The Mad Titan Thanos quests across the universe in search of the Infinity Stones, intending to use their limitless power for shocking purposes.
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Biography
Biography
For Death’s Sake
A native of the planet Titan, Thanos saw the danger his people were in from overpopulation and suggested a severe solution—the elimination of half the population, at random and without prejudice, in order to make life better for the planet as a whole. He was shunned as a madman, but his planet did indeed eventually die, lacking the resources needed to keep up with the demands.
Firmly believing that the universe at large was in the same danger as Titan, Thanos grew to power as a force bringing death and destruction from planet to planet, with untold legions of soldiers and servants at his beck and call. Infamous for annihilating entire races in service of depopulating what he believes to be an overcrowded universe, he most often works through surrogates to achieve his goals, but has been known to take a personal hand in special circumstances.
More than once, Thanos took a child from a galactic species he’d decimated and raised them as his own. Some of these children have been tutored in the arts of assassination and war, making them among the deadliest killers imaginable. Thanos has also given powerful artifacts to individuals who he believes will use them to spread the cause of death in certain important spots among the galaxies.
Thanos went on to have a great interest in acquiring the Infinity Stones, six objects of immense power scattered throughout the universe, and has had the Infinity Gauntlet built in order to harness their power.
A Titan among Men
Physically, Thanos stands head and shoulders above the average human or humanoid, with powerful muscles, a broad face, and a purple-hued skintone. He often wears a protective suit of armor and his strength is such that he has been physically able to battle—and defeat—the likes of the Hulk.
Not known to use much in the way of personal weapons, the one extremely notable artifact he keeps with him is the Infinity Gauntlet. Made from Uru metal on Nidavellir by Eitri, under duress from Thanos, the Infinity Gauntlet enables its wearer to harness the power of each Infinity Stone added to it. Once it holds all six stones, it becomes the most powerful item in the universe.
A Big Target
Thanks to his actions, the list of those who consider Thanos an enemy is vast, though he has gained a few particularly notable adversaries. First and foremost among them would be his daughters Nebula and Gamora, after they turn against him and seek his end by their own hands. Nebula’s Guardians of the Galaxy teammate, the warrior Drax, also hopes to be Thanos’ killer, as he seeks revenge for the deaths of his wife and daughter.
The entire Nova Corps, the intergalactic police force of the Xandarians, also opposes Thanos as he quests for the Infinity Stones, with the Guardians of the Galaxy serving as somewhat of an extension of their protective bubble.
After killing Heimdall, Loki, and other Asgardians, Thanos acquires the personal wrath of Thor, Asgardian god of thunder. In the wake of dispatching Gamora, he earns the loathing of Peter Quill, Star-Lord. Despite no longer officially functioning as a team, most Super Heroes who previously served as Avengers, along with allies like Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Black Panther, also stand against Thanos as he gathers every Infinity Stone.
The Children and the Lackeys
Thanos does not seem to have any genuine friendships or close confidants, mainly interacting with beings under his thrall and command, along with those he deems his children. For a while, he was often accompanied by a high-ranking servant referred to as the Other, an individual who spoke for his master and was able to issue threats on Thanos’ behalf. The Other seemingly enjoyed a position that allowed him to deliver unfortunate news to his master without apparent punishment, though Thanos also expressed no displeasure at his demise.
The assassin Gamora and warrior Nebula are raised as Thanos’ daughters after their respective races are targeted by the Titan. While Thanos seems dismissive towards Nebula, expressing no qualms about torturing her, he believes he truly loves Gamora, hoping she will one day succeed him as ruler. Eventually, both women break away from his abusive rearing to make their own way in the universe and become his opponents. The Kree warlord Ronan the Accuser also initially does Thanos’ bidding in the search for the Orb, but when Ronan realizes its true power, he begins to act on his own to claim it for himself.
During his push to acquire the Infinity Stones, Thanos commands a powerful foursome of galactic assassins: Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive, and Cull Obsidian, referred to as the Children of Thanos—to do his bidding across the galaxies. Totally devoted to their master, they hold an almost religious fervor in serving Thanos and aiding him in gathering the Stones. When Thanos learns of Maw’s death, he expresses some regret over the loss.
