The Avengers Fridge Brilliance: The Arc Reactor Theory

[Son of Coul]

Ok, so I know a lot of people here have heard this but a quick recap of the brilliant theory circulating the internet:

So we all know the place in Norway that the Frost Giants attacked is the same one the Cosmic Cube was stored, and that chances are it's mystical in quality being from one of the other eight realms, possibly even Asgard. Slightly fewer have noted that the weapons powered by the Cosmic Cube make the same winding up noise as Iron Man's chest RT. This leads some to believe that when Howard Stark located the cube, he became interested, maybe even a little obsessed, with tapping its power but just couldn't manage to get the damn thing to work like Red Skull and Arnim Zola did.

Well over the years he figured maybe he could recreate its power, but needed a new element he couldn't synthesize to fully bring it to its full potential due to technology constraints by his time. Until then, palladium served as a competent, yet temporary, substitute. As a founding member of SHIELD, he left the Cube in their possession as well as a cryptic video for his then very young & inevitably brilliant son, Tony vaguely explaining his dilemma. When the time came that Tony would need to find a replacement years and years down the line, the video he left was delivered to him and Stark got right on synthesizing it, effectively recreating the power of the Cosmic Cube.

So, I just thought I'd make this thread for any discussion or input on the theory, as well as inform those who haven't heard. Think there's more to it? Is it ********? Is there a link in TIH I've missed? Hell, make your own theories here for all you want!

The greatest part of this theory, to me at least, is that Stark will obviously doubt that Thor and Loki are genuinely from another dimension, and Gods no less. If he realizes that the thing keeping him alive is inter-dimensional (and possibly Asgardian) technology, he could be humbled a bit in a way that could give a nice cap on the tension between him and Thor.

I can also say that this is the first good theory concerning the MCU and its crossovers I've seen. Most have lots of holes an are really reaching, but I feel this one could actually have some validity.

 

[R_Hythlodeus]

Well, how did Howard Stark know that his son would sometimes need a replacement for palladium because a miniature ARC keeps him alive?

 

[Son of Coul]

Well he didn't necessarily have to know that, just that at some point in the future his son would be able to have the technology to create the new element needed. The only question that remains is how did SHIELD know when to give Tony his father's crate, why not sooner right?

 

[LokiDionysos]

Well he didn't necessarily have to know that, just that at some point in the future his son would be able to have the technology to create the new element needed. The only question that remains is how did SHIELD know when to give Tony his father's crate, why not sooner right?

I follow that. Howard might have eventually wanted a replacement for the large one that was destroyed in IM1, in order to make its energy output greater/more efficient. Or possibly even an early design attempt to tap into unlimited power. Like a very powerful perpetual energy source. Maybe even 'cause he couldn't make a smaller arc reactor with palladium at the time, and couldn't come up with the new element for the large one (with further tweaking this could mean unlimited battery life for IM).

In Iron Man 2 the replacement gives him more power, as well as saving him, lending some weight to this theory. Tony miniaturized the big one his dad built, but now with the replacement he has more energy available.
So maybe...just maybe because of the sound and the look of the cube/reactor(blue-glow), plus it being a powerful energy source & howard getting the cube... I'd say it's got a slight chance of being right.

EDIT: I think Shield might need Tony's help doing tests on the cube that his father would have based the arc reactor technology on in this theory. That might lead us back to vibranium and IM unlocking more power for himself i.e. another suit upgrade

 

[cherokeesam]

Interesting theory.

If true, I wonder if Thor would actually recognize elements of the Cube once he sees Tony's arc reactor: "By the Spear of Odin! 'Tis the Cosmic Cube! But prithee, how didst thou make it round and flat.....???"

 

[TheVileOne]

I figure its possible maybe the work Howard started was to break down the element, but Tony simply finished the formula how to break it down and synthesize it.

 

[Tony Stark]

Yeah this is my thought as well. If you noticed in Cap, where Schmidt and Zola were building weapons in their compound they were creating devices that looked like large wheel sized ARC reactors.

Both the color and the sound effect were the same so clearly there's a connection, and plus with Howard finding the cube, and having it all those years. I'm wondering if there will be some revalation to the death of Howard and Maria and the cube.

In answer to the other question, no Howard would have never known Tony would need it to keep the shrapnel out of his heart, but he built the massive ARC reactor with Paladium and he figured Tony would find the replacement to make it useful.

The one thing I agree with in all this, is that Stark isn't going to buy the "we're gods" thing, but seeing the science of it all will make sense.

One more note, did anyone notice that Mjolnir glows with the same blue light as the ARC reactor? More food for thought.

 

[cherokeesam]

The MFU hasn't defined who (or what) created the Cosmic Cube(s) yet, right?

Also, more food for thought: if, in fact, the arc reactor *is* derived from the same power that drives the Cube, does that mean that Tony will be able to start using his own arc reactor as an unlimited wishgiver, like the Cube?

 

[Archangel08]

i agree with the theory that, after seeing captain america, the arc reactor is related to the cosmic cube, but there's one thing i'm confused about...

how could tony recreate a mini arc reactor in the cave with spare parts if none of those are the cosmic cube (or even something else that was given power by the cosmic cube)? same for vanko at the beginning of iron man 2...i like the theory since it ties together all the movies, but at the same time, i feel like those holes kinda poop on it...anybody have any ideas, or am i missing something?

 

[Son of Coul]

Palladium served as a decent, yet temporary substitute to attain a similar level of power to that of the cube, until Tony invented the new element in IM2.

 

[ladyloki]

Some good points guys ... I just finished watching Iron Man 2 again lol , the part where nick fury is talking to Tony about his father and said that Howard was on to something big, he said it was an energy race.

