Behold, the Avengers/X-Men: AXIS Infinite Looper

No, it’s not some new device cooked up by Thanos, the Infinite Looper is a neat little promo item designed by Marvel to accompany its new mega-event Avengers/X-Men: AXIS.

Prepare yourself for the marquee comic event of the fall, kicking off in the must-read Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #1. But before that, Marvel is proud to present your first look at the Inversion Looper – the exciting new promo item available at participating comic shops and retailers nationwide to coincide with the release of Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #1!

“We wanted to follow up our Original Sin Watcher Eyeballs with something equally as cool,” say Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “We feel the Inversion Looper coming with Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #1 really fits that bill. Not only is it a fun promo item for participating shops, but it’ll give fans a sneak peek at some of the inverted heroes & villains of AXIS.”

Featuring promo art by Paul Renaud, the endlessly folding Inversion Looper opens to reveal the pre-inversion status of Iron Man, Luke Cage, Deadpool, Sabretooth and Hobgoblin. Flip the card open further to reveal the character’s new looks for Avengers & X-Men: AXIS – including the new Superior Iron Man!

In addition to the Inversion Looper, participating retailers will have access to exclusive launch party items including lithographs by fan-favorite artist Skottie Young, special variant covers, and more! Retailers are encouraged to inquire with your Diamond representative or check upcoming Marvel Mailers for more information.

There’s a fine line between good and evil. Find out how thin this October in Avengers & X-Men: AXIS!

So, a couple of things here that are kind of interesting about AXIS. We all know by now that the event centers on the Red Skull taking apart Professor X’s brain and adapting his powers for himself, thusly releasing some form of Onslaught.

What’s really kind of an unknown though is just what happens to all the characters in the promo art that you see in the trailer. We knew about Superior Iron Man (is he a villain?), but Sabertooth looks like he’s trying to be Wolverine (who’s on his way towards death), and Deadpool, Hobgoblin, and Luke Cage all sport looks that range from altered to radically different. It’s odd to say the least and makes you wonder if Onslaught’s reality-warping powers are to blame for what might be on the way.

That should prove a major point if accurate, since the Marvel Universe in general has been coasting towards some kind of time and/or space shift of monolithic proportions for some time. We’ll see I guess.

Rick Remender and Adam Kubert bring you Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #1 this October the 8th.