The Avengers were out in force last night during Marvel's eye-popping Comic-Con panel, and despite plenty of mirth and goodwill on the packed panel itself, the footage shown to the crowd hinted at a much darker story to come in Joss Whedon's 'Avengers 2.'

Specifically, the new trailer gave the audience a sizable look at villain Ultron and just some of the havoc he's prepared to unleash on not just the Avengers, but all of humanity. The footage ended with a visual that, by all means, sounds like the kind of showstopper that we'll see plenty more of before the film hits theaters -- a look at a seemingly dead pile of Avengers, with only Iron Man still standing tall. In the middle of that mess? Captain America's virtually indestructible shield (made of Vibranium, steel, and another unknown element), apparently cracked in two. How did it get that way -- and who (or what) is responsible for such a show of force?

That footage is not online yet, but you can get a feel for it by checking out our live blog from the panel and by sneaking a peek at the shield itself, thanks to Marvel. If you're still in San Diego for Comic-Con, Cap's cracked shield is now on display at the Marvel booth. Why not go and check it out?

‘The Avengers 2′ (officially titled ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’) will hit theaters on May 1, 2015.

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For more info on 'Avengers 2,' watch our video of Chris Evans at Comic-Con 2014.

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