Secret Superhero Headquarters in Marvel Comics:
What are superheroes without their secret headquarters? Throughout the course of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we have been exposed to but only a few secret lairs of our favorite superheroes. A majority of them are still not there. What are those headquarters that even Marvel Studios missed? Where are they? And most importantly, when will we see them?
1. Baxter Building
The Baxter Building is home to the First Family of Marvel Comics – the Fantastic Four. The Baxter Building is a temple of science. It is home to one of the most sophisticated and popular laboratories in Marvel Comics History, run by none other than Reed Richards, one of the smartest people in the universe. Baxter Building is now the headquarters of the Future Foundation. Amongst the plethora of super-advanced technology the Baster Building houses, the ones that need to be mentioned in the Negative Zone Portal and the Bridge. The portal allows anyone to travel to the Negative Zone, used as a prison dimension by the Government authorities. The Bridge is a piece of hardware that acts as a looking glass for the Multi-Verse. Using the bridge, Reed Richards can look into what’s going on in any reality or universe he wishes to.
2. Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters
This place has been featured numerous times in the X-Men movies but we are yet to see it in all its glory in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Professor Charles Xavier’s piece de resistance, Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters was started to help wayward mutant outcasts to realize their true potential and purpose in the grand scheme of things in the world. The Mutant Academy has since become a symbol of hope for mutants and perpetual harmony between the humans and mutants. Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters has been at the forefront of many battles so many times that we have lost count. It has been renamed, destroyed, transported to another dimension, turned to dust, invaded over, infiltrated, and even swallowed whole by an Earthquake. It still keeps coming back and inspiring the next generation of mutants to live up to their true potential. Oh and one more thing – this has the highest chances of all the entries in the list to actually being featured in the next set of MCU movies.
3. Avengers Mansion
The Avengers Mansion used to be one of many countless properties of the Stark family. It was once the ancestral home of the Starks. After Iron Man joined the Avengers, the particular set of the property was turned into the Avengers Mansion and became the primary base of operations for the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Over the years, the Avengers have shifted to several other headquarters, including the Avenger Tower, which was featured in Age of Ultron. But the Avengers Mansion is a more iconic representation for a headquarters for the Avengers since it has been around in the comic books for a longer period of time.
4. Avalon
Avalon is the orbiting space-based headquarters of the time-traveling mutant superhero known as Cable. The Asteroid that would become Avalon was shaped into what it is today by Cable himself. The entire base is controlled by a powerful Artificial Intelligence called the Professor. The space station is also known by the name Graymalkin – which homage to the original address of the first mutant school Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. The base, courtesy of the A.I, can fashion itself internally into anything the owner wishes to. It can even create weapons out of thin air for the user.
5. The Circle
The Circle is the headquarters of S.P.E.A.R – an organization that was the Chinese answer to Shield. The Circle worked pretty much the same as the Shield Helicarrier. It had enormous engines fitted right onto its belly and had a huge living space that could house thousands of troops and several aircraft and additional weaponry. Like the Avengers once operated from the Helicarrier, the Circle is home to China’s very own superhero team called the Ascendants. The Circle can house more than 150,000 operatives and more than 16 airships.
6. Utopia
Utopia was the primary headquarters of the X-Men for quite an amount of time in the comic books. It was actually started as the base of operations for a mutant terrorist cell created by Magneto. Fun fact – the base known as Utopia was actually an orbiting asteroid called Asteroid M. After Magneto was defeated, the X-Men refurbished the base after bringing it back to Earth and creating Utopia. Utopia’s primary purpose was to save mutant-kind from further persecution from US government authorities since Norman Osborne, the President of the United States was against the mutant population. It is a highly advanced base of operations with several, categorized levels.
7. Stronghold
The stronghold was the work of Doctor Rachel Deming, the legendary medical practitioner of Marvel Comics who wanted to find a cure for the deadly Theta Virus. The Island was located off the coast of Western America. To be even more precise, it was located right off the coast of California. The Island was where the Superhero team called the Exiles were formed. The Exiles are a group of superheroes that were picked out of different timelines and realities right before their point of death and given a choice to become a part of something greater. The Exiles mainly undertake missions to mend the continuity of time in all universes.
8. Savage Land
Savage Land is not actually a base so much as it is a secret country hidden deep within the icy layers of Antarctica. It is a prehistoric piece of land that is surrounded by active volcanoes on all sides, which is how the land stays warm and has a tropical climate. Savage Land is home to several pre-historic beings like Dinosaurs and ancient amphibians and plant life. Several Superheroes like Ka-Zar and Shanna hail from Savage Land, which is also home to sentient non-humanoid species like the Cat People, the Aerians, the Ape-Men, and the Karems. Several other superhumans like Sauron and Devil Dinosaur and Zaladane also hail from Savage land.
9. Atlantis
While we know Atlantis well enough due to it being featured in-depth in the DCEU movie Aquaman, we are yet to see Marvel’s Atlantis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If Marvel ever decides to make a movie featuring Namor the Submariner, Atlantis will be featured for sure. The Underwater city is home to a race of evolved human beings called Atlanteans, who now lives and can breathe underwater. The city is also home to some super futuristic technology like their DC Counterpart. The most interesting facet of Atlantis is its ruler Namor. The guy is a true anti-hero and has fought against as well as alongside the Avengers many times in the past.
10. Parker Industries
Parker Industries was the brainchild of Doctor Otto Octavius, more popularly known as Doctor Octopus of Marvel Comics. When Doctor Octopus realized he was dying, he became hell-bent on proving that he could be a batter Spiderman than Peter Parker could ever be. He used technology to possess Peter Parker’s brain and became the Superior Spiderman. Now in his new avatar, he created Parker Industries, a multi-million dollar technological form and research hub. Peter soon got his body back but continued with Parker Industries and used the technology developed in its lab to complement his own work as a crime-fighting vigilante in New York City.
Avengers: Infinity War was released on the 27th of April, 2018. The official film synopsis for the movie reads:
Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet — the evil Thanos. On a mission to collect all six Infinity Stones, Thanos plans to use the artifacts to inflict his twisted will on reality. The fate of the planet and existence itself has never been more uncertain as everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment.
The last Avengers movie to be released was Avengers: Endgame, released on the 26th of April, 2019. The official film synopsis of the movie has been released and it states:
“After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.”
