WARNING: This article contains potential SPOILERS for Thor: Ragnarok

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Marvel fans have been searching for the MCU's final Infinity Stone, but Thor: Ragnarok may reveal that it's been staring them in the eye since the beginning. The mysterious Soul Stone - the only cosmic gem still shrouded in mystery - is set to be revealed in Ragnarok, directly launching the larger Infinity War the entire MCU has been building toward. Most casual fans expect it to be the weapon used by Ragnarok's villain Hela, but based on the evidence and clues, the true story of the MCU's Soul Stone may have die-hard fans kicking themselves for years to come.

Before getting into exactly how an Infinity Stone explains Hela's powers, the footage shown in Thor: Ragnarok's trailers may reveal far more about her defeat, her return, and her ultimate goal. The heavily stylized shots of Hela in all her mythic glory, doing battle in slow motion with the Valkyrie is an obvious enough flashback (or some variation thereof). But aside from those shots, it's telling that more than one version of Cate Blanchett's villain will appear in the film.

One of those versions seems more befitting an ancient villain who has recently escaped her prison - and is a far cry from the glorious, fearsome Goddess of Death she used to be. But put the clues together, and fans will see where her powers originated, who took them in the distant past... and who she kills to get them back.

Needless to say, there may be SPOILERS ahead, should our theory prove true.

Hela is Introduced Without Her Powers

We're speaking, of course, of the loose-haired, un-helmet-ed Hela shown in the image above. The holes in her clothing and her unkempt appearance beg an explanation... and we've got one. A theory, at least. Especially when you factor in the surroundings and the company she's enjoying in them. That's not Asgard, or even the gladiator planet Sakaar, but a stand-in for New York City. As the trailer also shows, the smile on her face is likely in response to the stunned expression on Thor's, having just thrown his famously unstoppable hammer straight at her - only to see her stop it in its place, before shattering it into pieces.

Where she gets those powers, what has brought Thor to that alley, and why Hela has followed are the obvious questions. And piecing together set photos and other footage of Ragnarok, a firm explanation can be assembled. Especially since she leaves that alley as a brand new woman.

Hela's (Orange-Yellow) Power Over Souls is Restored

The trailers only show what appears to be the final moments of Hela's transformation: the last flickering waves of the yellow-orange energy that has restored her clothing and iconic headdress, clearly delivering a sense of rejuvenation Hela has gone too long without (based on her expression). The same sequence from the trailers shows Thor and Loki being blown away by the disintegration of Mjolnir in this same alley, suggesting that one moment leads to the other. However, we must now ask the questions: what would take place to trigger Thor into hurling his hammer straight at Hela in a New York alley? Where would Hela have acquired the power to stop it that she didn't have while imprisoned? And why does her subsequent 'makeover' or 'restoration' seem to be caused by the same colored energy as the last concealed Infinity Stone?

Hela's crusade to kill Asgardian soldiers, reclaim her role as the Goddess of Death, and bring about the death of all creation is the kind of job that an Infinity Stone would make possible. And when you look at how the Soul Stone has been used in the comics, it seems a perfect fit. But if Hela has the Infinity Stone when she leaves New York, how did she get it?

The answer is sure to break some MCU hearts...

Hela Kills Odin To Steal The Soul Stone (Back)

The evidence, while sad, is hard to ignore: it seems certain that Hela kills Odin the Allfather in a New York alley. A recent segment of Thor: Ragnarok teased a new Thor and Loki scene courtesy of Entertainment Tonight, showing the god of thunder back home in Asgard, planting Mjolnir accusingly on his brother's chest. After spending years hunting Thanos since Age of Ultron, it seems Thor has realized it's truly Loki ruling in disguise. Soon after, the pair head to Earth in search of Odin... since Loki has allowed Hela to escape during his short time on the throne.

Some unofficial set photos of Ragnarok's Odin show he may have been living on the streets of Midgard since his exile, meaning a dingy alley is the perfect place for his two sons to find him. Not to mention the perfect place for Hela to spring her attack: having broken free of her imprisonment due to Odin's absence, angrily reclaiming the power he took to lock her up in the first place.

That power, we argue, is none other than the Soul Stone. The Infinity Stone that may have been taken by Odin in his great conquest to conquer the Nine Realms and bring peace to all who dwell within them. The cosmic relic he has kept hidden for a thousand years before his people's eyes - pun most definitely intended.

Odin Has Been Wielding The Soul Stone - as 'The Odinforce'

To understand why it makes perfect sense for Odin to have been hiding an Infinity Stone in his eye socket all this time (or anywhere else, really... but it would be a fun twist), readers should know what makes the Soul Stone special, and what powers it bestows upon the one who wields it. In Marvel Comics mythology, the Soul Gem grants its wielder control over all life in the universe, and the ability to control, command, destroy, or restore all souls, living or dead. On an intellectual level, it also lets one see into the truth, the soul of any individual, and their essence. Not to mention that it contains within it a form of idyllic Heaven - or perhaps Valhalla - where souls may be kept for eternity.

There's just one catch: the Soul Gem requires souls to feed it. In the hands of a being willing to consume innocent lives, it means becoming the Goddess of Death. But in possession of a benevolent leader, or a king determined to safeguard all creation... it is a means to create universal peace. And all things considered, it's remarkable just how much of this groundwork has been laid in the MCU already. If the Soul Stone was claimed from Hela by Odin's father Bor, it makes sense that he would fuel his own campaign by feeding the Soul Stone the souls of every Dark Elf he could find (as Odin confirmed in The Dark World).

If the Stone fell to Odin when his father passed, it explains the mysterious 'Odinforce' allowing Odin effectively magical powers over Asgardian technology, the ability to sense happenings across the Nine Realms, and even inspect the Aether - another Infinity Stone - pumping through Jane Foster's veins. But how would a peaceful king satisfy the Soul Stone's hunger? By sacrificing his own godlike soul to feed it, until he is forced to slip into the 'Odinsleep' to restore his fading power.

How This Explains The Heimdall Theory

Heimdall in Thor Ragnarok

The best part of our Soul Stone theory is that it still validates those who thought it rested with Heimdall, in a way. The power given by the Soul Stone can also be passed to others should the wielder choose. In Hela's hands, as the trailers have shown, it means slaying Asgardian soldiers to reanimate them as undead fighting in her name. In Odin's hands (eye?), it means granting Heimdall the eyesight needed to monitor "nine realms and ten trillion souls." The line offered in The Dark World fueled speculation that Heimdall was being literal, and that the yellow-orange/amber color of his eyes was proof he was using the power of the Soul Stone. That might have been true, with his powers passed to him by the Stone's true master, Odin.

It would also explain why most magic and power in Asgard shares the same golden hue, and how Odin could enchant Mjolnir to only be lifted by one whose soul was truly worthy of the power of Thor. The vision of Heimdall without his sight in The Avengers: Age of Ultron is also straightforward, even if the exact story of Ragnarok wasn't in place: if Thanos unites the Infinity Stones in the future, then Odin will no longer have it, and Heimdall's gift leaves along with it.

Apparently, it isn't Thanos that anyone should have been worried about, now that Hela is back on the scene.

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Will Thor be able to stop Hela by realizing his own power, and finally taking the throne as King of Asgard? And if so, how does he wind up so far from home when Infinity War begins? With so many questions left to answer, we're hoping the Soul Stone's location will answer those raised in Thor's story so far. Let us know your own thoughts on how the Soul Stone will be revealed in the MCU, and whether Black Panther's supernatural elements seem like a better answer.

NEXT: Does Thor: Ragnarok Have a Secret Matt Damon Cameo?

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