has a plan, however: seal off the universe from the rest of the multiverse, and trap Venom and his followers in it. He goes on to revealthat each universe has a “porousness” factor, one dictating how easy it is to travel to it.
In this case, the universe is highly permeable, allowing many incursions.
Marvel’s Multiverse Is Finally Getting Its Due, in Both the Comics and the MCU
Incursions Are Becoming More Common in the MCU
Although DC may have the richer multiverse, Marvel’s is not to be discounted either, and it forms the basis for the next great MCU saga. Several MCU films in Phases 4 and 5 have featured incursions into the greater multiverse, such asDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madnessor the end-credits scene inThe Marvels. Furthermore, the MCU’s forthcomingFantastic Four: The First Stepswill be set on an alternate Earth. Finally, Fox’sX-Menfilms and Sony’s Spider-Verse movies have been added as well. The Multiverse Saga will conclude withAvengers: Secret Warsin 2027.
The concept of “incursions” is also nothing new in the Marvel Universe. Although incursions have been happening in Marvel’s multiverse since the publisher’s beginning, the idea did not receive a formal name until Jonathan Hickman’sAvengersbooks. These titles planted the seed for the comic book version ofSecret Wars, which was another multiverse-spanning story that helped define the future of the Marvel Universe. The MCU’sSecret Warspromises a similar story,right down to Doctor Doom beingits primary villain.
The “Porousness Index” Is Tailor-Made for the MCU
Secret WarsWill Set a New Course for the MCU, Just As It Did in the Comics
Marvel’s new “Porousness Index” is the perfect way for the MCU to explain these incursions. Each universe has its own permeability factor, and the one featured in “No Escape” has a high one. It can be assumed that Earth-616, which has been visited by many from the outside, has a high permeability factor as well. As the MCU continues to build towardsSecret Wars, more of these incursions will happen. TheMCUis leaning into the story of the multiverse the comic version ofSecret Warsdepicted, and now Marvel has given fans the perfect way to explain incursions.
“No Escape,” appearing inVenomverse Reborn#2