Malevolent Machinations
Thanos directed the Other to make contact with Loki of Asgard to bequeath a special scepter to him that he might use to wreak havoc on Earth. When Loki’s plan backfired and brought about not only an assemblage of the planet’s mightiest heroes to combat him as the Avengers, but also a nuclear weapon sent back through a Chitauri wormhole, Thanos learned of Earth’s formidable defenses and seemed to be pleased at the thought of future engagement with them.
Afterward, Thanos directed Ronan’s mission to retrieve the powerful Orb and tasked Gamora and Nebula to aid him. Unfortunately for Thanos, all three turned against him in the course of events that followed and he lost the Infinity Stone housed in the Orb. Sometime later, Nebula managed to get onboard Thanos’ ship and nearly killed him, but he was able to capture her instead.
Thanos then increased his drive to gather all six Infinity Stones. After attacking the planet Xandar to snare the Power Stone from the Nova Corps, he halted the space flight of the surviving Asgardians to take the Space Stone from Loki. From there Thanos travelled to Knowhere to wrest the Reality Stone from the Collector, and was reunited with his adoptive daughter, Gamora.
Taking her with him, Thanos returned to his throne ship and revealed his ongoing torture of the imprisoned Nebula. This broke Gamora’s will and she told Thanos that the Soul Stone could be found on the planet Vormir. Together, Thanos and Gamora traveled to Vormir and met the being responsible for the Soul Stone’s caretaking, the Red Skull, who told Thanos he must sacrifice something he loved as a price to possess the stone. After being mocked by Gamora for her belief that he was incapable of loving anything, Thanos, in tears, killed her and was then gifted with the Soul Stone—confirming his love for Gamora, even as he ended her life.
Thanos then returned to his home world of Titan to confront the combined forces of Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Joined by an escaped Nebula, the heroes nearly managed to subdue Thanos and take the Gauntlet from him, but Star-Lord’s despair and anger upon learning of Gamora’s murder disrupted their efforts. This allowed Thanos to take the Time Stone from Strange. With only one more Stone to acquire, Thanos travelled to Earth to complete his quest.
On Earth, Thanos clashed with the remaining Avengers and their allies in Wakanda. Though the Scarlet Witch succeeded in destroying the Mind Stone, and Vision with it, before Thanos could claim it, the Titan simply used his newly-acquired Time Stone to bring Vision back. He tore the stone from Vision’s forehead and assembled all six Infinity Stones together in his gauntlet.
Thor flew in with his new weapon, the axe Stormbreaker, and planted it in Thanos’ chest to kill him. Weakened, Thanos still possessed enough strength to use his gloved hand to snap his fingers and fulfill his personal mission of wiping away half of all life in the universe, effectively winning the war he’d set off. For a moment, Thanos found himself in an ethereal landscape, speaking to the childhood version of Gamora he’d first met. He told this image of the little girl that while he’d accomplished his goal, it had cost him everything. Back on the battlefield in Wakanda, Thanos was able to teleport away, leaving Thor and the others to look on in horror as their friends and allies disintegrated away thanks to the power of the Infinity Gauntlet.
Later, in a cabin on a peaceful, serene morning on a beautiful world, Thanos smiled, believing he had brought salvation to the universe.
FAQs
What powers and abilities does Thanos have? ›
Powers and abilities
Demonstrating enormous superhuman strength, speed, stamina, immortality and invulnerability among other qualities, Thanos can absorb and project vast quantities of cosmic energy, and is capable of telekinesis and telepathy.
As far as Thano's strongest forms are discussed, Astral Regulator Thanos is by far the strongest version of him due to having reality-breaking potential.
What makes Thanos so powerful? ›Thanos is a mutant member of the race of superhumans known as the Titanian Eternals. The character possesses abilities common to the Eternals, but amplified to a higher degree through a combination of his mutant–Eternal heritage, bionic amplification, mysticism, and power bestowed by the abstract entity, Death.
What is Thanos a god of? ›Thanos' name is derived from the Greek idea of Thanatos, the personification of death and oblivion. Thanos would soon live up to his ominous moniker. Starlin tapped into one of Kirby's lesser known creations in constructing Thanos' origin. Thanos is a descendant of an offshoot of Kirby's Eternals.