I think the arch reactor is based on the cosmic cube not necessarly powered by it ... this is because at the end of Thor they still haven't figured out what it was or what it did only that it was very powerful .. this tells me that Howard also could not tap into the cubes power but instead try to duplicate it based on the little knowledge he did have which resulted in the arch reactor... however because he was restricted due to the techology of his time .. he left it for Tony to try and figure it out figuring technology would be more advanced Howard figured out how to create a new element but did not have the techology to do so ... when tony is in his lab he says to jarvis I am rediscovering an element not creating it .... even says his father is still taking him to school .

Tony build the reactor in the cave based on his fathers arch reactor which is unknown to him based on the cosmic cube.

Even Loki references possiably making fun of how we plan to use it in the d23 footage trailer discription .." A warm light for mankind to share" prehaps shield and the people studing it still dont realize the other abilites it has until Loki somehow gets his hands on it and goes ape **** on everyone.

 

[Xeno]

i agree with the theory that, after seeing captain america, the arc reactor is related to the cosmic cube, but there's one thing i'm confused about...

how could tony recreate a mini arc reactor in the cave with spare parts if none of those are the cosmic cube (or even something else that was given power by the cosmic cube)? same for vanko at the beginning of iron man 2...i like the theory since it ties together all the movies, but at the same time, i feel like those holes kinda poop on it...anybody have any ideas, or am i missing something?

The arc reactors are not given power by the Cube. Instead, they were created after Howard Stark studied the Cube and adapted its technology. He obviously used Zola's creations as a jumping-off point, perhaps after reverse-engineering some of them. But Howard's reactor (and later those built by Tony and Vanko) were apparently powered by their palladium cores.

From what I surmised, the new element that Tony synthesized with Howard's schematics was an unknown element contained in the Cube that is part of its true source of power. Howard, being incapable of recreating that element in his time, substituted palladium for the element in the Cube.

 

[Archangel08]

thanks guys, that makes sense now, i'm good with the theory now hahaha

 

[R_Hythlodeus]

I have to admitt, even though I can see the weak spots in this theory, I like it for various reasons. One of them would be, that in the context of the more developed MCU, IM2 is much much better than it was as a solo feature way back in 2010. The little tidbits here and there, those referrals to an energy race...even the whole SHIELD appearance in IM2 has positivly changed in it's meaning and because we now know the character of Howard Stark a little better, his influence on Tony and their whole relationship is now easier to understand. The broader context of the Cinematic Universe changed how IM2 now is perceived...

 

[Guerrilla]

Some good points guys ... I just finished watching Iron Man 2 again lol , the part where nick fury is talking to Tony about his father and said that Howard was on to something big, he said it was an energy race.

I think the arch reactor is based on the cosmic cube not necessarly powered by it ... this is because at the end of Thor they still haven't figured out what it was or what it did only that it was very powerful .. this tells me that Howard also could not tap into the cubes power but instead try to duplicate it based on the little knowledge he did have which resulted in the arch reactor... however because he was restricted due to the techology of his time .. he left it for Tony to try and figure it out figuring technology would be more advanced Howard figured out how to create a new element but did not have the techology to do so ... when tony is in his lab he says to jarvis I am rediscovering an element not creating it .... even says his father is still taking him to school .

Tony build the reactor in the cave based on his fathers arch reactor which is unknown to him based on the cosmic cube.

Even Loki references possiably making fun of how we plan to use it in the d23 footage trailer discription .." A warm light for mankind to share" prehaps shield and the people studing it still dont realize the other abilites it has until Loki somehow gets his hands on it and goes ape **** on everyone.

Woah! You guys are all really on to something here. I was already excited about getting to see this all come together. But this topic is really starting to tie these films together and makes good sense to me. I hope this is how it works out. Either way im sure i'll be happy but...my excitement is completely reinvigorated now. Thanks!

 

[redhawk23]

I have to admitt, even though I can see the weak spots in this theory, I like it for various reasons. One of them would be, that in the context of the more developed MCU, IM2 is much much better than it was as a solo feature way back in 2010. The little tidbits here and there, those referrals to an energy race...even the whole SHIELD appearance in IM2 has positivly changed in it's meaning and because we now know the character of Howard Stark a little better, his influence on Tony and their whole relationship is now easier to understand. The broader context of the Cinematic Universe changed how IM2 now is perceived...

Oddly enough the way IM2 fits into the larger context of the whole series of films is exactly how I feel about how the book of Chamber of Secrets relates to the rest of the series. lol, sorry little side thought.

 

[ladyloki]

Woah! You guys are all really on to something here. I was already excited about getting to see this all come together. But this topic is really starting to tie these films together and makes good sense to me. I hope this is how it works out. Either way im sure i'll be happy but...my excitement is completely reinvigorated now. Thanks!

Your welcome .. cant wait to see it all works out !

 

[Mr.T]

i agree with the theory that, after seeing captain america, the arc reactor is related to the cosmic cube, but there's one thing i'm confused about...

how could tony recreate a mini arc reactor in the cave with spare parts if none of those are the cosmic cube (or even something else that was given power by the cosmic cube)? same for vanko at the beginning of iron man 2...i like the theory since it ties together all the movies, but at the same time, i feel like those holes kinda poop on it...anybody have any ideas, or am i missing something?

The Arc Reactor's design is based upon research done by Howard Stark on the cosmic cube. It is not a replica of the cube, or at least that's the way I've been looking at it. The metal element, palladium, is central to the arc reactors design. I stated this in another thread, but whatever purpose palladium serves in the Arc Reactor, it's very apparent the Reactor does NOT need a piece of a supernatural Asgardian relic to function.

The only reason why the core became of any significance is because it was poisoning Stark. Otherwise, it appears to have been fully functional once Stark redesigned it in the cave.