Thanos (Marvel Comics | Guardians of the Galaxy)

Thanos is a supervillain in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, created by writer-artist Jim Starlin. He first appeared in The Invincible Iron Man #55, cover-dated February 1973. Born on Saturn's moon Titan to Eternal parents A'Lars (known as Mentor) and Sui-San, Thanos carries the Deviant gene, resulting in his distinctive purple-skinned, hulking physique that caused his mother to attempt infanticide shortly after his birth. Initially a pacifistic child who bonded with his brother Eros (later Starfox), Thanos descended into nihilism during adolescence, becoming obsessed with entropy and the cosmic entity Mistress Death, whom he personified as his object of affection. To gain her favor, he augmented his innate abilities through bionic enhancements, mysticism, and advanced technology, while pursuing ultimate power through artifacts such as the Cosmic Cube.

Possessing superhuman strength, durability, stamina, energy projection, telepathy, and near-invulnerability—further amplified by his genius-level intellect and tactical prowess—Thanos emerged as a formidable cosmic threat in his early storylines during the 1970s. These arcs, spanning titles like Captain Marvel, Avengers, and Warlock, depicted his quests for dominion, clashes with heroes including the Avengers and Adam Warlock, and temporary defeats, such as being turned to stone. His character evolved to reveal a profound psychological complexity, often marked by subconscious self-sabotage stemming from a belief in his own unworthiness, even as he committed acts of mass destruction, including the bombardment of Titan that killed millions.

Thanos reached his most defining development in the 1991 miniseries The Infinity Gauntlet, where he assembled the six Infinity Gems into a gauntlet, eradicated half of all life in the universe to balance existence and please Mistress Death, and ultimately lost due to internal flaws exploited by heroes and his niece Nebula. Subsequent major events, including The Infinity War (1992), The Infinity Crusade (1993), Infinity (2013), and his ongoing series (2017–2018), portrayed him alternately as an unstoppable tyrant, reluctant ally against greater threats, and a figure grappling with legacy and resurrection. His enduring impact extended beyond comics through portrayals in animation and, most prominently, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where Josh Brolin depicted a resource-driven variant in films culminating in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.

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