What can Thanos lift? ›Assuming a proportional relationship between grip strength and what the average male American can lift, back-of-the-envelope math suggests Thanos could heft 120 million pounds, 10 million pounds more than the weight of the Titanic.
What are Thanos powers without the Stones? ›- Superhuman Strength. ...
- Superhuman Durability. ...
- Superhuman Stamina. ...
- Superhuman Speed. ...
- Superhuman Agility & Reflexes. ...
- Regenerative Healing Factor. ...
- Other Abilities.
Thanos has another weakness: his own monstrous ego. In 1991's Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos became so powerful that he left his body to exist on another plane entirely... forgetting the Infinity Gauntlet still attached to his hand.
Who is King Thanos? ›King Thanos is an alternate-reality variant of Thanos from the Thanos solo run & Cosmic Ghost Rider storylines of Marvel Comics. He is a Thanos who defeated the Avengers and who is near victory in his genocidal quest. He is planned to be main-antagonist of the Multiverse Attraction.
Is there more powerful than Thanos? ›Thanos isn't a cosmic being; instead, he's just another mortal who's very hard to kill. Therefore, Korvac is someone who is stronger than Thanos and sits above him in the pecking order.
Can Thanos beat Hulk without the power stone? ›This short battle was shown in the aforementioned Infinity War's opening scene. The Mad Titan was easily able to dispatch the Hulk without even using the only Infinity Stone he had available at the time: The Power Stone.
What can Thanos control? ›
Infinity Stones.” In Avengers: Infinity War big bad Thanos successfully acquired all six stones in order to assemble his Infinity Gauntlet, providing him with the ability to control all reality and finally enact his plan to wipe out half the galaxy.
Why didn t the Eternals stop Thanos if he is a Deviant? ›The Eternals specifically state that they did not interfere with Thanos and his genocidal finger snap due to their sacred mission, which only allowed intervention when the Deviants were involved.
What made Thanos evil? ›Being the strongest and most evil of all of them and appearing as a threatening and monstrous beast, Thanos fell in love with the living female embodiment of death and is willing to destroy every existence to win her love, no matter how powerful he must become in his quest to do so or who dares to stop him in his goals ...
What race is Thanos? ›In the comics, Thanos is a mutant member of the race of superhumans known as the Titanian Eternals.
How old is Thanos? ›Russo claims Thanos is around 1,000 years old, calling him to be "the Genghis Khan of the universe." The filmmakers could have chosen any reasonable age for the villain, but having Thanos be around 1,000 years old respects the larger canon of the comics, which, while vague, keeps him around this age.
Can Thanos lift Thor hammer? ›Endgame Detail Proves Thanos Knew He Couldn't Lift Mjolnir - Theory Explained. While many believed Thanos lifted Mjolnir during the Battle of Earth in Avengers: Endgame, a detail shows he knew he wasn't worthy of it.
What class strength is Thanos? ›Presumably, then, Thanos possessed at least Class 100 strength, enabling him to lift (press) over 100 tons. Known Superhuman Powers: Thanos possessed incalculable superhuman power.
What is Thanos sword made of? ›Thanos sword is very likely made of Uru, one of the strongest metals in the Universe. The same substance that was used by Eitri to make Thor's weapons on Nidavellir – Mjolnir and Stormbreaker. Uru is a metal ore found only on the first moon that came into existence. It is incredibly durable.
What was Thanos power as an Eternal? ›Upon discovering this, Thanos enacted a forceful takeover of the Eternals' leadership, and used his new powers as Prime Eternal to order them to hook him up to their world engine, thereby granting him the same immortality that they enjoy.
What planet is Thanos from? ›A native of the planet Titan, Thanos saw the danger his people were in from overpopulation and suggested a severe solution—the elimination of half the population, at random and without prejudice, in order to make life better for the planet as a whole.
How powerful is Thanos without gauntlet? ›
Ultimately, with or without the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos was one of the strongest beings in the Marvel Universe, who could topple entire planets with his powers.
