One of the biggest mysteries about Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls right now is its roster, with only two teams of characters yet to be revealed. With the squads of Doctor Doom’s villains and Ghost Rider’s anti-heroes still to be shown, many fans are theorizing about which figures from Marvel’s long history would want to team up with those leaders. However, a recent clue from the game’s latest trailer provides some hints as to who could join this 4v4 fighter.
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The “Fighting Avengers” team trailer revealed Hulk and Black Panther to join up with Captain America and Iron Man, two characters who were first shown with the game’s reveal. This team is unsurprising for many fans, with the Unbreakable X-Men and Amazing Guardians being largely within expectations as well. That being said, there are no more characters players are aware of from the game’s open beta tests or previous trailers, leaving at least six more slots completely hidden for the moment.
5. Carnage
One of the most unexpected teases within Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls‘ latest trailer was for Carnage, the red symbiote killer who is consistently a major villain to characters like Venom and Spider-Man. At the end of the “Fighting Avengers” trailer, a small shift takes place when showing all the team leaders of the game, showing a variety of clues. One such clue is the number “361” repeated over and over. For sharp-eyed comic fans, this could refer to The Amazing Spider-Man #361, released in 1992 and marking the official debut of Carnage.
A villainous face like Carnage is an easy pick for Doctor Doom’s team, even if the wild nature of Cletus Cassidy or a similar host contrasts the collected demeanor of Doom himself. Doom keeping Carnage under control would make sense, but another clue points to this character. On the same screen where the “361” shows up, Spider-Man’s eyes are crossed out, hinting an animosity to the web-slinger. While this could mean a number of characters from the neighborhood hero’s rogues gallery, the combination of hints may point toward Carnage.
4. Green Goblin
To further pick apart the “glitched” screen at the end of the Avengers trailer, it’s easy to notice how the entire image is green. With the scratched out eyes for Spider-Man, fans could also imagine his greatest villain taking up a roster spot. The Green Goblin is easily the most notorious of Spider-Man’s foes, with his alter ego Norman Osborn oftentimes taking a role of leadership within several antagonistic groups.
For this reason, another team-up of Norman and Doctor Doom could reference several comic runs, including ones where Osborn led a villainous Cabal. The Dark Reign series of comics and Dark Avengers storyline have also seen Osborn and Doom interact or collaborate, so it wouldn’t be out of the question to see them together again. Furthermore, Osborn has obtained the Carnage symbiote on occasion to become the Red Goblin, a merging of Spider-Man’s deadliest opponents that could tie into the “361” clue mentioned earlier.
3. Sabretooth
Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth, is another villain who Doctor Doom could easily recruit to oppose the likes of Wolverine and the Unbreakable X-Men in Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls. Sabretooth has often been a character more than willing to follow the commands of another, as long as he gets a piece of violent action in the process. Although Magneto is another character rumored for Marvel Tōkon, Sabretooth would have a direct impact on at least one existing character.
The teaser image at the end of the Avengers trailer is also covered with claw marks, with the letters “EA” and “EX” torn up with slashes. The “EX” in particular could refer to the “X” part of “X-Men,” further setting up an antagonistic role that Sabretooth fits. Sabretooth’s history in fighting games like X-Men vs Street Fighter also make him an underrated character to return, unlike Magneto, who has been in several titles within the genre already.
2. Lilith
One common fan theory that the latest trailer hinted at was the idea that every member of Doctor Doom’s team would be a rival to the other teams. For example, Doctor Doom is a villain of the Fighting Avengers, partially perhaps due to his upcoming role in the MCU movie Avengers: Doomsday. Following that logic, Carnage or Green Goblin would be a direct counter to the Amazing Guardians, while Sabretooth or Magneto oppose the Unbreakable X-Men. For Ghost Rider’s team, this role could fall to the mystical Lilith.
While typically a final boss for games like Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Lilith is a good antagonistic for any team from Marvel’s supernatural side. In fact, the Midnight Sons often include Ghost Rider, Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Blade, or Elsa Bloodstone facing off against characters like Lilith or Blackheart. Lilith is a master of dark magic, making her a great foil against Scarlet Witch (should leaks confirm her on the game’s roster). With Doctor Doom’s connection to magic as well, Lilth’s cooperation wouldn’t be too far of a stretch.
1. Loki
Although the green tint of the teasing image from the “Fighting Avengers” trailer could simply be another connection to Doctor Doom, it could refer to several green-themed Marvel characters. If Carnage is confirmed from the “361” and Spider-Man eyes clues, then the green could be a reference to Loki, the Asgardian god of mischief and brother of the Avenger Thor. Story explanations might even justify Loki’s inclusion instead of Thor’s, with the god perhaps having tricked his brother to stay out of the events of the game.
The hints of the “#5” during the green glitch screen are certainly calling back to The Fantastic Four #5, the 1962 comic issue where Doctor Doom first appeared. This could mean that Doctor Doom’s team is the next to be revealed in May, around the same time as the Anniversary of The Avengers MCU movie. There is a chance Loki’s reveal could be in synergy with that celebration, showing off the character who was the central villain of the MCU’s arguable starting point.
Regardless of who does appear on Doctor Doom or Ghost Rider’s teams, the single teasing image from the Avengers trailer leads to a number of possibilities. The speculation that has rose from just one image goes to show just how interesting the roster of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls has the potential to be, for any fans wanting to see their favorite Marvel characters appear.
What characters do you think have the best chance at getting into Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
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Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
