Earlier this year, Valiant courted a great deal of publicity with the revelation that Russian leader Vladimir Putin would be a central antagonist of Divinity II – Matt Kindt and Trevor Hairsine's follow-up to the publisher's much acclaimed, repeatedly sold-out and much speculated-upon aftermarket smash from 2015.

Well, stand back Russia watchers, because it doesn't look like they're stopping there. Last month's Divinity II #2 saw Myshka, the god-like new villain introduced for the second series and fellow survivor of the Soviet Union's mission into deep space, traveling from her encounter with Putin back in time for a bedside chat with none other than Joseph Stalin himself…

And, coming soon in Divinity II #3 – on sale next week – we have Myshka making yet another trip through time… To visit none of other than Mikhail Gorbachev on the eve of the glasnost reforms and implore him to reaffirm Soviet strength…

Given that the subtitle of the forthcoming Divinity III series is Stalinverse – as announced at the Valiant Summit live event in New York City several weeks ago – could be in store for a radical Russian reinvention of Valiant's universe? A world where the Cold War never ended? Where the Berlin Wall never fell?

And could it all be starting right here?

Only time will tell… Divinity II #3 is in stores next week.