Which superhero can defeat Thanos? ›While Thanos is an Eternal and has the standard powers of super-strength, agility, regeneration, immortality, and more, Adam Warlock takes the upper hand. He can be killed, but he resurrects to be stronger every time.
How powerful is Thanos? ›Thanos is immensely strong and resistant to injury, invulnerable to nearly all types of poison, disease, and telepathic attack. He also has incredible psychic abilities; he can sense things several star systems away.
What is Thanos weapon called? ›The Double-Edged Sword was a double-bladed weapon used by Thanos.
Who cut the head of Thanos? ›Being surprised with Nebula's trust in what he had said, Thanos thanked her for believing him and finally admitted that perhaps he had treated her too harshly. Before he could say anything else, an enraged Thor decapitated Thanos, killing the Mad Titan.
Who is Thanos half brother? ›ErosStarfox. Eros grew up on Titan alongside his brother Thanos, embracing all the pleasures that life has to offer. He laters becomes Starfox and an official member of the Avengers.
Who is Thanos half sister? ›Nebula appears in The Super Hero Squad Show, voiced by Jane Lynch. This version is Thanos' older sister. Nebula appears in Guardians of the Galaxy, voiced by Cree Summer.
Who is more evil than Thanos? ›Most of all, he's finally writing a Marvel event: Judgement Day, which will see the Eternals, Avengers, and X-Men all go to war. But before that, Gillen will shake the Eternals' foundation once more. Eternals: The Heretic introduces Uranos the Undying, a far more evil character than Thanos.
Who wins Thanos or Hulk? ›They are so evenly matched that Thanos points out how he would never be able to match the Hulk's strength without the power boost he gets from the eye of the Kraken. This means that in a straight-up fight without the monster transformation or mechanized robot, the Hulk is stronger than Thanos.
Who is the most powerful villain after Thanos? ›- 1 Dormammu (Doctor Strange)
- 2 Scarlet Witch (Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness) ...
- 3 Surtur (Thor: Ragnarok) ...
- 4 Ego (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. ...
- 5 Hela (Thor: Ragnarok) ...
- 6 Thanos (The Avengers, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Age Of Ultron, Infinity War, Endgame) ...
How tall is Thanos? ›
While his awkward being has been recorded to be 6'7” tall in the comics, for the MCU the makers gifted him more inches. In the films, Josh Brolin's Thanos is a giant, standing at 8'3".
Why did they make Hulk so weak in Infinity War? ›Because the writters wanted to Show all the version of Hulk in Avengers series,Marvel took that step and showed Hulk weak in Infinity war so that the final versionof Hulk that is professor Hulk could have been shown.
Is Thanos scared of anything? ›What is Thanos's biggest fear? Instead of aliens, androids, and wizards, Thanos is afraid of aliens, Asgardians, and wizards. The theory posits Ego, Odin, and The Ancient One as three of Thanos' greatest fears, and he waited until all of them were dead to make his move.
Can Thanos teleport without the gauntlet? ›His Space Throne, in addition to all its other abilities, allows Thanos to teleport. What makes this power special, and separate from the rest of the Space Throne, is that he can teleport even when he's not sitting on it. It also allows him to teleport others.
Who has the soul stone before Thanos? ›"Of what?" The Soul Stone was one of the six Infinity Stones, the remnant of a singularity that predated the universe, representing the element of soul. Kept on Vormir and under the protection of Red Skull since 1945, the Soul Stone was acquired by Thanos in 2018 after he sacrificed Gamora.
Why is Thanos purple but Eros isn t? ›Thanos' brother Eros aka Starfox looks nothing like him despite them being Eternals; the reason (and Thanos' purple look) lies with the Deviant gene. Thanos' brother Eros aka Starfox looks nothing like the Mad Titan due to an Eternals Deviant gene.
How was Thanos born a Deviant? ›Genetics. There is a Deviant equivalent of the mutant X-Factor chromosome. The Eternal Thanos is a mutant within his kind, possessing a mutation, the Deviant gene [citation needed] and being consequently affected by the "Deviant Syndrome".
