Warning: Contains spoilers for Fantastic Four #43

The Marvel Universe is full of powerful weapons and artifacts that can destroy even the most powerful cosmic beings. While some of these, such as the Cosmic Cube, the Nega-Bands, or Thor's trusted hammer, Mjolnir, are well known to readers, others, such as the Gauntlet Armor and the Tactigon, are more obscure. Writer Dan Slott created these two sets of these ultra-powerful weapons in 2007, and he recently reintroduced both during his current Fantastic Four storyline: The Reckoning War.

The concept of weapons so powerful that they can destroy even the gods was first introduced in Marvel Comics during the legendary debut of Galactus, in Fantastic Four #48-50, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, when the almighty Devourer of Worlds is repelled by the threat of the Ultimate Nullifier. Just like Reed Richards did with Galactus, these weapons are often used by mortal heroes to fight foes that would normally be above their powers. However, often these dangerous instruments fall in the wrong hands and can cause great harm. The most famous example is Thanos, who over the years has retrieved and wielded the most powerful weapons in all of creation, including the Cosmic Cube, the Infinity Gauntlet, and the Cosmic Regulator.

Related: Thanos' Darkest Crime is Killing Marvel's Most Powerful Being Ever

The prolific Marvel writer Dan Slott introduced two new god-tier weapons to the Marvel Universe during his tenure on Avengers: The Initiative. The Gauntlet Armor and the Tactigon are the weapons wielded by two mysterious aliens who killed each other in battle above Earth and then crash-landed on the planet. Parts of the Armor were retrieved by various individuals who gained superpowers from them, while the Tactigon was deemed too dangerous and impossible to control, and put under lock by the United States government. Many years later, another powerful alien creature, the Cormorant, appeared on Earth, seeking objects of great power. In Fantastic Four #43, by Dan Slott, Rachael Stott, Andrea Di Vito, and Jesus Aburtov, it was revealed that the Cormorant was looking for the pieces of the Gauntlet Armor, which will make him unbeatable once assembled. However, Doctor Doom already retrieved the Tactigon, the only weapon effective against the Gauntlet Armor, and uses it to defeat the Cormorant.

The Tactigon is indeed one of the most powerful weapons in the Marvel Universe. It has the unique ability to find any enemy's weakness and adapt itself to exploit it. transforming into the perfect weapon to defeat a given opponent. It was classified by Iron Man and War Machine as an Omega-Level weapon, and it was compared by Henry Gyrich (the U.S. government expert on superhumans) to the Kree Nega-Bands, Thor's hammer Mjolnir, and possibly even to the Cosmic Cube, an artifact that is able to shape reality itself. The power of the Tactigon is confirmed by the fact that Doctor Doom was able to use it successfully to hold off the Cormorant, one of the most powerful creatures in the Multiverse, who shrugged off even the godlike powers of Franklin Richards. While Doom ultimately used his own magic to end the battle, the Tactigon proved powerful enough to buy him time against the Cormorant wielding the full Gauntlet Armor, an impressive feat. Doom also found out that the weapons were made using Watcher technology, the most advanced in the universe.

Dan Slott is famous for crafting years-long storylines that connect his work on different Marvel titles. Just like the Reckoning War was teased during his She-Hulk run in 2005, so the arrival of the Cormorant and the reappearance of the Tactigon tie back to Slott's work on Avengers: The Initiative in 2007. Marvel fans should check out the upcoming issues of Dan Slott's Fantastic Four to see what will happen now that Doctor Doom has control of the Gauntlet Armor and the Tactigon, two of the most powerful weapons in the Marvel Universe.

Next: Fantastic Four Retcons An Entire Comic In One Image