Why did Arishem not stop Thanos? ›Why did Arishem not stop Thanos? Arishem may have calculated a simple cost benefit analysis and determined that opposing Thanos given all of the aforementioned conditions simply wasn't worth taking the risk to himself. There is also the matter of the battleground itself.
Is Thanos an Eternal or a Titan? ›In the comics, Thanos is the product of two Eternals conceiving a child, an act that isn't allowed among them. As a result, he becomes host to the Deviant Gene, which alters his appearance but still technically makes him an Eternal.
How did Thanos become mad? ›Possessing the DNA of the Deviants and Eternals made Thanos extremely powerful and resilient. At one point, Thanos exposed himself to cosmic rays, which distorted his body. He eventually killed many of his fellow Titans, including his own mother. This further twisted his mind and increased his lust for death.
What are all Thanos crimes? ›
Thanos. Human rights abuses: crimes against humanity, mass murder, torture, war crimes including targeting civilians and murder and ill-treatment of prisoners of war. Thanos turns out to be the ultimate villain in the films, giving a bad name to environmentalists everywhere.
Is Thanos an immortal? ›Yes, as an Eternal, Thanos is immortal by human standards. Immortal meaning can not die by disease, or old age, as in natural causes. Thanos is NOT immortal but extremely long lived (much like Asgardians, he does age).
How fast is Thanos? ›There is a thread on stackexchange that calculates their speed between 62-72mph. That's cheetah speed.
How smart is Thanos? ›Thanos is known for being superlatively powerful, but he's also as intelligent as they come. Thanos was educated on Titan among his fellow Eternals and learned many secrets of the universe in his travels. Iron Man is intelligent, but Thanos is smarter than Iron Man could ever be.
What is Thanos full name? ›In order to convince present-Thanos that this is all real, future-Thanos speaks aloud something only the real Thanos would know: their original birth name, Dione. Thanos' parents were of a race called Eternals who live on a moon of Saturn called Titan.
Who is Thanos love? ›In the comics, Thanos was in love with Death to the point that he would eliminate half the cosmos just to please her, and when that didn't impress her, he made a female version of himself to be his companion just to make Lady Death jealous. This really couldn't have been directly adapted to film.
How many children Thanos had? ›Thanos adopted six known children, Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive, Cull Obsidian, the Zehoberei Gamora, and the Luphomoid Nebula, and trained them in the ways of combat, turning each of them into a deadly warrior.
What powers does Thanos have without the Infinity Gauntlet? ›Without the gauntlet he can take on all of the Avengers simultaneously without taking any discernible damage. He's quite literally stopped a heavily swung mjolnir with one hand and then floored Thor with the other.
What is Thanos weakness? ›WEAKNESS: LOSING THE INFINITY GAUNTLET. The Infinity Gauntlet allows Thanos to achieve the ultimate power: to become the living embodiment of the universe.
What are Thanos powers as Eternal? ›Thanos was something of an outcast amongst the Eternals, but he shared many of their abilities. Like the Eternals, he is super-strong, resistant to injuries, immune to most poisons and diseases, and seemingly cannot die of old-age.
Is Thanos immortal without Infinity Gauntlet? ›
Yes, as an Eternal, Thanos is immortal by human standards. Immortal meaning can not die by disease, or old age, as in natural causes. Thanos is NOT immortal but extremely long lived (much like Asgardians, he does age).
Is Thanos weak without Infinity Stones? ›With the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos was able to beat almost every single cosmic being in the Marvel Universe. Without them, his superpowers decrease substantially, but his Eternal abilities mean he is still stronger than most.
How strong is Thanos power level? ›Presumably, then, Thanos possessed at least Class 100 strength, enabling him to lift (press) over 100 tons. Known Superhuman Powers: Thanos possessed incalculable superhuman power.
What is Thanos brother powers? ›Where Eros serves as the superhero Starfox, he is opposed by his mad brother Thanos, much like the rest of the universe. He has the power to psychically control other people's emotions.
Why does Thanos want power? ›Thanos thinks that if he kills half of all life in the universe, he'll restore balance. To do so, he needs all six Infinity Stones to power his Infinity Gauntlet, which in turn will give him the ability to bend time, space, energy, and the laws of physics and reality.